《Smash Gal & Esvanir》 Issue #0 Prologue

=== Kari === I was seven the first time I saw him. The shy boy sitting out on his porch. I was on the street on my bike. I had biked past where I was really supposed to. My neighborhood had such even streets. These streets down here had bumpier roads, which were always more fun to ride on. Even from the street, I could hear them screaming; his parents were really going at it. He looked up; his eyes were blue. His face, at the moment, was red. He must¡¯ve been mortified that I knew. He knows I could hear them. How could I not? He broke the gaze and stared down at a few little pieces of cardboard. I rode my bike over his lawn, and he backed away some. I closed the distance between us and smiled at him. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Kari! What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°C-Curtis,¡± he said, looking down. I sat down next to him, and he curled into himself a little more. I put his parents¡¯ screaming out of my head and looked down at the cards he had. They were weird. Not like sports cards or anything. ¡°What¡¯re these?¡± I asked, trying to get him to focus on anything but his parents. I picked one up. It had a dragon painted on it. ¡°They¡¯re gorgeous. This one is a Draken Guard?¡± ¡°They¡¯re Sorcerer¡¯s Cards. It¡¯s just a dumb game that one of my mom¡¯s friends taught me,¡± he said dismissively. But he did come out of his self-imposed cocoon. We went through the cards together. From that day on, we were inseparable. We went to the same school. He had gotten some kind of grant to get there, but I was just there because my parents paid for it. His parents couldn¡¯t afford it. Especially after they split up. Some of the kids picked on him because he was poor. His jeans were always ripped, and he wore a broken pair of glasses that would only break further when they threw him to the ground. But I chased them off like a warthog bursting through a bunch of vultures. During the summer, his parents got him a hand-me-down bike, and we rode everywhere. We found bike trails, we did jumps, and we would stop off for ice at different shops. I was given an allowance, and we would spend it renting movies we shouldn¡¯t have. Scary movies, romance movies, more Sorcerer¡¯s Cards. He taught me how to play, and I got good at it. Good enough to beat him. We found little competitions and played together. He was good at finding decks that were cheap and strategic and won a few tournaments. I got all of the giant creatures together and won through brute force! When we were ten, and in middle school, we would always get paired together in everything. Lab, shop, home economics, everything. Everyone thought we were dating, but we weren¡¯t. We were just friends. Just friends; who hung out every day; who would just lay across one another; who could finish each other¡¯s sentences. Okay. We were dating a little. As we grew up, I got taller and taller. He didn¡¯t get as tall, but that¡¯s okay. He would go through stages of growing his hair out and cutting it all off. When it was long, he¡¯d use it to hide his eyes. People always mentioned his eyes. They always said that they were older than they should have been. I don¡¯t know about any of that. I just know that when he looked at me, my heart jumped. They were always so piercing. So intense. Whenever we talked, I could tell he focused his full attention on me. He did this with everyone. Most of my other friends kept their distance when he was around.

=== Curt === Kari stuck around me all the time. She¡¯d split her lunch with me when my parents . . . forgot to pack mine. She¡¯d stand up to bullies and make sure I was always invited to anything she was invited to. And she was invited to everything. People really liked her. Which made her attachment to me all the more confusing. Despite being in the same grade, she always acted like my bigger sister. When we got to middle school, everyone thought we were dating. If one of her friends refused to invite me to something, she wouldn¡¯t go. Which must¡¯ve made her life hard. Usually, if I knew she wanted to go to something and the person hosting didn¡¯t want me around, I¡¯d make an excuse to not go. Her friends didn¡¯t really like me. Which was fair. I also didn¡¯t really like me. In eighth grade, there was this Sadie Hawkins Dance. You know, the kind where the girls ask out the boys. I never really understood why that was so important. Couldn¡¯t the girls ask the boys out to a regular dance? Anyway, It was a big deal, apparently. The biggest deal of all of eighth grade. The few friends I had outside of Kari were all obsessed. They spent weeks trying to get a girl, any girl, to ask them. One of my friends, Bryan, bribed a girl to do it, promising to do all of her homework through freshman year. I hear they got married last June. No one asked me. Not that I minded. I can¡¯t dance. I thought that Kari would ask me, though. She hadn¡¯t, which wasn¡¯t like her. She always took every opportunity to get me involved in social stuff. I usually didn¡¯t mind. She made it fun. But this wasn¡¯t really my scene, so it was okay that she hadn¡¯t asked me. My friends didn¡¯t believe me when I told them. ¡°No way, bro. She¡¯s crazy about you.¡± ¡°We¡¯re just friends,¡± I responded absently, shaking my head. They were convinced that Kari had a thing for me. Which was ridiculous. ¡°And it¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t want to go anyway.¡± ¡°What do you mean that you don¡¯t want to go? This is the biggest event of middle school! A capstone! If you¡¯re not there, you¡¯re going to be a social pariah for . . . like, ever.¡± ¡°Ah. Well, that would really hurt my social standing. I would lose my four friends. Because I didn¡¯t go to a dance.¡± The day before the dance, Kari and I were hanging out between periods. ¡°My dress is so cute! I can¡¯t wait for everyone to see us. What¡¯re you wearing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going,¡± I said simply, pushing my lunch around. ¡°What d¡¯ya mean that you¡¯re not going? I¡¯m not going alone!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You never invited me.¡± I watched the gears turn in her head for a moment. She was going through every moment. ¡°No, no, that can¡¯t be right. I definitely asked you. I told my mom that we were going, she helped me pick out a dress, and she¡¯s going to do my hair. And I . . .¡± She froze, her mouth agape. I stared at her, waiting. ¡°I . . . I never asked you.¡± ¡°God, you¡¯re thick-headed sometimes, Kar.¡± ¡°Oh . . . Oh no! But you have to come. Besides, of course, I want to go with you! We always do stuff like this together.¡± ¡°This is our first dance, Kar,¡± I interjected. ¡°It¡¯s a boy-girl thing. Or, I guess, a girl-girl thing. How do gay guys participate in this?¡± ¡°What? I mean . . . That¡¯s actually a good question, but it¡¯s totally beside the point,¡± Kari said, rolling her eyes. ¡°What does it matter if it¡¯s a boy-girl thing or whatever? I want to go with you.¡± ¡°Kar, people already think we¡¯re dating. There are a lot of guys who would love to go out with you. Take one of them.¡± ¡°Nah. I wanna go with you. You¡¯re coming,¡± Kari said with an air of finality. I swear to god, she could sit down with any world leader and get them back down. ¡°You better get yourself something cute to wear. Something that goes well with mauve.¡± ¡°What¡¯s mauve?¡± ¡°Kind of like pale purple.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say purple?¡± ¡°Because they¡¯re different. Duh!¡± When I got home later that day, I hesitantly walked up to my mother¡¯s room. Mother and father slept in separate beds most nights. Thankfully. When they didn¡¯t, it got loud. In many ways, I don¡¯t care to think about. Some people think that divorce is the worst thing to happen to an unhappy family. It¡¯s not. I knocked on the door. I heard a crash and the sound of a bottle breaking. I sighed and grabbed the broom and dustpan, and opened the door. ¡°Curt! Curtish. Come clean this messh up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming, mom,¡± I said, chest deflating. I came into her room and started sweeping up the glass. ¡°Thash a good boy,¡± she slurred. I had gotten good at telling the differences between her favored alcohols. She reeked of cinnamon whiskey. She had a much different taste than my father, who liked cheap Vodka and cocktail waitresses. ¡°Hey, mom. Um . . .¡± I hesitated. I hated asking for things. But it wasn¡¯t like I had anyone else I could ask. ¡°What ish it? Spit it out, boy,¡± she said impatiently. ¡°C-could I get some money for some clothes? I-¡± ¡°Clothes!?¡± She demanded. ¡°You have plenty of clothes, boy.¡± ¡°No . . . Well, yes, bu-¡± ¡°Fucking ungrateful, little bastard!¡± She screamed. I had to interject before this went too far. ¡°I don¡¯t have any . . . formal clothes. For . . . a dance,¡± I said, just barely loud enough for her to hear. ¡°A dance? You¡¯re going to a dance?¡± She looked flabbergasted. ¡°With who? Who would want you? You¡¯re. . . It¡¯s that little rich bitch, isn¡¯t it?¡± I clenched my fists and was going to scream at her for calling Kari a bitch, but she wrapped her hand around my chin and stroked my hair. ¡°You¡¯re a good boy, Curt. Lemme get my stuff. We¡¯ll go get you dressed good for your little dance. My little man going to a dance. So cute.¡± We spent the next four hours picking out clothes. And my mother did something I had never seen before; she fussed over me. It was an off-the-rack suit and tie, but she said I looked handsome. She ended the sentence with ¡°unlike normal¡±, but I¡¯ll take the win where I can get it. The tie we picked out even would match the off-purple of Kari¡¯s dress.

=== Kari === The day of the dance is finally here! Yay! This is going to be so much fun. And Curt is going to have fun, too! I¡¯ll make him. And he was going to dance. My dad drove me down to his parents¡¯ place to pick him up. My father¡¯s face grew stern as we moved into Curt¡¯s neighborhood. He kept complaining about how the streets were cracked, and the lawns were unkempt. But who cares? It¡¯s not about the house; it¡¯s about the person who lives inside. And Curt is great. So, his neighborhood is great. When we got there, his mom was out of bed and wearing more than a dirty bathrobe. She actually looked pretty nice. She and Curt had the same eyes. Sharp and taking in everything. At least right now. When . . . When she drank, it dulled their luster a lot. But Curt looked great! They had chosen a black suit and shirt with a mauve tie; he remembered the color! Well, of course, Curt did. He remembers everything. They made us take pictures; I wrapped my arm around Curt¡¯s and grinned through it. It was embarrassing, but it was just what parents did. They both went through and took pictures separately. Which was ridiculous. You could just email the copies. Dad showed me the photos he took, and Curt¡¯s face was incredibly red. The reddest I¡¯d ever seen. Until I looked at him just then, staring at the photo, mortified. This is great. Tonight is the best! We finally got to the dance, and everyone was there. One of Curt¡¯s friends came up and said something that I couldn¡¯t hear over the music. Curt responded with, ¡°Shut up, Brian!¡± Brian thought this was really funny and started laughing and laughing until his date came up. Curt found a table and started to sit down until I dragged him out onto the dance floor. ¡°Nope, no, siree. You¡¯re dancing.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t dance! People will see me.¡± ¡°People will see us having fun. And who cares if they can see you? It can¡¯t possibly be worse than that time you lit the chemistry lab on fire.¡± ¡°I told you, if they had labeled those ingredients right, it would have worked.¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Sure it would have. I¡¯m glad your eyebrows grew back for the pictures, though. You look good.¡± ¡°So do you,¡± he said, taking a risk and glancing up at my eyes. When we first met, we were about the same height, but now I was taller than him. I hadn¡¯t worn heels for that reason. I didn¡¯t want the difference to be even more stark. We got out onto the dance-floor just as a slow song started. Curt looked like a deer in the headlights. He lifted his hands, which were shaking. I smiled down at him and took his hands, placing one on my hip and taking the other. I had taken dancing lessons. I didn¡¯t get too far because I wanted to do sports, too. We circled the dance-floor and slowly drifted closer until his arm was on my back. As the song ended, our eyes met again. He leaned in. I closed my eyes and did the same. Then we were yanked apart. I opened my eyes to see the gym teacher with his hands on Curt and the bio teacher with her hands on my shoulder. The gym teacher barked, ¡°Stay arm¡¯s length apart, Reese.¡± This is so unfair! He was finally going to do something!

=== Curt === She was always with me, through thick and thin. When my parents got too . . . involved, I could always go to her. Her parents didn¡¯t seem to mind. They would let me stay for dinner whenever I was around. They would just leave us alone, widely. We usually hung out in her room. She kept the door open, just in case. I was not going to make a move. I did not want to risk losing her. She was always the most important thing. The only stable thing in my life. And a fucking softball game is what took her away. Of all things, a god damn softball game. We were fourteen. She had joined the girl¡¯s softball team, and she was good. She was tall with strong legs, so she could usually outrun everyone around her. I would have joined too, but I am not a girl. They offered to let me be the mascot, but there are some lines that even I won¡¯t cross! But I went to every game. Even if it meant taking three buses, I was always there. It was the finals; she was up to bat. She brandished the thing so naturally. When I tried to play baseball, I accidentally knocked out the catcher when I hit the ball. I just threw the bat back, hitting him in the head. I did not notice until I passed second base. But not Kari. She had a natural aptitude for everything except for math. But lots of people suck at math. She went up to the home plate. I readied the camera I had bought from a pawn shop. Her parents couldn¡¯t attend the game, but I know they wanted to. The pitcher wound up and threw the ball. She was good. It was a straight shot, but Kari did not swing. The catcher caught it. ¡°Strike one!¡± The umpire shouted. The pitcher threw the next one, and it was almost a mirror for the first, and still, Kari did not swing. I will never know how she missed the point of Casey at the bat. But unlike Casey, on the third pitch, she swung. There was a great crack, and the ball flew. I followed it with my camera to the best of my ability, but by the time I registered it, it was gone. I focused on her again and the bat. Or what was left of it. It had shattered into a million pieces. She took off and got to first, then second in the blink of an eye. The other team was scrambling, trying to find where the ball went. Kari rounded third and charged home. They won that game. ¡°Did you see that?! I got my first home run! I feel like I could fly!¡± She all but screamed, jumping in the air. ¡°Yeah, I saw it. Recorded it, too.¡± ¡°You got a recording? I love you!¡± She yelled again, throwing her arms around me and pulling me into a tight hug. My back cracked from the force; she loosened her grip and hung her arms loosely around my neck. She stared into my eyes. I shuffled my feet, desperately wanting to break eye contact. Her green eyes were a forest I could get lost in forever. She closed her eyes and leaned in a little. She was dirty, smelling like sweat and dust, but it did not matter. I leaned in. Our lips brushed. My first kiss.

=== Kari === Curtis emailed me my first home run. The video and the angle weren¡¯t great, but you could tell it was me. I don¡¯t know why the bat broke when I finally swung. The coach said she¡¯d never seen anything like it. Curt had managed to get the ball flying off. ¡°Your camera isn¡¯t very good.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It looks like smoke is coming off the ball! Come on, tech boy, buy yourself a proper camera,¡± I said, elbowing him. He pushed back, and we started to wrestle. He usually had the upper hand on this, but I rolled him over and pinned him immediately. He just stared up for a moment and then shrunk away. After that, we went to dinner with my parents. I showed them the video. They both looked concerned. They dropped Curt off at his house, which had become even more dilapidated in the last seven years. I wished he could just live with me. It¡¯d be so much easier. And besides, we¡¯d get to practice kissing some more. ¡°Kari, dear. Has anything like that ever happened to you before?¡± ¡°What? The home run? Nope! It¡¯s my first one. Pretty awesome. I feel bad about the bat, though. I guess it must¡¯ve been old.¡± My parents looked at each other, and my mother turned in her seat. ¡°Honey, that ball flew really far,¡± she said. She seemed to be trying very hard to come up with words to not upset me. Don¡¯t know what all that¡¯s all about. She sighed. ¡°Have you ever . . . Lifted anything you shouldn¡¯t have been able to? Or ran faster than you should have?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. Why? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Probably nothing,¡± she responded with a smile. ¡°Good job today. Your father and I are really proud.¡± I figured that was the end of it, but I woke up in the middle of the night. Dad had pinned down one of my arms and had a needle roughly twice the size of Texas in his hand. I screamed and struggled. He went flying and hit the back wall; his eyes were wide; he looked terrified. Mom crossed the room and helped him up. ¡°What the hell are you doing!?¡± I demanded. ¡°Kari! Watch your language!¡± My mother spat back. ¡°What are you doing in my room? With a needle!¡± I said, scooting to the other side of the bed, panting. ¡°We were just taking a blood sample,¡± my father responded as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. ¡°While I was sleeping? Why?¡± My mother and father looked at each other, then back to me. They made their way to the bed. ¡°We didn¡¯t want to worry you,¡± mom cooed, sitting on the bed and patting my knee. ¡°We just want to do a test or two to . . . make sure that you¡¯re healthy.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t want to worry me, as though me waking up in the middle of the night, standing over me with a syringe is going to be calming!¡± I shrieked. Both of them looked guilty. ¡°You¡¯re right; I¡¯m sorry, sweetie,¡± dad said in a calming voice. He sat down on the bed. ¡°We still need to take your blood and do a couple of tests.¡± ¡°Why? What is going on? I feel great. Outside of the heart attack I just had.¡± ¡°Your mom has some genetic disorders that kick in around your age in her family. We just want to make sure that nothing¡¯s going on.¡± I searched his face. It was carved in stone; I couldn¡¯t get a read on him at all; that wasn¡¯t like him. He usually wore his emotions on his face. I could always tell when he was stressed or annoyed or pretending to be exasperated with me for telling him a long story. ¡°Well, if I don¡¯t let you do it, you¡¯ll just come in when I¡¯m asleep again.¡± I grabbed a teddy bear that Curt had won me last year and looked away, offering my arm. I hate needles. I felt something press into my arm, and then there was a snap, and the pressure was gone. I looked at my father and the needle in his hand; it had broken. He was staring at it despondently. I searched mom¡¯s face, but it had also become stony and impossible to read. The next week was a whirlwind. Mom and dad decided we needed to move out of the blue. They were going to take me somewhere where they could figure out why I broke the needle. And how I hit a softball. As though it wasn¡¯t obvious. The answer was with a bat. Duh.

=== Curt === Kari moved away. She left me behind. She said that she had some medical condition and then just disappeared. I tried to visit, but her parents would not let me see her. I tried emailing her, but she gave no response to that either. I was alone. Again. My girlfriend . . . My best friend was gone. With nothing else to do, I receded into my hobbies. I liberated some money from my mom¡¯s purse and bought myself a soldering iron. She wouldn¡¯t miss it. Or at least, she wouldn¡¯t realize that she hadn¡¯t already spent it. Money was always tight, but that was mostly because mother was always spending it on drugs. I started building things. Just little gadgets here and there. It was nothing compared to Bion, the tech hero. He was a new hero making waves. His real name was Andrew Wan, a billionaire who discovered he was dying. All of his muscles were weakening. He built himself a suit to help sustain his withering body. He had made the suit stronger than he had intended. And when someone tried to kidnap him, he threw the crook through the wall. The following week, when there was an invasion from a nation I had never heard of before, he volunteered his services. They were armed with laser cannons, plasma bombs, and one especially devoted guy had a sword; Bion managed to fight back the forces, but the damage was extensive. Cars were crushed, buildings were destroyed, and people died. Lots of people. After Bion saved the day, he just skated away and left the damage behind him. He could fire lasers from his palms and throw cars but didn¡¯t use it to help the people whose lives were in shambles now. He had more money than he could ever spend, and yet, he just let people suffer. He . . . He had a suit that kept him alive, and he did not give this technology to everyone. He had made an advance in medical science never seen before, yet he just let people die. It might be because, with Kari and her family gone, I was stuck eating at home, which meant I¡¯d go hungry every other day. When I did eat, it was just spaghetti and, if I was lucky, meat. Spaghetti is fine, but it gets old when it¡¯s all you eat. I started to resent Bion. There were lots of superheroes that seemed to be rich. They had the money to just go through and build weapons of mass destruction, use them, create said destruction, and fly off to the sunset. Leaving regular people to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. Assholes.

=== Kari === My parents took me to some weird lab and eventually got a needle that could get my blood. They also ran a bunch of other tests on me. They managed to track down that softball that I had hit. They said it was in orbit, circling the planet. When they told me that, I fell over laughing. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! You¡¯re nuts.¡± ¡°No, sweetie,¡± my father began. ¡°You¡¯re a little bit different than us.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Well, when you were born, it was right in the middle of the Grignau¡¯s Invasion.¡± ¡°Duh, everyone knows about it. They were super strong aliens that almost took over the planet. There were a couple of heroes that stopped them, though. And a small nuke. Everyone knows that. ¡°Yes, well. Your mother and I were tasked with studying their genetic makeup. In the hopes of finding a weakness. We . . . We didn¡¯t find one. But we did come up with another plan. After we fully sequenced their genome, we started doing some experiments. We found that we could insert their genes into other things, and they would change. We did some plants, rabbits, lab mice . . . If the subject was young, just born, it would change rapidly. Get stronger. Incredibly strong. And fast. If we did it to anything that was past adolescence . . . Well, they may not survive. And it could cripple them.¡± ¡°Okay. But what does this have to do with me?¡± ¡°We . . . You were a premie, hon,¡± mom said softly. ¡°You were very sick. And the sequence we discovered could fix that. We . . . Never got permission exactly, but we did insert some Grignau genes into your genome. You were still young enough . . . And we kept an eye out to see what would happen.¡± ¡°Y-you experimented on your daughter!? You made me a guinea pig for alien DNA!?¡± I screamed. ¡°What kind of monsters . . . Why? Why did you do this?¡± ¡°You were sick. You would have died. So we did the only thing we could think of to save you,¡± My father said, staring at his feet. I took a couple of deep breaths, willing the build-up of anger in my chest to deflate. ¡°What does this mean? I¡¯m a Grignau? I¡¯m like those things that invaded? Some kind of monster?¡± ¡°No, not exactly,¡± mom began. ¡°You are still human. You did inherit some of their abilities. Tougher skin, for instance.¡± ¡°What else?¡± I asked, considering it. ¡°Honestly, we have no idea. That¡¯s why we¡¯re here. We need to figure out what you can do. And what you want to do with whatever you can do.¡± My parents designed some tests for me to do. I worked at it for a long time. Eventually, they couldn¡¯t find a way to make anything weigh enough for me to not just juggle it. They also said that I somehow kept structural integrity with my mind. Dad said if I wasn¡¯t doing that, I would still be able to lift whatever, but because my hands are small, things would break around me still. So, I was grateful for that. I also could run super fast. The lab was too small to really tell how fast. This was kind of a problem, though. My speed came out of nowhere, and the first time it did, I ran through eight walls and a girder, breaking it and almost bringing the parking structure down on top of me. It was tough to control. So was my strength. I broke chairs, tables, beakers, everything. The last thing that we figured out was that I could fly. And by figuring it out, I accidentally ran off a building. Flying was sure helpful because it was a pretty tall building. I could fly as fast as I could run, but my parents always wanted me to slow down. When I did go that fast, it shattered windows. It was also really hard to stop. But I practiced constantly; I figured out how the stability thing worked; I could control my strength. At least until something annoyed me. I could control my speed until I got bored.

=== Curt === I spent a lot of time helping people clean up the rubble caused by these superhero battles. There was always a lot of damage, whether it be against supervillains, aliens, dinosaurs that madmen reconstituted, or anything else. Broken buildings. Occasionally, I would stumble upon some discarded piece of technology. I would collect it and spend some time figuring out how it worked. It was amazing what they left behind. But I guess if you¡¯re a billionaire on your way to becoming a trillionaire, there¡¯s no need to collect some measly scraps. I did, though, throughout high school and trade school. I learned a lot from those little pieces. Many of them were more versatile than the inventor would have considered. The employee was undoubtedly some poor schlub who would never get credit for his work with Bion or someone else to take it for them. Unfortunately, tinkering doesn¡¯t pay the bills, and I had to get a job to ensure I could survive in the society we decided to craft. So, I went into IT. And let me tell you, IT is never going anywhere. Because dear god, are people stupid. Ninety percent of my job is just teaching the same people, week after week, how to log into their email. What Two-Factor Authentication is. Why they shouldn¡¯t buy ten thousand dollars worth of gift cards and send them to the ¡°CEO¡± with a qmail domain? Whether or not their device is on. How to plug in a mouse. But after work, I¡¯d always get to test out some new toys. After combining eighty-seven different pieces, some of which were a little broken, I did make a functional something. I made a very precise global positioning system. Technically, it was using one of Wan¡¯s satellites, but I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t mind. It was accurate to within a meter. After finishing school, I moved to Avalare city and worked for a small firm part-time. I managed to create automated responses for most of the stuff they needed. ¡®Have you tried turning it off and on again¡¯ usually solves most of the problems. Eventually, they might be trained to do that before they contact me. Probably not, though. Issue #1: Smash Gal and Esvanir

=== Kari === It took fourteen years, but I finally can control my powers! I don¡¯t really know how to explain what I¡¯m doing, but it works, and that¡¯s all that matters! I don¡¯t accidentally break a cup (usually) or go so fast that every beaker I¡¯ve ever been around shatters. With a bit of work, I can even go that fast and not break anything. I was finally free. I also started creating little Tak-Tiks of life in the lab, and a lot of people really liked them. It was usually just lifestyle stuff. My parents forbade me from revealing my powers to anyone. Still, it was so hard to be separated from everyone else. I needed contact. I needed people. So, when I was offered a chance to advertise something. I think it might¡¯ve been like a weight loss thing, but I didn¡¯t care. I just wanted to go out. And I did. I snuck out and flew out to the closest big city. I had grown up in the suburbs and had only visited the city a handful of times. Avalare City was marvelous. Literally! I marveled at the enormous buildings! Skyscrapers of glass and iron. The tallest building I had ever seen was maybe a quarter of the size of one of the shorter buildings. I wasn¡¯t paying attention to where I was walking when I bumped into someone, and he fell down. Brought back down to earth, I offered my hand. He took it and pulled himself up, grimacing at the coffee that had stained his shirt and the crushed cup in his hand. ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going,¡± he said in a soft, angry voice. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry. I was just a little distracted. The buildings are so tall!¡± He was shorter than me by a few inches. He had black hair and a surly scowl. More than anything, he had piercing eyes. Piercing blue eyes. Memories came flooding back to me. All of the bike rides, that time we had to take care of an egg for Home Economics, my first kiss. The look on his face when I left. ¡°Curtis,¡± I mumbled. I managed to not think about him some days. What could have been? What he was doing, if . . . If he found someone else. I hope he did; I¡¯d never see him again, and it didn¡¯t matter. He looked up and met my eyes, and I felt my heart skip. ¡°Do I know you?¡± He asked, venom in his voice. ¡°Or do you just say random names when you spill someone¡¯s coffee?¡± ¡°Curtis? Curtis Reese? Is it really you?¡± ¡°No one else volunteered to be, so I¡¯m stuck with the position,¡± he responded dryly. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Cee,¡± I responded. I put my hands on his shoulders, and he shrugged them off, backing up for a moment, studying me as though I were some kind of puzzle to figure out. ¡°It¡¯s me, Kari, silly goose.¡± ¡°Kari. That¡¯s a name I haven¡¯t heard in a very long time.¡± He shook his head and frowned. ¡°You look good. Well, have a nice day.¡± ¡°¡®Have a nice day¡¯? That¡¯s all I get? I took your first kiss, and I get ¡®Have a nice day¡¯?¡± I asked, a well of pain building in my chest. He looked back. Those were the same eyes. But the skin around them had become harder. He looked bitter and angry and tired. He had always had a streak of that when we were kids, but it looked sharpened. Honed. He had sharp, angular features. He had filled out since I had seen him last. He wasn¡¯t too skinny. Actually, he looked strong. ¡°You should check your email sometimes. There¡¯s lots of dangerous spam, but occasionally there¡¯s a letter from an old friend asking what happened. Asking you to reach out. To call. To talk to him.¡± His voice was masked behind a wall of cold indifference. ¡°But it might be too late to reconnect. It has been a long time.¡± ¡°Cee, I¡¯m sorry about that. My parents wouldn¡¯t let me reach out. We were . . . I was . . .¡± My voice trailed off. I couldn¡¯t tell him. I had to keep my abilities secret. No one could know. ¡°Can we start over? Get me a soda and some fries? I haven¡¯t had fries in ages.¡± ¡°Fine. We can catch up.¡± He took his phone out of his pocket, flicking through different screens with perfect accuracy. As though this was all he did all day. ¡°49th Avenue and Main Street. 6 o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°Oh . . . Um. Okay. Yeah.¡± My heart sank. It was so cold, almost clinical. Like it was a dentist¡¯s appointment. That hurt. He doesn¡¯t seem like the same person. It has been nearly a decade and a half. I hope the boy I knew is still in there somewhere. But it¡¯s still nice to see him. I rushed off to do my little advertisement. It was an energy drink that was supposed to help you lose weight. They called it Energy Bomb. We spent a couple of hours taking a lot of pictures. They had me hold the can and drink from it. It was disgusting. Tasted like battery acid and melted Happy Farmers, a fruity candy that was always too sweet for me. Then they had me say a couple of lines. That took so long because I had to lie. I had to say it tasted great. My voice sounded so stilted. The director sighed. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to cut a lot of these takes together. But we¡¯ll get it to work.¡± They paid me in cash. 500 dollars! I¡¯ve never seen so much money. I did make some money from my Tik-Taks ad revenue, but my parents managed that, and I never saw it. I wish I had because there were some things I wanted. 500 dollars wasn¡¯t going to buy me all those things, but I could get something. And pay for my date with Curty-poo.

=== Curt === Kari . . . I thought to myself. She had certainly grown up . . . And filled out. She was a gangly teen the last time I had seen her. She was still tall, but her lips had gained a poutiness; her eyes were no longer a little too big for her face; she had become . . . curvier. Even under a sweater, I could tell. But she was still sweet. Still had that smile that always felt right. Never mind that. I have to get to planning. I walked into Wan En, Andrew Wan¡¯s research and development wing. They were doing a tour for the public, a goodwill gesture to show that they were more than Bion¡¯s armory. Andrew Wan had been active for 17 years. He was strong and capable. Had saved the world countless times. And had caused incalculable damage to the areas he fought in. Fleeing people had died from the rubble. The explosive plasma he used had thrown people against walls and given people 5th-degree burns. People died when he fought. He had a few charities that tried to make up for the damage he caused. And undoubtedly, the results would have been worse if he had not been there to stop threats. But it was not enough. He was a trillionaire; he had more money than several countries combined, and that was just his personal wealth. His company was worth multiple trillions. And he benefited from being Bion. His company was given grants to develop new weapons for the military. He sold toys and had a ton of public goodwill. And he used his wealth to amass more wealth. The tour was pretty basic. A smiling blonde woman in a formal pantsuit and tied-back hair showed us all the public projects like the genetic studies; energy developments that would be lent out to struggling communities; a few of the older weapon developments; an entire section devoted to Bion that had various older versions of the suits he had developed. Or at least replicas of them. I had collected several pieces of the real thing. I had to grant that he was a genius. And when he noticed the little guys he accidentally crushed under the might of his larger-than-life persona, he tried to help them. The problem with being an intellectual giant, he sometimes could not see the people below him. There were security cameras everywhere. People in relatively nice suit jackets that mostly concealed the outline of weapons that were ready to be drawn in an instant. I kept a mental tally of all of the guards that I saw. I had loaded a digital map into my G.P.S. system. The system I had built from the scrapped technology that was just lying around from heroes like Bion. Alien technology too advanced for anyone on earth. Technology that had made Wan En one of the most powerful corporations in the world. There was a break in the tour for the participants to go to the bathroom, grab some snacks, whatever. I stepped into one of the stalls and took out a pair of glasses. I had made these glasses myself. When I put them on, the lenses instantly darkened to an opacity, so I could just barely see the world outside. Symbols and a map appeared on the inside. It was invisible to any onlookers, but I didn¡¯t want them to see what else I was doing. I flicked my eyes, and the map shifted to another part. I was pretty sure this is where it would be. I threw out my hand, and a small remote came out of my sleeve. One that fit itself to my fingers. I snapped, and before the sound had faded, the bathroom had been replaced with a laboratory.

=== Kari === I left the tiny studio we were shooting in, money in hand. I pocketed it and grinned to myself. Now to do a little shopping. Get me some new clothes. Today¡¯s a great day! Maybe I can get something that will put Cee on edge enough to get him to drop the cold shoulder. That¡¯d be so nice. I found myself in an outdoor mall. There were shops and smells of food and so many people! I had never seen so many. I found a 25 Evermore and went in. I looked through their selection and found some stuff I liked. They had a changing room, and I tried some things on. A cute shirt that was cut off at the mid-drift. I had also grabbed a hoodie that also ended at the mid-drift. They are a little expensive and maybe a bit too small, but they¡¯re so cute! I thought to myself. I found a nice pair of jeans and a skirt that both went well with it. Fortunately, the skirt wasn¡¯t too tight, but it was a little shorter than mom would ever let me wear, but I liked that about it. I was 28. I shouldn¡¯t let her treat me like a kid anymore! A loud crash brought me back to reality. Then another crash. People were screaming. I rushed out of the dressing room, the door swinging hard and slamming into the wall, cracking the drywall. In the next instant, I was at the window, looking around. The cashier was hunched down a little bit. She looked a little apprehensive, but way less than she should be. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked. ¡°Some bastard is out there wrecking everything,¡± She responded derisively. Her hands were shaking. She was terrified, but she also seemed annoyed with the situation. ¡°Does this happen a lot?¡± I asked. To be so cynical of the situation, I imagine it had to happen a lot. ¡°A few times a month. I think this is the eighth time this month. Think these freaks are harassing us more and more,¡± the woman said, then ducked further when the man came stomping through. ¡°Get down! He might be looking for a hostage!¡± Someone had to do something. The man flung a car through the air, which came crashing down, the windows broke, and the hood crumbled. ¡°Aw, man! I had 4 more payments on that!¡± The woman behind the counter cried out. ¡°I knew I should have bought Meta-Insurance. But it¡¯s just so expensive.¡± I had to do something. I couldn¡¯t just let this happen. My mom¡¯s voice echoed through my head. We have to keep you a secret. If people knew what we did, they could take you away from us. It¡¯s too dangerous. They could hurt you. Or use you. Throw us in jail. I shook my head and walked over to the counter, putting money down. The total came to about half of what I had. I can¡¯t just sit back and do nothing! Maybe I could hide my face somehow. There was a little display of sunglasses with a large pair that would cover some of my face. At least make it a little hard to recognize me. I put down an extra twenty, grabbed the shades, and put them on. I grabbed my hood and pushed all of my hair inside. I pulled on the strings and looked at the mirror on top of the display. When I put on the sunglasses, it changed my look. I didn¡¯t think anyone would recognize me. I rushed back and grabbed my clothes and put them in a bag. While I ran out the door, I turned around and said, ¡°Keep the change!¡±

=== Curt === There was a scientist milling about, and I hid behind a table. I was pretty sure she had not seen me. She went about her business. I sat on my knees and raised my head just barely above the table I was crouched behind. She was bent over a table with a soldering iron. I could not see what she was working on, but it didn¡¯t matter. I made my way around the table and looked at some other projects strewn somewhat haphazardly around the room. After examining things for a moment, I found what I was looking for. I took out a screwdriver and went to work; it took me a couple of minutes to disconnect the piece. I was in one of the Biolabs and found one of the artificial flesh generators. With the help of a local doctor, I had built most of one, but the 3D flesh printer was too complicated and required certain elements I could not gain access to. After it was disconnected, I stored it and some pieces of the material used to create the false flesh in a bag. The scientist turned around and yelped as I was getting ready to leave. She composed herself a little. ¡°Oh, I hadn¡¯t seen . . . Wh-who are you?¡± I jumped a bit and turned to her. I grinned at her and flicked my wrist, causing the remote to fly into my hands. I moved my eyes, bringing the map of the area around. I raised my hand to snap and said, ¡°Nobody.¡± With a snap of my fingers, I felt the energy wrapping around me. I was back in the bathroom. I padded out of the restroom and found the rest of the group, carefully trying not to draw attention to my laptop bag that contained my ill-gotten gains. The tour guide was wrapping up her explanation of the last stop on her little tour when two of the security guards came up. They moved on me from two opposite sides. The tour guide is what tipped me off. She had noticed them and her eyes went wide. I glanced into a reflective surface and caught their distorted image. Their eyes seemed to be on me. They hadn¡¯t taken out their weapons yet. Damn it. I should¡¯ve knocked her out. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Stop right there,¡± one of the guards said, his hand in his jacket. I turned and looked between them. ¡°Sorry, can¡¯t do that,¡± I said, preparing to run. My glasses¡¯ opacity had shifted so I could pay attention to both of them. My system had started targeting them. I threw out my wrist, and my little machine jumped into my hand. Both of the guards drew their weapons in an instant and aimed them at my chest. My targeting system honed in on their guns. ¡°If you make another move, we will fire,¡± the other guard said. He sounded a little more sympathetic. ¡°If you surrender, you won¡¯t be harmed.¡± ¡°Sorry. This is promised to someone else. Can¡¯t disappoint them,¡± I said, taking a step back. They both pulled their triggers. Bright white lasers shot out of their guns. In the instant, before they did so, I snapped my fingers. Two small circling portals opened up between me and where I predicted the trajectory of their shots would be. I was off on one of the shots and tried to get out of the way. It struck me and searing hot pain radiated throughout my entire shoulder. The other portal I had made caught the blast and flew out of another portal that I had opened at the same time behind the security guards. It hit one of them in the back and threw him forward. I gripped my shoulder. The burning sensation radiated through my chest. The laser had hit the strap of my bag and burned through it. I grabbed my luggage and dashed back into the Bion Museum, panting. Sweat slicked down my chest; laser hits were no joke. The two guards chased me, firing. I brought up a map of the city and started cycling through. My concentration was broken, though, as one fired and shattered the glass, holding the mannequin dressed as Bion Mark IV. I have to get out of here, the thought echoed through my head. The guards cornered me, approaching me from either side. Both of them leveled their smoking guns. One was limping but still up. More guards rushed in from behind them, their firearms trained on me. I swallowed. My eyes flicked between them, and the digital maps superimposed over them. I had to make a decision. I concentrated on the closest six and opened portals where I thought their fire would come from. The portals were just large enough to catch the laser fire. But I couldn¡¯t do more than six. The portals were too big. Their counterpart portals opened up somewhat randomly spaced out. All of them fired on me, and all hell broke loose. Most of their shots hit around me. I took another two blasts, burning my flesh and destroying the lower half of my shirt. The burning sensation radiated up over my side and my stomach. My eyes teared up, and I could barely keep them open, eyes flicking through different parts of the city. The blasts I redirected went everywhere, slamming into other places. Glass shattered, and one or two of the shots struck a guard. They scattered. In the chaos, I finally chose a location. Two, actually, just in case they tracked me. I snapped my fingers and appeared on a rooftop about twenty miles from Wan En. I made my way down a fire escape and limped onto the street. I made it about a block before I snapped again. This time I appeared in a small, clean little workspace. There were several operating tools on a small metal sheet. The only disorderly thing was a machine that was a mirror to the one I had deconstructed. It was a wreck, relatively speaking. There was a dark-skinned person with raven black hair tied into a ponytail reviewing some files on a computer screen. They looked over at me and sighed. ¡°Again, Curt?¡± ¡°Thought I¡¯d give you something to do, Des.¡± I shambled over to another chair and sat down. I managed to slide the bag to them. Or most of the way. ¡°What was it this time? Bullets?¡± They asked as they crossed the room and opened up the bag. Taking out the machine parts and the fuel I had stolen. They nodded and put them on the table. ¡°Either way, I bet you¡¯ll make me patch you up before I can get this thing built, huh?¡± ¡°Laser blasts, this time,¡± I said, groaning as I tried to pull my shirt off. They crossed the room over to me and helped me strip. I looked down at my chest. There was cauterized flesh surrounding severely burnt sections on my left shoulder, right side, and stomach. There wasn¡¯t much left of my shirt anyway. ¡°You¡¯re lucky,¡± they said with a sigh, bringing out a balm. ¡°These are low energy blasts. They weren¡¯t trying to kill you, at least.¡± ¡°If I was lucky, I wouldn¡¯t have been hit in the first place,¡± I responded. ¡°Mmm,¡± Des responded dismissively. ¡°Well, I can put a balm on it to reduce the pain, but until I get a flesh re-constructor, I can¡¯t do anything but barely patch you up.¡± I groaned and pulled myself up to my feet, stumbling over to the machine parts they had put to the side. ¡°Work, work, work.¡± I pulled out my tools, took their office chair, and rolled it over to the disordered machine. They followed me and started to apply some balm. I winced. ¡°Not now. I¡¯ll get this done, and we will just replace the nerves.¡± ¡°Until then, I need you to be in working order enough to finish,¡± Des responded, absently applying the gooey liquid. I started making the connections. I had made the plugs ready for what I figured the connections might be, but I had to make some adjustments. They were atypical. Probably for this exact situation. But it wasn¡¯t too hard to adjust. ¡°So, lasers, huh? Do I want to know where you got this?¡± ¡°Probably not. Wouldn¡¯t watch the news for a few days to make sure,¡± I responded, wincing as they massaged it in. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do this, you know. We can get by without this. I did before.¡± ¡°Yeah, but this will make things easier. Make your patients better able to recover.¡± I slotted in the machine and started screwing it into place, then loaded some of the artificial flesh into a container. Then I powered it on. I cursed myself for not grabbing the operating system. I¡¯d have to program that from scratch. Unless I went back . . . No, that would probably be too dangerous. Wan En would probably up their security. And if they had wanted to kill me, they would have this time. Des tsked at me as I scooted over to the control. ¡°This ain¡¯t Sherwood, and you ain¡¯t Robin Hood.¡± ¡°Only because I don¡¯t know how to fire a bow,¡± I said, booting it up. I had already built some of the operating system, but it was hard to predict what would be necessary. I winced as they squeezed my side, working some balm into it. ¡°I¡¯m serious. This is going to get you killed,¡± Des said, pulling me around to face them. Our eyes met. ¡°There are some powerful people out there. People who can kill you without any effort.

=== Kari === I rushed out the door and found a hulking mass of what looked like a sidewalk come to life. I sped towards him, a gust of wind blowing up dust, debris, and papers in my wake. People hiding on the street yelped and dived out of the way. I stood in front of this thing, my voice shaking. ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°Little girl, get out of my way!¡± The voice of the thing in front of me was like two stones grinding against each other. I stood my ground. When I didn¡¯t move, he raised his fist and backhanded me. I flew into a nearby wall, slamming into the stone, which crumpled beneath me. The glass in the windows shattered. I groaned slightly and pulled myself out of the wall; my ears were ringing; my face stung. I shook my head, and my vision cleared. I had never been hit that hard. But after a moment, I was fine. He continued to walk forward. Several police officers had created a barrier and aimed their guns at him. They fired upon him, to no effect. He stomped on, slamming two officers in his way. I watched as they were crushed into the door of cars on either side of their attacker. I heard metal crunch and their necks snap. I watched their bodies fall limply to the ground. I balled my fists; I launched myself off the ground, the cement under my feet shattering. I flew straight into his back. The cars in front of him were knocked to the side. We slammed into the ground, and he turned, resting on his back. He punched me, and I went flying again, this time straight up into the air. I caught myself and flew back down to him. He stood up and grabbed me by the neck. For a big guy, almost ten feet tall, he was quick. He slammed me to the ground a few times and threw me. I stopped myself again and then flew towards him; I threw a haymaker. It didn¡¯t have all that much force in it; I don¡¯t like hurting people. It was basically a love tap. He caught it and tossed me to the side. ¡°Stop this! I don¡¯t care about you. I just want them!¡± The man shouted in his gravelly voice. I flew back and stopped. ¡°And who are they?¡± ¡°The ones that turned me into this,¡± he gestured to himself. ¡°The ones who made me into a monster!¡± ¡°What made you a monster is when you decided to hurt other peo-¡± I was cut off when he slammed a fist into my face, breaking my new glasses. My clothes were torn. I grimaced and pulled myself out of the crater I had created. My hands shook. I took a few deep breaths, trying to quell the rage building in my chest. It wasn¡¯t working. I charged forward, and he raised his hand to catch my fist. I dived to the side and threw an uppercut. The stony exterior cracked, and he flew up. There was a small dispersion of air around the strike; I did it again, shattering more and more stone; blood leaked from his neck. I let him fall to the ground, creating a crater himself. I took a few deep breaths and came back to myself. There was blood on my knuckles. Not my blood. I barely felt anything. My hands were still shaking. Less from rage than from the results of what I did. I panicked and flew down to his crater; he shifted some but fell back down with a soft crunch. He¡¯s still alive. Thank God. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do if I . . . People started gathering around us. People with camera phones. I looked around. They were asking questions. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Are you a new hero?¡± ¡°What are your powers?¡± I smiled and waved into the cameras, trying to greet them all. Then I remembered. I can¡¯t get caught. Oh no. Mom is going to be pissed when she finds out. I charged off, this time remembering to create a telekinetic panel to disperse the force of my launch and protect the curious onlookers and the ground around me. I flew at my top speed to get back to mom and dad¡¯s lab.

=== Curt === ¡°There was a break-in at Wan Enterprises today. They didn¡¯t tell us exactly what was stolen, saying that it was classified information. They did give us a description of the perpetrator,¡± the reporter read off with a slightly Australian accent. It then cut to a press conference with Wan En towering behind the speaker. ¡°Earlier today, a white man with dark hair broke into a secured part of our labs and took some classified technology. He has the ability to disappear without a trace. Of course, we are working with the A.C.P.D. to discover the identity of this thief,¡± the company¡¯s public relations person read off. ¡°This theft matches the description of a couple of other events that have happened around the city and a few others nationwide,¡± the reporter continued, a smile spreading on his face. ¡°I think it¡¯s time we gave this mysterious, dark-haired thief a name. He has the ability to disappear and reappear at will. Word on the street has been calling him ¡®Esvanir¡¯.¡± ¡°In other news, we do have a new hero. There was an attack by a new villain in the middle of the Alva Open Air Mall. Which was brought to a surprising halt by a powerful woman wearing sunglasses and a hoodie,¡± another reporter went on. A clip of the two fighters entangled, the smaller figure punching, the larger into the air, played between the reporters. Then it cut to her standing, broken glasses still hiding her face. Her clothes were torn. People asked who she was. ¡°Not much is known about the woman who stopped this terrible foe.¡± The first reporter cut in. ¡°Well, we do know that this gal is smashing! She was smashed into buildings, breaking them, causing untold damage. She smashed the cement-man into the ground, breaking it. Truly a force to be reckoned with.¡± ¡°Too right, Dave. She is smashing,¡± the woman beside him nodded wisely. ¡°A smashing gal, indeed.¡±

=== Kari === ¡°Smashing Gal?¡± Mom asked, her eyebrows taking up her entire forehead. ¡°Well, um . . .¡± I grimaced; I really didn¡¯t like that name. Smashing Gal is just terrible. I couldn¡¯t think of an excuse. ¡°I couldn¡¯t just stand back and do nothing. People were getting hurt.¡± ¡°People always get hurt, honey,¡± my mother said, sitting next to me. ¡°Then why can¡¯t I help people get hurt less?¡± I asked. ¡°Because it¡¯s not your responsibility,¡± she said, patting my hand. ¡°But I have these powers. I should use them to help people. Like Bion does. Or the police. Firefighters!¡± I insisted. My mom shook her head. My father sat down next to me. ¡°Dear, it¡¯s really dangerous. We don¡¯t know the limi-¡± I cut him off. ¡°We don¡¯t know my limits because we can¡¯t find them! I can fly! I can be thrown through a building and be just fine! I can lift God only knows how much!¡± My parents looked at each other guiltily, then down at the floor. ¡°And I can help people! I can save them. You said that the goal of this project of yours was to help fight off threats. Well, I can fight off threats. A-and . . . And you can¡¯t stop me! I¡¯ll do this with or without you!¡±

=== Curt === ¡°No one knows about me. How can there be ¡®word on the street¡¯?¡± I said after watching the tweeted video. ¡°There¡¯s probably not. David Thrawn just likes naming metas. He named ¡®Smashing Gal¡¯ in the same broadcast. He gave me my name,¡± Cindi said a few hours later, sprawling across my bed. She had been there when I got home. Just let herself in. I found the door unlocked. It was her way of showing me she was there. Not that any lock could have possibly stopped her. If Cindi wanted in somewhere, she would be there. Anyone or anything in her way be damned. She crawled on top of me, taking my phone and tossing it to the side. ¡°Esvanir. Essy. I kind of like it. What about it, Essy? Want to help me on a job? You probably won¡¯t get blasted to hell on one of my jobs. And if you do, I¡¯ll always be there to bail you out.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need me. You just want company.¡± ¡°I want your company. There are entire forums of guys willing to kill for a night on the town with the Buck Cherry,¡± She whispered, wrapping her arms around me. Buck Cherry was the name Thrawn had given her almost six years ago. She was caught on a security camera stealing a painting of giant cherries. She was entirely naked at the time. Her face had been hidden, but it did capture everything else. She could walk through walls and fly. She was not like the other guys. The only drawback is that she had to be naked to do it. Most people would be too mortified to do it ever again. She kept doing more and more daring thefts, loving the attention. The way that the news and other sites had to edit around her nudity. The way forums and groups on Twitter and Facebook had obsessed over her. ¡°Well, okay,¡± I said. She grinned and pulled me into a kiss. She always got what she wanted.

=== Kari === ¡°Smashing Gal,¡± I whispered to myself, sitting in bed, considering. My head was buzzing with everything that had happened today. I had become a model, I had saved people. I had punched someone! I¡¯ve never punched anyone before. That was . . . Kind of cool. I still really didn¡¯t like the name ¡®Smashing Gal¡¯, but maybe there was something I could do with it. I laid back and started scrolling through Twitter. Smashing Gal was trending. There were photos of me from all kinds of angles. Some people had shortened the title that reporter gave me. People were calling me ¡®Smash Gal¡¯ instead. It does sound better, but I still don¡¯t like it. Something was nagging at me. I had forgotten something. I sighed and put my phone down, wrapping my arm around a pillow. As I closed my eyes, I thought of Curt. His sharp blue eyes glaring at me. ¡°I missed our date! Fuck!¡± Issue #2: Double Date

=== Curt === Having powers made Cindi sloppy. She relied almost exclusively on her natural talent and . . . distracting physique to get away with her things. It had gotten her captured a handful of times, but by the time the cops put her in the back of the car, Cindi was out of her cuffs. By the time they drove away, she had slipped away, leaving behind the coat or whatever they used to cover her up. Sometimes, I thought she would get caught on purpose because it was more fun, she hated the client or both. "It won''t work," I said simply after she told me what she was after. "What do you mean it won''t work? I can phase through walls, and you can teleport!" "You try to phase through this wall, you''ll be shocked until you''re tangible again, and your powers will be shorted out for a few hours. Enough time to book you. Or kill you." "How do you know?" "Because I was planning on liberating some of the stuff a year or so back. Got a look at the security system. Marcelli''s a nut. Hates metas. Specifically installed something to keep ''those freaks and thieves out''," I said, putting air quotes around his words. "Okay, that stops me; what about you?" "Part of the system detects weight changes. My tech briefly increases gravity when I use it. An electrified cage comes down and shocks me until I''m dead. Or unconscious." "So, you''re just going to give up. Let him beat you. Let him be smarter than you," Cindi said, poking my bare chest. We had gotten a little distracted after the news broadcast. Worst of all, she called me Esvanir when she climaxed. "Lots of people are smarter than me. Bion, tons of the people he hires, probably Professor Mind," I said noncommittally. "And Marcelli?" She prodded. "Has enough money to hire smarter people." "Yeah, he solves all his problems with money, alright," she said, laying her head back on my chest. Her long, wavy hair covered her face. But revealing the cherry tattoo on her shoulder blade. Her hair didn''t entirely conceal the double cherries on the small of her back either. The media had gone nuts after she got them; I could hear the smile in her voice when she spoke next. She thought she had me. "Hurts a lot of people to get that much money, too. Shame no one is smart enough to put him in his place." I screwed up my face. "We can''t do it tonight." "Oh? But we can do it." "We . . . We need to do recon. Make sure he hasn''t upgraded the system since last year. And we''re going to grab a piece of a computer he has while we''re stealing your statue," I said. Cindi leaned up and kissed me, mouth quirked up into a grin. Her blue eyes poured into mine. "Deal."

=== Kari === Mom and dad came around to my line of thinking. It took a couple of days, but they did. Mostly because I refused to do any tests. Broke a bunch of beakers and leaked chemicals everywhere too. It wasn''t fair. What are they going to do? Keep me here until I''m 90? I thought to myself. A few days later, I found a package on my bed. I sped towards it and tore it open in an instant. Before me fell a somewhat frumpy-looking suit. It was in my favorite color, pink. With red accents. But it was so . . . Frumpy. I sped off and found mom and dad. "What''s this about?" I asked when I found them. "Well, that''s your costume. For when you . . . Fight crime," mom said hesitantly. In a spin, I tried it on. It was a tight fit in some places. It didn''t show an inch of skin. Also, there was a long skirt that went down to my mid-calf. "I don''t think I can fight in this, though," I said, gesturing. "Why not?" Daddy asked. "Because if I tried, I''d trip over the skirt. And besides, it''s not really what I want to wear." "What would you change about it?" Mom asked, disapproval already crawling into her tone. "Well, I like the skirt idea. But I''d shorten it to mid-thigh," I said, tracing a line to about where I would make the cut. "Make it a bit tighter. Make everything a bit tighter. Cut the chest right here." "You''d be practically naked!" My mom shrieked. "Mom, c''mon. I''m 28. And besides, I''d be wearing a lot more than Buck Cherry." "Buck Cherry is a harlot," my mother said evenly. "And this will protect you better." "Protect me? From what? What can hurt me? It took you guys three years to get a blood sample. And you had to use a diamond-tipped drill. And that broke." Mom and dad looked at each other. "Well, what about your identity? How will we protect that?" I thought about it for a moment. "I have an idea! We can make it have two purposes. A tinted sheer face mask. It''ll keep the wind out of my eyes when I''m flying and hide my face." "What if they recognize your body?" "Mom, c''mon. No one''s going to recognize me from my abs. They''re just going to be jealous of them," I said proudly. She sighed and nodded. We spent the next few days reworking the costume.

=== Curt === "Alright, we will have three minutes to get in and out. That shouldn''t be a problem," I said, looking over the blueprints we had stolen. Marcelli had upgraded his system since last time. And I figured there were a few things off the books, too, but no plan survives the first contact, after all. "Finally," Cindi said, wrapping her arms around me. "I still wish we had more time to ensure there are no surprises." "We already wasted three days staking the place out. We have a plan. It should work." "Well, the good news is that there won''t be any metas around. We just have to worry about regular people." "Easy peasy," Cindi said with a smile. "You say that, but I am a vanilla human, and I still beat your ass every time," I responded, reaching over to tickle her. "You? Vanilla? Sure, hon," she said, slapping my hand away. "Besides. You just teleported me 40 miles away. I hardly call that winning." "Stops the fight," I pointed out. Cin conceded the point with a shrug. "Maybe. If we get out okay, I''ll let you beat my ass in a different way. As long as you still have the silk ropes." She grinned at me. Cindi was an odd one. She usually blows (pun intended) into my life for a couple of days, and it would be great. Cin is always really affectionate. We would pull off a job together, then she''d disappear for weeks or months at a time. When I was with her, I was the only one that mattered. But I suspected she didn''t remember I existed when I wasn''t. We got a little distracted again.

=== Kari === I stretched out my arms and charged forward. I could never hear the thunderous boom I caused, but my parents had recorded it for me. At one point, they had managed to measure how fast I was going. I was hypersonic. But that wasn''t necessary in the city; I could cover the entire city in almost an instant. It was maybe 400 miles. Not that big. When I got within Avalare limits, I slowed down to a much more reasonable 100 miles per hour or so. I flew down and watched the city. I heard something coming towards me fast. Less than a second later, I saw it. I stopped completely, and a large, slightly blue, transparent missile narrowly missed me. "Who are you, and what are you doing here? And why did you approach the city at Mach 8?" A voice called out. Seconds later, a man flew up to me and geared himself up for a fight. "Mach 8? I can reach Mach 8? That''s so cool!" I said, smiling. I even did a little loop-de-loop. The man lowered his hands and stared at me. "Y-you didn''t know?" "I knew it was hypersonic, but I didn''t know how much exactly." "Oh . . . okay," He said, scratching his chin. Then resumed his fighting stance. "Well, why were you going so fast? Why are you here? Are you here to rob a bank or destroy the city?" "No! I''m here to be a hero. Like Bion, or . . . Hey, you''re Professor Mind!" I said, and I rushed towards him and examined his suit. He was a tall man, fit. His costume was blue and white, with PM emblazoned in a slightly darker blue on his chest. He backed up instantly and summoned a shield. I whistled. I had seen his powers from videos and stuff, but this was way cooler. His features softened, and his shield faded when I asked, "Can I have your autograph? Actually, three autographs. One for me and two for my . . . Friends." "You . . . Who are you?" He asked again. I sighed and looked down. "Smash Gal," I muttered in the smallest possible voice. He said he couldn''t hear me. "I''m. . . I''m Smash Gal." "Smash Gal?" He thought for a moment, then laughed. "You''re that girl from the video? In the hoodie and the torn-up jeans?" This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "I didn''t have a costume then!" I said defensively. "And I''m going to get the name changed!" "Good luck with that one. Once you become a hashtag, that''s your name forever. Trust me," he pointed to his chest. "Might as well just embrace it now." "So, you''re here to help? That''s great. Can always use more heroes," He said, gesturing for me to follow him. I did. We flew past a building, and I caught sight of the two of us. And my new costume. His mask barely hid his face. Really just going around the eyes. His hair, nose, mouth, and chin were all visible. And he was good-looking. Strong. Especially for someone who didn''t have to be. Professor Mind was purely a telekinetic and a telepathic hero. He created images with his mind. I stopped to admire my reflection, and he watched on. We kept the color scheme and added white to it. But we had changed everything else. I was wearing a skirt that ended a good three inches above the knee. I wanted it more, but mom threw a fit at the thought. She had also insisted on stockings. We got mauve boots and a matching cape that came just past my knees. Every part of the trim matched as well. My head was wrapped up entirely, hiding my hair. My ears stuck out so I could hear. Well, that was the excuse I gave. I could hear just fine, but it was uncomfortable. We had left my mid-drift entirely exposed. I had worked hard to get the ab definition I had, and by God, I was going to show it off. The skirt and top were both lavender-pink, except for the trim. We added a white belt and a white line from the neckline to the bottom of the shirt, between my breasts. Mom and dad weren''t happy that I was bringing attention to my chest, but I won in the end. There was white and mauve trim lining the sides. And the headwrap was also mauve. Over my face was a face shield. It was darker on the exterior than it was on the inside. Enough to hide my face, but I could see perfectly. I look hot! "Yeah, you do," Professor Mind said. He closed the distance between us. "Oh, did I say that out loud?" I asked, blushing. "No, some thoughts are louder than others, and it''s hard for me to tune it out," He said, wrapping an arm around my waist. "Let''s go. I''ll show you the ropes, Smash Gal." It sounds less stupid when he says it, I thought. I let him guide me. Dusk had fallen, and it was dark. The city was so loud compared to the small compound I was used to being in. We flew for a while until we found a couple of robbers sticking up a small bodega. One of them unloaded a clip onto me before realizing that the bullets just bounced off. It didn''t even tear my costume! Mom said it was made of some unique material that was resistant to everything. It is dry clean only, though. Which means I''ll have to find a way to dry clean it; I considered that for a moment before charging forward and body-checking one of the thieves. He started to go flying before I caught his foot and lowered him to the ground. Well, let him fall to the ground. Professor Mind had already wrapped up the other one in tight blue bindings. "You''re pretty strong," he said. "You ain''t seen nothing yet!" I promised with a grin.

=== Curt === We got to Marcelli''s place a little after dark. I knew enough about programming to know that I couldn''t hack into his security system. So, instead, I was just going to overload it. I grabbed Buck Cherry, and we snapped over to the wall. I used an ultrasound I had . . . borrowed from Des and retrofitted it for other uses, and found a wire. After Cindi had stripped, I boosted my partner up, and she slid through the wall slightly and gripped and pulled out a wire. It wasn''t enough to just snip it. So instead, I stripped it, attached a small battery to it, and maxed out the voltage, overloading the system. I took all of her clothes and put them in my bag. She gripped my hand and slipped us through the wall. We had timed the guards pretty well. And only the inside of the house could detect us. At least now that the outer cameras were down for a few minutes until the backup system kicked in. She floated us up a couple of feet above the ground. She can fly. Not very fast. In fact, it''s slower than most people jog. But it''s better than falling to the planet''s core, getting so hot that she can''t concentrate on her insubstantiality, and burning to a crisp in an instant. She hadn''t liked it when I pointed out that this was not only possible but reasonably probable. Buck Cherry and I flew through the wall, and she kept us above the ground and away from the sensors. Fortunately, only she needed to be naked for this. She claimed it was a huge waste and a disappointment that I wasn''t naked. In fact, I had put on a mask. Just in case there were more cameras. Cindi had a different identity she could crawl into. Several, in fact. If I was caught, I''d go to prison for life. And some people can''t just walk out of it. I was entirely dependent on a fluke accident that I managed to understand and repeat. She lowered us down and became substantial, straddling me. "Hey, big boy. How you doin''?" I rolled my eyes and pushed her off of me. "Come on, we have a job to do and about two and a half minutes to do it." "For you, that gives us about a minute to cuddle," she said, pouting. "You know me; I always recover quickly enough to get you what you need," I pointed out, walking over to the other side of the room. We rushed into the house. I took out a drill gun, unscrewed a panel, then pulled out some wires. I attached one of the same batteries and overloaded the whole grid of the house this time. The lights flickered and then went off. We had agreed to do the computer first since the statue was heavier and harder to move. We got to the computer room with little trouble. It had about 8 screens and was manned by a security guard. With no power, he was desperately trying to bring it back on. Cindi made her way over to him, grabbed him by the chin, and he convulsed for a moment and then fell back to his chair, slumped over. I smiled at her and nodded, crouching under the desk. I unplugged the computer and just stuffed it into my industrial backpack. Once we got out of the room, the lights came back on. "Oh. Oh no." "That''s bad, isn''t it? I thought we had another . . ." Cherry mentally calculated. "Minute, minute and a half." "Must''ve been a part of the upgrade that we missed. Damn it. Come on. Let''s get your piece. Hurry. It''s going to be a smash and grab." "Oooh. I love smash and grabs," Cin said, winking as she passed me. We got into the art room. There were a lot of pretentious pieces from all over the world. Everything clashed. He had Ming Dynasty Pots next to Edo Era paintings. But we came for an Egyptian piece. A massive statue of a panther. A symbol of Baast. It weighed almost half a ton and was going to be really difficult to teleport. But it''s what we''re here for. Let''s get to it, I thought, rushing over to it. Cindi was right next to me. It was behind a glass cube. I grabbed one of the swords, a nice piece from the Middle East, and smashed the glass. The alarm went off, and a cage slammed down around us. "I thought you said that was a bad idea. That it would electrocute us until we couldn''t use our powers!" ¡°Five . . .¡± I snapped and opened a portal between us and the statue. ¡°Four . . .¡± "The counting is making me nervous," Cherry said. I motioned to the statue, but she was already there. "Three . . ." It scraped against the ground, barely budging. I moved over to help, and it moved a little more. "Two . . ."

=== Kari === We had circled the city when I heard the alarm. I froze and looked over at the ceiling. Professor Mind had stopped, too, looking at me. "What is it?" "There''s an alarm. Over there." I pointed in the general direction before taking off. Professor Mind followed. I didn''t go my full speed, but he still struggled to keep up. When he saw the place, he put a giant blue hand in front of me. "Stop!" He cried out. I stopped in an instant, just before the hand. "What? Someone''s stealing something. We need to stop them." "That''s Vinny Marcelli''s place. He''s. . . Not friendly to us metas. He might kill us if we break-in." "I''d like to see him try!" I said, diving below the hand. I burst through the window and accidentally slammed into a set of bars. I stopped and looked around. There was a masked figure and a . . . naked woman, hugging a statue. "Zero!" The man called out and winced before looking around. Professor Mind flew in after me and looked around the scene, grimacing. The woman I now recognized as Buck Cherry did a final push on the statue, and it fell through a . . . hole in the floor. The portal disappeared with a snap, leaving elegant sandstone behind. "Stop, fiends!" I cried out, internally cringing as the last syllable left my lips. "Fiends?" The other three asked at the same time. "Essy, let''s go," Buck Cherry insisted. "Can''t. We need to buy . . ." The masked man responded, looking up slightly, then grimaced. "Thirty seconds? Fuck." "Oh, is that all?" The woman asked, irritation plain in her voice. "You don''t have two seconds," I said, charging forward, throwing a punch. The man managed to duck under my fist, which went through the wall. He stepped to the side only to be grabbed by Professor Mind. He gripped him tight in his translucent bonds. But he had targeted the wrong one. Buck Cherry slipped up next to him and grabbed him by the neck. The Professor collapsed to his knees and the bindings faded away. I pulled my fist from the wall and shook off the drywall from my gloves. "Super strength, super speed, strength," the man muttered. "You don''t match anyone in the city. You''re new." I charged him again, and he barely dodged that hit too. I threw another punch, and this time, I heard a snap, and a hole appeared where my hand was going and a fist . . . my fist slammed into my face. I pulled my hand out of the hole. "What the hell?" "How much longer?" Buck Cherry whined. "Uh . . . Eighteen . . . Sixteen seconds," the man said, calculating. He tried stepping to the side again, but I punched where he was going, and he stopped, barely managing to not be clothes-lined by my arm.

=== Curt === My glasses had a timer counting down. It took a lot of energy to transport something that heavy. It also took a lot of power to transport something that far. But my cut would be worth it. If I lived to collect it. I dodged another punch made by this pink menace. She''s faster than me by magnitudes. The only way I can avoid her is by starting before she starts moving. Which is really difficult to predict. I need to get over to Cherry before too long. Twelve seconds. I took out another toy that I had in my pocket and hoped. I slammed the thing against the attacking woman''s bare abdomen and pressed the button. It was a modified taser. Powered by three of the batteries I had used to knock out the house''s power. "That tickles," the woman in pink said. "My turn." She brought her fist down on my back, and I slammed to the ground. Cherry looked at me. Then down at Professor Mind. She shook her head, took her hand from his temples, and booked it. That''s fair, I thought. She got what she came for. I pulled myself off of the ground, staggering. Eight seconds. The woman lifted me up by my shirt and pulled back her fist. There was a commotion behind her, and she lurched forward. She dropped me and turned. Marcelli and his guards were all there. "What the fuck do you think you''re doing?" The man demanded. He was the size of a small mountain and made of harder stone. "You moron heroes let her get away! Everything was well in hand before you burst through my door and my cage." "I was just trying to help. I heard the alarm!" The woman protested. Professor Mind shook his head and crawled to his feet. "Well, you''re doing a great job. Let them get away with my statue and one of them escaped. Are you proud of yourse-" I didn''t stick around to hear the rest of it. I snapped my finger. Marcelli, his goons, Professor Mind, and the Pink Woman washed away. When my eyes focused again, I was in my apartment. My cramped apartment. Forty miles from Marcelli''s vault-like house. I staggered away. Whoever that was, she hit like a fucking truck. I laid down.

=== Kari === "What''s the matter, Marcelli?" Professor Mind grimaced, standing straight. "Afraid of what we''ll find if we snoop around?" "I am a legitimate businessman," Marcelli said evenly. "Which is more than I can say for costumed vigilantes. I could talk to the mayor and see what we can do about . . . restricting your actions, freak." "You''re a crook who abuses people for money. A drug-runner. A money launderer," Mind shot back angrily. "And were I truly the vigilante you think I am, I would tear this place apart and find proof of what you''re doing." "Which, if there was anything to find, would never stand up in court. Which is the reason you don''t." I turned away from the boys having their pissing contest. The man in the mask was gone. I frowned. He got away. He . . . disappeared! "Esvanir!" Both of the men looked at me. Marcelli''s men did, too. "Esvanir?" "That''s who that was. Esvanir. He robbed Wan En a couple of days ago." "Obviously," Marcelli responded in a droll tone, rolling his eyes. "She must be pretty under that mask because she''s not quite up to normal standards, mentally, boy." I growled and charged him, only to be pulled back by something. I tried to reach Marcelli, but the force gripping my foot tightened. And started to pull me back. Through a strained voice, Professor Mind managed to say, "Don''t. It''s what he wants." "He called me stupid!" "And punching me is going to change my mind? Dear, you are very slow." His tone had that same bored, condescending affectation. I hated it. "C''mon, we''ll let them clean it up. Let''s go." The Professor released his mental grip on my leg; we flew out together. My hands were shaking. I wanted to go back and throttle that arrogant giant. And Esvanir! Issue #3: Recon(ciliation)

=== Curt === Cindi never checked up on me. That wasn''t a surprise, really. She was like water. Fluid. If I tried to force her to stay, she''d freeze up and buck against me. But that''s fine. I wouldn''t change her. A few days after the Marcelli incident, I remembered I had a meeting with Kari that I had completely spaced. So much had happened between Wan En and planning the Marcelli job. Oh well. Not like it would have amounted to much anyway, I thought, laying on my back. I was pretty beat up from the job. Bruises and welts throbbed painfully. The Woman in Pink is way too fucking strong. I need to stay off her radar in the future. As I scrolled through the ever-changing feed of Twitter, I got a notification and a message.
Notifications ???????????????????????????? [Settings] [All] ???????????? | ???????????????? [Mentions]
Kari Stewart @KariStews May 17 @curtreese418 follow me back, you goob [Comments] 0 | [Retweets] 0 | [Likes] 0 | [Share]
Kari Stewart is now following you. [Follow Back]
I tapped on her profile and looked through it. There were some selfies, a lot of food pictures, and some pictures of her in the city. Links to her Tak-Tik and short videos from it. It was really her, but she had half a million followers; I had five. Not really a good thing to really be visible in my line of work, you understand. I hesitated on tapping the follow button. Old memories surfaced. Bike riding, trampolines, laying across one another, her warm smile, her defending me from bullies. Maybe I should sic her on the Woman in Pink. No one would dare get in the way of Kar. I clicked the follow button and went on my way through her profile. When my app refreshed, I saw that Kari had retweeted a video of the Woman in Pink from some small news profile. I clicked on the video. "Why are you here?" A curly-haired reporter asked the woman in the tight spandex and the ridiculous face mask, holding the microphone to her. She was strong. She looked like a supermodel in her tights and spandex. Heroes aren''t always good-looking, but most are very fit, and in some ways, that''s enough. I couldn''t see her face. Not really, anyway. Her stupid mask was somewhat like an astronaut''s helmet. A shiny, reflective material that was more form-fitted over her face. It distorted her voice. "I just want to help people. There are so many people who want to hurt others. Thieves and bullies who think that they can just do whatever they want. People like that concrete guy I took down or Esvanir." The way she said my apparent moniker was pure venom. "You mentioned a man made of concrete. Was that the individual that attacked the Avalare Open Air Mall?" "Yeah, that was me. I was just in the area and l-left my costume el-elsewhere. Figured it would be a peaceful day," the supposed heroine responded, stammering somewhat. "So, you''re Smash Gal, then?" The reporter asked, barely masking her smile. The Woman in Pink''s shoulders sank, and she nodded weakly. She reinflated a moment later. "I didn''t choose that name, but I guess it''s as good as any. I am Smash Gal, and I''m here to help!" She puffed out her chest. The spandex-like material stretching some. I frowned at the phone as the video started over again. There was something about her that seemed . . . familiar. Smash Gal. Well, it''s good to know that I''m not the only one getting an unwanted moniker. I received a message.
Kari Stewart @KariStews She/Her | BLM Following 396 Followed by 545,423
Hey, sorry I missed our meetup! I got really busy. Ur not mad, r u? =)
She missed our meeting too? I thought, my frown deepening. That''s not like her. Well, it wasn''t like her. Oh well, can''t be mad at something that I didn''t go to anyway. I let the message sit for a while. Percolating a response.

=== Kari === I sent the message. I was a little nervous. Curt had always been harsh when people missed plans. He was always so organized. So forward-thinking. He forced me to be so, too. Turns out that''s a good thing. I had many followers, and I was always getting notifications, conversations, and DMs. Honestly, it was too much. I stared at the little read sign at the bottom of my message. Oh, God. He''s mad; he''s so mad. I wish I could tell him. I can trust Curt, right? I could just tell him. "I''m Smash-Gal, superheroine," I said, my voice echoing in the empty lab room. I didn''t have a place yet. "Of course you are, honey," mom responded absently. "Do you want to go out for patrol? It''s a little late." "Uh . . . Well, I kind of . . . Met up with Curt when I was in the city, mom." "Curt," mom repeated absently. Her head shot up, eyes wide. "Curt? Curtis? First-Kiss Curt? You saw him?" "Yeah, First-Kiss Curt," I was still embarrassed that I had told her about that. But she''s my mom. I can''t hide secrets from my mom! "What are the chances of that? Who would''ve thought . . . Did you meet him as you or as . . ." Mom let the sentence drop. "I was me. Just plain ol'' Kari," I said, not realizing that I was relieved I had not met him as Smash Gal. In that costume. "How is he?" "He was angry. I . . . I never responded to his emails." This wasn''t really my fault. Mom and dad wouldn''t let me have access to my email when we first moved. By the time I did have it back, things had changed. It had been so long. I didn''t have the same friends. MySpace had faded into obscurity overnight, and everyone was on Facebook. Then everyone was on Twitter. Then everyone was on Tak-Tik. I like Tak-Tik. A lot of the people there are fun, and I can just be goofy. And there are already cosplayers of Smash Gal. Which is so cool! I should create a profile for Smash Gal! If I share a few videos as myself, I''m sure Smash Gal would be a . . . smash hit! I internally groaned at my own pun. Which means I had to share it with the world. A notification from Twitter brought me back to reality. It was from Curt. I didn''t rush over to it. At least not compared to my top speed. Mom came over and peered after my shoulder. "What does he look like?"
Curt Reese @curtreese418 Following 274 Followed by 8
I''m not mad. Honestly, I ended up a little busy and was . . . a bit late. I thought you left, so I didn''t stick around for too long. Haha, NBD. I just got distracted. Do u want to meet up? Sure. If you want. What do you want to do? U live in the city. U decide
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

=== Curt === I stared at the message for a long time. I didn''t know what to do; I didn''t know this person anymore; She isn''t my Kari anymore. She''s just someone that I used to know. I groaned as the song started to worm its way around my brain. Actually, I thought, this could be a great cover. I could use this meetup as a way of getting close to EnGin. See what their security is like. And there''s a lovely little cafe there. Nothing too serious. It''s just a meetup. Catching up.
Starburst Cafe. Fifteenth and Madison. 8? Sounds great! I''ll be there!
I spent the rest of the afternoon agonizing over what to wear. It had to be casual and long-sleeved. Ultimately, I decided on a blue sweater and slacks. The shirt was baggy enough to fit my rig up underneath, and it looked okay. I slicked back my hair. God, I feel like a teenager. I wonder if this is what it''s like for everyone?

=== Kari === "Oh, God! Mom, what do I wear? What do I wear?" I said over my shoulder as I dug through my closet, tossing aside shoes and shirts. "I don''t have anything to wear!" "Kari, come on. It''s just a little dinner. Maybe some coffee. You''ll look great regardless," mom assured me, picking up my discarded shoes. I could hear the smile in her voice. "Just be yourself. Tennis shoes or heels, dress or pants, you''re you, and that''s what matters." "Okay, Hallmark. But what do I wear?" I demanded again. She shook her head, still smiling. She helped me decide, finally. We settled on a floral skirt, my super leggings, heels, and a lovely purple blouse that could cover my costume with tennis shoes. An amalgamation of who I am. I was still a little nervous. I haven''t been on a date since . . . ever. Not that I didn''t want to. But I was home-schooled. Lab-schooled? Not a whole lot of options. I had snuck out a few times. Found some boys at the park, at convenience stores. I had kissed a few of them. Done a little more than that sometimes. I hadn''t told mom or dad about that, but I think she knew. But it was all fun. And if a boy ever went too far, I could always show him what orbit was like. No always means no, but it''s not even a question with me. No one can take what I don''t want to give. If only all girls had my power to do that. We put my outfit in a bag. Someone might catch me in street clothes if I fly in at Mach 8. Come to think of it, I doubt there''d be any clothes left! Well, except for my super suit. I had done a couple more patrols of the city and had gotten pretty good at navigating it. I found the restaurant Curt had suggested pretty easy. It was a small place. Cute. Curt was there 10 minutes early. It''s just like him. He hasn''t changed a bit. I thought. He''d chosen a seat on the outdoor patio. It was a warm night, so that wouldn''t be an issue. But it was noncommittal. If he didn''t like what was happening, he could bolt. That was also like him. He always had an exit strategy. I dipped into an alley and instantly put on all my clothes, then checked a compact mirror. I put the blouse on backwards. Damn. I have to practice this! In a spin, it was on correctly. I walked over to him and was there exactly at 8. I put my hand on his shoulder, and he jumped. He looked up at me and put on a smile. "Oh, you scared me." "I''m not that scary, am I? I asked, smiling. I took the seat across from him. A waitress came by and took our order; I ordered chocolate milk and a sandwich; I was starving after flying that fast. According to mom and dad, I can use calories much much much more efficiently than regular humans; I was still so hungry after flying that fast. "How are you, Curt?" "I''m well. And yourself?" He said stiffly. Oh, he must still be mad. I would be furious if he didn''t try to reach out to me too. But I couldn''t. I also couldn''t just tell him why. That I was a super-woman. "I''m super. Just getting used to the city. What have you been up to since . . ." I trailed off. I was going to say since I last saw him, but that had been fourteen years. Tons of things happened, and he was unhappy about it. "Since middle school?" He asked, his tone a little icy. "The usual. Went to school, got a degree. Doing some work, here and there. What about you? How have the last fifteen years treated you? You look healthy, considering." "Considering?" I asked, frowning. "You were sick. That''s why you had to move away." "Oh, right. Yeah. Uh, mom and dad found a treatment regimen that worked. Took some years before I got the . . . condition under control." I wasn''t lying. I had a condition. It could be considered medical. And it did take me years to get control over it. The waitress saved me from having to explain further as she sat down our food. Curt had ordered a plain black coffee and a small salad. Which wasn''t like him. He was voracious when he was a kid. He had filled out a little since then. No longer the scrawny little kid I first met, bordering on starving to death. "You look good, Curt. Do you work out?" He blushed, looking away from me. Complimenting shy guys was always so cute. The shy ones never knew how to react. The arrogant ones always tripped up eventually. "I . . . I do some sparring. Mostly me dodging hits. Had some practice at it, after all," Curt said. I got the sense that there was more to it. But I didn''t press on. "As I stated, you look . . . wow. You look great. No longer that lanky girl that was all elbows and knees." "Like you''re one to talk. When we hugged, each one of your ribs stabbed me!" I retorted, unable to keep the smile off my face. He was smiling too; we chatted a bit more. I found out so much. He still played Sorcerer''s some. I hadn''t really kept up with it, but he said that there was a decent online app for it. It sounded like the game had changed a lot. I''d have to look it up again. I heard a slam in the distance. Crunching stone and screeching metal. I stood up and said, "I have to go . . . To the bathroom."

=== Curt === I watched Kari go, smiling. It was almost like old times. Some things just came naturally. But now that she was gone, this was the perfect chance. I put down some cash for the dinner, and the waitress came by as I was pulling on a coat that made me look lumpier and more awkward than I really was. "Don''t clean up just yet; we''ll be back. Try to hold the table for us, okay?" She was reticent at first, but I stuffed an extra twenty in her hand, and she just smiled, nodded, and went back to check in on another table. I headed to the bathroom, slipping on my augmented reality glasses, and when I turned down the hall, I snapped. The world went sideways for a moment, but I found myself in the lobby of a building with polished marble floors behind a plant. Before I came to the date, I had mapped out some of the cameras. At least the ones on the outside and a few in the lobby. I looked around carefully. The guard hadn''t noticed me yet. Good. I mapped out the cameras, highlighting them with my glasses. There were few blind spots. Makes sense, I guess. EnGin wouldn''t skimp out on security. Not with the stuff that they make. I sketched out some rough calculations with the help of my AR system. I concentrated on one of my projected blind spots and snapped my finger. My stomach lurched as I appeared there. That''s why I ate light. Teleportation is rough on the stomach. I stalked over to the elevator; There was no helping it. I had tried to find floor plans, but they were always unavailable for public review. And what''s worse is an elevator is a death box. You''re trapped. The equations for teleporting when you''re moving are incredibly complicated. Momentum is hard to lose, even when you appear somewhere else. It was possible to negate, but you have to be willing to either be physics'' plaything or really, really good at math on the fly. Or program something that is. And that''s why I was here. I had found a robust predictive algorithm in Marcelli''s systems that allowed him to predict all races with a 1% margin for error. Everything from horse racing to illegal street racing. It took so much into account. It was a marvelous program. And I had started butchering it to make it do what I wanted. I got into the elevator and pressed a random floor. It didn''t really matter. There was a camera in here, and I just needed the elevator as a platform. Before the doors were closed, I snapped my fingers, having calculated approximately how high the elevator was. Teleporting blind was really dangerous, too. If I was off, I might get stuck in a wall or slice myself in half. That''s why I invented the AR map and had specific places I could return to whenever I wanted. Default spots. The elevator started to move, and I waited for it to stop before snapping again. The elevator doors were closing on a pair of people, and they might have seen me. Fuck! I hate teleporting blind. I had to hurry, in case they did. I pulled on a mask to hide my face. I got to the stairs and looked around. With these, I had access to the whole place. I checked every floor, trying to avoid the cameras as best as possible, marking them as I went. If I appeared for a frame or two, that was fine. Human eyes would barely register me. Eventually, I got to the floor I wanted. R&D. Excellent. They''ll have the chip I need. EnGin had developed a nano-chip that was thinner than a hair and about the size of a piece of dust capable of quantum computing, the ability to do math almost instantly with the right software. I went around and mapped the cameras. Popping in and out of existence with a snap of my fingers. There was a tightness in my chest. There almost always was when I was on the job. Nerves saved my life more than once. But they also could fuck things up. When I found the lab, a fidgeting foot set off a floor sensor. "Damn it! This is why I wanted to have Cherry on this job. To avoid exactly this," I exclaimed. The nano-chip was floating in a stasis field; this was supposed to be a recon job. That''s all. Just learn where the cameras are. What their security was like. But I may never get a chance if I don''t take it now. I frowned, then snapped my fingers, appearing before the stasis field. I looked around the lab. There was another stasis container about the size of a two-liter. If the nano-chip touched air, it could offset it. Dust molecules were enough to unsettle it. I was going to have to update my rig to use it. I hadn''t made the modifications yet, because I didn''t know exactly what it would require. Not until I got the specs for it. I popped to the computer and slid in a USB. The screen flashed alive. A login screen appeared for a few seconds before logging in. The program in the USB started scanning for blueprints, patents, and specifications. When it found any at all, it started a download. In the meantime, I grabbed the stasis bottle, dug through the cabinets, and found two batteries. I slotted one into the primary slot and one into the backup. The chip was surrounded by a stasis field, which would repel me. Another reason that I wanted Cherry on the job. I did some quick calculations and grabbed the USB, which had finished its job. Their cybersecurity was shit, fortunately for me. I took out a multitool I kept with me and removed some panels from the stasis field. It was a mess of wires. Probably some dummy wires. I didn''t have time to figure out what was what. So I set up a few portals. I could queue them to appear as long as the queue wasn''t more than a few seconds long. Another thing that I might be able to figure out is how to extend with the chip. I cut all of the wires at the same time, figuring I''d already tripped the alarm. No use in subtlety now. The stasis field died. I dropped the stasis bottle, now open through a portal, which appeared under the chip. It fell in. There was a rush of air. I pulled the stasis bottle back out and capped it. I could see the little chip floating among bouncing blue waves. Good. Then I heard a voice cry out. "Esvanir! Stop where you are!" I stood up and looked out from the other side of the stasis machine. "Smash Gal. Fuck." Issue #4: Loss of Control

=== Kari === "''Smash Gal, fuck'' is right," I proclaimed proudly, puffing out my chest. I heard the alarm as I had been helping escort victims of a burst pipe a few blocks away. I got a lot of people out of the way and let Professor Mind take care of the rest. He didn''t need my help. I was kind of getting in the way. So I sped off and found a way in and to the sound of the alarm. Esvanir stood up, and I held out my hand. "I said stop right there." He didn''t respond. I took a step forward, watching his eyes twitch. He didn''t move back as I came within arm''s reach of him. When I was that close, he blinked and seemed to return to himself. He snapped his finger, and I reached out and grabbed him by the collar of his coat. The world changed, and I felt the ground under my feet shift, and suddenly I met the floor on my stomach, which had been set to the spin cycle. There were a pair of feet that were running away. I shook my head as my vision cleared. We were very far from the EnGin building. At least five miles away. In the blink of an eye. Esvanir was no ordinary thief; he was good and had to be stopped. I pushed myself up and looked around. Esvanir jumped from the roof, and I heard him land on the fire escape below. I sped off towards him and caught him just as he snapped. I reached out my hand, but he disappeared the instant before I could lay my hands on it. "Damn it!" I screamed, stomping my foot. I could still find him. I just had to concentrate. I closed my eyes and let all of the sounds wash over me. Cars rumbling, people talking, televisions blaring, the sound of buzzing lights and electricity, people moaning and screaming, and their hearts beating. All of the sounds of the city rushed in. Typically, I just ignored everything. Only paying attention to certain stimuli. It was the only way I could function. Otherwise, I''d never be able to focus on anything. There was a shifting of air somewhere. It stood out because it was unlike anything I''d ever heard before. It''s. . . He only teleported a few blocks away? I blasted off the roof we had come to and made my way to where I heard the disturbance. I scanned the street and saw a man wearing his jacket. I charged forward and landed in front of him. He was still wearing the mask, but I saw his blue eyes widen. "Boo," I said with a grin, reaching out to grab him again. "Super speed, super strength, super senses. Aren''t we a Renaissance Woman," he said, taking a step back, snapping at the same time to appear fifty feet in front of me. I growled and threw myself into the air, flying towards him. Other pedestrians threw themselves out of the way as I passed. A millisecond before I got to him, he snapped, and a portal opened in front of him, and I flew right through it. And crashed into a tree. Well, several trees before stopping. He baited me! That bastard! I looked around my new surroundings; it was a forest. I didn''t recognize it. Wherever it was, it was still night. So, probably the same time zone. I blasted off through the canopy of trees and looked around. Off in the distance, there was the twinkling of city lights. I growled and threw myself in that direction, coming in hot. When I got back to the spot, he was still there. He summoned a small portal to his side and dropped the stolen item from EnGin down it, and it disappeared. His teleports have a recharge time. That''s got to be it. "Nice trick. Bet it won''t work a second time," I said, flying towards Esvanir. When I got within reach of him, I pulled back a fist. I''m pretty sure he can''t do his little trick if he''s knocked out. I punched forward, and my hand was enveloped in another small portal, barely wide enough for it. And I felt my fist slam into the back of my head, and I went forward. He side-stepped and grabbed my arm, and threw me into a car. I''m not too heavy and didn''t really resist; the car wasn''t even dented. He just wasn''t strong enough to do anything to me. I grabbed him by the scruff of his jacket and flew him up. He was just a regular human with a trick. But I bet he needed to breathe. I could knock him out and turn him in.

=== Curt === I had managed a few cheap shots, but I was fighting well outside my weight class. There was no contest between us. Smash Gal grabbed me and quickly took me to the atmosphere''s edge. I''d pass out. She was breathing heavily, too, though. I think she needed air as much as I did. I had one more cheap shot up my sleeve. I didn''t know how it would pan out, but I had to do something. I calculated our velocity. Just under Mach 2. Fuck. This is going to be rough. I queued a portal to open in about ten seconds. We continued flying faster than I could believe. I thought the wind sheer alone might carve the flesh from my bones. It hurt to go this fast. But my portal opened up. It was the size of a hose head, and that''s basically exactly what it was. It sprayed water down onto both of us violently. It hit her like a brick, and she stumbled and let go of me. Perfect. Now all I have to do is survive the fall. I was tumbling in the space, and my glasses were plastered against my forehead. This was worse than teleporting blind. I didn''t even have my program to help me predict where I needed to be. Just instinct. I snapped my fingers and slammed hard into the ground, knocking all the wind out of me. I rolled over, coughing, reaching up, and pulling down my glasses. They were broken. And I''m pretty sure a few of my ribs were, too. This isn''t good. It won''t take her long to find me. I stashed the item away, though. One one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand, I counted in my head. She was charging forward. I could hear the sonic booms. I could see a dot quickly becoming more and more detailed as it charged down. I had cracked her face mask. I snapped when I could see my distorted, shattered reflection in it. I disappeared, and she probably crashed through that building. I landed on my bed and groaned in pain, hunching over, then fell on my back, groaning in more pain. Then I gritted my teeth. I didn''t know how far her senses extended. She might hear me. I calmed my breathing and sat completely still. Which was hard. I was going to need to call Des. My ribs were definitely broken. And so was my rig. It would be such a pain in the ass to rebuild those glasses. Fuck.

=== Kari === I managed to stop just before slamming into the building. Esvanir was gone! He was gone again, and he had slapped me with water. Really, really cold water! It had cracked my mask and then broke it worse as it froze and I flew down. "Damn it! He''s not even that strong. Just quick on his feet!" "Problem?" There was a voice from behind me. I turned, and the powder blue PM insignia was in my face. I stood tall, then realized that the Professor was taller than I was. And I was pretty tall. "Oh, hey, PM. Nice to see you. No, not a problem, really. Just . . . Esvanir got away again." "I don''t need to be a telepath to know you''re upset about it," he said gently. He floated down and sat on the lip of the building. I sat next to him. "I can fly at Mach 8 and lift an entire building, but I can''t stop one guy who snaps like he''s a freaking extra from Grease!" "Yeah, criminals are clever, sometimes. Looks like you did give him a run for his money, though," PM responded, nodding to the small crater. "Did you slam him into the building?" "No, he fell. From terminal velocity." This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Ouch. He must''ve been pretty desperate." "Yeah, I guess." "And you''re not even winded." "Well, it''s not like he can hurt me." "But you can hurt him," PM responded, turning to me. "Alright. What are you getting at?" "Smash, I like having an extra hand around, but you are scary. Esvanir seems to be a cat burglar, and you come in with your ability to fly faster than most military jets and the ability to throw them. I might be able to stop them. But I also saw that punch you threw at him." "Yeah, so? He''s a criminal. I was trying to stop him." "And if he hadn''t deflected the way he did, it could have killed him." "Oh, come on! It was a love tap!" I protested. "I watched the video of you against that concrete guy. When you hit him, it cracked his exoskeleton of stone," The Professor observed. "Those punches seemed pretty close to me." ¡°I . . . No . . . I didn''t. . ." I stammered, thinking back. I was furious when I was throwing that punch. And when I grabbed him and decided to take him on a tour of the stratosphere. "I am not used to combat." "Yeah, I noticed." There was another explosion nearby; I turned to it. This time, so did the Professor. I sped off to see what was going on. People were screaming, and a giant lizard person crawled out of the sewers that were exposed to the entire street. He stood up and let out a loud, hissing screech. "Hello, misplaced aggression," I said with a grin. I charged forward and wound up a punch. "Smash Gal! Remember! Control your strength!" PM shouted. I eased my punch down on him. The Lizard Man took the hit with ease. It laughed. Well, I think it was a laugh. Then it batted me with its tail, and I went flying. Into a car. Which crunched under the force of my landing. "Hey, Prof," I called out. "Love taps ain''t cutting it." "Okay. Then do a little more than a love tap," he said, carrying people out of the way of the fight. I launched myself off the car, crunching it further, and slammed my fist into the lizard man. He caught my fist, and the ground crunched underneath him. Asphalt cracked. So did the concrete beneath it. He then spun me and slammed me into a building. "Okay," I said, dusting myself off after digging myself out of a crater. He grabbed a civilian that the Professor missed, reared back, and I charged. But I wasn''t fast enough. I could have been, but I was still holding back. I didn''t want to shatter all of the glass around me. I didn''t want to burst everyone''s eardrums with a sonic boom on the ground. But I got there just in time to see this lizard monster crunch down on some poor man''s skull and upper chest and bite down, tearing away from the body. Blood leaked out, and one of the man''s arms fell to the side. I had never seen so much blood. Pouring down the man''s shirt. Down the lizard man''s maw. I froze. And the lizard man took this as an excuse to grab and slam me to the ground. I kicked him. I was angry and in shock and hadn''t controlled my strength entirely. He went flying but clawed into a building. Through the stone and scraping through the metal underneath. The lizard man landed heavily on the ground, crumpling it underneath. He walked forward and hissed more. "Uh . . . Professor?" PM looked over and sighed. "Okay, okay. This guy can take it. Go nuts." He sounded resigned. I let out a breath of relief. Combat is so much different than just doing tests. I charged forward and threw a punch. I could see the air around us ripple as I made contact. He flinched. He finally moved and felt it. Some of his scales had broken, and sickly, green blood leaked onto my fist. He recovered and slashed forward with a claw, which I tried to get out of the way of, but it caught me. His talons slashed through a part of my costume and sunk into my abdomen. The force of the blow knocked the breath out of me, but I didn''t go flying. Because his hand was stuck on the inside, he pulled me down, slammed me to the asphalt, and prepared to stomp on me. Then something hit him, and both went flying. I sat up and gripped my ribs, feeling blood leak out. I glanced up. A woman in a small, hovering bumper car with a rocket on the back, wheeling herself out of a crater. People cheered. "Thank you, thank you." "Ah, Cannoneer. Good to see you," PM called out. "You, too, Mind. Who''s the fish?" "Smash Gal. She''s a little green, but she''s got the spirit." "Uh-huh," The Cannoneer responded, looking me up and down. My face heated up, and I felt something well in my chest. There was a rumbling behind her, and the lizard man charged forward, holding a steel beam. She wouldn''t get out of the way in time. I flew towards the lizardman and interceded between them before he could bring down the shaft on her. I caught it, and it bent. I pushed back up against it. Then I switched the leverage on it, and he stumbled. I tore it from his grip with a tug and then used it as a softball bat to slam it into him. He went flying, and the beam shattered. Just like old times, I thought, as I charged after him. I caught up with him in a blink and started punching him, shockwaves spreading out with every meeting of flesh. He tried to respond, but he was loopy after a couple of hits. And after five, he was barely conscious. I caught him and flew back, throwing him on the ground and landing before the Cannoneer. "Well, maybe she''s got her uses." I looked at my reflection in a pane of glass; the wounds were still leaking down my stomach; my shirt was torn; my mask was shattered. But I was still standing. The media started circling us and asking a million questions. PM landed and stood in between the woman in her specialized and me. . . wheelchair. Her legs were skinny. But that hadn''t stopped her. Cool, I thought. "Cannoneer, over here. What do you think that thing is?" "Defeated thanks to yours truly. Oh, and Professor Mind." I felt a rush of heat in my face again. "And Smash Gal. We hadn''t been acquainted yet, but she''s a real firecracker, eh?" I looked down at the woman, and she was smiling up at me. Her teeth were painfully white; she didn''t wear a mask. I was just now realizing this. "Smash Gal, Smash Gal. What do you think of working with the Cannoneer? You just joined the scene. Do you think you can keep up with someone who saved the world?" "I, uh, well," I stammered, unable to keep up with the implications of the question. Of course, I could. "Of course, she can," PM said, grinning for the camera. "I''ve saved the world a time or two, and she can keep up with me. Give her a little practice, and she''ll be saving the world all the time. Well, actually, I hope not. Not that she can''t. I just hope it isn''t necessary." "Yeah, she''ll be great. I look forward to working with her in the future." The Cannoneer nodded. We answered some more questions, but the woman in the wheelchair eventually turned around and started off. PM nodded and kindly told them we had to go and turned, nodding for me to follow. I did so a little hesitantly; they were all still asking questions. I met up with my two peers a little while later. "So, you''re Smash Gal, huh?" the woman in the wheelchair asked. She was small. Really small. Thin. But when I looked into her eyes, I didn''t see any fear or reticence. "I saw a bit about you. I''m Jenny." She extended her hand. I reached out and stammered. "I''m, um, well." "You''re Smash Gal," PM cut in. "That''s a trick that Jenny does to try and get people to reveal their secret identities. She doesn''t think they''re necessary." "They''re not. And stop ruining my fun. Just because it worked on you, Chu-" "Now, you know. But I don''t want the whole world to know," PM smiled. Jenny shook her head and wheeled herself around me, taking me in again. I resisted the urge to pull my cape around myself. "Hmm. Nice costume. A little classic, but still good," Jenny said with a grin. "Could stand to show a little more skin." "You think that of every costume but your own." "That''s because you all could. You''re all so strong and good-looking. I''d love to see more of you," the woman said in a much huskier voice than before. I was very grateful for my mask, even if it was broken because I''m pretty sure my face was just as red as my costume. Issue #5: Avalares Newest Power Couple

=== Curt === "You''re an idiot," Des muttered. "Careful now. I might start to think that you like me with that kind of sweet talk." They had their stethoscope pressed against my naked back. Why are stethoscopes always the temperature of a polar bear''s dick? Someone should invent a little heating pad for them. I could do that. Wouldn''t be hard. Something that you charge. Could use a phone charger. USB-C compatible. "No one likes you," Des responded with a tone just as cold as their stethoscope. "You have had one girlfriend since I''ve known you, and she breezes in and out of your life, and you end up following her like a damn lost dog." "Cindi''s not bad. You know, just a little hard to tie down. That''s a good thing. Especially with y''know." I shrugged. "Yeah, it''ll be really great when she turns up at your funeral. You''re an idiot!" "You''re repeating yourself." "Yeah, well. Maybe if I say it enough, it''ll finally sink in." Des sat next to me and adjusted some of the wraps. "Fighting a meta? Are you nuts? And not just any meta but one who can throw a fucking car. I saw what she did to that lizard thing. Threw him up a few stories and then caught him. What the hell were you thinking going up against her?" "Really wasn''t my intention," I said, avoiding looking at them as I groaned my way into a shirt. "You know those cape and tights types. They just show up wherever they want." "Yeah, what bastards. Showing up and just doing things that no one gave them permission to. Kind of like when you showed up in my clinic and was stealing gauze for an ''accident''." Des put finger quotes around the word. "It was an accident! I was testing a new version of the control program. And left behind a few inch-" "''A few inches of skin.'' I remember. You left behind damn near half your fucking arm. Because you''re an idiot." They smiled at me. "No one asked you to make a damn teleporter out of junk in your basement. And no one asked you to Robin Hood everything that wasn''t nailed down." "No one asked me because people are afraid to ask. With me around, they''re getting the stuff they need." I winced a bit as I was getting up. It had been a couple of days since the incident with Smash Gal. I had refused painkillers. Didn''t respond well to my mind being all muddled. But there were times when I''d regretted that decision. "And where do you think you''re going?" "Been laying around too long. Gotta start getting the stuff to repair my rig." "And get yourself killed. Am I putting this visit on your tab?" "You''re keeping a tab? That machine I built you is worth half a million dollars!" "Maybe, but the way I count it, you owe me at least a million." "How the fuck could I possi-" "I''m both your doctor and your shrink. You have to pay me double every time I come around." "How''d you pass med school with math skills like that?" "Summa Cum Laude, if I remember correctly." "Oh my God, you''re such a pain in the ass," I whined, waving them off. They left, finally, and let me plan. Well, left me to stare at my phone endlessly while pretending that I was just going to start planning any minute. I found myself on Twitter, scrolling endlessly. I found a live feed of Smash Gal fighting someone with a fashion sense equally as idiotic. This one uppercutted Smash Gal above the surrounding buildings, and the live feed struggled to keep track. Every time a new hero comes out, other costumed weirdos are eager to challenge them. They called themselves ''super-villains''. I called them attention-seeking morons.

=== Kari === I was flying. Well, technically, I had gone flying. After someone in an awesome costume had punched me. They were strong. I don''t know how strong. At least strong enough to send me above most of the surrounding buildings. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. With a minor effort of will, I stopped myself in the middle of the air. Then I blasted off into the air and rocketed down to earth. Smash Gal! A voice penetrated my mind. I pushed it out. Stop! You can''t do this. Smash Gal, please. Kari! I stopped half a foot away from my enemy. Dust and debris scattered in my wake. I had my fist raised. He was cowering. "Fine!" I yelled. I grabbed the whimpering ball of super-villainy and punched him once. A love tap. He didn''t pass out, but he did yelp. I brought him over to the police. They put the man in shackles. Not normal handcuffs. They were the size of my head! Because of all of the meta happenings in the city, the government had funded some special meta task forces, and they did their best. There were even some metas on the police, now. Professor Mind brought over a few more criminals and dropped them before a bemused police officer. I smiled at her, trying to ignore the heavy stare PM was giving me. "Thank you for all of your help." "Uh-huh," the cop said dismissively, grunting as she pulled up the set of aspirant villains, slapping the same shackles on them. The criminals'' faces drained of blood and turned a sickly gray. I didn''t know much about the restraints, but I was told they somehow disable powers. Somehow. That can''t feel good. But if they wanted to keep their abilities intact, they just have to not break the law! I thought, smiling to myself. I finally turned to PM and felt my face heat up. "Smash Gal," He said sternly. "Come on, we have to talk. Thank you, officer." He blasted off. I smiled back at the cop who had turned her back to me in the meantime, then sighed and flew off after him. I caught up to him quickly. I think if he strained himself, he could fly as fast as I could. But he never did. He always knew how much force to use. He landed on the top of a building and sat down. The sun was bright and hot, especially in the costume; superhero costumes don''t breathe. At all. Wonder if I can get mom to adjust this one. But it would probably become less durable if she did. And I don''t want to end up naked. Not when everyone has a camera phone. "Kari," Professor Mind said, bringing me back to reality. "Sit." "I don''t want another lecture," I said, sitting beside him. "And I don''t want to give one. But you lost your temper again." "I was under control!" Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "You reached Mach 3. What would have happened if you had hit him flying that fast?" "He could have taken it! He was strong!" "He could have. But what about the street under him? The cars around him? The people who would be hit by the blast of air you''re displacing. The building where glass would shatter." "I was controlling the amount of force that got out." "You were what?" He asked, dumbfounded. "I . . . I can create little forcefields to prevent stuff like that from happening. It''s how I kept the glass from breaking on the buildings when I was coming down." "Huh. That''s. . . An interesting ability. So, you''re slightly telekinetic." "Yeah, I can''t do anything like you can. But I can create little spaces to jump off, which helps hold things together when lifting something. And I create a little tube that stops my sonic booms from booming important stuff. It''s pretty cool." He sighed and took off his domino, wiping his face. I tried not to stare. It was hard. He''s really handsome. Like, I knew that because his mask only covers his eyes and a bit of his nose, but his eyes are soft and kind. Brown, like a doe. "Chuck, I''m sorry." He had told me his name after I had mentally shouted mine. He said I should also work on that, but it was hard. I wasn''t used to being around telepaths. "Well," he began, pushing his hair out of his face. "No harm done, this time. But you still need to work on your temper. It''s going to get you into trouble. Gods, it''s hot. Do you want to grab an ice cream?" He asked, putting his mask back on. "Ice cream!" I screamed as I grabbed his hand and pulled him down to the ground the next instant. He screamed. But it was only like twenty stories; he''s so dramatic! We landed perfectly safely, and I smiled at him. We got to the ice cream stand, and I paid. My mom had made a place for me to keep some petty cash. Which was good. You never knew when you were going to need it.

=== Curt === "These pictures have been all over Twitter," a woman read from a teleprompter with two photos hanging over her left shoulder. It was of Professor Mind and Smash Gal holding hands on the street and eating ice cream together. I sighed. How is this news? So what if two heroes decided to fuck? I thought. But people were really interested; this video had hundreds of thousands of retweets and likes. And I didn''t have anything better to look at. I was taking the train to a shop where I could hopefully get some parts to rebuild my machine. It was really dangerous and stupid to teleport without the glasses. I didn''t want to end up inside some wall. Or worse, half inside a wall and half out. That might cut me in half. "This has raised a lot of questions. Have Smash Gal and Professor Mind become Avalare''s newest power couple? A lot of people certainly think so. We have brought on a local hero and friend of the potential couple, the Cannoneer. Jenny, what do you think? Are these two smashing?" "Look," Jenny said from her wheelchair, smiling at the reporter and the camera. "I would love to dish on Smash/Mind as much as the next girl, but they have not said anything to me. And I tried calling the Prof. He wouldn''t return my calls." "Smash/Mind?" "Well, we have to call this ship something, and I think that''s the best so far." "Okay. So there has been no official word on this from the two in question, but what do you think? Do you ship Smash/Mind?" "I don''t think that''s a fair question." Jenny grinned brightly. "I have a long history of shipping everyone. This time last year, I was shipping the villains Doctor X-Ray and CONcrete." "And you turned out to be right, there. It was confirmed that they were dating when you and Bion breached their compound and . . . Found them together." "Yeah, they''re cute kids." "You are considered to be the ultimate romantic. One of the only openly polyamorous heroes out there. And you always seem able to predict these things, with 5 correct predictions under your belt. So, what do you think?" The reporter asked, leaning in with a slight smirk pulling at her mouth. "What does your gut say?" "I think there might be something there. Two young heroes, fighting together. I think that builds passion. But I don''t want to say too much. If something happens between the two, I think that would be absolutely adorable. Still, I am not going to pressure them to do anything. But they did let me in on another rumor." "Oh? Do tell." "Well, they say they tried to foil a robbery done by another super-villain couple on the night they met." "Oooh. Who?" "The beautiful Buck Cherry and the elusive Esvanir," Jenny said, her grin widening somehow. Fuck. I was worried about this. I don''t want Cherry to come after me just because people are getting the wrong idea. "Buck Cherry and Esvanir? Do you have a cute name for them as well?" "Well, I considered it, but there might be trouble in paradise. According to Smash Gal, BC just up and left Essy behind to deal with both of them." "But he still got away. Maybe it was a part of their plan." It really wasn''t. It was part of her plan, and I knew it was her plan. Cindi doesn''t like sticking around if things get complicated. So, it was hardly a surprise. "Maybe. Neither has ever been caught for long enough to be booked. Maybe they''re helping each other, and that''s why. But then again, neither of them have ever gone up against me. I could take them down." I gaped at my phone. I don''t need Cherry to escape! I never have needed anyone to get out! The interview was interrupted by a pop-up screen. A picture of Cindi came up. She was calling. It was an artsy photo she had made me take for her. One of those nudes that doesn''t show anything. I sighed and pressed accept. "Speak of the devil," I said before answering. "Hello?" "Oooh. You were thinking about me? Who could blame you, honestly? Essy, baby. How are you?" She said in her signature, slightly sultry, vaguely disinterested tone. "Cin, I''m well enough," I said hesitantly. I always had a hard time gauging her mood. "How''re you?" "Oh, I''m pretty good. I am glad you got out safely," Cindi said somberly. "Sorry for legging it, but I figured we were outmatched." "We were. You made the right call. I wasn''t too far behind you. Did you manage to get our cat home?" I asked. It was always so annoying speaking in code. But I was in public and couldn''t speak clearly. "Yes, and her new owner was very pleased with the results. I still owe you your portion. Since I couldn''t have done it without you," she said huskily. "We should meet. Grab a bite." "Dunno that that''s a good idea, mon cheri," I said. "People might talk if we get together too often." "Oh, are you talking about the Cherr-Esvanir thing? I think it''s cute. And it''s not untrue. We are an item, sometimes." "Damn, I was hoping you hadn''t seen that." I sighed. "And that name is awful. Worse than Smash/Mind for sure." "Yeah, I would have gone with CheSvy, personally. I''ll see if I can''t get that trending. Anyway, I want to see you. Get dinner. Get dessert. Maybe do an activity afterwards." "Well, I''m kind of grounded at the moment." "What do you mean? You haven''t seen your parents in ten years. It''s why I like you. We have that in common." "Well, I had another run-in with our new friend. She broke my . . . glasses. I''m working on getting a replacement, but the prescription is special order, and I need to go to a special shop for parts." "Our friend? Smashy?" She asked. "Yeah." "Oh, well. I could probably help you find a shop with the right parts. For a fee, of course." "Yeah, okay. You can take it out of the money you owe me." "Yeah. And we''ll try to keep CheSvy on the DL this time." Issue #6: Black and White

=== Kari === The greatest thing about flying is it''s like creating your own personal roller coaster. I could choose when to spin, when to do loop-de-loops, and when to do sudden drops. And I was content to do that all day. Or at least until I found something better to do. There were lots of little crimes going on all the time. Things like purse snatching and speeding, but Chuck had told me not to interfere too much with those. They were widely things that the police could deal with. Unless something was happening right in front of me, Chuck thought I should just let it pass. It made some sense. I couldn''t be everywhere all at once, and people could usually find ways of handling it themselves. So, during patrol, I would usually only stop crimes that were right below me or a significant threat. That was what I was doing today. I had created my alt for Tak-Tik. SmashGal, if you want to follow me. I do some really awesome stuff. At the moment in question, I was recording a new flying video. I found some neat videos of people in glide suits and figured I could add to that trend. Unfortunately, my flight was cut short. From miles below me, I could hear an alarm ringing off. I closed my eyes and focused on the sound. People were screaming. There was a bank robbery. I rushed down, landed on the street, throwing dust and dirt everywhere, and glanced around. Two men had come bursting out of the bank with bags weighed down heavily with their ill-gotten gains. I charged forward, and one of them stepped out of the way and blasted me against the wall with sweltering air. It was scalding. They''re metas. Okay. That''s good. Don''t want to get a reputation for picking on vanillas. I charged through the steam, caught the one blasting me by the throat, and lifted him effortlessly. "Put him down, Smash Gal, or I''ll waste this one!" I turned to see that his partner had an arm around the neck of a young black man with dreads. The robber''s fingers on his other hand were pressed into the captive''s temple, and the man was trying to lean away from his captor. "C''mon, man. There ain''t no need for this. I''m just trying to get to work." "Shut up, or I''ll waste you!" The man shouted as he started backing away. Sirens were ringing out against the walls. I slammed the one I had in hand against the wall, and he slumped over, unconscious. The man with the captive pressed his fingers harder into the man''s temples. "Back off, Smash Gal! I''m not afraid to ki-" Lightning struck him. On a clear day. With no clouds. What the Hell just happened? I thought. The man slumped over, and the man he held stood up straighter and started walking away before being surrounded by the police. "Freeze!" "Oh, come on! I ain''t got nothing to do with this! I''m just trying to get to work," the man said. The police closed in on him and the two unconscious people. "Uh-huh, sure, meta. I''m sure it''s all just a coincidence. You being here just as robbery happens," one of the officers said, circling around him, grabbing his arm, and putting one of the weighty cuffs onto it. The man''s skin instantly drained of color, leaving him ashen and obviously weak. "You have the right to remain silent." "Wait a minute!" I called out, rushing down. "He wasn''t involved. It was just those two. One just took him hostage." The officer looked at me for a moment and then at her new charge. She shook her head. "Sorry . . . Smash Gal. We can''t risk having another meta out on the street. Too many already. Acting without permission. Thinking they can just do whatever they want." The man looked up at me, eyes glazed over. He was hunched. The officer pushed him forward, and I hesitated. She was a police officer. She had to know what she was doing, right? But . . . There were all of those videos of the police killing unarmed black men. And getting away with it. And he was a meta. He wasn''t resisting at all. In his current state, I don''t think he could have. "Okay. I''ll ride with him." "What?" "I have to give my statement, right? I''ll help exonerate him. He didn''t do anything wrong." "He used deadly force! He struck someone with lightning," the officer exclaimed. "That''s assault. We have the whole thing on dashcams. "Then you also have that he was being held against his will, and his life was being threatened." "He still has to be in custody until a judge can make a decision." "That''s not fair!" I shouted, causing the other police to turn to me. "He didn''t do anything that I don''t do. If anything, he''s more justified. He might''ve been killed if it weren''t for his actions." "Smash Gal," another officer sidled up next to me. "It''ll be okay. He''ll be let go if he''s innocent, and it was self-defense." The man in cuffs laughed weakly. The cop guiding him to her car pushed him forward. "Something funny, punk?" "If I''m innocent, I''ll be let go. Yeah, right. Ain''t no black man with powers ever going to be let go by the police." "He is innocent! I am an eyewitness. And you have no right to arrest him," I said, my voice shaking a little. I stepped forward, but the cop next to me grabbed my arm. "Don''t do anything you''ll regret, Smash Gal." His tone was heavy with warning. I looked at him, the other cop, and the man they had in custody. What should I do?

=== Curt === Cindi and I met downtown. I was still moving a little more slowly than usual; fighting metas is generally not a good plan. Especially not that fucking psycho Smash Gal. Cindi looked me up and down and smiled. "You seem stiff. Is that because of me, or has someone else?" "Well, I''m told that Smash Gal is quite . . . smashing," I said with my best grin. "I can''t believe I let you touch me." "Me neither, honestly." We made our way down the street, and she wrapped her arm around me. She was a couple of inches shorter than me. Or would be if she wasn''t wearing heels that matched her ridiculous dress. The kind of thing that, with one wrong move, she''d slip right out of. And given that I knew her attitude on underwear, I was sure it would be pretty revealing. I tried not to think about it. "Come on, darling. I got us a reservation. It''s a good thing you dress so formally already. I did bring you a jacket that they can take at the door. The pretentious fucks." She laughed. Her attitude towards the rich was always bipolar. She wanted to be rich. She loved having money and freedom and the ability to choose. But she hated the rich. Especially their bullshit rituals and formalities. "So, you can''t pop at all?" Popping was what she called teleporting. I guess that''s the sound it makes. I have been constantly experiencing it, so I haven''t really heard it. My theory is it''s the sound of two mildly different atmospheres trying to balance out. The small portals I make are usually too small for that to matter. I shrugged. "I have a couple of presets that I can access." We passed a street preacher who had gathered a small crowd. Cindi stopped for a moment to listen. "False prophets and idols abound! Causing the good people of this city and the world to doubt Jesus. These so-called meta-humans doing things only God should do are the works of Satan! Do not give these monsters any of your attention. Focus on Jesus!" "What if Jesus was just the first meta?" Cindi called out. The preacher was taken aback by this and stuttered for a moment. The crowd murmured indistinctly. Cindi smiled; it was always a game to her. Putting people off balance. She started walking again. "Y-young lady, you''re blinded by the Devil! And your soul will burn in Hell unless you repent!" "I''ve been to Norway," she said over her shoulder. "Hel is a wonderful city. Love the company there." "Why''d you do that?" I asked as we continued on. "Why do you think, darling?" "Because you are bored and like to stir up trouble." She laughed and hugged my arm into her chest. "You always understand me. It''s why I love hanging out with you, Curt." We got to the restaurant, and a table was ready for us. There were three chairs, but I didn''t think anything of it. Until a third person joined us. A man with gray hair and pale skin, roughly the size of a mountain. Cindi turned to him. "Ah, Mr. Marcelli. It''s good to see you. This is my . . . Colleague. Curt." If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

=== Kari === My mind ran through about a hundred different things I could have done as they loaded the man into the car. I had grown up with the police; my uncle was a policeman; he was a good man. Would he do this? I thought about it. I didn''t know what he was like at work. I knew that when I was a kid, he would give me toy guns, and we would play cops and robbers. The man in the back of the squad car looked up at me. I stepped forward; they couldn''t stop me; nothing had ever before. I glanced down at the cuffs that they had. Heavy-looking things. Well, heavy for any regular person. I couldn''t let this happen; I couldn''t just attack the police. That wouldn''t solve anything. I took out my phone and started filming. But I could do something. Mom had built a mic into the helmet when we fixed it. She thought that the Tak-Tik idea was pretty good branding and encouraged it. I opened a live feed on the public Smash Gal Facebook page and announced loudly. "Hey, Smash Squad. We have two police officers arresting an innocent man who was taken hostage as a part of a bank robbery I helped stop." Both of the police officers froze. I leaned down and made sure to get both of their faces on camera. As well as the profile of their hostage. In some ways, these cops weren''t any better than the man who had tried to use him as leverage. The cop at my side tried to push the phone down. "Stop recording that!" I grinned. There were 400 viewers. For an impromptu stream, it wasn''t bad. I dodged his hand and shook my head. "No! I will not stop recording. You''re arresting an innocent man." "That man struck someone with lightning!" "A man who was threatening to kill him. It was self-defense." More police gathered around us, as well as a few bystanders. "Let him go. Take his statement. But he didn''t do anything wrong. What was he supposed to do? Let himself be killed?" "Then there''d be one less of them on the streets," one of the cops said. I couldn''t tell which one of them, but I panned the camera around. "Metas or black men?" Someone in the crowd cried out. The police looked around and shuffled. A few of them stood straighter and put their hands on their guns. There were some people of color in the crowd. There had been riots previously. I wasn''t going to let that happen. "Just let him go. He''s a witness to a crime. Not anything more," I said, trying to use a calm, soothing voice. The cops looked back at the man in the car and then at each other, considering. Slowly, the cop closest to the car opened the door, pulled the man out, uncuffed him, and pushed him towards me. He stumbled, but the color returned to his face, and he stood a little straighter. His eyes focused. Those cuffs . . . They''re terrifying. "Thank you. Alright, Smash Squad. I''m going to sign off. I should be back later, though. Thanks!" I turned off the stream and turned to the man. "Are you okay?" "Yeah, I''m alright. Uh . . . Thanks, Smash Gal. Next time just knock their asses out." "The cops?" "Or the guys holding me. You''re fast enough." He looked at his phone. "Shit. I''m going to be late." "Oh, I''m sorry. I could fly you there if you like." He looked at the cops and then at his phone again and sighed and nodded. I grabbed him by his arm, and we lifted slowly into the air. He yelped, and I sped up a bit. Nothing ridiculous. Just a solid 60 miles an hour or so. He clung tightly to my arm and basically cried. Before we got to his work, I had to ask. "Come on, princess. When was the last time you let your heart decide?" "My heart just about got me locked up and has me flying with a crazy-ass white chick. So, like ten minutes ago," the man called back up. We landed in front of his job, and he took a few deep breaths, hands on his knees. Then he looked up at me and shook his head. "Why''d you stop them?" "You were just a witness. You could be a hero for all I know." "I ain''t no hero, lady. Just a man trying to make a living." "But you have powers." "Yeah, and we see what happens when I use them." "You stopped a criminal." "And became one myself," he said, shaking his head. "It ain''t as simple as all that, lady. We ain''t ready for a black superhero." "What about Erica?" I asked. "That technomancer who shuts down crime in Cape Town?" "She ain''t American. It''s not the same." "Well, maybe it''s time for you to be the first. Be an example." He stared at me for a long moment. "I''ll think about it. But I gotta go. I got bills to pay." He walked away, shaking his head. "Fucking crazy ass white people."

=== Curt === I glared at Cindi, who smiled back innocently. Slowly, I directed my gaze back to Marcelli, mentally preparing myself to teleport away to a third safe spot. Without the whole control system, I had to set up specific waypoints that I could refer back to. I could activate others with an app I had designed on my phone. Still, I also had a few defaults that I could access immediately with a snap. Considering the man sitting next to me, I greeted him. "Hello, Mr. Marcelli. How can I help you today?" "Esvanir, my friend," he began, smiling. I gritted my teeth and pointedly did not look at Cindi. She must''ve told him. "You have something of mine that I need back." "Esvanir? The thief? You have the wron-" The man in front of me slammed his hand down on the table. "Don''t treat me like a fool, boy. I hate that. I may not have super intelligence, but it doesn''t take a Bion-level intellect to figure out who you are." He leaned back and brought back his smile. "It was easy to figure out what you wanted it for. I have to say, it''s clever. Using my software to better account for conditions. Adapting it from races and stocks to the world as a whole. It''s a pretty good idea." I frowned. I was trying to think of a way out of it. He continued before I could say anything. "Have you finished the modifications?" "Almost. There are still a couple of bugs, and I haven''t been able to test it properly for my purposes." I tried to keep my tone even. Vincent Marcelli was a murderer. And unlike Smash Gal, he wasn''t going to hold back just because I was weaker than him. "If you''re going to kill me, can we just get it over with?" "Kill you? I''m offended," Marcelli said. He didn''t look offended. "I don''t kill people. I''m a businessman." "Sure," I responded evenly. "Who kills people or has people killed." "Eh, I''d prefer not to kill you," he said, boredom taking over his features. "But you are going to work for me." "No. I won''t," I responded immediately, unable to keep the heat out of my voice. "Curt, please," Cindi pleaded. She leaned forward and grabbed my hand. "And why won''t you work for me? You''re a thief. Don''t tell me you have scruples about my business." "Actually, I do. You sell drugs to kids, and your gang murders people in the street. They''re out of control." "Omelet, eggs," he said blandly. "People aren''t eggs. People are people. Just trying to live their lives. For all of your hatred of metas that are so much higher than the rest of us and act recklessly, you''re not that different. Your superpower is money. And you use it recklessly and don''t give a damn about the common man. If you want to kill me, then do it. But I will never work for you." Marcelli clenched the table and leaned forward before taking a breath. "I don''t want to kill you, Mr. Reese. I can use a man like you. Your first assignment will be free. You''ll return my program and my computer. I''m sure you made a copy." "I can return your shit. I only took it because your security took me a while to break through. But I''m not working for you." "Then I''ll kill your friend here. Buck Cherry is a meta, and we know how I feel about them. They don''t deserve to live." I grit my teeth. I can''t just let her die. Even if she did betray me. I still refused to look at her, but I could tell she was waiting for me to say something. "I''ve already put a bomb on her. One that she can''t remove with her impurities." I would have killed him right there if I had my entire rig. It would have been easy. Just calculate where his heart was and teleport a fork in the middle of it. More complicated than a regular teleport but worth it. But I couldn''t. Not yet. I just glared at him. "Give me what belongs to me, and that''ll save her. For now." I considered it for a moment. Then I took out my phone. "What are you doing?" "Setting some waypoints. You''ll have your fucking computer back, you piece of shit." He grinned at my name-calling." "You''re a brave man, Mr. Reese. Not many have the guts to say that to my face." I didn''t respond. I just set the space next to my chair as a waypoint and snapped my finger. The next instant, I was at my second home, my lab. I made a copy of the original program and the modified one I had worked on and set them aside. Hefting the machine, I snapped back to the restaurant, almost running into a waitress. I hated snapping blind; it was dangerous. I could have killed her. I sat the machine next to the man, glaring at him the entire time. "Excellent. I''m glad to see you''re not a complete moron, Esvanir. I''ll be in touch with more assignments. Until then, enjoy your dinner." He got up, and one of his flunkies at the next table gathered the machine and left. I stood up and started to go, but Cindi grabbed my hand. "Curt, please." I looked at her. There were tears in her eyes. I clenched my jaw and tore my hand away from hers but sat back down. She looked hurt. It wasn''t often that she didn''t get her way. "I''m sorry. He captured me. That''s why I didn''t check in on you. He tortured me for a while, figuring out how . . . How I . . . you know." "And?" "I had to give you up. You stole from him, too." She stared at her hand. "Curt, I need your help." "So, he just managed to capture you. You, of all people. The person who has never been captured in her life." "He . . . He knocked me out. I wasn''t expecting it. Then every time I tried to phase out, he''d electrocute the entire area. And knock me out again. Curt, please. You need to think of a way out of this. You''re the only person I can think of." I frowned. Cindi was scared; she was never afraid; she was actually shaking. "He''s going to kill me when he''s done. You know how he feels about metas." "First things first," I said. "We need to rebuild my rig. And you''re going to help me with that. For free." Issue #7: Plan of Attack

=== Kari === I hadn''t gone on patrol for a few days. I couldn''t. I kept thinking about how I was using my power. How the police used theirs. About the first bad guy I had taken down. He had claimed that people made him into that. And instead of trying to help him, I attacked him. It was heavy. Heavier than anything I had ever lifted. And that includes a bus. So, instead, I sat in my room, staring at the costume my parents had made. Thinking about how I was complicit in these structures of power. I knew no system was perfect and there would always be bad actors in it, but when I looked at it, that''s not what had happened. The police had seen a black man with powers and decided he was a criminal, despite obvious evidence to the contrary. And they had a massive problem with metas in general. People were going to develop powers. That wasn''t going away. And even if they didn''t develop them naturally, like I did. Well, kind of. I had alien DNA inserted into me with Super CRISPR. But even if it wasn''t their physical bodies, people like Bion and Esvanir, guys who were just good with technology, would come out of the woodwork and do it. You can''t put superpowers back in the bottle. The Genie''s out, and he''s singing. Not only that, but these structures protect legitimate criminals, too. People like Marcelli do illegal things, but because they have money, they get away with it. They''re untouchable. It was one thing to be like Esvanir and just be really hard to catch, even for someone like me. It was a different thing entirely for everyone to know you''re a criminal and for no one to be able to do anything about it. But I had saved people; I had rescued people from fires; I had stopped a volcano from exploding; I had fought monsters; People were alive today because I stepped in. But that''s also true of some police. This issue is too big. I don''t know what to do about it. I took my eyes off my costume and looked down at my phone. My dad came into the room, knocking lightly. "Sweetie? Are you okay?" He asked tentatively. I smiled softly at him. "Yeah, dad. What''s up?" "You haven''t left the compound in a few days. People are . . . People are wondering where Smash Gal is. And I''m wondering . . . Honey, did something happen?" I told him about what had happened with the bank robbery. He sat on the edge of my bed and nodded along. "Well, it sounds like you did the right thing. Maybe those . . . Maybe those cops were just some bad apples, you know?" "I hear that one a lot. I was looking it up during my hiatus. And for some reason, everyone always forgets the second half of that saying." "What?" "A few bad apples spoil the bunch. Even in that one situation, none of the other cops stopped the two from wrongly arresting the guy. They all just stood there and said nothing. A good cop isn''t that good if he can''t stand up to a bad cop." Mom burst through the door, her phone in her hand. "Steve, Kari . . . They''re back!" "Whose back?" Both my dad and I said at the same time. She was shaking and just barely managed to hand over her phone. My father took it, and we both leaned over it. There was a live-stream of some weird-looking people in strange garb attacking the city. They were flying forward through the air and landing. They landed on tanks and crushed them. Nothing anyone was doing seemed to phase them. Both mom and dad looked at me nervously. Then at each other. "Grignau."

=== Curt === I took Cindi to the only person I know who might be able to help. The most intelligent, most competent person I know. I took her to Des. The best thing about being able to teleport is that it doesn''t leave a lot of room to talk. Just a quick snap, and we''re there. Waiting for a doctor, though. Especially when we didn''t have an appointment. That leaves plenty of time to talk. It was after hours, but Des'' clinic was just below their apartment, and they always worked late. They were patching up some kid who had gotten shot. Judging by the bandanna around the kid''s neck, a prospective gang member. Des wouldn''t see us until they were sure the kid would be okay. More than okay. They''d send him home with a cookie and tell them to not get shot again. Funny. That''s always the same advice they give me. I don''t get cookies anymore, though. I tried not to look at Cindi. Every time I did, I felt pressure build up in my chest. I''d unconsciously clench my fists and my jaw. She''d flinch when she looked into my eyes. I was furious. She had been tortured for God only knows how long, and I was livid at her for giving me up. It wasn''t fair. And I knew it wasn''t fair. But I couldn''t help it. "Curt?" She asked tentatively. "What?" I said coldly. Better cold than hot, I guess. At least for now. She flinched even still; she wasn''t used to this side of me; I wasn''t used to this side of me. Not anymore. She gathered herself. "Curt, I know you''re mad, but I didn''t want to get you hurt. I didn''t want to . . ." "Miss Drei?" Des called out, cutting our conversation short. Thank God. Cindi stood and walked over to the doctor. "You coming, Curt?" I thought about it for a moment. "I . . . I don''t know. I''ll. . . I''ll be there in a few minutes. I need to think." Cindi looked heartbroken. Des raised an eyebrow at me; I wasn''t acting like myself, apparently. How could I? I now belonged to someone else, and all over a stupid cat statue and a fucking program; It was a shortcut. I knew I shouldn''t have taken it. I knew it was a bad idea. But I let her talk me into it. I can''t believe it. What is Marcelli going to have me do? What will he use me for? The lights were apparently set to turn off if there wasn''t enough movement after a while. And when my eyes focused, I noticed that I was sitting in the dark. I frowned and stood up; the cursed lights came back on. I sighed and walked to the back room. "I don''t know what I''m going to do, Doc." Cindi''s voice carried out into the hall. "What do you mean?" Des asked impassively. "I . . . I have never seen Curt like this. I . . . I think he hates me." "You did sell him out to a crime lord to save your own skin." "I had to. He was tor-" "He was torturing you. I get that. And I sympathize to the extent that the law requires me to. But you also know that Curt hates rich people. He hates people that abuse their power. And now he has to work for one for who knows how long." "I do know that. It''s one of the things I love about him. And normally he''s always so . . . calm and collected. He''s seldom impulsive. Always thinking his way through problems instead of just acting. He''s everything that I''m not." "That''s not true," Des said wryly. "What do you mean?" "We''re both thieves," I said, pushing open the door. "I was going to say ''criminals''. People who think they''re above the law." "We are," I said with a smile, meeting Cindi''s eyes. She smiled back hesitantly. "If people like Marcelli are above the law, then surely a nudist with superpowers and some jerk with major problems with authority and the ability to subvert it also are. Isn''t that right, Cher?" She nodded. Des shook their head. "You''re both ridiculous. And she''s in serious trouble, Curt." "Should you be telling me that? Doctor-Patient Confidentiality and all?" "Oh, now you want to have a conversation about ethics?" Des asked, rolling their eyes so hard; I''m surprised they didn''t pop out and roll across the floor. They then looked at Cindi. "You two morons are basically married, right? Do you mind if I say what''s going on in front of your less attractive half?" Cindi smirked and met my eyes again, shaking her head. "Good. Your girlfriend has a bomb inside of her. It looks like it''s attached to . . . a lot of stuff that she needs." "Can she phase it out?" "No, it looks like it''s somehow tied to her body in such a way that it goes with her when she does that." This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. "Okay. Surgery? Can we remove it?" "Oh fuck that. I am not a surgeon," Des said, panic building in their voice. "Besides, I think it has some fail-safes. I''m hardly a bomb tech, but I can''t imagine you wouldn''t install fail-safes into a bomb if your goal is to blackmail someone into committing a crime." "Fuck!" I screamed and slammed my hand into the door frame. The metal door frame. The other two jumped in fear and backed away. And that really hurt. And so did my hand. I think I broke my pinky. I shook it out in frustration. With both hands shaking in rage, I took a few deep breaths and tried to regain what semblance of control I could have. "Okay. So that won''t work. Where is the bomb?" Des stared at me for a long while, considering. "What are you thinking?" "I''m thinking that if I don''t get the bomb out of the person I lo . . . The person who helps me out on jobs that I''ll never get out from under Marcelli''s thumb, and I''d lose someone incredibly important to me-y- to my operations." Cindi was sitting there with some weird combination of pride, flattery, and fear painting her face. Des just continued to stare at me, considering. Their face was unreadable in that way that only a lifetime of trauma can teach you how to really do. They clicked their tongue and shook their head before bringing up an x-ray. The bomb was attached to her spine, apparently just below the ribs. It wasn''t a large explosive. It wouldn''t be enough to even give Michael Bay a chubby. But it was more than enough to kill someone. I stared at the image for a long time, trying to think of all the possibilities, eliminating most of them even before I finished the thought. There were three, as I saw it. One: We could work with Marcelli until he let us go. It was the path of least resistance. We might end up trapped in his employ for the rest of our lives, but they might be long, relatively happy lives, considering. Two: We could find the bomb maker and force him to take the damn thing out. But I wouldn''t even know how to start that. And there was the problem that Marcelli if he suspected we were working against him, could just kill her at any time. And most likely, he kept eyes on whoever he hired to do such work for that very possibility. Three: I could teleport the bomb off. I couldn''t do it now. I didn''t even have a rig. Even if I did it with my previous rig, the best possibility is that Cindi ended up a cripple for the rest of her life. But I was already looking to upgrade; this would just take a couple of extra pieces and a few more tests . . . It''s still dangerous as hell. "Fuck."

=== Kari === The Grignau were back. I had seen footage of them before, but this was different. High Definition really made a difference. They were humanoid. Much taller than humans. About seven or eight feet tall on average. They were strong and as thick as the average redwood. And everything around them was like it was made of cardboard. They threw cars and tanks; some did it with their minds; some with their four-fingered hands. The military had managed to shoot down one of them. It took seven shots from a special anti-meta tank that was quickly destroyed afterwards. There were hundreds of them. They could fly, and the streets beneath them crumpled when they landed. "I . . . I have to go," I said softly before rushing off to the wall to grab my costume. "Kari! NO!" Mom called out. "Kari, please, don''t!" My father cried. "I have to!" I screamed, turning back to them. "I can''t just . . ." They both looked heartbroken. My parents were scared. Tears were streaming down the faces of the two people who mattered most to me in the world. And that was that. If I didn''t stop this threat, I might lose them. I might lose Chuck or Curt or Jenny. I wouldn''t have the time to have three days of existential crisis over the police if there were no police left. With a spin, I was in costume, my bathrobe and underwear not yet landing on the floor before I was out of the building. I flew. I flew faster than I ever had before. I was in the city in seconds. It was chaos. There were fires all over the city, people screaming, and sirens crying out in protest. I rushed down to the ground. The part of the street I landed in was empty of people. I could hear them still. They were around, but they were hiding. Any sensible person would hide. But, as Curt has constantly reminded me, I''ve always had more luck than sense. I charged forward and got to a barricade. I could see some Grignau down the street, making their way towards me. They were slow and lumbering until they were attacking someone. Then my eyes struggled to keep up. I can''t imagine what it was like for other people. People who couldn''t see like I could. It must have been like fighting Esvanir. One moment they''re far away, and you''re safe. In the next, you''re already dead. I clenched my fist and flew forward. I created a small space of air around me to not break all the glass in the surrounding buildings because I was definitely flying at a supersonic speed. I slammed my fist into one of them, and it took a step back but caught itself. It stood a little straighter. It then lifted its arm and batted me away. I went flying into the nearest building. Breaking a lot of glass. "Well, that''s ironic." So, they could take the same amount of force I used against that lizard guy. Can I even hurt these things? My powers come from their DNA. If anything, I''m diluting their strength. I can''t think like that right now. There''s only one thing to do. I have to stop them. I pushed myself out of the pile of rubble created by my crash and blasted out of the building. You guys can take it. I know that now. I slammed my fist into the one that had batted me away. At least, I think it was the same thing. It was a little racist, but they did all look the same. A weird grayish blue. Kind of spiny. Black, featureless eyes. Beaks instead of teeth. My punch sent out a shockwave which I dissipated by creating a small forcefield around it. The thing went flying and stumbled but eventually caught itself. Before it had even seemed to stand again, it was charging for me. I braced myself and backhanded it with another crushing blow. It crashed down again, and another one struck me from behind. I slammed down to the ground, asphalt and concrete breaking under me. Ow . . . I . . . I felt that. Jesus. What am I going to do? I launched myself out of the crater and uppercutted the one who had just attacked me, only to be grabbed by the one I had sent flying. It gripped me in two of its four hands and started to crush me. So, this is what a soda can feels like. Fuck! I felt my bones pop and crack. I tried to push against it. But the Grignau were just so much stronger than I was. I was going to die here. I started breathing quickly as darkness overtook me. Tears ran down my face. My shoulder popped out of place, and I felt my leg trying not to crack in half. After everything . . . This is how it was going to end. At the edge of my vision, there was a tunnel of light.

=== Curt === While Cindi was getting dressed, I happened to check my phone. Apparently, the city had become a war-zone. People were fighting the Grignau, and they were losing. Poor communities were hit the hardest because they always were. The police and military focused most of their effort on protecting the well-off. There was a token effort here and there. Unfortunately, I couldn''t help them. Not like this. But it did create an opportunity. And if I hurried, I might be able to help someone. "Cher. Put on your game face. We''re . . .¡± My eyes tracked over to Des. "Going to do an activity." Cindi smiled at me and walked over, wrapping her arms around my neck. I gripped her hand. I was still angry. But I also knew that my anger wasn''t going to solve anything. And I was only this pissed because I cared about her. "What did you have in mind, Essy?" I looked to Des and shook my head. "Not here. We don''t wan-" "Oh, shut the fuck up!" Des yelled, throwing up their hands. "You''re a criminal. She''s a criminal. I''m a criminal because I patch you idiots up. Just talk here. I don''t care." I sighed and shook my head. "We''re going to hit Wan En. Once we have a few pieces from there, we''ll hit up EnGin." "Again?" Des asked. "Didn''t you just hit those two places?" "Yeah. I don''t know that that''s a good idea, love," Cindi said. She caught my slip-up. Fuuuuuuuuuck. I am never going to live this down. "Yeah, well, from Wan En, I took something for a particular pain-in-the-ass doctor to try to mitigate some of my apparent debt," I began, eyeing Des, who did their best to look innocent. "And from EnGin, I took a piece for a new rig, but there are a few more pieces that I can use to create shortcuts from and improve it. After we get that stuff, we can move on to a bigger target." "You want to hit three places . . . in the same night?" Cindi asked incredulously. "You? Who are you, and what have you done with Curt?" "Ordinarily, I wouldn''t move this fast, but we have two big reasons to do so." "Oh?" "Well, one, if we''re going to make a move against Marcelli, we have to do it in the next week or so. Any longer, and he''ll probably start to get a bit of an itchier trigger finger and pay more attention to us. Right now, he''s just gloating. In a week or two, that will probably change." "And the second reason?" Des asked. There was eagerness in their tone. Despite all of their bitching about what I do for a . . . living, they were always curious. For them, it was like living in a spy novel. Just close enough to be interesting without actually being shot at. "Pretty much everyone will have their hands full and be a bit distracted. Bion is already on the scene and trying to stop something. Looks like Smash Gal is actually having trouble. Good for her," I said, taking some pleasure in the fact that someone was bullying her for once. "What''s going on?" My two friends asked at the same time. "The Grignau are attacking. Now will be the best time to get as much as possible, make a decent rig, and improve on it as we''re going. Fortunately, while I was laid out, I started making some changes to the programming already. With a couple of modifications, I should be able to get something up and running. Provided that neither of us explodes and we can be in and out quickly." I looked at Cindi Drei. The Buck Cherry. "What d''ya say? You up for a date?" "He can be such a gentleman when he wants to be. Don''t you think, doctor?" She said with a giggle. It was her flirty giggle that she used to flatter men, the occasional woman, and a fair number of enbies. I''d like to say that I didn''t fall for it, but I think everyone can see straight through that. Des just shook their head. "You''re both idiots." "True," I said, busting out my app. I called it Popp. Technically, when I had my glasses, those were running through Popp. I had borrowed one of the Wan En satellites, which were accurate up to about a second or two''s delay in real-time and within about a meter. Unlike the commercial satellites, which had a much wider variance for my purposes. I had installed the ability to upload building schematics and to take in scans of AR data from the glasses. And since I had already been in Wan En, I had a pretty good idea of where I needed to go. I chose the floor, and Cindi and I snapped off. Issue #8: Doing What I Have To

=== Kari === I didn''t want to go toward the light. I didn''t. I wasn''t ready. Until a voice in my head called out. Damn it, Kari! Help me out here; these things are really fucking strong. I froze for a moment. Chuck? It took a few seconds for him to respond. I ain''t the fucking Easter Bunny, girl. Come on. With his resistance, I had enough room to really flex my muscles. And by God, do I have some muscles. I burst from the Grignau''s hand and flew out. One of my attempted captor''s friends was bothering my good friend Professor Mind, in his bright blue and white costume, who dodged admirably. But what kind of friend would I be if I just let someone attack him? I threw myself off a panel made mid-air and slammed the Grignau into the ground. It hit face first, and the land under it crumpled. I had barely managed to remember to control the shockwave from my hit. The Grignau that hit me next showed no such concern. It slammed back to me, and I could hear the impact of the hit shatter glass. I went flying into another building. I passed through and shattered glass and went through walls. I had to stop myself, but I was being jostled so much that it was hard to concentrate. I could hear people screaming and trying to get out of the way. Sometimes, I think I could feel myself hit flesh. But I was going so fast that I went straight through whatever I hit. I . . . I might have killed people there. I closed my eyes and cried out in frustration and in pain. Not from the hit. Well, not just from the impact.

=== Flashback ===

This was much worse than the first time I had accidentally gone through a building. It was on my sixteenth birthday. I had been trapped inside for almost two years and hated it. "I''m bored! Can''t we do anything for my birthday?" "No, honey. We have to do more tests. And you need to study. You only got a B on your last math test." "None of the other kids are taking calculus right now! I''m supposed to go to dances and have fun with my friends. Not be stuck in some stupid lab. On my birthday!" "Honey, I know it''s not fun, but it''s necessary. You know that, right?" My mom asked, putting her arm around me and pulling me into a hug. "We''ll get you some cake." "I . . . I just want a normal life! I don''t care if I can lift a tank!" I screamed. After taking a breath and wiping the tears from my eyes, I continued. "I''ll be careful. Can''t I go back to school? I miss my friends. I miss Curtis. I miss Missi." "No," daddy said sternly. It was the end of a conversation. "You are getting better at controlling your strength, but you''re far from perfect. You could really hurt someone. And we don''t know that that''s the extent of your abilities." "We''ve tested everything you think they can do. I can kind of do little forcefield thingies, but I don''t have their super-speed. Or their super-perception. I can''t even shield myself with the force fields like they can. I''m just strong. And I''m getting better. Can I go back to school if I get it fully under control?" My parents both looked at each other. They were doing that thing that couples that have been together for way too long, because they''re so old, where they were talking without talking. My mother stepped forward. "We''ll see, sweetie. We need to run more tests." I groaned and sat down in the observation chair, shifting uncomfortably. I sat there for what felt like ever. While they poked and prodded me with different tools, most of which they had made special. Since I broke the drill they used to get a blood sample, they have had to devise creative ways to test things. And suddenly, everything was too much. The sound of electricity was humming all around me, in the lights, and the walls and tools. I could hear their heartbeats. I could hear the heartbeats of birds outside. I heard the grinding of gears. When I opened my eyes, they focused on the wall that was forty feet away, and I could see each tiny crenelation, no bigger than a nail mark. I could see every imperfection of their skin. They started shouting. No. They weren''t shouting; they were just so loud. It hurt. I closed my eyes and grabbed my ears. "Honey? What''s wrong? What''s going on?" "Everything . . . Everything is so loud and bright! It hurts," I managed. I stood from the chair and started jogging, but I tripped and fell over, crashing into a table and sending it flying. I stood up and started again before crashing straight through a wall. I slammed hard into it. Through it. I didn''t stop when I got into the darker parking garage, though that was some relief. I actually sped up and crashed straight into one of the pillars holding it up. It cracked, and once again, I didn''t. I stood up and looked around; my parents were coming out; their footsteps echoed loudly in the garage. And in my head. I stood up. "S-stay back! You''re all so loud!" I turned and ran, forgetting about the pillar I had just crashed into, and went straight through it. In a few seconds, I''d run straight off the edge of the garage and was running on the air. And falling. Quickly. I crashed into the ground, leaving a massive crater beneath me. My knees shook. I looked back. I had accidentally jumped two hundred feet. I frowned. They were right. I couldn''t be around people. Not yet. But I missed them. I wonder if Curt remembered my birthday. He wouldn''t forget. My parents hadn''t told me about any recent emails he had sent. I started to run again. Not back towards my parents'' lab, but to home. I passed cars, and I think I must have broken the sound barrier because before I knew it, I was a few states over. I was in my old neighborhood. I had crashed into a few trees and tripped a few times, which sent me flying, but other than some dirt, I was okay. Nothing could hurt me. But turns were really hard. I managed to stay out of the way of cars, that was hard, and I think I might have caused a few accidents. I hope everyone''s okay. I thought, grimacing. I ran, and in the next instant, I was in front of Curt''s house. The one with the small cracked steps leading up to the run-down little building. I got there just in time to see Curt burst through the door and slam it. He was still terribly thin; he had grown, but I was still taller than him. He looked at me for an instant; he had the same intense eyes, but he looked angrier. A lot angrier. He wore a scowl. His father came stumbling out of the house. "An'' where the fuck d''ya think yer going, ya little fucker?" "To a place with less drunk morons." I started to step forward when his father lunged at him, but Curt dodged and actually slammed his foot into the side of his father''s head. I don''t think he could do that before. His father went down, and he hurried off. Curt had always been angry, but nothing like that. It was scary. "Curt," I said softly, reaching out. Dirt and rubble were coating my arm. I thought about what I could do to him if I made a mistake. I . . . I have to get control over all of this. He''s. . . He''s doing fine. He doesn''t need me anymore. I''ll. . . I''ll find him later. I blasted off again, and I was home within an hour or two. This means that I definitely was going at least Mach 1.

=== Present Day ===

I''ve found him again. And he wasn''t as good as I thought he was. He needs people in his life. So I have to stop this. I have to be in control. After a second of concentration, I brought up a wall of force that stopped me. I charged through the hole I had accidentally created and over to the Grignau. Two of which had grabbed the Prof. and were pulling him apart. He was only resisting by clamping down on himself with his psychokinesis. I slammed a kick into one of the arms holding him, again controlling for a shockwave, and it flew down. Chuck hung limply for a moment but clenched his jaw and used his psychic power to burst from the other''s grip. He then floated there weakly. The two and two more beyond that started circling. They started attacking, and I pushed the Prof. out of the way and slammed a kick into one of the hands, barely dodging through the rest of them. That one stumbled back but caught itself, and I was slammed down by another fist. This is bad. I don''t think I can take them.

=== Curt === We arrived in Wan En on the same floor where I had stolen the flesh reconstructor since it was the place closest to where I wanted to be. Cherry pulled her arms out from around my neck and slipped out of her slinky dress. I was right. She was not wearing anything underneath except for stockings. Damn this woman. She pulled those off too and handed them all to me, grinning. She then put her hand to my chin and closed my mouth. "Stare later, work now, my love." "Is there any way that we could just forget that? Slip of the tongue. Didn''t mean anything by it," I said, pointedly not looking at her as I walked over to the door and opened it. It was very after hours, and no one was there. Security might be around still, but most likely, they were off keeping the Grignau out. At least, I hope that''s what they''re doing. "Freudian slips count," She said with a smile. "You know, it took you longer than most men. A lot longer. Two years. I''ve had men propose after the first kiss. Offer me kingdoms after one night." "Never had a ring ready. Or . . . A kingdom, really?" I looked back at her, and she just smiled that ineffable smile. "Tell you what. We get my stuff; we might save your life. Is that worth a kingdom?" "I don''t like that word." "What word?" "Might." "Well, at the very least, I''m going to kill Marcelli." "That''s a little better. But I''m going to kill him. You can help. If I feel like it." She pushed past me and walked down the hall. I took a deep breath. I was really hoping that there weren''t security measures that I didn''t know about. We got up a couple more floors. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. And there had been some security measures I hadn''t accounted for. But when your partner can phase through floors, short circuit brains, and microchips, they''re less of a big deal. We got up to the level we needed, and I started digging through drawers, looking for the prototypes I needed. They were scattered all around. Cherry walked around, watching me. "Do you remember how we met, Essy?" "Yeah, you broke into my apartment. Thought you were going to kill me," I said absently. "You did?" "I mean, we had some bad luck, and I figured that would cause bad blood. Who would''ve guessed we were going to hit the same museum on the same night? You were almost caught. I didn''t know much about you, but I figured you''d disapprove of that." "And I didn''t. But I was curious. For one, you had never stolen from a museum before." "Yeah, well, I had a client." "A rich client." "The granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor. Who wanted her grandmother''s art back. The museum shouldn''t have had it in the first place." "And you were paid handsomely for it," she said, watching me. "Less handsomely, after you took ''your ''cut." "Well, you did almost get me caught." She stopped me for a moment and looked me in the eyes. "But you were going to give all of that money away anyway. What does it matter?" "Money helps people," I responded simply. We''ve had this conversation a time or two. We had this conversation that night, really. "It allowed an apartment building to operate rent-free for a few years. All of the tenants'' lives were improved by that. Could have maybe gone an extra year with your cut." "Yeah. You''re a bleeding heart." She wrapped her arms around me and gave me a kiss. "You know, I don''t disagree with you on any of that, right?" I pushed her back and looked her in the eye. "No, you don''t. You just want to serve yourself first. You like the finer things in life." She opened her mouth to protest, but I kissed her again. "And I''m not saying that there''s anything wrong with that, exactly. It''s just . . ." "Not noble enough." "I''m not noble. I''m a thief. I''m here to steal things. I could turn over this technology, which would probably do some good in the world. Hell, I''m planning on using it for surgery. A real doctor, like Des, might be able to use this to teleport tumors out of people. I steal because it''s fun. I justify it by stealing from the rich for the poor. I''m doing what I have to do to sleep at night." I turned away from her but could still feel her eyes on me. She was thinking about what I said. I finally found the needed materials and started modifying a unique pair of glasses. "We broke into a superhero''s company, one of the best-guarded places, to steal glorified Google Glass?" "Google wishes."

=== Kari === "Kari!" I heard my name from somewhere up above me. "Kari, get up! We need you." I struggled to my feet and wobbled, almost falling. I did manage to catch myself, but only after I was already on my knees. I shook my head. I had never been hit like this before. I looked around in the crater I was in. They had flattened me straight through like eight layers of the street. I could see the subway in a hole that I think my face made. It was face-shaped; my mask was broken; my costume was ripped and torn. I heard a grunt of pain and came back to myself. I charged out of the hole I had made and spun around. They had grabbed Chuck again. My breathing started coming out in short, heavy bursts. I can''t do this. These things . . . They''re not like anything I''ve faced before. I''m too new at this. I''m not strong enough. I can''t do this, I can''t. . . Kari! A voice cut through my own self-defeating monologue. Get your ass down here and save me! Save the city. Save the fucking world. Tears streamed down my cheeks and down and out through my shattered mask. I shook my head. "I can''t! I''m not strong enough." Gods damn it, girl! You can''t do it because you''re holding back! There was a cry of pain, and the voice in my head faded for a moment. Did they . . . I know when you''re holding back, girl. You try to kill Esvanir, and you hold back on these fuuuuucking . . . His thought was dragged out as pain ripped through our connection. "I-I can''t control it when I go harder than I already have. I can''t stop the damage." Better damage from you than damage from them. They''ll kill me, Kari. Please. Save me. I stared down at the three Grignau, trying to rip my friend apart. I liked him. I liked him a lot. I hadn''t felt this way since . . . Oh my God. I have a crush on him? Fuck! I charged down and slammed down on the hands of one of them. It dropped its hold on Chuck, and he fell limply from one side. The Grignau tried to strike me, but I was already in motion, kicking the next one aside. A shockwave burst out. I tried to contain it, but my psychokinesis is not up to Professor Mind''s level. It shattered, and I could hear the asphalt below cracking. Glass shattered. That one went down. It struggled to get up. I blasted off and did a flying ax kick I had seen in a movie once, and it sliced straight through his head. I was an ax at that moment. It went through the street and concrete underneath, and the force could be felt throughout the ground as it cracked. I had killed a Grignau. I turned to the other two, both of which had cruelly dropped Prof onto the ground like an abandoned toy. They both attacked, and I barely managed to brace through one of their hits. My forcefield took the brunt but shattered, and I went flying again. This time though, I stopped myself before I got to any building. There was no reason for all that. I''m no drama queen, flying forty feet from a love tap. Both of them came at me, and one tried to capture me in a psychic field. I punched it, and the force reverberated back at me, and I collapsed; I felt something wet on my lip. I put a finger and brought it away. Blood. I was bleeding. I don''t bleed. But I also don''t usually hit myself. Or get hit this hard. But I had killed one. And that means that they''re just as mortal as the rest of us. I wasn''t going to risk punching the forcefield again. They''re too strong. But steel and concrete are a lot weaker. I know that because the reverberations of my punch broke some underneath me. I leaned down and punched the street. It shattered. And not just under me. The entire road shattered for a few blocks. I guess I know why those silly DragonBall cartoons always took people to a desert. The city is no place for these kinds of fights. I dropped into the subway, flew like twenty feet, and burst through the street above. I grabbed one of these jerk Grignau as I was going and took him with me. I threw him in front of me, which was a feat, considering we were flying as fast as I could. He caught himself mid-air and laughed, flying back down at me. The other one was giving chase. I collided with the one I had thrown, and the shockwave burst every cloud in the area. I slammed my fist into it, and we struggled. The other one was catching up to us. At the last second, I threw myself out of the way, and the two slammed into each other. They growled and screamed in a language that I couldn''t have possibly understood the phonemes of, and I smiled. "Learned that one from an enemy. I guess I can learn things from people like Esvanir. You might have too if you hadn''t come around smashing stuff."

=== Curt === Most of Bion''s security forces had been dispatched into the city to help people. That made sense. He was a trillionaire in part because he''s a hero. So, it was just good press, really. EnGin''s security forces, however, had been tightened. Which was a problem. Probably to stop potential looters. Which was a problem. Because I was a potential looter. We snapped into the middle of an elevator with ten guards. Which was mildly inconvenient. Only slightly more convenient was that Cherry was hanging onto me when she came with me. Benefits of teleporting, I guess I get the pretty girl to hang on tight, and the pretty girl can stop me from becoming Swiss Cheese when they opened fire. Which killed a lot of them. I''m sure some might have survived, but they really should have been less panicky as security guards. We became substantial again, and I pressed a floor button. I''d let the front desk know that their men were in bad shape. Soon. If I remember. Gunfire makes me forget things, sometimes. We got to the floor I needed. I had not had time to grab the special wires I needed last time since everything was so slipshod. But to make sure my machine could keep track of the computations I would be doing on the fly, I needed to ensure that the wires were transmitting the connections as fast as the calculations were going. And they had some super durable superfiber here. Sent everything about as quickly as physics would allow. When the elevator reached the floor, there were already men there, and they fired at us. Because it worked so well last time. Morons. This time, I just snapped us behind them. Now that I had my glasses back and synced with Popp, I was back in business. But I didn''t have the complete blueprints for this building. Cher snuck up behind one of them and zapped him. She has this thing she can do with nerves. I don''t really understand it, but it basically disables all but the strongest minds from doing critical things. Sometimes those critical things are breathing. More often than not, it was just keeping your legs under you. In this case, he collapsed, but not before pulling the trigger, firing out, and taking down a few more guards. She was an excellent thief, but now she was just showing off. The guards not downed aimed and fired, and my eyes tracked their guns as quickly as my muscles would allow, marking them down. On four of the eight remaining guns, I opened a portal to accept a bullet and a second portal to fire it back down the barrel. Those guns exploded in the hands of their owners, and they screamed. From there, I dived behind a desk. I felt a bullet tear through my shoulder. Fuck! That really hurts. What I wouldn''t give to have Smash Gal''s skin right now. I grabbed my shoulder and started making my way over to the lab I was pretty sure had the wires I wanted. Cherry cleaned up. She zapped two others, and they collapsed and knocked the remaining two out with their own guns. She was very good at martial arts, to her credit. Specifically Aikido. I was more of a Judo man myself. Mainly because that left me with the option of throwing someone through a portal and closing it. Which usually finished the fight. I should have done that this time. I gotta calm down. My anger is clouding my judgment. Heh. Easier said than done. I found the wires pretty quickly and started installing them immediately. They were pretty modular, and my rig was the same way. Part of the reason that I wanted them. It took only a few minutes to change them out. Which was helpful. Cherry was in the background doing her Danny Phantom routine. One of her favorites was to hide in the floor, grab someone by the ankle, make them insubstantial, pull them through the ground, and throw them down somewhere. It usually wasn''t lethal. As long as you didn''t piss her off. I rebooted Popp and the Glasses to finalize the changes. Everything seemed to be in working order when they booted back up with the new nano-chip. With this, I would no longer need to snap my fingers to activate the teleport. I still probably would, though. It''s iconic. I snapped next to Cherry just as she finished the last one, wrapped my hand around her waist, and she yelped. "Watch your hands, Essy." "I know where they are." Reality changed in the next instant, and we were on the street. This would also make the energy use more efficient. Which was good because technically, I was stealing the power from some generators of some rich asshole, and he might catch on eventually. We walked out onto the street. I heard a scream from up above, and I instinctively teleported Cindi and I a few feet to the side as a woman came falling from the sky. Just before she crash-landed, she stopped mid-air. It was Smash Gal; her mask was broken. She must''ve been fighting the Grignau. Which was confirmed a second later when they came crashing down to earth. I sighed. Then I looked back at her. "Kari?" Issue #9: Revelations

=== Kari === ¡°Esva . . . Curtis?¡± ¡°Esva-Curtis?¡± The naked woman asked. ¡°That''s so cute. Essy, do you know Smashy here?¡± My mind was reeling. Curtis was Esvanir. I was so flabbergasted that I didn''t notice when the Grignau slammed its fist into me, sending me flying. Another went after the apparent couple. As I was flying, a detail clicked in my head. So, it''s true. They''re a couple. His arm is wrapped around her waist and she''s clinging to his neck. The two managed to dodge out of the way of the assault from the alien foe. They separated and Cherry let a hit sink through her body and she solidified again, running up its arm. She dodged another blow with the grace of a dancer. When she got to its head, she grasped it with both hands, and then the thing was down on its knees. The other Grignau had closed in on Curtis and I rushed back. No! I can''t let him die. The alien raised its fist and prepared to slam down. Before I could get there and before it could connect with my friend . . . My enemy? A portal opened up and the attack sank through and slammed into the back of its ally. Grayish blue blood splashed out over the ground and passed through Buck Cherry who had flipped off of her target and remained in the middle of the air. The attacker roared loudly and pulled its arm back through the portal just as Curtis closed it. It caught the tip of the Grignau''s finger which fell back down to earth onto the corpse of its fallen ally. It swung at my friend again and this time, I got in the way, bracing myself on two sides with a psychic field. I still went flying, but it was much more controlled than it could have been and I caught myself almost immediately. I charged back as the monster started attacking Curtis again. It''s so weird, I thought. Curt used to be this awkward kid. Someone who couldn''t hurt a fly. He wouldn''t put up a fight when someone was picking on him. I always had to. But I saw him take out his father. And now . . . Esvanir dodged to the side and opened two portals at the same time. The alien''s fist went through and slammed down on its own arm that was going through the portal. Then both closed and the fist was lopped off at the wrist, leaving a bloody stump. The thing screamed in pain. Now he''s so cold. I watched his face. There was no emotion there. No fear, no anger, no hatred. Not even instinct. He was calculating everything. Unlike BC who was pure instinct. She would pirouette in the middle of the air out of the way or decide to let an attack go through her at the last possible moment. Enraged, their foe lifted a hand and suddenly Curtis was locked in a psychic cage from all sides. It was translucent, so I could see him take in every detail. Everything was happening in slow motion. The cage started closing in on him. Unfortunately for the Grignau, this took a lot of concentration, especially with an arm missing and blood leaking from the stump. So it didn''t notice when Buck Cherry landed on its back and put two hands near the thing''s temples. I didn''t know what she was doing. Not really, anyway. But the thing reeled back and slammed to the ground and she flipped off of its back and landed on its chest, grinning. The cage containing Esvanir faded away. He raised a hand and snapped. A series of portals opened up and encircled the thing''s body. With a second snap, they all closed immediately, chopping the monster up into pieces. He . . . He could have done that to me. He could have killed me. I might not have fallen for it, but he also had an opportunity to take my hands several times. Maybe to cut me in half. My childhood friend straightened his back and clutched his shoulder for a moment, before deflating some. Cherry floated next to him and looked at his shoulder. ¡°You were hit.¡± The words made my heart jump into my throat. I had seen what a hit from the Grignau would do to a normal human. It made them into a paste. No one could withstand it. Professor Mind cheated by psychically tying himself together and still dislocated every limb and tearing every muscle in his body. He''d need months of recovery without help. If Curtis had been hit, he should be dead. But Curtis shook his head. ¡°It''s no big deal,¡± he said, gripping her hand. Then he took off his jacket and I saw the blood leaking from his shoulder. ¡°Just a few bullets. Nothing that couldn''t be patched up when we have time. Help me tie this off, though. We have one more trip and then we have to see our . . .¡± He noticed me floating there for the first time. Curtis . . . My Curtis had just defeated two of the biggest existential threats to humanity in an instant. He''s scary . . . He''s . . . My eyes focused on the naked woman tying his coat around his shoulder. There was a stab of pain in my stomach. Bile rose up in my throat. He wasn''t mine. Not anymore. Memories of the Sadie Hawkins dance flooded into my mind. Of our kiss. Of all of the idle fantasies I had about us over the years. I felt tears sting my eyes. Maybe he never was. I floated forward, preparing myself for a fight. He was a criminal. They were both criminals and they needed to be stopped.

=== Curt === Kari flew towards us as Cindi fussed over the makeshift tourniquet. I looked down at it. It wouldn''t win any awards for aesthetics, but it would do. I tensed up as my childhood friend . . . No, not Kari. Smash Gal . . . As Smash Gal called out. ¡°E-Esvanir, Buck Cherry. You are both criminals and will be stopped. S-surrender and no one needs to be hurt.¡± Cherry started to laugh, but I put a hand on her shoulder and she sobered up in an instant. I stared up at the woman who had just blown back into my life after almost a decade and a half. A goddess among mortals. She could bench a tank, fly God only knew how fast and who knew what else. And I was standing here with some glasses I had cobbled together in an hour and a naked woman. She hasn''t attacked yet. That''s good. She doesn''t want to hurt us. At least not yet. I met her eyes. Well, I met her eye. Her mask was half gone on one side, but the other was still hiding her face. Tears were streaming down her cheek. Her hands were shaking. A pang of pain rang out in my chest. I had hurt her. But she was only nominally the person I used to know. She wasn''t someone I needed in my life. ¡°Smash Gal,¡± I couldn''t help but smile. The name was so delightfully stupid. In some ways, it was perfect for Kari. She had solved so many problems with brute force. She wasn''t stupid. Not by a long shot, but she was so good at everything that she didn''t ever need much in the way of nuance. ¡°I''m afraid that we cannot surrender right now. There''s too much to do and too little time to do it. For both of us really.¡± I checked the map and could see that there were still several more Grignau to deal with. Bion was trying but he was no Smash Gal. Who could be? Kari stiffened and I could see her lip trembling. She shook her head and gathered herself. ¡°Cee, please. Don''t make me do this. Just surrender. I don''t . . . I don''t want to have to hurt you.¡± I closed my eyes for a moment. Cherry got a little closer to me and I felt more than saw Kari''s irritation guide over to my partner. I entwined my fingers with hers. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Be reasonable, Kar,¡± I felt Cindi''s hand squeeze mine tightly. Jealousy? From Cherry? That can''t be. ¡°You''re going to prioritize two cat-burglars over a literal invasion? You''ll have another chance to catch us. But the city needs a hero.¡± ¡°There are other heroes.¡± Her voice cracked. ¡°They can deal with the Grignau.¡± I saw a sheet of air behind her shatter as she charged towards us. But I had this prepared before she had said anything. A portal opened in front of her and took her to the center of a battle zone. There were eight Grignau that she''d have to contend with. Kari was too good a person to just abandon people in need to settle a grudge. At least not immediately. I''m really not looking forward to when she does catch up with us. ¡°Kar?¡± Cindi asked, eyebrows raised. Fuck. It''s going to be a long day.

=== Kari === I charged towards them but before I could stop myself, I flew through one of those fucking portals. I landed on the ground and stomped my foot. ¡°God damn it, Curtis!¡± That got a lot of attention. I was in the middle of several Grignau, a few of Bion''s automatons, and Bion himself. A grating, robotic voice called out from all of the robots around me. ¡°EITHER HELP OR FUCK OFF, ROOKIE!¡± The Grignau started moving. Several moved towards me and others went towards Bion and his creations. One threw a fist at me and I caught it, and changed my grip, and spun around. The alien I had grabbed bashed into the others around me that were closing in. One of them managed to dodge by jumping straight into the air and landed heavily on me. I felt something inside of me break. Nothing physical. I was past that. I was past pain. But there was some final bit of restraint that I had been holding onto that shattered. Everything went red. I felt all of my limbs shaking. I felt my chest heaving with breath. Blood pounded in my ears. I could barely hear anything. My vision narrowed to just what was directly in front of me. I don''t know what happened next. I remember ripping and tearing through the Grignau. I remember glass and stone shattering. I remember things breaking. There was barely anything left of my costume at the end. There was less left of the Grignau. A barbaric species that had earned a barbaric response. I saw the footage of what I had done, eventually. It had been leaked to Twitter and . . . It was scary. I have never lost my temper like that before. When I hit them, I could see the air being crushed underneath my fists. It practically exploded against our flesh. It broke through the gloves. It broke my knuckles. I was a bloody mess by the end of the fight. Bion could be seen in the background. He told me to stand down and seemed to be ready to rain down hell if I didn''t. I had destroyed buildings and entire streets in my rage. The only thought going through my head was: how could he do this? How could he become a criminal? A petty thief? He was such a good boy. A good man. Reduced to a criminal. It echoed through my head again and again. I had never felt more betrayed. What was I going to do? Maybe it''s Cherry''s influence. Maybe she''s controlling him somehow. But that didn''t make sense. No one could make Curt do anything. He was the most stubborn person alive when he wanted to be. Damn it! After the invading forces were taken care of, I went back home. I flew mostly naked and with no mask, but I couldn''t be bothered to care. Everything I believed had been turned upside down in the last week. Cops might be bad people. Curtis might be a bad person. Maybe criminals aren''t bad people. I didn''t know anymore. I had spent my entire life so sure of everything. But now I was sitting in my room, staring at the tattered remains of my costume. Mom had said she would just remake it from scratch. But could I be a hero? Could I do this still? ¡°Honey?¡± Mom asked as she opened the door, knocking gently. She poked her head in. ¡°Can I come in?¡± I didn''t lift my head and just mumbled something that might have been assent. She took it that way and made her way over to my bed. ¡°I remade your costume.¡± She brandished the chest piece. It was basically the same as the old one. A red, pink, and white long-sleeved shirt that cut off at the mid-drift. But now there was SG emblazoned on the front. I tried to smile, but it must not have been very convincing. Mom walked over to me, setting the top on my bed, and sat next to me, stroking my hair. ¡°Kari, what''s wrong?¡± I shrugged, not meeting her eyes. I didn''t know how to broach any of this. She shook her head and continued to pat mine. Eventually, I lifted my head enough to lay it in her lap. I could feel tears leaking down onto her pants, but I couldn''t bring myself to stop them. ¡°Mom . . . What if I made a mistake?¡± ¡°Everyone makes mistakes, dear. It''ll be okay. You just need to own up to it and try to do better in the future.¡± ¡°No . . . I mean . . . What if being a hero was a mistake? I just want to help people but what if I''m not helping anyone at all? What if I''m just making things worse?¡± She considered this for a moment and shook her head. ¡°No, you''re not. I admit when you first said you wanted to be a hero I was scared. I was scared because I didn''t know if there was a limit to what you could do. If something went wrong and you died, I don''t know that I could handle that. But you''ve faced my worst fear and you came out bloody but on top. I . . . I can''t express how proud I was to see you do that. To stand up to those . . . those things!¡± ¡°The Grignau . . . You''re really scared of them?¡± ¡°Did you see what they did in other cities they invaded?¡± ¡°A little. I know they were pushed back all around the world.¡± ¡°Eventually. But the deaths were in the hundreds of thousands, globally. And it was worse the last time. Heroes and vigilantes have stepped out of the woodwork since the first invasion. We had so many more people willing to fight this time. Last time, it was just some people. People like Bion. People like your dad and I were so scared. We tried to help. We got some of their blood and tried to see if there was a weakness. They''re so strong. They''re so much more than us. I was so proud when I saw you stand up to them.¡± ¡°I was scared. I didn''t know if I could beat them.¡± ¡°I was scared too. But when you did beat them, I was proud.¡± ¡°I was scared when I saw the footage from Bion. From people on the streets. I am terrifying to watch.¡± Mom took a while to say anything. I watched her take several deep breaths, considering her next words carefully. Was she scared of me too? She should be. ¡°You were pretty scary. But you were also doing what needed to be done. Those things don''t stop. Not until they have to. And when you fought them, they had to. And that''s important. I''ve seen your other fights. You''re learning control. As long as you remember that not everyone you fight is a Grignau, I think it will be okay. You can be a deterrent for the world. I think we need that sometimes.¡± It was my turn to consider. She had a point. I had looked more into what solutions people had for the police online since I didn''t have anything better to do. Every form of police abolition kept on some force to deal with problems that couldn''t be dealt with in any other way. It was just that there were more options and more ways to deal with a wider variety of problems. Which brought me back to the question that had been haunting me since the invasion. What am I going to do about Curtis? ¡°Mom, what would you do if someone you cared about was doing something wrong?¡± ¡°I . . . I guess it would depend. I would try to stop them. Try to help them if I can.¡± ¡°And if they didn''t listen? If you couldn''t get through to them?¡± ¡°I would stop them. You can''t force someone to be a better person, but you can at least stand in their way.¡± I thought about this for a while. Standing in his way will make me his enemy. I don''t want to be Cee''s enemy. But I also can''t just stand by and do nothing. Issues #10: Changes

=== Curt === "Mr. Reese. You''ve been avoiding my calls. Need I remind you of the dangers of that?" Marcelli''s voice was a little staticky over the line. I looked over at Cindi. Typically, she would have spent a day or two with me and left. I think the longest time she had ever stayed with me was an entire week. And that''s when she kidnapped me and took me to a beach. She forced me to take a vacation. She had been around for four days now. Normally by this time, even with someone she liked, she was clawing at the walls, wanting to escape. But she was just sitting there. After we got away from Kari, we lifted some more parts. Some stuff for Des, some more things for my rig. I had done everything I could to make sure our presence was as anonymous as possible. I didn''t know if there was a range to the bomb in Cindi''s back. I couldn''t even think of a way to test it safely. I took a deep breath and focused on the man over the phone. "I can kill her anytime, and you''re testing my patience. Both of you are. It won''t be painful for me. One less meta on the street." I gripped the table I was sitting at. It creaked. I wasn''t as strong as Kari apparently was. But I was no slouch either. I got my breathing under control. He was threatening Cindi. He wouldn''t stop threatening her until she was dead or we got out from under him. This wasn''t sustainable. But I also couldn''t think of a way to do this safely. "Had to let the heat die down. In . . . In order to be of use to you, I had to rebuild my equipment. It takes time and effort. Especially when I have to dodge aliens and . . . And heroes." "Well, my patience and your time are up. If you''re not at the coordinates I am sending you in ten minutes, you can say goodbye to the pieces of Miss Drei," Marcelli said coldly. I clenched my fist, and I saw Cindi''s eyes widen. She wasn''t used to seeing me this angry. The call ended before I could say something I would regret. I got a text a moment later. It wasn''t that far. Maybe two hundred miles. Well-outside my previous range. Part of what I had been doing in the last few days was hacking into more satellites and building new batteries. Things that would allow me to teleport anywhere on the same hemisphere as I was. Which means that I could be anywhere on the globe in two snaps. But this told me he was testing me. He wanted to see if I had made improvements to my tech. "We could just run," I said. "That''s my line. And no, we can''t. We have to do something about this," Cin reached over and wrapped her hand around mine. "Curt, you''re smarter than him. You can find a solution. We just have to work for him until you do." "He wants us at a new compound. I didn''t know he owned this one. It''s not on the list of any of his shell companies or personal assets." "That''s the thing about these organized crime guys. There''s always more influence than anyone can possibly understand. It''s all a headache. It''s why I''ve always been a freelancer." That statement broke my heart. She should be free. The one thing I believe is that Cindi should be free. She was like a force of nature. I never wanted to control her. I just wanted her to be happy. If she was with me or anywhere else. And now, some asshole had captured this beautiful creature and trapped her. Tying her down to me. "He''s testing us. We''re going to test him back . . . If you''re okay with it." "If I''m okay with it? Curt, now''s not the time to get cold feet. We have to push boundaries. What do you have in mind?" "He wants us somewhere in ten minutes. I want to make him wait. Not too long. I don''t think he''s bluffing . . ." "But he only has one shot, and if he shoots it and I''m dead, you''ll rain hell on him, right?" I nodded. "Because you love me." "Oh God, you''re such a pain-in-the-ass!" "Why haven''t you said it again?" "I didn''t say it in the first place. You just assumed that''s what I meant." "Curt," she squeezed my hand. Her eyes met mine. She had light blue eyes. The kind that were sharp and could make anyone''s heart skip. There was something about her eyes, even if she wasn''t your type. People said that I had eyes like that. Eyes that scared them, but they were nothing compared to hers. Her eyes didn''t cause fear. They just caused a spike. Of lust, of adrenaline, of intrigue. There was something feral about them. "Say it." "Why? You''ve never needed to hear it before. Hell, I''m pretty sure if I said it before you were . . . in danger, you would have left and never come back." "That''s. . . Is that what you thought?" She looked a little hurt. She pursed her lips, considering for a moment. "I . . . I guess maybe you''re right. Maybe I wouldn''t have for a while. It would have scared me before. I don''t think I would have been able to stay away. Not forever. But for a while. A few months, a year or two. To . . . test you." "Test me?" "Everyone says they love me. They say it on first dates. They say they''ll get me anything I want, anything I need. And yet, people eventually learn not to trust me. They go away. My parents did. My first few hundred loves did." She stopped and looked at our hands. "But I''m not running now." "Because you can''t." "B-because I can''t." She pulled me over to her. "And . . . because I don''t want to. C-Curt. Say it. Please." That sent my world spinning. Cindi Drei, the Buck Cherry, just said ''please''. I had never heard her earnestly say that word. She would say ''thank you''; she could be grateful, but she never asked for anything. She took everything she wanted. And here she was . . . Asking me for something. Not assuming that I would do it. Not trying to goad me into it. Tricking me into it. She''s. . . She''s terrified. I felt my lip tremble; I looked into her eyes. I''ve never been one for grand gestures, though I''m sure Des would disagree, but at that moment, I got it. I understood how people could promise her a kingdom. I didn''t have a kingdom. They''re terribly unethical, But I can give her this. "Cindi Lola Drei . . ." She groaned and started to pull away, but I clutched at her. She hated her middle name; it was her bitchy grandmother''s name. But it was also hers. "I-I . . . I love you." My voice was pretty quiet at the end. But when I said it, Cin started laughing. Giggling like a madwoman. I felt like she had stabbed me. Even more than the time she actually stabbed me. She didn''t mean anything by it. She shot up from her chair and did some kind of celebration dance. I sat there watching her, confused. When she stopped, she held up her phone and pressed something. It played back my last words. My eyes narrowed, and I lunged for the phone. And went straight through her. I should have seen it coming. "And sent!" "What? Who . . . What the hell? Who did you send that to? Cancel it! Cancel it right now, Drei!" I demanded, trying to reach for the phone. "Don''t you work in IT?" She asked mockingly. "It''s already gone. And your doctor owes me two hundred bucks." "Des? What?" "They bet me I couldn''t get you to say it. I doubled the bet, saying it would take less than a week. Four days. They won''t believe this." I sat there, dumbstruck. "So, it was for a bet. That makes more sense." My voice had lost all of the heat. All of the emotion. She frowned and wrapped her arms around me. "No, it wasn''t for a bet. Well, it was a little for a bet. But it was mostly for me. Now I can hear it whenever I want, wherever I am. And I know that you belong to me." "Belong?" I scoffed. "No, no way. I don''t belong to anyone." "But," she began, hesitating. "I want you to belong to me. I . . . I love you too, Curt." God fucking damn her. My heart skipped. Again. "Let''s get going."

=== Kari === Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. My face was out there. My mask had been destroyed by the end of the fight. And even though I was covered in blood and was a wreck, people still saw me. A lot of me. And they were obsessed. There were memes, and clickbait articles about the Tak-Tik star turned superheroine. So, we changed it up a little bit. We kept a mask on the new costume. It was a little more transparent now that everyone knew what I looked like anyway. But we put the equivalent of a Go-Pro in it, in addition to my speaker. I am a celebrity hero now. I guess I had been since I started the Smash Gal social media pages, but this changed things. I would no longer be allowed to live my own life. I was always going to have to be ready to be a hero. To sign autographs. I didn''t realize it when I flew into Avalare the first time after the Grignau invasion. People gathered around; they called out by my real name. I had interview requests. This made things hard. Especially since I wasn''t even sure I wanted to be a hero anymore. When I told my parents, they both said, "That''s ridiculous. You love helping people. You love showing off your abs, you love showing off, and you love using your powers." And they were right. But could I turn Curt in? I hadn''t told them about him yet. I didn''t have the words. Could I deal with the police that I didn''t trust anymore? Maybe I am being too harsh on them. The police. Curt was a criminal. I am not being harsh enough on him. It was overwhelming being back in the city; people swarmed me, and I was lucky that I could fly. Before my identity was out, dealing with some of the attention was already hard. There were cat-callers, paparazzi, and people trying to take pictures of every part of me. But now it was so much worse. When I tried to visit Professor Mind in the hospital, there were so many fucking people that I couldn''t get in there without disturbing every patient in the building. I missed Chuck; I needed someone to talk to, and he was always so wise. He would know what to do. I stopped off for ice cream after rescuing people from a fire. I needed to cool down. And seconds after I landed, people swarmed me again. Taking pictures and videos. I heard somewhere that they were paying hundreds of dollars for pictures of me. Thousands if they showed . . . parts of me that I didn''t want anyone to see. Again. My costume had been in tatters. There was . . . A lot of me on the internet now. Entire websites. Smashgalnaked.com was the top result. But some people also made 3D models of me from composite images. It was gross. It might have been flattering if I had been able to release some of the pictures myself, but this was so . . . exploitative. I was just about to leave without my ice cream when the crowd started splitting apart. Some of the paparazzi were pushed over and slid out of the way. "Kari. It''s good to see you back on the streets." I looked down at the woman in a wheelchair. She had reddish-brown hair, thick glasses, and a bright smile. Kind of like a librarian. And was in a hover wheelchair combo. "Jenny? What are you doing here?" "Looking for you, obvs." She made her way a bit closer. "Fly with me? I think we need to talk." I considered for a moment. I didn''t know how to feel about Jenny since that weird power-couple interview came out. Chuck said that she was just having fun, but it also felt invasive. But right now, I was just happy to see a familiar face. I paid for my ice cream, got Jenny one, and we took off. She guided us over to a tall building with a beautiful terrace. We landed, and I looked around. "C-can we be here?" "I would hope so," she said, taking a bite of her treat. "It''s my apartment." "You live here?" The place was enormous. She had the entire top floor. And half of it was a pool and statues. Modern art and classic intermingled in a dizzying array. "How can you afford it?" "Well, that''s one of the things I wanted to talk to you about. And some other stuff." She watched me for a moment. "And to save you from those vultures." "They''re just doing a job." I shrugged. "Their job is to harass people into saying stupid shit." "Yeah, but isn''t that also what you do? Talk about people and speculate about their personal lives." She looked like I had just swung at her. "I-I mean, I guess. I . . . I didn''t mean anything by that interview," she said, gliding over to a table. "Sit. Let''s talk about it. And the ethics of shipping your friends." "Are we?" "Are we what? Friends? I''m friends with Chuck. He''s friends with you. We''re at least friends-of-friends. Isn''t that worth something?" "I''m. . . Okay. Do you want to be friends?" "Yes, Kari. I do. I . . . didn''t know that it would hurt your feelings when I said that stuff," she said softly. "I''m sorry." "Well . . . It''s not like you said there was a hard confirmation or anything. Professor . . . Chuck and I are just friends." I paused for a moment watching her. "C-can I tell you something?" "If you want." "I think the reason it upset me is that . . . I kind of . . ." She waited for half a minute before speaking again. "You like-like him. But you''re scared." "Like-like? Isn''t that a little childish?" "Crushes are always childish. Finding out you have feelings for someone will almost always reduce you to that same scared girl you were at your first dance." "I wasn''t that scared at my first dance." "Lucky. Must be the bulletproof skin. I was sweating like a pig at my first one." She laughed. And I joined her. "So, what else did you want to talk about?" "What you''re going to do from here." I looked at her quizzically. She leaned in and grabbed my hand. "Smash Gal is a hero to the people. Kari Stewart, the Smash Gal. By the way, don''t Google yourself for a while. All that comes up is porn and articles about how you''re either the greatest hero we have or the scariest potential villain." "What do you mean, though? I''m back. I''m going to be a hero. If . . . If I can be." "You can be. But this is going to be different than it was. Coming out means you will have a lot of attention on you. Lots of eyes. Lots of people asking you questions. You''ll never get a moment''s peace." "Yeah," I sighed. "I''ve noticed." "But it''s not all bad, either. This does open up some options for you." "Oh, like what?" "Well, now you can do merchandise and be paid on the up and up. You can control your image a little more. At least that''s what I did. That''s why there''re official Cannoneer Jenny action figures, dolls, plushies, and personal upper thigh massagers." I laughed and shook my head. "I''m serious. Those things sell like fucking hotcakes. Not as well as the action figures, but still." "So, I''m supposed to just trademark my stuff and sell it?" "If you want to. Well, you don''t have a choice on the trademark." She took out some papers and pushed them towards me. I picked them up and read through them. One of the benefits of super speed is super reading. I didn''t always remember everything, but I usually got the gist. "You trademarked Smash Gal? Without my permission?" Anger distorted my voice. My chest swelled. "It says this was filed . . . The day after we met. What the hell?" "I am going to sign it over to you. That way, you could make money off of it. I just wanted to do it before that parasite David Thrawn did. A real person has to file the paperwork, and I didn''t know you would end up coming out. But I knew I could sign it over to you when you did." "What would you do if I didn''t ''come out'' as a hero?" "I would have held onto it. Talked you into some merchandising deals. I''m still going to try to do that. But I''m not going to hold the name hostage. I just wanted to make sure that you owned your own brand." "My own brand. The Smash Gal brand. My God, this is surreal." "It gets less surreal the longer you do it," Jenny said reassuringly. "Wh-why are you helping me?" "Because we''re heroes. And we gotta stick together." "Okay, Miss After-School-Special." "Right? But it''s also true." She sobered up a little bit. "I had to abandon my previous identity when I didn''t take control over it early on. Now there are comics, movies, and a bunch of other stuff with an old name on them that I can''t do anything about. I don''t like to see heroes lose their rights to their own personality and brand just because they didn''t know about corporate cultures. And you were ahead of the game in some ways. Your social media presence is great." I looked down at the papers in front of me. "Thank you for this. I didn''t think about it." "No one ever does." "C-can I ask you something? As . . . as a hero?" She quirked an eyebrow but nodded. "If you had a friend who was a criminal . . . a really capable criminal . . . What would you do?" "Catch them and turn them in," she said matter-of-factly. "Just like that? No hesitation?" "No hesitation. It has to be done. People can''t just be allowed to do whatever they want." "A-and . . . D-do you trust the police?" "Oh . . . Yeah, I remember seeing that live-stream of yours. That''s. . . That''s complicated. There are good cops." "Yeah, but I''ve been doing some reading. There are bad cops too. Ones that''re never held responsible for their actions. And . . . There are problems with the way everything is structured." "Yeah. I ask myself about that a lot too." She sighed and stared up at the sky. "I advocate for change where I can. But I''m just one person. So are you. Right now, we have to work within the system to change it." "And if the system refuses to change?" "Then we remove it. It''s cancer." "Just like that?" "Yeah," she said. Then hesitated. "I guess. I don''t have all of the answers. Just some of them. And I''m glad to know I''m not the only one asking these questions." We smiled at each other. Issue #11 Its Complicated

=== Curt === Cindi and I sat at a huge conference table, surrounded by guards and Marcelli''s goons. Marcelli walked through the door. He was so big that he had to come in sideways. I watched him. A quarter of a second to teleport to him, another to open a portal inside his body, throw in a knife or grenade, and this would be all over. And Cindi would be dead. We were late a few days ago. Not by much. Five or ten minutes. I had lied about my range. He threatened to kill her; I threatened him back. I opened a portal and prepared to throw his fat ass through it into the ocean, where he would swim and drown. And that''s when I learned two things. One: Marcelli isn''t fat. He''s strong as hell, and most of his weight is muscle. He threw me across the room with ease. I was pretty good at Judo, but leverage couldn''t always make up the difference between a few hundred pounds. The second thing I learned was that if he died, the explosive tied around Cherry''s spine would go off. One of several fail-safes that he had put into the device. He also brought someone in who he claimed was the bomb-maker and killed him in front of me. I had no way of verifying whether that was true, but it was a sign. The only way to keep her alive was to work for this man. Since then, we had done several jobs. Small things, mostly. Moving stuff before the cops got to it, hiding stuff. Today was the day we did our first real job for him. He had brought in all of these guys for whatever it was. And probably to shoot me if I decided to kill him anyway. Which was smart. "Gentlemen, ladies. I''d thank you for coming, but it''s not like you had a choice." The man laughed at his own statement. I couldn''t call it a joke. "You''re here to make me richer. And you will all get richer in the process. . . . Well, most of you." He met my eyes for a moment, his grin only growing. Especially as he looked past me. There was a thirstiness about his gaze at Cindi. I recognized it because many people wore it. I knew I did sometimes. She was . . . Well, she was Cindi. And that meant people wanted her. My stomach turned. I clenched my fist and started to lean forward, but Cindi pushed her leg against mine. I froze. "Today, your job is to take what is rightfully mine from the Dominguez cartel. You will take their drugs. You will do it quietly and quickly. If anyone sees you, kill them. You know how this goes." "E-excuse me, Mister Marcelli. But how are we supposed to get in without being seen?" One of the goons asked. He was a nervous-looking guy, covered in flop-sweat. "I have procured an asset that can get you in and out with relative ease. Two actually. Meet Esvanir and Buck Cherry." He gestured to us; every eye was now on us. I scanned the room; Cindi scanned her nails. There were murmurs about us filling the room. Marcelli raised his hand, and the room fell silent. "These two are our secret weapons. They''ll help you. But if they do anything to fuck up this mission, if they step out of line or disappear for any amount of time, kill Esvanir. Call me and tell me. And I''ll take care of the lovely Miss Cherry. Now get ready. Gather your things. You leave in thirty minutes." Everyone except for Marcelli, Cherry, and I moved. Once they had cleared the room, Marcelli looked up, pretending to just have noticed we hadn''t moved. "Oh? You''re still here. Is there a problem, Miss Drei? Mister Reese?" "I''m not robbing the Dominguezes. It''s not happening." "Oh, but it is," Marcelli countered. "Otherwise, boom. Your girlfriend is gone." "And you will be dead in the next instant." There was no hesitation in my voice. No room for argument. Marcelli didn''t flinch. "Mister Reese, come now. Be reasonable. They''re a cartel. They kill people." "They provide medicine to places that need that medicine. You''re stealing that medicine so that those people die. So that you can leverage their ability to live. I''m not doing this." Marcelli slammed his palm on the table, and it cracked. I stared impassively at him. "You will do whatever I fucking say. I own you!" He screamed, crossing over to us. He loomed over me, at least a foot taller than I was. Cherry didn''t move. Neither did I. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. He grabbed me, lifted me by my shirt, and held me aloft until we were at eye level. "You have no choice. I don''t give a damn about your conscience or your morals. You do this, or she dies." I spat in his face. He reeled back and threw me against the wall. I slammed against it and bounced slightly off the floor, groaning. He whipped something out of his jacket and held it aloft. It was the detonator. His finger was on the button that would kill her. In the corner of my eye, I could see her shake. I gritted my teeth and got to my feet. He looked between the two of us. "I am sick of you testing my patience, Mister Reese. Fall in line, or she''ll fall in pieces." "The pr-problem with that threat," Cindi began, getting to her feet. Her hands were shaking, and her voice was quavering. But her face was made of stone. "is that once you do it, you no longer have any leverage over him. So, unless you kill him immediately afterwards, he remains a threat. And he''s surprisingly hard to kill, Mister Marcelli. And what''s worse is he has these fucking ethics that get in the way of everything. Do you know why he isn''t rich, sipping Mai Tais somewhere? Because he gives all of the things he steals away. All the money, all the technology, everything except what he strictly needs to function." "I don''t give a damn if he wants to pretend to be Saint fucking Theresa. He works for me now." His chest was heaving, and his hands were shaking. I watched his thumb twitch on the button and had to focus on not holding my breath. "You both belong to me now!" "Until when?" I asked. "How long do you think you can force me to do things that I hate? Work for some bastard that I hate?" "As long as I fucking like, you gnat!" He screamed and smacked me. I went flying. It wasn''t a hit from Smash Gal, but it still hurt. I dragged myself to my feet and spat out a bloody tooth. "You''re going to do this and anything else I demand. If I ask you to scrub my god damn shit stains out of my fucking drawers, you will do it and do it happily because you know that your bitch will live if you do." "Curt!" Cindi screamed as I started to charge. I stopped at the sound of her voice. "It''s n-not f-forever. It''s just for now, okay? Let''s just do this job." "Listen to her. Between the two of you, she''s the only one with sense."

=== Kari === With my face out there, I couldn''t visit the city in any form without people flocking to me, without apps tracking my every movement. I had ditched the mask. There was no point in it anymore. I''d been asked to do a lot of appearances. People offered me all kinds of things to come to their events. I had gotten so many gift baskets. Unfortunately, mom and dad usually got to them before I did. I''m the one with super speed, but when dad found chocolate oranges in one of the baskets, there was nothing I could do to stop him from eating all of them. And then having an upset tummy. Mom was no better. She had used up a ton of the shampoos and conditioners. To be fair, her hair did look great afterwards. As I flew casually through the city, I took my phone out and checked Twitter. I gained so many followers on both my civilian account and my @Smash_Gal account; I had hundreds of notifications, tags, memes, and pictures of me flying through the city. But there was only one thing I cared about. I went to my messages, scrolled down to one, and tapped it.
Curt Reese @curtreese418
Sure. If you want. What do you want to do? U live in the city. U decide Starburst Cafe. 15th and Madison. 8? Sounds Great! I''ll be there! We need to talk Let''s meet up somewhere. Cee. You know I''ll find you. You should just turn yourself in
He had read the messages; he had seen them. There had been no activity from Esvanir since the day of the Grignau invasion. I found out where he worked, and he quit the next day without notice. His former boss just said that he had found another job and that he needed to start immediately. I got an email; it was the background check I ordered on him. I had his address. I flew towards it. One of the complications of flying so fast that no one would ever realize is that there are no GPS programs that can keep up with you. Everything is always lagging behind. When I arrived at his apartment, I thought about going down and asking to be let in. But I don''t imagine that would look very good. A superheroine asking to be let into some random man''s apartment. It''s not like anyone knows he''s Esvanir. I saw him teleport away, and even I have a hard time believing it. I found his apartment and tried the windows; one of them was unlocked. So I let myself in. I walked through it; His apartment was sparse. There was a couch and a table, some books, and a tablet. I went into the bedroom. There was a computer desk with some papers strewn about, but no computer. The bed was unmade. Well, some things never change. I walked into the bathroom and checked it. There were two toothbrushes, a plain white one and then one that was cherry red. Jealousy stretched out in my stomach. That''s not fair; he''s allowed to have relationships, I thought, clenching my fist. After he''s out of prison, he can date whoever he likes. Even Buck Cherry. I don''t think he had been here in a while. He had gone underground now that he knew who I was. What I was. I found a piece of paper, wrote him a note, and then left. I had other things to do: a meeting with a toy company and a photoshoot. And I had to talk to Energy Bomb, the energy drink company I had done that shoot for the first day I was in Avalare. They had been claiming that they were "the Official Energy Drink of Smash Gal". I had found a lawyer to help me talk to them, and we were meeting with them later today. I stopped off at a restaurant and got a seat. People were staring. I was in full costume, but I hadn''t felt like changing. Besides, there was a TV with some news about me in the background. Even if I was wearing street clothes, they''d recognize me. I scrunched up small into the booth, though; I wasn''t used to always being so seen; It was exhausting. Sometime after I had ordered, a man walked up and sat across from me. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "Uh, hi?" I asked, genuinely baffled that someone would just sit across from a perfect stranger. Actually, he does look kind of familiar. "Hey, Smashy. Good to see ya again, girl," he said. "We never got properly introduced. I''m Harold." I took the hand he was holding out and shook it. It finally clicked. It was the guy the cops tried to arrest for that bank robbery. "Oh, yeah. Hi. Call me Kari, though." "I just wanted to thank you. Those cops were fucked up, trying to arrest me for walking down the street like that." "Yeah," I said, staring at my hands. I still hadn''t figured out how I felt about that. I wonder how many other people hadn''t been so lucky. I met his eyes and smiled. "Well, it''s nice to see you. What are you doing here?" He laughed. "I work here. You dropped me off, remember?" "Oh, I thought this place looked familiar." "I had a question for you, though. Is it worth it?" "Is what worth it?" "This whole hero gig? I''ve been thinking since you talked about it. I do have powers. They''re not like yours. But I never used them for anything but getting myself out of trouble. And sometimes into trouble." He paused for a moment. "So, is it worth it?" "I . . . It''s complicated." He waited for me to elaborate. "I love doing this. I do. I love trying to help people when I can. I like the attention . . . But there are some downsides." "Well, spill it. I need to make an informed decision," he said frankly. "Well, things will just . . . change your perspective. You changed my perspective. Or, well, what happened to you anyway." He nodded solemnly. "But I have to do something. What if I hadn''t done something during the Invasion?" "Oh, yeah, no doubt, no doubt. I went out and tried, too! Those Grignau mother fuckers are tough sons of bitches." "You did?" "Yeah, well, you can''t be everywhere, and Bion and his boys were more focused on uptown. Heroes don''t usually come down to my neighborhood." He took out his phone, selected a video, and slid it across the table. I pressed play. It was shaky and hard to see exactly what was going on, but I could hear a voice screaming. "You go, Harold! Get those fuckers!" There was a spark of lightning that illuminated the street and slammed into one of the Grignau. Another swung on the figure that must''ve been Harold, and he went flying. He caught himself mid-air with a whip of lightning, landed heavily, and then blasted the Grignau again. "That''s really impressive!" I said, pushing his phone back. "I think you have what it takes." "I know I have what it takes. I''ve been practicing since I was a kid with them. Hard not to. I just don''t know if America is ready." I took a moment to gather my thoughts. There had been some hateful comments on my recording of the live-stream afterwards. Not a lot. More than I ever wanted to see. "I don''t know if my opinion matters . . . But I don''t think the world will ever be ready until someone has already stepped up and done it." "Yeah, you''re probably right. Where''d you get that costume?" "Oh, my mom made it." "That . . . Makes sense." I frowned and looked down at it. "I like it. Is it bad?" "A little Barbie Dreamhouse, you know?" He said, shrugging. "But if you like it, then it''s fire. I will have to find something a bit different, though. What do you think about secret identities?" "I thought they were really important until mine was out." "And how''s that going?" "Can''t even sit down at a restaurant without a fan bugging me," I said, grinning at him. "Oh, is that how it is?" "Little bit. Don''t do the secret identity thing." "Why not?" "Well, lying to people is going to complicate things. And if you''re already afraid of how people and how the police are going to react, then I think a secret identity might do more harm than good. Besides, merchandising is kind of fun. Give me your number. I''ll have Jenny call you and talk to you about options." "Become a superhero, and girls just all over you," he said, grinning back at me. He wrote his number on a napkin. "I gotta get back to work. Catch you later, Smashy."

=== Curt === The Dominguez job was an absolute fucking nightmare. After my talk with the big man, I met up with the mission leader and opened a portal into the warehouse. Marcelli''s crew all rushed through, with Cherry and I going through last. And as soon as we were in, someone opened fire on us. Gunfire, especially from automatic machine guns, is deafening, especially in an echo-y warehouse. They kept firing. One guy to my left went down. To Cherry''s right, another. The rest spread out, finding as much cover as possible. After a moment, the firing stopped, and people started moving in. Marcelli''s crew was running light on weapons because this was supposed to be a quick in-and-out job. I counted Dominguez''s guys. There were ten of them, all with guns and what looked like grenades, and God only knows what else. They were practically a fucking SEAL team, and I was sitting here with a naked woman and a bunch of guys with pistols taking potshots when they could and hadn''t hit anything but the wall. "Stop firing!" I yelled out. The guys I could see looked at me like I was crazy and continued firing. After a moment, I muttered under my breath, "God damn it. Cher, you ready?" "Always, Essy." I grabbed her hand and snapped my finger. I appeared behind the farthest guy with her in hand. She let go and grabbed the guy''s throat, and he went down, convulsing. His gun fired erratically and struck one of the other ones in the leg, who collapsed. They turned around and started firing on us. Cherry jumped back, looped an arm around me, and we both went insubstantial. Bullets passed through us. It was weird. When things went that fast in and out of us, it made our forms kind of wobbly and distorted. What was worse was I couldn''t teleport while they were firing. One of Marcelli''s men took the opportunity to fell one of Dominguez''s guys, but the rest were still just doing cover fire. Cherry and I charged forward, and I spun and threw her at one of the guys, lining up my next teleport right when she left me. She landed on another guy and incapacitated him instantly. I snapped up behind one, grabbed him by the throat, put my leg behind his, and pulled him over, opening a portal and throwing him through it. He''d have an excellent time in Florida for a while. But unfortunately, I was hit. From multiple ends. One of Marcelli''s men shot me, and Dominguez''s men opened fire when they realized where I was. Bullets tore through me, and I almost passed out from the pain. I could feel the warm lifeblood leaking out from multiple sources. I had to finish this quickly. Cherry had jumped from victim to victim and taken them out, but there were still so many. And now I was probably bleeding out. I ran for cover, dove, and slammed hard into the ground. Another shot blasted just past my foot. It was from one of Marcelli''s men. The same one who had hit me before. He was aiming for me. Fucking Christ. He leaned out from his hiding spot and lined up a shot again. I watched him fire at me. As the bullet left the gun, I opened a portal in front of it and sent it into the ocean. It''s not bad enough that someone leaked the plan, but now one of the people I''m working with is trying to kill me. Wonder if he''s the leak. One way to find out, I guess. But first, I''ve got to deal with this. I grunted as I got to my feet and looked back. Cherry was dancing around five of them. There were eight left. She could probably take them, but then I might take more fire, and I had lost enough blood for a lifetime. I tracked the enemies'' movements, and after a moment, I opened a portal underneath all of them. Cherry almost fell into one of my holes but caught herself, flying up. I limped over to the crew and marked the boxes for transport. The man who had shot me puffed up his chest as I approached and said, "Why the fuck didn''t you just do that from the start!?" I grabbed his throat and slammed him into the wall, holding my gut with the other hand. The others raised their guns at me, and I gulped. "Why the fuck did you shoot me?" "I don''t know what you''re talking about." I slammed his head into the wall, and there was a shot to the side of my head. "Let him go," one of the men behind me said. I looked at that one. Then at the rest of them. The one against the wall put his gun against my throat. "Yeah, let me go, freak." I did so, and he didn''t remove the gun. "You heard Marcelli. One wrong move, and I get to redecorate this warehouse." I stared at him, my heart pounding. Fear coursed through my veins. But so did rage. "Then kill me. But know if you don''t do it on the first shot, you''re fucked. I''ll kill you in an instant." The man grinned. "Doubt I''ll miss from this distance." That''s when Cherry came up from the ground and made him insubstantial. He tried to fire, but space was weird when you were insubstantial. The bullet came out, but I had enough time to get out of the way. The bullet grazed my throat, and I groaned. The other men opened fire. I teleported to my safe place. My apartment. It was the only place I could think to go. I took a few deep breaths and caught sight of a letter on the coffee table. I''ll have to deal with whatever that is later. When I snapped back, it was chaos. The men were firing on a somersaulting Cherry, who alternated between corporeal and incorporeal at random. They didn''t know I was back yet. Well, one realized it, but I opened a portal in front of his gun and back into the barrel, and when he fired, the damn thing exploded in his hand. "Stop firing!" They all turned. Cherry landed perfectly and observed. "I''ve marked all of you. If any of you fire your gun, I''ll teleport you to the middle of the ocean. Where you will die slowly of dehydration or exhaustion from swimming. Or being eaten." One of them fired. Because, of course, they did. His gun also exploded, and I opened a portal under him. He fell through. He''d fall from about four hundred feet onto the open ocean. If he didn''t land right, he''d break some bones. He would die if he didn''t get help. I kept the portal open so they could watch. "Anyone else?"

=== Kari === "We own the rights to those pictures. You signed a contract that we get to use your name and your likeness to promote Energy Bomb however we like." I was sitting in a boardroom in a business skirt and blouse. I had spent so much time in that spandex-esque costume that anything else felt weird. I played with the dress clothes a bit as the lawyers and the Energy Bomb guys talked this out. I didn''t even know why I was here. I didn''t know anything about copyright law. "But you do not have the right to the Smash Gal brand," my lawyer, someone Jenny had hooked me up with, countered. She seemed really good at this. "You also have no right to her likeness as Smash Gal, only the pictures you took of her. The latest ads that you''ve been using have been her likeness as Smash Gal and photoshopping your product in her hand. Or photoshopping her costume onto the photos you took. You do not have the right to do this." They circled around and around these same talking points over and over again, and after the third time, I couldn''t be bothered to listen. There were lots of people using my "likeness" whether or not I liked it. Like the "Smush Girl" lingerie costume that had been used in some weird porn parody of my life. The plot was . . . offensive. They had the not-quite-me sleep with the Grignau. And with "Doctor Brain". Okay, that doesn''t bother me as much. But still. Apparently, there wasn''t much we could do because they didn''t technically use our names and the costumes were slightly different colors. The meeting ended eventually. And as I walked out of their building, someone walked up to me. "Kari Stewart?" "Yes?" "You''ve been served," the person said, handed me a bundle of papers, and walked away. I opened the envelope around them, and my lawyer peeked over my shoulder. "Destruction of property, huh? Being a hero is pretty complicated, huh?" "I guess?" I looked at her. "Is there anything we can do?" "Give it to me. I''ll see what we can do about it." "Thanks, Carrie." "No problem, Kari." We smiled at each other. We had bonded a little over the other spelled her name wrong. Issue #12: Back to Work

=== Curt === "So, what are you going to do?" Des asked as they put up another blood bag. "Other than getting shot and bleeding on my floor. Again." "Getting shot seems to be working out for me. I think I''ll continue to do that," I said, groaning. After all of the action, I got all of Marcelli''s new product to where it was specified. The two morons who had tried to kill me on his team were incapacitated and gifted back to him with the warning that I wouldn''t be so kind if they tried again. I have worse places than the ocean to put them. "I don''t know. I think I have an idea, but it''d take a long time for me to build, and I can''t work for Marcelli. That guy''s a monster. I''m going to see if anyone is working on a concept and see if I can''t borrow that." "Ah, your solution to everything. Stealing." "Gotta go with your strengths." "You know, with your acumen, you could probably just get a job at one of these places. Go legit," Des suggested softly. "If you did that, I wouldn''t have to patch you up every . . . What? Week?" "It''s been rough lately, but I normally can go months without needing your help." "Yeah, and that''s the only time you want to talk to me." "Don''t want to screw up your thing with . . . uh . . ." "Sandy," Des said. "And it''s a bit late for that. She . . . well, she''s gone." "Oh, you guys were going strong there for a moment." I grabbed their hand. "I''m sorry." "It''s not a big deal." Des pulled their hand away and shook their head. "So, what will the great and powerful Esvanir steal next?" "An EMP generator." "EMP?" Des asked. "Isn''t that the thing that nuclear bombs create?" "They can, yeah, but that''s not the only way of doing it. Basically, it''ll just knock out all electronics for about half an hour within the radius. So, I snap her somewhere remote, snap out, she activates it, snap back in, and snap her to a surgeon." "A surgeon meaning me?" "Meaning you, yes." "Damn it, Curt. I''m a doctor, not a surgeon." "Aren''t surgeons doctors?" "Highly specialized doctors! With years and years of training!" "Do you have a better idea?" I asked soberly. They looked away from me, a frown overtaking their face. "That doesn''t make this idea good." "According to you, I have no good ideas." "That''s not at all true. You chose me as a friend. Best decision you ever made." "I hate that that''s probably true."

=== Kari === I decided to go see Professor Mind. It had been a long while since I had been around him. Not since . . . I swallowed, trying desperately to suppress the images of the Grignau pulling him apart. That had been the worst day of my life. For so many reasons. Curt was a criminal. Chuck almost died. The world found out who I was. And I had never been so angry before. I had seen the videos, and I was terrifying. I broke anything I touched that day. And I used the power right that day . . . But what if I become like those cops trying to arrest Harold? Or like Curt. What . . . What if I start abusing my power? The thought rattled in my head as I flew through the city. I found Chuck sitting up and reading in his hospital bed. The window was open. I passed through it and landed easily on the floor. "Hey, Kari. How''s the city?" He asked immediately. "Still standing," I said with a grin. "Oh, that''s good." He frowned and stared out the window. "What''s up?" I asked, sitting on the end of his bed. He looked at me for a while before answering. "I don''t know. It''s just . . . I don''t seem as necessary as I guess I thought I was." "What do you mean?" "Well, with you and Bion and everyone else in the city, I just don''t feel that useful. Everything is just fine without me." He lifted his arm to gesture and winced in pain, dropping his hand. I laughed at him. I couldn''t help it. He turned his frown to me, opening his mouth to say something. I held up a hand. "You''re an idiot, Chuck." "Thanks, very helpful," he muttered bitterly. "We need you, you goof. Firstly, there are things that I''m just not equipped to handle. I''m not your average dumb blonde, but I have my moments. You don''t." He smiled slightly at that. "And besides, I miss having you on patrol. You know where all of the best food spots are. And you always know what to say to calm people down. And besides, if we get you back out there, people will go back to wondering if we''re dating. And you can take half the questions I''m getting instead of questions about my costume, my workout routine, or if I should start carrying a purse around to keep stuff in." "No one asked you about that last one." "No, but I''m thinking about it anyway." "So, you miss people asking if we''re dating?" "No! Well, I mean, a little. It''s kind of cute and funny. And Jenny had a field day." We both grinned at that. "Do you really think people miss Professor Mind?" "Yeah, I do. You need to get better soon. Avalare''s safer with you out there." He nodded and looked out the window again. And then down at his mangled arms and legs. "This is going to cost a fortune." "You don''t have insurance?" "Insurance? Yeah, but no insurance company touches Grignau attacks. And even if they did, I''d have a ton to explain. Gods, I couldn''t imagine lying that much."

=== Curt === When I was back on my feet, I was back to work. I needed to get that damned thing out of Cindi as soon as possible. Mostly for her. Mostly to see if . . . If what she said, what I had said . . . If it was still true when she wasn''t under threat of death. But also so I could kick that prick Marcelli into a volcano. I checked a couple of the larger outfits that weren''t EnGin or Wan En for schematics on an EMP Generator, but it was all a bust. It was also lonely. Since this was all just hacking and going through files, I didn''t ask Cindi to come. Instead, I suggested she take a vacation. Marcelli gave us a few days to recover after the disaster of a mission and the fact that I almost threw him into a volcano anyway out of sheer anger. So, I dropped her off in France, then Italy, then China. Each time I picked her up, she had more and more souvenirs. She did have great taste. While she was off making splashy headlines, I had gone through five companies to see if anyone was working on EMP technology. But when I came up dry, I decided that I had to do the stupid thing and break back into Wan En. It was a profoundly bad idea. But at least this should be less flashy than usual. I was just looking for schematics. If there''s a prototype, I might grab that while I''m there, but probably not. I teleported back to the first lab I had ever gotten into at Wan En. The lab tech there jumped at my presence, and I put a finger to my lips. I was wearing a mask and gloves, but it was pretty obvious who it was. "You can''t be here." "And yet, here I am," I responded. "I just need ten minutes on your computer. If you let me use your login. If not, it''s more like 30 minutes, and I have to keep you as a hostage." This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "H-hostage? Are you going to hurt me?" "Not my intention." "But you will if you have to, right?" I nodded solemnly. She sighed and made her way to her computer, shaking it awake. I moved her out of the way and took out an external hard drive. I plugged it in and went through ongoing and past projects. It was faster for me to download everything and then look into it somewhere else. But there were a lot of files. Not surprising, given that it was a tech firm that employed tens of thousands of people. Still, that didn''t make the waiting any less stressful. I set up an escape point to go to when it was done. Somewhere far away. But I hadn''t been paying attention to my surroundings. The lab tech had left, and Bion burst through the door. "STAY WHERE YOU ARE, ESVANIR!" The mechanical voice shouted. I sighed and looked at the pending download. Five minutes left. I have to stall one of the most aggressive heroes for five minutes. Fuck. "No can do, Wan. I need your tech. And there''s nothing you can do to stop me." I said, punctuating the sentence with a snap. I was behind him. Which was a good move since he fired a laser at the chair I had been sitting in. I grabbed his arm and tried to move him. Despite the fact that he was hovering mid-air, I couldn''t throw him at all. He was just too heavy. "THE SUIT WEIGHS A TON, LITERALLY. NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO THROW ME AROUND LIKE MY GUARDS." He slammed his arm into me, and I was thrown into the wall. I bounced off and landed heavily on the floor, groaning. As I pulled myself off the floor, I heard something fire and snapped. I appeared next to the flaming chair. A rocket slammed into the ground and blew out part of the wall. "I''m just stealing some files. You''re the one destroying your offices," I said, glancing at the computer. Fuck! I hadn''t burnt more than thirty seconds. "TO SELL TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, PROBABLY. DESTROY MY COMPANY! MAKE SURE THAT I CAN NOT HELP ANYONE ELSE!" "Oh, bullshit!" I exclaimed, dodging under another laser. And then a blast of force threw me again, slamming me into the island counter in the middle of the room. My body groaned in protest as I pushed myself up again. I felt the stitches Des had kindly installed after removing all the bullets rattling around in my guts start tearing. "I have never sold any of your fucking secrets, prick." "SOME OF THE THINGS YOU''VE STOLEN HAVE KILLED PEOPLE. THEY''VE GOTTEN INTO THE WRONG HANDS!" "And people have lived because of what I stole, too. I can''t control what people do with some of the tech, but unlike you, I don''t try to release weapons into the world." "I AM A HERO, THIEF!" He charged forward and caught me by the scruff of my shirt. My feet dangled off of the ground. I gulped, grabbed one of my batteries, and slammed it into the metallic exoskeleton. It actually wasn''t too different from the EMP Generator I was looking for. Basically, it forced a spike in energy in an attempt to short circuit whatever it was attached to. I couldn''t use that on Marcelli''s bomb because the surge might cause the explosive to . . . Well, you know. And more than that, it might not work, much like it wasn''t working right now. With his other hand, Bion grabbed the battery and crushed it. I tried to think of something else. Anything else. He raised his hand and put it in my face. I feared I may die here. "DIE, THIEF!" "Sorry, I really can''t right now. Gotta try and help someone. Maybe in a couple of days," I said, then snapped my fingers. We appeared over a volcano. The heat made the air more unstable, and Bion took a few seconds to adjust his flight patterns to compensate. During that time, I squirmed out of my shirt and dropped into the volcano. After a few feet, I snapped. Unfortunately, Bion had grabbed me again, and we snapped back to his lab, collapsing on the floor. I managed to get his hand off of me as he started vomiting. Teleportation was tough on the stomach. I had gotten used to it, but most others couldn''t. The floor underneath the heavy exoskeleton cracked, and I assumed the floor was going to give out. "God fucking damn it!" The floor was not weighted for a ton. Not in something that was only marginally bigger than a person. I grabbed him again and teleported him to the parking garage. Unfortunately, that had maxed out my energy pull for the moment. I got up and started running back. I needed to find a place to hide for a minute or two while I gathered more energy for more snaps. I got back into the building with relative ease. People are so willing to hold the door for anyone saying, "Hold up!" I decided to take the stairs up to the office again, taking them two at a time. Apparently, this wasn''t fast enough since Bion burst through the door and started flying up the stairs at a ridiculous speed. I took corners better than he did, though. He had to push himself off the walls, cracking them. Once I got back to the floor I wanted, I burst through the door and started running. I thought Bion was on my heels until I looked back, and he was standing there. His suit was targeting me. I could almost feel it processing data. Then he fired a fucking missile at me! I grabbed a piece of metal from a cubicle and threw it at the rocket. It was kind of slow-moving . . . for a missile. The part collided with it, and the weapon exploded. Throwing me back into a wall. I grunted; my ears were ringing; my head was pounding; my eyes wouldn''t focus. This was bad. Bion flew over and loomed before me, raising his hand. "STAY RIGHT THERE. THE POLICE WILL BE HERE SHORTLY, ESVANIR!" I looked up. His hand cannon was prepped for a blast. He''d kill me if I made a single move he didn''t like. "Wan, I''m really sorry. Ordinarily, I''d admit defeat and just be on my way . . . But I can''t do that right now. And if I didn''t bow down when fighting Smash Gal, I''m not going to, fighting you." He started to say something, but I snapped. Reality faded and reasserted itself before me. I was in the office again. I shambled to my feet and stumbled over to the computer. The scientist woman from before wasn''t there. Good. No need to scare her anymore. The download had finished. Small victories. I disconnected the hard drive. Then popped back to Des'' clinic and texted them.
< Des
12:19am Popped my stitches. Currently bleeding on your floor. Help? 4:54pm 3rd time this week. Room 2. 4:56pm

=== Kari === After seeing Chuck, I went back out on patrol. I wasn''t really putting my heart into it. I still didn''t know quite how to feel about things. People would ask me to do any little thing they could think of. Get cats out of trees, fly their trash cans to catch up with the trash collectors, and marry their sons, daughters, and anyone else. When I uploaded a selfie, I actually got fourteen marriage proposals in the comments. And some people were just as bold in real life. But that wasn''t the only reaction. When I would land, people would stare. Some people would scatter. Criminals would shrink away during muggings, but so would vanilla citizens. Some people would look at me with fear in their eyes. I could hear the whispers. People talked about how dangerous I was. How scary I was. It was one of the downsides of being able to hear basically everything in the city. But I didn''t have a ton of time to consider it. There was always something to do in a city of five million people. After retrieving one of the cats from a tree, I heard a scream. I handed the cat to the little girl, who smiled and thanked me as she squeezed the poor thing tightly. I smiled and rushed off to the sound of the scream. There was smoke. A lot of smoke. I looked around. Traffic had come to a standstill as a man on fire shambled through the city. When a car would move towards him, he''d hold up his hands, and fire would burst forth and melt the car into slag. Smoke and the smell of burning rubber filled the air. Another supervillain. Great. I thought, bemused. I zipped down to the flaming figure and put my hands out. "Please surrender and stop lighting everything on fire." "I can''t!" screamed a voice from inside the flames, which burst out and scorched the asphalt around him. "St-stay away!" I considered this for a moment. He shambled forward, and I looked around. Cops had started tracking him as well and surrounded us. One shot. The flames surrounding this man whipped out and caught the bullet, melting it. More cops fired, and tendrils of fire grabbed the projectiles out of the air, then spread out further, slashing at the cops who dodged, ducked, dipped, and dived out of the way. Some were still caught, and the tendrils started pulling them back in. They didn''t get far, as the flesh that was grasped was burnt away too fast. He shambled forward more. I could hear him gasping in pain. I charged forward and grabbed him. But the seemingly living flame around him grasped my throat and burned through the plastic of my helmet and melted it away as it wormed its way around my neck. I could feel my clothes start to burn up, and I dropped him. I did not need another wardrobe malfunction in public. The last ones were still a little too fresh and viral, and if I wanted to go that route, I could start an Only Fans. Which several people had been clamoring for. There were a lot of people who really really wanted to see me naked. I landed a few feet from him. More flames whipped at me, and I dodged. The asphalt where I had been standing cracked and smoked under the attention. One of the tendrils managed to grab my wrist, burning through my glove instantly. It pulled me closer. Well, it tried to. The light from the tendril around my arm got brighter and brighter. I could smell my flesh starting to burn. It . . . It hurt. One of the things about being me is that it is profoundly hard to hurt me. I resist just about everything. But this was burning through my flesh. Which was terrifying. Whatever was going on, this guy was profoundly dangerous. I pulled on the whip wrapped around my arm, and he came flying towards me. Then I took off, gasping in pain. I wanted to go faster, but I really shouldn''t. Going as fast as my instincts pushed for would shatter windows and doors and who knows what else. But instead, I flew him over to the nearest fire hydrant, slammed him onto the ground, and punched it. Water came spurting up, and I put my hand over it. Directing it just like a hose. The water slammed into the man, and steam broiled up and filled the air. He screamed in agony and collapsed under the torrent. Eventually, there was less steam, and as the reaction calmed down, I crimped the hydrant closed. The police closed in, guns trained on the man lying, shivering, and crying, on the ground. None of the cops lowered their weapons. One got the big, metal meta-gauntlets out and slammed them roughly onto the man. He groaned, and the smoke and steam died away further. A spark came from the man, and five or six shots rang out, echoing throughout the streets. Blood splattered from the freshly made corpse of the man in gauntlets. His body twitched and convulsed; there was so much blood from the wounds. I stared in horror. "What the hell did you do that for?" I demanded. "He was in custody. There was no reason to shoot him!" "You saw that spark, Smash Gal. He was resisting," one of the officers said matter-of-factly. I shook my head. "Or it was the last spark of power being squelched by those gauntlets. "It doesn''t matter. He hurt some of our own. Maybe killed them. He got what he deserved," another officer said. I stood there, staring at the body. I clenched a fist. This isn''t right, I thought. I watched one of the police officers pull his weapon and train it on me. "S-Smash Gal, stand down," he commanded in a shaky voice. "Are you going to kill me too?" I asked, staring the man down. "You think you can with that toy?" "Officer Jenkins, stand down!" One of the other officers called out and put his hand on the other man''s gun, pushing it down. A shot rang out and bounced against my stomach. Bullets are pretty powerful, and it felt like a punch to the gut. Not the most powerful one I''ve ever taken. But I could definitely feel it. I clenched my fist even tighter. The officer that had interceded stood between us. "Smash Gal, I''m sorry. He didn''t mean to do that. We''ll file a report about it." The man didn''t seem apologetic. Some of the other officers were looking down at their feet. Others were just avoiding my eyes. "Of course, officer. Make sure to mention the five shots on the man in custody as well as the shot on me, the person who allowed you to take him into custody." My voice was cold. A couple of the cops glared at me. I blasted off into the sky and went on my way to find more trouble to help with. Issue #13: This Little Confrontation

=== Curt === "Esvanir, Curt. Can I call you Curt?" Marcelli asked from across a large, filigreed desk. I shrugged. Somehow, I felt like a boy in the principal''s office. It was baffling. I suppose it helped that Marcelli was larger than me in almost every way. "I think we need to elucidate the terms of your position here." "Oh, I think I understand it quite well. You''re an absolute bastard. One who is constantly threatening to kill one of the few people I care about. So, I am forced to do your dirty work because you''re neither smart nor capable enough to accomplish it on your own. Is that about right?" I asked. Marcelli''s lips spread into what might be construed as a smile. It was more like a gorilla showing its teeth. It was a threat. "There is all of that. And yet, you robbed Wan En without my permission. You almost got killed by Bion. Am I to presume you''re looking for some way out of our arrangement?" "Maybe you''re not as dumb as you look. Though it would be quite the feat," I said, anger crawling into my tone. "We can''t have that. You''re not allowed to do solo jobs anymore. You are to live on my compound and only to go where I say you can go," the man across from me said cheerily. "Hmm. Let me think about it. No, and fuck you." Marcelli''s smile faded. He gently put his hand on the desk between us and stood. Then he grabbed it and moved it with ease from in between us. He did not close the distance, but I set up several snap places I could get to in an instant if need be. "I can see that you must not care much for Miss Drei. Despite your insistence. And here I was hoping that you might become Mister and Misses Reese or perhaps Misses and Mister Drei," the large man drolled on. He took a step forward, and I had to suppress the urge to teleport to the other side of the room. He lifted his fist, and my eyes tracked it. I marked it and its likely trajectory. "So, perhaps I need to teach you a different way." He threw the fist down, and a portal intercepted it and slammed into his own throat. He coughed and stumbled back, falling into his own chair. I stood up this time and crossed the few feet between us. "Marcelli, I think I need to elucidate something to you that you apparently don''t understand." He looked up at me with tears brimming in his eyes. He had gotten his coughs under control, and his gray eyes seethed with hatred. "This is temporary. It has to be. Either you kill Cindi, and if you do that, I kill you. Because there''s really no way for you to stop me. The only thing stopping me from putting your ass in a volcano right now is that it would, one, be really bad for the environment, and two, I don''t want her to die. But I''ll give you a one-time offer. It expires immediately. Disable the bomb. Prove to me that it''s disabled. Then she and I walk away. Forever. You never see me, and I never see you again. I don''t let all this built-up rage spill over, and you don''t die by my hand." "Mister Reese," Marcelli croaked. He had apparently hit himself quite hard. "I don''t understand you." "What?" I asked. He sat up, and I backed up a step. "You have this ruthless streak in you. I believe you when you tell me you''re willing to kill me. I''ve met killers before. I employ them every day. You are just like every last one of them; you are smart, really smart. I understand you built your first prototype from scraps you found on the ground. And yet you waste these talents and that ruthlessness on stripping a few billionaires of a couple of bucks here and there and give most of it away. I don''t understand that. You could be like me." "Marcelli, I don''t want to be like you. I think you''re a bastard, remember?" I said softly. "You know what I mean. You could run your own crew. Give this technology to a crew of ten or twenty or thirty and make real changes to the world. You and your weird communist agenda might even work with someone like you in charge. So, why don''t you?" "I . . ." I considered his question, turning my back to him as I stalked over to the chair. "I guess I work better alone." "Bullshit," he called out immediately. "You and Drei managed to get through my security. Which is meant to defend against anything short of fucking Smash Gal or Bion with a couple of batteries and one third-string powered bitch." I turned on him, and he raised his hand to placate me slightly. "Miss Drei has her skills, but she''s not a heavy hitter. You two work fantastically together. You could have worked fantastically with my crew and even sussed out someone whose loyalties lie somewhere else in twenty minutes." "He did shoot me. Not exactly a stunning use of intellect." "Perhaps not, but you don''t work better alone. Why not work for me legitimately? No blackmail. Miss Drei can come and go as she pleases. She''s where? Kyoto?" "St. Petersburg today. Tokyo and Kyoto yesterday." "Ah," he began, stroking his chin. "You could do great things if you were more organized." "I''m told I have trust issues." "And yet you trust Buck Cherry, infamous thief and liar." "I trust people to be who they are. Cher . . . She wants to be free. She hates being tied down. As long as I''m not doing that, she and I get along. She likes me well enough, and that''s good enough for now. And I trust you to be a money-grubbing bastard who doesn''t care about anyone but himself." "Ah, well, yes. Speaking of my interests, I guess we''ll just have to keep you busier. No more downtime since your goal is, in fact, to kill me once you can figure out how to disable my toy. So, I have a job for you. You''re going to be my chauffeur." "Why couldn''t I be the one with the bomb?" I asked the ceiling.

=== Kari === After I watched that man die, I couldn''t stomach the city for a few days. I tried to be around to save people, but I could never be sure when another meta would die. When I was going to be shot by the people meant to protect me. Not that I need the protection. But still. I''m a citizen; I pay taxes; I shouldn''t be shot by the police, I thought. Even criminals shouldn''t be shot. Not when they''re in custody, and everything is okay. These issues were swirling through my head. Chuck was still in the hospital. Mom and dad were busy with something, so I couldn''t talk to them. Jenny was helping Harold with costumes and merchandise. I felt so alone. I spent days watching all my favorite movies, curled up on my bed under a blanket. But after three days, even The Little Mermaid and The Iron Giant couldn''t comfort me. I decided to go on patrol. My mask had been slagged by the fire guy. So I just didn''t bother with that or the gloves. I strapped a small camera onto myself so that I could still livestream. People liked it when I streamed my patrols. A lot of people said it made them feel safer. When I got back to Avalare, everything was as it always was. I guess I kind of get where Chuck is at. You can take a few days off, and the city will still be standing when you get back. As long as no Grignau are around. Curt still hadn''t responded, and he hadn''t turned himself in. Apparently. he had robbed Wan En and fought Bion. The stupid jerk. Who the hell does he think that he is? I flew around the city and stopped a few muggings. Took a few pictures with people. People seemed a little warmer around me without the mask; that was nice. I got some lunch. In the afternoon, I heard gunfire. Lots of gunfire. I charged down the street as fast as possible, compressing the air around me into a forcefield so it wouldn''t break anything. Two factions were shooting it out in the middle of the street. One was twenty or thirty strong, and the other was like five guys. One side threw a grenade. An actual grenade. In a city. What the fuck!? I caught it mid-air and held it between my hands. It exploded, and I patted my hands against each other, dusting them off. Bullets bounced off of me from both sides. I landed and ran through the larger force quickly, taking their guns and breaking them. They scattered. There were too many to chase them down and catch them all. The people on the other side started packing themselves back into the bullet-hole-riddled corpse of a car. They began to drive off, but that was no trouble. I flew behind it and picked it up. The metal started to crumple, and I opened a force field to keep the damned thing together. After that, I just reached over, broke the axle with a quick and easy pull, and let the car slam down onto the ground. In less than a blink of an eye, I had stripped the car of its doors. Marcelli and some of his men stepped out of the vehicle. "Miss Stewart. How pleasant to see you," the large man said in a bored tone. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "I got you, Marcelli. You''re going to jail." "Am I? For defending myself against a street gang?" He asked, still incredibly unconcerned. "Yeah. For opening fire on a city street. Endangering lives." "Well, you see, my dear. There are two problems with that. Well, three, really." "Oh? I''d love to hear them while I haul you to the police." "Well, firstly, you vigilante types have a hard time in court. Even if you catch someone dead-to-rights, the state doesn''t like vigilantes, and neither do a lot of juries. Secondly, my dear, I was defending myself. Very American. Easy to sell. And lastly, I can afford the best of help." "You think a lawyer will help you against me, Marcelli?" "Oh, yes. I have the best lawyers. But I also have some new help that I picked up on a clearance sale," he said with the smarmiest of grins. "Esvanir, come out now." "Fuck," I heard from in the car. There was still someone in there. "Es-Esvanir?" Curt stepped out from behind the wheel. "This is why I wanted to snap where we were going. No chances for revenge or capes getting in the way." "Yes, but I prefer to drive. I have more control over you that way." "You''re working for Marcelli? I knew you were a criminal, but I didn''t know you were that low, Curt!" "Ah, good. You know Mister Reese. That does simplify matters. Do stream this for me. I can''t wait to see how this little confrontation turns out. Try not to lose too quickly, Mister Reese. Imagine what I might do in my grief. And get us out of here." Curt rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers, and the car, Marcelli, and everyone except for Curt disappeared. "You''re seriously working for that guy?" I asked. "You wouldn''t understand my motivations, Kari. You and I don''t live in the same world." "You''re right. I don''t understand. I''d never work for scum like that. But I also wouldn''t be a petty thief." "No, just plain petty." His tone was cold and dismissive. It hurt, but it had to. "You can''t win against me," I said, pleading a little. "Surrender. Take me to Marcelli. Turn yourself in. Help us catch Buck Cherry. Do the right thing." He raised his hand, a portal opened, and a torrent of water shot forth and blasted me back. I wasn''t prepared for it and didn''t have time to brace myself. I stopped fifty feet or so back and stared at him. That had been a lot of pressure; it had been a short burst, but it was intense. And now I smell like saltwater. "You''ve become a real asshole, Cee." "Most people would argue that I was always an asshole, and you were just blind to it," he said, walking around. I charged forward and threw a haymaker. He caught my arm, spun, and threw me into a car, which bounced. Glass shattered, and the door dented. "Not a bad move." "Yeah. Works better on you than it did on Bion." "And why''s that?" "You''re a bit lighter than a full ton. The rocks in your head must be fairly lightweight." I growled and lunged at him again. He tried to sidestep, but I was faster. I caught him and slammed a knee into his stomach; I heard and felt his ribs crack; He coughed and spat out blood. I elbowed him, and he went down. "Why!?" I demanded. He pushed himself off of the ground. "Why are you a thief? Why are you working for him? Why?" "Like . . ." He coughed and pushed himself to his knees. "Like I said, you wouldn''t understand. You don''t have real problems." "I''m a superheroine who the internet has seen naked. I got lots of problems." He shrugged in concession. "Fair enough. But beyond that, you''re basically rich. You''re a celebrity, and you''ve got fucking superpowers!" He screamed, snapping again. Another torrent of water spat up and caught me in the chin. I went flying and caught myself.

=== Curt === I could snap away. But that would just be kicking the can down the road a bit. I ran through every solution I could think of. The problem is that she''s going to find me eventually; she knows where I live; she knows who I am stuck working for now. So, I''m trapped. And I''m really, really pissed off. "Hello, misplaced aggression," I said as Kari slammed down in front of me. To be fair, she had tried to slam down onto me, but I had jumped out of the way. She charged forward, I opened a portal, and her fist made contact with her face. And another with her stomach. There was no great shockwave of force; She was holding back. That makes sense; I''m not a threat to her. "Why!?" She screamed again. "Why, why why why why!? WHY!?" She cried out, punching out again and again and again. I did my best to dodge. To track her punches, but she was just so damn fast. She caught me with them more often than not. With her last strike, I was thrown backwards and slammed down on the hood of a car twenty feet away. I tried to scramble to my feet but ended up falling onto the asphalt. She stomped her feet right next to my head and picked me up. "Why the fuck are you doing this?" I groaned. My vision was blurry; I''m pretty sure my ribs were broken, and she had me. I coughed up some blood and spit. A little got on her face. She growled and scrubbed at her face, closing her deep forest-green eyes. "Because of people like you." "People like me?" "Fucking heroes. You morons blow in, make things better for a minute, then fucking disappear, never considering the wreckage you leave behind. You and Bion and Professor Mind never deal with real issues. You fuckers give us hope and destroy it when you''re gone." I stared at her with one eye. My head was pounding. I didn''t even know what I was saying anymore. But something inside me broke. "You just leave the little people below you behind to clean up after you''re gone. Fucking Bion can lift a fucking car over his head and shoot lasers, but those lasers hit a fucking building when he misses. His missiles destroy buildings and cars when he misses. And he fucking misses a lot. And so do you. And none of you give a damn when someone is crushed under the fucking rubble as long as you get the supposed bad guy. Wrecking the city to defend it. And then you fucking leave. When is the damage that you bring too much?" "And Marcelli doesn''t do a lot of damage? He opened fire in the middle of the God damned streets, Curt! Marcelli sells drugs to kids. He kills people all the damn time. At least I am not trying to hurt people! I''m trying to help! But you''re working for him." Kari brandished me in the sky. My hands were shaking. My head started pounding harder. My heart had been racing this entire time, but something new snapped. I swung on her. My fist made contact with her face. And cracked. But it didn''t matter. I punched her again and again, alternating hands until they were a bloody mess. Eventually, my shirt tore, and I fell to the ground.

=== Kari === "You don''t know a fucking thing, Kari! You don''t know who I am anymore," Curt screamed at me, tears leaking down his face. "You think I want to work for someone like Marcelli? God, you''re still so fucking stupid. You have all of that fucking power. The ability to see everything except what is in front of your goddamn face!" I had never seen him like that. His fists were a mess. Broken. I had seen him cry before. But never out of impotence. Beneath all of his anger, beneath his arrogant, preachy indignation, he was afraid. He was terrified of something. Curt was never scared of anything. As a child, I had always been a daredevil, but he always approached everything with the same cold logic. He didn''t get excited. "What has he done to you?" "I-It''s not me," he said, raising his hand. His fingers weren''t working right. He was trying to get them in position to snap, and I reached down and grabbed his hand. There was a soft pop behind me, but I didn''t look away from him. I couldn''t. Despite everything, he was still my friend, and he was in pain. He was angry and sad and scared, and I wanted to help. I felt someone grab me by the throat, and I spun around. I saw a naked woman, and then my muscles convulsed, and everything went black. I woke up on the floor a few minutes later. At least that''s what my phone said. Police had started to gather around. They kept their distance. I crawled to my feet and saw my face in the window of a car. It was covered in Curt''s blood. Curt was gone. I made my way over to a police officer. She started to shirk away. I knew I looked like a wreck, but it was what it was. "Do you have Esvanir in custody?" "No, ma''am. He was gone by the time we got there. Buck Cherry whammied you, and then they disappeared doing that trick of his," she said, trying to keep her tone professional. "Right. Of course. Buck Cherry. That makes sense." My head still hurt. What had she done to me? I knew she could disable people. But I didn''t think I would be vulnerable to something like that. That means she''s much more dangerous than I thought. Which isn''t hard. I thought she was a naked hussie who had blinded everyone, including Curt, with her curves, I thought bitterly. I looked around and shook my head. I launched myself off of the ground and flew home. When I got there, mom and dad were waiting for me. "Honey, I''m sorry. Did . . . Did you know that Curt was . . . That Curt was Esvanir?" Mom asked, bringing me into a tight hug. "Y-yeah . . . But how do you know about that?" "Sweetie," dad began. "Y-you were streaming it. It''s everywhere." He gestured to the computer; I clicked on a link on a tweet. It was a video from David Thrawn with his vaguely Australian accent. "And we now have the elusive Esvanir. Curtis Reese is still at large after his showdown with Smash Gal, Kari Stewart. She and he apparently have some history, given the way that they were talking to each other on her live-stream earlier tonight." The video transitioned to a clip from my stream. The camera was on my collar, so it was facing up. Curt''s face was bruised, his lip was broken, and his chin was covered in blood; he looked like hell, and I had done it to him. It went through his rant and then ended. "This was clipped earlier from Smash Gal''s stream and has been shared almost half a million times in the last hour. As you can see, Esvanir blames rich heroes for not ''dealing with real issues''. He did not explain what he meant by that. We are reaching out to see if we cannot get a statement from him or Kari to comment on the situation, but we have not heard back from either of them. It does appear from the stream that Jenny the Cannoneer''s opinion that he has a relationship with the alluring Buck Cherry has been confirmed." I checked my email, and sure enough, my publicist had forwarded an attempted contact by Thrawn''s studio. Also, my streaming platform had blocked me because of nudity. Buck Cherry had just accidentally nuked my ability to stream. "Fuck!" Issue #14: Super-Villain Super-Couple

=== Curt === When I woke up, I was in bed. I didn''t know where. It was dark. The familiar weight of my rig was gone. I leaned up and groaned as my ribs creaked, and I fell back down to bed. Something stirred next to me, and I felt an arm wrap around me and pull me closer. "Stop moving, moron." I looked over to a mass of brown hair, smudged makeup, and some drool. I had yet to meet a woman who slept gracefully. Men didn''t either, but no one brings it up. I guess that''s a bit of sexism. I eased down into the bed and tried to relax with Cindi''s arm around me. At least until I remember what I had done. I bolted up. "Fuck!" Cindi jumped up and, I shit you not, did a complete flip through the blanket and landed on the floor, ready to take on the enemies that weren''t there. She was naked. But that seems pretty obvious. If she wasn''t going to wear clothes to a robbery, why would she to bed? She looked around, breathing hard. After a moment, she dropped her hands. "What the fuck, Curt?" "My fucking name is out there!" I shouted. "Oh, yeah. That." "Oh, yeah. That." I said mockingly. "I''m so fucked. I''m going to be arrested. I''m going to go to prison. Hell, Bion might shoot another fucking missile at me and just kill me outright. What the fuck am I going to do?" Cindi laughed. She pointed and laughed at me. She did not stop as my face got redder and redder. I clenched my fists, which popped painfully. They were in a hellish condition, wrapped up tight in bandages. I shook them out, and she sobered some. She crawled back into the bed, lifted the blanket, and sank under it, curling up against me. I tried to pull away, and she crawled fully on top of me. "No, fuck you! You laughed at my existential crisis." "We might, but we must get approval from Doc Des before we can. They''ll be around later to check on you." "Get off!" I said, trying desperately to extract myself from her embrace. The thing about Cindi is she''s pretty strong. Especially for someone of her size. She can''t throw a car, but when it comes to grappling and pins, you might have to be able to throw a car to escape her. And I certainly can''t. "God, men are such children!" She complained as she snuggled into my chest. "Yeah, I laughed at you. Because you did something incredibly idiotic, and now you live in my world. No more of these stupid half-measures you''ve been trying to balance. You''re just a criminal, now." "Yeah, a criminal that, unlike you, is going to be arrested and tried and sent to prison with no way of ever escaping." "I''d come get you." "Then you would get caught." "Nah." "Nah? That''s your plan to get me out of prison. Just ''Nah''?" "Yeah." "I am so fucked." "Not until Des approves," she said, giggling. "Besides, you forget. I''m the world''s greatest thief." "And she can take on Smash Gal," Des said, coming into the room. They were wearing a lab-coat and looked haggard. "Also, just fuck him. It might tire him out enough so that he can''t do something stupid immediately. And if you tear his stitches, it''s not like that''s not something he''d do anyway. Because he''s an idiot." "I am not an idiot." "Stop pouting," Des said coldly. "I am not pouting!" "Yes, you are," Cindi interjected. "But it''s kind of cute. I''ve never seen this side of you. So petulant. So . . . Scared." Something Des said finally caught up to me, and I stared at them for a moment. Then I looked down at Cindi. "What do you mean you can take on Smash Gal?" "Oh, that. It''s nothing." "Nothing? That girl can take on the fucking Grignau and hold an exploding grenade without Fourth of July-ing her fingers, and you laid her flat." "For like two minutes." "You . . . You took down Kari?" I asked, looking down at her. She didn''t flinch away or avert her eyes. "Right. ''Kari''. We need to talk about how you''re on a first-name basis with the world''s strongest Barbie," Des responded. I shifted uncomfortably, and Cindi gripped my arm, preparing to pin me if I tried to escape. "I''d also like some insight into that." "You didn''t know either?" Des asked Cindi. "No, I know about you, and I knew about many of the more idiotic things he''s done, but I didn''t know about Smash Gal." "That''s because there''s nothing to tell. We were friends when we were kids. That''s all." "Seemed like more on her live stream," Des countered. "Live-stream. You guys saw that." "Yeah, it''s how I knew to come to save your dumb ass. I am going to need another one of your Poppers again." "Y-yeah. No problem. I can make that for you," I said absently, running through the events in my mind. The Popper. That made sense. I made a couple of emergency buttons that Cindi could use. They were single-use and could only go to specific locations. I set one up to come directly to me if she was ever in trouble, and I guess she had used it to save me. "H-how did you take her out?" "You don''t remember?" Des asked. "I had been thrown around pretty hard, and it''s kind of blurry at the end. I just remember Marcelli and her using my name and me not wearing a mask. Like a fucking moron. God damn it!" I slammed my hand on my thigh and then winced. "Fucking stop that! Your assault on Brick-House Barbie almost shattered the bones in your hands," Des said. Cindi took my hands into hers and stroked her thumb over mine. "So, how did you do it?" I asked again, trying to calm down. "Nah." "What?" "You spill your story first. Des has to get back to work eventually. They can''t stay here all day, waiting, and I want to know." There was no fighting with Cindi when she got like this. This was an order. I sighed and closed my eyes, collecting my thoughts. "I . . . Kari and I were friends in middle school and the beginning of high school. More than that, I guess. We were . . . Really close, actually. She . . . My family wasn''t the best, and she always pulled me out of the house, made sure I got enough to eat and fought people for me. She forced me to go out and took me to things like parties and dances, and tried to get me to run for school president with her. Uh . . . Sh-she was my first kiss." "And you didn''t know she had powers? I know men are stupid, but that had to be pretty obvious." "Well, she didn''t." "What do you mean she didn''t?" "Her powers didn''t develop until puberty. And then she left. I didn''t even know she was still alive until like a month ago." "Wait . . ." Des said, pausing for a moment. "Your first girlfriend just left you until basically a minute ago and blows back into your life, and you don''t think that''s something you ought to mention to me? Or to your fucking girlfriend?" "We got one coffee. It wasn''t like we were suddenly friends again." "But you care about her. About what she thinks of you," Cindi said coolly. "I mean, I guess. At one point, she was my favorite person." "Oh? And who is it now?" Cindi asked. Her eyes were scanning my face carefully. "It''s a tie between you and that one celebrity chef who screams at adults but is always wholesome and encouraging to children." "Nice dodge," Des said. "Now, say it honestly. No sarcasm. Just what you actually feel." "Fuck both of you!" I said, crossing my arms. Cherry''s eyes hadn''t left my face. Her own was carved from stone. I could tell that she was considering it. And I think I might have hurt her. After a few minutes of unblinking staring and a dam of guilt breaking, I deflated. "Fine. Whatever. But when I say something stupid, this will be your fault." "How will it be our fault?" Des demanded. "Because you know I have the emotional intelligence of a dead fruit fly." "And because men are idiots, that''s my fault?" "Yes." "Okay, fine. Talk." Cindi hadn''t said a word in that time. She just continued to watch me. I got out of bed, and she let me. I walked over to the window. Only to then realize that I was also naked. And that my ribs were wrapped up as tightly as my hands. I looked like hell between that and the stitches and the bruises I could see in my reflection. I frowned. "You two are the most important people to me," I said quietly, leaning against the cool window. I closed my eyes. "I don''t like most people. I don''t have friends. I haven''t spoken to my parents in ten years. But you two are there for me. When I need you to be. And that scares me." "Why?" Cindi asked. She was right behind me; I could sense her. Des had also moved closer. "Because the only other person who had ever been there for me left overnight, and I was left alone. I was emancipated at seventeen, put myself through school, and taught myself how to do everything I could so that I would never need anyone again." The bitterness in my voice hurt. My entire throat contracted. I was trying to hold back tears. "Oh . . . That makes so much more sense," Des said. I looked over at them, and they looked like they were internally admonishing themself for not realizing it sooner. "What makes more sense?" I asked, my tone almost accusing, turning to the pair. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. "I never thought about why you and . . ." They hesitated and then turned to Cindi. "Look, girl. I like you. You''re funny, you''re hot, and you put men and especially this fucking idiot in their place. But you''re flaky. You blow in and blow out with no warning. I always wondered why Curt was so attached to you. Because you''re. . ." "Because I''m only partly in his life. I may disappear, but he accepts it, maybe even encourages it. Because it means he can distance himself from our relationship and thus his feelings, without risk of losing anything." Her voice was small. It was a little hurt. "Yeah . . . ''cept it didn''t work," I said, looking down. I was avoiding Chindi''s piercing blue eyes. And Des'' dark brown ones. "What?" "He loves you. We have the recording to prove it," Des said. There was a smile in their voice. A smug, obnoxious smile. If I had my rig, I would have opened a portal and ran at that moment. Or at least opened a portal to the ocean and splash their self-satisfied face. "Even though I''m flaky?" Cindi asked. She put her finger under my chin and lifted it to meet her eyes. "I didn''t call you flaky," I said defensively. "And yeah. It helped at first. If you hadn''t run out every time we spent more than a day or two together, I would''ve run." "Or self-sabotaged," Des added. "And now?" "And now it doesn''t matter. I''m going to be arrested. My life is over, and I doubt you''re up for conjugals. So, we''ll get that fucking bomb out of you, then you''re free." "God, you''re an idiot." Des and Cindi said in unison.

=== Kari === Before agreeing to any interviews in the aftermath of my fight with Curt, I had asked to meet with Jenny. She readily agreed, probably hoping that she''d get me to dish on him and Buck Cherry. We met for lunch; I arrived early because I was nervous. A couple of paparazzi clicked their cameras and asked a thousand questions. I used all of my mental fortitude to tune out. We were at a restaurant, and I had forgone any semblance of privacy and had arrived in full costume. People knew what I looked like anyway. Jenny was a little late, and I saw it was because she was talking with the paparazzi. She never seemed frazzled by them. After a few minutes, she rolled up to the table and smiled brightly. "Kari. You''ve certainly had a busy week. Between being shot by a cop, live on stream, and then streaming your fight with a friend of yours. Was your life a little too quiet?" "I guess so," I said, a little despondently. "I didn''t really mean for anything like this to happen. I don''t want all this attention for this kind of stuff. I feel like a drama YouTube channel." "Yeah, I get that. But it''s been pretty good for your brand." Jenny took out her phone and navigated it to some graphs that I could barely understand. "You''ve been searched for a lot. And your toy sales and official merchandise have been selling like hotcakes." "Oh, that''s good, I guess." "Come on, now. That''s great news. Considering." "Considering?" "Well, the Blue Lives Matter crowd wasn''t thrilled with you. Some conservative pundits called you a spoiled child for criticizing the police. There are some factions online siding with your friend, too." "There are?" I asked. I hadn''t had the guts to Google what people had been saying about me or Curt. It was all still so . . . raw. I didn''t know how to deal with it yet. "Yeah. I looked into him a bit, too. It''s not quite as black and white as you think." "What do you mean? He''s a thief. And a liar. And a jerk." "All true. But he''s also only got a net worth of maybe seventy-five grand. He lives modestly." "So? He''s hiding all his ill-gotten gains offshore or with Buck Cherry or Marcelli." "I . . . I don''t think so, Kar." Jenny sounded genuine. I searched her face; she was serious. "I think he gives most of it away." "What? Why would he do that?" "I think he''s trying to be Robin Hood," she said, then cracked a grin. "But without the sexy tights. Which is a shame. He''s not bad looking." "Robin Hood? He robs the rich and gives to the poor?" "I tracked down a couple of the pieces that Esvanir had reportedly stolen. He stole some cutting edge, and I''m talking bleeding edge here, the hot stuff, medical equipment. It ended up mass-produced in Africa, Southeast Asia, and everywhere in the states. Usually in small clinics and dying hospitals. Places that don''t get enough funding to succeed." "Oh. Well, that doesn''t make what he''s doing right." "But it has made him popular. Some people have come forward and said that if it weren''t for him, they''d be dead." She swiped a couple of times and brought up some interviews. They were all basically the same. This man appeared out of nowhere, gave some technology, explained how to use it, and it was always helpful all over the world. One village got a water purifier that was so efficient that it supplied enough for ten other villages around them. Curt had made a real difference. I frowned at the screen. I hated this; everything was so complicated. Jenny put her phone away and reached across the table. "Are you okay?" "I . . . I don''t know. Curt was my best friend once. And now he''s a thief. But even that''s not simple; he''s some bullshit noble thief. And the cops are killing defenseless people. People they already have in custody. Everything is so heavy. And there are all these reporters and people who want me to talk about all of it. And I don''t know what to say." "What do you think of . . . everything?" "I think . . . I think Curt has half a point, but it doesn''t excuse his theft. I think the cops need some reform and maybe to be less . . . trigger happy. And I think all of this is exhausting." "That sounds good. Say that except for maybe that last thing. You''re a superhero. You don''t get exhausted," Jenny said with a grin. I laughed, and she joined in. A few hours later, I sat in a chair across from David Thrawn. I had watched a few interviews he''d done in the past to make sure he wouldn''t try to twist what I say. I realized the internet would do it anyway and didn''t think it needed any help. He was thinner in real life. He looked more tired too. He sipped coffee, waiting for the cameras to start rolling. I had wanted to talk to him beforehand, but his assistant had guided me away because, apparently, he was too busy. I imagine he was taking a nap. He looked like he was going to fall asleep right up until the cameras were rolling, and his director motioned for him to go. Then suddenly, he was incredibly animated. "Hello, mates. Today we have a special guest. Someone that, to my recollection at least, has never been interviewed. We have Kari Stewart, the Smash Gal. The first question I have to ask, since I technically gave you that name, what do you think of it?" "Well," I tried to smile as I spoke, but this was awkward, and I was nervous. I had never been on TV. Well, I had been, but never like this. Under all of the lights and someone seen across the nation, the world. "I . . . I didn''t like it initially, but I was advised that once a name got going, that was that. So, I just hope to make it into a name that people say with hope in their hearts." David''s grin became a little more strained. I think he was trying not to laugh. I rubbed my arm as though I was cold. "Right, then. That''s fair. There has been a lot of buzz about you since you made your debut. You''ve inspired a lot of people, including new superheroes across the world. People like Thunderblast credit you for their courage to save us from the everyday meta threats that have become all too common." "I would appreciate it if you didn''t word it like that, David," I said, trying to sound composed. "What do you mean?" He asked curiously and leaned forward. "''Meta threats'' makes it sound like metas are naturally threatening. I don''t believe that''s the case. I''m a meta, and so is Thunderblast and Professor Mind. We use our powers to help people. And there are a lot of metas that are just people living their everyday lives. Before Thunderblast became a hero, he was a line cook. There are lots of people like that, I''m sure." "Okay, okay. I see your point, Kari. But you have to admit that metas present a threat to the general public. Many of the metas we are likely to interact with are a danger to the public. People like the first person you took down, the Boulder. He has escaped and harassed people and hurt them several times." "Yes, there are metas that hurt people. There are also non-metas that hurt people, too," I countered. "People like Es . . . People like the police officers that killed the fire meta last week and shot me. The ones that almost arrested Thunderblast for being a hostage. Marcelli was a part of a firefight in the middle of a city. One of his people threw a grenade. Imagine the damage that could''ve done. Those people weren''t metas. And they are perfectly dangerous. Should I lump someone like you with people who fire on people in custody?" "No, I suppose not," David responded thoughtfully. "Moving on, though. You seemed like you were going to mention Esvanir, but you shied away from that. Why? What is your relationship with Curtis Reese?" I closed my eyes for a moment, biting my lip. I felt a twinge in my chest of pain and guilt. But I knew it was going to come up. "Curt . . . Curt and I don''t have a relationship. I''m not friends with criminals. He should turn himself in. When I find him, and I will, he will be arrested. Regardless of what Buck Cherry, Marcelli, or anyone else thinks." "There have been a lot of stories coming out about Curt. Some people think he''s as much of a hero as you are. He has saved villages in his own way. Got people out of the way of natural disasters, provided desperately needed technology to people who need i-" "That he stole. I cannot and will not condone stealing," I said firmly. "It''s immoral." "Alright, understood. Bion had a similar opinion when we reached out to him for a comment. Have you seen that?" "I-I had not." He turned to a screen set up between us, which came to life. Andrew Wan appeared, not in his full Bion suit, but in his base life-support version. He was a fragile-looking, angular man with crow''s feet surrounding his eyes and streaks of gray going through his dark brown hair. A reporter asked him a similar question to the one David had asked me, and he responded. "Mister Reese is sure willing to throw around blame," Andrew began. When his voice wasn''t being shouted through at roughly a thousand decibels, it was a rough whisper. "But he appears to have overlooked the fact that Wan En and subsidiaries spend a significant portion of time, money, and energy improving the lives of the ''little people'', as he would say. We have several projects both here and overseas that are working to improve the lives of everyone on the planet and raise people out of poverty. After all, the more wealth people have, the more likely they are to buy Wan En products." I frowned as I stared at the screen; David paused for a moment with a wry grin stretching out his thin face. "What do you think of that statement, Smash Gal?" "I . . . I don''t know. I''m. . . I think Cur- Esvanir has a point when he says that sometimes heroes do blow in with little concern and get the job done and leave. I know that, at the very least, I''m guilty of that. And I''m going to try harder to make sure that I''m around for the cleanup. I can''t be everywhere. As for Mister Wan''s philanthropic interests, I cannot speak to them, as I''m just not that up on everything the company or he does." "Absolutely fair, darling," Thrawn leaned in and smiled. "So, your friend Jenny said that she had heard from you that the infamous Buck Cherry and Esvanir are an item. What are your thoughts on that? The internet is crazy about the potential Super-Villain Super-Couple." "I don''t believe Curt is a super-villain. Just a criminal. And criminals flock together, I suppose," I said, staring bitterly at my feet. "I was not aware, but if they''re not dating, they are at very least close. Our fight a few days ago was the third time I had seen them teamed up." "As a former friend of Curt''s, do you think they are?" "I had only gotten back in touch with him after several years and . . . I don''t know him like I used to. But I will say this: She''s pretty, and I''ve met few men that could resist a pretty face. Much less a pretty . . . everything else. Unfortunately for them, I don''t think they''ll be together much after we catch them and put them away. Co-Ed prisons being non-existent and all." "Speaking of pretty, the internet is quite obsessed with you," Thrawn said, eyes twinkling. "What do you think of the adult film parodies of you? Like Smush Girl takes on Rockman or Slam Woman vs. the Tentacles from Out of This World?" I put my head in my hands and shook it violently. I started laughing and maybe crying a bit. "I . . . I don''t know, Mister Thrawn." "David, please." "Right, David. I don''t really appreciate it. I understand that I''m kind of a celebrity, but it is kind of uncomfortable. Between that and the . . . Uh . . . art that I''ve seen . . . it''s just a little weird. I would kindly ask people to respect my privacy, but I doubt that''s going to happen." "Yeah, well," he said, a little stiffly. "I suppose I hadn''t considered it from that point of view. Miss Stewart, I would like to thank you for coming on. I hope you come back." The director motioned that the segment was over, and I stood up, and so did David. He was actually about Curt''s height. He made his way over and offered his hand. "I do mean that, dear. Thank you for coming on. And I''m sorry about that last question. I thought you might have had a joke or something about it, but it is pretty weird." "It''s alright, I understand." I shook his hand and frowned. "But it sounds like you''re speaking from experience." "Don''t think anyone would want to fuck a news anchor?" He said with this smarmy grin. Then it deflated. "When I transitioned to traditional media, my . . . A lot of my fans continued to follow me." "Fans? What did you do before?" "Porn," he said simply. He leaned back again and held his chin high. "You did porn before the news?" I asked. "That''s. . . quite the change." "Yeah, well, I was getting older. And I wanted to see if I could make content people would like with my pants on. And I can. Good to know that I''m multi-talented, I suppose." "So, there was some . . . Art of you from those days?" "Oh, people still make art. They . . . What do the kids call it? Ship me? With co-workers, guests, rivals, people I do stories on. I''ve seen every flavor of it. It''s flattering, in its own way." "I guess. I don''t think I''ll ever get used to it." "You will, and you won''t." "What do you mean?" "I''ve seen your type before, Kari. You got what it takes to be a star. And a hero. You''ll learn to tune a lot of it out until you can''t, and you''re Googling yourself and reading and watching every opinion piece about yourself. It''s a cycle. Some people only do it every couple of years; I do it once or twice a month. Just try to remember that they don''t actually know you or who you are. And their opinions are uninformed and probably projection. At least that''s what I do. Project that they''re projecting." He smiled again. Issue #15: Hell of a Business Card, Right?

=== Curt === After my two favorite people called me an idiot, I got to work. It''s the only thing I''m really good at. Des wasn''t there to disapprove, and Cindi just sat there and watched. She asked questions like what I was doing and why. What I was actually doing was going through every patent I could find in the Wan En files I had stolen to see if there was any EMP technology. It wasn''t super likely. EMPs are not incredibly useful, especially to a tech mogul like Wan. I didn''t find anything like that, but I did find another potential solution. A powerful signal blocker. Between that and something to short it out, we may be able to knock it out for long enough to get it out of her back. "What if when the signal is cut off, it just blows up?" Cindi asked. It was a reasonable question. "Well, most signals are not sent out constantly. Usually, they''re pulses. Every couple of minutes. So, the first thing we have to do is isolate the signal that it''s receiving and see how it works. Once we figure that out, we can plan from there." "Hmm. And then what?" "Depending on how long the pulse is, we might be able to do the surgery. I might be able to target the thing and pop it out anywhere in the world. Then we see." "Then we see what?" "What . . . What we want to do from there." My voice was small. I could feel Cindi looking at me. I didn''t like thinking about that; I also didn''t take my eyes from the computer screen. "Curt." "Mm?" I responded. "Look at me." I did so hesitantly. It took a lot of will to meet her eyes. "Why are you so worried about us? About our future. Nothing has to change." I laughed. Kind of. It was more like a soft cough mixed with a chuckle. I went back to the screen. Or tried to, anyway. Cindi grabbed my chin and pulled my eyes back to hers. "I . . . I had never said it before. To anyone." "Oh." She considered it for a moment. "Oh, is that it? You know. You''re really dumb for such a smart guy." "Or," I began, lifting a finger, eager for any distraction. "I''m really smart for such a dumb guy." "Maybe." She leaned in and kissed me. Then she bodily dragged me from the laptop to the bed. The hotel bed. My place wasn''t safe. Cindi took us to a hotel when she gathered me. She had used my stuff. I had made the UI simple enough so that almost anyone could use it. We were out of the States; I didn''t really know where. But they had internet. And booze. And I had had some to drink after my conversation with Des and Cind. Then Cind took them back to their clinic. And that''s when I started working. Cindi brought me back to the present with more soft kisses. "I''ve said it before." "Most people have." "But there''s a difference." "Oh?" "When I said it previously, it was a distraction. It was to get something or to make someone pay attention to me." Her fingers were entangled in my hair. "But not with you. I''ve. . . I''ve never needed to . . . distract you." "Could be that I just don''t have anything you want," I suggested. "Oh, you have one or two things I want." "Like what?" "I''m still waiting for you to make me one of your little toys so I can pop around the world," she said with a grin. I shook my head. "Nah." "Nah?" "Yeah. Can''t have that. Then you could just teleport all over the place, and you wouldn''t have any use for me. My fragile, male ego could not handle it." "Well, there''s always the other reason," Cindi purred against my neck. "And what''s that?" "You''re warm. It''s cold being naked all the time." After that, we went to bed. Kind of. I woke up the following day with the sun peeking through the curtains and sighed. I checked my phone when I got out of bed to use the restroom. And this was a mistake. I had over 99 notifications on Twitter. That was way more than I had ever had before. By a magnitude. At least.
Notifications ???????????????????????????? [Settings] [All] ?????????????? | ?????????????? [Mentions]
Felix the Cat and 4000 people are now following you.
Felix the Cat mentioned you. @curtreese418 ur esvaner right??? [Comments] 13 | [Retweets] 2 | [Likes] 45 | [Share]
There were hundreds of tweets like this. I scrolled through the constant stream on my profile. Before tweeting, I remembered to turn off my Geolocation on my phone. Most phones have it on constantly nowadays, but I had jail-broken this one ages ago. I could do basically anything I wanted with the settings. Hundreds of people wanted to hear from me. I managed to find an interview Kari did with David Thrawn. I watched that and the retweets of my little rant against Kari, Bion, and heroes. I came off as a whiny child. Which made sense. But it resonated with people. I read a lot of the threads, and there were tons of stories of people who were hurt by falling rubble, who had their cars or buildings destroyed and couldn''t go home or to work afterwards. Sometimes because there was nothing left to return to. I considered all of this and made a decision. I went to my Twitter profile and changed my handle and name. Esvanir had been taken, and so had a lot of other variants, but I eventually found one that was about as good as I could expect.
Curtis Reese | Esvanir @CReese_Esvanir
He/Him Activist Thief/IT Specialist ACAB | BLM | Trans Rights Avalare | Joined September 2013 295 Following | 4782 Followers
Not all of the reactions to my identity being out there were positive. Many people, especially Bion and Smash Gal fans, were threatening to kill me. Twitter has always been toothless to death threats, so that was hardly a surprise. A bunch of people called me a coward and an idiot and anything else they could think of. But that wasn''t what stuck out to me. It was that people were taking me seriously. This is a lot of responsibility, I thought. I''ve been avoiding real responsibility since I was 20. I don''t need this. One of the first things I noticed was that there was a lot of fan art. Some of it was wholesome; some of it was really well done; a lot wasn''t. A not-insignificant portion of it was porn. Some of it was with Marcelli and I, which was the worst thing I had ever seen. Some of it was with Smash Gal and I. There was apparently a tag for that. #SmashVanir. It ranged from hand-holding to . . . Anything you can imagine probably is only about 60% as graphic as what I saw. It was . . . Weird. People also shipped me with Cherry. And @buckcherry, which was her official account, had weighed in on this. She had suggested the ship name #CheSvy publicly. I finished up in the bathroom, stormed out, and glared at her. "What the hell is this!?" "What is what, Curt?" She asked, yawning. She glanced at my phone and then grinned. "Oh, yes. People were still using that Cannoneer woman''s tag. I just suggested my better alternative." "You realize that substantiates the claim, right? People will know." "People already know, Essy. They know that you belong to me. They have since I saved you." She shrugged and stood up and stretched. "Besides, that''s not even the worst of it." "Wh-what do you mean?" "You haven''t seen #SmaChesVan, have you?" "What in . . . What is that?" "It''s the threesome tag. There''s. . . Lots of creative art in it." She walked over and kissed my cheek. "If there''s a hero or villain anywhere on the same hemisphere, there''s art of them somewhere. Now you''re a part of the club." "And you''re okay with it?" "It''s not a matter of being okay or not okay with something, Curt. It simply is. Go with the flow. And enjoy it. You look handsome in a lot of the art." I deflated. She had a point. I wasn''t going to stop the internet from making porn. Rule 34 existed. And so did Rule 63. Which I did not Google. Immediately. I set up a business email for Esvanir and bought the domain esvanir.com. I had been contacted by David Thrawn''s assistant a couple days ago, and he wanted to interview me. Just like he did with Kari. I thought about it; I couldn''t do it in person. But Kari had had her word about me. It seems only fair that I should have mine. Explain myself. I''d have to talk to Cind about it. She was the criminal mastermind. She''d know what to do. Because I sure didn''t. This was all new. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

=== Kari === "That son of a bitch changed his name!" I exclaimed. "Kari! Language!" My mother said, piercing her salad violently. "But he changed his name!" "What are you talking about?" "Curt. He changed his Twitter name. He''s calling himself Esvanir. He''s not turning himself in." "Well, you never really expected him to, did you?" "I . . . I hoped he would. I hoped my interview would bring him to his senses." "Dear, you''re strong and fast, but you can''t change what''s in people''s hearts. Curt . . . Curt was always a troubled boy." "You liked him." "No, you liked him, and we felt . . . We didn''t like seeing someone so . . . troubled. We wanted to help." "Because you liked him. There are lots of poor kids you could''ve helped." Mom frowned at this and shook her head. "I had hoped our guidance could . . . help him. Keep him from going down a bad path." "That worked well." "Yes, well, it was out of our control." Our conversation was cut a bit short when I got a call. "Hello?" "Hey, Kari. I''m out of the hospital. I was . . . I was wondering if you might take me out on patrol. I''m not quite 100% yet, and I could sure use a hero to help me out." "Of course, I will, Chuck. That sounds like a lot of fun. And I need to let off some steam. 20 minutes?" "Sure." We disconnected, and mom and I finished lunch. She took an Uber back home. I flew out to meet Chuck. He was dressed in his blue and white costume that framed his face and was very tight. Tight enough to see some of the bandages still around his arms, legs, and torso. He was looking a lot better. Maybe a little thinner. He smiled when he saw me, but I think he was still in pain. We would take it slow today. We flew around the city, and I forced him to take breaks. That wasn''t what I said. I said that I wanted to stop off for ice cream. Or boba. Boba smoothies are so good. "I know what you''re doing, Kari. It''s not necessary." "Boba smoothies are always necessary." "Yeah, but taking this many breaks isn''t." "I don''t know what you''re talking about," I lied, looking away from him as I sipped my drink. "C''mon on now," he began. "I''m literally psychic. I can go into your brain whenever I want and prove it." "But you wouldn''t," I said. "Besides, you shouldn''t go in there right now." "Why?" "Because it''s private. And you might not like what you see." He stared at me for a long time. His eyes bored into mine. I knew what they looked like under the mask. I could just barely see their outlines; he had soft brown eyes. And he was looking concerned. "I already know you''re really angry about something. You''re furious, and you''re putting on a happy face because you think that''s who you have to be." "If I let the anger out now, it won''t be at the right target." "You probably shouldn''t be thinking in terms of targets for your anger. That''s not exactly healthy." "You are such a shrink." "Yeah, that''s my day job." "You''re a psychic psychologist?" "Hell of a business card, right?" He said playfully. "How do you know I''m that angry?" "It''s in the set of your jaw. The way you roll your shoulders when we find someone. And the fact that I''m a psychic. It''s pouring off of you in waves. And while I can try and not to read your mind, I can''t block out emotions. Not when they''re that strong." "That''s. . . Fine. I''m angry. And I''m worried about you. It might be too soon for you to be out." "We''re superheroes, Kar. It''s always too soon," he said. He finished his smoothie, dropped off the side of the building we were sitting on, and promptly plummeted a hundred feet before catching himself and flying off. I sighed and followed him. We did some more patrols, and it was a pretty quiet night overall. For a while. We did discover some people robbing a jewelry store. There were four thieves. Three women and a man. "Well, now, friends. This store appears to be closed. And you don''t appear to be paying." Whenever he used his Professor Mind voice, he sounded really corny. Especially when he said stuff like that. The criminals froze and turned to face us. One of the women cracked her knuckles and came out to us. She jumped up and socked PM in the face, and he went flying into a wall. She landed and spun a kick at me; I caught her leg and threw her back. She turned in the air and caught herself. Two of the others came out. One of them clapped their hands, and a shockwave shot out. I flew back but caught myself. That had broken glass; it had shattered the concrete. These guys were pretty strong. I charged down, and the first woman ax kicked me into the ground, which crumpled underneath me. It almost hurt. I pushed myself up. Clap-On, that''s what I''m going to call her. As Clap-on slammed her hands together again. I grabbed the first woman, the martial artist, and threw her in the way of the shockwave, and we both went flying. She crashed down closer. The third person started waving her hands in a strange pattern, and energy coalesced between them. I dashed forward, and she threw the wave on, and it slammed into me. My muscles gave out, and I landed on the ground again, twitching. Professor Mind was back and slammed down on her with a psychic dump truck. Literally. He constructed a psychic dump truck and dumped it down onto the three. Two managed to dodge, but the first caught it. The Fighter, I guess? She resisted the force of his assault, even as he pushed down harder on her. She then threw it to the side, and he went with it. It was dismissed after a moment, but she had walked up to Chuck''s form and started laying in on him. The man stepped out of the jewelry store and looked around. "Enough!" He snapped. "We need to get going." The women looked at him and shrugged. He started walking. There was a roar of fire that came from across the street. A bright purple streak burned into my retinas. The man screamed in pain and collapsed. All of his flesh had burned off. He was nothing but bones. The women looked around until there was another streak of purple flame. Clap-On dispersed it with a shockwave. A woman in samurai armor was standing tall on the hood of a car, and she slashed through the air with a sword several times, flinging more purple flames across the street. The women all scattered, and one slammed down into Chuck, who screamed in agony. The smell of burning flesh wafted through the air. I picked myself up and charged to his side. I patted the fires out as the criminals scattered. The woman started to chase them in giant clunking steps. She caught up to one of them in a few strides and chopped her in half, leaving smoldering piles in the wake of her sword. I clenched my fists and rushed to her. She had started pursuing one of the others, but I wasn''t going to allow her to kill someone. I couldn''t. "What the hell do you think you''re doing!?" "What you can''t. Get out of my way, girl. Or I''ll make you." "Excuse me? You''re a murderer." "I''m murdering those that need to be killed. Killers, thieves, those too weak to do what must be done to stop the first two," she said and slashed out. I had planned on just taking it, figuring I''d be resistant to whatever she was doing, but the sword bit into my flesh, and I charged back. "See? The sword knows you''re impure. All of you are impure." "What the hell are you talking about?" I demanded. I charged down, but she swiped her blade at me, and I narrowly dodged. She followed me. She wasn''t as fast as I was, but she predicted where I was going, and the sword tore through my leg, and I gasped and spun and tried to kick her. She had expected that too and got out of the way. "The sword kills the impure. It wouldn''t do anything to you if you were a good person." "Lady Blade!" Professor Mind called out. "Stop this. You can''t just go around murdering people." "I can murder the degenerates. I can rid the world of them and make it a better place." She turned to Chuck and grinned. "Tonight, you will both join the other degenerates. You will fall." She whipped her blade around, and flames shot forth in an arcing X formation. Professor Mind dodged to the side, raising a shield as well. He then fell out of the air and struggled to stay up. He was in no condition for this fight. I could stop her, though. I charged forward, figuring that with her back to me, she wouldn''t be able to react in time. I was wrong. She swung the sword behind her and spun with it. I felt every nerve sever and sear shut as the blade tore through my flesh. It felt like it took years. I dove to the side and slammed into the ground. I looked down, and there was a burning scar across my chest and upper clavicle. I winced as I stood up. She grinned at me. I charged forward at Mach 1, and the air itself split. She swung her sword, and there was a burst of flame around her. I felt the fire cling to my clothes and spun to extinguish it. I could go faster, but I couldn''t always control my force output when I did. She grinned and shot another lance of fire at PM. She''s really out to kill him. Fuck! I blasted forward, scooped him up in my arms, flew him to the top of a roof, and laid him down. He was breathing hard. The fire had burned through his bandages and some of his stitches. He tried to stand, but I pushed him back down and peered over the ledge. The armored woman was following us. She couldn''t fly, but she could do gymnastics in that heavy armor. She did a flip from a pole and landed on a building three roofs down from us. I stood up and braced myself. Kar, don''t! You''re hurt; You can''t get to her without a lot of damage. "Damn it, PM! She murdered two people in front of me. She tried to kill you!" "She will kill me if she defeats you. And it looks like she might." I winced. He had a point. She could kill him if I wasn''t careful. And she might even be able to kill me. She jumped to the roof just before us and started running. I looked back at Chuck. He needed to get back to the hospital. See a doctor. I sighed. I''ve never run away from a fight before . . . Damn it! I grabbed him and blasted off. She sent another firebolt after us, but it didn''t move at Mach anything. And I did.

=== Curt === I snapped down to a store real quick. Cindi was asleep, and Des was back in Avalare. And I needed to get out of the room for a while. I needed to stop doom-scrolling on Twitter. It was terrible. People were constantly sending me things, asking me for help, blaming me for stuff, tagging me in art, asking my opinion about anything. And it was all so much. I couldn''t handle it; I needed to step away. But if I was on my laptop, I couldn''t. I would keep a tab open, and I had a hard time ignoring the number. I get why celebrities have publicists for this kind of thing now. So, I went out to a convenience store. I gathered up a bunch of snacks. We were somewhere in Europe; I think it was either France or Spain; I''m not sure. I grabbed some brands I recognized and a lot that I didn''t. I figured I would try out whatever they had and see if I could find a new favorite. There were a lot of people. No one seemed to recognize me. I guess being internet-famous isn''t the same as actually being famous. Thank fuck for that. I got in the back of the line; It moved at a glacial speed; I tapped my foot impatiently. I could just snap out. I didn''t have to wait in line, but that didn''t seem right. These people weren''t rich. They were just trying to make do with what was available to them. There was a TV on in the background. I didn''t speak the language, but a newscaster was talking about Smash Gal and me. There were pictures of us on the screen. Bion appeared for a moment. I grimaced and shrank down a little, hoping no one would recognize me. No one did, thankfully. Eventually, I got to the front of the line and paid. The cashier looked at me suspiciously as he bagged my things. I gathered them and thanked him in English. Just as I got to the door, he shouted at me in a thick accent, "Esvanir!?" I grimaced and teleported back into the building. Cindi looked up from the bed. "What''s that?" "Junk food," I responded, tossing the bags on the bed and grabbing something. "Ugh. Curt. You can just order room service." "They don''t have Doritos," I said through a mouthful. "You''re honestly choosing corn chips over a five-star chef." "I''m a simple man," I responded, holding the bag out for her. She took a chip in a delicate hand and tried it. She chewed for a moment, considering. "They''re not terrible," she said noncommittally. Issue #16: Having a Four-Way in the Middle of the Street

=== Kari === Mom was fussing over me. It was really annoying. By the time I had gotten Chuck to a hospital, I had already stopped feeling the burns. There was little blood. Apparently, that woman''s, Lady Blade, sword had cauterized the wound as it slashed through. Who the fuck carries a katana lightsaber around? She''s a fucking psycho. I thought. Then I shook my head. Obviously. She killed two people right in front of me. And I couldn''t do anything. Mom pressed hard on one of the burns, and I winced. "What?" "You didn''t listen to a word I said, did you?" "No, I was thinking about something else." "This superhero business is getting dangerous. You are getting hurt." She sat down next to me. "I''m worried, Kari. I . . .¡± "Mom, there were bound to be things that could hurt me. After all, I can hurt the Grignau, so it only stands to reason." "Yeah, and it also stands to reason that you don''t need to be doing this. What if someone stronger comes around? Or more ruthless." "I don''t think there is anyone more ruthless. Lady Blade was going for the kill." I considered that. It was a lot to consider. I shook my head again. "But I can''t stop. I can fight her. Chuck was almost killed tonight. Someone has to stand up to these people." "What about Bion?" "Bion isn''t as fast as I am. Or as strong." She looked at me and sighed. "Just . . . Be more careful. You''re not much of a fighter as fast and strong as you are." "Yeah. Who would''ve thought I''d need to be." "Yeah. Even Curt knows how to fight, apparently. Though, I guess he''d have to." I frowned at her words and got up, crossing the room to turn on a TV. I didn''t want to think about Curt. Chuck had been right; I had been stewing in my anger against him. I flipped through and found the news; There was a live feed of armored police storming into a large home. I stopped and watched for a moment. It took me a couple of minutes to realize that I recognized that house. I had been there; that was Marcelli''s house. The police were raiding Marcelli! "Oh my God! They''re actually trying to take him down. I . . . I wonder . . . Curt might be there." "Curt? Right. He''s working for that man, right?" "Yeah, so he might help Marcelli escape. And if he does, I can catch both of them. I can get these criminals off of the street." Mom stared at me with her mouth twitching down into a frown. I couldn''t tell what she was thinking. But it didn''t matter. I ran into my room and changed in a literal flash. Then I was on my way, leaving mom to stand there. I flew the fastest I could. I could feel the air around me crack. I didn''t have a face shield anymore, so the entire time I flew, my mouth was blubbering in the air. I got to Avalare and flew as high as I could and still breathe easily to not disturb the buildings, dodging planes, and I arrived in the suburbs and slowed down. I reached Marcelli''s place, and much to my surprise, he was being carted away by the police. He was so large that he had to be loaded into an SUV instead of one of the squad cars to be comfortable. I followed them to the station and watched the media swarm around Marcelli and the officers taking him in. I wasn''t an officer, so I had no way of knowing what was happening. Or I wouldn''t have, had I not had super-hearing. I landed on a nearby building and closed my eyes, focusing entirely on Marcelli when I located him. It was weird and echo-y and distant. I had never focused on something so specific, and I felt a pressure build up behind my eyes. "Lawyer," Marcelli said immediately. The chair creaked under him. "Oh, you''ll need a lawyer. After your little event the other day, we have so much on you." "Lawyer," Marcelli repeated irritably. The cops sighed. There was little they could do. A while later, a tall thin man arrived in a very expensive car. He didn''t hesitate at all when walking through the police station. He didn''t ask where he was going. He told the person at the front why he was there and started walking, assured that he would find his way. And he was right. After a moment or two, he opened a creaking door and walked in. "Jones, finally!" "Yes, well, I have other clients, Mr. Marcelli." "That pay as well as I do?" The large man asked with a chuckle. "My rates are the same for all my clients, sir." He paused as the door opened, and two more sets of footsteps trailed in. "Why is my client being detained here? I demand his immediate release." "Hah. No. We have a warrant to search your client''s place, and I''m sure we''ll find something," one of the cops said, loathing coloring the word. I could hear both Marcelli and his lawyers'' heartbeats speed up. "Let me see the complaint," the lawyer demanded. There were several minutes of papers rustling and deafening silence otherwise. At least there. There were sounds all around me that I was carefully tuning out. After a few minutes, I could hear the sound of the file being put down. "Possession of deadly weapons, public endangerment, attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon. Is this what you plan on charging him with?" "That and any other things we find while going through his home, businesses, and anywhere else we think he''s had his grubby fingers." "I see," the lawyer said. "I need to speak to my client alone. Turn the cameras and mics off when you leave, please." The cops left, and the lawyer shifted in his chair. I think he leaned in closer to Marcelli and spoke in a low tone. "What can they find at your house?" "Not much," Marcelli said confidently. "I don''t keep anything there. And I had the things disposed of after Mister Reese got me out of the firefight." "And the businesses?" "It depends on which businesses. Which ones are they at?" "It lists thirty properties." "Let me see that," Marcelli demanded. He pulled the files over to him. The sound of papers rustling became more and more violent. His pulse quickened even more. "How did they get this information?" "I don''t know. Think someone flipped?" "I''m not sure. The warrant doesn''t list an informant, but that doesn''t mean they don''t have one." "What about Mister Reese? Think it might have been him?" "No, he''d never risk Buck Cherry''s life like that," he''d said the name with a lot of disdain. Wait, Buck Cherry''s life? I thought back to what Curt had said during our fight. "It''s not me." Marcelli must have been blackmailing him. That''s. . . concerning. "I don''t think I can get every charge cleared. It looks like they''ve discovered half your enterprise." Jones said in a confiding tone. "Mm," Marcelli responded thoughtfully. "What should I do?" "You''ll never get bail; you''re way too much of a flight risk," the lawyer spoke matter-of-factly. "You''ve been a public face of the organization for too long, and people have a grudge against you. Maybe it''s time you return to the shadows. At the very least, they''re going to freeze your assets. Is there a way you can get out of the city? Nevermind. Don''t tell me. But that''s my legal advice. You''ll probably see at least some time, and you have a lot of enemies everywhere. There''s no guarantee you''ll be able to hold onto power if you go down." "I''ll get away. I have other connections. Ones that they haven''t discovered. I think I''ll go back home. It''s been a long time since I''ve visited them. Give me your phone. I need to make a call. And they took all my shit when I was arrested." This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. I could hear the sounds of dialing. After a few rings, someone picked up, and there was a weary voice. "''Lo?" "Mister Reese. Your vacation is over. I need your special brand of assistance." My blood boiled. Curtis. I found my fists clenched into tight balls. "Right. What''s up?" He sounded like he was just getting up. "I''ve been arrested." "Oh. That''s unfortunate." "Yes, it is, and you''re going to help me escape." "That sounds like a ''you'' problem. Not an ''us'' problem." "You might have a point. You could be busy cleaning up the blood of Ms. Drei." There was a long silence. I thought that he may have hung up. When Curt spoke next, his voice was strained. He was furious. "Where are you?" Marcelli gave him the precinct number and cross-streets. Then there was silence. A shift. That''s when I noticed someone next to me, and I jumped up and fell off the ledge I was sitting on. Fortunately, I remembered how to fly before I went too far. I came back up and glared at him. "Oh, you finally noticed I''m here." Chuck looked bored. "I''ve been sitting here for ten minutes." "You have?" I asked. Then I reconsidered my line of thinking. "Why are you here? Shouldn''t you be in the hospital?" "There''s nothing they can do for me there. Mild cuts and burns will heal." He didn''t look at me when he said it. But I could sense there was a finality to this subject. I shook my head. "Go home. I can deal with this." "Deal with what? Breaking into a police station?" "Stopping a prisoner from escaping." He perked up at this. ¡°Marcelli just called Cur- . . . Esvanir. He''s going to help him escape. I''m going to stop him." "You''re going to fight one of your oldest friends?" "We''re not friends anymore."

=== Curt === I spent a few minutes stripping myself of the bandages and looked at myself in the mirror. I was still a little bruised. But I could snap again without a lot of pain. And I was on some mild pain killers to deal with the leftovers. And besides. This was an excellent opportunity. I looked up the station''s layout from local records and determined where they''d probably keep the detainee''s effects. I slipped on my gear, pressed my middle finger and thumb together, and was about to go when Cindi called out from behind me. "And just where do you think you''re going?" "Apparently, Marcelli got pinched. I''m going to go get him out. And get the dead-man switch while I''m at it." "Without me?" "Yeah, kind of. I''ll be in and out. No biggie." "Your no biggies have almost gotten you killed like five times in the last month." "Yeah, well, that''s also not much of a biggie." "The man who is terrified that he''s going to go to prison is going to break into a police station and smuggle out someone." "After I do this, it won''t matter if I get caught. You''ll be fre-" Cindi crossed the room and smacked me. "I''m so fucking sick of you saying shit like that. It does matter if you are in prison. Or are dead. I would miss you, damn it! And this self-loathing suicide-by-cop or suicide by Smash Gal is not fucking cute." "That doesn''t change the fact that I am going," I said. I refused to hold my cheek, but it did sting. "Yeah, and you''re going to have backup. Me. I''m your backup." "Police stations have lots of cameras. They might see your face." "They''ve already seen yours, and you''re going." She sighed. So did I. "I''m not talking you out of this, am I?" "Nope. Get used to it." I shook my head and grabbed her hand, and snapped. The world dissolved, and the Avalare skyline spread out before us. Tall buildings. Thin spirals of metal supporting strange art structures. It was colder here than where we had come from. Cindi had chosen a really tropical spot. Somewhere where fewer clothes were expected. Lots of water and sun. I had gotten a sunburn while indoors, but it was beautiful. This was my home, though. I walked up the steps and opened the door. The police station was loud and busy, and we snapped behind the counter. Someone looked up, but Cherry gripped the person''s neck, I felt a buzz circulate throughout her, and the person was out. I shivered and snapped somewhere else. I found the room where they kept the stuff taken from detainees. There were several people there, but Cherry made quick work of them. I was preoccupied. I found his wallet, keys, phone, and the detonator. I grabbed them all and teleported the detonator away to a safe place. In the next moment, we were in the hallway connecting all of the interrogation rooms. I peeked into the rooms until I found Marcelli. I walked into the room with the large man with two officers staring him down. They stood up, and one started to shout. "What are you doi-" Cherry took one of them out, and I took the other. I just uppercutted him. He went down. Damn it. I hate to admit it, but Cherry has a point. She made this way more manageable. Marcelli looked up from the table and raised his palms. He was shackled to the table. "It''s about damn time." Wordlessly, I put his stuff down on the table, grabbed the keys off of one of the cops, and unshackled them. Then the roof exploded. "Stop right there!"

=== Kari === I slammed my way through the ceiling onto the three of them. Chuck was right behind me. I couldn''t convince him to go away. That I could handle this. My hands were shaking. "Esvanir. Cherry. You''re going down. Just like him." Curt looked up with an annoyed expression on his face. Not scared. Not angry. Just annoyed. He''s so smug! I charged down, preparing a haymaker. Buck Cherry stepped in between us, caught my arm, spun, and threw me through the mirror in the back, which shattered. I could hear Professor Mind slam down one of his psychic constructs. The dust and the debris fell back to earth, and I saw that Curt had grabbed onto both Cherry and Marcelli. They disappeared. But I heard someone yelp outside; they were there. I launched myself into the air and found them immediately. He had just teleported them outside; there was a large, spinning portal. I concentrated on hearing them. "I can''t help but notice you have not returned all my things, Mister Reese." "That''s because this is the end of the line, Marcelli. She''s free. I no longer work for you. If you ever come near either of us again, I will kill you without a second thought." Marcelli seemed to consider this and then nodded. "Fair enough. But why not let me rot in prison." "The bomb''s not gone yet. You get shanked in prison, then I still have the problem. At least for a little while longer. But now, without the direct threat, I can work on finding a safe solution to that." "Ah. And where''s this?" "Country with no extradition. You hid some of your money there. Some of your early accounts. Should be safe. And if not, it''s not my problem." I charged down, but before I could reach him, Marcelli dived through the portal. I slammed down where he was, cracking pavement. I stood up and glared, my fists shaking. "You let him go!" "Yep. And now I''m going to go." Curt reached for Cherry''s hand, and I sped towards them. I cut in between them and kicked Curt in the stomach, and he went flying. He crashed to the ground and tumbled head over heel a few times, and I was about to go after him when I felt Cherry grip my arm and zap me. My skin buzzed, and I went down to my knees. But I gritted my teeth and spun on her. My fist passed right through her face, and she slammed her fist into my stomach and groaned in pain. But she sent another jolt of electricity through me, and I convulsed. I reached out for her, but she danced away. Her clothes fell to the ground, and she took a low martial arts stance. "God, you''re such a slut!" I yelled as I charged at her. She grinned, and I passed straight through her. She grabbed my cape and yanked hard. It clutched at my throat, and I hit the ground. But it wasn''t hard enough to do anything. I jumped to my feet and started throwing punches. Cherry dodged a lot of them, deflecting a few, and let some pass through her. "I might be a slut, but at least I''m honest about what I want. And what I want is Curt. He''s mine, now." I glanced to the side, and Curt was charging for me. Professor Mind flew down and created a wall between us. I heard Curt curse. My opponent took this opportunity to kick me in the head and shock me simultaneously. My head spun, and my vision blurred. "And we''re coming to you live at the scene of Smash Gal, Esvanir, Professor Mind, and Buck Cherry fighting in the middle of the street." I heard a newscaster say from somewhere. I stumbled back, and Cherry was behind my defenses. She threw several quick jabs, each punctuated with a jolt of energy. I stumbled back further. "You know, Jessica, I''ve always thought about having a four-way in the middle of the street. But I would have never done it like this." David Thrawn''s voice echoed out from somewhere far away. Then I caught her arm and punched her. I felt the air leave her lungs, and she fell to her knee. I backhanded her, and she flew into PM''s shield. It fell down suddenly. "David, you''re such a pervert." The other newscaster said from what seemed like miles away. I needed to focus. I clenched my jaw and refocused my eyes. I saw Curt and Chuck wrestling. Curt threw him around and opened a portal to blast him with water. He slammed a knee into PM''s ribs, and I heard them break. Again. I heard his ribs break for the third time this week. I saw red. I charged forward and was about to slam my fist straight through Curt''s head, but Cherry grabbed me and pulled me to the ground. Then into the ground. Dirt and cement filled my mouth, and my eyes and I tried to cough, but I couldn''t. I felt her slip away, and I screamed. I slammed my fists into the earth around me, and it exploded. I burst forth from the ground and roared with rage. I blasted down to her, flew straight into the ground, and spun on a heel, sweeping out my leg. It went through her. She was good; she was an experienced fighter. But I am a fucking superhero; I am Smash Gal! I thought. I sped up. A lot. My fists would create cones of air around them. She dodged them admirably at first. Which just pissed me off more. I caught her with a hard right, and she crashed to the ground. She feebly tried to get up, but I grabbed her stupid, naked ass by the throat and throttled her. My hands were shaking with so much rage. How dare she! How dare she fight me!? How dare she stand up to me!? How dare she corrupt Curt!? Another voice in my head asked: Had she? I ignored it and squeezed. She struggled against me, trying to pull free of my hand. Try all you like, bitch. But I''m mother fucking Smash Gal. She went limp, and I dropped her to the ground. She collapsed like a sack of potatoes. I heard a cry. Issue #17: The Cruelest Place I Know

=== Curt === Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Smash Gal . . . I saw Kari grab Cindi by the throat. She was squeezing and snarling. I side-stepped another feckless blow from Professor Mind; He was injured. So was I, but I was less so. He gestured, and another wave of blue psychic energy blasted forward. I snapped and appeared behind him. I elbowed him in the neck, and he fell forward. He reached out and said, "Kari, don''t!" I glanced up at the fight between the only two women I had ever cared about. Kari dropped Cindi to the ground, and she landed heavily. "No!" I didn''t snap forward; I couldn''t summon the concentration to do that. I ran to her; I ran to Cindi. Kari started charging ahead, but a blue wall appeared between us. It didn''t stop her for long; She smashed through it. But I didn''t care; I got to Cindi. I leaned over her, and I could see the bruises. The scrapes. Her eyes were closed. I felt my breathing quicken. I couldn''t see her chest moving. I tried to find her pulse, but I couldn''t. My own blood was rushing violently through my body. I couldn''t hear anything. I leaned over her. "She''s not breathing!" Smash Gal landed in front of me. So did the Professor. I was shaking. "Turn yourself in, Curt. It''s over. You can''t win." Kari''s voice was steel. I stared up at her, Cindi in my arms. "Y-you k-killed her," I whispered. Her eyes widened. Professor Mind clutched his head. But I blocked him out. My vision narrowed. The only thing I could see was Kari. And with that focus came a plan. My rage ran hot, but my mind was working furiously. I had enough of Kari''s bullshit. "You fucking bitch! You killed her!" Distantly, I heard the man say, "Kari, you need to get out of here. I''ll stop him. Go!" "I''m not afraid of him! He''s just some little bitch thief. They''re a dime a dozen, and I''ve stopped all others. I''ll stop him too!" "Kari, he is going to try to kill you." I stepped forward. "He''s. . . He''s so angry." "He''s powerless!" Kari charged forward. I teleported behind her, and she slammed to the ground. I turned to Professor Mind. My head was pounding; my body was shaking with my heartbeat. I busted out one of my batteries, slammed it into him, and activated it. His body convulsed, and he collapsed, screaming in pain. "Stay down," I growled. "Or I''ll kill you, too." Kari screamed and launched herself at me. I stepped to the side, and she landed next to me. I tracked her movement and opened a portal. She threw her punch, and it slammed into Professor Mind. She screamed in rage and flung more fists at me. I didn''t bother moving. I tracked her movements, and her fist slammed into her and the Professor. "Why!? Why are you doing this!?" "You killed her," I growled. "I''m going to kill you." She laughed and charged back. "Yeah, right. Better people than you have tried and failed, Cee. Powered people. Not someone with a parlor trick. I''m not going to die to some two-bit thief. Not her and not you." "She wasn''t trying to kill you. And I have never tried to kill you before. But you have burnt up every. Piece. Of. Good. Will. You. Had." She launched herself down at me. She was fast. I could only barely track her movements. But I could follow her trajectory. She threw a fist forward, and I opened a portal in front of it. Then I constricted it around her arm. The constant spinning energy that my portals were made of cut into her flesh. She tried to pull her arm from it, but I just tightened the grip around her arm when she did. I walked up to her. She kicked out, and I caught her leg in a portal and did the same. The same energy cut through her stockings and then into her flesh, spinning like a saw of sheer energy. She struggled more. I slid other portals around her other arm and leg, constricting them to a tight point. She roared and struggled against it. I stared up at the face of the first woman I ever loved. She was gritting her teeth. Tears were streaming down her face, smearing the makeup that somehow always stayed immaculate in any other circumstance. I felt nothing but contempt for her. Hatred. Not only had she abandoned me, but she had killed the only other person I had ever loved. And she did so while sanctimoniously calling me a thief and insulting me. I grinned. It was painful. There was no joy in it. I don''t know that I had joy left. "Curt! Stop!" A voice from behind me cried. I ignored it and watched her struggle. "I know you''re angry. But you have to calm down." I finally turned back. Professor Mind was standing again. "She''s not dead, Curt. She''s breathing. It''s shallow. Please. Don''t do this." "You think I''ll believe the lies of another fucking hero!? You pieces of shit do whatever you want." I pointed back to her. "She has tried to kill me countless times. All because she thinks she has the right to because of her stupid fucking powers. You idiots and your powers. You''re all so sloppy because you never have to try!" "Curt, I know you''re angry. I understand that. I . . .¡± The man before me winced and stumbled back. "I can feel it. I feel all of it. But think. Look at her. Look at Buck Cherry. She''s breathing." Something he did washed over me. The rage cleared for a moment. My eyes focused, and I saw Cherry. Her chest moved. But the anger came back. "Desperate act from a desperate man." "Curt, I''m not faking that. I wouldn''t. Because I know you would kill me instantly if you caught me." I walked past him and leaned down over Cindi. Her chest moved slightly. My hands were still shaking, and my pulse was too fast. I wouldn''t be able to verify anything. I hadn''t let Kari out of the bonds. The other half of her limbs were being crushed under the weight of the entire ocean. Probably freezing, too. The Mariana Trench was the coldest, cruelest place I knew of. And I was using it as a weapon. "If you''re faking this, I will drop you, piece by piece, into a volcano," I said. I picked Cindi up. With a flick of my hand, the portals around Kari''s limbs loosened and spit her out. She landed on the ground with a freezing, bloody splat. I had overtaxed my system a lot. Usually, when I overtax the system, I can''t teleport for twenty to thirty seconds. While I sap ambient energy from the entire planet, especially from large, wasteful energy generators. I normally found it ironic that my teleportation depended on the energy sources I hated so much and wanted to abolish. That, in my perfect world, I never existed. Or what I had thought was my ideal world. Having seen Cindi die . . . Or at least I thought. I hope it was just a thought. I realized that more than anything, I wanted to be in a world with her by my side. And these fucking bastards kept trying to take her away! I shook with rage and crushed her into my chest. I could finally hear her breath. I started walking away. I picked up her clothes and put them in a bag.

=== Kari === The pain was unbearable. My arms and legs were so cold. I watched Curt walk away with Buck Cherry in his arms. I tried to stand up, but he had cut through my legs and arms ferociously. I collapsed to the ground; I had been hurt by so many people lately. Chuck was just sitting there, watching them. Same as me. I screamed at him. "What are you doing!? Get them! They''re getting away, PM!" "No, Kari," he said softly, getting to his feet. He shambled over to me, clutching his side. "Not this time. If I went anywhere near him right now, he''d kill me. He''s barely containing his rage and hatred for us right now." "What . . ." I started, tears welling up in my eyes. "What fucking right does he have to hate us?" "Kari, you went too far again," he said softly, brushing the hair out of my eyes. "You almost killed her. And you''re wondering why he hates you? What you did to him? He has never fought like that before. And you brought that out in him." "I was just trying to bring him in!" You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "No, you were trying to hurt him," Chuck said softly. I shuddered with a half scoff and cry and winced. "After almost killing his girlfriend, you mocked him. You degraded him. At some point, you stopped seeing him as a person and as an obstacle for justice." "He breaks the law. He hurts people!" "And you do, too." Chuck''s tone was somber. "And so does Bion. And me. And Jenny. And Thunderblast. We''re all criminals by the letter of the law. And with any other criminal, you try to take them in. But with Curt, your friend . . . Maybe someone who was more than that, and his girlfriend, you have always tried to kill him. Every time you''ve fought." "I . . . I didn''t. . . I wouldn''t. . ." "You did." "I . . . He is a criminal. A thief and a murderer." "Not today. And not even in general. As far as criminals go, generally, he is rarely lethal." "Does this look nonlethal to you?" I tried to gesture to myself but ended up collapsing onto my face. "No, it doesn''t, but he also believed that you killed someone he cares about more than I think even he knows." Chuck watched as several reporters, ambulances, and the police closed in. The police must have been scrambling after I shattered their ceiling and Curt and Cherry''s assault. It took them forever to get together. "Smash Gal, what do you have to say about Esvanir''s words? Do you think you''re sloppy?" "Do you feel like you underestimated Esvanir?" "Do you think it''s right to break into a police station like you did?" "What about the collateral damage that you caused in this fight?" The reporters asked a million questions, and they all ran through my head as I was rushed off to the hospital. I laid there as the doctors tried to figure out what to do with me. My skin was tougher than most of the tools they had. They had turned on the TV, and the news was recounting the battle. They had used drones to get closeups of our faces. I saw my face when I was choking Buck Cherry; I saw her fear; I felt her fear when I looked at myself. Her identity had finally come out. Well, her identities, I guess. She had forty-two known aliases. It was thought that her original name was Cindi Drei, but honestly, who could know at this point? I doubt even she could keep it straight. My parents came around and offered their expertise to help cure me. Part of the Grignau physiology that I had inherited from their experiments was quick healing. There would be scars, and I was basically bedridden for a while. But I would be fine. When I saw the footage of what Esvanir . . . what Curt had done to me. His face contorted in that terrible rage. Rage that matched mine when I was choking Cherry . . . Cindi . . . We were both so terrifying. I also caught the words I had said in my rage. Chuck was right; I had been mocking him, and he had proven me wrong. Incredibly wrong. The woman with the magic sword couldn''t kill me, but Curt almost had. I suffered from severe frostbite. They say that my arms were covered in seawater. When my limbs were trapped in his portals, I could barely move them. It was so painfully heavy; I had felt my bones pop. I shivered; the memory was terrible; I still felt cold. My fingers were blue by the time they got me in the ambulance. I had apparently got hypothermia. "Honey," mom began when she saw me. She threw her arms around me. "Oh my god! Look at you. Look at what he did to my girl." "It''s fine, mom," I lied. She worked hard to ensure I''d still have full use of all of my limbs, but I think my body would''ve taken care of that already. But I let her. It made her feel like she had control over the terrible thing that had happened. The thing I caused. The thing Curt caused. When I thought about him, I still felt rage, but I also felt pain. I never thought I''d see him look at me like that. With that much loathing. And now, when I close my eyes, I see Buck Cherry''s face. About a week after I was admitted, I had most of the function of my fingers back. It still hurt to do things, but I could work through the pain. And I had made a decision. Curt, Cherry, and Lady Blade had all gotten the better of me. I couldn''t let that happen again. I was strong; I was really strong. But they were martial artists. And my strength might overcome that, but they also could use it against me. So, I made a call. "Hello?" "Hey, Jenny. It''s Kari." "Hey, Kar. How''re you feeling?" "Exhausted. Beaten. Tired." "Yeah, I''ve been there." "You have?" "Oh, yeah. I wasn''t born in a wheelchair, you know?" "Oh . . ." I didn''t know that about Jenny. I really didn''t know much about her at all. Just that I liked her. "Ask." It wasn''t a question. It was a command. That''s when I remembered the one thing I did know about her. She was a domme in some of her relationships. I shuddered. "What?" "Everyone always wants to ask, but they think it''s rude or whatever. And that is way more annoying than almost any of the actual questions. Except for the sex ones. Those can get really uncomfortable." "Wouldn''t that mostly depend on the position?" I asked. Jenny took a moment, then I think she dropped the phone laughing. I laughed too. For the first time in a week, I laughed. "Anyway," she managed, barely catching her breath. "What''s up, girl? What can I help you with?" "Well, I . . . Do you know anyone who knows martial arts?" "The world''s strongest woman wants to learn martial arts. That''s horrifying. I have a couple of people I could call. But you''ll have to be gentler with them than you were with Buck Cherry." "Yeah . . ." I sighed, feeling the guilt well up again. "What happened wasn''t your fault. Esvanir took that too far." "Chuck doesn''t agree." "Well . . . I don''t know; it doesn''t seem cut and dry to me. And Esvanir went way farther than you did. And even now, he''s on a warpath. I hear he''s doing an interview with David Thrawn. Thinking about it, that''s happening today." "He''s doing what?" I demanded, sitting up. "Well, since your fight, he''s been on Twitter constantly, releasing videos about heroes'' authoritarianism and our supposed might-makes-right nature. How it creates an unjust hierarchy or some such nonsense. And it looks like David Thrawn wants to capitalize on the fact that he''s trending. Some people are resonating with it." "Really? That sounds . . . Weird. Do people really think that we''re like that? Aren''t authoritarians fascist?" "Sometimes . . . A lot of the time, yeah. It also doesn''t help that he and Bion have been arguing for the last thirty-six hours. And Curt is pretty well-spoken." "He always was. The prick," I said. I couldn''t imagine what people wanted from an interview like that. What would David ask? "I hope Thrawn nails him to the fucking wall." "Yeah, me too. He''s kind of insufferable," Jenny said absently. "So, I got word back. I have a trainer who is willing to take you on. She''s the best. Can train you in whatever you want, really." "She''s that good?" "She''s the best. Trained in both weapons and hand-to-hand. I''ll give her your number, and she''ll reach out. How much longer are you in the hospital for?" "I''m basically healed up." "Uh-huh. Do I have to call your mom to make sure you stay until you''re healed up?" "N-no! Don''t do that." "Then heal up. No use learning a bunch of new stuff if you kill yourself from overwork. Speaking of. I also have to call Chuck''s mom. Since he''s been overworking himself too. Or become his mom and spank him." "You''re such a domme." "Sometimes." I could hear the grin in her voice. "But sometimes I like to be dommed. Just depends." "Well, tell Chuck I say hi when you see him." "He hasn''t visited you?" "Uh, no, not since the first night." "Oh. Well, I''m sure he''s just busy. He''ll be there when he has a little more time. I know it." "And how do you know that?" "Because I know him. He''s a dork, but he''s really reliable. And also, he was in bad shape that night. I know he passed out for a couple of days after he got home, the damned fool." "Men usually are." "Just means we can train them if we try, right?" "Do you believe that?" "Believe? No, I know." Issue #18: Id Like to Apologize

=== Curt === "And now, I would like to welcome tonight''s guest. Coming live from an undisclosed location, the elusive celebrity criminal, Esvanir. Can you hear me?" The Australian host stared with that vaguely unfocused stare that people always gave their computer screens on video calls. I took a deep breath. I had never been on TV before. Well, not on purpose anyway, and it took me a moment to find my voice. "Yes, Mister Thrawn. I can hear you." "David, please," the man said with a grin. "So, you have had quite a couple of weeks. First, your identity is revealed to the world in a fight with the Smash Gal, then you have your rematch, which ends in your favor. You''ve become a household name and a major political talking point. How do you feel about this?" "It''s honestly just really surreal. I don''t know how to deal with any of it. I''ve never really been a public figure and before the . . . uh . . . reveal, I had like five followers on Twitter. And no one ever thought to ask my opinion on much of anything. Now I have thousands of people seeking it." "Yes, so let''s get your opinion on things. Let''s keep it light for a while. Pineapple on pizza?" "I''m pro. Not all the time, but you know, the occasional Hawaiian is pretty good." "Oh, I think that might be your most controversial opinion yet." The reporter winked at the camera. "So, I''m sure you''ve seen the various responses from heroes and the ultra-wealthy and not-so-wealthy alike. They think you''re a bit of a hypocrite, telling them they need to forfeit their fortunes when you are a thief and haven''t given everyone your ability to teleport." I considered the man''s words for a moment before shaking my head. "I think people misunderstand what I actually want for people. Andrew Wan says that he''s spent a lot of money trying to improve the lives of the general populace, in part to feed his own greed, by his own admission. But he fails to realize that the taxes, that he pays such a small amount of, don''t really cover the amount of infrastructure he wrecks with a single battle. He has the ability by himself, not even his company, to fund healthcare. Not just for the people who are hurt and don''t qualify for the predatory loans and grants his subsidiaries pass out. And that''s the other thing. A lot of the goodwill reparations he makes is subsidized by the government, so it''s not nearly as philanthropic as Wan En would like us to believe." "That''s all interesting, but it doesn''t seem like your only bone to pick with him or heroes in general. In both of your fights with Smash Gal, you have implied that heroes are not exactly all they''re cracked up to be. Would you care to explain that? This topic has seen a lot of debate online that has only grown more furious since you started trending." "Uh . . . Yeah, I was . . . maybe not as elegant with my words as I could''ve been." I paused for a moment. There was a violent pang in my chest. Kari''s face etched in my mind as I worked to kill her. I clenched my fists and focused on the camera. "Heroes are irresponsible and answerable to no one. There has been a movement in the last couple of years to stand up to the injustices that the police have done against people of color, and that is a hell of a cause that I firmly believe in. But I would extend it to supposed heroes as well. Kari . . . Smash Gal herself has seen the cops'' actions against people of color and how their unfettered power and lack of consequences have led to increasingly violent actions. And yet, the same could be said for these heroes. Since Bion first came on the scene all those years ago, he''s become increasingly willing to use deadly force. Jenny the Cannoneer has gotten a couple of kills under her belt. Professor Mind has destroyed the minds of some of his victims. And as we saw almost two weeks ago, Smash Gal, someone who was initially very hesitant to use deadly force not two months ago, almost killed someone who she, herself, considers to be a petty thief. Solving every problem with violence seems to lead people to think that''s the only solution." "And what about you?" The reporter said, his voice much less light and much more pointed. "You are also answerable to no one. You are literally a criminal. Don''t you think it''s hypocritical for someone like you to criticize people who are saving others on their methods when yours are even more illegal?" "Maybe," I admitted. "But I''ve never claimed to be anything more than a petty thief. And because I am still mostly powerless against these people. Since I''ve been thrown around like a rag-doll by them, just barely survived every encounter against them. Only doing so because of some luck and a gadget or two, I see things differently than they do. Smash Gal said it that night. The night she almost killed Buck Cherry. She thought I was no threat because I''m not powered." "Do you have anything you''d like to say directly to Smash Gal?" "I''d like to apologize," I responded immediately. I had given a lot of thought to this. "I really wish that I could. But the issue is that at this point, all I feel towards her is anger. She destroyed whatever friendship with me we had left. She might be necessary for threats like the Grignau and some of the more violent metas, but I just consider her a threat. Someone impossible to trust. Someone willing to kill people she doesn''t even consider threats to her. So, while I''d like to apologize to her, I can''t." Thrawn cleared his throat and shuffled his feet. He then composed himself. "Yes, well. Sp-peaking of Buck Cherry, how is she doing?" I opened my mouth to answer, but Cherry, who had been sitting on the side, listening, leaned into the frame and grinned. I looked at her. You could still see the violently purple bruises in the form of a handprint around her throat. Her face was still scratched, and her lips were cracked. She was still beautiful, but she was also really battered. "Hello, David. Can you hear me?" "Yes, I can," David said, nodding. "How are you, Miss Drei?" "I am doing great, considering. I never got a chance to thank you." "Thank me? For what?" "For my name," She said before sitting in my lap. She was wearing a bathrobe. I hadn''t thought about it, but this was why. Cindi was a nudist whenever possible. She had always been planning on coming on. I couldn''t help but grin. Just barely leaving Death''s Door, and she was already back to her games. She pulled the robe to the side, revealing one of her several cherry tattoos. "I really like it. As you can see. I do wish that I was able to copyright it, but I''m told you did that for me." "Oh," Thrawn laughed a little nervously. "Yeah, well. I''m glad you like it." "I really do," she said. "But I still think you owe me. You''ve been profiting from my name this whole time. Do me a favor, will you?" The reporter gulped and looked away from the camera for a moment. "Oh? Well, I can try. But I''m not doing anything illegal, right?" "No, no, no," Cindi cooed. "I just need you to cut to a commercial after my next question." She grabbed the camera and adjusted it as she slipped from my lap. Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out a set of black metal rings. She held one up. "Curtis ''Esvanir'' Reese, will you marry me?"

=== Kari === The words echoed through my mind over and over again. I had paused the interview and was staring at my screen, thinking about what I had just seen. Someone impossible to trust. Someone willing to kill people who she doesn''t even consider to be threats. Is that who I am? Is that what Curt sees me as? I deflated in my chair and held my head in my hands; I felt tears leak down my cheeks. I sat there and cried for a few minutes before I got up and cleaned my face. I was back in fighting shape again. Mostly. My arms and legs were really sore still, but I would deal with that. It was time. I donned my costume. Mom had refused to repair the old one, but Jenny had dropped off a new one anyway. The color scheme of the shirt was inverted. White with periwinkle trim and lettering emblazoned across my chest and a matching cape. It was also a short sleeve mid-drift cut. The skirt was a bit shorter and cut up the thigh a little further than I liked. There were stockings and new boots that weren''t ruined from saltwater. I put it on and stared at myself in the mirror. The scars on my thighs and arms were clearly visible. I fingered them solemnly. Then I gathered my phone and promptly jumped out the window. I blasted off after letting the air pass me as I fell. I didn''t go my full speed. I was just too busy letting my mind empty of everything. I hadn''t flown in almost two weeks. That was the longest I had gone since I had learned how to fly. I spun through the air and made a loop. I got to my destination much faster than I would have liked. I would have given anything to be wandering the city on patrol. But it was time for business. I landed in a terrace garden. There were some people there in plain-looking robes tending to the garden. There was a pool of sand where someone was drawing intricate designs that I couldn''t begin to fathom. There was a small pond with koi fish gathered near someone feeding them. I walked down the path, and no one looked at me. In fact, if someone was walking towards me, they''d specifically avert their eyes. I sighed. It was a weird opposite to being down on the street. I turned to ask someone where I was supposed to go, but as I opened my mouth, a loud screeching voice cried out, "You''re late!" I turned around and didn''t see anyone looking at me. For a moment, I wondered if that had been directed at me, and then the voice rang out again. "Down here, you damned fool." I looked down. An absolutely tiny woman was leaning over a cane and stared up at me. She had small eyes magnified ridiculously by her thick, broken glasses. She stumped around me, and when I didn''t follow, she turned and motioned for me to follow. "Well, come on then. We have to see if you''re worth anything." She led me down some labyrinthine corridors until we reached a small room with a child meditating inside. The old woman thundered past the young girl and sat cross-legged against the wall. "Test this child for me." "I don''t think that''s appropriate," I said, stepping into the room. "I am very stron-" "Who said I was talking to you, fool?" The old woman said. The young girl stood up and bowed to me. She had black hair and dark eyes and couldn''t have been more than ten. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. "What?" I asked. I didn''t even think to bow back because I was so flabbergasted. "I can''t fight her! I might kill her." "Oh, well, that should be fun to watch," The old woman said, grinning. "What do you think, Suiren?" The girl didn''t respond; She just took a stance and motioned me forward; I walked towards her and looked down at her. She was less than half my height. "I can''t do thi-" The girl slammed a palm into my stomach, and the air rushed out of my lungs. I coughed and barely got my arm in the way to intercept a kick. She had launched herself from the ground, kicked my forearm three times, and landed perfectly. And swept my leg out from under me. I landed on the ground, and the young girl offered her hand to help me back up. I sat up. "Okay. She can fight. But I can lift a building." "Yeah, that''s been really helpful so far," cackled the old woman. I glared at her and then at the girl whose expression had not changed whatsoever in the time since we had walked into the room. I stood up and threw a soft punch. A love tap. The girl grabbed my arm, spun on her heel, and threw me. I landed heavily across the room; I lifted myself off the ground and stared. "Oh, so she''s a meta. Maybe someone who manipulates gravity or something?" "No, nothing like that," the old woman responded cryptically. I charged forward and kicked. The girl ducked under my leg and slammed two hands into my side, and I crashed down to the floor again. It didn''t hurt but still. I jumped up and threw a punch; the girl barely seemed to move out of the way. And her expression never changed. She dodged everything I threw at her. I could not touch her at all. She slammed a fist into my stomach again, and I sputtered, unable to catch my breath. "Grandma, this lady isn''t a fighter. Why am I doing this? This isn''t going to help me get my-" "It is important that you not just focus on your goals but to help other people. Or do you want to be like her?" The girl blanched at this and turned to me. She bowed again. "I''m sorry. But you''re just no challenge for me," the little girl said with closed eyes. "Please come back when you can actually hit me." "Suiren!" "I don''t know how to help her." "So," I began, wiping the slobber from my chin. "You want me to hit you, huh?" "You can''t. Not with the way you fight. I''m sorry." "We''ll see," I said, anger building up in my chest. I threw a relatively slow punch, which she blocked. She also jumped over my leg that I tried to sweep under her. She sighed and shook her head. "I''m the one who should be sorry." "Why''s that?" She asked, only seeming half interested. "Because you''re the one who''s outmatched, girl." I charged forward and threw another punch. This time at my full speed. She just managed to duck under it and the next one. But she was caught off guard from then on out. I pounded into the girl who I had not been able to touch. She blocked as much as she could, arms curling around her face. I heard her yelp, and I slowed down. "That''s enough!" The old woman cried out. I halted my assault. I hadn''t tried to hurt the girl, and as it turns out, I hadn''t. She was a little bruised, but I had managed to keep control over my strength. The woman wandered over to Suiren and pulled her up. "Was that your goal, Suiren?" "I wanted to see what it was like," the little girl said in a small voice. "And what did you think?" "It''s pointless. She can''t do anything like that." "Yeah," the woman agreed. "I don''t know that I can teach anyone like this." "Excuse me, I''m right here." "Yeah, we know. But this doesn''t concern you." "It sure seems to concern me, seeing as how you''re talking about me." The old woman considered me for a moment. "That is true. We''re not going to teach you." "What? Why not?" "You can''t even beat an eight-year-old girl without powers." "She dodged all of my blows. Of course, she has powers!" "No, I don''t. I just could see all of your punches coming immediately. You''re predictable." "I was punching at Mach 8!" "Yes, you were. And she still managed to block your punches." "Then she''s a meta!" "Or I knew where your punches were going to land." "Is Esvanir a meta?" "No, but he''s a cheater." "A cheater?" The old woman looked at me. "How do you figure that?" "He caught me off-guard." "In a fight that you initiated." "Y-yeah. He''s tricky." "He''s a real fighter," Suiren added. "You''re just strong. That''s not the same thing." "Isn''t that why I''m here?" I demanded, unable to keep the heat out of my voice. "To learn how to fight!?" "That''s the other thing. You''re too angry. You will hurt people if you learn how to fight." "I am a superhero! I am going to protect people!" "Or get them killed. Like you almost did to that girl. You had no idea what you were doing, and you almost got yourself, her, Professor Mind, and Esvanir killed that night." "N-no!" I swiped my arms through the air, causing a shockwave to cut through it. "You can''t even control your anger when you''re having a conversation." The old woman started walking away. "I''ve already made the mistake of teaching someone with more strength and anger than sense. Unlike you, I can learn from my missteps." "What do you mean by that?" "Think about it." And I did. Suiren and the old woman left. I sat down in the room. After a few minutes, the lights turned off automatically. I sat there in the darkness. I thought about it. Curt had been out of his gourd with rage and pain that night. But he still beat me; he couldn''t fly at Mach anything. Esvanir was just a vanilla human, and he caught me. He made me hurt Professor Mind. I clenched my fist in anger at the thought. Then I released it. He''d used that trick before. He had made me punch things before. He had always been able to do that. But how? Cherry threw me around, too. She doesn''t seem that strong. But she had me on the ropes once. Almost twice. She''s slower and weaker than I am. I thought about how Suiren had blocked or ducked under everything until it became physically impossible for a human to keep up. I had had to resort to that against Cherry too. And against Curt in our previous fights. And in a lot of my fights. Because when I was fighting at their level, I wasn''t good enough. Curt''s words echoed through my head again. You''re all so sloppy because you never have to try! I stood up after a while. The light came back on. I looked around. If I wanted to, I could have killed Suiren. I had almost killed Cherry. Professor Mind pointed out that I had practically killed Curt before I knew it was him. I was sloppy. I just got beat up by an eight-year-old. Fuck! I walked out of the room. It took a few minutes, but I found the old lady and Suiren. "Was your time in the dark enlightening?" "Y-yeah. I guess." I got down on my knees and pressed my head to the ground in front of the old woman. "You''re right about me. I . . . am angry. And I rely too much on my powers. C-could you teach me whatever mystical arts you know? So that I can learn how to be more in control." "Mystical arts?" Both Suiren and the woman fell over laughing. "We don''t teach mystical arts here." "Then how . . ." "I told you," Suiren managed, catching her breath. "You are just predictable. All the speed and power in the world doesn''t matter if I know where you will be." "You don''t have faith in the unpowered. That is one of your weaknesses." "But she is capable of admitting when she''s wrong," Suiren pointed out. "Sometimes," the older woman added, watching me. "Do you see something in her, Suiren?" "Maybe. Maybe she''s not a complete moron." "Alright. She''ll be your charge." "What!?" Both of us demanded simultaneously. "Yes, I think this should be fun. Who knows. Maybe the Smash Gal could teach you something, too." Suiren looked doubtful but sighed and nodded. "Thank you for this opportunity," she said as deferentially as a petulant child could. She stood up. "C''mon. I''ll show you your room." We walked in silence for a while through the confusing maze of hallways again. She brought me to a room without a bed or anything in it. "Here you are. There''s a pad to sleep on in the closet. Goodnight." I was going to ask something, but she disappeared around the corner before I could find the words. I walked into the room. It was small and barren. No touch of life. But there was power. And a phone charger. There was that. I took out the mat and laid it out. Laying down, I opened Twitter and started my nightly ritual of scrolling for a few hours before finally being able to sleep. Or what would have been had the first thing I had seen not sent me spiraling.

=== Curt === Cin was staring at me, holding the ring in her tiny, delicate fingers. The perfect fingers for cracking a safe or palming something. The band that she had undoubtedly stolen from somewhere during her trips, that I had helped her do while trying to solve the Marcelli problem. My mind was reeling. She had that mischievous smirk painted across her face, "Curt, the commercial break was for dramatic effect. It''s for the audience, not for me." "C-Cindi, are you sure?" I asked pleadingly. "When am I not sure about the things I want?" My mind jutted to a stop. She was right. She knew what she wanted. She had this extraordinary ability to know exactly what she wanted at any given time. She was never paralyzed with doubt or fear. Somehow. And whenever she was sure she wanted something, I was always sure I wanted it too. And I wanted this. I took the ring from her hand and slid it onto my finger. It fit perfectly. She had measured my finger. "What does that mean? Do you just like the piece of jewelry?" She asked, just as playful as ever. "It means ''yes'', Cind. I''ll marry you." She launched herself from her knee and jumped up onto my chair. Which promptly crashed to the floor. I didn''t really notice until afterwards, though, because she was pressing her lips to mine and had her arms wrapped around my neck. She dragged me up to my feet. "Show the camera!" She demanded, leaning over. I did so. She held her hand next to mine and pulled me down to look into the camera. "First of all, I know you''re watching. You lose, again. Secondly, Thrawn, we''re even. I might even invite you to the wedding." "Wow," Thrawn said, flabbergasted. "I don''t think we''re even. You just gave me the exclusive of a lifetime. You heard it here first, folks. The super-villain celebrity couple Buck Cherry and Esvanir are engaged, live right here." "That''s right, bitches. ChesVy is canon!" Cindi shouted with the biggest grin. Issue #19: Dogs are Better Judges of Character than That

=== Kari === This training was the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life. And I can catch cars with ease. I didn''t really have a problem learning any of the motions I was taught. I had always been good at stuff like that. I could mimic any punches or kicks, and I took to throwing people around like a fish to water. The hard part was all of the sitting around. And there was so much sitting around. I had just thrown an enemy down on the ground, and I flew up in the air and let out a loud whoop of joy when Suiren grabbed my foot with a cane and tried to pull me to the ground. Really she ended up hanging off my foot slightly off the ground. "Get down!" She shouted up at me. I smiled and lowered her to the ground and then myself. "Sorry. But I just got excited. I learned it! I learned the throw." "Yes. And if this had been a battle, you''d be dead." "Yeah, but I''d never do that during a real battle." "Wouldn''t you?" Suiren asked, eyeing me carefully. "You are easily distracted by things. And it''s how you''ve gotten hurt in the past." "I have never been seriously hurt," I protested. "I always recover super quick." "Yeah, but what if someone shows you less mercy? Your friend, Esvani-" "We''re not friends," I interrupted my teacher. "Uh-huh, sure. That''s why you''re so touchy about it," the eight-year-old countered, poking me in the chest. Well, she poked me in the abs, but that''s because that''s what she could reach. But I knew what she was going for. "Esvanir could''ve killed you." "He cheated." "And you''d still be dead. It doesn''t matter if he cheated. And also, he didn''t." The girl took on a scholarly tone. "He took advantage of your weakness." "I can bench a building. I''m not weak." "Not physically," the girl agreed. "Are you calling me dumb?" "I''m saying that you''re short-sighted and act on instinct. We need to break that habit of yours." I frowned and considered what she was saying. Curt hadn''t really cheated. Even I had to admit that. He had just thought through what he was doing better. I shuddered. I could hear the anger in his voice still. He was terrifying when he wanted to be. I sighed. "What do you think we should do about it?" "You''re going to meditate. You need to learn how to calm down. Once we can get you calm in a controlled situation, we''ll work on it in combat." And that''s what was so hard. I had seen people meditate on TV and movies and stuff, but I was terrible at it. Suiren had me sit down and close my eyes and do nothing. I have never had to do nothing in my life. What''s worse is that even though she had her eyes closed too (I know because I checked), she always knew what I was doing. "Stop fidgeting," she said, and I made a conscious decision to stop shaking my leg. I opened one eye and looked over at her. She was sitting there, back perfectly straight, hands in her lap, with her eyes closed. "Close your eyes. Concentrate." "Concentrate on what?" "On nothing." "But I''m boooored," I complained. "Boredom is a crime." "Have you really never sat down and done nothing before?" Suiren asked, exasperated. "Uh, no. Not really. Mom always said that since I could walk, I''ve been running. And that I could never sit still." "So, this should be a great learning experience for you." "What am I learning?" I asked bitterly. "How to waste time?" "How to be in the moment. Once you can do that, you''ll be a better fighter." "Wouldn''t it just be better to actually fight?" I asked. "Like that seems like a better method. And it''s more fun. And interesting. And isn''t just sitting here doing nothing." "I''m the teacher, and I say this is necessary. Concentrate on your breathing." I sighed and tried to resume the stance I had abandoned. My legs were falling asleep. I shifted and finally got comfortable. I sat there with my eyes closed for a while. I must''ve fallen asleep. Because I woke up on my back. After Suiren had dumped water on my face. I sputtered and shot up. "No sleeping when you''re meditating." I growled and spun up into the air, sending the water everywhere, soaking the girl who tried to hide behind her bucket. "What did you expect to happen? You make me do the most boring thing in the world and expect me not to fall asleep? You''re impossible." "Not as impossible as some," she muttered under her breath. "What did you say?" I asked. "Nothing." "You said something." "Nothing. Our lessons are over for today," she said, turning her back to me. "Why, you little," I said as I charged forward. I picked her up and flew her in the air. She screamed and clung to me tightly. "P-put me down!" "Nah. You''ve been bossing me around all day. Up here, I''m the boss." "I''m your teacher! Put me down!" I stopped. "Are you scared of heights?" ¡°N-no . . .¡± She said, whimpering. "Y-yes." I flew us to the ground and set her down. "I''m sorry. I didn''t know." "I don''t know how you can do that!" "Oh, it''s simple. Apparently, I can push off of the atmosphere itself by creating small telekinetic panels. It''s kind of like jumping, but I can keep the momentum going. Dad tried to explain it to me once, but I didn''t really get it. So, instead, I just don''t think about it. I just do it." "No, I mean . . ." She considered for a moment. "You don''t know how you do it? And you just trust yourself to do it every time?" "Well, yeah. I don''t know what all of my bones or muscles are called, but I expect them to exist when I need them. Flight, super-strength, super-speed, it''s all just who I am." She stared at me, still sniffling slightly. "What other things can you do?" "Oh, I can hear really well. Almost anything within about ten or twelve blocks. More if I focus. I have to kind of tune it all out. Same with sight." "What happens if you don''t?" "Oh, I see and hear everything. My brain just processes all the information, and I have to sort through what''s useful and not useful." "Hmm." "What?" "Maybe that''s why you suck at this." "I don''t suck at it; it''s just stupid." "It''s really not." "It kind of is. Like, why should I sit around and do nothing?" "Because it''s important." "Why is it important?" "Because . . . Well, you can''t stand still, and you can''t concentrate!" "I can concentrate! I just can''t concentrate on nothing. Or boring things." "And you consider most things boring." "When it''s stuff like breathing, yeah. I''ve been breathing my entire life. Don''t need to concentrate on it." "It''s not actually about breathing. It''s about calming yourself down." "I''m calm! I''m always calm." "You''re like a puppy. If anything is happening, you jump at it." "And people love puppies." "Except for cat people. And bird people," the little girl countered. "But I am a cat person. And a dog person. Probably a bird person, too." "You''re a dork." She considered me for a moment. "This isn''t going to work. You can''t sit still. It''s impossible." "Probably. But we could focus more on the fighting. I never know what to expect. People like Esvanir, Buck Cherry, and the sword lady are so slippery." "Sword lady?" Suiren asked. "Oh, yeah. This lady with a magic fire sword called me a degenerate and tried to murder Chu- Professor Mind and me." "And she managed to cut you?" "Yeah, a little. She was really good at predicting where I would be. Kind of like you." "Right," the young girl said, considering. "I think I have an idea." "What''s that?"

=== Curt === Cindi was lying on me, snoring softly. Her hair covered her face, and I was trapped. It was nice. My arm was asleep, but it was lovely. I held up the hand with the ring on it. She had one that matched. She said that I needed an engagement ring since she had to be the one who asked. I wasn''t even aware it was something she wanted. I fingered the band, considering. Marriage. I never thought I''d get married. Not since I was like fourteen. I got a call but couldn''t disengage myself from Cindi enough to get to my phone. That was fine. I didn''t really feel like talking anyway. But apparently, it annoyed her so much that she shifted, grabbed the phone, slapped it against my chest, and returned to her spot. I picked it up and looked at it. It was Des. "Hello?" "Your girlfriend is cruel." "Fianc¨¦e," I corrected. "How so?" "She cheats to win bets." "Wait, you knew!?" "Of course, I knew. She was wondering if I thought you''d say yes." "And you bet against me?" "Yeah. She''s good for you. And you run away from anything good for you." "No, I don''t." "You literally only drink water when I force you to." If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "I drink water, sometimes." "Not enough." "How much do you owe her?" "A grand." "You bet her a grand I would say no?" At this point, Cindi stole the phone. "I don''t accept checks. Cash only." She handed the phone back and nuzzled into my chest. "Both of you are monsters." "I''m a monster? I''m the only reason she asked." "What do you mean?" "She wanted to ask. She wants to be around you for some reason that I could never fathom. But she needs to be aloof and have the upper hand. Since she can''t get that against you because she wants you, I let her win against me." I stared down at Cindi. She was glaring at the phone. I was sure the phone would have melted in my hand if her powers had included laser vision. Our eyes met, and she turned over and pressed into me. "You''re ridiculous," I said into the phone. "You''re welcome. How are you feeling?" "Still here." "Yeah, but if you keep talking shit about Smash Gal or Bion, I don''t know for how much longer. I can''t do anything if you''re splattered by a missile." "Well, then, I better get better at dealing with missiles, huh?" I wrapped my arm more tightly around Cindi. "And Smash Gal shouldn''t be a problem. She saw what happens when I take things seriously." "The whole world saw, Curt. It was terrifying." "It''s not something I like doing." "But you did it." "I thought that she had . . ." "I know, Curt. I understand why. But I''ve never seen you like that. I don''t want to again." Des paused for a moment. "You going to lay low for a while?" "That''s the plan. Don''t need anything for the immediate future." "Good. I may get some non-Esvanir work done." "Keep this up, and you won''t be invited to the wedding." "Oh, I''ll be there. Who else is going to be your best person?" "I''m sure I could rent out a dog. It''d be nicer to me than you are." "No, dogs are better judges of character than that." "Damn. I guess you are coming, then." "Damn straight. Talk to you later." They hung up. I opened Twitter only to be barraged by hundreds of notifications. I missed having a more private Twitter, where the only thing that happened when I opened the app was Nazism, sexism, and cat videos. Which is, as near as I can tell, sixty percent of the content on the site. #CheSvy was still trending. People had already drawn a bunch of fan art. Cindi in a wedding dress, me in a wedding dress, us getting married by Smash Gal. Us having a threesome with Smash Gal, still as the priest, and a lot of fan-fiction. This is still so weird. My favorite was an animatic, set to the tune of Panic at the Disco''s "I Write Sins". There were also a lot of people threatening to take us both in. Arrest us, murder us, or anything in between. People demanding I get sent out to Guantanamo Bay for being a dirty commie thief. The internet is too much.

=== Chuck === "Jenny, how did you know?" "How did I know what?" Jenny asked as she picked at her salad. "How did you know that Esvanir and Cherry were dating?" "You told me they were at the same crime scene." "Gods, that was enough?" "I mean, honestly, I just thought it was kind of cute, right? Two thieves working together, the sexual tension building since one is hot and naked, and the other is serious. Classic dollar store romance stuff." I felt satisfaction roll off of her in waves. I could have read her mind, but with her aura, it was unnecessary. People can generally put up guards for their thoughts. Lots of people do around me if they know. I also try not to snoop. But with emotions, it is almost impossible to not see. It would be like asking me not to smell a room. I have a functional nose. So, I don''t really have a choice. "You''re such a weirdo." "Maybe. What are your plans for the day?" "Light patrols," I responded, finishing my sandwich. "You heard from Kari?" "She''s still in training. Suiren is teaching her patience." "Kari is being taught patience by an eight-year-old." "Yeah. They''re on about the same emotional level." "That''s a bit uncharitable, don''t you think?" "Eh," Jenny shrugged. She looked up from her salad and met my eyes. I could feel her curiosity. Her desire to know more. I didn''t even want to know what she was pressing for. Whatever it was, it would be silly. "So, why''re you asking?" "Oh, well, I don''t know. Just always good to have an extra hand around." "Uh-huh," Jenny said. "Well, I have to get going. Wish I could patrol with you, but unfortunately, I''ve somehow become a business manager for Kari and Harold." "Yeah, but you''re really good at it." "I''m good at most things. Catch you later." Jenny sped off. I put down a couple of twenties and stood. I was in my street clothes. Not that that really mattered. There weren''t too many people who knew who I really was. And I preferred it that way. I don''t think I could have handled what Kari and Jenny had to deal with. But then again, Kari hadn''t dealt with it all that well either. She had almost killed Cherry. I shuddered; that night scared me. It was so full of anger. First, Kari was out of control with rage, hate, and hurt. While she hadn''t actually killed Buck Cherry, that was a fluke. I don''t think Kari really wanted to kill her. She was just aggressive and careless. But when you can do what we can do, that''s a death sentence for most people. Then there was Esvanir. Curtis Reese had gone from mildly annoyed to absolutely murderous in the blink of an eye. And that had been overwhelming. The rage washing off of him was the scariest thing I had ever seen. Auras are usually just an extra sense. They don''t usually collide with sight, smell, or touch unless they''re particularly powerful. I could see the rage wafting off of him in blood-red waves. I cannot concentrate on anything else when any emotions are that strong. I just end up sitting there, entirely useless, unless I''ve really fortified my mind beforehand. And I didn''t know that he had that in him. That Kari had that in her. I stepped out and ducked into an alley. With a wave of my hand and a pose, my clothes disappeared, replaced by my costume. I always felt like Sailor Moon when I did this. But that''s probably because the first time it happened, I was watching Sailor Moon. My father had been mildly concerned when he walked in, and I was wearing a skirt. But when he learned that I had powers, he forgot all about it. Helped me do everything I could to really refine them. I darted up into the air and started flying around. I took out my cell phone and checked for any trouble reports. I had an app on my phone that guided me to police reports and calls, as well as a stream of news that updated live. If anything was happening within 20 miles of me, I could be there pretty quick. There wasn''t a lot to do today. It was quiet. Which is why I missed Kari. Patrol was a lot more fun with company. She''d make dumb jokes and insist we get snacks. In addition to her ability to listen to the whole city, it was more interesting. There was a report of an alarm tripped at EnGin. It was one of the places that Esvanir hit too often. It was amazing that he never got caught, given that he focused on a handful of places most times. I flew over there and landed on the roof. The door was locked, but I used a slight push to open it on the other side and made my way down the stairs. I got there, and the police were already there. They were standing around while the forensic technicians collected evidence. I made my way to them and smiled. "Officer, what''s the word?" "Oh, Professor Mind. Good to see you," the officer lied. She hated metas. I could sense that much off of her. "Just a break-in. Someone was in and out. We think it might have been Curtis Reese?" "What was taken?" "Some medical equipment. Apparently, it was scheduled to be donated to some hospital in need." "Esvanir stole donated medical equipment? That doesn''t sound like him." I felt her annoyance spike. She almost rolled her eyes. "He''s a thief. He steals things all the time. He''s hit EnGin two or three times. Seems pretty open and shut to me." "Yeah, I guess," I agreed. But something didn''t feel right. I didn''t feel like arguing with her. She was just doing her job. "Anything on the security cameras?" "EnGin is refusing to hand over the footage," she said, turning. "Why didn''t you just capture him when you had the chance?" "I wasn''t here when the break-in happened," I responded. She meant the other night, but I didn''t feel like talking about it. "I meant when you and Smash Gal were fighting him," she said. I sighed. "We let you metas get away with so much, and you can''t even be useful. Probably because he''s one of your own, right? A costumed freak pretending to be noble." "Esvanir doesn''t seem to be a meta. Just a brilliant guy. And I don''t know that could''ve stopped him even if I wanted to. He almost took down Smash Gal." "Whatever. I have work to do." She walked away. I shook my head. Esvanir has never stolen anything meant to be donated before. Something doesn''t feel right about this. I walked around and found something a little weird; there were drag marks on the floor; they were at least a foot long. When Reese and Cherry robbed Marcelli, they just dumped what they stole into a portal and were on their way. Why would he drag anything? I followed the drag marks. Eventually, they got to a set of dollies and stopped. And one of the dollies seemed to be missing. Esvanir would have known these were there and used them to move it. He''s too efficient for this. I rode down with some of the cops, none of which were thrilled to have me there. There was the one from before, but annoyance flowed off of them. Even combined, it wasn''t the miasma of emotion that came from Reese or Kari. Just a mild irritation causing pressure to build up behind my eyes. When we got outside, the press crowded around us. One of the detectives stopped by, and I listened to his statement. "Right now, we are pursuing every lead we have, but we think it is very likely that Curtis Reese, the Esvanir, committed this crime." I frowned at this, and one of the reporters walked up to me. "Hi, Beatrice Beakly with Channel 7. You seem to have doubts about the detective''s statement. What do you think happened?" "Uh, well, I''m not really sure. I just don''t think it''s Esvanir. It doesn''t really . . . fit how he normally operates." "Why do you think that?" The detective asked. He had closed the distance between us. I looked at him and got the sense of irritation and annoyance and barely masked contempt. I shuddered. "Well, for one, what was stolen. Doesn''t seem like Esvanir. Also, how it was stolen." "Walk with me." More reporters asked questions, and the detective gripped my arm and guided me behind the police barricade. "What do you mean by that? And why didn''t you say this to anyone inside?" "I said I hadn''t thought it was Esvanir inside to one of the uniformed officers. She didn''t seem receptive." "Why didn''t you talk to me?" "I wasn''t aware you were in charge, sir." "Ah, well, tell me, Officer Mind . . . Sorry, Professor. Why do you think it''s not Esvanir, really?" "Well, I do think the motive is off. If something is being donated, Reese wouldn''t steal it. He thinks he''s Robin Hood." "What if he disagrees with where it''s being donated to?" "That''s possible, I guess. But there are better targets in the building, too. Also, there were drag marks." "Yeah, and?" "Esvanir can teleport. Why would he drag something for ten feet, find a dolly, steal that to transport whatever it is off-site?" "Maybe he ran out of juice. Or wanted the exercise," the detective said dismissively. But I''m pretty sure he was on my side. "Who else could disappear without a trace?" "Look, officer. I don''t want to step on any toes. I''m sorry. I should have shared that with you first." "Yeah, but you metas, just do whatever you want." I felt my brow raise at that statement. I didn''t say anything, though. The cops had a lot of bad PR with the killing of metas, people of color, and firing on Smash Gal. "Of course, sir," I said, turning from him. "Well, I''m going to see if I can help someone else."

=== Cindi === I disentangled myself from Curt. It was nice being able to just lay with him for a while. I stretched up and turned to him. He had finally gotten to sleep. I pulled the sheets down below his chest and checked his stitches. He could be an absolute idiot sometimes. Always trying to take care of everyone else before himself. Fortunately, we had gotten the bomb out of my back, which means he was a little calmer. He was getting a little scary. I fingered some of the bullet wounds and other scars he had accumulated. I grabbed a couple of his Poppers, the tiny devices he had developed to allow me to teleport without him, and got to work. I started my ''morning'' routine; I was a night owl, and so was Curt. So, it was about eleven P.M. I dressed in some basic gym gear and went down to the hotel''s gym. It having one is one of the reasons I chose it. I ran for twenty minutes, did my stretches, and finished up with some yoga. Afterwards, I took a long shower, brushed my hair, and applied my make-up. I flopped my hair around until I got the right kind of disheveled look for me. It hid my face just enough. It was hard maintaining my appearance in some ways. Especially with the way Curt ate. I love the man, but dear god, he survives almost exclusively off of red meat and garlic. When I returned to the room, I stared at him for another moment. He shifted restlessly in his sleep, reaching out for something. Probably for me. And who exactly could blame him. I took the Popper out and navigated the app Curt had built on my phone. I set the coordinates and clicked the button. The world disappeared, and I appeared on the other side of the planet. It was just after dawn here. I stalked into the house I was in front of. I didn''t use my powers. Mostly because I couldn''t. Not here, anyway. I took out a lockpick set and started on the lock in front of me. It took me a full minute to realize it wasn''t locked. I sighed and opened the door quietly. Curt''s right. I really do need to practice normal thieving more often. That could get me killed. Especially here. I padded through the house barefoot, trying to ignore the soft swish of my pants as I moved my legs. A lot of people think that my nudity was just an exhibitionist thing. And that''s not exactly wrong. I love being naked. It gives me so much power over everyone. Men, women, everyone find themselves tongue-tied and confused in front of me. Even if they aren''t exactly attracted to me, they just don''t know what to do when a naked person is standing before them, unashamed. And I worked hard to ensure I had little to be ashamed of. I don''t like my nose, and my teeth are a little crooked, but people never notice. They never saw the little divots on my thighs, the scar on my chin, or my too-long toes. Because they were too taken aback. Trying to figure out where to look. I got into an office, worked my way to the desk, looked through the papers on it, and sighed. It''s not here. Damn it! A woman walked in and grinned at me. "Cindi, it''s nice to see you." "Hey, Hope," I said, grimacing. "Did you sign it?" "Sign what?" "You know what," I said, annoyed. "Just sign the fucking paper and give me what''s mine." "Nah," she said, smiling. "Want something to drink? Orange juice? Wine? Vodka and cranberry? That is still your favorite, right?" "Hope, why are you doing this?" "Because you''re my wife. I don''t want to give up yet." "I don''t love you anymore. I want to marry Cu-" "Yes, that man. I understand that. But I don''t care," she said simply. "Don''t make me do this," I pleaded. "Just give it up. Sign the paper. Give it to me." "We found it together. It''s ours. Not just yours." "You don''t need the damn artifact! I do!" "But I need you, and you need it, so you need me," she said, her voice cracking slightly, blinking several times. "God damn it, Hope. You''re going to make me take it from you." "Go ahead and try, Cindi," she said, clenching her fist. Her voice was wavering still, but she straightened up. "You know what will happen if you do. You''ll lose the only thing you ever cared about." I gritted my teeth, took a Popper out of my pocket, and pressed the button. It defaulted next to Curt''s equipment. I appeared back in the hotel room and sat down on the bed. Tears leaked down from my eyes. Curt wrapped his arms around me and held me tight; he stroked my arms and pulled me into a cuddle. My fiance didn''t ask me what was wrong. He never did. He would just wait until I spoke to him about it. It was annoying sometimes, but it''s exactly what I needed right now. Issue #20: I Want the Best for You

=== Kari === "So, here''s my idea. We''ll continue practicing combat. But you''re not allowed to attack back at all. Only defend." Suiren stood as tall as she could. She still only came up to my belly button. I sighed and collapsed to the floor. "That sounds really boring. Why can''t I attack back?" "Because you''re already good at attacking. Attacking isn''t your issue. It''s defending that you''re terrible at." "But what if I become too good at defending and forget to attack." "Then you''re even dumber than I thought you were. And I already think you''re really dumb." Suiren motioned for a man to come out into the field, and he prepared for sparring. "Here are the rules. You can''t fly or attack back." "Why can''t I fly? Isn''t that a good defense?" I asked. "It is, but you won''t learn anything from it. And neither will he." The man took his stance. I stood up and stretched some. He charged forward, and I blocked the first hit, pushing his fist away from my face, but then he caught me with the second and the third strikes. He was fast for a regular person. He grabbed me and threw me to the ground. Even though I could barely feel it, I grunted in discomfort. Well, more out of surprise. Thinking about it now, I did that regardless of what hit me. It was a little strange. I got up and dusted off my gi. Suiren made me dress in this instead of my super outfit. They even gave me a little white belt. Apparently, if I trained hard, I would get other colors. All the way up to black. I was going to earn a black belt. I had to. The man rushed again, and I blocked his strike and struck out with my knee. He went flying. Suiren slammed a pole into my knee, knocked me down, and smacked me in the head. "No attacking!" I grumbled and got to my feet again. Her other student struggled to his feet, stumbled over to me before shaking his head, and retaking his stance. He struck out again five times, and I managed to block two of them before he knocked me away again. We kept at this for an hour, with Suiren swapping out the people attacking me every once in a while. I had also earned several more smacks from her pole for attacking back. It was tough not to punch people who were hitting you. Eventually, I gave up any pretense of letting them have their fair share. If I was looking for it, I could figure out what they were doing the instant they started, and I started countering their moves as they began. After a round or two of that, Suiren sent in more of her students. It started out as two-at-a-time, but it quickly spiraled, so I was being attacked by five-at-a-time, and at that point, I had to actually try again. I could see the moves coming in well before they could have connected, but I would get confused and block a kick from one side the way I would try to stop a punch from the opposite side. This was way harder than rubbing your tummy and head simultaneously. I got overwhelmed and couldn''t keep any of the attacks straight. And that''s when I started to lose my temper. I ended up blocking a punch and then pushed back. The man went flying and slammed into the wall on the other side. The other students were still mid-attack. I received a punch to the face, a kick to the knee, and a knee to the stomach for my trouble. My anger got the best of me, and I grabbed a flying fist, slamming the man into another attacker, and swung them both into the last two attacking me before letting them fall to the ground. Suiren jumped into action and swung the cane she had borrowed from her grandma at me. I blocked every one of her strikes, and on the final one, it shattered. Mostly because I didn''t roll my block with it. Breathing heavily, I rounded on the girl, and she stumbled back. Her eyes were wide with fear. I had never seen her afraid of anything before. I caught sight of myself in the polished floor. My face was contorted in rage. I had probably seriously hurt some of her students. I had broken their guidance. Just because I got annoyed. I crashed down to the floor, closed my eyes, and tried meditating again. Tried to find a place of calm. I could hear her labored breathing. "Wh-what are you doing?" "I . . . I don''t know. I need to calm down. I . . . I lost my temper, and I probably hurt some of the guys who are trying to help me learn." "Why did you get angry?" "Because," I began, deflating. "I don''t know. I knew what I was doing was wrong. I knew I was using the wrong blocks and leaving myself open, but I couldn''t do the right thing. There were just too many things happening. And the worst part of it is that none of it mattered!" "What," Suiren began and took a couple of deep breaths. "What do you mean ''none of it mattered''?" "They can''t hurt me. No one here can," I whined. "So, it''s tough to motivate myself to get better if there''s no real threat." "What if we tried a visualization?" Suiren suggested. "Like what?" "What if we pictured a real threat to you when you were fighting? Like Esvanir." My eyes shot open at that name. I must''ve been glaring because Suiren took another step back. "Okay, maybe not him. But what about the Grignau? Or Lady Blade?" "Lady Blade?" I asked, trying to calm myself down. "You said you fought someone with a sword that could hurt you. That has to be Lady Blade!" I could hear that Suiren was controlling her tone. There was something about this Lady Blade that rubbed her the wrong way. But I couldn''t focus on that. I had to focus on getting better. "I don''t know. Do you think visualizations will work?" "Honestly? No clue," Suiren answered. "But we have to try something." "You know, you''re smart for an eight-year-old. Like way too smart," I said. I didn''t add that she reminded me a little of him. Even when he was scared or angry, he also tried to process whatever was happening. It only now occurred to me that it was a trauma response. He had to do that because otherwise, his parents might''ve killed him. I looked at Suiren again. She was a kid with too much muscle for such a small thing. Someone tough and wiry. She and Curt had grown up hard. But I doubt she''d ever become a criminal. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

=== Curt === "Alright, hon," I began, sitting up. "I''m going out to Avalare for a while. Need to see what''s left of my apartment. Maybe grab a thing or two." "Mm," Cindi said absently. She was obsessing over something to do with the wedding plans. "Be back soon. I will need your help picking napkins and flowers and such." "Right. I think I can help with that," I said, almost certain that I would somehow be less than useless at this. But it''s what Cindi wanted. I snapped and appeared at the corner of my street. I guess it''s not my neighborhood anymore. I had seen a report or two of me stealing stuff that I hadn''t been around to steal. I had thought about correcting the record, but I figured that no one would believe me, and it would keep the cops looking in the wrong place for me. I walked into my building. There was some door security, and I took out my keys and held them up to the little RFID reader. Nothing happened. They might''ve disabled my access, I thought to myself. Well, that''s no big deal. I snapped and appeared at the elevator and pushed the button, and impatiently tapped my foot. How do people do this? Which was a weird thing for me to think about. Before a week or so ago, I hardly ever snapped outside of my jobs. And now I was doing it constantly. It was one of the benefits of my name being out there. I no longer felt the need to hide. I snapped my fingers and appeared outside of my door. There was police tape everywhere. I didn''t bother disturbing it; instead, snapping forward all of a foot but behind my door. I looked around. The police had not been kind to my stuff. No surprise there, I thought. I walked around and stopped at the counter; Kari''s letter was still sitting there; I picked it up and unfolded it. My hands were shaking. I was still angry. She was lucky that she was not there in front of me right now. I''d finish my job. Probably less cruelly. Just surround her head in the same ocean. Let it get crushed or let her drown. I shook my head and dismissed these thoughts; Cindi was safe; That''s all that mattered. I read her letter. Our names were both in this messy cursive, but the letter itself was written in careful print, as though she had gone through several drafts before coming to this one.
Curt, I don''t know what happened to make you think that this is okay, but it''s not. You really should turn yourself in. If you don''t, I will stop you. I don''t want to do that. I care about you and want what''s best for you. But I can''t stand by and let you commit crimes. You''re better than this. I know you are. Please, just turn yourself in. Sincerely, Kari
I crumpled up the letter and threw it away. I had already taken most of the important stuff out of my apartment. I grabbed my old Sorcerer cards and dropped them down into a portal. I briefly considered trying to teach Cindi how to play and quickly banished the thought. Cindi and I had several things in common, but I doubt this would ever be one of them. I should probably visit Des. They may appreciate seeing me without having to patch me up, I thought. As I was about to snap, my door exploded, and shards flew everywhere. Out of instinct, I dived behind the couch and tried to make myself as small as possible. For some reason, I never thought to teleport when something like that happened. My instincts just would never remember that as a possibility. I sighed and prepared to snap when the couch flew away, and I was plastered to the wall via electricity. Static electricity. Powerful static electricity. Before me was a black man in a purple and red suit, who was grinning. "Oh man, do you ever have bad luck, white boy? You just happened to teleport in front of me, Esvanir. What rotten luck." I struggled against it; it didn''t hurt; it more tingled than anything. He kept a hand held up in the air and forced more electricity through it to bond me to the wall. "Do I know you?" "No, but I know you. You hurt a friend of mine pretty bad, and I''m here to take you in. Hope they give you the chair," the man spat back. "I generally only hurt people who deserve it," I gasped, inching my foot to a vase that I had near the window sill. "Smash Gal ain''t done nothing you didn''t deserve." "Ah, so you''re friends with Kari," I said with disdain. I managed to dip my toe in the water. The electricity around me jolted through my body and back to him, and we both yelped in pain. Then I fell to the floor. I caught myself and jumped to my feet. I tracked his hand and opened a portal in front of it, and lightning flew through the portal and back at him. It hit him square in the back, and he stumbled forward. "Hah, gonna have to come up with another trick, bro. That just charges me back up." He threw another two bolts at me. This time I snapped and appeared at the street below. Lightning exploded through the bricks, which went tumbling down to the earth. There were people here. Fucking supers! Never fucking consider what they''re fucking doing. I opened a portal below the falling debris and another back into the apartment. I heard a yell all the way from the apartment on the eighth floor. Then the man burst out of the hole he created and started falling to earth as well. He threw out a lance of electricity and caught himself on a light pole, which flickered to life weakly, and he landed in front of me. He was bleeding. I think I had hit him with one of the bricks. Good, I thought. "And it''s gonna take more than that to take out Thunderblast!" "Thunderblast?" I asked, preparing more portals to be opened. I had to think of something quick. Wait. A water blast! It''ll short him out. I prepared to open a portal to the sea, but in that exact moment, he slammed his fists together, and a wave of ozone-smelling, charged air burst forward. The AR display of my glasses faded away. Fuck! An EMP? Really!? That fucking figures! I spent a fucking month looking for something to generate an EMP, and this fucking jack-off comes out of nowhere. I ducked behind a car to dodge his onslaught of lightning. I had to think of something. An EMP may have knocked out my rig for thirty minutes to an hour. Or maybe forever. It''s really hard for me to know. Also, my phone will be down too, so I can''t possibly call Cindi or anyone else. I heard Thunderblast walking forward. I edged around the car. Maybe I can catch him by surprise. But I can''t touch him. He''d just zap me, and then I''d probably pass out. I was kneeling in front of a hubcap. It was probably made of aluminum, which meant that it wasn''t magnetic. He may not be able to control that. I yanked on it, and it came off. The car wasn''t in excellent condition, and it looks like these may have been pretty worn. I stood up over the car and flung the thing as hard as I could at him like a Frisbee. And he caught it. Not with any energy. He just yanked the hubcap out of the fucking air. He tossed it up in the air, grabbed it again, and started charging it. I could see the electrical energy pouring off of it. "Aw, fuck!" He threw the thing at me, but at that point, I was already diving behind the car again. He had charged it into being a fucking buzz saw of electricity. I watched it cut through the car and bounce off the ground. I crawled under the car and waited until he circled around, then crawled to the sidewalk and threw myself into the alleyway. I found a two-by-four. It would have to do. I grabbed it, brandished it like a baseball bat, ran down the alley to the next street, and crouched on the building. I heard him blast through the alleyway behind me. I listened to the crackling of electricity get closer and swung when I thought he had gotten close. My makeshift bat slammed into his chest, and he tumbled back. I stepped into the alley and slammed the wood down on him repeatedly. I gripped it tightly over my head and brought it down for one last swing, and that''s when he burst up from his fetal position and caught it. He incinerated the wood in an instant. Then he socked me in the jaw, and I went flying. I think he had used electricity to repel me further. I slammed into a car and dented the door. My vision started to go black. The last thing I saw was this red and purple blur loom over me. I could hear the crackling of electricity charging the air. Issue #21: Lawyers and Ice Cream

=== Kari === "What do you normally do to clear your head?" "I . . . Um . . . Well, I go out on patrol. The cool night air, flying through the city. Being able to get away for a while helps a lot. Knowing that I''m not stuck somewhere." "And you''ve been here for a week," Suiren said thoughtfully. "I-is that why you flew me up in the air?" "Yeah, kind of. I just wanted out. And I didn''t know about the fear of heights thing." She blanched at the thought. "It''s pretty scary. I don''t know how you do it," she said, shivering. "I guess it''s just because it''s something I''m doing." "What do you mean?" "Well, I know that I have it under control. I''ve been flying for years. It''s as natural as breathing or eating to me. Easy peasy. I imagine it''d be pretty scary if someone was doing that to me. Especially if I wasn''t expecting it." "That was scary, but not the scariest part of it." "What was the scariest part?" "How fast you got up there. I blinked, and we were up a few stories. It . . ." Suiren paused and shook her head. "What?" "It reminded me of something." "Do you want to talk about it?" "Not really." She looked out at the nearby buildings, considering. "It''s just something I have to get over." "And how do you plan to do that?" ¡°I . . . Uh . . .¡± "What if we took you flying under more controlled circumstances? Not too high. You''d have all of the power. You say stop, we stop." "Y-you would do that for me?" "Yeah, if you want," I said, beaming. "It''d be the best of both worlds. You get used to heights or whatever, and I get to fly again. With company. Flying is always better with company." "Where would we go?" "To get ice cream?" "Is our food not good enough?" "It''s mostly rice and fish. I want something sweet." "O-okay, I think that would be okay. When do you want to do it?" "Right now is fine with me." "S-sure." Suiren sounded unsure. "Great. I''ll be right back." "Where''re you going?" "To change. I need to make sure the girls don''t come out." "Girls?" "Uh . . . Give it a couple of years. You''ll understand," I said, then charged off. In a moment, I was in the room they had given me. I changed into my super outfit and charged back. Suiren frowned at me and walked up. "Why do you wear that?" "Because I want to. It lets people know that I''m a superhero. That I''m here to help." "Okay. But why do you show your stomach?" "I like my stomach. I worked hard for these abs. And besides. It''s not like I need armor." "I-I guess." "You ready?" I asked. She nodded, shaking a little. "How do you want to do this? You can sit on my back, or I could carry you." "Uh . . . I think . . . I''ll sit on your back." I laid down on my stomach, and she sat on my back. I pulled her up so that her feet were around my neck. I started floating and then pushed off gently. We went about five miles per hour. It was agonizingly slow, by my standards, but I could feel her clutch my cape, and she yelped. I grabbed her feet and took it a little slower. We cleared the top-floor terrace. I started floating down slowly. I could feel her shaking against me. I called out. "Are you doing okay?" "Y-yeah. This is okay . . ." I kept my pace, and we eventually got down just above the ground. "Y-you can go a little faster. I-if you want." "You sure?" "Yeah. Just a little, though." "Okay." I charged forward a little bit; we hit ten miles an hour. She yelped and clutched at me further. I didn''t let go of her legs for an instant, just using enough force to make sure she didn''t fall off. We flew around for a while, and eventually, she calmed down. "How fast do you normally fly?" "Depends," I said noncommittally. "On what?" "Where I am. In the city, I fly at maybe a hundred miles an hour. More if I think I need it. Anywhere less populated, I go as fast as I can." "How fast is that?" "Mach 8, I''m told." "Whoa. How fast is that?" "Almost three-thousand meters-per-second." "I can''t even imagine that." "Yeah, it''s really fast." "How do you make sure you don''t hit anything?" "Oh, I can see really far and react pretty quickly. When I''m not under pressure." "And if you''re under pressure?" "I get confused. Don''t always make the best decisions, then, obviously." We continued flying until we got to my favorite ice cream spot. We landed, and she did an honest-to-God back-flip off of me and landed perfectly. I took my wallet out of my belt pouch, and we ordered a couple of scoops and sat in a booth, just enjoying our snack. Three men with guns burst through the door and fired at some other people outside. One slammed the door, grabbed a chair, and braced it against it. Another went over to the cashier and caught him, pulling him forward and putting him into a headlock with one arm and holding a gun to the poor teen''s head. I stood up, and so did Suiren. She had pulled out a sword made of bamboo with a spinning flourish. "Evening, boys," I said easily. "S-Smash Gal? What are you doing here?" "Well, I was getting ice cream when three terrible men interrupted me." I saw Suiren in the corner of my eye. She darted forward, bashed the one with the cashier in the skull, and he went down. The two others peered at her. They raised their guns and fired; I blasted off my spot and scooped her into my arms. The bullets bounced off of me and fell lifelessly to the ground. I set the girl down and turned, but she was already running past me. She dodged the next flurry of bullets by jumping on the tables. She was fast for a regular person. She jumped and slammed her sword down on the clenched hand of one of the gunmen. I counted four strikes, and she was past him. She had managed to do the dramatic Samurai movie thing, the man flinching after she hit him, and then he collapsed. Unfortunately, the other one was still standing. He raised his gun after changing the clip during her attack. I leaped forward and slammed a fist into the back of his neck. It was a love tap, but he still crumpled to the floor in a lump. "That was really impressive, Sui." "Sui?" "I was trying out a nickname. Do you not like it? I figure it''s either Sui or Ren." "Isn''t Sui what farmers say to their pigs?" "Oh, I guess it does sound like ''soowee'', huh?" "Yeah, I guess you could call me Ren if you like." "Ren! That was really impressive. Though you should''ve let me handle it." "Those guys were very undisciplined. Their aim was bad too. I was fine." "This time. But still. I don''t want you to get hurt." Cops came rushing in afterwards. Looking like a deer-in-the-headlights, the cashier had mindlessly unlocked the door and slumped against the wall. "Well, let''s get back." "Yeah." I let Ren climb on my back, and we flew out into the night. We got all the way up to thirty miles an hour this time.

=== Cindi === I was scrolling through some cheap ballroom mask options. I realized that many of our friends would not want to be publicly associated with the criminal power couple. I thought this was an elegant middle ground. People could choose between a couple of mask types and wear them. Which had spurned on a bunch of other ideas. We were going to have a masquerade-themed wedding. I hadn''t had time to tell Curt yet, since he had gone off to handle something or another in Avalare. I looked down at the time. He had been gone for a while now. Well, if anything had happened, he''d have called. I continued looking through options. I figured we''d need a type of mask for men, women, and those who defied the binary, like Des. Something simple for all of them that wouldn''t clash with their clothes. I lost myself in this again, trying to figure it out when I got a call. It was from Des. "Hey, Des. Wha-" "Curt''s been arrested!" "What!?" I demanded, jumping to my feet. "Curt''s been arrested!" Des repeated, their voice strained. "He got into a fight with Thunderblast and lost. Hard." "Thunderblast?" I hadn''t heard the name. I usually made it a point to know the meta-hero types in case they became a problem. Still, between the bomb and the fight with Smash Gal and Professor Mind, we had been so busy that I hadn''t kept up on everything. "He''s a new hero. He controls electricity." You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "Why didn''t he just pop away?" "How the hell should I know!?" Des screeched into the phone. They were terrified for Curt. Which made sense. They weren''t a part of this life. Or rather, they wouldn''t be if Curt had stayed away. "What''re we going to do?" "Let me think. Where did they take him?" "There''s footage of him being walked into the station. Looked like the precinct off of 63rd and Main." "When?" "I just saw it. I don''t know. Oh my God. I don''t think he can survive in prison. He''s strong, but he also will shoot his mouth off at someone and get shanked." "He''s not going to prison," I said simply. "D''you have a plan?" Des said. Their words started to run together, and their breathing was shallow and quick. I think they were hyperventilating. "Working on it. But there''s no way he''s going to get out of wedding planning with me." "What?" Des asked. Their breathing had calmed after that statement. "Wedding planning? Your fiance is in jail, and you''re worried he won''t help you with wedding plans?" "I''m not worried at all. He''s going to help me. So, I have to get him out. It''s that simple," I said simply. I pulled out a briefcase I kept under the bed. I started sifting through different wallets. They were in two separate sections. "Now, I know I have one for something like this. Let me see. Ah, yes." I found a wallet with an I.D. that was a little older than I would have liked, but it was the correct identity for these purposes.
Driver''s License ????Issue Date: 1/27/2018 Exp. Date: 1/27/2023 Name: Shirley Schmidt Customer Number: 03-141-5926 Address: 1585 Main St.????????????????Class: R Newark, NJ 07114?????????????Sex Hair Eyes Hgt. Wgt. D.O.B. 1/27/1996???????????????F Brwn Blu 5''06 155
It also came with a set of ten business cards.
Shirley Schmidt Attorney at Law Crane, Poole, & Schmidt 705-203-5555 [email protected]
The other thing it had was a couple of life details for me. Little facts about my assumed life to make things more real. A social security card, lists of subscriptions under Shirley''s name, and most importantly for this situation, a Bar ID number. It had a few slightly doctored photos to make it look more authentic, artificially aged. All of the wallets in the briefcase looked aged. Not so much that they were falling apart, but enough to look like they were used daily. I spent a few moments memorizing the number. "God damn him! Getting caught like some fucking amateur. I''ve already had thirty aliases burnt through when my name was leaked. Now this one too!" "What''s going on?" "I have a plan, but it will burn through one of my most expensive identities." "Oh? Some identities cost more than others?" "Yeah, depending on what credentials they have," I said, absently grabbing one of the poppers. I threw it on the bed. "This one has a legit Bar ID. And he''s going to get me another one." "Wait, you''re going in there!? Are you nuts? Then they''ll have both of you!" "No, they won''t. Firstly, they''re not going to recognize me. And even if they do, then I just do my thing, and we''re out anyway," I said, gathering some clothes from my closet. I sighed. I was going to have to wear a bra. And do my hair. Well, he can fucking wait while I get ready. "I''ll call you back with an update. Thank you, Des." I hung up before they could respond and started getting dressed. I put on a business skirt, did my hair in a tight bun, and wore some fake, slightly tinted prescription glasses. I did my make-up. Professional, but not too much. I put on heels and practiced walking for a few moments. It was something I had gotten out of practice for. But it would be suitable for the wedding. I sighed. There was still so much to do. Maybe I should call it off. This thought had occurred to me several times over the last few days. No, I want to marry him. I just need to get Hope to sign the papers. And to steal the artifact. Then we''ll be all set. Though, if Curt keeps getting in trouble, I may call it off anyway. He''s been so . . . Reckless lately. It''s not like him. Part of that was the fact that Marcelli had captured me. He cared a lot about me. It was cute in its own, infuriatingly dumb way. I tried popping directly to Curt''s equipment, but nothing happened. The app Curt had made told me that it was offline. Like it was a fucking printer. God damn him. This is going to be so complicated. I set up the waypoint just outside the precinct and grabbed a spare popper to get back and set the destination back to our room. I had the feeling that we were going to be coming out hot. I pressed the button, and the world dissolved and then reasserted itself. My stomach lurched. I swallowed and grabbed a bottle of water, taking a few deep swigs, then reapplied my lipstick. I don''t know how the hell he does this constantly. I made my way inside, my heels clicking. There were people lined up ahead of me, but I strolled past them. There was a short, balding man behind the desk at the front. "I''m here to see a client." "Good for you, bitch," one of the people I had cut in front of said. "Get to the back of the line and wait like a good little girl." I gave this man one hard stare before dismissing him from my mind. He no longer existed to me. I turned back to the man behind the desk. "Which interrogation room is my client, Curtis Reese, in?" "Oh, you''re Esvanir''s attorney. I wasn''t aware that he had been allowed to call one." "That would be highly illegal. He is allowed representation." "Yeah, but he''s considered a meta-criminal, which suspends all of those rights." "That''s. . ." I thought about it for a moment, suppressing a shiver. If I was ever caught, it would be much the same. "I saw on the news that he had been arrested. And since all evidence against him is circumstantial, I will be pursuing legal action." "Okay, okay. What''s your name?" "Shirley Schmidt," I said, pushing over one of the cards. "Alright, let me talk to the lead detective," the man stood up, and everyone in line groaned. A few of them muttered obscenities. I dismissed all of them from my attention. They weren''t important. After a moment, the attendant returned with another man with a five-o-clock shadow, waxy skin, and sullen eyes. "So, you''re Esvanir''s lawyer?" He asked, glaring at me. "I am Curtis Reese''s lawyer." I met his stare with icy determination. "Metas don''t get lawyers. He''s going to be transported to maximum security in an hour," the cop said. His glare was still fierce, but his voice was relaxed and conversational. Almost bored. "Mister Reese is not a meta. And I''m sure any judge would agree that the prospect of arresting someone and not giving them a fair trial would be highly unconstitutional." "Metas are considered terrorists by the U.S. Government. They waive their rights when they decide to have powers." "Mister Reese is a U.S. Citizen," I said coldly. This was so frustrating! This is the exact kind of thing that Curt was always so obsessed with. People being mistreated. And usually, I just blow it off. His causes all make sense and are all critical, but I need to focus on myself. But now that''s blowing up in my face. What am I going to do? Through gritted teeth, I managed to say, "Let me see my client this instant, or I will sue this entire department." "Go ahead and sue us. There''s not a judge in the state that would side with one of those freaks!" One of the cops shouted. I glared at him. "Do you really want to test this? Even if no one in the state would, I imagine it could set precedence if we got to the Supreme Court. Meaning all of your abuses to metas would suddenly become a real big problem." I watched the detective before me coldly. My heart was pounding on the inside. I''m sure my hands would''ve been shaking if my arms had not been crossed, but I refused to let anything show on my face. "Fine," the detective said, motioning me to follow. I took note of everything. This is the same station Marcelli had been in; that''s good. Familiar ground. But I got a couple of stares. People were trying to figure out why my face looked so familiar. Given that I had knocked out like eight cops here, I was a little nervous. But I don''t think anyone recognized me. Not enough to call me out on anything. We got over to the room where he was. The detective held open the door, and I saw Curt. His shirt had been torn, and his face was bloody. His hair was standing on its end. He was missing his rig. I could tell because the sleeve where he hid it had been ripped entirely off. His face was swollen. He looked up, and our eyes met for an instant. Then he returned to staring at the cop across from him. She was sipping a coffee. She glanced up at me when I entered, then returned her attention to her captive. "Where were we, Mister Reese?" She asked as she flipped through the papers in front of her. "Ah, yes. Aiding and abetting a known criminal''s escape. That''d be worth a couple of years. Except you''re a meta. So, that''s already life. So, again, I guess it really doesn''t matter." Curt said nothing and just stared impassively at her. "Leave the room. I need to speak to my client." "Your client doesn''t have any rights to a lawyer. We''re doing this solely as a measure of good faith," the detective who had guided me said. "He''s a meta." "He has no powers." "The ability to appear and disappear isn''t a power?" The woman said, not looking away from Curt. "If he was Esvanir, and I''m not saying he is," I began. The cop laughed at me. "If? Of course, he''s Esvanir. He had the weird glasses and metal snap-y thing." "If! He was Esvanir," I continued loudly. "That would be a technological ability and would not qualify him as a meta." "No judge or jury would ever see it that way, and you know it," the man behind me said. "I demand to speak to my client alone!" "And your demands mean nothing. He''ll be on the next bus going out to Bellemere Sanitarium and Correctional Facility. Maximum security for such a dangerous criminal," the cop said proudly. I crossed the room, and the cop at the table went to grab me, but I dodged her blow. That''s when Curt jumped back and slipped out of his cuffs. He leaned back and kicked the table at the cop, and grabbed my hand. I took out the popper and slammed the button. The woman held onto my arm as we went, and reality shifted. We reappeared in the hotel room, and she was with us. She bolted from us and grabbed her gun. "Freeze, Esvanir! Lawyer!" Curt exploded into motion, and she fired. I was faster, though. I instantly closed the distance between us, and she turned the gun on me. She fired again, but I shifted my density, my molecules spreading out. I could feel each of them still, but my clothes dropped to the ground. I reached out, my hand becoming substantial again. She was good. She moved out of the way, hand coming up to block me. But that was a mistake. She touched me. And then it was over. I gripped her hand and sent a jolt through her. I didn''t know exactly what it was. But it was just a pulse of energy that caused people to convulse and collapse. And sometimes, they lost control of their bowels, which was pretty gross. But it was a good compromise for this ability. Curt went through his bag. "Fuck. I''m going to have to make a lot more of these. We''ve been burning through them," He held out two of the poppers, frowning at them. "But for now, let me see your phone." "Why?" "Because they confiscated mine, and I need to get it. And my rig. It''ll be easier than building a new one. And we can drop her off." I sighed and handed it over. He set up the new coordinates, grabbed the hand of the detective, slumped on the floor, and was about to press the button, but I interrupted him. "Wait!" "What!?" He growled. I narrowed my eyes at him. I had just saved his dumb ass, and he was going to take that attitude with me. "I''m coming too!" "It''s not necessary," he said softly. "Apparently, it is. You can''t go anywhere without some meta handing you your ass." I saw his eye twitch in annoyance. "I was caught off-guard with Smash Gal." "And Thunderboom or whatever?" ¡°Thunderblast . . . He used an EMP.¡± "And if he uses another one? What will you do?" "I . . . I don''t know. I haven''t thought that far ahead yet. I need to make a Faraday Cage or something." "Which you haven''t had time to do. So I''m coming." "Fine," he said softly. He didn''t meet my eyes. "Thank you, Cind." "Whatever. Let''s just go." We popped over, and he dumped the detective on the ground. The confiscated items processor stood up and went for a button to call for back-up, but Curt just slammed his head into the desk, and he went down. He then got on the computer and typed a few things into the keyboard. I waited. The detective started to come to, but I jolted her again, and she went down. After a minute or two, he stood up, crossed the room, and pulled his stuff out of a box. He strapped it on and then sighed. "Fuck, it''s still down. Hopefully, it didn''t fry the chip," he said. He then considered it for a moment, went back to the desk, and typed a few more things into the computer. "What are you doing?" "Going shopping," he said simply. After another few moments, he grabbed a bag and started pulling things off the shelf. He then directed me to do the same and gave me some shelves. We took some money, weapons, and other various things, and then he came up to me and kissed me on the cheek. We popped back to the room with our new goods. "You''re going to pay me back." "I know." "It''s going to be expensive." "Yeah," he said. "I won''t forgive you until you do." He sighed. "I''ll make it up to you," he promised. He was almost always good to his word. "Good." "You know, you looked incredibly sexy in your lawyer get-up," he said with a lustful glint in his eye. "Really, now? You just got arrested, and you''re thinking about sex?" I asked incredulously. "Yeah," he said, honestly. "I''m sorry, but you coming to rescue me is just so hot. Especially with the sexy lawyer get-up. Hair up, glasses, skirt. It was amazing." "You''re ridiculous," I said with a grin. I wrapped my arms around him. "Fortunately, I like that about you." For once, I put on clothes with little reticence. I didn''t care for it, but he made it worth my time. They also didn''t stay on for too long. With our adrenaline up, we were both a little more impatient. And he would still owe me so much more than that. And I was going to collect everything. With interest. Issue #22: I鈥檓 Sure if We Got You In a Skirt, You鈥檇 Turn Some Heads

=== Chuck === Kari was given a weekend outside of training. This was mainly because Suiren had to visit her parents, and her bringing an almost thirty-year-old adult woman she commanded would have raised some questions. But this was a great chance to catch up. It would be the highlight of my week, which had been filled with me being blasted by conservatives on Twitter. My interview where I doubted the dubious conclusion that the ACPD came to about Esvanir had gone viral, and some pundit, Buck Clarkson, who gets paid to be perpetually angry about things, which sounds very unhealthy, decided to feature me in a segment about heroes. "Professor Mind and his ilk," the man began, staring into the camera with a look of concern and concentration, "are now defending criminals against the real heroes. Our men and women in blue work tirelessly to help and save our citizens from these threats, while supposed heroes, vigilantes really, work to undermine the very fabric of society. These people, like Smash Gal, seen here threatening a police officer, rely on officers of the law to actually take away and prevent future crimes. It seems it''s not enough for these people to help people actually serving justice, but to inject their leftist politics into their supposed heroics." He went on for another five minutes but never seemed to say anything of substance. But it did trend for a while, and I had a bunch of people in my Mentions constantly arguing about my role. Some people defended me. Many of them didn''t seem to know who I was, just that they didn''t like what this pundit said. The video clip of Kari that he had played without sound was utterly devoid of context. It was actually a video of her getting shot by the police. Several people had reached out to interview me about my politics. I don''t know where they got it that I was anti-police. I love the police. They''re not perfect, but they do a good job most of the time. They just jumped the gun on Reese, which made sense since he had become a household name and had robbed the company before. It just didn''t fit his M.O. It''s easy to become blind to that kind of thing. Regardless, I eagerly flew to the spot that Kari suggested. It was a small diner. The one that Thunderblast had worked at before transitioning to being a full-time hero and a part-time model/spokesman. Jenny really knows how to push people''s careers, I thought. I landed in the back, noticing a massive crowd in the front, and was about to switch to my street clothes when I heard what the commotion was. Kari was being swarmed by a bunch of reporters. If someone saw me in my street clothes, they may put two-and-two together. I sighed and walked up to her, pushing my way through the crowd. Kari was answering questions that the reporters had. They were all pushing forward, and I could feel the desperation for an exclusive or some new piece of salacious information they could use. A few of the reporters started asking me questions, too. I smiled and shook my head. Kari grinned at me and told them that the impromptu interview was over. They all surged forward. Kari''s anxiety and trepidation spiked, and she backed away, but that''s when a slightly overweight, balding man came out brandishing a broom. "That''s enough! That''s enough, you vultures! Get outta here! Buy a meal or get the hell outta here!" The reporters scattered, and the man turned to Kari and I. "Well? You comin'' in?" "Hey, thanks for that," Kari said, lunging forward to grab the door and hold it open. The man waved a hand absently, muttering to himself about reporters, as he passed her. I nodded to her as I crossed the threshold. It was a retrofitted retro-diner. Something that was once a 50''s style but was now just a diner with some vague 50''s references. We took our seats, and she leaned back, sighing. I tried to gauge her emotions. I reached out with a tentative Empathic Sense. It''s kind of hard to describe. Basically, I create a field where I can magnify my sensitivity to people''s feelings. Some people thought it was intrusive, and I saw their point, but I use it sometimes to know if I should avoid certain subjects with people. Kari was always easy to read emotionally. Right now, she was a little wound up but much calmer than I had seen her in days. "So, PM, how''s it been? The city still seems to be intact without me?" "Just barely. There are a lot of villains and people I wish you were around to deal with instead of me," I responded, leaning back. "Oh? Why''s that?" "You''re prettier doing it. And so self-assured." "I don''t know about all that," Kari said, leaning forward. "Maybe too self-assured. As for being prettier, I''m sure if we got you in a skirt, you''d be turning heads." "That''s just what I need. I imagine Buck Clarkson would undoubtedly say that I''m trying to destroy masculinity and western values or something." "Who cares?" Kari asked. "He''s an idiot." "With the most popular news show on cable." "Yeah, I thought Thrawn was bad until I saw that segment." "David can be a lot, but I think he''s a good guy who has to play the game," I said, thinking back through the interviews I had with him. "But Clarkson . . . He featured both of us for three days just because of an offhand comment about Esv . . ." Kari rolled her eyes. "I saw what you said. You''re right. It wasn''t Curt. Doesn''t fit his bullshit morality. Did the cops ever come around?" "Not especially," I said. "In fact, they doubled down. Between that and his recent escape from custody, he and Cherry are making their way up the FBI''s most-wanted list. Some are calling him a terrorist." "Yeah," Kari stared at the cup of coffee, warming her hands. It took her a moment to compose herself. Even without focusing on it, I could feel the doubt, anger, and pain mixing inside her. "I don''t know about that. I know he scares me. Ever since that night." "He went too far." "Maybe. But what''s worse is he brought me with him. He brought out my worst side for the world to see. And that''s what scares me the most about him. And you saw it the whole time." "It''s easy for me to see. I''m on the outside," I responded. "But you stood by me." She looked into my eyes. "Why?" "Because I know where it comes from. You want to do the right thing. And the right thing is hard sometimes. Especially with someone like him." "Do you think he has a point?" "Kind of. But what are we going to do? Give everything away for free? We should probably do more to help, but this redistribution he''s put himself in charge of . . . It''s ridiculous." "Yeah," Kari said. There was a long pause. I didn''t need to be psychic to know that she weighed all of these issues more carefully than I was at the time. But I didn''t really want to talk about it. So, I broke the silence. "How''s the training going? How''s Suiren as a teacher?" I said, trying my best to suppress a smile. It was still amusing to me that a middle schooler was in charge of the combat training of the most powerful woman in the world. "Oh, Ren is great. We went flying the other day and got ice cream. I don''t always understand what she''s trying to do, but it''s definitely going well. I don''t think I''ll fall for another of Curt''s tricks any time soon." I suppressed my desire to peer into her mind a little deeper to see if the lessons were taking. It wasn''t a perfect indicator, but I could generally tell if someone''s new practices were going to become a habit or not. I also could make them more likely to become a habit. I''d used it a couple of times to help people quit smoking. "So, are you going to be back on patrol soon?" I asked. "I''m. . . I''m not sure. I still have a lot of training to do. Maybe once I can beat Ren in a fight without powers." "Good luck with that one."

=== Curt === If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Wedding planning is one of the most confusing things I have ever tried. And I figured out quantum entanglement and teleportation at 19. There were so many rules that people were apparently supposed to follow. I was trying to figure out the seating chart, but all of Cindi''s friends seemed to have very complex relationships. A lot of people wanted to be seated together but couldn''t be placed next to people that those people wanted to be next to. Along with that, there were just a few little details that Cindi was managing. Things were spread all across our little hotel room. I guess at this point, we might''ve considered it an apartment. We had been renting it for what seemed like an eternity. I sighed. I missed my apartment. This extended time away from Avalare felt odd. Though I was grateful that I hadn''t had to fight anyone in over a week. Des said I was well on my way to doubling my tab with how often I was getting hurt. I crossed the room with Seating Chart 5.4 and sat it on a pile of things that Cindi would review. I started digging through some of the other papers and plans until I found a set of blueprints. Cindi must be planning a job. Wonder why she didn''t ask me for help. Not that she needed it. I couldn''t help myself, though; I scanned the documents. It looked like a large home. There was a display room with almost as much security as Marcelli''s manor. Something seemed off to me, though. As I examined it, I realized that this system was specifically designed to counter Buck Cherry. Each display had a unique energy field that oscillated at a counter frequency to her insubstantial form. There weren''t weight sensors on the floor. Instead, there was an oxygen pressure detector, live cameras, and a reporting system that would alert whatever team was on the other side. Cindi would have a hell of a time overcoming all of these security measures. But that didn''t make it impossible. It just depended on the strategy. And I had one in mind already. I snapped over to a workshop I was renting under an alias. It''s where I kept some specialized equipment. I dug through some boxes and found what I was looking for. If Cindi was willing to do a smash and grab for whatever she wanted, she could use the EMP, after some modifications, that I designed to stop the bomb Marcelli had attached to her. I spent about ten hours developing two of them. One was just a copy of the version that was incredibly localized. Good for knocking out one display. Then I designed one that was much bigger. Capable of knocking out power to the whole house. At least for a few minutes. I imagine there were backup generators on the schematics I hadn''t seen. I then spent five more hours putting together a Faraday Bag, which would protect her electronics, including my Popper. I had been working on trying to implement one into my rig, but it was pretty complicated. Putting it in something the size of a duffle bag was much more manageable. I ran some tests, and everything seemed to work as planned, which was unfortunate for some of my computers, but it was nothing I couldn''t fix later. And it was a perfect proof of concept. I finally snapped back to the room; Cindi wasn''t back yet. I think she was dress shopping. Or doing a different job. Could be either. It was getting late. Well, it was early. Dawn was peeking through the windows. I yawned, wrote her a note, put the devices on top of the blueprints, and went to bed.

=== Kari === After our lunch, we went on patrol. It was nice to be back in the city. I know that the Dojo or whatever it is is in Avalare, but it''s so far up and so disconnected from everything else that it doesn''t really feel like it. It''s like its own little world. Everything was easy. It had only been a little while since I had started, but it felt like when I first started. I was calm again. I hadn''t forgotten about any of the problems I''d encountered, the changes that I thought needed to happen, or how complex the world felt. Especially in regards to Curt and the police. But it was nice just being able to stop and help out people. We helped a little girl get a cat out of a tree, get a car out of a ditch, and stopped a few minor crimes here and there. The cops were mainly amicable for the first time in a while. Things felt good. At least until Chuck had to go home. When we split up, I continued to patrol for a little while. I knew I should have gone home to see mom and dad, but I also just wanted to be in the city for a little bit. The sun started to go down, and I enjoyed the sunset. I flew down 1st, listening for anything going on, when I heard a roaring rush. I spun out of the way. A gout of purple flames flew past me; I froze and looked around for the source. It was pretty easy to spot because another blast came flying at me. I dodged it and sped down to the roof of a building where a lone figure was standing in full armor, brandishing a sword. She spun it deftly and threw out yet more violet flames. I turned against her flow, the fire surrounding me and then dispersing. I crashed down to the roof and charged her. She grinned at me from behind her mask. "I let you go last time, degenerate! Now, face your reckoning!" I charged forward, and she slashed down at me, and her flaming sword bit into my shoulder. I cried out in pain, feeling blood leak out over my shirt. She brought the blade back up, and I kicked off the ground and flew back, her sword missing me by inches. She spun and threw a massive wave of fire at me. I just let gravity take me back down to the roof and launched myself as soon as I reached it. I slammed into the woman and went flying. She thrust the sword into my back and started dragging it up. I gritted my teeth and sped up. She was strong, but it''s hard for most people to maintain much of anything when you start breaking the sound barrier. The air was blasting against us, but I was used to this. I curved my flight up, and the air began to thin. I figured she would need air more than I would. She realized what I was doing, took out a knife, and stabbed me in the shoulder. My grip on her loosened enough, and she kicked off me and started plummeting to the ground. Where does she keep getting these weapons? What the hell are they? I can take a bullet, but I can''t stop them? I thought. As she fell, she swung her sword violently through the air creating an X of violet fire. I dived around it and blasted off a piece of air I hardened with my mind. I can''t just let her die! I have to try to save her. With her continued blasts at me, she was speeding down to the ground incredibly fast. I might have been able to catch up, but there was no guarantee I''d have the time to stop by the time I caught her. She''s doomed, I thought, woefully. I watched her pass a building, and then, as lithely as any cat, she spun around and blasted the ground with more of her flames. They spread out and slowed her descent. I heard cries of pain that were quickly squelched out. She landed on molten asphalt, surrounded by regular fire that had spread and caught several cars and buildings on fire. I flew past her as fast as I could, trying to put out the fires. I saw a corpse charred well past recognition, and I stopped. There were cries of pain and glass shattering from the heat. People tried to come outside, but the sidewalk was steaming. I glanced around for something I could do to help. Anything. Just past her, I saw a fire hydrant. I charged for it, and she slashed at me as I did. I barely managed to spin out of the way, crashing to the super-heated ground. I picked myself up and shook my head, forcing my eyes to focus. She charged forward and started to slash. I dodged but halfway through her swing, she changed direction and caught me in the ribs. She feinted again and caught me on the other side. When she swung next, I didn''t bother choosing a side. I shouted and stepped forward, slamming a fist into her chest. She flew back and slammed into a car. Then through it into a pole. Shaking and bleeding, I glanced around. The fires were quickly overtaking the buildings, and the asphalt wasn''t cooling very quickly. I heard sirens and looked over and saw three firetrucks charging towards us. Thank God, I thought. But when they reached the molten asphalt, they traveled a few feet, and the tires exploded, sending the truck out of control. It started skidding towards me, taking out several cars in its wake. I blasted off of the ground and slammed into it. The metal crumpled, but then I remembered. I started generating a telekinetic field around it, which prevented the rest of the truck from collapsing around me. It came to a screeching stop eventually. As did the other two behind it. There was a roar of flame behind me, and I dived to the side without looking. I turned and faced Lady Blade. Her face spread into a malicious grin, and she brandished her sword. "You will perish tonight!" "What the hell is your problem, lady?" I demanded, my heart pounding in my ears. "I have been chosen to purge this world of evil. I will do so." "And the people who you killed, saving yourself just now?" I demanded, gesturing to the fires. "What about the innocent bystanders?" "If they were innocent, the sword couldn''t hurt them," the armored figure said, stepping forward. I stood there, dumbfounded. She is . . . Beyond help. I have to stop her. I blasted off of the air and charged forward. She swiped at me, but she was far too slow. She was still human. A tail of flame trailed behind her blade as I spun around her. I went to punch her, but she managed to duck under my fist, bringing her sword as she did so. I barely managed to stay out of its reach, sucking my stomach and arching away. I used the change in direction she had forced on me to flip in the air and bring down my leg. She tried to dodge out of the way, but I came down hard and fast. The freshly molten asphalt still cracked under the force. Her armor dented. Then I kicked off her and spun in the air. Then charged down at her again, forcing my mind to focus on her. How is she able to keep up with me? I threw a haymaker and then a kick. Then I understood. She was doing the same thing Ren and Curt did. She just started reacting well before I was entirely in motion. So I sped up. I started throwing punches and kicks faster and more powerful. She could predict some of them, but it didn''t matter. I made contact with her chestplate with one of them, and it crumpled. She flew back into a car and slammed into a building. I started to go after her, but the world became blurry. I missed a step and tripped, falling over. What is happening? I thought, glancing down at myself. My white shirt was entirely overtaken by red. All of this flying around and fighting . . . I had lost a lot of blood. I struggled to my feet for a moment. I made my way over to her and stepped on her chest just as she got up. She tried to raise her sword, but I think she was in worse condition than I was. I had thrown her through two cars. Armor can only do so much. Unless you''re Bion. The firefighters made their way out of their trucks, stepping carefully, and started putting out the fires. Some cops and paramedics came. They were talking, but honestly, the words were distant. I didn''t really comprehend anything. They gently moved me away and started to cuff the armored woman. I saw her grip her sword, and I began to move forward, but the world went sideways. She cut through the cop cuffing her and kicked at another. They fired on her, but the bullets seemed to bounce off her armor. She looked like she was going to fight, but when I got back up, she shook her head and dashed off into an alleyway. Some of the officers gave chase. I have to talk to Ren about her. She knows something, and that woman needs to go down. More than Curt or Cherry. Issue #23: Men are Fragile Creatures

=== Cindi === I got back to the room Curt and I had been sharing late. It was almost noon; I had accomplished a lot. I had gotten a caterer and procured the masks for the wedding. But mostly, I spent my time considering what I would do about Hope. And the artifact that she had procured. That we had procured together. And what I needed to do to get it back. It was what gave me my powers. Before acquiring them, I had still been a thief. A fantastic one. I couldn''t help but think back to everything that happened then. Everything that led up to this.

=== Flashback ===

Long before I was Cindi Drei, I had first learned how to sneak out of my house under the watchful eye of my father. He wasn''t doing it out of any desire to protect me. Merely to control me. To keep me from revealing what he had done to me. Done to my family. The last time I saw him was when I was fifteen. I heard him storming up the steps. I threw more clothes in a bag, willing myself not to flinch with every crash. I finished stuffing things in my bag and got to the window when he burst through my door, taking it off its hinges. It was a cheap door. Everything here was cheap. "What the fuck do you think you''re doing, girl? The school called. Said you hadn''t been there in a week." "Hard to go to school when I have a black eye and a bruised throat, dad." I spit the last word out, throwing open the window. He was immense; I couldn''t get past him. I peered behind him. My mother was staring at me; she had such deep bags under her eyes; they were cold. She had run out of warmth and joy some time ago. And I wasn''t going to let that happen to me. I slung a leg over the window sill. "Where the fuck do you think you''re going?" "Away. I''m done, fucker." He lunged for me, and I dipped out of the window and out onto the roof surrounding my room. He tried to grab me but couldn''t quite get through the window. I looked down and felt the phantom pain in my ankles. I knew I could roll well, and it was grass, but the initial look always got me from heights. "You think you''ll get anywhere without me, you little bitch!?" "As long as I''m away from you, it doesn''t matter." I saw mom one last time over his shoulder. There were tears on her face, but she nodded at me. I grimaced and turned away. I slipped off the roof and landed in a roll.

=== Present Day ===

Curt had found the plans for Hope''s place in all of the wedding plans. Damn it! I didn''t want him to know about her. It wasn''t that I didn''t trust him. At least not completely. I didn''t know what would happen if he knew I had already been married. He was asleep, being a natural night owl. One of several reasons why we just worked together. I picked up his note.
Cindi, Found your plans for that compound. They have good tech. Figured that you didn''t ask for help for a reason. Decided to help anyway. These are small EMP generators and a bag with a Faraday Cage in it to protect whatever electronics you need on the job. Let me know if you need my help. Love, Curt
I looked through the things he had created. He didn''t have any of the context of the job. Just the blueprints. He hadn''t looked into it at all. Hadn''t tried to figure out what I was doing. I felt my chest seize up a little bit. He just wanted to help. He still trusts me. After everything. Some part of me wanted to call him a fool. But that wasn''t true. He just accepts me for everything that I am. And these would be very helpful. I wasn''t sure what I was going to do. Best get started then. I thought tiredly. I considered going to bed before starting the rest of the prep work. I just want to get this done. Maybe then, these memories will fuck off to whatever deep recesses they came from.

=== Flashback ===

My life has never been all roses, but that''s hardly the point. It''s better not to dwell on it right now. Out on the street, I learned how to be invisible. Not literally. But I could always find the best hiding spots so no one could catch me. I learned how to be silent. These skills allowed me to come and go as I pleased. There were lots of men, men like him, who would offer a place to stay if I gave something of myself away. Usually, it was my body. They would treat me like they owned me just because they offered a warm place to stay and a hot meal. And when I refused, they would take it out on me. But one of the other skills I developed quickly was the ability to stop a man from going too far. It''s not complicated. Men are fragile creatures. One incredibly fragile creature was Larry. He started off nicer than the others. He got me gifts. Flowers, jewelry, and even let me stay at his place when he wasn''t there. And he wasn''t there a lot. It was great at first. But one night, he burst in, incredibly drunk. I jolted awake and grabbed a knife I kept on me. It was required. I only stayed there a few times a week. He shambled over to the bed, body-slammed it, and landed on my thigh. I yelped and tried to pull away. He giggled and reached over for me, grabbing me. "Hey, baby. I''m glad you''re here. I want you." I struggled against his grip and his breath on my face. "I''m. . . I''m not in the mood right now, Lare. Can we do this another time?" "But I want you now!" He insisted, pulling up my shirt. I pulled away further. "C''mon, honey. You owe me." I froze under those words. "Owe you?" "Yeah, I mean, look at it this way. You stay here, have a roof over your head, get some gifts, get some love, and I get some nookie," He said, pulling my shirt up more. I felt my hand move without me thinking; The knife flashed and bit into his skin. He screamed and backed off. "What the fuck, bitch?" "Let''s get one thing straight," I began, breathing heavily. I brandished the knife in his direction in a shaky hand. "You don''t own me. You . . . You have no right to my body. I-it''s mine." I left after that. Larry tried to get revenge for what I did, but his boss, Shai, stepped in. He helped me further hone my skills. I was quick and quiet, but he taught me more than that. I''ve always been thin, but Shai taught me how to use leverage to overcome that. Using people''s weight and power against them. The other thing he gave me, that the other men had consistently failed to, was a chance. He needed a replacement for Larry, and I eagerly jumped at it. Larry''s crew were all talented; Jesse and James could talk their way into anywhere; Harry could hack into anything. Larry had tried to do a little bit of everything, covering wherever was necessary. They told me he was good. At the time, my only real skill was that I could get in and out of anywhere. That didn''t last long, though. I studied them. How they did what they did. The hacking was a little beyond me, but social engineering was right up my alley. We pulled off many jobs.

=== Present Day ===

I collected everything I thought I would need. The duffle bag Curt had retrofitted was actually perfect for that. Damn him. He really thinks of everything, doesn''t he? I couldn''t help but smile. I wish he could come on this job. He''s almost always so clear-headed about these things. And I could use a clear head right now. I took a set of screwdrivers, wire cutters, gloves, clothes, EMP generators, and four Poppers. Two to get me there and two backups. I cycled through the Pop app on my phone and selected the destination; It was on the other side of the world in the Hampdens. She chose that place on purpose. A place where I would want to steal from anyway. This is definitely a trap. The thought echoed through my head. But I always thought everything she did was a trap. At least at first.

=== Flashback ===

Our last job was when I was nineteen. It was a long con. While Bion and other paramilitary groups were ravaging the Middle East under the guise of country-building or installing democracy or whatever the excuse of the week was, other people were selling ancient artifacts from the area for egregious amounts. And my crew wanted some of the pie. So, we infiltrated an archeological dig crew. That''s where I met her. Hope. She was everything I had been missing in my previous life. She was raised well, spoke several languages, and, unlike me, barely ever focused on how people saw her. She was an archeology student and spent her time trying to stop the constant exporting of artifacts from the area and was trying to preserve the cultures and historical context of each of them. Which meant she had a lot of access. Harry managed to forge me some top-notch credentials, and I came in as an intern. A big part of a plan like this is to know your new persona inside and out. Harry had crafted Cindi Drei from the ether. Gave her a social security number, a school transcript that was good enough to get in as a Master''s level intern, and a couple of run-ins with the law. To make it a little more realistic. "Spotless records don''t exist," Harry would always insist. "If someone knows what to look for and sees a life where nothing has ever gone wrong is going to be suspicious." The issue with these documents is that they don''t give any context. And therefore, don''t do much to inform the persona. Bringing those documents to life is my job. The schools I went to were good. There were scholarship records, grants, and even tax records. So, she- I grew up poor, I thought as I went through the documents. Some things never change. The arrest records were for loitering and public indecency. Hmm. Small-time crimes, unlikely for any cop to really remember. I had to create a narrative around these. Until that point in my life, I had spent my life hiding my body under heavy sweaters and baggy pants unless I was trying to get something. I had used my body to get attention a few times, but it was mostly so I''d have a place to stay and some food to eat. And those men rarely cared about how I dressed or did my makeup. Which, back then, I didn''t do so much. James had encouraged me to wear fancy dresses for some jobs, and Jesse had taught me all his favorite makeup techniques. Apparently, before he fell in with us, he was an actor. And a drag queen. And there are times where, even with a beard, he looked better in a dress than I ever could. While reviewing Cindi''s documents, I decided I wanted her to be a little different than me. She wouldn''t hide under sweaters. For one thing, the Middle East is way too hot for sweaters. And it''s also essential to differentiate the character from who you are, so it''s harder for people to pin you down if they figure out you''re not who you say you are. So, I met Hope as Cindi, a girl in a tank top, shorts, some makeup, and short, messy brown hair. A complete contrast to her refined, buttoned-up, long-haired, no-nonsense affectation. Her unruly, frizzy red hair was the only thing she ever struggled to control. She was serious about not just keeping the pieces of art, artifacts, and everything together but keeping them in their place of origin. She always insisted, "I want to study their cultures in their original context. Archeology has a long history of white people like us coming in and making a bunch of assumptions. All we really need to do is look, listen, and be respectful." I wasn''t entirely up on all of the archeological terms. And little things can get you caught in a long con. So I spent hours trying to ensure I wouldn''t get caught in an immediate lie. I studied and absorbed as much as I could. And my efforts didn''t go unnoticed. A few months into the job, Hope stopped by my tent. We slept at a dig site. The big one. It had some ancient emperor buried in it. "Another late night?" "Yeah," I said. "I-uh . . . I just wanted to make sure that I get these things right." She smiled down at me. "Well, I''m your teacher," She said with a grin. "Maybe I can help. What are you reading?" We spent the following months excavating the ruins covered in thousands of years of sands and identifying things. We would collect artifacts and ship them back to a warehouse, where they would stay for further cataloging. And my late nights stopped being about paranoia of not knowing my stuff because, after a while, I did know it. It became about Hope. She started visiting my tent more and more at night. One night, I went to hers. I had gotten some French wine. She always talked about how she loved France. She''d gone to boarding school there and was always missing it. "Hey, professor. Look at what I found!" She looked up from her book as I barged into her tent and smiled. I hadn''t thought about it, but it was late, and she was in what passed for pajamas in the desert. Which is to say, barely anything. A tank top and panties. It was the first time I had seen her out of her exploring clothes or a suit. I felt heat coloring my face, but I couldn''t bring myself to look away. She crossed the room and took the bottle from my hands. "2005. I think that was a good year." "Yeah, I remembered you saying you missed drinking wine with your meals," I said thickly. I am an idiot, just coming here in the middle of the night. This could''ve waited. "Did I say that?" She laughed and walked over to her makeshift desk, plucking up a Swiss Army Knife. She thumbed out the corkscrew and went to work on the bottle. After removing it, she sniffed the cork and sighed happily. "Yeah, I miss France. Do you want a glass?" She was still smiling at me. That''s what I remember the most about that night. We finished the bottle. And I woke up curled in her arms. I can''t remember much else from that night, but she made up for that with several more nights. And it was terrific. It was the first time I felt I really belonged somewhere. That somewhere happened to be her bed. A bed where someone wasn''t pressuring me to do things. Where I wanted to be. And that was a first. I was fairly experienced in many things by the time I met her, but the one thing I was utterly unused to was genuine affection. She was the first person I wanted to have by my side. Not for a night. Not for a job.

=== Present Day ===

I arrived below her balcony. I looked down at myself. I was wearing clothes similar to those I had met her in all those years ago. A black tank top, shorts, and no underwear. It was just as much of a disguise this time as it had been last time. I jumped up to her balcony and flipped over the railing, landing carefully. No alarms went off. Well, at least there''s that. I walked up to the door, and a retina scanner lock was installed. That''s new. Ordinarily, I would just phase through it and be done with it, but there was a good chance that Hope had planned for that. I knew that on all of the actual pieces she kept had a strong electric current running through them. Things that disabled my phasing. Which was terribly inconvenient. But she''d know exactly how to counter me. Since she was there when I became Buck Cherry. Or perhaps I was her when I was given that name. Honestly, who can keep track anymore? I leaned down and examined it. The scanner flashed forward and caught the image. I panicked and started digging through the bag to grab the EMP generator. Then I heard the door click. The readout on the screen said
CINDI LESSLIER AUTHORIZED DOOR UNLOCKED
Even after all these years, she still keeps surprising me. But I''ve never really known what to expect when I''m around her.

=== Flashback ===

After several months, the crew came back in. Jesse, James, Harry, and Shai came in. Rough calculations of what we had collected from the dig sites was in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Enough for all of us to retire. And it had been nine months since the job had started. Nine months of me spending lots of nights with Hope. Several of them where I would wake up in her bed. And they were getting antsy. Shai called me on the burner cell I kept specifically for the crew. "It''s time, Sare. You guys have enough. We need to get it and go." "If you wait a little longer, there''s much more we''re about to uncover," I lied. I felt a little guilty about lying to Shai. He had taken me in and taught me a lot. And he was the only reason I was on this crew. The only reason I met her. "The longer you''re on this job, the more likely it''s going to fall apart. I''m worried about you," Shai said. "We need to get out while we''re ahead." "I . . . We''re close to a breakthrough. There should be another massive find here soon." "You guys haven''t shipped anything back in two weeks. The site''s dried up. Just cut ties, and let''s go." "Just a few more days. I promise. Something big is coming." I wasn''t lying. There was one big part of the structure left. A stone slab that we had assumed was a wall. It was very strangely placed, but we had circled around it while clearing out the rest of the site, and it was a perfect square. There was something in there. And I had an idea to get it. We had figured out fairly quickly that it was a room, but we wanted to be careful. It was deep in the structure, so we couldn''t just get huge equipment in. We didn''t want to use dynamite or even smaller explosives. We didn''t know what was inside. Hope was adamant that we couldn''t risk damaging anything. But I had gotten pretty good at reading the ancient texts, and there was something special in there. Some religious artifact said to grant the power of gods. And I discovered they had actually developed a mechanism to open it up. They had disguised it really well. And it still worked. Kind of. I pressed it, and a wall scraped loudly as it moved aside. It only opened a foot or so, but I could work with that; I had squeezed into much tighter places. It was a tighter fit than I had expected. I had been eating more than I was used to and had filled out some. And at the time, I was cursing it. I''d be much happier about it later. Then again, after that day, it would never stop me from getting into wherever I wanted again. I made my way through the thin shaft, scratching the hell out of my arms, legs, and face. Hope was right behind me. I squeezed through the final few feet and burst through. And I couldn''t believe my eyes. Inside the room in the middle of a compound was a garden. Like an active, living garden. There were lush green plants, running water, and daylight, perhaps most surprisingly. Honest-to-God daylight. How they managed that, we never figured out. In the middle of it, there was an idol on a pedestal. "Wow! I would have never expected this! How do you think they did it?" Hope asked as she bent down to look at the plants. "No clue," I said, walking forward. I got to the idol. It was a woman made of stone and glass. Embedded in her face were small sapphires for eyes. I circled it, entranced. A sudden loud scraping echoed through the room, and the trance was broken. Both Hope and I turned and rushed to the door as it closed. The last thing I saw was Shai''s face. He frowned at me and shook his head. A staticky voice came over our walkie-talkies. "I''m sorry, kid. Someone''s gotta go down for it, and it''s better if the person doing that isn''t around. And your girlfriend is it. You''re just collateral." The machine went dead. I tried to reach someone, anyone, but there was no response. "What was that about?" Hope asked. "Um." I couldn''t look at her. I felt so guilty. This person who had given me so much. But so had Shai. "I dunno. Let''s try to find a way out of here. They couldn''t have made a room without an exit."

=== Present Day ===

I crept into the house as quietly as I knew how. I made my way over to the gallery. Her collection was several rooms full of art from all over the world. Almost as big as Marcelli''s collection, but with decidedly more thought put into it. She kept everything from different cultures separate and even had little plaques explaining everything. I got to the room dedicated to artifacts from the Middle East. I recognized most of the pieces. Hell, I had collected some of them. We had collected some of them. I stopped in front of a glass case that held a glass and stone idol of a woman with sapphires for eyes. I marveled at it for a moment. The artistry put into it was astounding. How they blended the glass and stone and set in the gems would have been complicated. The way the layers of glass and stone intermingled, alternating, and the level of detail put into it still took my breath away. But time was short, and I needed to get this and go. I bent down and took some tools out of the bag. I started unscrewing the panel on the pedestal and opened it up. There was a nest of wires behind it. Damn it. Curt was better at this kind of thing, but I had still been trained by some of the best. I scraped off some of the plastic coating on one of the wires, took out one of Curt''s batteries, and attached it. It sent out a power surge, and the display went dead. The lights all went out. I stood up straight and phased my hand through the glass. "I''m disappointed in you, Cind." A voice called out from behind me. I jumped and turned. Hope was standing in the doorway. "I wish I cared more, H," I said, turning back to the idol and grabbing it. I slipped it out of the case and went to put it in a box. Hope had stepped back but was still watching me from the door when gates slammed down on all the exits. She frowned at it, and I placed the idol in its protective case, closed and locked it. Then I walked over to the gated door and examined it. I could hear the humming of electricity going through the gate. So, if I try to phase through it, I''d get electrocuted, become substantial again, and be stuck feeling however many volts that is until Hope turned it off. I looked at her. The woman I used to love. Before she turned out like everyone else. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

=== Flashback ===

We found the mechanism to open the door, but it didn''t work. No surprise there. It was honestly a miracle that it worked the first time and had only barely done so. But still. It meant we were going to die in here. I collapsed against the pedestal in the center of the room and sighed. "So, you''re a thief," Hope said. It was a statement. Not a question. Not even an accusation. "That makes a lot of sense." "You knew?" I asked, looking up at her. "No, I had no idea. You fooled me right up until we got locked up in here. You are outstanding." "Not good enough to not get caught," I muttered bitterly. "Well, you were betrayed. He''s your . . . partner?" Hope asked, crossing the room to sit near me. "The crew leader. He likes to call himself the Mastermind." "Ah. Well, he masterminded your murder. Not part of the plan, I take it?" I laughed. I couldn''t help it. "No, not part of the plan. The . . . plan . . . I changed it. He disagreed." "Changed it? How so?" Hope asked, trying to keep a bored, academic tone. "I . . . We were supposed to end weeks ago. I . . . was stalling." "Why?" "I wanted to finish the excavation. We only had one room left!" I exclaimed. "And look at it! Look at this amazing room! A room where they somehow managed to grow plants with no direct sunlight! Kept water flowing for hundreds, thousands of years! I needed to finish it." "Is that the only reason?" Her academic boredom faltered a little. "No. I . . . Like you. Your passion is . . . Your passion is why I''m still here." "The cynical thief turned into an archeologist because of a pretty girl?" Hope teased. "I didn''t say you were pretty," I said, huffing. "You did last night," Hope said softly. "Was that a lie, too?" "What? No. I . . . Why are we talking about this? We''re going to die in this room. Shouldn''t you be more worried about that?" "I don''t want to think about that. And I just found out that my girlfriend is a thief that was out to steal my entire life''s work. Which is a little more interesting than my inevitable death. Was seducing me a part of the plan?" "Hah! No. Are you kidding? I didn''t seduce anyone." "You''re the one who came to my tent with wine." "That . . . was after." "After?" "After I started liking you." "Oh?" "At first, I was just studying to make sure that I didn''t get caught. Then you came around to tutor me. And when I found that wine, I wasn''t trying to . . ." "I was," Hope said, leaning back against the pedestal. "What?" "Oh, I bought that wine and gave it to the guy you bought it from." "What? Why?" "So, you''d buy it and make a move," she said, unable to keep the smile out of her voice. "You were taking forever. So, I wanted to give you a push." "That''s devious!" I said, laughing. "Well, if I had known you were a thief, I may have tried something more devious. I didn''t know it was a competition yet." Hope looked over at me. "Are you done moping yet?" "Moping?" "Yeah. It''s not like you to give up. After all, you did learn how to be an archeologist in a few months. How hard could it be for a thief to get out of one room?" "I . . . Fine. I don''t know what we can do, but I''ll keep looking," I said, pushing myself up to my feet. I walked around the room. The room was humid. It looked like light was being dispersed from the ceiling, but I didn''t understand how they had done that. The fact that this room existed at all still boggles my mind. "Cind, c''mere." Hope was hovering over the statue. "What is it?" "It''s a little weird, isn''t it?" "Yeah, I guess. I don''t see how it''s going to help us get out of here, though." "Yeah, I''m sorry. It''s just odd," Hope said, shaking her head. "I guess I can''t suppress the archeologist in me." "Yeah, I know what you mean." "She has your eyes, though?" "What?" I asked, turning back to her and the statue. She gestured to the sapphires. "I . . ." I leaned closer. A little too close. I fell over and headbutted the statue, which toppled over. Panicking, I grabbed my hands, caught it, and clutched it to my chest. Then there was a jolt that went through me. A weird hum resonated through my body. Everything went black. Then the black cleared a little bit, with little sparks way off in the distance. Then those became stars as my vision cleared more. I spun around. My body felt weird; there was no resistance; I realized I wasn''t touching the ground. I looked around and couldn''t find anything but the inky darkness and the stars. But I heard a voice. "Cindi! Cindi! Wake up!" I shuddered awake, and I saw Hope crying over me. I pressed my hand into her cheek. "Hey, H. It''s okay. I just took a little nap." "A n-nap? You started to fall through the ground!" "What? What are you talking about?" I asked, sitting up. I looked down at myself and saw my clothes lying on the floor. "Why am I naked? Were you . . . ?" "What? No! That''s what I''m saying! They just fell off!" Hope exclaimed. "Fell through you!" "Hope . . . That''s crazy." I realized I was still holding the statue and sat it down and got dressed again. Then I opened my bag and put the figure in it. "What are you doing?" Hope asked, sniffling. "Well, we''ll probably need something to sell if we get out of here. Something to get us back home." I started walking around the room, and that weird resonance went through my body, and I felt a wave go through me, and my foot got caught on something. I looked down, and it was a pair of shorts. My shorts. "What the hell is happening?" "See! It happened again!" "What?" I asked, pulling my shorts back up. "Maybe they''re just loose or something. I don''t know." I was being a little thick, and it took five more accidental stripping sessions to accept that something weird was happening. And poor Hope wasn''t even able to enjoy the show at all. Though it was less theatrical than I would do now. But hindsight, and all that. Through a little trial and error, I figured out that I could get out of the room. And we were saved. I didn''t have the level of control I do now, so I had to go slow, and Hope was incredibly scared to go with me through the wall, but we escaped. When we got back to town, Hope''s face was everywhere. She was being blamed for the most significant art heist in history. Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of antiquities had gone missing, and she had supposedly gone into hiding. "We can just go to the cops and clear everything up," Hope insisted after we found out. "If they believe our story." "What story? We were in the excavation team for the ruins." "It won''t explain where all of the pieces went. To clear your name, we''d have to turn in Shai." "So? He tried to kill you. It''s too good for him." "And then he''d just plead out and turn me in as the Mastermind of all of it. Also, his story would stand up better. A significant portion of our story involves us locked in a room that we can''t get back into and an escape that . . ." I froze, looking at my hand. It became somewhat translucent before my eyes. I held it up to her face, and she blanched a little. "I still think we should." "I''m telling you, cops are not our friends in this situation." "And who are our friends?" Hope asked. "I''m not a thief. I don''t know what to do, Cind!" "We''ll figure something out. Sell this piece and get out of the country. Get home." "And what will we do then?" "I don''t know. Go to Shai. Get my share. It''s enough to retire on." It was not that simple, unfortunately. No one would touch the idol. Not with how hot everything had become on the black market. It was a massive theft. They froze all of Hope''s accounts, and when she went to the bank to try and withdraw some money, she was arrested. She wasn''t cut out for this life. At least not yet. I struggled with what to do. I didn''t want to leave her behind. But I also didn''t want to get caught, myself. And I was having trouble controlling my new powers. My clothes would come off at the most inopportune times. I had to spend any time in public desperately clinging to every scrap of will to keep them up. Eventually, I decided I couldn''t just leave her behind. I scraped together just enough of an identity to get a visitation as she awaited trial for her crimes. When I saw her, she was a wreck. She had lost weight, and her face had become harsher and more angular. She had bruises and a black eye. It hurt to see her like that. "What happened?" "The . . . people in here . . . they''re animals, Cind. You need to get me out of here." "How?" "I don''t care! Just do it. I can''t. . . I can''t do it. You can get me out of here. I know you can." "They won''t believe anything I say, H." "Don''t talk to them. Can you still . . ." She looked around and got closer to the glass separating us. "Can you still go through stuff?" "Yeah," I said hesitantly. "But I''ll lose all my clothes if I do. I still can''t figure out how to keep them on when I''m. . ." "Cind, please. Am I not worth a pair of pants?" "Of course you are!" I all but shouted. "But what am I supposed to do? Just grab you and run naked through the streets." "Just get me out of here!" She demanded, slamming her hand on the table. One of the guards started moving over to her. "Please!" The guard grabbed her arm and started pulling her away roughly. I swallowed. This was a bad idea. I stood up and phased through the bars and the table. Hope cried out in joy. And while I would like to think that it was a response to my nudity, with my clothes hanging limply on the table behind me, it was more likely her imminent escape inspiring such joy. The guard turned and dropped his ward''s hand to grab at a weapon, a taser. He lifted it, and I ducked under his aim and punched him in the ribs. He grunted but threw me off. I rebounded off the wall and dived for Hope. I grabbed her hand and started to phase through the floor, but something pierced me. Kind of. When I go through something, there is still a slight resistance that needs to be overcome. Sort of like swimming. Everything becomes equally dense to me. Curt often says I can fly, but I mostly swim through things. And I still kind of interact with the things that go through me. Which was a problem. Because I vaguely felt the barbs of the taser sink into me and the guard pulled the trigger. I felt a powerful jolt go through my whole body, and I collapsed on the ground and shuddered violently. I couldn''t move. He stopped and started moving closer to me. "Cind, we have to go. Get up. I need you. Damn it, Cindi!" Hope cried. I watched her look at the taser lines stuck in my skin, and she dove for them. She couldn''t get them out, but she ripped the taser from the man''s hand. He tackled her and pinned her to the ground. I pushed myself to my knees shakily. Then I rushed over to him, kneed him in the ribs, and made him off her. I grabbed her arm and started pulling her along. We were on the third floor of the large prison they were holding her in, and I didn''t like what I had to do. It was probably going to hurt as much as the taser. And be longer-lasting. I dashed through the wall, dragging Hope behind me. I started falling, and then I felt my leg yanked up, and I started falling headfirst to the ground, and I felt the barbs of the taser that I had been dragging behind me rip out. The ground rushed up to meet me, because who wouldn''t, honestly? But suddenly, it stopped. Before Hope and I splattered to the ground, we stopped and floated a few feet above the exercise yard. Sirens started going off, and people started firing guns at me. The bullets went through us. I felt my entire body ripple around them; the sensation was so weird that I lost concentration and fell the last few feet to the ground. Hope and I grunted, and I pulled myself to my feet. I grabbed Hope, and as I pulled her up, a bullet went straight through her shoulder, and she yelled out in pain. I clutched to her and started running. I concentrated hard as I saw men shooting at us. The bullets phased through us and caused the weird rippling again; I gritted my teeth and made it through. We hid behind a wall, catching our breaths for a moment. Hope was gasping in pain. I pulled her along, and she ran with me. I cursed the lack of clothes. Damn it! I could really use a sports bra right now. Or a regular bra. Or a shirt. Or fucking anything! We got to the wall, and I dived through, dragging a bleeding Hope with me. We spent the next few weeks lying low. Hope''s escape was all over the news and my face, disguised under some heavy makeup and a wig I had kept, was out there. The story of how she escaped was mixed and confused, and no one was sure what to believe. I found a doctor to treat Hope, and she recovered. And I went back to who I really was. Not Cindi the archeologist. I am a thief. I always have been and always will be. I stole food, clothes, shelter, and everything not bolted down. And for a while, that was good enough. I got better with my new powers. We couldn''t go back to the archeology site to learn more about what caused them. But I had the idol. Hope was sure that they were tied together. She was what made that time bearable. We were together. Which was more than I had the last time I had been a street rat, running around, scrounging for food and shelter. She was always a comfort. And she picked up on the streets fast; she hated the situation and hardened quickly. She had come to my line of thinking about the cops not being our friends and avoided them whenever possible. And it was her focus that really got us through it. "We need to get back to the states," was something she would constantly say. And eventually, she even came up with a plan. With my powers, we would get some new identities and money and just get back there. As though that were so easy. We found someone who had the equipment, and I thought about just trying to buy it, but it would be ten grand to afford new identities like that. And that was well more than we could get easily. So, we spent some time collecting money. Doing odd jobs. Hope became a Mastermind in her own right. She would set out the target and come up with a plan. None of them had to be incredibly complicated. There weren''t a lot of places prepared for the woman who would become Buck Cherry just yet. Because, again, who could be? One of the problems with dealing with criminals is that not a lot of them work in good faith. After months of living in the Middle East, we had enough to afford two identities. Or we would have if someone hadn''t decided to stiff us on our last payout. We had given the client everything they asked for, and they decided to bring in the cops when we went to collect. And that''s the first sign that Hope had become too hard. During our meeting, a detective came in, brandished a gun, and went to cuff her, but she shot him. She just took out a gun . . . that I hadn''t known she had and shot him. In front of all of us. His partner came in, and she shot him too. Then she fired on the client and walked out of the room. Even still, I was happy just to have her around. So we stuck together. At the time, it seemed reasonable. And we did buy our new identities, eventually. After almost two years in the Middle East, from the start of the job, we escaped. And that''s also when Hope surprised me with something. The marriage certificate. "Now it''s official!" She exclaimed. I was stunned; We had talked about it. But, when staring at the paper, I couldn''t believe it.
Certificate of Marriage This certifies that Hope Lesslier and Cindi Drei were united in marriage on the day of 19th of June, 2017. Witnessed and Celebrated by: Selina Hardy Felicia Kyle Lona Anderson
We kept the idol. No one would sell it, and now that I was convinced it was tied to my powers, I hid it. I don''t know what would happen if it was destroyed. I don''t know if I''d keep my abilities, lose them, or even worse; I was getting used to them. And she had made that my identity. Which I guess I was on my way to developing a reputation. But she had linked us together. And without any ceremony. A ceremony I didn''t know I wanted. "Now that we''ve tied the knot. We''ll be together forever." She seemed so excited about it. And I tried to share her enthusiasm, but things had started changing. Her idealism had been dimmed by her time on the run. And when we got back to the states, things got worse. I figured we would just try to find a way to survive. Maybe try to carve out a sense of normalcy. Maybe she would get a job as a professor. Even then, I think I knew that was a pipe dream. She was just as much of a thief as I was now. Maybe more so. We did more jobs in the states, and she got even harder as things went on. The stress of being a criminal on the run never gave her a chance to become the woman she used to be again. The harsh cheekbones that she developed in prison only worsened. And so did her itchy trigger finger. If a client even hinted at betraying us, she would kill them. I didn''t know that. I usually just gave her the stuff. But our work dried up after a while, and I started to look into why. And I found out about our reputation; we were coldblooded murderers. People were afraid of us. We were effective but also had a hair-trigger, apparently. When I confronted her about this, she just said, "I''m not going back to jail. I''m not getting caught over some stupid, petty bullshit. People want to fuck with me, with us, and I won''t hold back. Not anymore." That''s when I noticed the change in her. But I was still in love. Mostly. That was around the time that I got caught stealing The Cherries, and I was given my name. Hope hated it. I actually really enjoyed it. There was a lot of attention on me. Alone. It was kind of vindicating. I became more daring with my crimes, a little more public. And eventually, Shai contacted me. "Hey, kid. I''m glad to see you survived that little misunderstanding. I see you''re making a name for yourself. Some pretty big . . . cherries ya got on you, I''ll give you that." I listened to the message a few times; I couldn''t believe it. I felt the tears leaking down my cheeks. I didn''t tell Hope; I didn''t want to remind her that Shai existed. I hadn''t realized that she had never forgotten him. And certainly never forgiven him. One day, she came to me with a surprise. "C''mon, Cind. I got something to show you." We took a train, rented a car, and drove to a very remote part of Virginia. When we got to a small cabin, I had all kinds of thoughts in my head. Maybe it was a vacation spot? Maybe it''s going to be our new home. We have the money to just live in peace for a long while. Maybe it''s just a weekend getaway. I didn''t know what to think. But I didn''t expect what was waiting for me behind that door. I opened it up, and Shai, Jesse, James, and Harry were all bound and gagged in the room. They all looked up and tried to cry out. "What is this?" "What we need. Closure," she said, cocking her gun. She handed one to me, and I looked down at it. "Closure?" I asked. I looked into the faces of my old friends; My hand started shaking. Some part of me was still angry with them. They had abandoned me. But I also understood that, to some degree, that was part of the game. "Yeah, closure. I''ve been waiting for so long for this." She sashayed over to Shai and pointed the gun directly between his brown eyes. He screamed. "H-Hope, are you sure you want to do this?" "He took my life away from me, Cindi," she said, looking back at me. Her face softened when she looked at me. "Our life. We could''ve been together. I could be a professor now; I could have taught people so much. An entire generation of archeologists. With what we found? With your powers? We could''ve found who knows what with your abilities and my know-how." "Why can''t we still do that?" I asked, my voice cracking. "Because he took it away. He made me do this. He made me into a killer." "But he brought us together. Isn''t that something?" "Of course, Cind! I love you," she said softly. "But I can''t forgive him. He stole the life I was supposed to have with you. My reputation, my career, my . . . Everything. He took away everything. And you gave me you. He wanted to take even you from me." She fired, and Shai was no more. The other three jumped and cried out. They tried to wriggle out of their bonds but couldn''t manage it. "C''mon, Cind. Let''s finish this. Then we can go get dinner." My hand was shaking. I didn''t know what to do; I didn''t want to kill them. I walked forward and started to lift the gun. She smiled at me until I pointed it at her. "What are you doing, my love? You can''t kill me. We''re together. Forever." "N-no. I c-can''t do this. I can''t kill them," I said. "So you''re going to kill me?" She walked up to me, smiling. It was a vicious thing. Not like the time before all of this. She slapped me, and I went to the ground. "Cindi, you have to learn how to be harder. You taught me a lot, but you''re still too soft for this. You care too much about the people who betray you. I''ll do this for you. Because I have to." She shot the other three. I couldn''t watch; they were my friends. She was my . . . She was my wife; my wife had just killed my friends. For revenge. In some ways, she was doing it for me. And I hated it. She walked up to me, grabbed my hand, and pulled me to my feet. My eyes met hers, and I could feel her hand in mine. It had always been calloused and strong, but it felt hard now. Her eyes, her face, her body were all hard; she wasn''t my Hope anymore. And she hit me. She actually hit me. And if I let her, she''d kill me too. If I betrayed her, whatever that means, she''ll kill me, too. My hand shook in hers. And that''s when I learned about my stunning ability. A tingle ran down my arm and shot into her, and she went limp, falling to the ground. Before she was even all the way down, I started running. I couldn''t do this. "Cindi! No, Cindi! Come back! You can''t do this. I''m your wife!" Her voice became harsher as she cried out in rage. "You are mine! You can''t just leave me here!" The words struck me, and I stopped. I looked back at her. "I-I don''t belong to anyone! I decide who I am."

=== Present Day ===

"It''s good to see you, Cind," Hope said, smiling softly through the bars. "So, what''s the plan, Hope? Just going to keep me trapped here? Do you really think I didn''t come here without an escape plan?" I reached in and grabbed a popper, and pressed the button. Nothing happened. I pushed it again. Fuck. Curt can teleport anywhere in the world, but the one fucking time I needed it, it won''t work. Maybe Hope knows how to block it, somehow. I leaned down, started digging through my bag, and grabbed the little EMP generator. Hope watched me placidly. I made sure to close the bag to protect all of the other electronics and clicked the button. The lights flickered for a split second and died all around the room. The instant they did, I jumped through the bars, phasing through them, my tank top and shorts being left behind on the floor, but the bag came with me. I landed on the other side and started dashing for the door. "Oh, I figured you''d have a plan," she called after me. I didn''t turn back to look at her. I started to phase through the glass door on the other side, and I felt barbs pierce inside me and a jolt of electricity. My body convulsed, and I became solid again. The glass shattered around me, and I collapsed on the balcony, shuddering. I reached behind me and tried to pull the barbs out as I heard footsteps walking over to me. I convulsed violently as more electricity was pumped into me. As my vision dimmed, I saw a pair of shoes step in front of me. "I do know you, after all. I am your wife." Issue #24: And You鈥檙e Old Enough to Know a Lot

=== Kari === Despite all of my cuts, I waved off the paramedics. They weren''t going to be able to help me anyway. I took a few deep breaths and then flew home. Not to Suiren''s place. I rushed to mom and dad. By the time I got there, I was exhausted. I collapsed to the floor, and I heard glass breaking. I heard footsteps close in, and I felt someone lift me up. A few hours later, I woke up in bed. I was topless and covered in gauze. I looked down at myself despondently. I had gained some scars. There were the ones I could see on my arms from where Curt had captured me and tried to saw them off. There were matching ones on my legs. Undoubtedly, I would have new ones under the gauze. I looked at my phone. It had been ten hours. I got up, pulled myself out of bed, and shambled into the central lab. Mom and dad were talking in a hushed whisper, but I could still hear every word. The benefits, or maybe detriments, of having super-hearing. "What are we going to do? She keeps getting hurt? First from Curt and now this Lady Blade?" "I don''t know. We have to convince her to stop. She''s not as invulnerable as-" Dad cut off when he saw me approaching. "Hey, sweetie, how are you feeling?" "Oh, Kari, baby. You should really be in bed. You lost a lot of blood," mom said, coming to my side. "You guys want me to stop being a hero?" I asked, tears clouding my vision. My parents looked at each other and then at me. "Honey," mom began. "It''s just . . ." "You keep getting hurt. We''re worried." "Yeah, a couple of things hurt me. It happens, but . . ." The tears leaked down my face. "I can''t just stop. I''m the only one strong enough to do some of these things! I''m the only one who might be able to stop Lady Blade. Or Curt!" "Sweetie," dad said. "You haven''t been able to yet. What''s changed?" "I was caught by surprise. I-I''ve been training. I''m getting better at fighting." "What we''re trying to say is that you don''t have to fight," mom added, putting her arm around me. She stroked my shoulder. "But I do!" "There are other heroes. Like . . . Bion. And Professor Mind." "They can''t do what I can. And even when they can, they don''t. I''m stronger than they are. And I can''t just not help people. I want to." "I know you do, honey. We just . . . we almost lost you once. I don''t want that to happen again." "Almost lost me? Mom, I''m right here. I haven''t almost died. I''ve gotten hurt, but lots of people will get more than just hurt if I don''t help them. They''ll die. I am so much less likely to die than anyone else." "And what if this Lady Blade or Curt decides to cut off your head next time!?" My father demanded, anger coloring his tone. "They''re not going to! They won''t get the chance." My own voice had become steady, despite the tears. It was also filled with anger. I felt my hands shake. I clenched my fists. "How do you know!?" He shouted. Mom shot him a look, and he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "How do you know?" "Because I''m going to continue to train. I''m faster than anyone on the planet. I just need to get better at actually fighting people. And I''m going to." "How?" Mom asked, pleading. "Suiren has taught me a lot. She''s coming back. She might already be back." I disentangled myself from mom''s arms and started back towards my room. "Can''t you wait until you''re healed up a little more?" Mom asked. I looked back at her; I could see the fear in her eyes, in the crease of her mouth. I shook my head. "No, mom. Right now, I''m weak enough so that those guys might present a real challenge. It''ll be a good experience. And I need to figure out what''s going on with Lady Blade. That sword . . . It''s insane. Nothing has ever hurt me like that before." Mom and dad both stared silently at me for a while. I shook my head, returned, and got dressed in my Smash Gal outfit; this one had tight pink pants, the same pink top with my logo, and my same calf-length cape. I looked at myself in the mirror. The hint of bandages could be seen on my shoulder and on my back. I looked pale and tired. And I felt dead. But that was all the more reason to get back on that horse. I stepped out and tried to stand tall and look strong. Mom and dad both watched me go. I wished them well and then started flying. I didn''t go my full speed. I was still tired and didn''t want to end up crashing down. I got back to the dojo and landed heavily on the boards. They didn''t buckle under me, thankfully, but I also had to catch my breath on my hands and knees for a minute or two. Suiren and her grandmother came out after a while. "Kari, are you okay?" "I''m just a little tired. H-how . . . how was your trip?" "It was good. What happened to you? You don''t get tired." Ren put her hand on my shoulder and lifted my head. "I . . . got into a fight while on patrol. A horrible one." "Wh-who did you get into a fight with? Who could do this to you?" Suiren asked, her voice cracking. "W-was it Esvanir?" "No, child." Ren''s grandma had closed the distance between us. "It wasn''t Mr. Reese. You know who it was." "L-Lady Blade?" Suiren''s voice broke. I couldn''t tell if it was from fear, pain, or rage. "Yeah," I said. "You know her, right?" "Yeah, we know her." Ren''s grandmother put her arm around me and pulled me up. She was stronger than she looked. I tried to help push myself up, and a wave of dizziness hit me. I took a few deep breaths, then started forward. "Suiren, I think it''s time to tell your protege about my former protege." "Yeah," Suiren said in a small voice. "I guess it is."

=== Curt === I woke up pretty late. The bed felt cold, and I reached out without opening my eyes for Cindi. She was not there. I opened my eyes, and it looked like she hadn''t been to bed yet. I checked the clock, and it was six P.M. I got out of bed and looked around. There were some new bags. I walked over to the table with all of the wedding plans on it. She had taken my note and the duffle bag I had set out for her. She''s probably just on that job. Doesn''t need me poking my nose into her business. I took a shower and got myself cleaned up, figuring she''d be back at some point tonight. In the meantime, I looked through some of the other things she had brought home. Her wedding dress wasn''t there, but she got a few examples of the masquerade masks the guests would wear. I smiled. It was a brilliant idea, but it was also so theatrical. So . . . Perfectly Cindi. I looked through a couple of the other tasks that she''d accomplished, and she had been busy. She hadn''t had time to look through the new seating chart proposal, but that''s fine. I''m sure there were other tasks I could finish. I spent a while doing it. One of the things on the list was to get some form of tux. Des might be available to help me. And while we''re at it, we can do a check-up and remove some stitches. They''re getting itchy. I gave them a call; they answered on the third ring. "Room three." "Room three?" "I''m assuming you''re bleeding out again since that''s the only reason you ever call me." "Not this time. Though, I do need to have some of those stitches removed." "Oh, so you''re calling to waste my time then. You are aware I''m a real doctor who does real doctor things, right?" "Painfully. But I need help picking out a tux. And you''re my best person." "Mmm. While I agree that I am the best part of your life, I wonder how Cindi would feel about that." "We can ask her when she gets back from her job. But also, fuck off. You know what I mean." "Yeah, I also need to get my order in for my tux." "Decided on a tux, then?" "Kind of?" "Oh?" "I found this neat half tux, half skirt thing. It''s pretty sweet. I might even outshine Cindi." "What about me?" "I always outshine you." "That''s. . . fair. So, you in?" "Yeah. Room three. We''ll do the stitches first."

=== Kari === I was guided over to the room they had given me to stay in, and they laid me down. "I see your wounds have been taken care of." "Yeah . . . What is that sword? Why can it hurt me?" "It''s a mighty weapon," the old lady said. "An ancient one. It was forged maybe a thousand years ago and has undergone many changes since then. But the one consistent thing is that it is incredibly formidable in the wrong hands." "Well, that seems weird and contrived. There''s just a random ancient sword that can hurt an alien-human hybrid that''s basically invulnerable to everything else." "I don''t think that was the intention. But it seems so," the old woman said. "Well, that''s awfully annoying. What does this all have to do with you?" "That sword is supposed to be mine," Suiren said petulantly. "You''ve no more earned it than she did, child," her grandmother said. "Wait, you''re supposed to have the sword? Why?" "It''s been passed down through our family for generations." This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Oh, so, Lady Blade is your sister? Cousin?" "No," both of them said at the same time. The grandmother nodded to Suiren. "She was grandma''s student. She was outstanding. Unlike you, she took to fighting immediately. She learned everything grandma knows." She looked over at her relative and smiled. "And you''re old enough to know a lot." "Say that again, and you may not live long enough to know as much as I do," her grandmother replied, smiling. "But yes. She was a great student. She naturally adopted a perfect form and was just very good at every physical aspect of it." "So, what happened?" "She was . . . angry. Her parents had been killed by some criminals in a mugging. She was furious at the criminals who got away. But her anger kept growing. She blamed society for letting people like that exist at all. She let it consume her. Now she''s taken to ending anyone who doesn''t live up to her morals." "Well, her morals are kind of fu-" I stopped, looking at Suiren. "Screwed up. She thinks PM and I should be killed because we''re degenerates." "Yeah. She does," Suiren said simply. "Which is why we need to get the sword back." "So, why haven''t you?" "Because the sword follows rules. She stole it after defeating its previous master in combat. And while she''s using it wrong, it still obeys her." "Wh-who did she defeat?" "Me," the old woman said. "I''m not as young and spry as I used to be. I can''t beat her like I am now." "Oh. So, what''s the plan, then?" "I''m going to beat her." Suiren raised a fist. I frowned at her. "You''re not ready, child," her grandmother said. "I am! You just won''t let me try! I can beat Kari!" "Kari''s not a fighter. Not like Sarah." "I think she''s right, Ren. You''re not ready yet. I''m inexperienced, but even I noticed a difference between you and her." "You did?" Suiren asked, her voice a little small. "So it''s still that big. Damn it!" "Language, Suiren," her grandmother said. "So, you noticed a difference, Kari? What do you mean?" "Suiren is strong for her age but still short and slow. And I don''t know if she . . .you can kill someone. I''ve seen Lady Blade do it." I clenched my fist. "But I can defeat her." "No, you can''t," Suiren said. "It has to be me." "You''re not strong enough yet. And I can''t just let her murder people in cold blood. She''s a monster." "I think your current state says that maybe you aren''t up to defeating her either," the old woman said as she examined me over steepled fingers. "No, not right now. I still need to do some training, but I can beat her. I just need to get better. If you guys are still willing to help me." Suiren''s grandmother''s face was purely enigmatic. I couldn''t decipher it at all. Suiren looked angry and hurt and didn''t say anything for what seemed like forever. "I don''t think you''re the right person to take her down. But I''m still your teacher. If you''re here to learn, I''m here to teach." "Very good, Suiren. But tomorrow. Kari needs to get some rest, and so do you."

=== Curt === Cindi hadn''t been back in a few days. And I was trying my best not to worry. I had busied myself with the leftover tasks for the wedding, at least to the best of my ability. I contacted a few bands that could do a variety of music. We had already picked out the venue, and I ensured all the payments went through. One of the more complicated elements that Cindi wanted to happen the most was to have everything recorded but ensure that our guests'' privacy wasn''t compromised. We are still wanted criminals after all. I started building little drones that could fly deftly and capture everything. We had chosen a secular wedding officiant since neither of us believed. By the third day, I wondered if she had just gotten cold feet and booked it. Waking up alone in our hotel bed was getting harder. I was trying my best to be okay with Cindi not being around, but her scent was fading, and it was cold and lonely. And I was running out of projects; I had reorganized all the wedding notes to be easily accessible in a folder; I had made the drones. And just three days of constant planning and building later, I was trying to design new protections for my rig. I considered making contacts to replace the glasses, but I''ve never been good with poking myself in the eye. Which is a shame. So, I did something I never thought I''d do. I made her a rig. With this, I can be sure . . . Sure that she''s staying with me for me and not for . . . I couldn''t finish the thought. It hurt too much to think about. So I didn''t. Instead, I threw myself wholly into my work. Her powers forced me to reconsider the way I designed the rig entirely. The fact that she had to be naked raised questions. She could phase with a bag, so, really, whatever caused the nudity requirement was probably more psychosomatic than anything, but it was also now her brand. So, I made her a couple of options. Firstly, I did make some special contacts that would allow her to have the same augmented reality system that I did, which was incredibly complicated, but I made a couple of quick runs to get all of the materials. AR contacts were already commercially available, and it was just modifying those to be compatible with the app. It was mostly just a matter of programming. Most of which I had already done for the glasses. I also made her a pair of glasses. I didn''t know if either would stay on her when phasing, but it wasn''t that much more work. The other thing I did, since I didn''t know if the same hand rig would stay on her any better than mine would, I designed it to be a bit thinner and to fold up. I also had to insulate it from her weird electric powers. Flight, phasing, and taser fingers. She really is just a bizarre grab bag of abilities, I thought as I worked. When I was done, I got a little box for it to fit into. And a separate case for the glasses and contacts. I hope she likes it. I . . . I hope she still wants me when she has it. After a week, I was starting to get really worried. She hadn''t been back at all. There had been no sign of her anywhere in the world. No thefts were reported that could be her. There were a few more that were apparently me. But the other thing is that even if she had left me . . . Even if she was gone from my life . . . she wouldn''t leave behind her identity box. Or her clothes. Or all of the stuff she had stolen. I don''t think she would anyway. Her life was in that suitcase. Lots of her lives, actually. So, I did something else I didn''t like doing. But if she left me, I still wanted to give her the rig. It was hers. And I''d need closure. So, I checked the last place where she popped. I usually am pretty okay with her coming and going as she pleased. Still, I kept a record of everything to ensure my technology was mine. With her rig, she''d have her own separate log. One that would be very hard for me to access. The last pop that wasn''t mine was in the Hampdens. I brought up a satellite view of the place. It was some beach house. It looked . . . familiar somehow. I stared at it for a long time, racking my brain for where I remembered it. After a few minutes of it not coming to me, I got up and started pacing. I got myself a cup of coffee, and as I returned, I saw the blueprints still lying on the table and froze. It can''t be. If it was a dangerous job, she''d escape. No jail on earth that can keep her forever. But Marcelli had found a way. The mere thought of the man tightened my chest with anxiety and anger. I took a few deep breaths and sat down at the laptop. I went to the records site of the Hampdens to see if I could figure out who owned the house. After a few minutes, I found it. Hope Lesslier. I searched for her name, and while I found her social security number and a few other documents, her persona was sparse. She was a patron of the arts and funded a bunch of archeology all over the world. But her tax records were clean. Too clean. And she was filed as married, but I couldn''t find her husband''s name. I spent some more time digging into it and eventually found the marriage certificate, and ice went through my veins. Hope Lesslier and Cindi Lesslier. I couldn''t find pictures of them together anywhere. I found her. Her wife was nowhere to be found. I couldn''t find tax records for her. I found a birth certificate, eventually. Cindi Sapphire. I stared at the screen for a long time. It can''t be her. But she''s the only person I''ve ever met who spells Cindi like that. And . . . I stood up and grabbed my rig, and got fully dressed. I didn''t know what to expect. I also grabbed the case I put her rig into and put it in my pocket. I snapped, and the hotel room disappeared.

=== Kari === We started at dawn the day after I returned to the dojo. And Suiren was relentless. She trained me until dusk. We started with the same no-counter challenge where I would just dodge and block several people at once. And it was just as frustrating as the last time. It is hard to keep track of ten attacks at the same time. But I was getting better. One of the hardest things was to not use my strength. I had to be careful to not block too hard. When I did, my sparring partners would go flying. When I wasn''t fighting five or six people at a time, Suiren would challenge me. And she was worse than that. She seemed to be legitimately trying to hurt me. And the problem was that she couldn''t. She couldn''t even throw me around at all. Even after dusk, the training continued. Suiren had taken to trying to sneak up on and attack me. And she caught me off guard the first two times. She''d even try when I was asleep. And honestly, I was starting to find all of this really annoying. So, I stopped blocking with my body. If I heard her sneaking up on me, I would just wait until the last moment and create a small forcefield around me, and she''d bounce off. Which gave me an idea. I started spending about half of the defense sessions just working on making those faster and better. Just small panels of hardened air to take the attacks. If I got good at those, I could defend against Lady Blade''s fire. And the dirty tricks that Curt kept throwing at me. And maybe those weird convulsions Buck Cherry could make me do. After a while, we stopped having my partners just try to hit me and started using actual weapons. Well, wooden weapons. And those are even more fragile than people. So I had to be even more careful than I was previously. And I hated it. And what I hated more than that is that it was incredibly good at helping me with quick strength control. I couldn''t always stop them from breaking their weapons or hurting their fists, elbows, knees, legs, and feet on me. But I could help roll with the attacks to make them less likely to. After a week or so, I had gotten so used to this training that it felt like I could see everything. And I was bored. Late in the day, I asked, "Is there any way we can ramp this up a little bit?" "Ramp up?" Suiren asked, overseeing the fight. "You''re already fighting five people." "Yeah, and it''s not a challenge anymore." "What do you mean?" Suiren sat up a little straighter. I sighed. "These guys are trying their best, and I appreciate it, but now that I''m. . . more used to being attacked, my super senses have caught up, and I''m. . . um . . ." "She''s bored," Suiren''s grandmother said. "And she has a point." "She''s still struggling." "She''s holding back." "Well, yeah, but she has to, so she doesn''t hurt any of them." "No, I mean, she''s still blocking because that''s what you told her to do." "What do you . . . Are you saying she could dodge all of that?" "Well, can you?" "Uh," I hesitated. "Yeah. I''d have to use super speed, but it''s not like I''m already not cheating by being able to see everything coming anyway." "I don''t believe you," Suiren said defiantly. "Pick your fastest fighters," I suggested. "They won''t be able to touch me." "No just flying up. Just dodging. On the ground." "Of course," I said. Suiren motioned for the guys I was sparring with to back off. Suiren and her grandmother walked up. "Are you guys the fastest?" "Yeah," the old lady said. She lifted her cane, twisted the handle, and revealed a long blade. Suiren just took a stance. They both closed the distance between us in an instant. The old woman slashed down at me, and Suiren jumped into the air and tried to ax kick me. I sidestepped them both with ease. Suiren landed and went to sweep my leg, and her grandmother''s sword arced up at my head. I arched away from the blade and stepped over the outstretched leg. They continued to slash, kick and punch at me for what seemed like an eternity. They were fast for vanilla, non-meta people. But they seemed so slow, comparatively. I always tried to stay within their range, but I could have been anywhere in the compound in the time it took them to make an attack and reset for the next one. I could be out of the city. After minutes of fighting at their fastest, both of them were on their knees, breathing heavily. "See? It''s not even a challenge anymore." "I-it never should''ve been," the old woman said, trying to catch her breath. "What do you mean?" I asked. "You''ve always had super senses and super speed. Now you are just actually using them," Suiren chimed in. "We should have never been able to touch you. You have always been able to dodge bullets. You just never had to. All we did was help train your brain to be as fast as it could be." "So . . . Am I done?" "Done?" Suiren asked incredulously. "That depends." "On what?" "On what you want. You could learn real martial arts. You''ve learned how to dodge and defend yourself. Which is a great start. But you still don''t know how to fight." I considered this for a moment. I didn''t know what to do. With these skills and my power, I was more capable than ever. But actually learning how to fight would probably not be a bad thing. I can throw punches and grab people, but against someone like Lady Blade, I don''t think that''ll ever be enough. I''d probably have to kill her to stop her. "I . . . Do you think it''s a good idea?" "Do you?" "I came here because I wasn''t thinking clearly and kept making big mistakes. My . . . my judgment is . . . maybe not the best." "Perhaps not, but you''re also not exactly the same person. And it''s only been a few weeks. What do you want to do?" "I want to go back to patrolling the city. Helping people. Saving them. But. . . . It might also be a good idea to know how to actually fight . . . What if I . . ." I hesitated. "What if I split my time? I come back for more teaching, but also get back into the world and start helping people again?" "I like that idea," the old lady said. "Yeah, okay," Suiren said. She seemed a little annoyed about it. Issue #25: An Ice Cream Date

=== Curt === The world reasserted itself on the beach. I squinted in the bright, midday sun. Right. I hadn''t accounted for the time zone differences. I looked around the beach for a moment. I was pretty much right below the balcony of the house. There was some broken glass and some obvious cleaning that had happened relatively recently. I snapped up to the balcony and looked around. The walls were mostly reinforced glass. Nothing short of an RPG would get through them. I studied it closely. The seal around the glass door was a lighter color than the ones around the window. So the door has been replaced recently. Okay. Still not technically proof that Cindi was here. In fact, it''s kind of evidence against it. But this is definitely the same place as the blueprints. I snapped inside, and my glasses told me there was no signal inside the house. Signal jammer. Why would there be a signal jammer here? Hmm. That means a popper wouldn''t work here. It relies on GPS signals. If one can''t get through, it can''t determine the source. Which is why I made the glasses. Without them, I''d be trapped here. Even still, I''m stuck to line-of-sight for now. That''s going to complicate matters. I started walking around, doing my best to be quiet. I''m no Buck Cherry, but I''m also not bad at this. I went through several rooms. I found the art rooms that would undoubtedly be Cindi''s focus. None of the pieces looked to be missing. Also, a strike against her being here. I started down a hall, and I heard a voice. I froze. "Come on, now. You should really eat something, my love." I snuck closer, tried to glance into the room quickly, and then hid behind the wall. A severe-looking redhead was sitting at one end of the table. Hope Lesslier. I recognized her from the photos I had seen. I couldn''t see the rest of the room. This place was vast and gaudy, and that made things difficult. The room had a few entrances, though. I brought up the blueprints of the house while hiding behind the wall. There''s one right behind her. I might be able to sneak up on her from there. At least I''d get to see the rest of the roo- My thoughts were interrupted by the voice again. "Oh, it appears as though we have an unexpected guest. How droll. Come out now, Mr. Reese. I assume that''s you in the hall." Fuck! Fuck, fuck fuck fuck. What should I do? "Come now, Mr. Reese. I know you''re there. My security system informed me the instant you were on the balcony. I''d hate it if people thought I was a bad host. And I''ve been looking forward to . . . meeting you." I stepped into the room and looked around. Cindi was there. She looked like she hadn''t slept much in the last week. And she was chained to the chair. The shackle had something on it. Probably an electroshock device. And she was shaking, and tears were running down her face. "And there he is. I must say, I can''t see why you would choose him, my love. He''s so . . . ordinary compared to us." "Curt, what are you doing here!?" Cindi demanded in a hoarse voice. I looked over at her. It took a lot of willpower not to rush to her. "Oh, you know, I was in the neighborhood. Decided to visit your wife." "Oh, so you knew we were married. Cindi insisted she was over me and hadn''t told you because it didn''t matter." "That she was married?" I asked. "Oh, well, you know how it is. You start dating someone, do some Googling to learn a little about them. I gotta say, though, I prefer your original name. Moore sounds so much more, if you''ll pardon the pun, hopeful than Lesslier." "And is idle curiosity all that brought you here today?" "Mostly. I mean, that, and frankly, we have a wedding to plan, and I need Cindi''s help. I''m absolutely lost without her." "Curt, you need to go! I''ll handle this." "Oh, okay. Well, I didn''t mean to interrupt dinner. Really I was just coming around to drop off a gift for you. An early wedding gift," I said and started towards her. I heard a gun cock. "Oh, that''s okay. You can give it to me for her, Mr. Reese." "C''mon now, Hope. Curt, please. We''re practically family," I said, turning back to her with a smile. "We''re nothing," she said coldly, then seemed to reconsider with a shrug. "Well, you''re nothing." I kept my eye trained on the gun she had pointed at me, putting my hands in my pockets. I had to be careful with how. Cindi might have a plan, but I also don''t want to leave her in this situation. The least I can do is give her another tool and be a distraction. "Curt, you have to leave. I''ll be fine," Cindi lied. She didn''t lie to me often; she didn''t have to, usually. But this was different. I looked back at her; the tears were still streaming down her cheeks. I sighed and shook my head, using the motion to disguise me, marking out a waypoint just above Cindi''s lap but below the table. Hope shouldn''t be able to see it. I turned to Hope and watched her as I opened up two portals in both pockets. It was delicate work. I had to be careful that the edges of my ingresses didn''t clip through my pants. After all, I thought, it''d be awfully embarrassing to meet my fiancee''s wife with holes in my pants, trying to keep my thoughts light. She was threatening the woman I loved. I gently put the two cases onto Cindi''s lap. "Maybe Cindi is right. I''m intruding. I think I will leave." "Oh, you''ll leave alright," Hope said. She fired her gun, and I dived out of the way. The bullet shattered a vase behind me. "Oh damn it! That was from the Ming Dynasty." "Maybe you shouldn''t be shooting in here. There''s lots of valuable stuff," I said, rolling into a crouch. I marked a waypoint just in front of her gun and opened a portal just in front of it. She fired, and the bullet went straight back into the barrel of the gun. It exploded in her hand, and she screamed, dropping the shredded metal. "God damn you!" "Doubt he will. He''s a bit busy doing the non-existent thing," I retorted, dashing forward. She met me halfway, and I threw a punch. She caught my arm and twisted it. I felt my arm strain and start to crack. I bent with her motion to lessen the pressure, and she used her new leverage to pin my arm behind my back. I winced and tried to elbow her in the ribs with my other arm. She caught it and pulled it behind my back. I struggled for a moment, but I was outmatched. She was strong for her size and had me where she wanted. But I am Esvanir. I go wherever I want. I set several waypoints throughout the room and just started snapping between them. After the fourth snap, her grip loosened, and I tossed her off of me. Teleporting was really rough on the stomach for most people. It''s a lot of lurching motion, and the body just wasn''t made for it. I''m used to it. Cindi is mostly used to it. Noobs sometimes lose their lunch the first time. And usually, they don''t do it that many times in a row. She stumbled to her feet. I teleported over to Cindi. She''d put on her rig, and I saw that it would need some adjustments. Her hand was a little smaller than I thought it was. I took out one of my batteries, slammed it onto the shackle, and activated it. With a puff of smoke, it shorted out the device, and Cindi immediately phased through it and flipped out of her chair and the clothes she was wearing. "Curt! Watch out!" I turned halfway just in time to see something fly at my head, and everything went black.

=== Chuck === "We suspect the infamous thief, Curtis Reese, the Esvanir, is linked with a series of mysterious thefts happening all around the city." The chief of police was giving a statement to the press. "The list is ever-growing and includes several pieces of art, a bunch of technology from firms such as EnGin, WanEn, and a few museums. The thefts match how he has been known to steal things in the past. There are few or no traces left, and the thief seems able to get anywhere with relative ease. Given the events of his fight with local vigilantes, like Smash Gal and Professor Mind, he is considered armed and extremely dangerous." I watched the broadcast and shook my head at every word. I had been keeping track of the different thefts that were happening, and none of them felt like Esvanir. But, since he had knocked out an officer in his escape with his lawyer, who was probably just Buck Cherry in disguise, they wouldn''t consider anyone but Esvanir. He was absurdly high on the FBI''s Most Wanted list. But each of the crimes did seem related. Or at least most of them. Most recently, a museum had been hit, and several paintings had been stolen. Esvanir, to date, was only suspected in one other art theft done years ago. He was usually more interested in stealing from people he thought were currently wronging the world and had never discussed the nature of art theft. Though, given his fiancee, I somehow doubt he has a problem with it. I extended out a hand, and a 3D mental projection flickered into existence. It was the museum. It played back the footage of the theft. I had . . . convinced the security guard to let me see it before the police had taken it as evidence. The actual thief had picked a lock after hours and slipped in. I had seen the scratches on the door, and the camera had captured the door opening. Something Esvanir wouldn''t need to do. There was no sign of someone going through the door. Why aren''t the police using this? They had to have seen it. Five minutes later, there is movement on the other side of the museum. Whoever it was started drilling, which set off an alarm. This person quickened their pace, liberated the painting they wanted, put it on a dolly that had seemingly materialized out of nowhere, and made their escape. I replayed the part of the dolly appearing. It appeared from nowhere, dropped on the floor, and folded out to the full dolly they use. Is that how the one from EnGin worked? Seems like that''s how they would handle it. If it is, it means that it''s the same invisible thief. But why frame Esvanir? Is that the goal? Do they hate him, or is it a matter of convenience? I sat back and considered all of the details I had. An invisible thief targeted some of the same places Curtis Reese did. But also, some areas aren''t his usual objectives. Reese hasn''t denounced the claims, and the thief hasn''t demanded credit. Could they be working together? No, one stolen items was scheduled to be donated to charity. I don''t think that fits in with the pseudo-ethics that the self-professed Robin Hood would do. As arrogant as he is, I think he would balk at the idea of anything he thinks is as distasteful as that. I stopped, frowning for a moment. Then again, he did work for Marcelli and even rescued him from the police station. Then fled the country. I need to talk to someone who knows him. I stood up and started to look around for a moment. "I guess I should call Kari." "Why would you call me? I''m sitting right here." I jumped and started falling off the building I had been sitting on the edge of. Kari grabbed me. Which was completely unnecessary. I floated my way back up. "How long have you been there?" "Oh, like ten minutes." "But I didn''t sense you at all." "You were distracted. Deep in thought about . . . something. I don''t know. I''m not the mind reader." "But even so, almost no one can sneak up on me." "I''ve been getting better at thinking and feeling nothing. It''s the practice that Ren is making me do when I''m not training with her." "Oh." I extended my mental sense, and it was true. Well, mostly. It wasn''t that she was feeling nothing. It was that she was masking her emotions. And her thoughts. It was impressive. Especially since ordinarily, I would be able to know pretty much anything she was thinking if I wanted to. I still might be able to, but I couldn''t just read it like a book anymore. "So, what''s up? What were you going to call me for?" Kari asked, grinning. "Is it for an ice cream date?" "No, not exactly," I admitted. I felt a shift under the mask of her emotions. I couldn''t detect what the change was, but I think she might''ve been disappointed. "We can do that, though. I just wanted to talk to you about . . . Esvanir." "Curt?" There was another shift in her. I felt the mask strain. "Oh. Okay. Sure. But you''re paying. It''s my consulting fee." "Okay," I replied, laughing." "And we''re going somewhere expensive. Like that Gelato place." "Lead the way." She charged off, and I followed her. Thankfully she was going at a halfway reasonable speed. We landed a few minutes later, and she ordered something complicated with several flavors that I''d swear would never work together. I got something simple. Vanilla. "So, what do you want to know about Curt?" She asked. I extended my senses again, but her mask was back on and fully stable. I couldn''t help but frown. Kari holding back this much . . . I don''t know that that''s a good thing. "So, the police chief was online saying he''s still suspected of those strange thefts." "They''re not him." "How can you be sure? Maybe he''s changed his M.O. He did work for Marcelli." I saw her jaw tighten and her eyes narrow. I got the sense of rage just underneath the surface, and she took a few deep breaths. "That''s. . . Not what it seemed." "What do you mean? Marcelli sicced him on you.¡± "Yeah . . . well . . . You may have the ability to read minds, but I heard Marcelli the night he . . . got away. M-Marcelli . . .¡± She hesitated for a few moments, taking a few bites of her dessert. "Marcelli was threatening Cherry." "How do you know?" "I heard Marcelli say it when he was talking to his lawyer. And it makes sense." If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "How so?" "Well, for one, when Marcelli sicced him on me, Curt said that he wasn''t doing this for himself. And he seemed scared. Then later . . . the conversation I overheard. Marcelli was threatening Cherry somehow. And if I know one thing about Curt . . . He''d do anything for someone he cared about." "That . . . makes sense," I muttered as I contextualized. The fight on the night that Esvanir helped Marcelli made sense. He was emotionally raw that day. He had spent at least a few weeks thinking the woman he loved would die at the hands of someone who would do it. Then Kari and I blow in, and Kari almost kills her. And he just snapped. Curt wasn''t being the careful thief he typically is. He was out for blood. "So, yeah. That''s why Curt went as far as he did that night. These other thefts? Nah. Don''t get me wrong. If Curt wanted to, he could''ve stolen that stuff. It would have been easy. Whoever this person is, they''re not Curt. They''re not as . . . good as he is. At least at being a thief." I stared down into my slowly melting gelato. I took a few spoonfuls, considering. "Hmm. Do you think they have a connection?" "No idea. Sorry. I''m not so good at thinking these things through. There''s a reason that I arrive on the scene and punch things. All the people I go after are either immediately breaking the law or running away shortly after that." "I think you''re selling yourself a little short, there." "Maybe. Still, it''s weird, right?" "What is?" "The police are really convinced that it''s Curt. Even though it''s pretty obvious, it''s not. Don''t get me wrong, I want to catch Curt too. He and Cherry should go down for everything they''ve done and probably then some. But not things he didn''t do." "Yeah, that is weird." We ended our little ice cream excursion after that, and I considered all the places this thief had hit as I flew around the city. I think I know where they''re going to strike next.

=== Cindi === I watched Hope slam a metal baton into Curt''s neck. I watched Curt go down. My Curt! That bitch! He''s mine. No one has the right to treat anything I own like that! Hope rose and brushed herself off and grimaced at her bleeding hand. The gun had exploded in her hand. "Well, now. I must admit, he is more impressive than I thought. Sit back down," Hope ordered. I didn''t move. "Come now, my love." I looked down at my hand. When I had first met Curt, I had considered stealing his tech. Becoming unstoppable. But he never gave me a chance to. I had looked for it for a while after I had exhausted him. After our first few times together, I had given up. He knew who I was. I disappeared, and when I returned, he didn''t ask where I had been or who I had been with. He just asked for some help on a job and offered me fifty percent. I put on the glasses he gave me, and my eyes went wide. There was so much information constantly running through them. These little glasses identified air pressure, power sources in the room, faces and even came up with little profiles for them when I focused on things. I accidentally selected some spots with some subtle eye movement. It was so much. Oh, my little Curt. My Essy. You are amazing. Being able to deal with all this all the time. Being able to process all of this information all the time. Hope had started walking towards me. "Come now, Cind. You don''t think you''ll actually get away. I have a hostage now." "And you think I care?" "Oh, I know you care, Cindi. You tried to get him to run away from me. Because you know what I''ll do to him. What I''ll do to keep you. It''s a shame he was too stupid to listen." She reached out to grab me, and I went intangible. My glasses started to fall through my nose, and I panicked, but they stopped. And the little bracelet that he made me hadn''t moved at all. That''s. . . weird. I slipped out of her grip. And went through her. She spun and produced a taser, aimed it at me, and fired; I jumped above the lines and flew over them. She gritted her teeth, replaced the barbs, and aimed at me again. Then grinned and aimed lower. She pointed the taser gun at Curt. I gulped and tried to dive down. My eyes focused on the weapon, and I accidentally selected it. That''s right; I can just steal one of his tricks. She fired. I snapped my fingers, and a portal popped up before the electrified lines. I looked up at her face and a portal opened in front of it. The barbs flew out, and she tried to dodge, but they caught her on the cheek, and she convulsed and shuddered under the voltage. I landed next to Curt and leaned over him. I started trying to cycle through the different menus, but I found it confusing. Eventually, I opened a map on the glasses, but they couldn''t find my position. I sighed and took them off. I returned to the chair, grabbed the cute little case he had crafted for them, and put them away, gathering the clothes I had left behind. I looked down at the gold bracelet he had made me. It was a match to the silver one he wore all the time. The portals disappeared and left Hope with her taser lines cut in two. She was unconscious. Maybe worse. But I focused on Curt. I lifted his head, and there was a nasty welt. I managed to raise him and carried him to the art room. My idol was back in its case. I didn''t have any of my tools or any way of opening the case again. I sighed. I guess I was going to have to let it go this time. Curt stirred next to me and sat up. His eyes were barely focused, and his glasses were askew. I looked at him. He hadn''t been sleeping. Neither had I. He winced and looked around. His sharp blue eyes focused on the idol above him. "Is that it?" He asked weakly. "Yeah." "What are we waiting for?" "Don''t have a way of getting it." "You''re the Buck Cherry," he responded, struggling to his feet. His eyes met mine. I couldn''t look away. "And you''re always the first to say never to underestimate someone who knows you''re coming. Hope beat me. And you." "The fuck she did. Well, she surely beat me. But not you." He snapped his finger twice, and the idol fell through the case and appeared in his hand. He pushed it into my hand, and I stared at it. The tiny idol''s eyes bored back into my own. I held it to my chest and turned back to Curt as he limped away. "Where are you going?" "We got your thing. I got a concussion. I''m kind of done with our little vacation to the Hampdens." "Well, we can''t leave yet." "Why not?" "She . . . She''s got your Poppers. And your batteries." He froze and then sighed heavily. "Do you have any idea of where she''s keeping them?" "No." "Fuck!" He started making his way back to the dining room. I dashed to keep up with him. "So," I said, not looking at him. "Yeah, what''s up?" "Took you a long time to get here. Seven whole days. W-was it this?" I lifted my hand and spread my fingers. The little bracelet and its handpiece covering the back of my hand shifted. "Nope. Wasn''t that," he replied simply. "Then what kept you?" "I . . . I didn''t think you were in trouble for the first couple of days. Hell, I wasn''t convinced you were in trouble until I got here." "I was gone for a week!" I shouted. "Yeah, and you''ve disappeared for months before. I . . . I thought you might''ve realized . . . I thought you were having second thoughts." This time I stopped and stared at him. My chest hurt. I stared at him, and he stopped and looked back. He looked saddened by the thought. By the admission. Realized? "You thought I realized what, Curt!?" I demanded. It was hard to keep the hurt from my voice. "Can we just drop this?" He asked in a small voice. "I was wrong." "No, we can''t drop this. I need to know what goes on in that thick head of yours." He smiled; he actually smiled. And chuckled. I''m going to kill him! "You''ve been spending too much time around Des, Cher." He stared at the wall in front of him, pointedly not meeting my eye. "I thought you may have realized that marrying me is . . . a bad idea. That I don''t deserve you." "Oh," I said. I stared down at my feet for a moment and shook my head. "You''re a fucking idiot, Curtis Reese!" "Again, too much time with Des." "The good doctor is right. You''re an idiot." "And how am I being stupid this time?" "Love isn''t about worthiness or deservingness. And neither is marriage. And besides, as you said earlier. I am Buck fucking Cherry. I decide who I want in my life. And you." I closed the distance between us and took his hand into mine. "You are Esvanir. Firstly, we are a power couple of the greatest thieves on earth. You are the smartest person I know when you''re not letting your ridiculous self-doubt get the better of you. You are sure that you can steal anything not nailed down and a fair amount of things actually nailed down. If I gave you a week, you could have the nuclear codes of every country in the world." "All of that is just planning. And that''s easy," my fiance muttered defensively. But he didn''t let go of my hand. In fact, his grip tightened. Not painfully. It was comforting, especially after a week with Hope. She made me sleep in the same bed as her. But I was shackled to the frame; I shuddered at the thought. I couldn''t close my eyes without seeing the faces of my old crew. And the fact that I knew she could murder me. "And this is just marriage. Something that millions of people do all day with no trouble. And you think it''s too much for you." "Not exactly." "Then what?" "I''m just afraid I won''t be able to make you happy." "Make me happy?" I considered that for a moment. We started walking again. Hope was gone; Curt sighed. "What do you think I need to be happy?" "I don''t know. A castle? The moon?" I laughed at him. He rolled his eyes and started glancing around. "She''s gotta be around here somewhere. Unless she ran out to get help." "She didn''t. I don''t need those things. If I did, I would have married the men offering them." "And instead, you''re marrying America''s Most Wanted Petty Thief," he responded absently. "Where do you think she went then?" "She''s getting a weapon. Or weapons. I want adventure and freedom. And you''re always capable of both." I responded. "But all of this raises a bigger question." "Oh? Like what kind of weapon? She nearly killed me once already. And dislocated my shoulder, I think." "Yeah, she''ll do that." I waved my hand absently. "But the bigger question is if you thought I was leaving you. That you''d never see me again . . . Then why give me this? To track me?" He looked at me and my raised hand, then shook his head. "No, nothing like that. I was going to encrypt your location so that you could only be found if you wanted to be." "What? But when I asked for one before, you said no." "Yeah, I did." He started making his way over to the next room and leaned around the corner. Apparently, it was clear because he went through and started off. I caught up to him. "Then why?" "Because I wanted you to have it. That way . . . even if you were off doing your own thing, you might at least remember some of the good times." He leaned over and dived back when a bullet crashed into the spot where his head just was. "Preferably one of the times I''m not being shot at." He grabbed my hand, and we disappeared and reappeared in the middle of the room. There was a spray of gunfire, and this time I took over. I clenched his hand, and we went insubstantial. We flew through the air slowly. The firing stopped, and we landed, and he started dashing after the figure. From around the corner, something bounced off of the ground. Curt snapped his finger, which fell through a portal and went back around the corner. It exploded in a bright flash of light, and he charged forward, almost slipping on the hardwood floor. I watched this man, who had a concussion, who was arguing with his fiancee about whether she was staying with him. The man who managed to keep a clear enough head to teleport a grenade back at the thrower. If anyone is worthy of me, it''s definitely him. And it''s not like he has a choice. He already belongs to me. "She''s mine, Reese! I''ll kill you and take her back!" I watched his demeanor change at that moment. I hadn''t gotten used to the look he gets in his eyes sometimes. The look he had only ever directed at me twice. The first time was when I was in his apartment unannounced. The second was when he thought I had betrayed him to Marcelli. He charged down the hall, and I heard gunfire. He''s going to get himself killed. That can''t happen. Not now. I ran after him and watched him slide through bullets slamming all around him. He dove and thudded heavily on the floor before her, grabbed the gun, and kicked her in the stomach. She stumbled back. She was strong, but he was heavier. He snapped his finger, and a portal popped into existence over her hand. It tightened around her wrist, and she tried to pull it free, but the quickly rotating energy started to cut through her flesh, and her own blood started to drip down her hand, which was about a foot to the side of her. She reached down and grabbed another gun with her other hand. Curt lunged forward, disarmed her, and threw that hand back; it was also caught in a portal. She struggled against her bonds, cutting deeper into her flesh. "I''d stop that, were I you," he said simply. "After all, Smash Gal only barely kept her limbs, and you''ve pissed me off almost as much as she did then." "Is . . ." Hope struggled to speak, but she did stop her attempts. "Is this what you want, Cindi? I thought you . . . were uncomfortable . . . with all of this . . . violence?" Curt looked at me, softened some, and sighed. "I''m not going to speak for her. I can''t do that." "Because you don''t understand her. You don''t really know her." Curt winced at the words but clenched his fist. "Maybe. Maybe not. But I know I don''t own her, so I''m ahead of you there." She spat in his face, and he wiped it off slowly. "And that''s really the difference here between you and I, Hope," he said, staring at his hand. "I don''t want to own her. I want her to be around me, sure. But I''ll never force her to be. Because more than me wanting her to be around, I want her to be happy." "She''d be happier with me." "Considering she ran away from you, I don''t think so." "And she''s never run away from you before?" He looked away from her. "That''s what I thought. She came back to me." "No, Hope. No, I didn''t. I came back for this," I said, holding up the idol. "And I knew you wanted it." "So you set a trap. Hardly the same thing. Curt has never tried to trap me." "Then he''s a fool." Curt laughed at her. Openly. And she tried to swing on him but winced and relaxed. "What are you laughing at, you moronic . . . man?" "Oh, I''m definitely stupid," he admitted. He walked around the desk. We had made it into my ex-wife''s office. He looked around for a while, found the duffel bag, and hefted it onto the desk. "But I also know my limitations. You don''t seem to. How many Poppers were here?" "Just the four. Is there a case in there?" He put it on the desk. I opened it and put the idol in it. "You think you''re better than me, Reese? She''ll leave you just like she did me." "I hope not. But if she does, she''ll be happy." "You''re an idiot. And I''ll get my revenge! I''ll kill you!" I stepped in front of her and slammed the back of my hand into her jaw. She rocked back and went limp. "Don''t talk to my fianc¨¦ like that." I met his eyes and then looked down. "My fianc¨¦ who is bleeding. Again." "Oh, so I am. Huh." Issue #26: One of the First Superheroes and One of the Most Super

=== Kari === I was back in the city, and it felt so good. I love Ren and enjoyed being at the dojo, but I had started to go stir-crazy after a while. There''s just so little to do there outside of training. And a lot of people missed me. I had tons of well-wishes on Twitter, Tak-tik, YouTube, and Twitch. And my ban was lifted. I don''t think I can ever forgive Buck Cherry for almost nuking my channel like that. There was a slight pang in my chest at the thought of that fight. And the subsequent one. I know that Curt is a bad guy. A petty criminal and thief, but it still hurts to see him look at me like that. To rage at me like that. To have to attack him like that. I tried not to focus on that. Instead, I just enjoyed being back. Fully back. After visiting Chuck, I went on patrol, and it was an easy day. I helped a woman cross the street and a man get his groceries upstairs. I helped the same girl get her cat out of the same tree. It was nice. Everything was peaceful for a while. From somewhere downtown, I heard an explosion and people screaming. I blasted off the building I was sitting on as I took a break and found chaos. Bion and his automatons were battling other robots. Similar ones. One launched a missile at Bion. He blasted out of the way with jets on his feet and his back. The rocket went careening towards a building. I sped up and caught it before it could do any damage and sent it up into the sky, where it exploded far away from anyone it could hurt. "NICE JOB, ROOKIE!" Bion called out in his distorted voice. He was wearing his trademark face mask and his roboticized suit, and suit was right. It was a navy blue and cream-colored metal shell designed to look like a sports jacket and slacks with a cream white turtleneck underneath. He charged forward and started blasting through the automatons that weren''t his with ease. He slammed one through a car and fired a rocket at another that was trying to sneak up on him. The car exploded into a ball of flame. His other enemy dodged out of the way, and the missile sped straight into the wall of a building, exploding and causing glass and debris to fly everywhere. Screams echoed out of the building. I had to do something. I flew forward and tackled the robot that had dodged. It twisted and slammed a robotic fist down into my face, and I went flying. But I held it tight and slammed it into the ground, grinding the machine''s head into the asphalt. I tore its head off and threw it into another one of the machines, which went flying. I sped forward and caught it before it flew into a car, instantly grabbing it and ripping it apart. Gears and sprockets and oil sprayed forth from it. The car behind me honked a few times angrily. I just looked back at the driver, who shrunk back into his seat. Bion was dealing with several more that had destroyed his own robot army. These things were vicious. In a flurry of lasers, missiles, and gunshots from both sides, the two sides were missing as often as they were hitting. I grimaced. It reminded me of Curt''s point. And Bion looked to be tiring out. Which made sense. I slammed into action. And by action, I mean I slammed straight into one of the robots. They turned their lasers and gunfire and even missiles onto me. I could have dodged; it would have been easy after all my training. But these guys couldn''t hurt me. They might get lucky with Bion and hit a spot not covered by his armor. But I am my armor. And dodging would have meant damaging something less sturdy than I am. So I took the brunt of their attack as I punched straight through steel, iron, and rubber. I took one and used it as a bat, slamming another into the sky, and then sped after it. I didn''t even bother really attacking it. I just flew through it. Gears and assorted pieces rained down. Bion finished off the other two and collapsed down to the ground, coughing. I charged down next to him. "Are you okay, Mr. Wan?" "G-good job, rookie," he said weakly. He took several deep breaths from his respirator and started to get back up. I lifted him effortlessly. "It''s good that you''re here. I wanted to talk to you about something."

=== Curt === "Ow." "Quit whining," Des responded absently as they dug into my innards and removed a bullet. "Give me anesthesia, then. This fucking hurts." "Then maybe you''ll learn to stop getting shot." "I''ll have you know that I get shot very little for the number of people shooting at me. Relatively speaking." "And yet, here I am. Digging out four bullets from you. Who was it this time? A crazy criminal kingpin? A vigilante who hates you for being a petty criminal?" "It was . . . It was Cindi''s wife." Des stopped and met my eyes. I started to look away, but they looked over their shoulder to Cindi, who was reviewing the wedding plans I had tried to finish during her sabbatical. She looked back at Des. I couldn''t read her expression. "So, you are trying out for the Jerry Springer Show, then," Des responded, going back to digging in my guts, presumably to twist them into knots and cause me as much pain as possible. I took a deep breath and tried to collect my thoughts. "Well, you know how we are. It just wouldn''t be exciting enough for either of us if we weren''t being shot at in some grand, melodramatic, life-or-death caper," Cindi said in her best bad theater voice. She came over, pressed herself into me, and wrapped her arms tight around my neck. Des watched her for a moment, then looked at me. I tried to suppress the grimace, but I don''t think I managed it. "Curt, how do you feel?" They asked. "I was shot, and my doctor isn''t giving me any painkillers. So, not great." "About Cindi being married. Did you know?" Des blew straight through my sarcastic deflection. "I . . . I didn''t. It''s no surprise. Who wouldn''t want to marry Cindi?" "It''s no surprise that your fianc¨¦e was married?" "I still am, technically," Cindi interjected. "What!?" Des demanded. "Hope wasn''t exactly willing to let Cindi go. Understandable. She won''t sign the divorce papers." "What are you going to do?" "It''s not an issue?" "You can''t marry her if she''s already married, that''s ille-" Des stopped themself. "You forgot we''re international criminals for a minute, didn''t you?" "Shut up! It''s not normal!" Des exclaimed. "So, how are you going to handle it?" "Cindi Drei, legally, is not Cindi Lesslier. She can marry whoever she wants," Cindi responded, gripping me tightly. "And she decided that I made the cut. Terrible mistake, really." Cindi pinched me, and Des poked me hard with their forceps. "Ow. I''m injured!" "You''ll be fine," Des said, pulling out the last bullet and putting it into the little pan. Then they started sewing me up. "So, everything is just going to go on like before? Nothing''s changed?" "Why would it?" Cindi asked. "Hope doesn''t own me. She tried to, and as with everyone who has ever tried before, she failed. As Curt pointed out, I own me. I get to decide. She''s not a part of my life anymore. And Curt is." "And you''re just okay with that, Curt?" "I . . ." I shifted a bit up as Des cut the line. "I wish I had known before. But she has a point. We talked about it, and it was basically a shotgun wedding. Cindi would have married her anyway, but Hope forced it on her." Cindi shifted uncomfortably against me and rested her head on my shoulder; I grabbed her hand and squeezed it. Des considered both of us. "Cin, can I get a word alone with Curt for a moment?" I felt her shift and watched Des'' jaw tighten. Cindi got up and stretched languidly, and sauntered off. She was trying to play it off as aloof, but she was pissed. Fuck! I don''t need this right now. Des grabbed my hand. "Curt, are you sure about this? Are you sure you''re okay with all of this?" I patted their hand and smiled at them. "Des, it was never going to be an easy romance. Buck Cherry is the most eligible so-called super-villainess in the world. Everyone wants her. And you don''t become a thief like her unless you have some baggage." Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Do you have that much?" "I mean, my first girlfriend tried to kill my then-girlfriend, now-fiancee, causing me to go berserk and try to murder the most powerful woman in the world and come pretty fucking close. And as you''re so fond of pointing out, I''m a moron who is wasting his talents stealing things instead of doing good for the world. A reckless wretch with abandonment issues, anger issues, and major problems with authority. So, yeah. I''d say so." "I-is that what you think I think of you?" Des asked. They looked hurt. "Isn''t it?" "It''s. . . Those are jokes, Curt. It''s just how I thought you communicated. Do you believe those things about yourself?" "Yes and no." "What does that mean?" "It means that even if they''re jokes, they''re also a little true. That''s why they''re funny. At least a little. Maybe more than a little," I responded, not meeting Des'' eye. "I am an idiot. I am wasting whatever potential I have to have fun stealing things. I could find a healthy outlet for my desire to complete complex puzzles and build things for some firm and probably do more good than I am right now. But I''m selfish. I''m a petty thief who goes around and steals things and justifies it by giving some of it away." Des slapped me. Hard. My head rocked back, and I fell onto the bed. "What the fuck is wrong with you!?" I winced and shook my head, trying to clear my vision. I rubbed my cheek and looked up at them. There were tears in their eyes. Their chest was heaving up and down as they tried to stop themself from crying. "I-I don''t know, Des." "You''re such a fucking jerk!" "I''ll add it to the list," I muttered, looking away. It was hard watching my best friend . . . My only friend cry. It was worse to be the cause of it. I didn''t know what I had done, but I knew it was my fault. "How can you hate yourself that fucking much?" Des asked in a small voice. "How can you think I hate you that much? Do you also think that Cindi thinks that, too?" "I-I don''t know. I try not to think about it." "But you do. You think we hate you." "I think I''ve convinced you to not hate me, and that''s just another lie, and I live in fear every day that you''ll both wise up and leave me. Which you both should." "I . . . You . . ." Des couldn''t hold it back any longer. Tears were coming out in shuddering jolts, and they balled their fists, and I thought she might swing on me again. Instead, they threw their arms around me and hugged me tightly. Really tight. I felt my ribs creak. I returned the hug and patted them on the back. After a moment, they broke the hug and looked at me. Their eyes were puffy and swollen; I couldn''t meet their gaze for more than a moment. Cindi came back into the room. "Curt." I looked up at her and made some noise in response. "You know that I''m not going anywhere, right? And neither is Des." "Of course," I lied. I avoided looking directly at them when I said it and got up. "How are the wedding plans? Didn''t fuck anything up too badly, did I?" Cindi and Des exchanged looks, and then Cindi made her way to the table. She shuffled a few papers. "Well, I''m not satisfied with the napkins you chose, but you did manage to get a good floral arrangement, so I''ll give you half marks." "I''ll take it."

=== Kari === I sat in the nicest office I had ever seen. The floor was white marble, polished to a ridiculous sheen. The gigantic dark wooden desk sat in front of a massive window with a view of the city that I can only get when I''m soaring through the air. There was a couch with a coffee table in front of it. ??There was another table that was very low to the ground with several pillows surrounding it. There was also some art. I think it might have been from China, but I''m hardly an art history expert. Andrew Wan came in, no longer in his power suit but in a matching design. He was wearing a navy blue jacket over a sweater. Up close, I could see how gaunt he looked. He usually looked a little more lively on television or when fighting a terrible threat to the city. Or the world. But he looked frail with him in front of me, not wearing any armor or fighting an existential threat to society. He had deep shadows under his dark brown eyes. His cheekbones strained the tight skin around him. His hair had become increasingly salt and pepper in the last few years. His hands were thin, and his fingers were nothing but skin and bones; it looked like anything could break him. He sat across from me and steepled his fingers. Despite everything, I never got the impression that his focus was anything but razor-sharp. He watched me for a few minutes, and I shifted, uncomfortable. "Um, Mr. Wan. You said you wanted to talk to me about something." "I do." He watched me for another moment. "I wanted to invite you onto a task force temporarily." "A task force? What would we be doing?" "You''re friends with Curtis Reese, correct?" "I-I was. I don''t think we''re friends anymore." "Mm. Yes. You two have had quite the fights. And yet he always escaped. Despite all of your . . . physical capabilities." The way he said physical made me uncomfortable. As though I had done something wrong by having superpowers. "Why do you think that is?" "Well," I swallowed for a moment. Then something occurred to me. "Are you implying that I let him go?" "Yes, I am," he said without hesitation. "Why the fuck would I do that!?" "How else do you explain him even surviving your fights? As far as I can tell, he''s just a normal person. Compared to you." "Normal? Curt? No, he''s far from that. And you should know better than anyone else." I couldn''t keep the heat out of my tone. He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" "Yeah. He''s robbed you and everyone else. Could a normal person do that?" I put air quotes around the word. "And I heard you fought him. So, I guess I should ask the same thing. Did you let him go?" Wan considered me for another moment before responding. He nodded. "I . . . I had fought him. He almost died. But he did get away. I underestimated him." "Yeah. So did I. At first." "And now?" "I think he''s dangerous. He almost killed me. I didn''t let him get away. He got away because of who he is." "What do you mean by that?" "Curt . . . Curt is special. Not like me. But if he wants something or believes something, he is singularly devoted to accomplishing it. Whatever it is. And nothing can stand in his way. He''s always been that way." "And he believes that he''s some kind of Robin Hood." "I-I don''t know." "That''s what he has said." "I don''t know if he would frame it that way. But he does believe you''re a bad person." "Oh?" "Curt would never have targeted you otherwise. He would have never called you out on Thrawn''s program." "And what do you think?" "I think you''re Bion," I said, unable to keep the awe out of my voice. "You were one of the first superheroes and one of the most . . . super." Andrew smiled at that. It transformed his face. It was so warm that I almost forgot that he was sick for a moment. Sustained almost entirely by a super-suit he created when medicine failed him. "I must admit, Smash Gal. I''m rather impressed with you, too. You came on the scene barely six months ago, and yet you''re as much of a household name as I am." "So, you don''t think I let Curt go?" "I wasn''t sure before talking to you, rookie. But now I am. I must admit, it seemed like the most probable answer. After all, you are Smash Gal, and he is a mere mortal." "There is little mere about that mortal. Curt''s probably the smartest person I''ve ever known." "Do you really think that?" "Yeah. I mean. Okay. Maybe not more than you, but whatever he can do, he built himself." "I was afraid of that." "He''s scary. And if you''re taking him down, I want in. What''s this task force?" "He and Buck Cherry are getting married in a few weeks. It is a big splashy event that they''re apparently livestreaming. I want to make it a wedding to remember." "They''re livestreaming the wedding? That''s. . . so weird." "Perhaps, but we can use it to our advantage. Undoubtedly there are going to be a lot of other villains there. So, I''ve gotten the Cannoneer and a couple of others to agree to help me take them and anyone else we can get in." "We''re going to crash their wedding and bust them?" "Essentially. And we could really use your help; you know Mr. Reese better than anyone else. And I want you on the team. So, are you in?" "Yeah," I didn''t have to think about it. "Those two have been free too long. It''s time Curt and Cherry paid their debt to society." "Excellent. I''m glad to hear it." Issue #27: I Do

=== Cindi === It was finally happening. After what seemed like months of planning, logistics, and things going awry and being corrected, today was the day. I was going to get married; it wasn''t being forced on me; it wasn''t a surprise; it wasn''t some ploy to get anything. I would be married to a man who had never asked me for anything unreasonable. Who all but worshiped the ground I walked on but was more than willing to call me out when necessary. Someone strong and capable and delightful. I sat in the chair as one of my attendants did my hair. It took a while, but the effect was worth it. I carefully donned the dress. It was a very custom piece. The primary fabric was sheer white nylon, and you could see everything. It was accented with little black feathers that prevented it from being too lewd. I had worked with the tailor for days to get it right. To make sure that it was true to my brand and to myself but to also allow it on the live-stream platforms. Because this was going to be a spectacle. For everyone. Everyone was going to see me and Curt, the only Buck Cherry and the only Esvanir, devote themselves to each other. My bridesmaids walked through. They were decidedly less showy than me. Which was not my request. I asked them to fit the theme to the best of their ability, but I didn''t set their dresses. There was my maid of honor, Alia Danson, the Copycat. A small, red-headed woman who was capable of copying any inanimate object she understood well enough. She had helped me sell several copies of the same paintings I had stolen. She was bone thin and didn''t stand out at all usually, but when it came down to party, she brought it to life. And not just because she had started her career by copying and selling every variation of drug that one could imagine and, despite my pulling her into the world of art forgeries, kept her ear to the ground to the latest developments. She was wearing a gorgeous black dress with a white stripe down the middle and had crafted her own mask to match. And cat ears. Since I suggested her villainous name, she had gone wholly into the theme. And it was perfect for her. Aloof but playful. One of my other friends that I had traded some statues to, Tierra, was my second choice for maid of honor. And she only lost out because Alia was much more excited about it. She was another thief and a good one. She didn''t get shot at nearly as often as I did. If only because she also had a power. She could push people''s emotions, and she could outright change them when she focused. So, what she did when she was caught was cause her prospective captors to be paralyzed with fear or overjoyed to the point of distraction. If someone pissed her off, she''d force the worst anxiety or depression on them. She always kept it light around me, though. And she had also dressed perfectly to match. She had chosen a tuxedo coat and a blouse that was low-cut enough even for my standards, with tight black pants. Her short-cropped red hair and artful black mask hid her features delightfully. Each of those girls had filled out the rest of the party with some friends or family or associates. They were dressed fine, but I didn''t know them, and honestly, I didn''t care to. They seemed too civilian to really keep up with me. I don''t have many people in my life. But those I do have are the only ones I need. Des opened the door and walked up. The sounds of guests chattering away in anticipation of the main event poured into the room, only to be cut off as they closed the door behind them. The good doctor was dressed to kill in their combination tuxedo dress. It was white with the little buttons going down the chest, only to be wrapped up with a cumberbund around their rather shapely waist, to end in a poofy, thigh-length skirt. And the whole thing was tied together with black thigh highs and a tuxedo jacket. Their brown skin and eyes contrasted delightfully with it. I do wish they had done something different with their hair. It was still in the high ponytail that they constantly favored. But they had switched out the scrunchy for a decorative, studded one. Their mask actually had their glasses built into it. I assume Curt had helped with that. Once inside, they stopped in their tracks, and their eyes scanned the room. They looked at me for a moment but then went to the bridesmaids, stopping on Tierra for longer than most, then moved on only to stop again on Tierra. Des was always so cute. I brought her back to the real world by asking, "Des, darling. How is our little Essy?" "Huh?" They jolted back to reality. "Oh, yeah. He''s an absolute wreck. He''s been going over everything he''s in charge of all morning." "Is he getting cold feet?" Tierra asked me. "I could go calm him down if you want." "Thank you, dear. But no. Curt''s not going to run away now that we''re at the finish line, isn''t that right, Des?" Des pretended to look at one of the girls'' dresses, but I traced their eyes back to Tierra. "Des?" "Hm? Oh, well, I don''t think he will run." "Oh, well, you don''t sound certain, now do you?" I said with a grin; I had an absolutely devious idea. I looked back to Tierra. "Let''s just be sure. Des, why don''t you take my friend Tierra here and check on him? After all, it would be such a shame if this all fell apart, wouldn''t it?" Des stiffened, and Tierra just smiled and nodded. She walked over to them and held out an elbow. Des was shorter by a head and looked up at her before wrapping their arm around hers and stiffly walking off. As they exited, I added, "Do have fun, now." From there, I got my makeup done. I wasn''t really minimalist when it came to this ordinarily, but now I made sure that it was perfect. My attendant helped a lot. We prepared a deep eye shadow and cherry red lips. And then I picked up my mask and put it on. It was an ornate, black masquerade mask that incorporated faux diamonds and a full crown. And with that, we were finished. All of the preparations were done. Months of planning, more than I''ve ever done for a job. And the day was perfect.

=== Kari === I stood in a room with a collection of other heroes. Bion and another tech hero worked through the systems and tried to hack into the live-stream feed that had started hours ago. They had vastly different approaches, both of which seemed to be failing miserably. I didn''t have anything to do, really. Not yet. Not until we figured out where they were. "Damn it!" "What?" I asked the man hunched over a desk. He had long blonde hair that was a little thin and scraggly in places. "Whoever set this stream up is insane! They brought paranoia to a whole new level," he said, gesturing to the screen. "He not only seemed to create his own VPN with its own set of incredibly robust defenses but is running his VPN through three other top tier VPNs, each with their own unique security measures." "Not only that but he''s also distorted the background of the live-stream interviews to make sure that we can''t use that as a clue to find him." "Interviews?" "Yeah, it seems that anyone who wants to is giving a little speech congratulating the couples on the nuptials," Bion responded, sighing. "Mr. Reese is being exceptionally cautious." "Oh. What are we going to do?" "We can continue to try and brute force it," the blond man said, "but I have no idea if we''ll get through before the ceremony ends." "We have to, though. If we don''t, they may disappear until the next time they poke their heads out to steal something, and then they will be expecting an attack." "It seems like they''re expecting an attack now," the blond man said. "Yeah, Curt is smart enough to realize that this is a big event and would be the exact time that you or I would attack, Mr. Wan," I said, crossing my arms over my chest. I watched the screen with a large man who was giving what seemed like a very long speech and screwed up my face. "So, his security is really good, right?" If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "He''s thought of a lot of contingencies at the very least." "What about the guests?" "What about them?" "Well, if you''ve ever been to a movie theater, there are always like a thousand requests to turn off your cellphones, but half the time, there''s still someone whose phone goes off, and they take the call, right?" "Yeah, so?" "So, what if we found someone we recognized and did a thing with their cell phone?" "That''s. . . Not a bad idea, actually," Mr. Wan said. I tried not to frown at the ''actually''. They were the tech geniuses, and they hadn''t thought of it. "But they are all still wearing masks." "Yeah, but they''re like ballroom masks. We could still probably get a partial match in the system if any criminals are present. And with that, we would have a chance. We can just automate the rest of the processes and try to get through in as many ways as possible." They started running everyone they could see through a bunch of facial recognition software and kept trying to do the other things to try and crack Curt''s system. That seemed like a lost cause, though. I looked around the room at the rest of the task force. There was Bion, Chuck, Jenny, the blond man who apparently was also some kind of tech hero, and myself. I stepped away from Bion and his friend and closer to Chuck and Jenny. "How are you guys doing?" I asked. "Oh, you know. Can''t wait to get started. Can''t believe I wasn''t invited. I was the one that broke the story, after all!" Jenny laughed. "Yeah, I hope this goes well. We have a lot of manpower," Chuck said, eyeing the screens over the duo''s shoulders. "But Esvanir and Buck Cherry are tricky. And I doubt they''re going down without a fight." I swallowed, trying to suppress a shiver as memories of the last time I had seen Curt bubbled up into my mind. Chuck put a hand on my shoulder. "It''ll be okay. You''ve been training. You''re way more prepared than you were last time." "Yeah, we got this," Jenny said with a fist pump. An hour or so later, Andrew jumped up and cheered, then bent over and started coughing heavily. When he recovered, he looked back at the group. "We got them! They''re in a garden in Spain!" "Spain? How are we going to get there on time?" "Well, I can," I said with a grin. "What about the rest of you?" "I have the fastest jet in the world. It even makes you look slow, rookie." Bion said. "We can be there in thirty minutes. Suit up, everyone!" "Yeah, get your game faces on," Jenny said.

=== Curt === I stood on the altar, surrounded by people. I looked out into the crowd. Our wedding had ballooned well past what I had expected. There were two hundred people here. But Des was here with me on the altar. Their comforting presence had been the only thing that had stopped me from collapsing. So were Cindi''s friends. I had never met them before last night, but they all seemed like fantastic people. For a bunch of amoral thieves. Which, to be fair, were the exact kind of people I belonged with. We decided on a greenhouse wedding; it was hot and humid, and the altar was surrounded by beautiful flowers and plants. The guests were in their seats. I had to admit, this was a gorgeous scene. I had my friend here. I was about to get married. We had found a lovely secular officiant to marry us. The documents were ready to be signed, and the only part of the official ceremony we had left was the most important. Not counting the reception and the cake cutting and all that. While that would all be fun, it wasn''t what I cared about. I tugged on my tuxedo and the silk shirt underneath. I fiddled with the diamond cufflinks absently. Des put their hand on my shoulder, and I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I was also wearing one of the black masks. A special one that had a crown designed into it to match Cindi''s, apparently. I had retrofitted it with the same technology as my glasses. I had my rig in one of my pockets. Cindi and Des both tried to convince me to leave it behind, but I couldn''t. I couldn''t risk it. I had triple-checked my security measures the night before and quadruple-checked them this morning, but I just couldn''t take the risk of something happening. I also had Cindi''s rig in my pocket. We had spent a little time training her on it so that she''d actually be able to use it. I had given Des a popper that I would force them to use if anything happened. God, I wish I believed in any gods so that I could pray that everything would be okay. The music started, and I glanced around and saw her walking down the aisle. My breath caught as the light hit her directly for the first time. Cindi is gorgeous. A supermodel super-villainess. But I had never seen her so . . . done up. She had long, dark eyelashes, and her hair fell in a delicate pile on her shoulders and had an incredible luster to it. Her blue eyes focused on me as she walked, and she smiled through her veil that was even sheerer than her white dress. You could see the hint of every curve, and with every step, her hips swayed. She wore sheer black stockings under her thin, vaguely translucent white dress to match her shiny black shoes. She was perfect. She was always perfect, but she was more perfect right now. I eventually remembered to breathe. It took her what seemed like an eternity to get to the altar with me, but I wouldn''t have dared to speed it up for an instant. I took in every detail. I wanted to remember this forever. If I was on my deathbed, my brain rotted from dementia, I wanted this to be how I remembered her. After forever had finally passed, she stood across from me, and the music died down. The officiant started her presentation. "We are gathered here today to celebrate and cherish the union between Curtis'' Esvanir'' Reese and Cindi'' Buck Cherry'' Drei. This is not the start of their relationship, but it does mark a beginning for them. An evolution. You two have been through many struggles and much strife, if the news is any indication to go by," the officiant grinned at us. Some people laughed. "And you have come through it, and this ceremony will bind you officially together. Marriage is a promise to cover for each other''s weaknesses and reinforce each other''s strengths. And you two have already been doing that for so long. It is a promise to grow with each other and cherish the life you have built for yourselves. No matter what challenges you face, you face them together. And no matter what successes you create, you create them together. I am honored to be witness to your declaration. Now, I understand that the bride and groom have a few words for us." "Curtis Reese," Cindi began. I could see tears brimming in her eyes as she did. But she also wore the biggest smile I had ever seen on her. "Essy. My Essy. You are one of the most special, important people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. You are unlike anyone I have ever known. You are the smartest dumb man I have ever met and the dumbest smart man I will ever know. You can see so much and give so much to anyone that isn''t you. And it is my goal, my life''s dream, and my pleasure to give you what you always deny yourself. Whether that be credit or pleasure or joy." Des gave a huge sniff from behind me, and a small part of me wanted to look behind to see if they were crying, but I couldn''t bear to break my gaze away from Cindi. Cindi smiled over at them before continuing. "As of today, you will be officially mine, and I will treat you exactly as well as you deserve. Not how you treat yourself. Not how you think you should be treated. You are mine, and what you will not give yourself, I will give you." I laughed and shook my head. I was definitely blushing. I couldn''t have been any less red than half of the roses around us. I swallowed and leaned forward. "I- uh. I''ve never been one for words. Or even grand gestures. And I don''t have a kingdom or a castle to give you. But, I mean, anyone can give you those things. So, instead, what I promise is to be there. I will be there for you when everything is going down and when nothing is. When you need to hear a dumb joke because those are the only ones I know how to tell. But most importantly, when you come home, I''ll be there. Not waiting. Not because I need you there. But because I want to be there. And when you''re back with me, I''ll love you just as much, if not more, than I did the last time you graced me with your presence." Cindi let go of my hands for a moment to dab at the tears in her eyes. She was still smiling. The officiant beamed between us and began again. "Curtis Reese, do you take Cindi Drei as your lawfully wedded wife?" "I do," I responded, still never looking away from Cindi''s eyes. "And Cindi Drei, do you take Curtis Reese as your lawfully wedded husband?" "I do." "And if no one objects to this union," the officiant began. Glass shattered from above and rained down on the guests. A bright, pink figure slammed down onto the ground. Kari. Fuck! I thought. Four more figures came down from above. Bion, Professor Mind, the Cannoneer. Another person I don''t recognize. "I do," Kari shouted. "I object!" Issue #28: You Force People to Make Decisions

=== Chuck === I couldn¡¯t hear what was happening, but Kari could and she was getting amped up. Even through her new emotional mask, anxiety, excitement, and apprehension were coming off of her. Cold rage was coming off of Bion. Jenny was excited and pure giddy. Techmaster was nervous. People were going to die today. Criminals, sure, but people. I grimaced and swallowed. We were pulling up over the garden the ceremony was happening at. I extended my senses and wavered a little bit. There were so many people there. There was a complex mix of emotions. Jealousy, lust, adoration, hunger, hatred, joy, apprehension, fear, and love. The love was strong. It was coming up from the front and I didn¡¯t need to see them to know who it was. It was definitely Curtis Reese and Buck Cherry. There was another source of love, not quite the same that was radiating off to the side of those two giant flames. Romantic love feels different than platonic love and this was definitely platonic. I felt almost bad for what we were about to do. We were about to destroy the happiest I had ever felt Curtis. Once we were overhead and nothing happened for a moment, Kari blasted down and broke through the glass ceiling of the greenhouse, and crashed down to earth. I started to float down with Bion and Jenny. ¡°I do. I object!¡± Kari shouted. Fear spread through the crowd. People started screaming and running, trampling over the unconscious bodies of their fellows. Some fell and some kept running. I shot out things to apprehend them. Techmaster did the same. Little machines flew forward and started grappling people and pinning them to the ground. Bion landed next to Kari and aimed a laser forward. Esvanir and Buck Cherry were already in motion. He dived forward and disappeared. Cherry sank through the floor. Her usual tactic. I tried to limit what my emotional and mental senses would tell me so that I could keep the constructs going. If I got too distracted, I wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain them. But when Curt reappeared next to us, his rage and hatred almost blinded me. And there was something else. Someone was pushing on my emotions. Depressing them. I tried to focus but it was hard. I just felt numb. I felt nothing. I felt something slam into me and I jolted with electricity and collapsed. Kari was already in action. So was Bion. He shot forth a series of missiles which Esvanir redirected at all of us. Jenny shot forward and tried to crash into him. He jumped out of the way and she slammed into Bion and kept going. Andrew toppled over her and landed heavily on his back. Cherry came up from underground and pulled him down with her, causing him to convulse all the while. She then appeared before Kari completely naked. There was blind rage radiating off of her just as potent as Curt¡¯s. Maybe more so. She was going to try to kill Kari. ¡°You ruined my wedding, you fucking bitch.¡± Cindi Drei tried to tackle her, but Kari just stepped out of the way and slammed a fist down into her head. Cindi went flying from it but managed to catch herself midair. Then collapsed to the ground, squinting hard. The rage lessened some, but I think that was less from calming down and more from being hit by Smash Gal. She struggled to her feet and was immediately tackled to the ground by Kari who started punching her. Not at her full strength. Kari was trying to arrest them. Not kill them. Thank the Gods for that, I thought. Cherry grabbed Kari¡¯s head and screamed. Kari struggled to keep up as all of her muscles convulsed violently. She collapsed onto Buck Cherry who phased through her and stood wobbly. Her ribs had been broken and she was bruised and when she tried to walk she collapsed. Curt, who was dodging the lasers of Techmaster, was struck in the shoulder by one of them. He rolled with the blow and grasped at his burning shoulder. Bion burst through the ground and crashed straight back down coughing heavily. I flew forward and started to generate a construct but I was overwhelmed by his rage and it faltered. I watched him open a portal in front of a laser shot from one of Techmaster¡¯s little machines and it slashed into Bion¡¯s suit and he screamed. Then Esvanir kicked him in the head and he rolled over and slashed up at him with boiling plasma. He barely managed to dodge out of the way, his tuxedo burning off of him as he did. I tried to focus on helping Wan. To help him. To help everyone here. This was a disaster. But everyone¡¯s emotions were too high and I couldn¡¯t keep them out. Not like this. I concentrated and changed my suit. Something that would cover my head more. Help me focus. I watched him open a portal and then watched as Bion slashed himself. His armor melted out of the way and blood spurted forth and he collapsed. I could feel his pain and it broke me. Cherry¡¯s pain. I had to shut myself off from it. Everything had gone from numb to a thousand times worse and I created a wall around me and another and another until I was completely separated from the events. This was too much.

=== Curt === ¡°Mind, Bion, whoever the rest of you idiots are. Leave now!¡± I shouted. My entire body was shaking. ¡°Take the wounded and go. This is your only chance. If you¡¯re not gone immediately, you¡¯re all going to die.¡± This was not a threat. Threats are for people who don¡¯t know how to act. I had already started calculating exactly what I was going to do. Kari was going to die today. I was going to make sure of it. Professor Mind was hiding in one of his constructs and I opened a portal and a bomb dropped into my hand and I threw it at the construct. A pink blur rushed forward and caught it. It exploded in her hands and she stood in front of me. ¡°So is this who you are? In addition to being a thief, you¡¯re a murderer? Is that really what you want, Curtis?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t you ever fucking say my name again!¡± I screamed. She charged forward and I tried to dodge her punch but I couldn¡¯t. I started to go flying, but she grabbed me and started punching me again and again. I tried to block but she wouldn¡¯t allow it. My mind started to go blank. But I caught sight of Cindi in the edges of my vision and I focused again. I opened a portal and slammed both of us with a bazooka blast¡¯s worth of water and we both went down, but I rolled onto my back and kicked her off of me. She landed on her feet. ¡°You can¡¯t win, Curt. Just give up. Please. I don¡¯t want to do this,¡± Kari pleaded. ¡°Y-you,¡± my voice shook with pain and rage. ¡°You don¡¯t want to do what, Smash Gal? Ruin my wedding? Take the happiest day of my life and make it about you. Take the only thing good in my life away from me? Is that what you don¡¯t want to do, Smash Gal?¡± ¡°I-I . . . You¡¯re a criminal! You have to be stopped! So does she.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the criminal in this case?¡± The quavering in my voice faded away. I could barely speak above a whisper. While this was happening I cycled through all of the teleport points I had all over the world. ¡°You invaded a country with no extradition to destroy the lives of people who weren¡¯t hurting a goddamn person. You have made yourself judge, jury, and executioner! And I¡¯m the criminal? Smash Gal, you¡¯re a monster. You¡¯re not some valiant hero doing good in the world. You¡¯re a fucking bully who forces your goddamn nose in places where it doesn¡¯t belong. You teamed up with murderers. You teamed up with a war criminal firing missiles at peaceful guests just to fuck over someone who beat you once. Someone who won against you. And you couldn¡¯t handle it.¡± ¡°You think this is about our fight? Oh my God! Curt! You¡¯re so fucking conceited. You¡¯re a criminal!¡± She screamed at me. ¡°I told you, Smash Gal, keep my name out of your fucking mouth,¡± I said in the most even tone I could manage. I opened a portal and dumped a slew of boiling magma, now lava, onto her. She screamed in pain and charged forward. I teleported behind her and did it again. The grass and dirt under our feet caught fire. But I couldn¡¯t be bothered to care. She screamed again and spun, throwing lava everywhere. Some landed near Cherry who was still unconscious and without thinking, I teleported over to her. Tears stung my eyes. I tried to blink them away. She was broken again. And it was Kari¡¯s fault. I opened a portal and let her go through to a bed somewhere where hopefully nobody would be watching. Kari charged forward but I closed the portal before she could go through it. She slammed her fist into my head and the world spun. I staggered on my feet and managed to stay standing, but only by the skin of my teeth. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Surrender!¡± ¡°Fuck you!¡± I responded. It was not my most poignant response. ¡°Go ruin someone else¡¯s life! Take away someone else¡¯s happiness!¡±

=== Kari === I stopped in front of Curt. He was shaking and bleeding and was barely conscious. He couldn¡¯t catch me with that same trick. Take away someone else¡¯s happiness? I couldn¡¯t even comprehend what he was saying. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m here, Curt? I¡¯m not here to ruin your life. You . . . You did that yourself. When you became a criminal.¡± ¡°Post hoc justification,¡± he slurred. He stood up straighter. Even though he was bleeding out, even though he was barely standing, he still put it in the most infuriatingly technical terms. I threw a haymaker and he did manage to teleport out of the way. He slammed something into my back and electricity jolted through my body. I grabbed his little toy and crushed it, my hand shaking. I swung on him but he wasn¡¯t there. Instead, he was sitting in one of the chairs not far away, breathing heavily. His eyes were barely focusing. I could see it under that ridiculous mask he was wearing. He was running out of steam. ¡°Curt, just surrender. You¡¯re done. Tell me where you sent Cindi. We¡¯ll get her help. You¡¯ll go to jail, but you can rebuild. Rehabilitate yourselves. Maybe even become heroes. It¡¯s not over. You¡¯re better than this.¡± He glared at me. ¡°Are you really that fucking stupid?¡± I staggered back as though he had hit me. Those eyes were focused again. And his face was set in stone. He looked down at his bloody hand and then replaced it on his side, groaning. ¡°Curt, please. I don¡¯t want to have to hurt you anymore.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t,¡± he spat back. ¡°You¡¯re a criminal. Don¡¯t make me do this. Just surrender.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m not living on your terms anymore, Smash Gal,¡± The way he said my title . . . I . . . I wasn¡¯t Kari to him anymore. I wasn¡¯t anything. We weren¡¯t friends. We were just enemies. ¡°I¡¯m not going to jail. I¡¯m not going to join your little collection of murderers, war-profiteers, and tights-wearing Barbie dolls too stupid to see how the world works.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t win.¡± ¡°You¡¯re probably right. Whatever you¡¯ve been doing for the past couple of months has sanded off the edges. Now you¡¯re a more dangerous, more capable weapon of mass destruction than you ever were before. I probably couldn¡¯t stop without doing something really insane.¡± He stood up, wobbling. ¡°But I will. So, I¡¯m going to give you one chance. Leave. Now. Take Bion or he¡¯ll die. Take Professor Mind-Destroyer, too. I think he¡¯s trying not to have an aneurysm. Or stay. And I¡¯ll kill you. All of you.¡± I shook my head. This is just pathetic. A pathetic bluff from a man on the ropes. I stepped forward and he held out his other hand and something dropped into it. A jar. ¡°Did you know I can teleport things inside of things? It¡¯s hard and there¡¯s a lot of math involved. But I can do it. Even if I can¡¯t see what is inside. He tossed the jar to me and I caught it and turned it over. Cherries. My eyes widened and I looked back at him. When I was nine, we discovered that I was deathly allergic to cherries. My throat closed and they had to do an emergency tracheotomy before getting me to the hospital. ¡°Kind of poetic, don¡¯t you think? You¡¯re allergic to cherries and you tried to take mine away. Not to mention I think she¡¯s one of like three people that ever took you down. Twice now.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why not? If I don¡¯t, my life is over. All because you value property more than human life.¡± ¡°What if I¡¯m not allergic anymore? Allergies come and go sometimes.¡± ¡°Come now, Smash Gal. Do you think that¡¯s my only contingency?¡± He snapped his fingers and a hole opened in between us. Chuck¡¯s head stuck through it and he looked around nervously. The portal constricted around his throat and A little bit of blood leaked around it. ¡°I¡¯m sick and tired of this fight. You are stronger, faster, and now a better fighter than I am, apparently. So, I have to become what you think I am. A villain. A true villain. Just as nefarious as the rest of the cape-and-tights squad. I was content just to do an occasional bit of thieving. Steal some from people like Wan over there who is literally so rich that he could never notice anything was missing if he wasn¡¯t such a petty bitch. Give most of it to people who need it more than he or I do. But you kept pushing me. Farther and farther. And this is the second time you¡¯ve tried to kill her.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to kill her!¡± I shouted. ¡°When you show up, you force people to make decisions! You are stronger and faster than anyone on the fucking planet! Your very presence is a threat! And you¡¯re completely and totally unaccountable to anyone! I¡¯m just leveling the playing field. Except it¡¯s still not even, because you¡¯re willing to team up with people like Captain Brainwash and General Warfare over there.That is a decision you made to take me down. You teamed up with a murderer to take me down. A murderer and Bion. The world¡¯s foremost weapons manufacturer. And you think what I do is bad? Do you have any idea who you¡¯re in bed with? I¡¯m just a thief. I would have to throw entire cities into volcanoes to approach the damage that those two do.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stop chasing you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He asked, deflating. ¡°Because what you¡¯re doing is wrong!¡± He sat back down on the chair and coughed up some blood. ¡°Haven¡¯t you taken enough from me?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t taken anything from you.¡± ¡°Do you honestly believe that!?¡± He shouted, glaring up at me. ¡°I haven¡¯t!¡± ¡°You¡¯re trying to take away my freedom! You already took away my privacy! You tried to take away the woman I love! You took away my fucking wedding day, Kari! My goddamn wedding day! Do you know how much I want to kill you right now for that? Do you have any idea how much you personally have hurt me? Because of these asinine morals that you¡¯ve decided are more important than I am!¡± ¡°I wasn- I didn- I-I . . . That wasn¡¯t what this was about!¡± ¡°But that¡¯s the fucking result! You decided that Smash Gal has to save the day from someone who isn¡¯t fucking hurting anyone! And anyone in your way be damned!¡± He raised his voice. ¡°And I¡¯m left clinging onto whatever I think is right! I don¡¯t kill people except in self-defense and you make me want to kill you because you keep destroying everything. Under any reasonable definition, what I¡¯m doing here is self-defense!¡± ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Because! I know you! You could choose to use your powers for the good of society if you could just remove your head from your ass for five whole fucking minutes! But instead, you team up with a goddamn war-criminal! You have all of the power in the world and the rest of us are just clinging desperately onto this fucking rock as we panic and hope that we don¡¯t fucking get crushed under your fucking boot!¡± ¡°I help people!¡± ¡°You get cats out of trees and then sit by as he blows up the Middle East.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a hero! He¡¯s saved the world!¡± ¡°And profited from it every step of the way! He¡¯s a worse criminal than I ever was! And so is he!¡± Curt pointed to Chuck. Chuck grimaced and looked away, blood leaking down onto the ground from his neck. ¡°I . . . I¡¯m done with this. I¡¯m taking you in.¡± I charged forward but I heard Chuck choke and I stopped, fist raised. I looked at PM, whose eyes were bulging. He was coughing up blood. Curt just looked at me, blinking slowly.

??¡°Next time I see you, I¡¯ll just do it. To all of you. You all are too much of a threat to use these kids¡¯ gloves on.¡± He said. Then he disappeared. I sped forward and slammed my fist down on the empty spot he had occupied. I screamed. I kicked the chair and it exploded from the force. I looked around. The greenhouse had been destroyed. There was lava burning up the place, Destroyed ground, scorch marks. I had seen what it looked like before. I had ruined his wedding. And he spared me this time. Would I have done the same thing? Issue 29: I Haven鈥檛 Been that Person for Years

=== Curt === I appeared back into the hotel room. It was the only place I could think to go. I started collecting all of our stuff. More than actually moving it myself, I¡¯d just open portals and let things disappear into them to a a safe place. It was faster and I needed the fucking time. God fucking damn her! God damn you, Kari! You fucking bitch! I raged as I gathered everything I could. I snapped over to where I had stashed Cin. She was laying in a bed, unconscious still. I looked over her body. She was barely breathing. I sighed and snapped over to Des. They were in their apartment with one of Cindi¡¯s bridesmaids whose name I couldn¡¯t be bothered to remember at the moment. When I appeared there, Des jumped up. ¡°Curt! Thank God!¡± They threw their arms around me and I grimaced. The bridesmaid watched me carefully. ¡°How¡¯s Cherry?¡± ¡°Not good. She¡¯s unconscious. Des. I need you. Right away.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re a mess.¡± They commented, looking at me. I didn¡¯t bother to do the same. I knew I was in bad shape. I knew I could die. But that didn¡¯t matter. All that mattered was getting Cindi help. ¡°Not for me. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I lied. ¡°Cindi¡¯s in bad shape. I think one of her lungs collapsed. Where can we take her?¡± Des considered for a moment, frowning. ¡°My practice. I don¡¯t know that I¡¯ll have everything I need. But I¡¯ll do what I can, Curt.¡± ¡°You coming?¡± I asked the bridesmaid. ¡°Des may need a hand and mine aren¡¯t steady right now.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she said hesitantly. I held out my arm and they both crowded in and grabbed it. I snapped us over to Des¡¯ practice. It¡¯s where I had stashed Cindi anyway. It was the only place I could think of that was safe. Des rushed straight over to my fiancee. The woman was supposed to be my wife right now. I shambled over to a seat in the room and collapsed into it. The bridesmaid glanced over at me, lips pursed, and then went back to helping Cindi. I must have fallen asleep at some point, because eventually, I woke up in a bed, next to Cindi¡¯s. I glanced down. I wasn¡¯t covered in bandages, but all of my wounds had been closed. I shifted uncomfortably and took a better look at myself. I was still bruised and burned in some places, but the cuts had been closed with no stitches. I looked around and Des and the bridesmaid were chatting. Des put their hand on the woman¡¯s wrist. I smiled. I didn¡¯t want to interrupt them, but the bridesmaid looked directly at me and before I could pretend to still be asleep, Des looked over and rushed over to me. ¡°Hey, Des. What¡¯s the prognosis?¡± ¡°You were in pretty bad shape. Some internal bleeding from being knocked around. A concussion. You¡¯ve really got to stop fighting with your ex.¡± ¡°Ex?¡± The bridesmaid asked. ¡°He and Smash Gal had a thing.¡± ¡°For like 5 minutes when we were 14. It¡¯s long over.¡± ¡°Yeah, and that definitely has nothing to do with why she literally crashed your wedding,¡± Des said. ¡°Nevermind that. I don¡¯t care about me,¡± I said, pushing myself out of the bed. I made my way over to Cindi and wrapped my hand around hers. ¡°How is she?¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be out of bed.¡± ¡°If I started listening to you know, it would set a bad precedent. You¡¯d expect me to do it in the future.¡± I tried to smile, but I couldn¡¯t manage more than a lip twitch. ¡°Curt . . . It¡¯s not good. She needs to be taken to a real hospital. With real doctors.¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°She¡¯s in a coma, Curt. I only have so much I can do here. I can rebuild you with a flesh reconstructor, but I think her brain is swelling in her head. But I don¡¯t have the right equipment here to check.¡± ¡°Do you have any idea of when she will wake up?¡± I asked, clutching onto her hand for dear life. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Curt,¡± Des responded. I closed my eyes, tears leaking down my face.

=== Chuck === Kari was incredibly angry. She was hardly able to contain it. Even with all of her practice with Suiren. She had spent the trip back meditating, trying to force some semblance of calm and control over herself. Bion had continued to cough up dirt and some blood but had transferred to a spare suit in his jet. Techmaster and Jenny both were silent. Techmaster hadn¡¯t really been a great boon here. He helped Reese and Drei, but he wasn¡¯t a heavy-hitter. I sat in my seat and stared out the window. I also hadn¡¯t been helpful. Curt was just so angry. Everyone¡¯s emotions had been running high, but his and Cherry¡¯s emotions were out of control. When we got back to the city, I started flying off and Kari caught back up to me. ¡°Hey, Chuck,¡± she grabbed my arm and turned me. I looked at her. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°No, Kari. I¡¯m sorry. I failed you.¡± ¡°Well . . . Yeah, kind of. What happened? You just shut down and hid during the fight. What the hell was that about?¡± ¡°I . . . I got overwhelmed. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Overwhelmed from what?¡± ¡°The emotions.¡± ¡°The emotions?¡± ¡°You know how you have to filter out thousands of pieces of sensory data constantly?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Kari nodded. ¡°Well, I have to do the same thing with people¡¯s emotions. I can always tell what people are feeling, all the time. And it¡¯s hard. It¡¯s like ignoring a smell or seeing something or something weighing on my chest. And when someone is feeling something so strongly, especially something like rage or hate, it can overwhelm me. I won¡¯t be able to think or focus and I will barely be able to stand.¡± ¡°And that happened at the wedding?¡± ¡°Reese and Drei both hated you. They wanted to kill you. I think that if Curt hadn¡¯t been so hurt, he would¡¯ve.¡± ¡°Their hatred overwhelmed you? It was . . . It was that strong?¡± Kari asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°It was terrifying. Between that and all of the fear of the people scattering and your feelings, and Bions. It was just too much. I almost was knocked out from it.¡± ¡°Whoa. I can¡¯t even imagine.¡± ¡°I could show you. If you want.¡± ¡°How?¡± I got a little closer to her. I gripped her head and stared into her eyes. She blushed and shifted a little. I pressed my fingers into her temples and closed my eyes. I pushed into her mind and created a flow between us. Pushing what I felt into her. ¡°I . . . I can feel what you¡¯re feeling. But I don¡¯t get how you could be overwhelmed by this.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re the only ones close by. We¡¯re high up. No one else is around. And my emotions aren¡¯t that potent right now. Not like Curt¡¯s when he¡¯s fighting you. Or yours when you¡¯re fighting him.¡± I felt a pang of pain tear through the connection. ¡°Can you show me? I want to understand. Maybe I can help.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can extend my range.¡± ¡°Do it. I need to know.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because it might be overwhelming. It can be a lot.¡± ¡°I . . . I want to know what you¡¯re going through. I rely on you so much. Maybe it¡¯ll be easier if you know someone else understands.¡± I considered this for a moment, then sighed. I closed my eyes and extended my emotional sense out. Thousands of feelings flooded into me from below. I continued to extend it so that she might get the scope. She shivered but didn¡¯t move away. There was anger, hatred, love, and lust. Joy and melancholy. I could feel her sifting through it. I gritted my teeth and concentrated hard, extending out my ability to its full extent. I was very good at this. And when I fully extended myself I could cover almost the whole city. This was a lot easier in a lot of ways than creating constructs or reading people¡¯s minds too. A lot more passive. There was a strong spike of emotion from somewhere. Grief and anger and hatred. It was across town. I felt Kari grasp at it. She took control of the flow that I was providing to her and pulled it that way. ¡°It¡¯s him!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Curt!¡± She pushed my hands away and blasted off. I was almost blown away by the sonic wave she sent out. I sped after her. She was faster than I was. But she stopped. There was a shabby office building and she was staring at it. ¡°What the hell, Kari?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Curt. It¡¯s got to be.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°That much grief and hatred. You said his emotions are very strong.¡± ¡°Lots of people¡¯s emotions are very strong. Hundreds of people go through traumatic, painful events every day. It could be anyone.¡± As I was speaking she sank down in the air. She looked back up at me and grinned. ¡°It could be anyone, but it isn¡¯t. It¡¯s Curt!¡± She exclaimed, pointing. ¡°That¡¯s impossi-¡± I started to say, before looking for myself. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be damned. How did you know?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Just a hunch, really. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Go where?¡± ¡°Arrest him. Turn him in. Like we were planning too.¡± ¡°Kari, didn¡¯t you feel how much pain he¡¯s in? Do you really want to do this?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a criminal, Chuck. We have to take him down. He threatened to kill you today.¡± ¡°Yeah, he did.¡± ¡°So, are you going to come?¡± ¡°Yeah. Of course. You¡¯re right.¡± She sped off. She tried the window on the third floor, but it didn¡¯t work. So, she just burst through the window. Curt jumped up from the floor. He had been kneeling over a hospital bed. I sensed two other people in the area. I didn¡¯t sense anything from the person in the bed. He glared up at Kari who was floating midair. ¡°Curt, surrender. I don¡¯t want to hurt you. Oh, good. Cherry¡¯s here, too. That will save some time.¡± Curt stood tall at first but when Kari mentioned Drei he looked over to her and I could feel him work through the problem. He then shook his head and walked between her and Cherry. ¡°Fuck off, Smash Gal. You¡¯ve done enough for today.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve done enough?¡± I felt her anger spike at that. But it was dwarfed by the rage coming off of Curt. This man had barely been under control last time and now he was literally shaking with rage. He shook out his arm and the device he wore around his hand shot from his sleeve and wrapped around it. He then took out the pair of glasses he wore out and started to put them on, but Kari sped towards him. He tried to dodge, but she caught him. She grabbed both of his wrists. He struggled, kicking at her. ¡°Let me go, you fucking bitch!¡± ¡°This bitch is taking you in!¡± Kari yelled back. He struggled more and dropped the glasses which spun across the floor. Another person came through the door and looked at it. ¡°What the hell is happening?¡± ¡°De-Doctor! You need to get out of here!¡± ¡°Whose that?¡± ¡°None of your fucking business!¡± Curt shot back and started to snap, but Kari adjusted her grip and wrapped her hand around his. He snapped but she crushed his hand and he cried out in pain. ¡°Curt!¡± The doctor yelled and ran towards them. The two figures popped all around the room at random, fading in and out of existence at random. I shot out a tether and grabbed them both. I strained to keep my hold on them. They stayed still for a moment. Long enough for the doctor to grab them and try and pry them apart. Everything shifted violently. I was jerked forward and I felt like I was being thrown through a tumble cycle. Then there was a blast of air and we were thrown apart. I crashed into a wall and everything went black.

=== Curt === I opened my eyes. Wherever I was it was dark. I struggled to sit up and look around. Three other people were around me. Des, someone in plain street clothes, and Kari. The man in street clothes must¡¯ve been Professor Mind. I leaned over Des and started to check for signs of life, grimacing as I stretched out my hand. I looked down at it. It was swollen and crushed awkwardly. There were glints of metal in the limited light. I made my way carefully over to a window and examined it. It was covered in blood and an absolute mess. The bones weren¡¯t right. It hurt, but I didn¡¯t have time to focus on that. More importantly, there were pieces of metal and glass sticking out of it. That¡¯s right. Kari had broken my hand to prevent me from snapping out. Fuck. I started to turn back to Des then I looked back out of the window. It was dark out. We were in some building that was attached to several other buildings by long tubes. But that wasn¡¯t really what had captured my attention. There were two moons. I closed my eyes and shook my head. No, that¡¯s not possible. I probably just hit my head and am not seeing things properly. I looked out again and both of the moons were still there. They weren¡¯t close together, exactly. One was waxing and the other waning. But they were both clearly visible. The stars were also wrong . . . Somehow. Astronomy¡¯s not exactly my strong-suit, but something is fucked up. I looked around. The room we were in was filled with tables and chairs. There was a vending machine, a coffee machine, and seemingly a place to line up for food. There was a thick layer of dirt and dust on everything. I walked over to Des and leaned over them. They were still breathing. I grabbed their shoulder and shook them awake and they jumped and started to shout but I cut them off. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Shh! It¡¯s not safe,¡± I whispered. They looked around for a moment. ¡°Where are we?¡± ¡°No clue. I think . . . I think we might be on a different planet.¡± ¡°Different planet!?¡± They exclaimed. ¡°Shh! Professor Mind and Smash Gal are still around. They¡¯ll probably be awake soon, especially if you keep shouting. You need to pretend that we don¡¯t know each other. That I blackmailed you into helping me.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°Because you have a career to think about, moron!¡± I whispered, annoyed. ¡°I¡¯m an international criminal and I¡¯m not getting out of this. If we get back, I¡¯m probably going away forever. I don¡¯t want you to go down with me.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a little late for that,¡± Smash Gal said from behind me. ¡°Who is she?¡± ¡°They,¡± I emphasized, ¡°are just a doctor.¡± ¡°I¡¯m his best friend.¡± ¡°God damn it! What did I just say?¡± ¡°You already corrected my pronouns. The cat¡¯s already out of the bag, Curt.¡± ¡°I recognized he-¡± I glared at the woman, ¡°. . . Them from the wedding anyway, Curt. And it makes sense you have a doctor. Has . . . Have they done anything illegal?¡± ¡°No,¡± I said immediately. ¡°Then I don¡¯t think their career is in danger.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s telling the truth,¡± the man behind her said, sitting up. I clenched my fists and grimaced. ¡°Oh my god! Curt, your hand!¡± Des exclaimed. They grabbed it and examined it. ¡°I don¡¯t have any of my tools. Fuck!¡± ¡°There¡¯s a first aid kit on the wall and I have a pair of tweezers.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not . . .¡± Des sighed. ¡°It¡¯s what we have. Why do you have tweezers?¡± ¡°Part of my lockpicking set.¡± ¡°Of course it is.¡± ¡°What did you mean we¡¯re on a different planet?¡± Smash Gal asked. ¡°Use your own fucking eyes,¡± I muttered, gesturing to the window. The vigilantes both frowned at me, but got up to look. ¡°There are two moons. How did we get here? What did you do?¡± The woman in pink demanded. ¡°What did I do!? You broke a delicate piece of equipment because you¡¯re a fucking moron!¡± ¡°You¡¯re blaming me?¡± ¡°Literally everything bad that happened to me today is your fault and I sincerely wish you would fuck off into a cherry tree and die.¡± I grimaced as Des pulled out pieces of metal and glass from my hand. Blood leaked out of the wound and I grimaced. Part of it had already started to scab over. I must have been unconscious for a while. ¡°My fault? If you weren¡¯t a criminal, none of this would have been necessary.¡± ¡° ¡®Necessary¡¯,¡± I scoffed. ¡°Fuck off and die.¡± ¡°Both of you shut the fuck up. I¡¯m trying to focus here so that you might have use of your hand in the future, dumbass!¡± Des exclaimed. Professor Mind shifted his clothes to his normal costume. I hadn¡¯t recognized him but that wasn¡¯t a surprise. He had always had kept a tight cap on his secret identity and if I wasn¡¯t going to recognize him when all he wore was a domino mask on his head, recognizing him without it was a lost cause. ¡°Do you need any help, doctor?¡± Mind asked. ¡°No, they don¡¯t. You can fuck off and die too!¡± I shot back. ¡°Actually, yeah, I can. Can you light up the area? Or at least turn on a light.¡± Smash Gal was at the switch in less than a blink of an eye and flicked it a few times. ¡°No power. If we¡¯re on a different planet, why can we breathe?¡± She asked. Professor Mind created a lightbulb that illuminated the room and I grimaced, turning from him and it. ¡°Dunno. I think whoever made this place was human, though.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re on a planet with two moons. There was nothing about that on the news. If we had a station on a different planet, don¡¯t you think it¡¯d be big news?¡± ¡°God, you¡¯re an idiot,¡± I muttered. ¡°What was that?¡± The woman said, charging right up next to Des and I. ¡°You¡¯re in my light, Smash Gal,¡± Des said, exasperated. She shifted to the other side. ¡°What did you say, Curt?¡± ¡°Firstly, I told you to keep my name out of your fucking mouth. Remember that. You can call me thief, bastard, Esvanir. But you don¡¯t know Curt Reese anymore.¡± I couldn¡¯t keep the heat out of my voice at all. ¡°We¡¯re at some off the books endeavor. Looks like a Wan En and EnGin endeavor.¡± ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Professor Mind inquired, putting a hand on Smash Gal¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Everything here was manufactured by a subsidiary of those two companies. The coffee machine is actually EnGin¡¯s proprietary brand. Also, they¡¯re the only two companies in the world that could make it to wherever we are.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Smash Gal asked. ¡°I make it a point to know as much about my enemies and targets as possible. I know all of their public subsidiaries and some portion of the private ones, too.¡± I winced as Des started wrapping my hand in the gauze. They had splinted my hand and fingers with a bunch of tongue depressors they found and were making sure it¡¯d be tight enough so that I couldn¡¯t move my hand. ¡°How is his hand?¡± Smash Gal asked. ¡°Like you give a fuck,¡± I responded, pushing myself up and wincing. ¡°Broken. Badly. I think all of his fingers are broken in at least one place and the bones in his hand are in worse shape. If he doesn¡¯t get real treatment soon, he might lose most of its function.¡± Des said. ¡°Well, that¡¯s unfortunate,¡± I muttered. My former friend looked at me, but I turned my back on her. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± ¡°To figure out where we are and get a way back,¡± I said. ¡°No, you¡¯re not. Prof, shackle him!¡± ¡°What?¡± Both of us demanded. ¡°He might just strand us here. He can¡¯t be trusted. When we find a way out, we¡¯ll bring both of them along.¡± I stumbled into a wall as I laughed at her. ¡°You¡¯re so fucking stupid! You¡¯ve got to be the dumbest person on the planet!¡± Professor Mind shot forth a set of handcuffs that shackled my wrists together. Then another set on my feet. I looked down at them. ¡°Really using kid¡¯s gloves today, aren¡¯t we, Mind Destroyer?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Smash Gal demanded, charging forward. ¡°Oh? You don¡¯t know? Well, of course, you don¡¯t know. Ask him about Scott Spring and Jean Brown some time. Real highlights of his career,¡± I said with a grin over her shoulder. Professor Mind didn¡¯t meet my eyes. He looked down and sighed. ¡°I haven¡¯t done . . . I haven¡¯t been that person for years, Mr. Reese.¡±

=== Kari === ¡°Yeah, and yet my crimes are enough for Brickhouse Barbie here to ruin my wedding, break my hands, ribs, and face countless times.¡± I clenched a fist but took a few deep breaths as I listened to Curt spout off this nonsense. He slid down the wall and continued talking. ¡°So, you should probably turn yourself in right next to me. Do the right thing. Maybe you, Bion, and I could all share a cell. Since this is about justice, right? And you never served a fucking day for what you did.¡± I turned away from him. I looked at Chuck and his arms were at his sides. He looked like Curt had hit him. Actually, I think he might look better if Curt actually had hit him.¡±Whatever. We¡¯re going to go find a way out of here. Get up.¡± ¡°Fuck you,¡± Curt responded simply. There wasn¡¯t even any anger in it. He then closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. ¡°So, you¡¯re not going to help us?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure that the mighty Smash Gal and the brilliant Professor Mind can figure out a way back home. After all, you know everything, right, Kari? Surely, you¡¯re smart enough to know how to manage interstellar travel.¡± I turned from him again and huffed. ¡°Fine. Come on, PM. Let¡¯s go.¡± The doctor looked down at he- at their friend and he motioned for them to follow us. ¡°Are you sure, Curt? ¡°You¡¯ve got to distance yourself from me, Des. This isn¡¯t going to end well. It¡¯s better to be on the side of the ¡®good¡¯ guys right now. And you might recognize something they don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Not as well as you could. You¡¯re the genius.¡± ¡°Professor Mind is probably smarter than I am and out of anyone here, you¡¯re the only one I trust to keep me in the loop. And you¡¯re smarter than I am. Always have been.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a child,¡± they said, shaking their head and joined up with us. Chuck flew ahead slightly. He seemed really distant now. Whatever Curt was talking about must¡¯ve really hurt him. I caught up with him. ¡°Hey, you okay? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Kar,¡± he lied. I don¡¯t think he had ever lied to me before. I shook my head. ¡°Look. We can talk about it later, okay? We need to focus on getting out of here.¡± I shrank back. I don¡¯t think he had ever treated me like this before. I flew next to Doctor Des. ¡°So, you¡¯re Curt¡¯s friend?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± they said, pointedly looking forward. ¡°You know, I¡¯m not a bad person, right?¡± ¡°Never said you were.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just trying to do what¡¯s best for him. I¡¯m trying to help him.¡± ¡°Uh-huh. Sure.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Since you came back into his life, he¡¯s broken twelve ribs, had countless concussions, broken his hands three times, as of today, and on top of that, you bring out the worst in him.¡± ¡°What do you mean? He¡¯s a criminal. He needs to be stopped!¡± ¡°If you say so, Smash Gal.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t agree?¡± ¡°That he¡¯s a criminal? Yeah, he is. Definitely. By the letter of the law, he¡¯s a criminal. He steals stuff.¡± ¡°He¡¯s also dangerous! He kills people.¡± ¡°In self-defense. When they¡¯re trying to kill him. Over property.¡± ¡°He almost killed me!¡± ¡°Yeah, after he thought you killed his girlfriend. After months of you beating the shit out of him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not-¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what you think happened. I get that. But I¡¯m his friend. Not yours. And I¡¯m going to take his side.¡± ¡°Why do there have to be sides? He breaks the law!¡± ¡°And he saves people, Ms. Stewart.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh, come off it,¡± they said, exasperated. ¡°You know what he does with the things he steals. He gives most of it away. Unless he needs it for some reason, he doesn¡¯t keep any of it. He gives it to people who, quite frankly, need it a lot more than Bion does.¡± ¡°So you think it¡¯s okay? You think he should just be allowed to steal anything he wants?¡± ¡°I . . . I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t use to.¡± ¡°What changed?¡± ¡°I saw what he did. I really started looking at how he operates. He never goes out seeking a fight on purpose. He doesn¡¯t try to hurt people unless . . . Unless he loses his temper.¡± ¡°And he¡¯s been losing his temper a lot.¡± ¡°God, I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s right about you. I really didn¡¯t want to believe it.¡± ¡°What? What did he say?¡± ¡°Just forget it.¡± ¡°No, tell me. I need to know.¡± ¡°He said that you¡¯re blind.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not blind! I see what he does. He¡¯s a thief. He justifies it, but that doesn¡¯t make what he¡¯s doing good. And I¡¯m just trying to stop him. He¡¯ll get hurt or killed if he doesn¡¯t stop. I¡¯m going easy on him!¡± ¡°You might¡¯ve had a point. Until that last bit.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You almost killed Buck Cherry. You ruined his wedding. You may not be trying to kill him, but you¡¯re definitely pissing him off. And if it¡¯s not on purpose, you are really as blind as he says you are.¡± ¡°If he would just sto-¡± ¡°Stop what? Ask yourself, Ms. Stewart. What is it you want him to stop doing? Stealing things? The way he sees it, he¡¯s helping people. He¡¯s given people access to clean water, to medical technologies that were just sitting in some building somewhere not doing anything important. It would be like asking you to just sit back and watch people get hurt. You two are so fucking similar and neither of you wants to see it.¡± ¡°He could do that legitimately! He could build all that stuff for people.¡± ¡°Could he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s smart enough. He built a fucking teleporter.¡± ¡°So, why aren¡¯t you a cop, then? Or someone in the military?¡± ¡°What!?¡± I demanded. My head spun with the thought of being a cop. Someone who . . . Who might have shot Harold. Or me. Or that poor man on fire. I . . . couldn¡¯t do that. ¡°What you do is illegal. You go out and assault people and force them to comply with standards that you have set. And you don¡¯t apply them evenly. If he just spent all of his time building things to help people, things that already exist and that the people he¡¯s robbing can¡¯t need anywhere near as much as the people he¡¯s giving them to do, he wouldn¡¯t have time for anything else. All because people like Bion are hoarding their wealth.¡± ¡°So, Bion should just be poor?¡± ¡°No, but he should not hoard life-saving technology for himself for no fucking reason.¡± ¡°He gives away-¡± ¡°Some of what he develops. But if Curt was doing what he¡¯s doing the legal way, people would die while he struggled through red tape.¡± ¡°So, I should just let him go, then? Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°Yeah . . .¡± They stopped and looked down. ¡°I really wish you would. You¡¯ve almost killed him more times in the past few months than I had ever seen before and you¡¯re scary. You¡¯re so fucking scary, Smash Gal. Especially to me. Because I love Curt. He¡¯s great. And I¡¯ve only ever met one person that treats him worse than you do.¡± ¡°Whose that?¡± ¡°Himself.¡± Issue 30: Relying on Eight Glorified Car Batteries

=== Curt === I must¡¯ve fallen asleep again. It made sense. I was exhausted. Between a wedding and being attacked twice and dealing with all of the stress of . . . Whatever the fuck is going on currently. I felt a hand on my shoulder and jumped before they could start shaking me. I couldn¡¯t get far, since I was still shackled at the ankles and wrists by Mind¡¯s constructs. I looked around, trying to catch my breath. Des was standing over me with Smash Gal and Mind behind them. ¡°Jeez, Cee,¡± the woman in pink said, ¡°Jumpy much?¡± ¡°Yeah, well, You never know when someone is going to burst through the ceiling and ruin your life,¡± I responded bitterly. ¡°What¡¯s the word, doctor?¡± ¡°They already know we¡¯re friends, Curt. Just drop it. And can you not be an asshole for ten minutes. I think we¡¯re in trouble.¡± ¡°Good luck with that one,¡± Smash Gal responded. ¡°He¡¯s always been an asshole. Especially when he thinks he¡¯s right. And he always thinks he¡¯s right about everything.¡± Des and Mind both sighed and shook their heads. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°We . . . We found some bodies. Signs of a struggle. It¡¯s bad, Reese,¡± the man responded. ¡°Oh. Hmm.¡± I considered what that could mean. ¡°Mind, let me out.¡± ¡°What!?¡± His companion demanded. ¡°No, absolutely not.¡± ¡°We kind of have to, Kari. If we¡¯re to get out of here, I think he¡¯s our best chance.¡± ¡°He can tell us what to do,¡± the woman said, unconvincingly. ¡°And . . . And then we can make a decision. I don¡¯t trust him.¡± ¡°Kari, he¡¯s already shot that down. And he¡¯s right. We are out of our areas of expertise,¡± Mind responded and waved a hand. The shackles disappeared. ¡°He¡¯s the closest thing to an expert we have here.¡± ¡°But what if he betrays us?¡± Kari said. ¡°Truce,¡± I said. I held out my left hand. I would have held out my right, but she might¡¯ve just broken it even more. She looked at my hand. ¡°How can I trust you? You¡¯re a thief.¡± ¡°Kari, be realistic about this. I¡¯m a thief. But I¡¯m also stranded with my only friend on an alien planet where there was an attack. And I¡¯ve never lied to you . . . About anything important. And as much as I hate you, and I do, I¡¯m not going to let three people, one of which I actually give a damn about die for a grudge.¡± She begrudgingly took my hand. We shook and then started off. We got to a metal door that was sealed shut. There were windows at the top of it. I stretched up on my toes and looked through. There were body parts and blood strewn about. There weren¡¯t any flies. There wouldn¡¯t be. Not in space. Unless they brought flies for some reason. That¡¯d be a weird decision. I tried the door panel. Nothing happened. It was dead. I frowned and turned to Smash Gal. ¡°Well, go on then. Use your excessive force for something useful. For once.¡± ¡°I already tried that. The doors are strong. Really strong. I don¡¯t think I could open them without bringing the building down on top of us. And then you¡¯d just whine about that too.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve always been good at whining,¡± I muttered, taking out my lockpick set. I flipped it open. I called it a lockpick set, but it was really just a toolset that happened to include lockpicks. I struggled for a moment to put together my mini-drill-gun with my one good hand. Des just huffed and grabbed it from me and put it together instantly and handed it back to me. I nodded to them and started unscrewing the panel. I pulled it off and looked through the wires, considering. Then I slipped one of my batteries out of my pocket and attached it to the wires and turned it on. The panel flickered to life and the doors shuddered. I started pressing keys, but all that came back was ACCESS DENIED on the display. ¡°Well, that figures. Guess I¡¯ll have to go with the classic.¡± ¡°The classic?¡± Mind asked, leaning over. ¡°As you all are so keen to remind me, I¡¯m a petty thief. So, I¡¯m going to do the thing I¡¯m good at.¡± ¡°Being an immoral jackass?¡± Smash Gal interjected. ¡°Breaking into places that are locked, but I¡¯m glad to see that you¡¯re immune to nosebleeds too. Air must be pretty thin on that high horse,¡± I responded, turning back to the panel. I clipped two wires and pushed them together and shorted out the doors and it jolted again, opening slightly. It¡¯d be a tight fit, but much less tight than not open at all. ¡°Well, go on. That¡¯s as much as I can do.¡± Smash Gal and Des squeezed through the door and I motioned for Mind to follow. ¡°Reese, you¡¯re being too hard on Kari.¡± ¡°Am I?¡± I asked, mockingly. ¡°She¡¯s not trying to hurt you.¡± ¡°I imagine you know a lot about not trying to hurt someone but doing it anyway, Mind.¡± He blanched slightly at the statement but shook his head. ¡°You two are really alike in a lot of ways, you know that.¡± ¡°We¡¯re both stubborn and set in our niche moral systems that both have intrinsic flaws. I¡¯m aware. I try to keep it in mind most of the time.¡± ¡°If you understand that, why are you still treating her like this?¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, man. You¡¯re smarter than that. Surely. If nothing else, you can read my fucking mind. You know why.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t . . . I don¡¯t do that . . . Without permission.¡± His voice was small. ¡°Anymore.¡± ¡°Create a brace for the doors. I¡¯m going to disconnect the battery.¡± He did so. I disconnected the battery and the doors shuddered again, but he managed to keep them open. ¡°Do you think you will ever forgive her?¡± ¡°She tried to kill Cindi. She put her in a coma. If it was just me, I wouldn¡¯t care as much. But she hurt the woman I love. Kari Stewart is dead to me. Smash Gal is an obstacle to be overcome. If I¡¯m armed the next time she comes after me, I¡¯m killing her. I have to. Anything less is just asking for Cindi to be killed as collateral damage.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like killing people. It¡¯s normally not necessary. But she¡¯s too dangerous.¡±

=== Kari === I listened to Curt and Chuck on the other side of the door. His doctor friend watched me until it got to the part where he was planning my murder. They looked away and started looking around the room. I stood there and thought about what he had just said. She tried to kill Cindi . . . She hurt the woman I love. Kari Stewart is dead to me. I wiped the tears from my eyes and tried to find some semblance of inner peace. But my oldest friend had just said he wanted to kill me. I glanced around. There was blood and chunks of flesh everywhere. Large gashes went through the floor and walls and equipment. Chuck and Curt walked through the door that Chuck had been holding open. Curt glanced around and shook his head. He walked over to a body and picked up a lanyard. His hands were shaking. But his face was stony. We went into the next room and there was a garage door that had been torn open. Several vehicles had been destroyed or thrown about. Whatever did this was strong. Some of the vehicles were just construction equipment. Some of them had large drills on them. Chuck flew forward and looked out the door. ¡°So, we can breathe on the planet. It¡¯s not just the buildings. That¡¯s . . . good, right?¡± ¡°Place doesn¡¯t seem to have power, so that makes sense. No air circulation,¡± Curt responded absently. He was looking at a large circle that was in the middle of the room. ¡°What do you think it is?¡± I asked him. ¡°I¡¯d . . . I¡¯d rather not say. Not yet. Don¡¯t have any proof.¡± He walked out to the garage door and looked outside. ¡°Well, that makes sense.¡± ¡°What does?¡± Des asked. ¡°Oh, what they were doing here. It¡¯s a mine. They were imperializing whatever planet we¡¯re o- . . .¡± ¡°Curt? What?¡± The doctor asked. ¡°It¡¯s . . . Probably nothing. I¡¯m . . . I¡¯m going to see if I can get the computers started. They must have had an evacuation plan. Maybe there¡¯s a backup.¡± He rushed back to the other room and Des, Chuck and I looked at one another and we all just shrugged and followed him. When we found him, he was on his back. And under one of the tables with a computer on it. He was fiddling around with something. He grimaced and then slammed his fist into the console. Des jumped. ¡°Curt?¡± They asked. ¡°Yeah?¡± He said, nonchalantly. ¡°Everything okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, mostly.¡± ¡°Need some help?¡± The doctor asked again. They looked shaken by . . . something. ¡°. . . Yeah. I can¡¯t do this easily with one hand.¡± I scooted next to him. ¡°What do you need?¡± ¡°I¡¯d . . . I¡¯d prefer if Des did this. There¡¯s less of a chance I¡¯d end up with broken bones,¡± he said, looking away from me. ¡°Or a comatose fiancee.¡± ¡°Well, you have me. What are you trying to do?¡± He sighed and took some little electric batteries out of his pocket.¡± ¡°How many of those do you have?¡± ¡°I can fit ten in my pockets,¡± He responded. ¡°So, ten.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Never know when you¡¯re going to end up stranded on an alien planet without power. Or when you¡¯re going to have to try and short out a supposed hero when they¡¯re wrecking your wedding.¡± ¡°Will you two get off that!?¡± Des demanded, fear tightening their voice. ¡°I want to get back to Earth some time in the next decade.¡± ¡°They¡¯re right. Clip that wire there.¡± I did so. He pushed his battery against it and made some rough connections then handed me some black tape. ¡°Wrap it up carefully.¡± ¡°There was a time when I would have loved to hear that from you.¡± ¡°Ugh. For the love of God, don¡¯t.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just . . . Don¡¯t. Clip that one there and attach another one to it.¡± He scooted out from under the table and struggled into a seat. I could hear the hum of the machine come to life. I pulled myself up and looked at it as the monitors came to life. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that worked.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Yeah, well. It won¡¯t for long. This is slipshod, even by my standards.¡± He started typing onto the computer. An Incorrect Password message came up. He frowned and considered for a moment. Then he took out his phone and a USB cable and plugged them into a computer. His screen was cracked. Probably from the fight. I felt a pang of guilt but pushed it down. He¡¯s a criminal. He did this to himself. I had to do what I did. I had to. I thought to myself. After a few minutes, he was in. ¡°How¡¯d you do that?¡± Des asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been stealing from both of these companies for a long time. I learned that there are holes in their security and keep an exploit saved on my phone.¡± A bunch of files came up automatically and there was a data transfer pop-up. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Downloading their database.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because what they¡¯re doing here needs to be known. Also, because it¡¯s faster than looking for individual files.¡± He said. I went to pull his phone off but he pushed my hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Even when your life is in danger, you just can¡¯t help yourself, can you!?¡± I demanded angrily, reaching past his hand for his phone. ¡°Kari!¡± He shouted and I stopped. ¡°You don¡¯t understand! Stop pretending you know everything and actually sit back and pay attention for the first goddamn time in your life!¡± ¡°What!?¡± I demanded, unable to keep the heat out of my voice. ¡°Kari! Reese! Calm down,¡± Mind interjected. ¡°Reese, just tell us what you figured out. It¡¯s obviously something big.¡± ¡°I . . . I think I know where we are. I think . . . I think we¡¯re on the Grignau home-planet.¡± ¡°What!?¡± The three of us demanded in unison. ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± I said. ¡°Why?¡± He asked, looking up at me. ¡°Why is it impossible?¡± ¡°Because . . . We don¡¯t even know where that is. They¡¯re invaders. They invaded us.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. We don¡¯t know where the planet is. Or we didn¡¯t. Now we do. And we don¡¯t know that they invaded. We know they showed up and started attacking us. But there¡¯ve never been reports of ships or anything.¡± ¡°What makes you think that this is the same planet, Reese?¡± ¡°Well,¡± he began, bringing up some security footage. A few Grignau burst through the door in the garage and started throwing things around. People tried to run but they were quickly caught. ¡°Those are Grignau. Also . . . Look at the date.¡± ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the day of the last invasion. These people all died just before that happened.¡± I frowned and looked at Curt. ¡°What do you think they were doing here?¡± ¡°Wan En and EnGin? Capitalism. They were doing capitalism. They invaded a planet with a bunch of natural resources and started mining.¡± ¡°How did they even get here?¡± Des asked. Curt grimaced. ¡°I think I might know. And I think it might be our way home. It was so ridiculous, I didn¡¯t want to believe it, but it fits.¡± ¡°What?¡± I asked. ¡°They created a large portal and traveled through it.¡± ¡°How is that different from what you do?¡± ¡°I travel maybe a few thousand miles in a snap. They traveled lightyears. The power that it must have . . . That also makes sense. Fuck!¡± He shouted. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°I power my rig with excess energy that I siphon from these huge generators that never seem to be used for anything. I just figured it was some rich company going way overboard on backup power. My rig is relatively efficient for bending space-time. I always wondered what could use such huge amounts of energy. But I hit a dead-end tracing back the generators to anything real. And then I got distracted and never bothered figuring it out.¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± Des asked. ¡°You¡¯re this upset over that? Really?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just that, though. I built my first rig from scraps I stole from Bion. An-¡± ¡°You¡¯ve built all your rigs from stolen scraps.¡± ¡°Whatever! Shut up!¡± He snapped irritably. ¡°I always figured I had just found an alternative use for what I had cobbled together. But I also piggyback off of Wan En satellites for my GPS system. What must have happened when Smash Gal crushed my rig is that when I was cycling through teleport options, it must¡¯ve had this place listed somewhere in my hacked list of everywhere in Wan En¡¯s database.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still blaming me for this?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s still your fault. Until it stops being your fault, I¡¯m going to keep blaming you for it.¡± ¡°Children!¡± Des shouted, stomping their foot. ¡°Stop it. Curt, does this have any bearing on us getting home?¡± ¡°I . . . I don¡¯t know. Probably not.¡± ¡°Then why are we talking about it?¡± ¡°Why are we talking about an intergalactic conspiracy?¡± ¡°Yeah, why?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m waiting for the download to finish. And it helps me think. And . . . It means that the only thing I created for myself was also stolen. Technically.¡± He sounded disappointed.¡± ¡°Does it?¡± Professor Mind asked. ¡°Yeah. The technology existed. I just rebuilt it.¡± ¡°Yeah, but you didn¡¯t know what you could build from it. You¡¯re a criminal, but you still built a teleporter out of scraps and junk and made yourself the best criminal from it.¡± ¡°Second best,¡± Curt corrected. ¡°Second best?¡± I asked. ¡°Cindi is still the greatest thief in the world. And her abilities are her own.¡± There was pride and self-loathing in his tone. God, he really loves her. All of her. Even her criminal side. What happened to him to make him this way?

=== Curt === ¡°So, do you have an idea of how to get back?¡± Smash Gal asked. ¡°I . . . Maybe.¡± The download had finished. Their database was hard-lined into each computer. It probably was cheaper to keep it here rather than transporting it over a few hundred lightyears. I bent under the desk and disconnected my batteries from the power lines. ¡°Maybe?¡± Des asked. I put my hands on their shoulders and met their eyes. ¡°I have an idea. If that doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll figure something else out. I¡¯m going to get you home.¡± As my hands fell from them, one slipped into their labcoat¡¯s pocket and I swiped their phone. I started on a Bluetooth transfer and started transferring a crunched version of all of the files I had downloaded. I¡¯m probably going to jail, but the public needs to know what Wan and EnGin have been up to. Des is my only hope for that. I walked out to the garage and stared out into the dusty wasteland before me. In the distance, I thought I could see lights. The moons had moved some in the time since I last saw them. There were dead plants all around the entrance. Isn¡¯t it enough to ruin our planet? We had to go out and do it to this one too? Fuck. I made my way over to the portal generator. I specifically avoided thinking about the word Stargate as I looked at the panel. I looked around at the drills. They weren¡¯t normal drills. They had lasers attached to them sometimes. That might be helpful. I went over to one and started unscrewing some of the attachments. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I have enough batteries to travel lightyears. I might have enough to jerry-rig the panel into working. But beyond that, I have no idea how much power this is going to take.¡± ¡°Why are you taking those off?¡± ¡°Might be useful. Might need the wires or more connective material.¡± I lied. I detached one of the lasers and sat it down. It was heavy. But I figured I could modify it to be powered by one of my batteries in a pinch. Not for long. But maybe long enough to escape. I also started stripping the vehicles for their batteries. They were huge things. Smash Gal had to help me. They were just too heavy for me to do on my own. She sat them down around the portal and I started stripping it of some of the panels. I brought up my phone and navigated through some of the files before finding the blueprints of the portal. It worked a lot like my design, just on a much bigger scale, and was more efficient in some ways. I suppose it¡¯d have to be. ¡°Reese, how exactly do you teleport?¡± Mind asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well, I read about the transporter problem. Do you destroy each atom individually and just recreate the atom in a different place, effectively committing suicide every time, or is it something else?¡± ¡°Oh, that old Star Trek talking point. Nah, that¡¯s not how mine works. What I¡¯m actually doing is folding space-time and just basically stepping through it.¡± ¡°How do you do it in two different ways?¡± ¡°Different ways?¡± ¡°Well, you can open up little portals and step through those and you can also just disappear and reappear somewhere else.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the same thing. Just looks different,¡± I responded as I started creating a special set of glorified jumper cables and daisy-chaining the batteries through them. ¡°What? Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. One is just more instant than the other. The other is maintaining the portal for longer. Actually, it¡¯s way easier to do it instantly.¡± ¡°How does that work?¡± Des asked, helping me wrap the copper lines around the batteries. ¡°Oh, just like that. Work. It¡¯s easier to hold something for a second than maintain a hold on it for too long.¡± ¡°You¡¯re aware that all of this sounds insane, right?¡± ¡°Probably. But in my defense,¡± I pointed to Smash Gal and then to Professor Mind. ¡°She can bench a tank and he can read people¡¯s minds. We live in a crazy world. I just embraced it.¡± ¡°I hate agreeing with him, but he¡¯s right.¡± Smash Gal said. ¡°Of course I am.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why I hate agreeing with you. Is this almost ready?¡± ¡°Almost. We need to let the power circulate through the system for about twenty minutes. Best get comfortable.¡± I started attaching some batteries to the control panel. It started glowing. Professor Mind and Kari started talking about something quietly together. I sat next to the laser I had detached and started wiring my battery to it. I tried to make it less obvious what I was doing. Fortunately, Des came over and helped me. ¡°Curt, what are you going to do?¡± They whispered. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, matching their whisper. ¡°You¡¯re going to be arrested! You have a plan to escape right?¡± ¡°Half a plan. And I think that¡¯s what they¡¯re discussing over there.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Mind is ambivalent to arresting me. He thinks it probably should happen, but isn¡¯t as gung-ho about it as Smash Gal.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Part of being a thief is knowing your target. I am pretty good at reading people.¡± ¡°Except for Cindi.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You still think that she wanted to leave you. After everything.¡± ¡°She¡¯s the world¡¯s greatest thief. Staying in one place with one person isn¡¯t exactly in her wheelhouse.¡± ¡°But maybe for the world¡¯s second greatest,¡± Des responded. ¡°You also can¡¯t read me.¡± ¡°I definitely can read you.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you know I didn¡¯t hate you.¡± ¡°Never said you did. I said you should. Big difference.¡± ¡°Oh come off it!¡± Des exclaimed, exasperated. I reached over to them and slid their phone into the palm they were gesturing with. ¡°What did you do with this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my half a plan.¡± ¡°So, this was all a ploy?¡± ¡°No, the capacitors do take a while to fully function and those batteries weren¡¯t made for this,¡± I said. I pulled the laser with me as I got up and sat it next to the console. Mind and Kari both looked at me and continued talking in their hushed tone. I brought up the UI. It needed a security key. I took out the bloody lanyard I had pocketed earlier and pressed it against the screen. The dead man¡¯s face came up and it was accepted. I started cycling through menus trying to figure out the UI. It was a disaster. Maybe I should sell Popp to them. I finally figured out how to select where we wanted. There were a couple of bases but this was the one that was in America. The closest to Avalare. I hit it and the portal started to hum. There was a spark and then it died. I sighed and tried again. There was another spark and bright blue light flooded into the room. It shuddered and I gulped. It was unstable. I looked through the settings but didn¡¯t have enough time to figure out how to mess with them. Not like this. ¡°Alright, ladies, gents, and neithers. We only have one chance. It¡¯s now or never,¡± I said. Kari stepped up to the portal. ¡°You sure about this, Curt?¡± She asked. ¡°As sure as I can be when I¡¯m relying on eight glorified car batteries.¡± She nodded and stepped through. Then Des. Finally, Professor Mind. I grabbed my modified mining laser and jumped through after them. Issue 31: I Hate it When He Has a Point

=== Kari === When I stepped through the portal and arrived on the other side, I was immediately hit with a barrage of laser fire. I jumped forward to the nearest gun. Well, really it was a cannon. Just a giant cannon firing broiling plasma at me. I dodged past it and landed on top of it and cried, ¡°Stop firing!¡± ¡°Smash Gal? W-what . . . H-how . . .¡± The man on the turret stuttered. Bion flew down from up above, fully armored. As Chuck, Curt, and Des walked through he raised his hand and prepared to fire. When he noticed that they were just people, he didn¡¯t lower his hand. He trained it on ??Curt, who was still holding that laser he had disconnected from the drill. Part of his escape plan, no doubt, I thought. ¡°ROOKIE, WHAT¡¯S THE MEANING OF THIS?¡± Bion demanded, his voice echoing tinnily in the big open space. ¡°WHY DID YOU COME THROUGH THE PORTAL? WHY IS HE WITH YOU?¡± ¡°I was trying to apprehend Esvanir and Cherry again and there was an accident, Mr. Wan,¡± I said, deferentially. ¡°We ended up on . . . Well, you know where. And the portal was the only way back. ¡°CAPTURE THEM! TAKE THEM IN!¡± Bion shouted and guards surrounded the three down on the ground. More surrounded the turret I was standing on. I watched Curt. I could practically see the gears turning in his head. He set down his laser and held up his hands. Des already had. Professor Mind started to fly up and one of the men shot at him. He caught the bullet in a construct and charged up. ¡°PROFESSOR MIND, STAND DOWN! WE WILL FIRE ON YOU!¡± ¡°A little late for that, don¡¯t you think?¡± Chuck asked, looking around. ¡°Andrew, what are you going to do? Keep us here forever?¡± ¡°You need to be decontaminated. After that we¡¯ll . . . we¡¯ll see what is to be done,¡± one of the guards said, noncommittally. I didn¡¯t like this. Curt and maybe even Des I could understand. They are a criminal and an accomplice, not that Bion could know about Des yet. But Mind and I are heroes. We had worked together just hours ago. They cuffed Curt with one of the huge, anti-meta shackles, then the same for Des. Chuck looked at me and raised his eyebrow, questioning. I shrugged and hopped down. Curt and Des both slammed down to the ground hard. They were unconscious. ¡°What did you do!?¡± I demanded, charging to Bion. Several of the security guards fired on me but I took no notice. Bion met my eye. He looked furious. ¡°STAND DOWN, SMASH GAL!¡± ¡°What the fuck did you do to them!?¡± I repeated. ¡°THE META BRACELETS AREN¡¯T MEANT FOR NORMAL HUMANS. THE SEDATIVE WE USE . . . MUST BE TOO STRONG. THEY SHOULD BE FINE. WE¡¯LL HAVE SOMEONE CHECK THEIR VITALS AFTER DECONTAMINATION.¡± Bion said. Even through the tinny echo of his speaker, I could tell that he was barely keeping his anger reigned in. ¡°NOW, STAND DOWN!¡± I made my way over to Des and Curt. I listened carefully. They were still breathing. It was shallow and their hearts were barely beating, but they were still alive. Chuck landed next to me. The guards closed in, brandishing more of the meta-gauntlets. I looked up to Mr. Wan, ¡°Are we prisoners, Bion?¡± He landed heavily and looked between us, then raised a halting hand to the guards. They met each others¡¯ eyes but didn¡¯t make another move. ¡°WE¡¯LL FIGURE OUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE WITH YOU LATER. BUT YOU DID MANAGE TO CATCH ESVANIR. GOOD WORK.¡± We were decontaminated in a harsh bath. Chuck dispersed his costume, everything except for his mask, and let the harsh jets spray him down. I had to physically strip. They put us together and I stepped closer to Chuck and gripped his shoulder. He put his hand on mine. I asked, ¡°What do you think is going to happen?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. The way . . . The way they were treating us has me concerned.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± I squeezed his shoulder. ¡°Do you think Curt is right? Do you think this is some off-the-books operation? That Bion is doing something bad here?¡± ¡°I . . .¡± He considered for a moment. ¡°I think it¡¯s probable. Unfortunately, Reese is smart. Probably too smart for his own good. And he seemed to figure everything out.¡± ¡°I hate it when he has a point.¡± ¡°I know. Me too.¡±

=== Curt === I woke up to the sight of bright fluorescent lights hanging overhead. After blinking a few times, my eyes focused and I glanced about the room I was in. It was small. Maybe seven by seven by ten feet. There was a toilet, a sink with a mirror above it, a cot, and nothing else. The walls were bare brick and the door was heavy steel. There was a camera in the ceiling with a glowing red light. I was dressed in pale gray pants and a sleeveless shirt. I frowned and shook my head. Where am I? Everything is so . . . It came back to me. I had been captured by Bion. Des had been with me. Fuck! I slammed my left hand down on the bed. They hadn¡¯t bothered to cast the right. They had left the makeshift splint Des had made. So, they¡¯re probably planning on killing me. I glanced about the room and started pacing. I need to get Des out of here. It¡¯s not fair that they¡¯re brought down for having the misfortune of knowing me. I felt my chest tighten. Cindi is going to be caught, too. This is terrible. Maybe . . . Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have picked a fight with Smash Gal. Or with Bion. None of my stuff was with me. My phone, my tools, my clothes were all gone. If I can get my phone and get maybe five minutes, I might be able to escape. I thought. No idea how I¡¯m going to do that, though. A metal slide on the door slid open and a pair of tired eyes looked through them. I gritted my teeth. ¡°Wan.¡± ¡°Mister Reese,¡± he responded blandly. ¡°You¡¯re awake. Good. I¡¯d like to talk to you.¡± ¡°Last interview before my execution?¡± I asked. His face spread into something that could have been a grin. ¡°Something like that. I''m going to open the door. If you attack me, you¡¯ll be killed on sight. Same if you try to run.¡± ¡°I know how you operate, Bion.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t a promise to not run.¡± ¡°And your talking to me isn¡¯t a promise to not just kill me.¡± He sighed and nodded. The door opened and he wheeled in a buggy of crackers, cheese, and meats. I licked my lips and looked away, my stomach growling. I couldn¡¯t remember when the last time I¡¯d eaten was. He closed the door behind him. ¡°My guards are still watching.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill you, Wan,¡± I said, deflating. He took out a little tube of oxygen and took a deep breath and sat down on the bed. He reached over for a cracker and put some cheese on it, then some meat and took a bite, then motioned for me to do the same. I did so, sniffing the items carefully. ¡°Smash Gal says you hate me. You wouldn¡¯t kill someone you hate?¡± He asked placidly. ¡°Hate is relative. I don¡¯t like a lot of the things you do and I don¡¯t like a lot of the way you do those things. It¡¯s not really personal.¡± ¡°But you targeted me specifically. I was always wondering why.¡± ¡°Targeted you? You¡¯re a good symbol for the things I stand against.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you stole from me the most?¡± He asked, chewing. ¡°It¡¯s basically even between Wan En and EnGin, really,¡± I said, taking another bite. ¡°But your technology is adapted from mine.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I guess it is. That wasn¡¯t really intentional.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°I built the stuff first from scraps I¡¯d collect after your fights. Rebuilt what I understood and kept testing it. The teleportation was an accident. But once I figured out how to do it, I used it.¡± ¡°You mean you didn¡¯t mean to? You figured out how to fold space-time accidentally?¡± ¡°The protocols were all there. I tapped into them. Once I understood that the technology could do it, I refined it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty impressive. You could have revolutionized the world with that technology.¡± He looked at me. He was thin and angular. He looked weak. He frowned. ¡°You might have even made the world a better place with that.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°I¡¯m not a leader. As both you and Smash Gal continually point out, I¡¯m just a thief.¡± ¡°Just a thief? You¡¯ve also become a symbol.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Never really my intention. My goals were always to try and redistribute some stuff to people who needed it more.¡± ¡°Do you think you have the right to do that, Mr. Reese?¡± ¡°As much as you have the right to hoard trillions of dollars in personal wealth,¡± I shot back. ¡°Why are you even here? What do you want?¡± ¡°I wanted to officially meet the greatest thief in the world. The man who made me his enemy willingly. And managed to even stand up to me in some ways,¡± Wan said simply. Our eyes met. ¡°You¡¯re a fascinating man, Mister Reese. I want to understand your bizarre morality.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that complicated. I steal what I think other people could use more than you can. You don¡¯t really need what you have and even if you do, you can afford to replace it.¡± ¡°And you think you have the right to decide that but you don¡¯t want to be a leader.¡± ¡°I can recognize injustice. I can fight against it. I can get people supplies that they need.¡± ¡°But if you killed me when you had the chance,¡± Bion started. He took a deep breath and during it, I finished the thought. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have solved anything. We would lose Bion, who, while being a war-criminal and terrible person in many respects, can stand up to the Grignau and other existential threats.¡± ¡°The same thing could be said of Smash Gal and you tried to kill her.¡± ¡°I was . . . I lost my temper that day. I almost regret it.¡± ¡°Almost?¡± ¡°Kari is arrogant and impossible to reason with. And her actions have been escalating recently.¡± ¡°So have yours.¡± ¡°It¡¯s . . . it¡¯s been a hard couple of months.¡± ¡°I imagine so. You were content to be in the shadows.¡± Wan took another bite of a cracker and chewed for a moment. I shifted uncomfortably. ¡°So, do you have a plan yet?¡± ¡°Plan?¡± I asked. ¡°To escape, Mister Reese. You¡¯re obviously going to try.¡± ¡°Hadn¡¯t got that far with it yet, honestly. Couple of problems.¡± ¡°Yeah, I imagine so. But you¡¯re not going to try to take me hostage?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that would work. I think you have bots capable of shooting me and missing you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good call on your part. Also, if they didn¡¯t have the shot, I¡¯d just have them shoot through me to get you. I have never been taken hostage successfully and I¡¯m not going to let you be the one to do it. So, what¡¯s the part of the plan that you do have?¡± ¡°I . . . Why would I tell you?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s impossible, Mister Reese. The situation is hopeless. And I¡¯m curious to see what you think you can do.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been told that lots of the things I do are impossible. No one believed in a teleporting cat-burglar for the longest time.¡± ¡°Hmm. Well, I guess I can wait a little longer to see what your attempt is.¡± Wan got up and brushed himself off. He picked up his air canister but left the tray of food as he made his way to the door. ¡°Wan,¡± I said. He turned back and faced me. ¡°What happened to the person with me? How are they?¡± ¡°Aaditri Desai is in good shape. You cannot see he-¡± ¡°Them.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t allow me to see them.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Wan said slowly. ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to see . . . them.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± I said, nodding and grabbing another cracker and making myself a tiny sandwich. ¡°This is not what I was suspecting from you, Mister Reese. You¡¯re being . . . so reasonable,¡± Wan commented, considering. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m furious. I¡¯ll never forgive you for what you have done to me. Neither today or previously. But I¡¯ll get my chance for revenge or you¡¯ll kill me. Right now I¡¯m powerless, so I just have to bide my time.¡± ¡°And what exactly did I do to you?¡± ¡°You shot several missiles at me previously, you¡¯re keeping me and my friend hostage to protect the public from the knowledge that you¡¯ve actively killed hundreds of people. And just between you and I,¡± I said, stepping closer to him. ¡°You ruined my wedding and put my friend and fiancee in danger. There is nothing on earth you could do to get me to forgive you.¡± Wan stared at me impassively. He then turned and sighed. ¡°That wasn¡¯t personal, you know. In the exact way that you robbing me wasn¡¯t meant to be personal, me trying to arrest you during your wedding wasn¡¯t meant to be personal.¡± ¡°It was personal, though. You made a decision that hurt me directly. I had never done that to you. Not like that. And you involved an emotionally compromised super-weapon to do so. And because of that, Cindi¡¯s in a coma. You took the happiest day of my life and made it one of the worse.¡± He peered over his shoulder at me and then nodded, before walking out of the room.

=== Chuck === I adjusted the seat I was sitting in. Kari was sitting next to me, her head on the table. I looked around. We were in a boardroom, waiting. We had been given a change of clothes and had been allowed to sleep. Not that I had been able to. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw them. I shuddered and took a deep breath. She sat up and looked around, smiling at me. Even through her irritation at staying the night here, she was happy that I was here with her. I tried to smile back. Reese had brought up so many bad memories. Kari and I hadn¡¯t had a chance to discuss it, but Reese had a point. I had crossed a line once. More than once, really. But there was one time when it was farther than I had ever gone before. Since then I had limited myself. I would only allow myself to go so far. Before I could really get started on recalling everything, Andrew Wan walked through the door. He wasn¡¯t wearing his suit. At least not that I could see. People had all kinds of theories about Wan¡¯s technology. Some people thought that he had nanites that would surround him and take over. Some people thought that it wasn¡¯t technology at all, just magic that he made look like technology. I honestly wasn¡¯t sure. We weren¡¯t exactly close. ¡°Finally!¡± Kari exclaimed. ¡°Can we leave, Mister Wan? I need to get home.¡± ¡°Sorry for the wait,¡± Wan said. Anxiety, irritation, and controlled rage were wafting off of him. ¡°I was just talking to Mister Reese.¡± ¡°Oh? How¡¯d that go?¡± Kari asked. ¡°He said he¡¯s going to find a way to escape and has sworn some form of revenge upon me,¡± Wan said evenly. Despite his tone, I could tell he was taking it seriously. He wasn¡¯t scared, exactly. But I think he had learned the hard way not to underestimate Esvanir. ¡°Yeah, that sounds about right,¡± Kari said, waving a hand to dismiss it. ¡°But you have him under lockdown, so it should be fine. But when can we leave?¡± ¡°Well, before we can do anything, we need to debrief you. Figure out how all of that happened. Make sure that . . . everything is going to be safe.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I guess that makes sense,¡± Kari agreed, nodding along. ¡°So, tell me how this all started,¡± Wan stated. Kari explained it and I added in a few details or clarified from there. But mostly, I just watched Wan. His anxiety spiked. He intertwined his fingers and watched us, his face remaining blank. ¡°So, in short, you and Reese never intended to go there. You were trying to stop him and broke his device and it just ended up there. Interesting.¡± ¡°So, can we go? The city might need us. And I want to take a real shower.¡± ¡°The city is just fine, Kari,¡± Wan responded. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid that you can¡¯t go home, just yet. We have to make sure that you haven¡¯t contracted anything off-world. Planet 351456B has an entirely different ecosystem than ours and we can¡¯t risk letting anything get out to the world. Who knows what could happen if we did.¡± Andrew had made sure to look both of us in the eyes when he was speaking. He sounded so perfectly sure of what he was saying, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. It made sense. It was a perfectly reasonable plan of action. Or would have been, if he hadn¡¯t been lying. His anxiety had jumped up considerably as he had spoken. His practiced eye contact was more to see if we were believing him than anything. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get back in a day or two after we make sure everything is safe,¡± he continued to lie. Kari nodded solemnly. ¡°Well, we wouldn¡¯t want to get anyone sick.¡± She sounded disappointed and resigned. ¡°Of course not,¡± Wan said. ¡°Thank you for being more reasonable than Mister Reese or Doctor Desai.¡± ¡°How are they?¡± ¡°They¡¯re as well as can be expected. The doctor has been screaming since . . . they woke up. Reese is putting on an easy-going act, but honestly, he reminds me of a caged tiger. Someone waiting for the first sign of weakness to pounce.¡± ¡°He probably is,¡± she responded. I just watched them both. Bion excused himself. ¡°Well,¡± Kari began, turning back to me. ¡°A couple more days should be fine, right?¡± I nodded to her, then established a mental link with her. He¡¯s not going to let us go. He¡¯s stalling, trying to think of a way to keep us here. ¡°What?¡± Kari asked, standing up. Fear and anxiety burst from her. Sit down! I thought at her. And don¡¯t respond verbally. Just think about your responses. We don¡¯t know if it¡¯s safe to talk here. What do you mean he¡¯s stalling? She thought loudly. She was always as loud in her head as she was speaking. He¡¯s paranoid that we¡¯re going to release the secrets Reese uncovered. What are we going to do? She asked. I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t really want to fight my way out here. I¡¯m not even sure I could if I did want to. Issue 32: This Doesn鈥檛 Mean We鈥檙e Even

=== Cindi === I woke up staring into bright fluorescent lights. I blinked slowly and looked around. I was in Des¡¯ practice. I leaned up and groaned. My head was pounding. My ribs hurt. I looked down. I was covered in fading bruises. The office was quiet. I got to my feet and took a few shaky steps around. ¡°Curt? Des? Are you here?¡± There was no answer. I walked out into the waiting room. The lights were off. I frowned and stretched. I had obviously been in bed for a few days. But that doesn¡¯t explain where Curt is. I walked back into the room where I had been kept. There was a broken window and glass on the floor. The ceiling tiles were askew. There was a struggle. But Curt wouldn¡¯t just leave me here unless something happened. I found his glasses laying on the floor. Oh god. Is he still alive? I looked around the offices and no one was there. I found Des¡¯ apartment. The door was locked, but it¡¯s not like that could stop me. I could hear some sound coming from the other side. I stuck my head through and saw Tierra laying on the couch, watching something on her phone. I unlocked the door and came in. Tierra jumped up. ¡°Cindi! You¡¯re awake! Thank God!¡± She ran up and hugged me and I hugged her back. ¡°Where is everyone?¡± ¡°Do you not remember?¡± ¡°I remember fighting Smash Gal at my wedding. I remember losing. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m here or what happened after that.¡± ¡°Cin, you¡¯ve been out for days. Almost a week.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Curt?¡± ¡°He, Smash Gal, Des, and Professor Mind got into a scuffle. She broke his little snapper thing and they started teleporting in and out and then just disappeared. ¡°Disappeared?¡± I felt my stomach sink. ¡°Hey, he¡¯s a pretty good thief. Maybe third-best in the world. I¡¯m sure he can get out of a scrape.¡± ¡°Third best?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s me, then there¡¯s you, then him.¡± I smiled at her little sleight against us. I knew who would come out on top if it came down to that. I don¡¯t lose. ¡°Is my stuff here?¡± ¡°Yeah. Curt retrieved your phone and other stuff while Des was diagnosing you. Said you may need to make a quick exit.¡± ¡°He¡¯s always thinking ahead,¡± I said as Tierra handed me a purse full of stuff. I opened it and took out my phone. I called Curt. It went straight to voicemail. I frowned at the phone and tried again. ¡°His phone is off.¡± ¡°Well, he was fighting Smash Gal and Professor Mind. I might be able to take one of them, but both? No chance. And he doesn¡¯t even have powers.¡± I frowned at her and she just shrugged. I thought about what I could do. I have to find him! And that bitch Smash Gal! She will fucking pay for this! I sat on the couch and considered my options. I checked for news of Smash Gal, Professor Mind, or Esvanir and there was nothing. No sightings. So, wherever he is, they probably are too. Smash Gal might¡¯ve killed him. He doesn¡¯t know when to shut his mouth and she¡¯s completely off her rocker. I thought for a moment. Curt always has so many backup plans. What would he do? ¡°What are you planning?¡± ¡°Trying to come up with one. First step: Figure out where he is.¡± ¡°How are you going to do that?¡± Tierra asked. She sat next to me. ¡°Shame his phone is off. Might be able to just track it that way.¡± ¡°Tierra, you¡¯re a genius!¡± ¡°Of course I am,¡± she readily agreed. ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan then?¡± ¡°I can turn his phone back on.¡± ¡°You can do that?¡± ¡°Yeah. Curt showed me how to do it. He said something about how phones never really fully turn off anymore.¡± ¡°What if his phone is just dead? Or broken? Or out of service?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to think of something else. But this is a good Plan A.¡± I navigated to an app that Curt had put onto my phone. Now, Cindi, I remembered Curt tell me. Pay attention. This may save my life. Or yours. Or it may never come up. Just put in the phone number, select the profile and you can send a signal to the phone to power on. I selected the app, put in his phone number, and selected the profile ¡°Curtis Reese''''. A map came up and it started narrowing down. It got to Avalare. So he¡¯s back in town too. Or . . . at least his phone is. The app narrowed it down a little further. While it was working, I grabbed my bag and looked through it, and took out two cases. There was the specialized set of glasses Curt had given me and the bracelet. I snapped on the glasses and put the thin overlay on my hand. It was smaller than Curt¡¯s. He had tried to make it with some sense of fashion in mind. I smiled at it. He¡¯s such a stupid man. The phone pinged and I picked it up. I stared down at the screen. The last location was at some warehouse downtown. I got up and stretched. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To rescue my husband.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you ever finished the ceremony.¡± ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve basically been married since we solved the Marcelli problem. The wedding was just icing. And it was perfect. Even being interrupted. Nothing less would suit us.¡± ¡°You¡¯re ridiculous.¡± ¡°Yes. Now, are you coming?¡± ¡°What¡¯s my cut?¡± ¡°Cut? To rescue my beloved?¡± I pouted for a moment. ¡°Do you still want that one piece I stole?¡± ¡°I thought you sold it.¡± ¡°I did. But that¡¯s no trouble. If I stole it once, I can steal it again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s such a shame you fell for that man,¡± Tierra said with a grin. ¡°Deal.¡± ¡°Well, I think we¡¯ll also be rescuing Des if that helps,¡± I said, watching her from the corner of my eye, as I put the glasses on. She blushed and started to grin brightly. I knew it! I chose my destination. We looped arms and I raised my other arm and snapped.

=== Kari === What are we going to do? I thought, knowing that Chuck, a few rooms away, would hear. Do you really think he plans on trapping us here forever? I mean, he can¡¯t, right? Even if he wants to, he can¡¯t. I¡¯m mother fucking Smash Gal and you¡¯re Professor God Damn Mind! I don¡¯t know what his intentions actually are. Chuck¡¯s voice echoed through my head. But he was anxious talking to us and relieved when you agreed. And we already know that he¡¯s not reporting Reese to the police. He¡¯s just keeping us here. Maybe he¡¯s telling the truth. I mean, he is Bion, arguably the world¡¯s greatest superhero. Do you really think he would just trap us down here? I . . . I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t want to think so, but . . . His voice trailed off in my head. I frowned. Can¡¯t you find out? Just read his mind? That¡¯s really invasive! And dangerous. I might be able to do it without him realizing it. But minds are fragile. You¡¯re literally reading my mind right now. Because you¡¯re letting me. You always let me. I don¡¯t understand. We need to know! If I¡¯m about to pick a fight with Bion I want to know that I¡¯m doing it for the right reasons. There was an extended silence. My head felt kind of empty without him there. I sighed and curled up on the little bed they had given us. It was for some employees who apparently lived here. God, that sounds depressing. I got up and started walking around. Guards patrolling around the little complex. I got down to the room with a portal. It was completely inactive. They hadn¡¯t sent anyone on the other side to my knowledge. I listened for any signs of danger and I heard crying. I flew down and found a hallway separated behind a wall of bars. A guard was sitting near there. The crying was beyond the door. I think . . . It¡¯s Curt. Why would Curt be crying? I sighed. I didn¡¯t want to hurt the guard. He was just doing his job.

=== Flashback ===

Curt never cried often. Not back when I knew him. Really knew him. I remember when he was a kid, he¡¯d do everything he could to avoid crying or admitting he was crying. There was a day when he came to school with a black eye. Even outside of that, he looked ragged, like he hadn¡¯t slept. His dark hair was messier than usual and his unswollen eye was constantly on a swivel. When I asked him what had happened, all he would say was ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Don¡¯t worry about me, Kar.¡± ¡°How can I not worry, Curt? Tell me who did this to you!¡± I demanded. The teacher hemmed and hawed but she saw Curt and pulled him aside after class. When he came out, I could see tears in his eyes. He didn¡¯t stick around. He just sped away as fast as he could. I caught up with him later. ¡°Curt, what happened?¡± ¡°Nothing happened,¡± he responded. He wouldn¡¯t look at me. I lifted his chin and met his eyes. Well, eye, really. It was worse than I thought. His lip was split and he still looked absolutely exhausted. ¡°Curt, come on. We¡¯re friends. Tell me,¡± I insisted. He shifted uncomfortably. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do, Kari. Just leave me alone.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to! I¡¯m worried about you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. It¡¯s not important,¡± he said, trying to force an air of finality. I just sat next to him. We missed the next few classes. He ended up resting on my shoulder. Eventually, we were found out. The principal called our parents. Mom and dad were pretty mad, but I brought Curt home with me and they understood. That was the first time we had a sleepover. He slept in the guest room. I slept in the same room. I wasn¡¯t planning to, but when I checked in on him that night, he was so jumpy and he couldn¡¯t seem to relax at all. He calmed down a little when I was next to him. We fell asleep at some point. Mom and dad were also not thrilled about us being in the same bed, but nothing happened. We were eleven, for God¡¯s sake. Nothing could have happened. But after a while, they just kind of accepted that this is how it would have to be. Curt would spend a night or two with us a week. We would¡¯ve had him there every night, but Curt refused. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a burden.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a burden. You¡¯re my best friend,¡± I insisted every time we spoke about it. He just shook his head. He never came to school with a black eye again, but sometimes he would limp and he would sometimes act out. He would talk back to teachers and to other students. I would save his butt when he did. He couldn¡¯t really fight. Not yet. Guess he had to learn when I wasn¡¯t around anymore.

=== Present Day ===

I wanted to go to him. I wanted to see what was wrong. Despite everything he¡¯s done, despite all of the hateful, hurtful words, I still care about him. We¡¯ll never recapture what we had, we can¡¯t. We¡¯re just not the same people . . . But hearing him in pain, hearing him rage against me and Bion and Professor Mind, hearing him cry . . . It still hurts so much. I thought. I took a step forward and stopped. I . . . I don¡¯t think he would want to hear from me right now. He . . . He thinks I¡¯m a threat. A monster coming to hurt him. Kari! Chuck¡¯s voice called out in my head. I snapped back to reality and looked around. Chuck? What¡¯s going on? What did you figure out? I was right, Kari. He¡¯s worried about his actions on the Grignau planet being leaked. He¡¯s terrified of it and he¡¯s trying to think of some way to convince us to not leak it. That¡¯s insane! I thought. The people need to know . . . Curt is right about this. Mister Wan is up to something and it wouldn¡¯t be okay to let him endanger people. Yeah, but what can we really do? We can tell people! We can tell the public what he¡¯s doing. We don¡¯t have any evidence, Kari. It¡¯d be our word against his. Yeah . . . But . . . We have to. And . . . Curt downloaded the files! We can use those! We can leak them to the media. Reese¡¯s phone was confiscated and we have no idea where it is, Kari. Chuck sounded defeated. The most we can do is just escape and try to let people know. But without evidence . . . I don¡¯t know how far it¡¯ll get. There¡¯s another way. I thought, determination building in my chest. I shrugged my shoulders and stretched out my neck. Kari, what are you thinking? ¡°I¡¯m going to make Bion reveal everything,¡± I said out loud. I clenched my fists and started floating in the air. I sped off and looked around. Chuck met me a few minutes later. He looked nervous but with a wave of his hand, he was Professor Mind, the mentalist superhero once more. I landed in front of one of the guards. ¡°Where are my clothes?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. Why do you need them?¡± He stuttered. He looked afraid. I hated seeing fear on other people¡¯s faces. But right now I accepted it. I had to. There was nothing to be done except realize that I am scary and use it. I loomed over him. He wasn¡¯t that much shorter than I was, but I was stronger. And not just because I¡¯m Smash Gal. I was bigger than he was. He shrank away. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°I need them because they¡¯re mine. Right now, I am Smash Gal.¡± ¡°I . . . I think they¡¯re being kept in the storage center. I¡¯m not sure. D-don¡¯t hurt me!¡± He cried out, cowering. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said before speeding off again. Chuck was on my tail. I got to the area labeled as storage and landed, walking in. People watched us as we went through. I walked up to one of them. ¡°Where is my super-suit?¡± ¡°Why do you need it?¡± ¡°Because I am super. Take me to it.¡± The man did so. He was slightly less afraid of me than the other, but he also was smart enough to not fight me. I heard someone texting, the little taps on a phone far away. It could be nothing, I thought. Or . . . Or it could be them contacting Bion. It was always going to come down to a fight, Chuck. You knew that. If you don¡¯t want to do this, I get it. But I have to. I¡¯m with you, Kari. I always will be. I smiled at him. The way that felt for me meant so much right now. He really always has been. Ever since I met him, he¡¯s been so supportive. I couldn¡¯t help but conjure images of us together. Of us in the future. What might be? He started to blush and I realized that I must have projected my little fantasies directly to him. Sorry, I thought at him. It¡¯s fine . . . But I want to talk to you about . . . that. Fear spread out in my stomach. What if he doesn¡¯t feel the same way? Oh, God! I hadn¡¯t considered that. Too late, I tried to block my thoughts from getting to him. He put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. It¡¯s not like that . . . It¡¯s more complicated and there are things you need to know before we . . . Before anything happens between us. I nodded. The man had led us to a little cubby and I found my clothes. Torn and singed from the fight. But my emblem had survived. In a spin, I was wearing them, the borrowed clothes neatly folded in the cubby. I flew out of the storage center and Bion flew down, in his full mech suit, a gleaming navy blue metal monstrosity with a jetpack on the back. It was painted to look like a casual suit. A sports jacket, slacks, shiny black shoes with matching gloves, and what might have been a cashmere sweater underneath. It was huge and made him look too small, which was only exacerbated by his thin features. But it was supposed to make him seem approachable. Just a businessman trying to live his life. Just like the rest of us. But the expression he wore destroyed the illusion. He looked furious. ¡°SMASH GAL! PROFESSOR MIND! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU¡¯RE DOING!?¡± He demanded. The tinny voice coming from his suit only made his rage sound worse. I braced myself. ¡°We¡¯re leaving, Bion. We¡¯re going to tell everyone what you did.¡± ¡°YOU¡¯RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE, GIRL!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to fight me, Bion. I might be a rookie compared to you, but I¡¯m stronger,¡± I commented before flying straight in front of him, raising a fist. ¡°I¡¯m faster. I am mother fucking Smash Gal.¡± ¡°YOU¡¯RE NOTHING!¡± He said, blasting back and firing a rocket. For anyone else, it would have been terrifying. But again, I¡¯m Smash Gal. I caught it and crushed it. It exploded in my hands, but I just dust them off. I had protected my clothes and contained the blast in a small psychic field. I blasted off of a panel of hardened air and grabbed his suit. The metal crunched under my fingers. He tried to get away, blasting his jetpack as hard as it would go and we started to move. Until I stopped that. The metal screeched loudly and started to tear under my fingers. I pushed him into the wall. He fired a rocket directly into my stomach and I was blasted away. I caught myself, smoke crawling over my body. He started firing at me with everything he had. Rockets, bullets, waves of plasma, lasers. My clothes were in shreds, but compared to Lady Blade¡¯s sword or Curt¡¯s portals, this was nothing. I caught the missiles and tore them apart, bursting through the waves of plasma. I didn¡¯t bother dodging the bullets or the lasers. Why would I? And just as I raised my fist to slam him through the wall, a wall of blue energy interceded. More rockets and bullets bounced off of Bion¡¯s side. I looked down and saw that Chuck had projected the wall between us. ¡°Stop it, both of you!¡± He shouted, flying up. ¡°Bion! Andrew . . . We¡¯re leaving. You can¡¯t stop us. Your suit is proof of this. Kari, what are you going to do? Kill him?¡± ¡°He needs to go to jail!¡± ¡°YOU THINK I¡¯LL JUST SURRENDER? NEVER!¡± Bion shouted. I clenched my fist tighter, the muscles and ligaments in it popping. I started to fly over the wall but I felt something wash over me. The rage cleared from my mind. I still felt my breathing, heavier and faster than it should have been. I felt my pulse pounding in my chest. But without all of the rage. I looked down to Chuck, who had his hand extended. I searched my mind and I felt his presence there. He was doing this to me. He . . . He was scared I was going to do something I¡¯d regret. I dropped my fists and sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said. I flew off. Chuck dropped the wall. I heard a rocket launch from behind me and turned. It was flying straight towards Chuck. I charged back but I wasn¡¯t fast enough. Somehow, I wasn¡¯t fast enough. It exploded into him. He fell, smoking, to the ground and I caught him. I glared up at Bion. Chuck coughed in my arms and stared up blankly. It looks like he had protected himself somewhat, but it burst through those defenses. His chest was visible. I held him to my chest and soared up. Bion raised his fist and another rocket shot out, but I kicked it into a wall, which started crumbling. Then I flew forth and found an elevator. I burst through the doors and flew up. We were underground, it seems. I burst through the elevator car and then through another set of doors. Chuck groaned and I flew off into the night.

=== Cindi === Tierra and I appeared in the compound. We were on a floor somewhere. The building itself was only three stories tall. But I think we were underground. Not too far. We appeared in a storage facility. People were around us but they seemed to be paying attention to something else. I looked around and I saw Smash Gal and Bion tangling in the air. She was ripping apart his armor. ¡°Well, that¡¯s just incredibly convenient.¡± I looked around and called Curt¡¯s phone. It started ringing. I followed the sound and found his stuff. His tuxedo pants and vest and phone. His rig wasn¡¯t here. I cursed. ¡°What?¡± Tierra asked. ¡°They have his little toy. Until we find it, we won¡¯t be able to leave.¡± ¡°No, they don¡¯t. It was broken, remember?¡± ¡°Oh. Well, that¡¯s also good news.¡± One of the people around us finally noticed us and started to point and say something but I gripped his fingers and sent the convulsions through him and he went down. ¡°What''d you do to him?¡± Tierra asked as I handed her Curt¡¯s things. I wasn¡¯t going to have pockets. So, she¡¯d have to be my mule for the moment. ¡°Oh, yeah. I forgot. We¡¯ve never really worked together outside of Venice. I don¡¯t know. I can just take people down like that. Curt has a couple of theories, but we¡¯ve never really tested any of them.¡± ¡°What does he think you¡¯re doing?¡± She asked as we headed out. Her eyes were on Bion and Smash Gal. ¡°He thinks I¡¯m phasing their nerves out of sync with the rest of their body and that causes their brain to panic and they just kind of go down, jelly-legged.¡± ¡°Does that sound right?¡± ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t be bothered to care. It works. That¡¯s all that matters.¡± ¡°Okay. Next question,¡± she began. ¡°How are we going to find him?¡± ¡°Hmm. That is a good question.¡± I looked around. I met Professor Mind¡¯s eyes and he gestured down to the bottom floor. I smiled at him. This doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re even, I thought. If I ever see either of you again, I¡¯ll find a way to take you both down for what you did to me and Curt. I know, a voice responded in my head. I stared at him. How dare he read my mind! I thought. I grabbed Tierra and she clung to me. I lifted us in the air and dropped off the side of the little walkway we were on. I slowed our descent as we got to the floor and we landed carefully. Some guards were watching the fight. Some of them were shooting at Professor Mind and Smash Gal, but the man was just blocking most of it with a wall he projected from his hand. Smash Gal didn¡¯t seem to notice at all. A few of the guards turned and raised their guns towards Tierra and me. I started to phase out, but the woman next to me just raised her hand and they froze. Not literally. But they went kind of limp. They didn¡¯t fall over. They just look kind of glazed. I walked down a hall and looked around. There was a metal gate separating two halves of the hall. If I was running an off-the-books prison for my superpowered enemies, I¡¯d have at least that much, I thought. I walked forward. There was a guard, but Tierra waved a hand and he looked just as dazed as the other guards. I started to phase through the bars but I was shocked and fell back. It was just a quick pulse, so I didn¡¯t end up entirely disabled. But it did hurt. I frowned. Tierra just rolled her eyes. ¡°C¡¯mon, Cind. You didn¡¯t expect anti-meta protections?¡± She asked, holding up the keys. She tossed them to me. I caught them and slipped one that seemed to match into the door and turned it. I went to pull it, but nothing happened. ¡°Well, that didn¡¯t work,¡± I muttered. I looked down at the lock. ¡°Seems to be an electronic lock.¡± Tierra lifted the guard¡¯s hand and pressed it to the table. There was a beep and then the door unlocked. I pulled it open and sighed. ¡°Heroes are so paranoid.¡± ¡°Makes it more fun,¡± Tierra said, joining me. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just teleport to the other side of the gate?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I mouthed. ¡°Fuck. I forgot. I¡¯ve only had it for a few weeks and haven¡¯t had much time to get used to it.¡± Tierra laughed at me. I rolled my eyes. ¡°You have two of the greatest powers available to you as a thief and you forget that you have one of them. That¡¯s ridiculous. Maybe I should seduce Curt and get one for myself. Or . . . I could just steal yours.¡± ¡°Good luck,¡± I replied coolly. ¡°On both fronts. I usually keep it hidden and it took me years to get Curt to trust me with so much as a popper.¡± ¡°But he gave one to Des.¡± ¡°Des is his best friend and I¡¯m his wife. And Des has earned it.¡± ¡°Have they?¡± Tierra said, a smirk spreading across her face. ¡°Are they really that good of a person?¡± ¡°Incredibly reliable. I think they might also be one of my best friends.¡± We walked down the corridor, past several doors. I didn¡¯t see any lights behind them and assumed they were empty. I heard whimpering behind one of the doors and gripped the little shutter on it and pulled it back. I had to lean on my tiptoes to see through it, but Curt was there. He looked up. I grinned and leaned into the door and started to phase through it, only to be thrown back again. Shakily, I got up and shook my head. ¡°Ow. Damn. I left the keys behi-¡± Tierra raised a brow at me and I grinned, embarrassed. ¡°Right. Sorry. Forgot again.¡± I snapped and appeared in the room. Curt shot up and assumed one of his little fighting stances. He was so cute. Though it was marred slightly by the fact that he couldn¡¯t close one of his hands. He looked tired like he hadn¡¯t been sleeping. And like he had been crying. ¡°Cind? Is that you?¡± ¡°Come here, husband,¡± I said, arms open. He pulled me into a hug. A tight hug. I felt my ribs creak and I hugged him back. ¡°Thank god. You¡¯re alright. I was so worried.¡± ¡°You were worried?¡± I asked. ¡°I wake up and you¡¯re nowhere to be found. I had to spend almost three hours trying to figure out where you were.¡± ¡°Yeah. Sorry about that. Uh . . . Lots of things happened. But never mind that. You¡¯re awake! You¡¯re not in a coma! You have no idea how happy I am to see you. Did you get Des?¡± ¡°Are they in a cell like this?¡± ¡°I . . . I¡¯m not sure, to be honest.¡± ¡°And what was your plan to get out of here?¡± ¡°I was still working on it. But I probably would have taken much longer than a few days to do it.¡± ¡°And you were just going to leave me in bed the entire time?¡± I asked. He frowned and squeezed my shoulder. He probably was trying to squeeze both of them, but only one of his hands worked. ¡°This marriage is off to a rocky start.¡± ¡°Well, technically we never got to finish the ceremony. I don¡¯t think we technically count as married yet,¡± he said. ¡°Like I said,¡± I smiled at him, squeezing his hand. Then I teleported us back out into the hall. ¡°A rocky start.¡± ¡°Are you two always this insufferable when on the job.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Curt and I said simultaneously. ¡°Good to know.¡± ¡°Des?¡± Curt called out. ¡°Curt?¡± They asked from somewhere down the hall. He darted down the hall, slid to a stop, slipped, and crashed to the ground. I laughed and rolled my eyes, following him. I opened the shutter and looked in. Des¡¯ face was right there as well. ¡°Cindi? How¡¯d you get here?¡± ¡°I am the world¡¯s greatest thief. Think I can¡¯t track down my husband and my friend?¡± I asked, feigning an insulted tone. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s technically your hus-¡± ¡°All of you are caught up on the details,¡± I said, appearing behind them, grabbing them by the shoulder and popping back out. They shifted uncomfortably and leaned against the wall. ¡°We had a ceremony. We were intended to be married. For all intents and purposes, he¡¯s legally mine now.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like the way you worded that,¡± Curt muttered, getting up and dusting himself off. ¡°They didn¡¯t even give you a cast? Those fucking assholes!¡± Des exclaimed, grabbing his hand. ¡°Curt . . . We have to do something about this. The splint isn¡¯t meant to be a permanent solution.¡± ¡°Yeah, hurts like a bitch too. But first thing¡¯s first, we need to get the hell out of here. Cind, you ready.¡± They all gathered around me, pressing into me. I started trying to choose a place, but the GPS program couldn¡¯t find my location. ¡°Uh . . . No signal? Curt, dear. Why do you let such a weakness stand? It¡¯s a real limitation.¡± ¡°Hmm. Are we underground?¡± ¡°Yes. But we teleported in just fine. And my signal got to your phone just fine.¡± ¡°Was that on a higher floor?¡± ¡°Yeah, I think so.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s it. Signal was probably just barely strong enough to get there.¡± ¡°So, we¡¯re going to have to fight our way out?¡± Des asked, gulping. ¡°I can protect you, little dove,¡± Tierra said. ¡°Little dove?¡± Curt mouthed at me. I shrugged, but couldn¡¯t hide my grin. ¡°We better get going,¡± I interjected before Des caught on. We walked out to the gate, which was closed. We crowded in together again and I popped us on the other side. The guard jolted up in his chair, out of his daze and he started to go for a button on the control panel, but Tierra waved a hand. He stared up at her a little slack-jawed before falling back into his seat. ¡°World¡¯s greatest thief,¡± she said, grinning. ¡°Uh-huh,¡± I responded. ¡°Come on.¡± We got out to the main room. Most of the guards had been scattered around. ¡°Can¡¯t we just fly up?¡± ¡°Not with all of you,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not that strong.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be too conspicuous too,¡± Curt added. ¡°Someone might see us. Better to just sneak out.¡± We continued on our way and we got to an area with some stairs going up. We rushed up until we got to the storage area. There was an elevator directly in front of us, but the doors had been smashed in. Smash Gal and Professor Mind were nowhere to be seen. Neither was Bion. Maybe they took their fight outside? I thought, hopefully. ¡°Any reception?¡± Curt asked. I checked and shook my head. ¡°This is pretty much where we teleported in,¡± Tierra muttered. ¡°Where were you exactly?¡± He was looking all around. Both Tierra and I gestured into the storage room. Curt ushered us in there. Then something slammed down heavily behind us. Curt pushed us all forward and Des fell to the ground. Tierra grabbed and bodily pulled them up and started dashing. I turned to see Bion looming tall over Curt. ¡°MISTER REESE, TWO OF MY GUESTS HAVE ALREADY ESCAPED. I WON¡¯T ALLOW YOU TO AS WELL.¡± He looked past him and saw me. ¡°AH, SO THAT¡¯S HOW YOU GOT OUT. YOU BROUGHT ME YOUR OTHER ACCOMPLICE!¡± He charged forward but Curt dived out of the way. Bion tried to grab me, but I just phased through him and landed on his jetpack. He reached back and tried to grab him. I gripped his head and sent a jolt through him. He convulsed and lost control over his suit for a moment. I backflipped on him and landed next to Curt. He took my hand and I pulled him up. Bion spun around and shot at us, but I just went insubstantial. That¡¯s when I noticed that the glasses and popper bracelet Curt had made for me had fallen off the last time I had done it. Curt let go and became substantial again. He started running and then slid between Bion¡¯s legs and scooped both of them up in one motion. I flew through bullets and a wave of plasma that made my body tingle violently. I solidified again and landed in a dead run. Bion kept track of me, but I jumped through him and met with Curt again. He turned and fired a small missile. This time Curt shoved me out of the way and dove the other way. The blast exploded between us, sending rocks and debris everywhere. Tierra came up from behind him and stretched out her hand. Bion shook his head and he lost focus for a moment. This was enough time for Curt to launch himself off of a shelf. He landed on Bion¡¯s shoulders and kicked the man in the head several times. The man rocked back and forth and Curt stole my move, the little trickster, doing a flip off of the man. He didn¡¯t land as gracefully as I did, but I¡¯d give him an A for the effort. Bion slammed down on the floor and Curt pulled me up to my feet. Or, more accurately, I let him pull me to my feet. He does need to learn to be a gentleman like this more often, after all. ¡°Signal?¡± He asked, looking around. I checked. We had a few bars. ¡°Yeah. Why would there be one here but nowhere else?¡± ¡°Someone is probably using a signal booster here,¡± Curt said with a shrug. He looked up and grabbed a lab coat and some slacks. And a phone. ¡°Des, found your stuff.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks.¡± They gathered it to their chest. Curt handed me my popper rig and I fit it on my hand. The four of us gathered in. The world dissolved. Issue 33: Hell, It鈥檚 Actually Rocket-Proof

=== Chuck === I watched Kari as she spoke to the press. I was standing slightly behind and to the side of her. We were both in full costume. Kari had just finished recounting the events of what had happened and how we had discovered that Andrew Wan, Bion, the world¡¯s most popular superhero, had caused the Grignau Invasion. The reporters all started asking questions at the same time. I felt Kari¡¯s anxiety spark. She was already nervous. Who wouldn¡¯t be? On top of the normal anxieties of public speaking, she was attacking an incredibly powerful, incredibly popular man. On the outside, she looked calm, but internally, she was crumbling. I let my presence be known next to her. She smiled back at me and sighed. In a strong, commanding voice, she said: ¡°One question at a time, please. Yes, you ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Jessica Janes, MGU News. These are pretty serious allegations. Do you have any proof to validate your claims against Bion?¡± The dark-haired woman asked. ¡°Well, I was more interested in escaping the alien planet than gathering proof. But Bion did try to keep us in a warehouse downtown. I¡¯ve reported the address to the authorities and they should be seeking a warrant to search the premises. Um, you next,¡± Kari said, pointing to another reporter. ¡°Louis Lane, the Daily Battalion. Do you feel guilty for besmirching the legacy of a hero who has fought against the Grignau threat not once, but twice and has saved countless people?¡± ¡°I . . .¡± Kari hesitated and sighed. ¡°I do, honestly. I don¡¯t want to be doing this. I wish it wasn¡¯t necessary, but he¡¯s doing something wrong. And I¡¯d feel worse if I did nothing. I can¡¯t stand by and let justice slide. Yes, you.¡± ¡°James Joneson, the National Bugle. If you think he¡¯s such a threat and is doing something so wrong, why not bring him in yourself just like you tried to do, several times, with Esvanir and Cherry? You crashed their wedding, but you¡¯re just out here doing a press conference.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Kari considered for a moment. I didn¡¯t need to be a mind reader to know she was remembering both the fights with Reese and with Bion. Pain and regret washed off of her. She hadn¡¯t been as good at concealing her emotions as of late. Though that might be my fault, I thought guiltily. She picked up her sentence after a moment. ¡°I . . . If I just attacked Bion and brought him in, no one would understand why I did what I did. While I do think what he¡¯s done is wrong, maybe he has a good explanation for why he¡¯s doing this. This gives him the chance to do the right thing and come clean.¡± Jessica spoke up again. ¡°If your goal is to have him come clean, why not wait until he does it himself? ¡°He was unwilling to do so of his own volition,¡± Kari replied, her voice hardening. Rage . . . No, that¡¯s not quite right. Righteous indignation overtook her now. ¡°When someone isn¡¯t willing to do the right thing, sometimes you have to force them to. Like how I was trying to bring Esvanir and Buck Cherry in. It¡¯s not personal. It¡¯s just the right thing to do.¡± ¡°And how do you know he wasn¡¯t going to come out on his own?¡± Another reporter asked. ¡°I . . . I have it on good authority that he was going to keep us in his warehouse until he could come up with a way to convince us to keep quiet.¡± ¡°And how do you know that?¡± ¡°I . . .¡± Kari hesitated. I stepped up next to her. ¡°I read his mind,¡± I said. My voice was dry. ¡°If he was trying to hide this, why would he let you read his mind?¡± Jessica asked. ¡°He . . . He didn¡¯t consent to me reading his mind. He . . . He was stalling and I could sense that he was lying to us. And Kari needed more evidence. So, I went into his mind and found it.¡± I could feel the apprehension of the crowd swell. Before they were anxious and feverishly seeking out a hot take. But fear spread through them as they looked at me. Kari pushed her arm against mine, reminding me that she was there. ¡°Is there any risk of what happened to Scott Springs, the Cannon Punch, and Blanca White, the Light Knight, happening to Bion? Did you just cripple one of the world¡¯s greatest superheroes?¡± ¡°No,¡± I said softly. Then I swallowed and spoke up, trying to suppress my guilt and the memories associated with it. ¡°No, there¡¯s no risk of that. What happened . . . What I did to Scott and Blanca . . . It was different than reading a mind.¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s right to just rifle through people¡¯s minds without their consent?¡± James asked. I winced and shook my head. ¡°I . . . I felt it was necessary at the time. I . . .¡± ¡°Professor Mind is not the bad guy here,¡± Kari interjected. ¡°He felt that something was off about Mister Wan and he was right. If he hadn''t done it, you wouldn¡¯t know that there was anything amiss and would just be all but worshiping him. Would you rather not know about Mister Wan¡¯s involvement in the Grignau Invasions?¡± The reporters looked at each other and then focused back up. They surged forward asking more questions, but honestly, I wasn¡¯t really able to focus on it. Despite my best efforts, I couldn¡¯t suppress the thoughts of Blanca and Scott. I shrank away. Kari looked at me and sighed. Over the droning of the crowd, she said: ¡°That¡¯s all the time we have for today.¡± She grabbed my arm and we took off. I was only barely paying attention. She guided me over to a roof. After that, she just hugged me. Hugging Kari is a little strange. Her skin is bullet-proof. Hell, it¡¯s actually rocket-proof. But it was still soft. I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed her. She squeezed me back. Fortunately for me, she had great strength control. When she wasn¡¯t fighting. We broke apart, she met my eye. Concern was etched on her face. And it was genuine. Everything she did was always so genuine. She asked me ¡±Do you want to talk about it?¡± ¡°No,¡± I began, taking a long, deep breath. Then continued. ¡°But I think I need to anyway.¡± She pulled me over to the ledge and we sat.

=== Flashback ===

I¡¯ve had my powers since I was about ten. I think a lot of people¡¯s powers kick in around then. Your body is changing and the hormones coursing through your veins. Your body is just ready to try. Like most kids, I was obsessed with cartoons and I had fallen in love with anime. My favorite was Sailor Moon. Sure, it¡¯s not aged great and the dub wasn¡¯t the best, but it was fascinating. Girls being best friends and solving problems together. They kicked ass. Still do, in fact. And like every kid who watches enough anime, eventually, I tried out some of the moves that I saw. I borrowed my sister¡¯s Sailor Scout wand and spun it, exactly how Usagi did. And there was a flash of light. When I looked down, I was in a Sailor Scout outfit. A Sailor Scoutfit, if you will. The thigh highs, the skirt, the shirt, and of course, the tiara. It wasn¡¯t exactly the same. My outfit was the same pale blue and white that I wear now. I spun on my heel and did the peace pose. And met my dad¡¯s eyes. He dropped the laundry basket he was carrying, gaping at me. I dropped the wand and the outfit shattered and my regular clothes were back. ¡°Chuck? What was that? What were you wearing?¡± ¡°Um . . . well, I . . . I don¡¯t know. I was just . . . I was just doing the Sailor Moon pose, dad.¡± ¡°Where did those clothes come from?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I cried. My voice was higher than I would have liked. My dad came in and I took a step back. I wasn¡¯t afraid of him. I was just embarrassed. My dad had caught me in a skirt and thigh-highs.

=== Present Day ===

¡°So, wait, your first super experience was you cosplaying as Sailor Moon?¡± Kari asked, sitting forward, a grin stretching across her face. She was unable to hide the image that had come to her mind, which was in fact an adult me dressed like Usagi. It was accompanied by unadulterated joy. I couldn¡¯t help but smile at it. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s exactly what happened. I was so nervous.¡± ¡°Like I said, we get you in a skirt and you turn heads. Even your dad liked it!¡± ¡°Ew, don¡¯t say that. That¡¯s so weird.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t . . . Yeah, okay. I wasn¡¯t thinking! But that¡¯s so cute. Little Sailor Mind was ready to protect the world from evil!¡± Kari exclaimed. ¡°Well, it didn¡¯t happen quite that fast. I didn¡¯t have full control of my powers for a while.¡± ¡°Oh, thank God.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh, it took me years before I had control over my powers. I couldn¡¯t even fly until I was 18. Much less fly like I can now. I had to really train up the speed on that.¡± ¡°Yeah, I really didn¡¯t get the full scope of my powers until I was 16 or so,¡± I replied. She looked a little disappointed by that. I decided to get us back on track. ¡°Anyway.¡±

=== Flashback ===

¡°Do it again,¡± he said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Chuck,¡± he said, picking up the wand and putting it into my hand. ¡°Do it again.¡± I did so. I waved my hands in the air and the outfit appeared again. But when I looked into my dad¡¯s face, it flickered out again. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, dad!¡± ¡°Chuck, what are you talking about? What are you sorry for? That was amazing!¡± My father exclaimed. ¡°You have a superpower!¡± ¡°I . . . I do.¡± ¡°Since when?¡± ¡°Since . . . Now?¡± I asked, trying to think about it. My father hugged me. It felt . . . Warmer than usual. There was more to it. When we separated, I thought I could see something around him. But I didn¡¯t have the words to explain it then. ¡°So, the first thing you did with your powers was dressing up in a skirt?¡± ¡°Um . . . I didn¡¯t mean to. I didn¡¯t think it would work. I was just trying to be like Sailor Moon.¡± My father looked behind me and saw what I was watching. ¡°Oh, okay. I don¡¯t really get the cartoon thing, son, but this is amazing.¡± My father started doing a lot of research on metas. He would encourage me in any way. I would spend each day after school developing my powers. My father would come up with clever tests and my mom would record the results and organize the findings. It started out with me creating constructs and them throwing things at them. My father went to college on a baseball scholarship, and he was pretty good at it still. My first constructs would shatter when he made contact, but eventually, I learned how to reinforce them. It was pretty easy to develop the physical side of my powers. We eventually graduated to a pitching machine. After a while, I got good enough to catch the balls and throw them back. I was never physically coordinated enough to be a pitcher like my father, but I got pretty okay at psychically catching and throwing the balls. And my physicality did suffer a bit. As I worked to develop my powers, I started neglecting my physical fitness. I used my powers for everything. Getting snacks from the fridge, grabbing the remote. Whenever I thought no one was around to see me, I would fly to places. I put on a lot of weight. And that wasn¡¯t good for my self-esteem. And it didn¡¯t help that as I entered high school, another power had developed. I had been sensing people¡¯s emotions for a while, but I really wasn¡¯t conscious of it. It was just an impression I usually got. I found that I could usually intuit out people¡¯s thoughts through what I figured was just me being pretty good at reading people. But when I joined high school, I fell in love with a girl pretty much immediately. She was pretty and smart and always nice to me. I knew I had gained some weight and me being in the height of puberty, I had developed the classic pizza face, but she was always so nice to me and she seemed like she genuinely enjoyed my company. After months and months, I finally worked up the courage to ask her out. ¡°Hey, Miranda,¡± I began while we were in chemistry. ¡°I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go out to see a movie this weekend. W-with me.¡± She looked over at me. Ew. I heard the thought echo through my head. No, please, no, don¡¯t let this be happening. More of the thoughts in her voice echoed through my head. She seemed anxious and a little disappointed. What should I say? I don¡¯t want to go out with him. I mean . . . He¡¯s not a bad guy but . . . An image of me kissing her floated into my head. And it wasn¡¯t one of mine. It was from her perspective and I could feel her distaste for the thought boil up. I swallowed and laughed.

=== Present Day ===

¡°Wait, she said ew?¡± Kari asked. ¡°Well, she never said it,¡± I replied, emphasizing the word. ¡°It¡¯s not really important, though.¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s important! Even if she didn¡¯t say it, it¡¯s still mean to think! You¡¯re not worthy of an ew. You¡¯re adorable.¡± ¡°I was less adorable back then. And it¡¯s not like she knew I was reading her mind. How could she know?¡± I asked. ¡°It¡¯s not about that! It¡¯s about how she thought about people.¡± ¡°Do you go out with everyone who asks you out?¡± ¡°No, obviously. But I don¡¯t think ew, usually. Unless they¡¯re doing something creepy. Mostly I am flattered but gently reinforcing my ¡®No, thanks though¡¯.¡± ¡°She was in high school and I think she was more disappointed by the fact that I saw her that way than anything.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I think she just wanted me as a friend. She didn¡¯t see me that way and I was pushing that on her.¡± ¡°Asking her out, as long as you accept her answer, isn¡¯t pushing it on her. Did you accept it?¡± ¡°I never really waited for it, honestly.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well,¡± I began.

=== Flashback ===

¡°You know. As friends,¡± I said. ¡°I just thought that maybe you wanted to see one this weekend. I know what a big cinephile you are.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, yeah. Maybe.¡± Relief intermingled with her disappointment and her anxiety. Ew? I thought. Wait, what the hell just happened? I looked at Miranda again. She had gone back to the experiment we were supposed to be focusing on. I¡¯m not getting this at all. Her voice echoed through my head again. I looked around the classroom. The teacher was sitting with his head on his desk. Fucking Christ, I¡¯m hungover. Wonder if these little bastards would notice if I turned the lights off? I looked around more. One of the people in front of me was staring despondently at the book in front of them. I don¡¯t get this at all. What am I going to do? I need to pass this class. He looked up and raised his hand. ¡°U-um, Mister Jones?¡± Oh god. What now, Stevens? Mister Jones¡¯ annoyance flared up and he pulled his head up. ¡°Yes, Mister Stevens?¡± ¡°I . . .'''' Stevens hesitated. I need to pass this class. I need to. If I don¡¯t, my dad¡¯ll kill me. ¡°I¡¯m not really getting this. I don¡¯t . . .¡± Mister Jones stood up and walked over. He was cursing internally. Class ended eventually and I stepped out into the hall and I was floored. People were thinking so loudly. There were so many things. So much noise. Someone helped me up, but I couldn¡¯t concentrate. I leaned against the wall of lockers and tried to open my eyes. Some people were looking at me, but most just moved past. One of the guys who had helped me was talking to me, but I couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying. I muttered something and started off. I needed to get out. I stumbled back home. Mom came in. I tried not to look at her, but I could still feel her emotions. Anxiety, annoyance, love, compassion. They all made sense to me now. I had been implicitly interpreting them this whole time, but I had never contextualized them. But now that the thoughts were coupled with them, it was easy. That boy. What is going on with him? She thought. ¡°Chuck, honey, the school just called. They said that you skipped three classes today. What¡¯s goi-¡± She cut off and rushed to my side. I was hiding my head under a pillow and wincing. ¡°Chuck! What¡¯s wrong, honey?¡± ¡°I . . . Everything is loud. I . . . I can hear thoughts. Make it stop, mom! It hurts.¡± ¡°Chucky,¡± she cooed, putting a hand on my cheek. ¡°What are you talking about, sweetie?¡± ¡°I can . . . hear people¡¯s thoughts. I can feel their emotions. M-mom, I think my powers are growing?¡± ¡°A-are you sure?¡± She asked, frowning. Oh God, more powers? The telekinesis wasn¡¯t enough? Why can¡¯t he be normal? Tears started leaking down my face as I nodded. ¡°Y-you just wished that I was normal.¡± ¡°I-no, no I didn¡¯t,¡± she stuttered out. ¡°Mom!¡± I shouted. ¡°I can read your mind, damn it! I know what you were thinking!¡± ¡°Chuck . . . I didn¡¯t . . . I don¡¯t . . . I . . . Sometimes, okay, honey? It¡¯s not all the time, it¡¯s just . . . A little much. It¡¯s hard to deal with sometimes, but I love you.¡± She was scared. That made sense. I noticed that I had accidentally been lifting a bunch of things in the room. I slowly lowered them down and sighed. ¡°I know, mom. I wish I was normal, too. This is . . . I don¡¯t know what to do?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out. We always do.¡± And mom and dad did find a solution. I was hardly the only teen with superpowers. Turns out there was a research group that looked for kids like us and they contacted them. I had to move away from home for a while. That¡¯s where I met them. Scott and Blanca. And Doctor Holme.

=== Present Day ===

¡°Did you join a superhero team? That¡¯s so cool!¡± Kari exclaimed. ¡°Well, we weren¡¯t exactly a superhero team at first. It was really meant to be a research team.¡± ¡°Oh. Well, that¡¯s good, too, I guess.¡± ¡°But we became a superhero team after a while, though.¡± ¡°Sweet! Tell me!¡± I laughed and shook my head. She was just so easily excited about things. ¡°I am, Kari. We¡¯re getting there, I promise.¡±

=== Flashback ===

¡°Children, this is our newest subject, Chuck,¡± the doctor started. ¡°Chuck, this is Scott and Blanca.¡± I looked at them both. They both looked a few years older than me. Scott was tall, pale, and lean with reddish-brown hair and with a scowl. Blanca was a little shorter than he was, with dark hair, dark skin, and dark eyes. Both looked me up and down and rolled their eyes. ¡°Hi, I . . . I¡¯m Chuck.¡± Great, another fuck up. I don¡¯t give him a week. Blanca thought. Wonder what this one can do. Doubt it¡¯s running. I need to find more of these metas. I will never be able to figure out why this is all happening with such a small sampling bias, Doctor Holme thought. ¡°Well, then. Now that introductions are out of the way, perhaps we should show our new guest how things work around here. Perhaps a demonstration of everyone¡¯s abilities.¡± I swallowed. I had never really shown my powers to anyone but my parents at this point. Holme led us out to a small gymnasium. We were actually staying in an old boarding school that he had bought out. ¡°Right. Blanca, why don¡¯t you go first?¡± She lifted her hand into the air and the gym started to get darker. At first, I thought that the light was dying out, but then I saw her get brighter. In her outstretched palm was a ball of light. She held it up. ¡°I can collect light. Eventually, it becomes physical.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± I whispered. I walked up to it and got really close to her hand. She held it out for me. I reached out and poked it. It was kind of warm. It also burst like a balloon and the light spread out into the room. I blinked several times as stars spread in my vision. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fairly unstable. As near as I can tell, she¡¯s actually capturing individual photons and making a shell of an object.¡± ¡°Yeah, if I try, I can create illusions, but sometimes even the wind can destroy them. And I can¡¯t create sound or anything,¡± Blanca interjected. ¡°It¡¯s not that cool.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think it¡¯s pretty neat.¡± I looked at Scott. ¡°What about you? What¡¯s your ability?¡± ¡°I can make the air punch you. Wanna see?¡± Scott asked. ¡°Now, Scott. That¡¯s very reductive,¡± the doctor added. ¡°What he actually does is kind of similar to Blanca. He can pull air molecules together and throw them out.¡± ¡°How is that different than what I said?¡± ¡°Well, it actually explains what you can do,¡± Blanca cut in. Scott rolled his eyes. ¡°Whatever.¡± ¡°That does sound really cool. Both versions. Sure! Let¡¯s try it out. Give me a second, though.¡± I floated back and constructed a shield out of my mental will. I had gotten pretty okay at this. The first step is to imagine what I¡¯m trying to create. Really visualize it. The more realistic it is, the more sturdy the construct will be. I held out my arm and a strap appeared, then the shield over it. ¡°Okay. Try it out.¡± ¡°Chuck, that¡¯s not safe,¡± Doctor Holme said, but Scott stepped right up to it. ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s pretty cool. So this is your power?¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Yeah. Throw your air punch!¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah. My dad helped me train and he can throw a fastball at like ninety miles an hour. I should be able to take whatever you can throw at me.¡± ¡°Oh. Cool.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know abou-¡± It was too late. Scott waved his arms around his body and through my slightly translucent shield, I could see the air gather into a ball about the size of his fist. He threw it forward and hit my shield. I skidded back, my shoes squeaking on the floor. The air dispersed in a rush and I dropped my shield. Blanca took a couple of steps forward and frowned at me. Fuck this kid! He just got here and he can already do my thing better than me. It¡¯s so fucking unfair! I was here first! I¡¯ve been working at this for longer! Why are everyone else¡¯s powers so much cooler than mine!? ¡°Oh, so you can create light constructs, too?¡± ¡°Yeah, but his don¡¯t fall apart immediately. I¡¯ve knocked dudes down with my ability.¡± ¡°Shut up, Scott!¡± Blanca yelled. ¡°Um . . . Sorry. Mine aren¡¯t light constructs. At least I don¡¯t think they are. They¡¯re more like . . . Mental projections.¡± ¡°Mental projections?¡± ¡°He¡¯s telekinetic,¡± Holmes said, joining the three of us. ¡°He has the ability to create mental constructs.¡± ¡°Why is he here?¡± Blanca asked. ¡°It looks like he has way better control than we do.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not here to hone that ability. He has another problem. But I don¡¯t know if we should discuss it now.¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s fine, doctor.¡± I sighed and looked away. ¡°I¡¯m pretty okay at controlling my constructs and my telekinesis is really just an extension of that, so I¡¯m pretty good at that too. I-I¡¯m here because . . . I can read people¡¯s minds.¡± ¡°You can what?¡± Scott asked. Blanca blanched at the thought. ¡°You mean . . . You could hear . . . I didn¡¯t mean it! I didn¡¯t know tha-¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I cut them off. ¡°I only just started and I don¡¯t even want to do it, but I can hear and see people¡¯s thoughts sometimes. I don¡¯t do it on purpose. Mom and dad thought that maybe you guys could teach me how to . . . Not.¡± ¡°Bullshit! No one can read minds. What number am I thinking of?¡± ¡°36, 32, 38,¡± I responded simply. ¡°Hah! I knew it. I wasn¡¯t thinki- . . . Wait. How did you do that?¡± ¡°Why were you thinking those numbers?¡± Blanca asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°We all know why,¡± Holme said, sighing. ¡°No!¡± Scott insisted. ¡°Liar,¡± Blanca accused him. Then she turned to me. ¡°So, okay. I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know. So you can¡¯t control it at all?¡± ¡°I . . . I don¡¯t know where to start. It¡¯s harder to do than just making a construct. People just . . . Think so loud!¡± I said, exasperation coloring my tone. ¡°It¡¯s like trying not to hear something or see something. I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Well, Scott could certainly help you with that.¡± ¡°Yeah! Wait, what?¡± Scott asked. ¡°He can hardly listen to a thing, obviously,¡± Blanca said, grinning. ¡°Nah, you just have nothing interesting to say,¡± he shot back. Dear Gods above, I need a drink, the doctor thought. ¡°Alright. You kids get to know each other. I¡¯m going to be in my office . . . coming up with a training plan to test your guys¡¯ abilities.¡± He walked off while Blanca and Scott kept arguing. I stayed there for a few years. Doctor Holme did several tests on me. He scanned my brain and did bloodwork and sequenced my genome. Apparently, he had done it with the others too. He did inform me that my brain structure was different from other people¡¯s but he didn¡¯t really explain how. He never really helped me discover a way to not just hear people¡¯s thoughts. Blanca and Scott were way more helpful for that. We spent a lot of time testing each other''s powers. Scott would let me search his mind for basically anything as long as I didn¡¯t reveal anything embarrassing to anyone. Which was more difficult than you might imagine. The only thing he was actually embarrassed by was the fact that he had a huge crush on Blanca and hated himself for it. Which I didn¡¯t really understand. Like most young heroes, she was pretty. I got good at navigating his mind. That¡¯s when I learned that I could send messages into other people¡¯s minds. In return for his willingness to let me rifle through his mind, I let him use his powers against my constructs. His hits got way stronger after a while. He also encouraged me to start practicing physically. ¡°Look, man. I get it. Having powers is sick, but honestly, you look like garbage.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± I muttered bitterly. ¡°I don¡¯t mean it like that, bro. I just mean that with a little work, you could look better. Just run with me. Besides, isn¡¯t exercise, like, good for the brain too?¡± ¡°Yeah. I guess.¡± ¡°Cool, then you¡¯re waking up with me tomorrow morning and we¡¯re going for a run. We¡¯ll drag Blanca with us too.¡± ¡°Where are you dragging me to?¡± ¡°Running tomorrow. We¡¯re going to get Chuck into better shape.¡± ¡°And why do I have to come?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯ll be fun.¡± ¡°Sounds lame as hell, bro.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon! You¡¯ll get to see me in shorts. All glistening.¡± ¡°That sounds worse,¡± she teased. She had been less willing to let me run around in her head. But I was pretty sure that she liked Scott back. I helped her out too though. Our constructs were made differently, but I explained the process that I used and even let her into my head as I did it. Creating a connection like that is a little weird. Basically, it¡¯s like pulling someone into my head. I start by creating a connection to them and then easing them over to my side. But her experiencing how I created constructs really helped her. She said that what I was actually doing was slowly building them from pieces of my will. Which I didn¡¯t really understand, but I had been doing it for so long that it just came naturally to me at this point. But she got better at it. She started creating light constructs in the way she said I did and they were far more stable. Eventually, they could even stand up to one of Scott¡¯s air punches. We would still do a lot of the basic school stuff remotely. We were technically ¡°homeschooled¡± and it was weird after spending my entire life in a regular school.

=== Present Day ===

¡°Yeah, homeschooling sucks.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I guess you would¡¯ve been too.¡± ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t get to go to homecoming or prom. It was just studying calculus and biology and writing reports. Ugh!¡± ¡°Yeah, it was pretty lonely for me too. Especially as Scott and Blanca got closer.¡± ¡°Oh, they started going out?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°And I bet you helped with that, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re a dork. You love stuff like that.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± I exclaimed playfully, pushing her slightly. ¡°But yeah, I did. One of the things that I can do is plant ideas into people¡¯s heads. Just a little seed. I can depress or enhance their emotions too. So, I did a little.¡± ¡°You Inceptioned them?¡± ¡°I . . . Yeah.¡± ¡°So, why don¡¯t you do that with Curt? Or Lady Blade? Just stop them from wanting to be criminals?¡± ¡°Well, one, it¡¯s hard to do. For it to take, either I need to push it really hard or it has to be something they wanted to do anyway. And it¡¯s really dangerous to force someone to do something. Which is what all of this is really about.¡±

=== Flashback ===

So, I encouraged them to get together. I would connect their minds occasionally. Not fully. They were never really aware of it at first. But it was just little things. I gave them the same emotional sense that I had for each other. I had gotten really good at connecting with other people¡¯s minds. Those were basically the only tests that Holme would help me with. He was obsessed with learning how my power worked. So, I would read people¡¯s minds inside of an fMRI and he would watch the way different parts of my brain would light up. He also trained himself and the other two to resist me reading their thoughts. Basically concentrating on keeping me out. He got really good at it. Blanca took to it really well too, but unlike the doctor, she didn¡¯t keep her defenses up all of the time. It was really only during training and when she wanted to be alone. Scott had a harder time. It might be because I had spent more time in his mind or maybe he just wasn¡¯t as good at it because he didn¡¯t really care. But still. I planted little ideas in their head, here and there. Things like reminding the other of an upcoming birthday or their favorite foods or flowers or movies. Little things. And thanks to Scott and his insistence, I did get back into shape. We would run and work out every day. Blanca would join us sometimes. One day she did join us, we ran past a mine. I heard a cry and stopped. ¡°Chuck, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I think someone¡¯s in trouble in there.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I heard something. Did you hear it?¡± ¡°No, but there¡¯s lots of things you can hear that we can¡¯t.¡± There was a rush of dust and debris that flew out of the mine. Fear washed out over the air to me. I started rushing into the gap. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Blanca asked. ¡°Someone¡¯s in there. I think the mine collapsed!¡± I cried back. ¡°And you¡¯re going in!?¡± ¡°Yeah. I can help,¡± I said. I jumped into the air and started flying. I heard their footsteps right behind me. Once we got inside, I tried to look around but it was too dark. I constructed a flashlight, but it wasn¡¯t enough. And it started immediately dimming. I looked back and saw Blanca sapping the light and collecting it in her hand. I kept it up and she illuminated the surrounding area far better than I ever could¡¯ve. I closed my eyes and tried to expand my extra senses, trying to make sure we were going in the right area. We got closer to where I thought the emotions were coming from. ¡°Are you sure about this, Chuck?¡± ¡°Yeah, Scott. I¡¯m . . . I¡¯m pretty sure.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no sign of a collapse so far.¡± ¡°There!¡± I pointed forward and blasted down the shaft. There was a bunch of rubble blocking the way. Eventually, the other two caught up. They couldn¡¯t fly like I could. To be honest, I wasn¡¯t even really sure how I flew. I just kind of did. Pushing myself off of the ground and the air around me. It came naturally to me. ¡°Hello? Is anybody there?¡± There was no answer. I reached out with my mind, feeling for any presences. There were three people behind the wall. Hello? Are you guys hurt? What the fuck was that!? I¡¯m here to help. I¡¯m on the other side of the cave-in. Are you guys okay? No, Jim is hurt. We need to get out of here. Who are you? I¡¯m Chu- . . . I¡¯m Kid Mind. I¡¯ll start digging you guys out. Wait! That might worsen the collapse. You have to be careful . . . Kid Mind? ¡°Well?¡± Scott asked. ¡°I can sense three people behind the rubble. I¡¯m not sure what to do. He says if we¡¯re not careful, we could cause a bigger collapse.¡± ¡°What do you want to do? This was your idea.¡± I thought about it and looked around. ¡°I think I have a plan. Blanca, I need you to go out and collect as much light as you can. More than you¡¯ve ever held before.¡± ¡°What are you thinking?¡± She asked. ¡°You and I are going to create as large a barrier around the cave as possible. Then we¡¯re going to have the guys behind the wall stand to the side and have Scott blow out the rubble.¡± ¡°I . . . I don¡¯t know about that, man. I¡¯ve never been great at controlling it. What about the cave-in?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re going to try and reinforce the walls first.¡± Scott looked unsure. I put my hand on his shoulder. He was still taller than me, but not by as much. I looked at him and then at Blanca as I continued. ¡°You can do this, man. You¡¯re the best man for this kind of work. And Blanca has gotten a lot stronger and better at making constructs. We have to do something. Go!¡± Blanca dashed out. She was terrified. But I didn¡¯t have the time to deal with that right now. Alright. We have a plan to get you out. Is there a place where you can get to so you¡¯re not directly behind the wall of rubble? Uh . . . Yeah. There¡¯s another shaft not too far from here. We can do that. What are you going to do? I . . . I don¡¯t know how to explain it in a way that you¡¯ll believe me. So, you¡¯ll just have to trust me for the time being, okay? I tried to sound reassuring. I don¡¯t know if it worked. He seemed to just accept it. He was scared. I could feel his fear. It started feeding into my own. I took several deep breaths and tried to calm down. ¡°Okay. Scott. I have an idea for you as well. How . . . Maybe how you can get a little more punch on your air blasts.¡± ¡°Oh? Do you think that¡¯s wise? I mean, we¡¯re already risking a lot.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s the best option. Besides,¡± I looked away. ¡°I¡¯d think you¡¯d jump at a way of making your power stronger.¡± ¡°I mean, yeah, totally. But now doesn¡¯t seem to be the time to fuck around with that.¡± He was also scared. Very scared. I bit my lip. And then I went into his mind. He flinched. What are you doing? I¡¯m going to make this a little easier for us. We have to do something. We have to save these people. Each person¡¯s mind is a little different. Scott¡¯s mind was a maze of teenage hormones and desires mixed in with a lot of anxieties, some anger, and a desire to do the right thing, buried under a too cool facade. Fear was overrunning everything. And I couldn¡¯t just make it go away. At least I don¡¯t think I could. So I grabbed all of his fear, everything he had. And with a couple of deep breaths, I imagined pushing it down. Crushing it into a ball. It got smaller and smaller. I could hear his breathing calm down. I felt his muscles loosen a bit. I opened my eyes and he was grinning at me. ¡°Okay, Chuck. What¡¯s this plan of yours?¡± With his fear out of the way, his natural cockiness was back in full force. I nodded. That¡¯s good. We could use some cockiness right now. ¡°So, here¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking. I want you to do what you normally do. Just collect the air in that ball of yours. Start with that. Make it as strong as you can.¡± He nodded and raised his hand. When he was gathering the air, he would wiggle his fingers and they would seemingly pop. It was honestly really weird to watch. I felt the air in the tunnel shift and dust and dirt started circling around his hand. His hand started shaking as it thickened. ¡°Okay. Now what?¡± ¡°Do it again,¡± I responded simply. ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s one hand. You have another, right?¡± ¡°I . . .¡± He hesitated. I went back into his mind. There was more fear. The little ball I had created was also starting to expand. I collected all of it and condensed it back down again. He smiled. ¡°You¡¯re right, Chuck. I¡¯m sorry, bud. You know. Just not as good with my right hand. At least that¡¯s what the ladies say.¡± We laughed and he made the same odd motion of waving his other hand and I felt the air shift again. Now, with two swirling vortexes of air and dirt around his hands, he looked at me. ¡°That it?¡± ¡°Unless you have another idea,¡± I responded, softly. ¡°I think . . . I think I do.¡± He pushed his hands together and the two vortexes combined. They shifted into a ball of circulating dust and debris. His hands were shaking. When he spoke next, his breath was shallow. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°We have to wait for Blanca,¡± I said, watching him struggle to keep it under control. I frowned. Maybe this isn¡¯t a good idea. The only problem was I didn¡¯t have a better one. After a few minutes, a blinding light started walking down the hall. I could see it from what seemed like a lightyear (pun intended) away. Blanca walked down the hall as a glowing, vaguely humanoid form, particles of light dripping off of her. ¡°Okay,¡± she said breathlessly. I could feel the fear and doubt wash off of her. ¡°This is the most I¡¯ve ever held. I don¡¯t think I could hold any more at all. What do I do?¡± ¡°Right. So, I want you to line the walls with your light. Reinforce it and spread it out as much as you can.¡± ¡°Chuck, I don¡¯t know . . . I don¡¯t think I¡¯m strong enough for that. I . . .¡± ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you do the same thing you did for me?¡± Scott suggested, struggling to keep his tumultuous orb of air under control. ¡°What did he do?¡± Blanca asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. He went into my mind and did something and then I wasn¡¯t so afraid. It was really great. Do it, Chuck.¡± ¡°I . . . I can do it, if you like, B.¡± She looked at me doubtfully. Then she nodded. I entered her mind. Scott¡¯s mind was disorganized and messy in a lot of ways. But her mind was actually quite a bit neater. I couldn¡¯t really understand her organization at all, but everything was connected with several ties and I knew she could find whatever she was looking for. Fear and doubt were also permeating and overwhelming every structure. I drew it all to me in either of my metaphysical hands. It was easier to imagine myself as me. So I collected her doubt and her fear separately, not wanting to mix them together. And I pressed them down, crushing them into marbles. Then I dropped them and exited her mind. She was still breathing heavily but I couldn¡¯t sense the fear she had been experiencing. She stepped forward and the light started spreading from her over to the walls. It took over the wall, causing the entire cave to light up. Everything was illuminated. Looking at them both now, they were both sweating profusely from the strain and the fear. I took a few deep breaths trying to calm down. What the hell is happening over there!? One of the men on the other side demanded. We¡¯re about to try something to help get you guys out of there. Are you clear? Yeah, as clear as we can be. Alright. Try to protect yourselves. Don¡¯t be in this main shaft at all if you can help it. I thought at them. Then I raised my hand and started to reinforce the structure that Blanca had created. Pressing it hard into the wall. I tried to take my time and make it as strong and as sturdy as possible, but Scott groaned and said, ¡°Chuck, I don¡¯t know how much longer I can hold this.¡± ¡°Right.¡± I made a couple more adjustments and spread it out as far as I could. Then I turned to him, sweat dripping from my own face. ¡°Do it. Shoot it!¡± Scott, like an honest-to-God Dragonball Z character, shot out his hands and the ball of circling dust and debris blasted forward and slammed into the wall and more dust, dirt, and debris went everywhere. The whole mine shook from the force. I felt more dirt and rocks slam into Blanca and my forcefields and I gritted my teeth, trying to keep it together. I could hear Blanca groan and whine under the strain. After another moment, the dust settled and Scott had done more than we could have ever hoped for. He had sent the rocks flying. It was amazing. The miners glanced around from a corner and looked at what happened. ¡°What the hell did you kids do?¡± ¡°We just saved you,¡± Scott said proudly. ¡°What the fuck are you guys?¡± ¡°Jimbo, they¡¯re heroes. They saved us. That¡¯s all that matters right now.¡± ¡°C-can we go? I . . . I don¡¯t know how much longer I can hold it.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go,¡± I said. I helped them carry Jim out of the mine. Rocks and dirt crashed down as soon as Blanca and I let down our support. ¡°I¡¯m sure glad we weren¡¯t under that.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± everyone readily agreed. We got outside and Blanca, Scott, and I collapsed just outside of it, breathing heavily as the miners went to go get help. ¡°That was crazy!¡± Scott exclaimed. ¡°I was so awesome.¡± ¡°Yeah, but it was all Chuck¡¯s idea,¡± Blanca said, slapping at his arm. ¡°Oh yeah, no, totally. Chuck was amazing too. And so were you. You coming in glowing like an angel!¡± ¡°An angel?¡± Blanca asked. She looked at me. ¡°Did I look like that?¡± ¡°Yeah, totally,¡± Scott said. I just nodded. ¡°You were glowing and otherworldly. I¡¯d never seen anything like it.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± she said, considering it. ¡°We should do more stuff like that!¡± Scott exclaimed. ¡°More stuff? Like, save people?¡± Blanca asked. ¡°I mean . . . If it comes up, I guess we could. But how often is this stuff going to happen? Especially in such a small town.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± Scott said, sounding disappointed. ¡°But we could still develop our powers more,¡± I said, looking at my hands. ¡°You know . . . If something like that happens again.¡± And we did. We trained hard every day. We couldn¡¯t get Blanca to come on runs with us all the time, but if it was to develop her powers, she was always there. And we did develop them. Scott came up with all kinds of tricks. He even developed a way to jet around and keep up with me in the air. Blanca had tried to do the same, but oddly enough, it was too hard for her to control. Light wanted to escape too fast and she had a hard time controlling it. We developed little costumes, just in case. The miners didn¡¯t know our names and couldn¡¯t really remember our faces very well. The story was out there, but no one really knew it was us. Doctor Holme wasn¡¯t thrilled about our names almost being out there, but he was fascinated by the developments we made with our powers. He even encouraged the heroics when possible. We helped with floods and natural disasters whenever we could. And whenever fear started to take hold of Blanca or Scott, or as they became known, the Light Knight and Cannon Punch, I would just suppress their fear. More than that after a while. I found out I could actually take away their fear and doubts. I could just chop them off. And that was ultimately the problem. I was effectively using a hacksaw for problems that required laser precision. We made names for ourselves and even got some funding and ways of traveling out farther. And there was this huge bombing that happened in a city not far from where we were. We weren¡¯t around to stop it. But we were asked to help with the clean-up and rescue of anyone we could. Basically, an entire block had been blown up, so there was a lot of work to be done. We got there and we started excavating and digging people out. And there were so many bodies. We found crushed bodies, flattened under thousands of pounds of stone. Blood and gore staining the streets. People who suffocated. We . . . We didn¡¯t actually find any survivors. And it hurt. It hurt so much. We did the job and it took days. Days and days of finding dead people and being surrounded by destruction and despair. By the end of it, Blanca and I had cried our eyes out every night. Scott actually took it way harder than either of us. He didn¡¯t cry. He didn¡¯t let himself cry. He just tried to ferment it into willpower, but all that it became was anguish that festered into a rage. He would blow up at us and rage against anyone who got in his way. He just couldn¡¯t deal with it. We all had nightmares, but he would wake up screaming almost every night afterwards. Both Scott and Blanca had asked me to take away their pain. The anguish they were feeling. And I tried. I tore at it in their minds. But it always seemed to come back. So I did the only other thing I could think of. I crushed it. I pushed it down inside of them and made it as small as I could. I could take away their fear now. But all of this . . . All of this trauma was too . . . connected to everything. I had to go in and crush it for them. I had also been doing the same thing to myself. It was harder to do on myself. There wasn¡¯t more for me. But it requires a certain amount of dispassionate, cold logic to be able to do it. And my own fear felt strong. My own pain was so strong. And I could feel it. But I did it anyway. We were asked to help with another problem. Someone had set more bombs but we had been warned and I had been asked to find them. It was supposed to just be me. I could find them and the cops could deal with it. That was the plan. But Blanca and Scott wouldn¡¯t let me go alone. I was having a lot of the same problems they were and honestly, I was infuriated that someone would use a bomb. It was even in the same city. I searched for the culprit. And I found him. I charged ahead and they followed me. We were supposed to bring in the cops to deal with it. But I couldn¡¯t. I burst through the door and he started to press down on the button that would detonate everything. But I stopped him. I didn¡¯t take the thing from his hands. I could have, but I didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t just freeze up his muscles. I pushed myself into his mind and I took away his will to do so. Tears crashed down around me as I forced my way into this man¡¯s psyche. I could feel him trying to resist. Trying to do what he thought he needed to. But I was stronger than he was. And I took away his ability to do anything at that moment. Scott came in behind me and he saw what I was doing. ¡°Yes!¡± He exclaimed. And he went over and took the detonator from the man¡¯s hands. He threw it aside and started wailing on the guy. I froze, stopping my assault on his mind. Blanca, Scott, and I had become so close that my mental links to them were basically permanent now. And I could feel his rage burn through him. The pain inside of him. The trauma I had crushed down broke. And he punched the man repeatedly. He slammed him into the wall. And then through it. Then he flew after him, slamming air blasts down onto him. I looked back and Blanca was just staring at me. Tears were leaking out from under her mask. Her dark skin was flush and I could feel her pain. I could feel it start to crack. Seeing Scott lose control like that. Seeing me go that far. She, like all of us, had just barely been keeping it together. And I felt the little orb of pain and anguish crack in her psyche as well. She dashed after Scott and jumped out of the window. I flew after them. She threw out a photon blast and it slammed down onto the terrorist and obliterated him under the force of her hard light. She landed in the splattered blood. Scott just kept hitting him. Tears were leaking down his face too. I floated there. Watching them. Watching my closest friends lose it. They weren¡¯t thinking anything. All that was coming off of them was anger and hatred and pain. The cops came and eventually pulled him off his victim. Each cop was balking at the horror. We had never done anything like that in public. The police knew us as the nice kids who would help them out. Horror and disgust rolled off of them. Fear was the biggest constant though. They tried to interview us. Tried to figure out what had happened. But Scott was basically catatonic when they got him to the station. He had just shut down. I tried to get into his mind, but when I did, everything, all of the metaphorical structures he projected as his literal mind palace, were shattered. Overwhelmed by the pain. The pain that I couldn¡¯t keep at bay. Blanca was a little better off. Until she found out about Scott. She didn¡¯t end up catatonic, she just couldn¡¯t stop crying. She couldn¡¯t focus on anything. She couldn¡¯t use her powers or focus on anything. I was the only one left. And I explained everything.

=== Present Day ===

¡°All I had ever wanted to do was help them. I just wanted my friends not to be in pain. And I ruined them, Kari. I wasn¡¯t careful enough. I . . . I didn¡¯t know what I was doing.¡± I was staring at my hands. They looked just like the metaphorical hands I had used to destroy my friends. I could feel myself crying. I had blocked off Kari¡¯s thoughts. I was trying to do the same with her emotions. But honestly, I couldn¡¯t really differentiate her emotions from mine at the moment. Everything was too visceral. I hadn¡¯t really unpacked all of that recently. Loathing, pain, concern, fear, anger, hate, and compassion were all pooling together. I was afraid to look up at her. I couldn¡¯t do it. If she hates me . . . I¡¯d understand that. I would get it. She threw her arms around me and hugged me. She crushed me to her body. ¡°Chuck, I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m so sorry that you had to deal with that. That¡¯s horrible.¡± I hugged her back and cried into her cape. Her emotions started to overwhelm mine. Which made it easier to understand. The concern, the fear, some of the anger, and the compassion, were hers. Everything else was mine. I tried several times to break the hug but she wouldn¡¯t let me. Not until I stopped crying. And I can do a lot of things, but outmuscle Smash Gal is not one of them. And I didn¡¯t want to. She was warm and kind. When we did finally end it, she just looked at me. She had been crying too. I met her eyes. She smiled at me. Anger was burning through her though. Not at me. ¡°What are you thinking, Kari?¡± ¡°Curt is such a fucking jerk!¡± She yelled, clenching her fist. ¡°What?¡± ¡°He was weaponizing your trauma! That¡¯s so fucked up.¡± ¡°Yeah, it was not cool,¡± I said, softly. ¡°But to be fair to him, he was doing it to be a jackass. His goal was to piss both of us off.¡± ¡°Why would he do that?¡± She asked, hotly. ¡°Because we ruined his wedding and attacked him and his girlfriend after putting her into a coma.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no excuse!¡± ¡°Maybe not,¡± I said, not sure if I was convinced of that myself. Issue 34: For Not Copping a Feel? I鈥檓 Sure We鈥檒l Get Another Chance

=== Curt === We got back to Des¡¯ place late at night. Before I let them go in, Cherry, Tierra, and I scoped the place out. Their office had been closed and they were supposed to be on vacation for a few more days. But with Smash Gal breaking in, who knows. Maybe the police were here and already looking through things. My heart was pounding. My head was on a swivel. No one was in the lobby. Cherry checked the office and I checked the first exam room and Tierra took the second. Des¡¯ practice was tiny. They liked it, though. And so did I. Guilt spread out in my stomach. I looked at the window that Smash Gal had . . . smashed through. The glass was still on the floor. There was no police tape anywhere. ¡°All clear,¡± Tierra called out. ¡°I¡¯m going to go check the apartment.¡± I nodded. From the other side of the room, Cindi called out, ¡°Clear!¡± Des came in and looked around. There was a soft coo from behind me and I jumped and spun on a heel. It was a pigeon that had flown in through the broken window. Cindi and Des both stared at me. ¡°Essy, dear, are you alright?¡± ¡°J-just a little on edge, I guess,¡± I lied. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get out of here, Cin. I¡¯m sure that Des has plenty that they need to do.¡± ¡°The first thing I¡¯m going to do is get you an X-Ray to see how bad your hand is and then probably a cast.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay, Des. Don¡¯t worry about it. I-uh . . . I already owe you like four million. Gotta work down my debt a bit.¡± They stared at me. Plural. Both Cindi and Des were looking at me as though I had grown an extra head and that head had just said the stupidest thing they had ever heard. I looked away from them. ¡°Uh-huh. And how do you plan to do that with one hand?¡± Des asked. ¡°C¡¯mon, moron.¡± Their tone left no room for argument. But I was a master of creating space where there was none. ¡°No, really that¡¯s oka-¡± Cindi put her hand on my neck and started guiding me down the hall. She pushed me into the small room that Des kept for X-Rays. The only reason they were even able to do this is because I had recreated a version of an X-Ray Machine that some firm in Texas had created. The radiation produced was much more focused and it was theoretically much safer. The science seemed solid. Des always opted to wear the lead coat anyway. Just in case. Because they were smart. Cindi piped up, ¡°I¡¯m going to check in on Tierra upstairs. It seems like you two have to talk through some stuff. Doctor?¡± ¡°Yeah, Cindi?¡± Des asked, annoyance tinging their voice as they cut through the makeshift splint that they had made for my hand. I stretched out my fingers after they were free. ¡°You have the right to break anything that he doesn¡¯t strictly need and one or two of the things he does if he¡¯s being too stupid, alright?¡± ¡°Understood,¡± they said, with an absolutely evil, humorless smile. I shifted in the stool slightly and looked away. Cindi closed the door behind her. I rolled my other shoulder. Des barked at me, ¡°Stop moving!¡± ¡°Uh, yeah. Sure,¡± I said. I felt like a child. They examined my hand and ran the X-Ray wand over it, taking several pictures. They then brought up the laptop that they kept in the room and began loading the images. It was a really neat tool. Bluetooth compatible, portable, easily chargeable. It really was a revolutionary piece of technology. Shame the company that created them is trying to charge two hundred grand for them. Or they were before I leaked the patent. ¡°So,¡± Des began, grabbing a seat and wheeling it up to me. They adjusted it considerably so we were almost at eye level. Des is not a tall or big person. ¡°What idiotic idea do you have in your head?¡± ¡°Lots of them, probably.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s going to be like that, then?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re implying.¡± ¡°Bullshit, Curt. C¡¯mon, man. I¡¯m your best friend. And you¡¯re acting weird. I can see it. Cindi can see it. Hell, I¡¯m sure that even Tierra¡¯s noticed it and she met you, what? A week ago?¡± ¡°I just got out of being captured by Bion. So, I¡¯m a bit jumpy. Bound to happen in my . . . line of work.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just that. I¡¯ve seen you take on Bion. I saw you fight Smash Gal. You¡¯ve never been like this before, Curt. You tried to leave without getting your hand fixed. Do you know how stupid that is?¡± ¡°Like I said. Got to even out my tab a bit.¡± ¡°Oh, fuck right the hell off with that. You know I don¡¯t give a damn about the money.¡± ¡°Maybe you should, Des.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean!?¡± Des demanded angrily. ¡°I¡¯m using you, Des,¡± I lied. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing it the whole time. I¡¯ve pretended to be your friend so that I could get free meds.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s . . . I think it¡¯s time we end this relationship we have. Now that it¡¯s out there that you¡¯ve been treating me, I won¡¯t be able to come in and out. So, I¡¯ll pay you back, get the window replaced. Set you up with a legal fund then keep my distance. Now that people know they can find me here sometimes. It¡¯s really for the best.¡± My voice didn¡¯t crack. I managed to say all of it levelly and dispassionately. Which was practically a miracle in and of itself. Des just watched me go through it. I couldn¡¯t quite meet their eyes. ¡°Oh. Is that right? So, this is for your safety, is it?¡± They asked. There was no heat in it anymore. That was . . . scary. They had matched my dispassionate tone perfectly. They walked over to the computer and bent over it, frowning slightly. ¡°Hmm. Looks like you¡¯ll need a prescription.¡± ¡°For a broken hand?¡± I asked as they broke out a pen and wrote something down on their script pad. They tore off the paper and handed it to me. ¡°Oh no. That¡¯s just a few minor fractures and the swelling¡¯s gone down already. She just strained your hand a bit and I was being overly cautious.¡± ¡°Then for wha-¡± I looked down at the paper. ¡°The . . . Jews of love?¡± ¡°The jaws of life, you jackass!¡± They exclaimed. ¡°That . . . Really doesn¡¯t make any more sense.¡± ¡°Oh, it makes perfect sense,¡± Des said. ¡°You need them so that we can pull your head out of your ass.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m just being realistic. I can¡¯t come around anymore. It¡¯s not safe.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not safe for who, Curt?¡± Their voice had died down to just above a whisper. ¡°L-like I said, it¡¯s not safe for me,¡± I lied, again. ¡°You¡¯ve never given a damn about your own safety. I know because I¡¯m the one that patches you up every time you do something stupid. So, what¡¯s the actual reason that you¡¯re trying to ditch me?¡± ¡°B-because it¡¯s risky! I could get caught her-¡± Des reached over and grabbed me by my shirt and pulled me to my feet. I didn¡¯t really resist. I didn¡¯t think to resist. Des had never been . . . this direct before. ¡°Curt! Cut the fucking crap and tell me the goddamn truth!¡± They threw me back onto the seat. ¡°Fine! God damn it! Fine! I don¡¯t want to ruin your fucking life!¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s for my sake!?¡± They shouted back, matching my volume. And my intensity. ¡°Yeah! Yeah, it is for your fucking sake! I don¡¯t want you going down because you had the misfortune of knowing me, Des!¡± ¡°And that¡¯s your decision to make? You think you get to start deciding who I do and do not have in my life, Curt? What gives you the fucking right to make that decision for me!?¡± ¡°When I¡¯m the one causing the problem? Yeah, I get to make that decision,¡± I responded. My voice had dropped back down. They stood there, staring at me. ¡°C-causing the problem?¡± They turned their back on me. Then repeated themselves in a whisper. ¡°Causing the problems?¡± ¡°Yeah, Des. I¡¯m the reason Smash Gal was here. I¡¯m the reason that Cindi was put in a coma. I¡¯m the reason Smash Gal, Professor Mind and fucking Bion know your name. It¡¯s my fault. And I¡¯m going to do what I have to . . . to make it right.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s next, then?¡± Des asked, softly. They still hadn¡¯t turned around to face me. ¡°Are you going to try to ditch Cindi too? Go on a one-man war with those three and who the hell knows else? Get yourself killed.¡± ¡°I . . . Cindi was in a coma because of me, Des. You could have died. Your practice is ruined because of me. You¡¯re going to have to rebuild everything because I chose the wrong doctor¡¯s office to break into to patch myself up one night.¡± My voice was small. It had cracked as I tried to hold back the tears. But I just couldn¡¯t anymore. They slid down my cheek. ¡°It would have been better for everyone if I wasn¡¯t around. It might not be for long. Not forever. I . . . I can find a way to fix this. Then . . .¡± ¡°Curt, you tried to leave without saying anything. I know what that means. You were planning on never coming back. You were running.¡± ¡°I . . . I am.¡± ¡°No, Curt, you¡¯re not,¡± Cindi said from the door. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Des. I couldn¡¯t help but overhear.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Maybe you can talk some sense into him.¡± Des sounded heartbroken. As though I had really hurt them. Cindi looked the same way. ¡°So, your plan was to, what? Leave us both behind? Run off and what? You think I would allow that, husband?¡± Cindi said, crossing the room. I tried to look away from her, but she grabbed my chin and forced me to look into her eyes. ¡°Oh. No, your plan was infinitely stupider than that. I see.¡± ¡°What? What was he planning?¡± ¡°He was planning on baiting one of the heroes into killing him. Thinking that would end it.¡± ¡°That was not my plan!¡± ¡°Then please, enlighten us, Essy. What was your plan?¡± ¡°My plan was to take them out.¡± ¡°Oh, is that all? Just take out someone who can tank rockets, someone who shoots rockets and someone who you, yourself, say can destroy minds!?¡± Des demanded. ¡°I have a plan.¡± ¡°Then your plan can work without you abandoning the two people who actually like you,¡± Cindi responded, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. ¡°And risk them if something goes wrong? No way. I . . . I can¡¯t take it.¡± ¡°Curt,¡± Des whispered. ¡°Curtis Drei!¡± Cindi snarled. ¡°I just broke you out of Bion¡¯s off-the-books prison in a few hours. Do you really think that if I want to find you, you can stop me?¡± ¡°I-¡± ¡°You can¡¯t. That¡¯s the answer. You can¡¯t stop me.¡± There was no room for argument. ¡°You are my husband. I chose you. Over everyone else on the planet. You are the one that I chose. And you¡¯re going to get yourself killed. Over what? Barbie putting me in a coma for a few days?¡± I glared at her. I clenched my fists and stood. My right hand hurt like a son of a bitch. ¡°Yes! God damn it, yes!¡± ¡°Why?¡± She asked. ¡°Because she won¡¯t stop. This is the second time she¡¯s hurt you. And you can defend yourself! At least a little. You have a chance against her. But she knows about Des now. What am I supposed to do? I¡¯ve already ruined both of your lives with my presence. So, I¡¯m going to take care of the problem. Both of the problems.¡± ¡°You keep saying you¡¯ve ruined our lives, Curt. You¡¯re the only one who believes that,¡± Des muttered. ¡°Do you understand what¡¯s at stake here, Des?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± they said evenly. ¡°I understand it a lot better than you do. You¡¯re going to go on a suicide mission. You¡¯re going to kill yourself, one of the few people who stands up to the corruption that is so rampant in our society. The only person who has stood up to people like Bion, like Marcelli, like Smash Gal. And when it¡¯s just you, you will go to the mat and never give up. But they find out about me and you¡¯re just willing to roll over and give them what they want? Fuck you, Curt. You don¡¯t get to die.¡± I collapsed back to the chair, angrily. ¡°What am I supposed to do then?¡± ¡°You could start by talking to us,¡± Des said. ¡°You¡¯re good at planning, Essy,¡± Cindi added, sitting on my lap. ¡°But I¡¯m good at making sure you don¡¯t get killed. Tell us the plan. We¡¯ll work out the wrinkles. And the doctor isn¡¯t going to lose their practice. We will make sure they keep it.¡± ¡°What if the-¡± ¡°They are going to do something. They¡¯re always going to do something. But we¡¯ll figure something out. Tell me your plan?¡±

=== Kari === I finally understood Chuck. I understood why he was always encouraging me to use my powers better. Wiser than I usually did. The one time he hadn¡¯t, he had destroyed his friends. Professor Mind-Destroyer, I remembered Curt¡¯s words. Damn him! How dare he weaponize the trauma of my friend! And he was back in the world. My interview had covered the fact that Bion was keeping Curt, but when they searched for him, Bion revealed that Buck Cherry had rescued him and his doctor friend Des before they got there. I didn¡¯t believe him, but he looked worse for the wear. Even worse than how I had left him. They hadn¡¯t killed him, but that¡¯s probably only because Curt was so focused on escaping. The police had looked at the stargate that we had used to get back. There wasn¡¯t enough evidence to arrest him and the police didn¡¯t have the rights or know-how to activate the portal and check the other side. Bion had deployed a thousand lawyers, one of which I recognized. It was the same one that had advised Marcelli on the night of his escape. There wasn¡¯t enough evidence to bring him down and he couldn¡¯t even be arrested for what he did. My social media feeds were full of hateful messages. People saying all kinds of terrible things. Calling me every name possible. Calling me a traitor and trollop and a slut and anti-American. All I was trying to do was make sure that the world knew what was going on. Mister Wan had gone on an interview spree defending himself. He was the worst of it. Not only did he rebuff all of the claims that I had made, and most people seemed to take his side immediately anyway, he started pushing the attention on me. He appeared on Buck Clarkson¡¯s show and Clarkson bought into it hard. ¡°What do we know about Kari Stewart? She came on the scene from nowhere? Where are her powers from? She¡¯s displayed similar strength and powers to the Grignau,¡± Wan said. I clenched my fist. ¡°I think she has a connection to them.¡± ¡°Well, on this show, I have often questioned what her motivations are. This isn¡¯t the first time where she has lambasted real heroes, like our men and women in blue, despite her own failures. Like her failure to bring in known terrorist, Esvanir. It seems now that not even you, a hero who has inspired countless people to stand up for this great country, are safe from the Cancel Culture mob that she has thrown in with.¡± ¡°She should be more careful about what friends and enemies she chooses,¡± Andrew Wan said cryptically. I sighed and turned the interview off. I stared despondently at the blank screen, my own reflection staring back at me. Chuck was laying low for the moment. I flew around the city, trying to find something to do. I didn¡¯t really feel up to stopping crimes or fighting anyone. I was just so tired. Honestly, what I wanted to do was just nothing. Not Suiren¡¯s version of nothing. I got a call. I stopped and answered it, speaking soft and low. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hey, Kari,¡± Jenny said, cheerily. ¡°How are you, hon?¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± I lied. ¡°Uh-huh. Sure. You¡¯re free tonight, right? Come to my place.¡± ¡°I . . . Uh, Jen, I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯d be great company right now.¡± ¡°But I am great company,¡± she countered easily. I felt a small smile stretch my lips. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll come. What time?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re already here, basically,¡± Jenny said. I looked around and saw her waving. ¡°So, come now. We¡¯ll get some take-out and just have a girl¡¯s night.¡± ¡°Oh, sure,¡± I said. I still felt bad. I didn¡¯t want to push my bad mood on her. But I flew down and landed next to her in her giant terrace roof thing. ¡°Hey. Sorry. I didn¡¯t realize where I was.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no biggie, Kar. So, what¡¯s going on? I could see that you were down even from three hundred feet away at 60 miles an hour.¡± ¡°Oh, well. I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ve seen the news.¡± ¡°Yeah, calling out Bion is a big deal. Are you sure about all of that?¡± She asked, tentatively. ¡°I was there, Jenny. I saw the planet myself. I saw the footage of the Grignau killing people on a different planet.¡± She didn¡¯t say anything for a while and just watched me. ¡°Okay, Kar. I believe you. I don¡¯t want to. Wow. Bion. Who¡¯d have thought?¡± ¡°Curt,¡± I responded immediately. ¡°Curt knew it instantly. He knew about Bion and Chuck and has always lobbed those accusations immediately.¡± ¡°Chuck?¡± She asked. ¡°What did he say about Chuck?¡± ¡°He kept calling him Professor Mind-Destroyer and . . . Chuck told me about his past.¡± ¡°His past? Oh . . . Light Knight and Cannon Punch.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I responded softly. ¡°He really hurt Chuck by bringing it up. If I knew where he was, I¡¯d knock him on his ass.¡± ¡°I¡¯d join you. He¡¯s such an ass. But let¡¯s not talk about that right now. Let¡¯s focus on other stuff.¡± We ordered dinner and put on a movie. I didn¡¯t really focus on it. After dinner, I must¡¯ve fallen asleep because I woke up sprawled out on her couch. She had covered me in a blanket. It was a little after dawn and I heard a cry. I jumped up and looked around. I sped off and heard a grunt from behind a door and stopped. I felt my face flush. ¡°Eighty-eeight, eighty-nine, ninety.¡± ¡°Uh, Jen, you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, breathlessly. ¡°Come on in.¡± I opened the door and she was hanging from a bar over her chair. Her legs dangled. She was wearing just a sweaty tank-top and panties. I could see her legs. They were emaciated and wobbling limply under her. But her upper body was very well-toned. I watched her lift herself up over the bar. She did this ten more times and then let go, dropping. I panicked and charged forward, catching her. She grinned at me and shook her head. ¡°What are you doing, Kar?¡± ¡°I . . . I didn¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Either cop a feel or put me in the chair.¡± I set her down in the chair. Which she would have landed in perfectly without my intervention. ¡°Sorry,¡± I muttered. ¡°For not copping a feel?¡± She asked, grinning at me. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get another chance.¡± ¡°No,¡± I laughed. ¡°I mean for . . .¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Kari. Your heart was in the right place. Even if it was unnecessary. Let¡¯s get breakfast.¡± She wheeled herself out to the table. It was only now that I noticed that she wasn¡¯t in her hoverchair. I floated after her. ¡°People always treat me like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s . . . That¡¯s not right. You¡¯re the Cannoneer Jenny.¡± ¡°Yeah, but lots of people can¡¯t see past the chair.¡± ¡°I . . . I guess I did that too. I had never . . . I didn¡¯t know what your legs looked like and I panicked.¡± ¡°Yeah, not all of us can have thighs thick enough to land a plane on,¡± she replied, gesturing to my legs. I shifted a little. ¡°Yeah, but still. I should respect you more than that. You¡¯re a hero.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a lot of things.¡± Her voice sounded tired. ¡°For instance, I¡¯m the one changing the subject. So, Chuck told you everything?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, nodding. ¡°Hmm,¡± she muttered as she prepared some coffee. ¡°Interesting.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something he likes talking about.¡± ¡°Well, he told you, right?¡± ¡°No,¡± she replied, shaking her head. ¡°I was active at the time and the story was everywhere. I hadn¡¯t met him yet, but the media latched onto it and really tried to dig into it. He managed to keep his identity secret, but when Blanca and Scott became wards of the state, their names couldn¡¯t be hidden. But that means he must really trust you.¡± ¡°I guess,¡± I tried to say noncommittally, but pride and hope swelled in my chest. ¡°Uh-huh. So, are you two . . . ?¡± She let the question hang in the air. ¡°Um, well, no. Not ye- really.¡± ¡°Not yet, huh?¡± She asked, grinning again. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if anything will happen,¡± I said defensively. ¡°I mean, he was really stressed out and we¡¯ve both been trying so hard to take on Curt and Cherry and Lady Blade and now all this stuff with Bion, so who knows if anything will even come of it.¡± ¡°Do you want it to?¡± She asked as she poured two cups of coffee and passed one to me. ¡°I . . . Well, you know, I think that . . .¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°Yeah, I do. He¡¯s always there for me and I just can¡¯t help but think about it, you know?¡± ¡°Then make it happen,¡± she responded, stirring the cream and sugar into her drink. She met my eyes, trying to gauge my reaction to that. ¡°But . . . What if . . . I don¡¯t know that . . .¡± ¡°Kari!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Are you saying that Smash Gal is afraid to ask a guy out?¡± ¡°I . . . I¡¯ve never really been in a relationship before . . . The closest that I ever came was with Curt and that lasted all of two minutes.¡± ¡°You and Esvanir, huh? That . . . Makes sense. Does that mean you¡¯re a . . . ?¡± Again, she left the question¡¯s ending out. I frowned. ¡°A virgin? No. I used to sneak out of my parents¡¯ lab and go to a bar and a few guys took me home.¡± ¡°A bar? Can you even get drunk?¡± ¡°Not without a lot of work.¡± ¡°Hmm. So why did you go?¡± ¡°I just told you. To pick up guys.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± She smiled at me. ¡°So, what¡¯s different between them and Chuck? He''s just another guy. He¡¯s good-looking and sweet and compassionate.¡± ¡°That¡¯s different. I care about him. With them, it was just fun.¡± ¡°So, you don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be fun?¡± She asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°No! I just don¡¯t want it to be like that.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t let it. But do have fun.¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll try, okay? But now I¡¯m changing the subject.¡± ¡°A shame.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s interesting to see you so flustered. I¡¯ve seen your fights recently. You¡¯re in a lot more control thanks to Suiren. It¡¯s nice to see you still have some buttons.¡± ¡°I have lots of them. The media has been pushing them all the time. Why do you want to push my buttons?¡± I asked. ¡°Because it¡¯s fun,¡± she said, smiling. She wheeled herself over to the fridge and gathered some eggs and sausage. ¡°And because I want to know you better. You¡¯re my friend and my client. I need to know these things.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± I muttered. ¡°Come on, help me make breakfast.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you get dressed?¡± She looked down at herself and then up at me. ¡°It¡¯s my day off and pants are such a bother.¡± ¡°O-okay.¡± ¡°Just enjoy the show, Kari. Not everyone gets to see my panties.¡±

=== Curt === The first step of my plan was to rebuild my rig. This was actually the easiest part too. When I made Cindi¡¯s, I had collected some extras, considering I had gone through three of them in six months and it was pretty stressful to scramble to rebuild it or be stranded. Especially since I was literally number seven on the FBI¡¯s most wanted. It also gave me the opportunity to show Cindi how to build and maintain them. She resisted at first, but I forced her to help me because I only had one hand. She was actually really good at the physical aspects of this. She¡¯d always had an incredibly steady hand and nimble fingers, perfect for picking a lock. While reconstructing it, I did catch Smash Gal and Professor Mind¡¯s interview. It had done some major damage to Bion¡¯s brand. The stocks for every company publicly owned by Wan Enterprises had dipped down considerably. But there was no proof of what Kari said. And when the cops raided it, they found the interplanetary portal, but without a certain level of expertise, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to use it. And Bion lawyered up. I also watched some of the interviews he did in response. He was laying into her hard. And as much as I didn¡¯t want to help her, this is where part two of the plan came in. I wanted to go alone, but Des and Cin wouldn¡¯t allow me to go anywhere alone. Not after they had figured out my plan to die in a blaze of glory. So, Cin and I teleported into the dressing room of David Thrawn. We had let a few days pass between the initial breaking of the story and this. Mostly because we had to find a lawyer to protect Des. It was going to be expensive. But we had found someone who was apprised of all of the details of what had happened and who had an entire firm working to defend them from legal actions. There wasn¡¯t much we could do about the libel and slander that was going around. Fucking Kari. She could have just left Des out of the story altogether. But no, that would¡¯ve been too easy on me. But after we had squared away the legal aspects, Cindi and I went to Thrawn. He jumped out of his seat and screamed, brandishing a large brush. ¡°Bloody fucking hell, mate! What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Thrawn, is that any way to talk to someone who is here to give you a gift?¡± Cindi asked, crossing the room. She sat on the counter and smiled at the reporter. ¡°A gift?¡± He looked between us. ¡°It¡¯s not stolen, is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think laws apply where we got it. It was acquired on . . . Well, I guess the closest equivalent is international waters,¡± I replied, smirking at him. ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± I tossed him a flash drive. He caught it. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°You covered some of Smash Gal¡¯s claims about Bion. Everyone was asking for proof. There it is.¡± ¡°What? So it¡¯s true? Bion caused the Grignau invasions, then? That¡¯s . . . well, that¡¯s fucking unfortunate.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about causing them. I know that he was on a planet mining stuff. That planet had Grignau on it. They attacked the place that the mining equipment was on. That has all of the relevant files and proof and a video of Grignau ripping apart the people who were on that planet the day before the last invasion.¡± ¡°And where¡¯d you say you got it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play stupid, Thrawn. I was on the planet. Those are directly from the machines there.¡± ¡°Right, of course,¡± he said, with a smarmy grin. ¡°Why me, though? Why not just leak them on the internet?¡± ¡°Because you have some amount of credibility. And because, while you usually only promote sensationalist drek, you rarely outright lie. For better or worse, you¡¯re the best journalist I know of.¡± ¡°With such high praise from thieves, who needs a Pulitzer?¡± He muttered sarcastically. ¡°Would you prefer I take it back? I¡¯m sure that I can get someone else to cover it.¡± He gripped the flash drive even tighter. ¡°Not a chance, Esvanir! This is going to be my exclusive.¡± ¡°Well, have fun,¡± Cindi said, pushing herself off of the counter and started making her way over to me. ¡°You know,¡± Thrawn began. We both looked at him, waiting for him to continue. ¡°These documents are good for proof and all, but an interview would be better.¡± ¡°Those documents should be good enough proof. It proves that he has a direct connection.¡± ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s never as convincing as eyewitness testimony!¡± He exclaimed. ¡°Think about, Esvanir. You could really damage his reputation.¡± ¡°I have a lot of work to do. And I¡¯ve already pissed off Bion enough for a lifetime.¡± ¡°Essy, darling. I think you should do it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s right. This adds the spark. It¡¯ll be fun.¡± ¡°Yeah, but me doing the interview might implicate Des further,¡± I muttered. ¡°You control the narrative here.¡± ¡°That depends on how he edits it,¡± I responded. ¡°Des? Aaditri Desai? No need to mention them at all,¡± Thrawn said easily. I narrowed my eyes on him. ¡°Esvanir, you¡¯re the story. They¡¯re just a detail.¡± ¡°How¡¯d you know about their pronouns?¡± I asked, suspiciously. ¡°It¡¯s how Kari referred to Doctor Desai. And I looked them up. Like you said, I had reported on the story.¡± ¡°I . . . Okay. But I have some other things I need to do.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do them. You do the interview. Give me the list,¡± Cindi said, grinning. I did so. She took out her rig and snapped out. ¡°What¡¯s she getting?¡± Thrawn asked eagerly. ¡°Things that are outside of the scope of this interview. Let¡¯s make this quick.¡±

=== Kari === Curt had done another interview with David Thrawn. I can¡¯t believe him! Not only that, but he had given Thrawn the documents he¡¯d stolen from the Wan En computers. I sat down and watched the video. The interview opened up with a clip of a future part of the interview to make it more clickbait-y, I guess. ¡°As much as I hate to agree with Smash Gal about literally anything, she¡¯s right. Wan En and EnGin were working together on an extraplanetary, off-the-books mining operation on an alien planet that the Grignau seem to be inhabiting.¡± ¡°And now, we have an exclusive interview with Curtis Reese, Esvanir, who has released some documents to the channel here that back up the claims that Smash Gal and Professor Mind made about Wan En and EnGin possibly being culpable for the Grignau Invasion. Here is that interview now.¡± The interview cut back to the beginning after a transition. Curt was sitting across from Thrawn. This had been pre-recorded, so I couldn¡¯t even catch him. I can¡¯t believe Thrawn is using Curt to get clicks! I thought, then sighed. Actually, it makes perfect sense. He had done it before. And Curt is doing the same fucking thing. The bastard. Thrawn looked at the camera and smiled. ¡°Mister Reese, thank you for coming back on the show. And thanks for the exclusive. This is big news!¡± ¡°Of course, Mister Thrawn. I¡¯m just trying to do what¡¯s right. People should know what billionaires like Wan are up to.¡± ¡°Right, of course. So, you are backing up claims that Smash Gal and Professor Mind are making about Wan En and EnGin having an off-planet operation of some sort, is that correct?¡± ¡°Yes, and the documents I provided, which I had taken directly from the off-planet computers, outline what they were mining for. A rare element that they use in some of their private military technologies and, of course, Bion¡¯s suits.¡± The same part from earlier was repeated. ¡°So you hacked into the computers and stole this information. Doesn¡¯t that make it more suspicious? After all, you have not exactly hidden your disapproval of Mister Wan or EnGin.¡± ¡°Things like this are exactly why I don¡¯t like Wan or other billionaires. They endangered the lives of their workers and the evidence seems to support the idea that the Grignau Invasions were a response to their off-planet operations.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite the claim,¡± Thrawn responded evenly, over steepled fingers. ¡°If you play the security footage, you¡¯ll see it for yourself.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that. Viewer discretion should be advised. The video we¡¯re about to play is very graphic. If you have children in the room, I¡¯d suggest having them avert their eyes.¡± The video that Curt had stolen from the computer played. A Grignau grabbed several people in lab-coats and tore them apart. They dashed forward and slammed others into the ground. Blood sprayed from the people. They were helpless against them. A pit grew in my stomach. I sighed. ¡°The timestamp on the security footage puts that just a few hours before the attack a few months ago,¡± Curt interjected. He sighed. ¡°With that timeline, the implications are obvious. Wan En and EnGin built a machine that allowed the Grignau to get here. There were never any reports of ships or anything on or around the times of the invasions. This seems to be the most plausible explanation for their appearance.¡± ¡°It is at least something to think about,¡± Thrawn replied solemnly. ¡°You said earlier you don¡¯t like to agree with Smash Gal. Could you elaborate on that?¡± ¡°I . . . I think after these revelations, the evidence that superheroes are dangerous is more apparent than ever. Smash Gal has made it her mission to stop me from living my life. She and Bion crashed my wedding, a peaceful event, and put people in danger. And now, this . . . Bion may be, at least partially, responsible for the Grignau invasions.¡± ¡°I suppose it¡¯s not as black and white as it once seemed,¡± Thrawn added. The interview ended. I sat there. Curt is still blaming me for everything that happened that day. Even when he¡¯s on my side, he¡¯s still blaming me for everything! I thought. It¡¯s not fair! I heard someone land next to me. ¡°Hey, Kari. How are you today?¡± ¡°Chuck!¡± I jumped up and barely stopped myself from hugging him. But I couldn¡¯t help but smile at him. ¡°I¡¯m . . . I¡¯m pretty good. I was just watching that interview with Thrawn and Curt.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been all over the place,¡± Chuck responded. ¡°It¡¯s a really big deal. The cops are finally going to be able to charge Wan with something.¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s great news! I just wish . . . I wish Curt hadn¡¯t been the one to break the story.¡± ¡°I know. But I¡¯m honestly not really here for that. I¡¯m here for . . . Uh . . . I wanted to talk to you . . . I wanted to . . .¡± ¡°Want to go to dinner?¡± I blurted out. My eyes widened at the words that had come out of me. ¡°Yes,¡± He said immediately. I exhaled a breath that I hadn¡¯t realized I had started to hold. ¡°Should we go as Smash Gal and Professor Mind?¡± ¡°I . . . I was thinking that maybe we could get out of the city for a while and just . . . Maybe try as Chuck and Kari.¡± ¡°That sounds great. Did you have anything in mind?¡± ¡°Yeah, I have an idea.¡± Issue 35: So, You鈥檇 Do It for Twenty Dollars in Singles?

=== Curt === After my interview with Thrawn was over, I joined Cherry. She had been off collecting some of the stuff that I had needed to enact a defense. Part three of my plan was now fully underway. I was going to eliminate several weaknesses in my abilities. I had to. Time and time again, Smash Gal had proven herself too big of a threat not to. And I had just publicly called out Bion in a more direct way than ever before. The work was hard. I had to find a way to overcome Smash Gal¡¯s frankly ridiculous speeds. According to all of the data I could find on her, she could fly at above twenty-five hundred meters per second. Far faster than my reaction time. And she was finally utilizing it properly. The way she had fought at the wedding and even in Des¡¯ office screamed that she had done some training. With that said, there are a few weapons that are faster than that. ¡°So, what is all of this stuff?¡± Cindi asked, sitting across from me. ¡°These are powerful electromagnets,¡± I said simply, as I started constructing their housing. ¡°And these magnets are going to be the weapon that can take down Smash Gal.¡± ¡°Part of it. And maybe. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s possible to take her down. At this point, she¡¯s stronger than the Grignau. Anything I¡¯m doing is just a stop-gap. Basically, something to distract her so that we can escape.¡± ¡°You said at the wedding she¡¯s allergic to cherries. Why don¡¯t you just use that?¡± ¡°How do you even remember that? You were unconscious.¡± ¡°You were still streaming at that point.¡± ¡°Oh. Right. Forgot about that. This is a backup. I might be able to teleport a jar of cherries into her, but she¡¯s better at responding now. With this, I might be able to launch a volley of cherries at her. Or maybe just a regular projectile to pierce through her.¡± ¡°What can do that? What is faster than her?¡± Cin asked incredulously. She grabbed a few pieces I was struggling with, with my hand still being in a cast, and fit them together easily. ¡°A railgun. It requires a fuck ton of power, but I think I can build one that fires faster than she reacts. And we know that there are things strong enough to pierce her flesh. We¡¯ve seen it before.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just focus on getting better at leading her into traps.¡± ¡°She¡¯s gotten wise to that tactic. Everything I¡¯ve been doing against her has been evasion. And that¡¯s the problem. We¡¯re always on the defensive. With her newfound ability to actually pay attention to her surroundings, I¡¯ll be hard-pressed to get her to fall for the same trick I had previously.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Cindi said doubtfully. ¡°What about the rest of this stuff?¡± ¡°Well, that over there is going to be a device that hopefully prevents signal jammers from preventing us from doing our work.,¡± I gestured to a pile of unassembled pieces. ¡°And how is going to do that?¡± ¡°Basically, I¡¯m going to force a portal from somewhere with signal to be opened in that device, thus delivering us a GPS signal wherever we are.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that just put the signal on the other side of the portal? And doesn¡¯t that require a lot of energy? When we teleported that statue from Marcelli¡¯s place, your rig went down for thirty seconds. Won¡¯t this cause the same issue?¡± ¡°Those are . . . Damn it!¡± I let my head fall to the desk. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of the signal being registered on the other side of the planet. But . . . what I could do is install a device to send a signal from this device to another to register it and then we¡¯re back in business. It¡¯s slightly more work, but nothing that can¡¯t be overcome.¡± ¡°And the power issue?¡± ¡°I¡¯m working on that. Bion¡¯s designs are actually more energy-efficient than mine in a lot of ways and I¡¯m trying to cut down on the amount required.¡± ¡°How much does it require?¡± ¡°Normally? Somewhere in the ballpark of the eastern seaboard¡¯s consumption for a day to open a portal for maybe ten seconds.¡± ¡°What!? That much?¡± ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re literally folding space-time, Cin. Think about it.¡± ¡°Where do you even get that much power?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of ambient radiation on the planet and I steal a lot of it from the same generators that Wan En and EnGin use to power the portal to the Grignau planet.¡± ¡°So, they keep it running constantly?¡± ¡°I imagine it¡¯s just easier for them to do it that way instead of turning it off and turning it back on. Easier to keep something moving on their part than it is to start it moving again.¡± ¡°How the hell do you even collect the energy?¡± ¡°Basically, in the same way that those wireless phone chargers work,¡± I responded. ¡°Okay. That doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± ¡°Do you actually want me to explain it?¡± ¡°No, but I do have another question?¡± ¡°Mm?¡± ¡°What happens if they just shut it off? What will you do then?¡± ¡°Be stranded for a while I imagine.¡± ¡°And if that happens during a fight with Bion or Smash Gal?¡± ¡°Die, probably,¡± I said simply. ¡°So, you¡¯re still willing to die for this,¡± Cindi said coldly. I put down my little project and met her eye. ¡°Cin, I don¡¯t want to die. I don¡¯t want to leave you and Des behind. You guys just aren¡¯t realistic about what we¡¯re up against.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think I know, Curt? She¡¯s almost killed me twice.¡± ¡°And she wasn¡¯t trying to.¡± ¡°I know, Curt! I know. But I hate this blas¨¦ attitude you have about you dying.¡± She walked through the table between us, leaving what she was wearing behind. She wrapped her arms around me and kissed me. ¡°I want us to have a long and happy life together, Curt. And you¡¯re throwing in the towel.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still here, aren¡¯t I?¡± I replied bitterly. ¡°Because I¡¯m forcing you to be. You were ready to die in a blaze of glory just a day ago.¡± ¡°Dying is better than watching you or Des get hurt. I . . . I can¡¯t take that anymore, Cin. I¡¯m just not strong enough!¡± She pulled my head into her chest and stroked my hair. ¡°And you think we can take you dying any better, Curt? I have watched this woman break you. Physically and mentally and it breaks my heart every time. Des¡¯ too. Seeing you come back bleeding and broken is the worst thing she¡¯s ever done. And that includes wearing hot pink everywhere.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not giving up anymore, Cin. I¡¯m here for the fight.¡± ¡°Why?¡± She asked, pulling my chin up to look at her. ¡°Because someone has to stand up to her. We can¡¯t just let her do whatever she wants anymore. Or Bion.¡± ¡°Why does it have to be you?¡± She asked. ¡°We could just run, Curt. We don¡¯t have to do this.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it,¡± I said, sighing into her chest. I pulled her onto my lap and wrapped my arms around her. ¡°But it won¡¯t work, Cher.¡± ¡°Why not!?¡± She demanded, her voice cracking. I pulled her closer. ¡°She won¡¯t stop, Cin. She¡¯s decided we need to go down. And she¡¯s the most stubborn person on this or any other planet. This isn¡¯t going to stop without a fight.¡±

=== Kari === Chuck and I left the city. We actually drove. And it had been so long since I had actually just driven anywhere. Well, Chuck was driving. I didn¡¯t have my license. My parents hadn¡¯t wanted to give me another way to get out of the lab. Though, at least with that, there was a chance they could have caught up to me. Chuck drives like an old lady, by the way. He¡¯s very careful and goes the exact speed limit wherever he goes. He also has this tiny, cute, powder blue car. But it was incredibly slow. I¡¯m used to flying at a minimum of a few hundred miles an hour and now we were going sixty on some highway. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Why can¡¯t we just fly somewhere?¡± I asked for what was probably the eightieth time. ¡°Because we¡¯re supposed to not be doing super-heroics. We¡¯re taking a break. No villains, no other planets, nothing. Just take things slow.¡± ¡°Take things slow? We¡¯re going away for a weekend vacation as our first date.¡± I watched a blush creep up his neck and crawl over his face. He took a deep breath and shook his head. ¡°We already know that we get along well enough. And the room has two beds,¡± he said defensively. ¡°Two beds, huh?¡± I teased. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll have to try and use them both.¡± He glanced over at me incredulously. ¡°Now who¡¯s moving too fast?¡± ¡°Been spending too much time around Jenny. Almost copped a feel.¡± ¡°That¡¯s bound to happen around Jenny. She¡¯ll get you to touch her somehow.¡± ¡°Oh? And how have you touched her?¡± ¡°Had to drag her from her chair once. Her rocket exploded and she was trapped. Her clothes had burnt off some and she still hasn¡¯t let the fact that I¡¯ve seen her naked and she hasn¡¯t seen me go.¡± ¡°You gotta see her naked? Lucky! I just saw her panties,¡± I replied, grinning at him. He looked at me and then rolled his eyes. Eventually, we pulled into a tiny parking lot to a bed and breakfast. It was a cute little colonial home with well-kept plants growing just under the windows. We stepped out of the car and I stretched my legs, floating up a couple inches as I did so. Chuck grabbed my arm and pulled me down to the ground. ¡°Kari! Not here. We¡¯re supposed to be normal people. Normal people can¡¯t fly.¡± ¡°That sounds awful,¡± I said, yawning. I took the hand he had grabbed me with into my own and pulled him into the building. The elderly woman greeted us from behind the little counter she had installed. I watched her eyes crawl over our hands and something she noticed caused her to frown for a second. But her smile returned as she spoke. ¡°Good afternoon, dears. Do you have a reservation?¡± ¡°Yes, under Berry,¡± Chuck said, easily. ¡°Chuck Berry?¡± I asked. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s my last name.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make you Doctor Berry? Sounds like a brand-store soda.¡± ¡°Ah, Mister. . . . Doctor Berry,¡± the woman corrected herself. ¡°The room with two beds. Good. I¡¯m glad to hear that you¡¯re not living in sin.¡± ¡°Depends on how the weekend goes,¡± I responded with a grin, looking over at him. I caught the woman¡¯s grimace out of the corner of my eye but ignored it. Chuck was blushing, which means that I had accomplished my goal. ¡°O-of course,¡± the woman said, handing us the key. ¡°Breakfast is served at seven-thirty.¡± ¡°What about dinner?¡± ¡°You are welcome to eat here,¡± the woman said with a tone that implied otherwise. ¡°But there are also a few diners around here as well. It¡¯s such a beautiful, little town. Don¡¯t let yourselves be trapped inside all weekend.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a great point,¡± Chuck said with a grin. His blush had faded again. I¡¯d have to think of something else to keep it up. We drove out and I took out my phone. I checked for any word on Bion or Curt. Chuck frowned at the phone. ¡°Kar, no work. Let¡¯s try to enjoy this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chuck. I¡¯m bored. I can¡¯t help it. There¡¯s nothing to do when I¡¯m just sitting here, waiting.¡± ¡°Hmm. I think I have an idea. You can¡¯t drive, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Not really any point for me to.¡± ¡°Sure there is. What if you have to go undercover.¡± ¡°Chuck, my face is in the news every other day. I think me going undercover is about as likely as you stripping for Jenny.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯d do it for twenty dollars in singles?¡± ¡°Only twenty dollars?¡± ¡°Anyway, I still think it¡¯s a good idea. What if your powers fade away one day? Or you just don¡¯t feel like flying.¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t feel like flying, I¡¯ll just make you carry me places. You¡¯ll be my palanquin.¡± ¡°Is that how that¡¯s going to work?¡± ¡°Yeah. I think so.¡± He pulled into a large empty parking lot of some big box store, got out, and opened the door for me. I rolled my eyes and got out. He sat in my seat and I made my way over to the other side. I sat in the driver¡¯s seat and looked around. ¡°Okay. What¡¯s the first thing you should do?¡± ¡°Fly away.¡± ¡°Come on, Kari. This might be fun.¡± I sighed and reached for the keys, then stopped. ¡°This is a trick question. I¡¯ll have you know that I¡¯ve seen just about every sitcom and I know exactly what you¡¯re doing. There are going to be no hijinks!¡± ¡°No hijinks,¡± he agreed with a smile. I grabbed the seatbelt and buckled it, checked the mirrors, and then started the car. ¡°Wow. You really meant it when you said no hijinks.¡± ¡°Well, I do know what the PRNDL is, after all.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Stop being old,¡± I responded, putting the car in drive. I pressed down on the gas pedal and the car jolted forward. Chuck grabbed the handle on the ceiling of the car. The baby, I thought as I slowed down. I tried pressing it a little softer and easing into it. The car pushed forward and I started turning. ¡°Turn signal.¡± ¡°We¡¯re in a parking lot.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re learning. Turn signal.¡± I groaned and put it on. We spent about half an hour driving around the parking lot. And then I pulled out onto the street. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I got this. It¡¯s easy.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Chuck, what could I possibly hit here that can get damaged?¡± ¡°A person, my car, a tree, a building, my car, me, my car,¡± he rattled off. ¡°Well, you¡¯re a superhero. So you¡¯ll be fine. I have super-senses, so I shouldn¡¯t hit anything. And if I hurt your car or a building or a tree, I¡¯ll buy you a new one.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll buy me a new tree.¡± ¡°. . . Yes.¡± I turned out onto the street and drove down the road. I did lose track of my speed a bit. Ended up going about sixty in a forty-five. We weren¡¯t stopped, fortunately. Mostly because no one was around. I pulled into the parking lot of the diner they had. Admittedly. I pulled onto the little parking spot barrier they had and had to pull back, which dropped the car a little roughly. Chuck frowned at me. ¡°So, I need a little more practice.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he conceded. ¡°You did well, considering.¡± We got into the restaurant. Everything they served was some variant of fried. I grimaced slightly. Despite my constant desire for ice cream, I actually have a really strict diet. But we are on a vacation, I thought. The food was really good, actually. I excused myself for a moment and got some change. A little surprise for later. When we got back to the room, we cuddled together and watched a movie. But before we retired entirely, I did break out the twenty dollars in singles. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Chuck asked. I grinned and reached over, stuffing a dollar in his slacks. He laughed and danced away from the second dollar I had grabbed. ¡°No! Kari! No, I¡¯m not going to.¡± ¡°Oh come on, why not?¡± I asked. ¡°Because I think the woman running the place will disapprove!¡± ¡°So what? She doesn¡¯t have to know.¡± ¡°She already thinks that¡¯s what we¡¯re doing in here!¡± He exclaimed. ¡°Best not disappoint her, then. Or me, for that matter,¡± I said, catching up with him. I stuffed a dollar down his shirt. He stopped and wrapped his arms around me. The first real contact he had initiated. I leaned into him a little bit. He pressed back into me. We kissed. It was soft at first. But grew quickly. I might have been a little insistent. It had been a while. Things escalated nicely from there. A welcome break from how things usually escalate around me.

=== Curt === I had finished my machines and was lounging a little bit. Bion had been arrested and was being denied bail for being the world¡¯s biggest flight risk and Cin had insisted that we take an actual holiday. We were late for our honeymoon plans since I had gotten captured and she was pretty annoyed about all that. So, instead, I made the best of it that I could. I needed to get back on her good side. My answer was to get all of her favorite foods and prepare a lovely dinner as a surprise. Champagne from a specific vineyard in Paris, Chicken Milano from a restaurant in Italy, Swiss chocolates from . . . Michigan. Candles from a small shop in China, and finally an ancient knife that had been stolen and put in a museum for seventy years. We were in Avalare again and I set up a table at a spot where we could see the whole city. It was open-air, and there was still a chill in the air, but I set up little heaters. Cin arrived fashionably late. As always, she was dressed to kill, but her face didn¡¯t match the mood I had been trying to set. ¡°Curt, have you seen the news?¡± ¡°The news?¡± I asked. ¡°Uh, no, I¡¯ve been . . . busy,¡± I guided her over to the table and pulled out her chair. She didn¡¯t sit. ¡°Curt, something¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°What?¡± I asked. ¡°Someone¡¯s using your name.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I heard the police thought that some thefts were me. But that¡¯s okay. They blame me for everything.¡± ¡°No, Curt,¡± she said somberly. ¡°Look.¡± She held out her phone and I took it, scrolling through. There had been a bombing. Someone had tried to blow up one of the EnGin buildings. A message came on afterwards. A man in a mask, surrounded by more men in masks, each holding a gun, was staring blankly into a camera. The voice was distorted by some kind of voice scrambler. ¡°The fruits of our labor have been stolen for too long. We are going to bring down this system that has caused us so much strife. Esvanir has shown us the way. We will no longer stand by complacently as corporations and supposed heroes steal everything that¡¯s rightfully ours. We are the Acolytes of Esvanir!¡± The men behind him cried and raised their guns to the air. I sat in the seat that I had taken out for Cindi. I checked the story. There were fifty casualties and one-hundred-and-twelve injuries. I swallowed hard and looked up at her. ¡°Cindi, I didn¡¯t have anything to do with this. I swear. I . . .¡± My words failed me but Cindi gripped my face in her hands. Her voice was soft and comforting. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t, idiot. You¡¯d never do something so sloppy.¡± ¡°What do I do?¡± ¡°I . . . I don¡¯t know, husband.¡± Issue 36: So, You Know How You Owe Me A Billion Dollars?

=== Kari === Chuck had me drive most of the way back. We didn¡¯t talk much. Things felt . . . Weird. Not bad. Just . . . Somehow things had changed. But I couldn¡¯t really say how. We had spent the nights together and he was good at what he did. In some ways, our relationship was exactly the same as it had been before we had done anything at all. And maybe that¡¯s the problem, I thought. Maybe I was expecting a huge, dramatic change. Every other part of my life is so much bigger than life and this is just . . . normal. Chuck¡¯s voice cut through my inner monologue, ¡°Technically, you¡¯re supposed to have your hands at 10 and 2, Kari.¡± ¡°Oh, right,¡± I said, replacing my hands in the proper positions. ¡°Does anyone actually drive like that, though?¡± ¡°No,¡± Chuck admitted. He reached over and rested his hand on my thigh. I smiled at him. ¡°You should learn it anyway. If you take the test, it¡¯ll be important.¡± ¡°Right,¡± I responded, unable to keep the incredulity out of my tone. ¡°What?¡± He asked. ¡°Chuck, why would I take the test? I can fly!¡± ¡°Some people find driving really relaxing,¡± Chuck countered. ¡°It¡¯s kind of boring.¡± ¡°Is flying boring?¡± ¡°No, but I can go fast or slow and I just feel more . . . free.¡± ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± he conceded. ¡°You¡¯re really on this. Why is it important?¡± ¡°My father used to drive a lot. It¡¯s how I know how to bond with people. I guess I wanted to share that with you. Long road trips. Not as concerned about the destination so much as the company.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I pursed my lips and took his hand into mine, squeezing it reassuringly. ¡°That¡¯s cute. But also, we can do that flying. We have done that flying. But this is nice too.¡± We eventually got back into town. Honestly, cars are just really slow. I could¡¯ve gotten so much done. I stretched out and rose in the air a few inches. Flying even that much felt good. The weightlessness, the lack of pressure. I spun in the air and did a loop-de-loop before landing back down. I flew my bags back home really quick. Mom and dad were out. While I had a moment alone, I took out my phone and for the first time in a few days, opened Twitter. I had unplugged from all social media after Chuck had suggested it the first day and it was the best possible thing. I had been doom-scrolling for hours. As always when you do that, though, I had missed a ton of stuff.
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Esvanir - Topic [Follow] John Jamison, CPA @johnjamisoncpa The Acolytes of Esvanir are extreme. Does @CReese_Esvanir support them? [Comments] 1472 [Retweets] 1863 [Likes] 40.7k
Buck Clarkson @buckclarkson Smash Gal and Professor Mind are furthering their real agendas of destabilizing America by destroying the reputation of REAL American HEROES like Bion. In the exact way that they previously attacked our Men and Women in Blue! [Video] [Comments] 1293 [Retweets] 3541 [Likes] 1285
Avalare Police Department @AvalarePD Andrew ¡°Bion¡± Wan and several members of the WanEn board charged with several accounts of Depraved Indifference Murder. [Comments] 258 [Retweets] 200 [Likes] 186
James at WanEn @WanEnJames I stand with Bion and know that he protected us from the Grignau threat! We are better with him out of jail! [Comments] 12 [Retweets] 13 [Likes] 17 SpongeCat @spongekittymau Fake account. Created five days ago. [screenshot] [Comments] 8 [Retweets] 5 [Likes] 23
I stared down at my phone, frowning. I really need to follow less news and follow more cute animal accounts. This is just depressing. Even as I thought that I clicked on the Buck Clarkson video. The older white man, somewhere between thirty-five and fifty stared into the camera, frowning slightly. ¡°We¡¯ve spoken before on this program about how Smash Gal and Professor Mind are trying to erode the values of our country and send us into a tailspin towards death, destruction, and communism and they¡¯ve taken their latest step. Apparently, working with the terrorist Esvanir, she has lambasted the good name of America¡¯s most popular hero, Andrew Wan. Bion has been saving Americans since she was still in middle school and no one has fought harder against the Grignau threat. The Grignau invasions were tragedies and while there is some evidence that WanEn and EnGin were involved in a mining operation, provided that the documents supplied by Curtis Reese, noted enemy of Mister Wan, are genuine, there is no evidence that WanEn intended for anyone to get hurt. WanEn employs thousands of people and has gone out of its way to supply the victims of the Grignau attacks with supplies and has funded several infrastructure projects to repair the damage that those monsters have done. Blaming Wan or anyone else for the actions of aliens is nothing short of character assassination, and I, for one, will not stand for it. We stand with you, Bion.¡± I gritted my teeth and forced myself to take several deep breaths. I almost crushed the phone in my hand in my anger. I hate that man. I changed into my super suit and blasted out of my parents¡¯ lab and back to Avalare. Patrol would do me some good. Just need to be around people for a while. There¡¯s always crime to stop in a city like this. It was mostly small, petty stuff today. People looked at me weird when I was at street level. People were glaring and muttering. And I tried to tune them out but it¡¯s not always as easy as all of that. Like Chuck always points out, it¡¯s hard to not hear something. ¡°Who does she think she is?¡± One woman asked someone standing next to her. ¡°Just strutting around after what she did to a real hero?¡± ¡°Think she can replace Bion?¡± A man asked his waiter as I landed next to a restaurant. ¡°She was almost taken down by that naked cat-burglar. She¡¯s supposed to save us from the Grignau?¡± A woman asked as I knocked out two muggers. I frowned. Not all of the comments I heard were negative. But more of them than usual. And it hurt. I just want to help people. I didn¡¯t want to turn Bion in . . . I didn¡¯t. But what he¡¯s doing is wrong. I cut my patrol short and just flew back home. Mom and dad were there this time. ¡°Hey, hon. How was your trip with Chuck?¡± Mom asked over her shoulder, as she worked on a model of . . . something. ¡°It was great,¡± I said. ¡°Just a nice, quiet night. He taught me how to drive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good thing,¡± dad cut in. ¡°Everyone should know how to drive. Did he teach you how to change a tire?¡± ¡°Why would I need to know how to change a tire? I can fly,¡± I asked. ¡°Everyone should know how to change a tire,¡± my dad said defensively. Mom met my eyes, smiled, and shook her head. ¡°Hey . . . We, uh . . .¡± I trailed off. ¡°What is it, honey?¡± Mom asked. ¡°If it¡¯s about the birds and the bees, we already had that conversation,¡± dad responded as he filled out some report. ¡°Yeah, we did,¡± I said, trying to suppress the memories of that conversation. There are some things that parents shouldn¡¯t be allowed to teach. ¡°And I¡¯m also 28. I don¡¯t need that talk. Again. But . . . About Bion . . . Do you . . . Did I do the right thing?¡± Mom and dad looked at each other then back at me. My dad began. ¡°Honestly, Kar. I don¡¯t know . . . I . . . we used to work for Wan Enterprises. I think . . . It¡¯s hard to believe that he would be so . . . reckless . . . Like, the first time, all those years ago, sure. But . . . doing it again.¡± ¡°But those files,¡± mom countered. ¡°Those look like WanEn files.¡± ¡°They do, but you can forge just about anything these days,¡± dad responded. ¡°I thought that those talking baby commercials were just that one EnGin project finally making a breakthrough.¡± ¡°Those¡¯re real,¡± I said. ¡°The talking babies? Nah, those are years out.¡± ¡°No, Dad,¡± I replied, rolling my eyes. ¡°The files. I was there when Cur- . . . When Esvanir stole them. I watched him do it. I was there. Off planet with him. You believe me, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± dad responded, leaning on the counter. ¡°But we do, Kari. We know you wouldn¡¯t lie about something like this. For one, you¡¯re a terrible liar,¡± mom said, smiling. Then the smile faltered. ¡°Also, the few times we interacted with Wan . . . He¡¯s arrogant. Maybe he believed he could have everything under control. But the one thing we know about the Grignau is that they can¡¯t be stopped. Not even by Bion.¡± ¡°I can, though.¡± I clenched my fist. My mom smiled at me, crossing the room. She hugged me. ¡°Yeah, you can.¡±

=== Curt === Our dinner did not go particularly well. I tried to stay cheery with Cindi, but I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the fact that a group was using my name and my identity . . . My politics . . . to kill people. And not just in self-defense. Everything I had ever done was in self-defense. I had never killed someone actively. You tried to kill Kari. You tried to kill Bion. You tried to kill Marcelli. You¡¯re a hypocrite. You are nothing more than a sanctimonious thief trying desperately to justify your own existence. These thoughts kept circling through my head. Cin must have sensed my mood because she got closer to me and pulled my arms around me. She didn¡¯t say anything. She just laid there in the comfortable chair with me. My thoughts weren¡¯t improved the next morning. It was still the only thing I could think about. I never wanted to be a public figure. I never wanted any of this. What do I do? I was not good at navigating the public eye, but Cindi was. She had managed her own public persona and always seemed to come out on top. ¡°Cindi . . . I need your help.¡± ¡°I know,¡± she said simply, continuing to read her book. ¡°Okay. Well?¡± ¡°What do you need my help with?¡± She asked. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°If you know I need help, don¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°Curt, you are one of the most complicated, most neurotic people I know. And I know people who haven¡¯t stayed in the same place for more than a night in ten years.¡± ¡°That¡¯s entirely reasonable, depending on the circumstances,¡± I countered. She just looked up from her book at me, eyebrow raised. ¡°I said it depends! Anyway, what do you think I should do about this cult?¡± ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s not your problem,¡± she responded simply. ¡°What? But they¡¯re killing people!¡± ¡°They¡¯re not killing you.¡± ¡°But they¡¯re using my name!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t seem this concerned about that thief that was co-opting your name in Avalare. Why is this different?¡± ¡°That guy didn¡¯t kill anyone. He¡¯s a dick, but he¡¯s also created a good smokescreen so that people didn¡¯t know where we were.¡± ¡°And these guys aren¡¯t? Also, you keep saying ¡®him¡¯. How do you know the thief isn¡¯t a woman? Or an enby?¡± ¡°Statistics,¡± I responded quickly. It must¡¯ve been too quickly because she raised that same eyebrow at me again. ¡°Fine, the Assistant District Attorney of Avalare is a man.¡± ¡°What? The Assistant D.A. is the copycat?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important right now.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s more interesting than this. You were bound to get a cult eventually.¡± ¡°I was? Do you have a cult?¡± ¡°Four, actually,¡± she responded simply, flipping the page. ¡°Four? You have four cults and you don¡¯t think that¡¯s important?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. As long as their tributes keep coming. Though your tributes are a little more tasteless than mine.¡± ¡°Tributes? What kind of trib-¡± she met my gaze again, smiling. ¡°Oh . . . ew.¡± ¡°Yes. But also, sometimes they send money.¡± ¡°So . . . Basically you accidentally have a fanatical cult OnlyFans?¡± ¡°Yep. So, how do you know it¡¯s the Assistant D.A.?¡± ¡°Well,¡± I sighed. ¡°It has to be someone high in the Avalare government to make sure the investigation with literally all evidence pointing anywhere but to me continues to focus on me. Can¡¯t be the chief of police or the head detective because they already have their own rackets that they¡¯re doing and can¡¯t risk getting caught in something new. So they¡¯re careful. The actual District Attorney genuinely believes in the system, as near as I can tell. So, that just leaves the assistant D.A.¡± ¡°Are you going to do anything about it?¡± ¡°Not immediately. I was planning on leaking it at some point, but I was a little distracted with the wedding, you being in a coma, me being on another planet, me being captured by Bion, leaking Bion¡¯s files, and now a literal fucking terrorist organization committing acts of terror in my name.¡± ¡°Ah. Well, there is only so much time in the day,¡± she said, flipping another page. ¡°So, what should I do?¡± ¡°Is it your responsibility to do something?¡± ¡°Y-yeah. I mean. They¡¯re using my name and my ideas to justify blowing up entire city blocks.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± she responded. ¡°Mm? Mmmmm? That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Well, the first thing you need to do is calm down. You¡¯ve been more erratic than usual. You¡¯re getting sloppy.¡± ¡°Sloppy?¡± ¡°Curt, my love,¡± she sat her book down and leaned forward, cupping my face. ¡°You¡¯ve been running yourself ragged for months, running from one disaster to another, getting hurt, getting captured, and god only knows what else. And it¡¯s made you sloppy.¡± ¡°Sloppy? I . . .¡± I thought about it. I had been more slipshod than usual. Fighting Kari¡¯s no excuse. Or Bion. I shouldn¡¯t be fighting them at all. I should just be avoiding fights. And yet, it seems every few weeks, I forget that and decide to stick my dick into a beehive. I sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right. ??What should I do?¡± Before she could answer, the phone rang. ¡°You should answer that.¡± It was Des. ¡°Hey, Des. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°So, you know how you owe me a billion dollars?¡± ¡°A billion?¡± ¡°I¡¯m adding a stupid tax. Every time you say something stupid, your bill goes up. Two billion.¡± ¡°Okay. I owe you two billion dollars and can¡¯t skate on the bill. I take it you have something in mind to start working it down slightly.¡± ¡°I do,¡± they said, excitedly. ¡°I¡¯m going to hire you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to what? Des, that¡¯s not a good ide-¡± ¡°Four billion,¡± they interrupted me. ¡°Are you just doubling it every time I speak?¡± ¡°Yes. Eight.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not getting out of this am I?¡± ¡°Ooh. He learns.¡± Cindi motioned for the phone. I handed it over, frowning. Whatever they have planned is not going to be good for me. ¡°As a finder¡¯s fee, I¡¯m demanding we implement what we had talked about.¡± There was a pause. I couldn¡¯t hear what Des was saying. ¡°Yes, that. Do try to return him in one piece now.¡± Cindi handed the phone back to me. I immediately asked, ¡°What are you two planning?¡± ¡°Nevermind that. Are you doing anything now? If not, come now.¡± ¡°I was kind of dealing wi-¡± Cindi shot me a look and I wilted and turned away from her. ¡°Fine. I guess that can wait. People are only dying.¡± ¡°For me, too,¡± they responded. The humor had gone from their voice. Must be serious, I thought. ¡°And my patients take priority.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a few minutes.¡±

=== Chuck === After departing with Kari, I got to my office. It was nice being back in the office. I had several appointments throughout the day. I really wish Kari had a more . . . conventional day job. I think it would help ground her, I thought as I checked my list of clients today. It was a full day, which means I wouldn¡¯t be able to patrol until late. I was a little impatient to get back out into the city, but they came first. My first client was a woman who was having a lot of trouble sleeping. After speaking with her for an hour, she revealed to me that her son was moving out and she was just anxious about that. I could¡¯ve prescribed something for it, but talk therapy would be more effective. I convinced her to keep seeing me every other week. We¡¯d probably talk about hobbies and her initiating contact with him. Little things. Definitely better than just medicating her, which is what she came in for. My next patient was a man who was having recurring highly graphic dreams about his neighbor in the neighbor¡¯s new car. He¡¯s gay or bisexual and wants excitement and the sports car is a great vehicle for that. Pun intended. It¡¯d take a few sessions before I could approach that properly. He was Catholic and very afraid of these feelings. Rome wasn¡¯t built in a day. The rest of my clients were less interesting than that. I know it¡¯s callous, but Gods . . . I just want something more to do. I texted Kari to see if she wanted to go on patrol. She said no. I didn¡¯t really feel like going alone. But it would have been worse to just sit in my room alone and do nothing. So, I was going to go out. I donned my costume, smiling to myself. I couldn¡¯t help but conjure the image of Sailor Mind that Kari had crafted. The skirt was incredibly short in her version. Hardly surprising, I suppose, I thought. I flew out. It was a busy night. Tension was high in the city, wafting off of the streets. A miasma of emotion. I frowned. I could open myself to it fully and figure out what was happening more completely. But I didn¡¯t want to. It might be too much. And frankly, I didn¡¯t want the stress right now. I was in a good place. As I flew forward, I sensed a spike of emotion. A familiar spike. I glided down and found Jenny, rage boiling off of her as two people from either side threw things at her. The garbage they were throwing bounced fecklessly off of her shield. I got close enough to hear what they were saying. ¡°Look!¡± She all-but-shouted. ¡°We all need to calm down! It was an accident!¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re taking his side!¡± A man screamed back, tossing a cup of something at her. She rounded on him and the other guy threw something as well. She took a few deep breaths and I landed next to her. ¡°Hey, Jenny. What seems to be the problem?¡± ¡°These two were in a car accident and about to come to blows.¡± I glanced around and saw the smoke rising from the hood of one car and the smashed trunk of another. I grimaced and turned to them. ¡°Gentlemen, I¡¯m sure we ca-¡± ¡°Oh, shut the fuck up, Brain-Boy!¡± One of them shouted. He threw something but I psychically caught it and tossed it in a garbage can next to him, all while giving him my best bored, disapproving teacher look. A look I had mastered a long time ago when I was a teacher¡¯s assistant. He wilted some but the other took the opportunity to throw something else. Jenny charged at him and he managed to jump into his car and out of the way. I sighed. Something had Jenny on edge. And these guys. I opened up to their emotions more fully. Irritation, anger, fear, and pain barraged me and I had to land. I concentrated on it and worked up some mental defenses. There was a lot, but it was just less . . . potent than the last few battles I had been through where this had been a threat. Jenny was mostly just irritated and afraid. And I wasn¡¯t sure why. She rounded on the car and stared him down. She hadn¡¯t been trying to hit him. I knew that. If she wanted to hit something, she hit it. Unless someone ridiculous like Esvanir was involved. I made my way over to the other one. He glared up at me and I just raised an eyebrow. I had made sure that my domino mask was expressive and that my expressions would be easy to read. That way fewer people would be afraid of me. It¡¯s easier to empathize and talk down someone when you can see their face. He blinked first, looking away. He sat down in his car and sighed. A crowd had gathered, as they usually do whenever any superheroes are on a scene for more than a few minutes. The cops pushed their way through to them and started interviewing the two men. With those two handled, I made my way over to Jenny. I could still feel the rage and irritation coming from her but she smiled at me when I got within a few feet. ¡°Hey, Brain. How was your weekend?¡± ¡°Not too bad, Pinky. Better than your day, apparently.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Oh, well. It¡¯s been hectic.¡± ¡°Want to talk about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯d honestly rather just do anything else.¡± ¡°Let me rephrase. Do you need to talk about it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a fucking shrink, you know?¡± She asked, a lopsided grin stretching her lips. ¡°I¡¯m painfully aware,¡± I responded, grinning back at her. ¡°Just got off work and already found more work.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just the Bion stuff, you know. It¡¯s big news and everyone wants a piece of Kari and you and then you just disappear for a few days, not that I blame you.¡± ¡°But you do, a little,¡± I countered. I motioned for us to move away and we started down the street. People were shouting and asking us questions, but, again, I wasn¡¯t up to talking to people. And from what I could sense of Jenny, neither was she. ¡°I . . . Yeah, well. It did make my life harder. People trying to get interviews and soundbites and God only knows what else. Trying to trick us into saying something stupid. As always. The vultures.¡± ¡°Seems like tensions are pretty high.¡± ¡°Well, you did just help arrest the world¡¯s most popular superhero.¡± ¡°What do you think of all of that?¡± ¡°Of you not telling me first? I¡¯m fucking pissed, Chuck.¡± ¡°Understandable. I¡¯m sorry. We should have contacted you, but we didn¡¯t want to give Bion a chance to hide anything. He had the resources.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess. Just . . . the next time you¡¯re going to do some big news like that, shoot me a text. That way, at least I know my life is going to go to hell for a few days.¡± ¡°What about the rest of it?¡± ¡°The rest of it? Bion being responsible for the greatest threat to America . . . To the world since . . . ever? I¡¯m fucking heartbroken, Chuck. He¡¯s my friend. We weren¡¯t super close, but I thought I could count on him. I thought at least the world could count on him. And . . . Chuck?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Do you think she can replace him? Do you think Kari can stand up and be what we need? What the world will need if . . . ?¡± ¡°I . . . I don¡¯t know,¡± I said honestly. ¡°What happens if the Grignau come back? Or something else, just as deadly. Just as terrifying.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll be by her side. No matter what. I¡¯m a hero.¡± I reached over and grabbed her shoulder. ¡°And you¡¯ll be there too. I know it.¡± ¡°And Kari calls me corny. Jesus.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, what can I say?¡± Issue 37: You Can鈥檛 Steal Your Way to Justice

=== Curt === I snapped across the street from Des¡¯ building and looked around, trying to make sure that this wasn¡¯t a trap. Des hadn¡¯t sounded like they were under any kind of stress, so I didn¡¯t think it was probable, but I had been captured enough times for a lifetime. I checked the alley and the street in front of it. There were no suspicious cars or service vehicles. I know Des had been fielding more calls since Smash Gal hadn¡¯t kept their name out of her god damn mouth. But I think after they were questioned by the authorities and they had given them nothing, the cops just gave up. Cindi had gotten Des a different phone to reach us by. I hadn¡¯t thought of it. I really am sloppy these days. I should have done that when I started visiting Des¡¯ office more than twice a year. I snapped to just outside of the office, in the hall, and looked around. I waited for a moment, prepared to get out if there were any signs of danger. No one jumped out and tackled me. So, my luck must have been not the worst. I opened a portal large enough to stick my head through at ground level. I was pretty familiar with Des¡¯ office, so it wasn¡¯t hard to find a place to do this. It was dark, except for the light coming from under the door to Des¡¯ actual office. The place where they did their paperwork and ate lunch and hid from patients. I let the portal close and snapped to just outside the door and knocked on it. After a moment, they opened the door and motioned me in. ¡°Took you long enough.¡± ¡°Needed to check on things.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Make sure I wasn¡¯t going to be arrested immediately upon arrival. That you weren¡¯t being watched.¡± They stared at me for a while. ¡°Curt, do you really think that was necessary?¡± ¡°This is where Smash Gal found me last time. Your association with me is public now.¡± ¡°I . . . I guess so.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s the job?¡± I asked, walking past them and taking the seat. This is where they did interviews and had private conversations that weren¡¯t strictly medical. Their office was cluttered and full of paperwork, medical records, pictures of patients, and events they went to. They helped the entire neighborhood with all kinds of projects and parties to raise money for food. They¡¯re a better person than I am. And I almost ruined their life. Why am I here? Why am I risking them again? I took a few deep breaths, only to realize I had lost track of what Des was saying. ¡°So, that¡¯s what I need.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Des. I missed that entirely. I was . . . I was thinking about something else.¡± ¡°Curt . . . Are you okay?¡± ¡°I . . . You know me, Des. I¡¯m always okay. Nothing can keep me down.¡± I gave them my best smile. Must not be that good, because they shook their head. ¡°Curt, I think you need to talk to someone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking to you right now,¡± I evaded. ¡°You know what I mean.¡± ¡°Who could I talk to, Des? Anyone who isn¡¯t a friend would have to turn me in. And I don¡¯t have any . . . therapist friends.¡± They frowned and passed me a card. I looked at it.
Chuck Berry M.D. Psy.D. Phone: (413) 555-5555 Fax: (413) 555-5556 [email protected]
¡°Call him. Do it now. Leave a message and tell him you want to schedule an appointment.¡± ¡°Des, this is insane.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m on the FBI¡¯s most-wanted list. I can¡¯t go to therapy. I can¡¯t afford to be arrested anymore. I never could, but now with Cindi . . . With . . .What do you expect me to do?¡± ¡°Curt, you¡¯re smart. You¡¯re really fucking smart. But you can¡¯t do this alone. And it¡¯s not fair that you keep pushing your problems onto Cindi and me. We can¡¯t do this for you anymore. We love you. But you¡¯re changing. You¡¯re becoming harder. You¡¯re paranoid. You¡¯re constantly looking over your shoulder. And just last week, you were prepared to die. You¡¯re . . . you¡¯re scaring me, Curt. You¡¯re scaring Cindi.¡± ¡°I need to be harder!¡± I shouted. They flinched and backed away, eyes wide. I took a few deep breaths. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But damn it, Des! What am I supposed to do? I am fighting what in any other time period would be considered a fucking goddess of war! I¡¯ve made enemies of the most powerful people on the planet. And you¡¯re actually telling me that my fear is irrational?¡± ¡°No, Curt. It¡¯s not irrational,¡± they responded in a small voice. ¡°I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re wrong to feel this way. I¡¯m just . . . You¡¯re not taking care of yourself. And what happens if you crack?¡± I stared at the card for a moment, then met their eyes. In a soft voice, I asked, ¡°You think I already have, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I . . . I think you¡¯ve been under a lot of pressure lately and I don¡¯t think you¡¯re coping with it. I think you¡¯re ignoring it and hoping that you will just die and not have to worry about it. And I¡¯m scared, Curt.¡± ¡°I . . . Let me think about it, okay? I . . . You¡¯re probably right . . . But I need . . . I need to find a way to talk about my problems without being locked up.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯ll do it?¡± They asked. I nodded. ¡°Promise me, Curt. Promise me right now.¡± ¡°I promise I¡¯ll try. That¡¯s all I can do, Des. But let¡¯s get back on target. What do you need me to steal?¡±

=== Kari === I flew through the city, stretching my arms out. It felt good. The media firestorm around me had finally died down. People were still talking about it, but there had been like ten huge stories that had pushed me lower on people¡¯s priority list. A fight had broken out at an award show; some celebrity¡¯s nudes were leaked and she responded by doing a full nude spread to reclaim control; Esvanir and Cherry were back up to their games, having stolen stuff from eight places in the past few weeks. At least most of them seemed to be them. There were a few that were that copycat that was going around. But I wasn¡¯t very focused on any of that. I was much more invested in living in the moment for the first time in a long time. Chuck and I had gone on some more dates and things had been fine. Just fine. He was always companionable. We went on patrol some nights and got dinner some other nights. The media did have a field day with that. The paparazzi had gotten images of us. We were in costume, fortunately. But now all of our dates had to be in costume, which made things a little awkward. One of the benefits was that I did get to see Professor Mind in a superhero/formal wear fusion. Chuck has some interesting ideas about fashion. He darkened his color scheme, using the dark blue that was typically an accent on him and using that as the primary. He created himself a cute little bow-tie. His logo became a pin on the lapel. But he kept the domino mask. The people at the restaurant found it very funny. So did I. But it was also cute. That was one of the photos that had been making the rounds. He was currently off talking to Jenny about getting him a fashion sense. Right now, I was just flying through the city and looking for basically anything to do. I didn¡¯t really feel like stopping any minor crimes and the supervillain front had been quiet for a while. There were occasional breakouts of prison or people who thought they could just get away with things now that Bion was arrested. But between Thunderblast, the Cannoneer, Professor Mind, myself, and a few other minor leaguers, there wasn¡¯t really enough to go around. Not to mention the fact that so few can actually stand up to me anymore. So, I just watched the city. I landed on a tall building and let the cool evening air pass by me. Having slowed down, I saw something. There was a figure jumping from rooftop to rooftop. It¡¯s probably just someone doing parkour, I thought. Whoever it was, they were tiny. I watched them launch themselves high off of a building and land in a roll and continue running in one smooth motion. Whoever they are, they¡¯re good. I watched them stop and peer over the ledge of the building they were on. Then they ducked down. They¡¯re following someone. Curious, I let myself fall off of the building. I soared down six or seven stories before catching myself and flying still well above them. But as I got closer, I could see more details. They seemed familiar. They were still very short. Maybe a little over four feet tall. But that didn¡¯t stop them from running, jumping a ten-foot gap and landing perfectly on the next building as they continued stalking someone. Their prey must have gone across the street because they sat waiting for a few moments before flipping over the ledge and slowly making their way down to the street. And that¡¯s when I got a good look at their face. And I recognized it. It was Suiren. I flew around the building to make sure I saw what I thought I saw, but it had to be her. What other four-foot-tall person can parkour like that? When I got to the other side of the building she had disappeared. I frowned and landed on the street, looking around. ¡°There¡¯s no fucking way she got away.¡± I started to walk away, then something caught my eye. I stopped. Someone was hiding in the alley behind a dumpster. I could see their foot. I blasted down the alleyway and stopped, hovering just above Suiren. She sighed and looked at me and said, ¡°You¡¯re getting better at noticing things.¡± ¡°Hard not to when I can see everything for miles around me. What are you doing?¡± ¡°Nothing that concerns you. Go away.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t follow someone with me around?¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t. You¡¯re like six-feet-tall and hot pink.¡± ¡°Who are you following? And why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your problem, Kari. I¡¯m your teacher. Listen to me. Go away!¡± She shouted, waving her arms out. ¡°Ren, c¡¯mon. Maybe I can help. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°She¡¯s looking for me,¡± a voice said from down the alley. I looked and it was a woman in dark black armor that had a faintly purple hue to it. ¡°Lady Blade. You were tailing Lady Blade? Are you insane?¡± ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have had a chance to don her armor if it weren¡¯t for you!¡± Ren countered. Lady Blade brandished her sword and sent a torrent of flame down the tight corridor. The world slowed down for me. At least that¡¯s how it seems when I actually start focusing on something. I charged forward, spinning through the flames to disperse them. I felt the heat try to spread over my clothes, but fire doesn¡¯t do well at Mach 1. I glanced back and the fire hadn¡¯t reached Ren. Thank God, I thought. ¡°Lady Blade, surrender! I¡¯m taking you in.¡± ¡°Just because you took down that sinner Bion doesn¡¯t mean you can take me down too! Especially since you let the police do your dirty work!¡± She slashed at me. I sidestepped the sword and slammed a fist into her armor. She rolled with the punch and used the momentum to spin and slash at me again and I dodged again. ¡°You should really just turn yourself in. I¡¯m a lot better than I was the last time we fought.¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± The woman asked. She started attacking relentlessly. But I had trained with Suiren and her grandmother and their entire class of black belts at the same time. She was fast, incredibly fast. But she was one person. In a few seconds, she had slashed maybe ten times. But none of them hit me. I reached through her flurry and heard Ren¡¯s voice. ¡°Kari! Don¡¯t!¡± But it was too late. As I reached into her blazing purple lines ignited in the air. My arm was caught in a cage of her fire. Damn it! How¡¯d I fall for another trap!? I had thought she had been slashing at random, trying to catch me off-guard with a stray blow, but I hadn¡¯t even considered the magic of the sword. The fire sliced through my arm and I grimaced. I tried to pull away, but my arm was stuck. Pain started flowing through my arm. I watched Lady Blade raise her sword, preparing to disarm me. Literally. But a figure launched herself off of the wall and ax-kicked down onto the woman¡¯s shoulder. Unfortunately, Suiren just doesn¡¯t have a lot of weight behind her and basically bounced off of the heavy armor. She caught herself in a roll and tried to sweep Lady Blade¡¯s leg, but her foot just clanked loudly against the leg armor. Lady Blade, not missing a beat, swept her sword down at Ren and I screamed, trying to wrench my arm from the cage. My teacher rolled through her legs and threw herself bodily against her opponent¡¯s back who didn¡¯t so much as stumble. The taller one spun around and slashed through the air, wavering purple smoke trailing behind it. Suiren managed to duck under it. Then from her crouching position, she rocketed up off of the ground and slammed her tiny fist into Lady Blade¡¯s jaw, who did stumble back. Angrily she brandished her sword, a tongue of flame licking out at the pavement, that promptly started melting. She took a step forward and brought her sword down at Ren, who tried to dodge admirably. But Lady Blade was at the peak of her physical strength. And Suiren was eight. But, as I¡¯ve said many times, I am Smash Gal. I screamed in a rage as the swordswoman angled her blade at my teacher¡¯s throat. And the sword bounced off. All three of us froze for a second. Breathing heavily, I realized what had happened. I had created a forcefield around Suiren. Why hadn¡¯t I thought of that before? Stupid, Kari. You¡¯re stupid! I tried to free my arm again, but the flaming tendrils wouldn¡¯t relent. I flexed my arm and pain bit into it. Lady Blade turned to me and prepared to slash at me. I took a deep breath and had an idea. I created another forcefield. This time around my arm. I pushed it in between my arm and the tendrils of flame, prying them up in what seemed to be an agonizingly slow action. Just as Lady Blade brought her blade down, I reinforced my forcefield and her blade bounced off again. I felt my field crack, but it didn¡¯t matter. I tore my arm free. There was a spider-web of marks going down my arm but that didn¡¯t matter. What did matter is that the cage collapsed on itself. And then exploded outward. Lady Blade and I were thrown forward. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Fuck! Suiren. What happened to Suiren? I picked myself up off of the ground and looked around. Suiren had used the building as cover and she was fine. Covered in soot and sweating profusely, but fine. The building, however, was destroyed. The explosion had destroyed the walls of both buildings, fire claiming the insides. Whatever she had done was like a bomb. Dust and debris slowly settled to the ground. Lady Blade picked herself up off of the ground, gripping her sword, and spun violently, sending out a whirlwind of violet flames at us. Suiren couldn¡¯t dodge them. I was still slightly woozy from the blast and I don¡¯t think I could have spun them out again. I launched myself off of the ground and scooped up Suiren. My flight was a little unsteady and my ears were ringing, but it was the best thing. I retreated. Again. Fuck! I knew it was the right thing to do. I couldn¡¯t go as hard as I needed to and protect Suiren. And I was not going to let anything happen to her.

=== Curt === ¡°I need you to get me into Horizon Medical. They¡¯re a pharmaceutical company.¡± ¡°Okay. And why do I need to bring you there? Why can¡¯t I just grab whatever you need and bring it back to you.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m not exactly sure of what I¡¯m looking for,¡± Des said simply. ¡°So I need to be there to find it.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s ridiculous. If you tell me what I¡¯m looking for, I can find it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a medical data report and a chemical examination. Can you read those?¡± ¡°I could figure it out,¡± I replied defensively. ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re a doctor now? Tell me, doctor. What do you do when a patient is experiencing severe tachycardia?¡± ¡°You call Doctor House. He¡¯ll send in Foreman to shock the patient with some defibrillators and that makes it better.¡± ¡°Well, House isn¡¯t available. I am. And I need to examine the reports. I think a medicine they have released is causing it and I want to see if they knew about it. And get a look at the ingredients list to see if it¡¯s likely to cause it.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I just download the files and bring them to you?¡± ¡°This company¡¯s very litigious. As soon as they figure out they were broken into they¡¯ll destroy all of the files and if you grab the wrong files, then we¡¯ll have nothing. Now let¡¯s get going.¡± ¡°No! Absolutely not. This is not happening. I¡¯m not taking you on a theft. It¡¯s a bad idea.¡± So we had broken into the Horizon Medical Research firm on the west coast. Pharmaceutical companies could generally give security firms a run for their money in paranoia and overkill when it came to security. Which is why I didn¡¯t want to bring Des along. But they insisted. The jerk. With that said, few places can prepare for Esvanir. We made it past the guards and teleported to the camera blindspots until we were finally in one of the research labs. I gave Des a hard-drive with a program that would brute force its way into the system. I kept watch. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± I asked them, as I watched for any sign of life down the halls. ¡°Why am I doing what?¡± ¡°Why are you really here, stealing something? You have never wanted to do anything like this before.¡± ¡°I . . . This company is killing people, Curt. Wouldn¡¯t you do the same thing?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been told that I¡¯m unreasonable and can¡¯t steal my way to justice.¡± ¡°And you listened to that crap? Since when?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who said it.¡± ¡°I did?¡± ¡°Yeah, the second time we met.¡± ¡°I . . . I don¡¯t remember that.¡±

=== Flashback ===

The first time we met was just after I had created my rig. It was just after midnight. You had just opened your practice. I hadn¡¯t done my calculations right and I had left behind a foot of skin inside some concrete somewhere. I was in agony and was bleeding profusely. Des had the closest Doctor¡¯s practice I knew about. I didn¡¯t know their preferred name, yet. They were listed under Doctor Aaditri Desai. But they were my best option at the time. Going to the emergency room would mean I¡¯d have to answer a bunch of questions that I couldn¡¯t think of any good lies to answer. So I broke into their office. Unfortunately, I made a lot of noise doing it. I had managed to pick the lock just fine, but I had lost a lot of blood and didn¡¯t see the table. I tripped over it and overturned a chair and the table, throwing the magazines on it everywhere. After picking myself up off of your floor, I got to one of the exam rooms and tore it apart. Their practice looked the same on the surface as it does now. But they have a lot of cool stuff in their cabinets because of me. A shaky voice called out from behind me, ¡°W-who are you? What are you doing?¡± There was the distinctive clicking noise of a gun being cocked. I raised my arms. Or tried to. One of them was covered in blood and had gone numb. I looked over my shoulder and responded, ¡°I¡¯m just here for some supplies?¡± ¡°Supplies?¡± Des asked. They haven¡¯t changed much over the years. The bags under their eyes were a little less pronounced. But they were still rail-thin, still wearing androgynous clothes, still had long black hair that framed their face. Though, there are a few gray hairs there now. Probably from knowing me. I took a risk. I took out my phone, selected a spot in my little GPS mod, and teleported to just before them, and with my good hand, grabbed the gun and pulled it. They shot me. Des shot me. But the shock of the sound caused their grip to loosen. I grimaced and tucked the gun into my waistband and stumbled over. They just stared at me as I went through their cabinets, looking for anything. I grabbed some gauze and slammed it onto the table and tried to work my shirt off. I struggled with it for a full minute before Des came back to reality. They had finally realized that my arm was bloody. They rushed over and helped me. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Skiing accident,¡± I lied. ¡°Skiing accident,¡± they repeated, bemused. ¡°In July.¡± ¡°In Australia. Just got back. They didn¡¯t want an American taking their health care.¡± ¡°Uh-huh. Come over here. Sit.¡± I did so and they started cleaning out my wound. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I shot you.¡± ¡°Happens,¡± I said through gritted teeth. I was in a lot of pain. But I had successfully teleported. I needed to refine the system. Military GPS was way more accurate than the commercial ones I was using. I could probably get into a military site and piggyback off of that. Maybe. Or I could just find another military-grade satellite and co-opt that. Shouldn¡¯t be too hard, I thought as they started wrapping up my wound. ¡°How¡¯d you do that?¡± ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°You were ten feet away and then right in front of me. Are you a meta?¡± They asked as they pushed me back and looked at the gunshot wound. ¡°Amateur magician, actually. I¡¯d do a card trick but my arm. You understand.¡± ¡°Do you ever tell the truth!?¡± They demanded, annoyed. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re never going to see me again. So, my medical records are hardly necessary.¡± ¡°I¡¯d settle for your name,¡± they said, deflating. ¡°Bullet went straight through. You¡¯ll just need stitches.¡± ¡°I think I can handle that much on my own,¡± I muttered, sitting up. They put their hand on my chest and pushed me back down. ¡°Stop it. It¡¯ll only take a minute. Then you can go back to Austrian magic skiing.¡± ¡°Australian.¡± ¡°Does it matter? It¡¯s a lie, either way.¡± They finished stitching me up. Even back then, they were the best. I felt a little guilty that I didn¡¯t help them clean up. As soon as they turned their back to me, I brought out my phone and teleported home. It was risky. But easier to do that than it was to risk any more questions. Though, when I was breaking into Wan En to borrow one of their satellites, I had found a prototype for a special type of gauze. I took the patent and all but one of the prototypes and I teleported it into Des¡¯ office with a note.
Doctor, I don¡¯t have any money to pay you for patching me up, but I wanted to give you something for the trouble. These are a special type of gauze that adheres to the wounds and compresses them. Also supposed to be shower safe. Hope it¡¯s useful. Curt the Magnificent Skiing Magician
Unfortunately, I used them a few more times. I wasn¡¯t as experienced as I am now. I got shot, landed from high places, and broke more than a few bones. Instead of seeing them, I chose to forge some prescriptions to get pain meds. Which ultimately didn¡¯t help with the accuracy problems I was having. I never saw them. Each time I did, I¡¯d leave behind some new piece of technology or a useful tool. Their practice had improved a lot in that time. And I was content to do that. But I got shot a few times. Well, technically, I got shot 27 times. None of them were fatal, obviously. At least not immediately. But I was in a lot of pain. So, I broke into their office again. This time directly. I didn¡¯t know that Des¡¯ apartment was above the practice. And I wasn¡¯t trying to make a lot of noise. But once you¡¯re out a few pints of blood, it¡¯s hard to notice. One of the items I had given them was something to help retrieve bullets easier. And I didn¡¯t know where they had hidden it. In the middle of my search, in the dark, the exam room illuminated only by my bloody flashlight, I heard the same sound of a gun being cocked. I sighed and turned, hands raised. They were shaking, but I got both of them in the air. ¡°Come back to steal more scripts? Or to leave behind more ill-gotten gains?¡± They asked. ¡°To use some of the ill-gotten gains, actually. I¡¯d steal it again, but I don¡¯t really have the time. And your office has terrible security.¡± ¡°Not that many people can get through a deadbolt with no signs of entry. I assume that¡¯s your little magic trick?¡± ¡°You got it. I hid in the plant in your waitin-¡± I didn¡¯t finish the statement. The world shifted and I was on the floor, suddenly. I tried to stand up, but the doctor was right there. ¡°Fuck! What the hell did you do?¡± I looked down at myself. ¡°I . . . I got shot. A lot.¡± ¡°Yeah, no shit. I need to get you to an emergency room. There¡¯s no way . . .¡± They trailed off as they reached for their phone. I grabbed their arm. ¡°No emergency room. Thief, remember?¡± ¡°You¡¯re an idiot! You¡¯ve lost so much blood!¡± ¡°Just patch me up,¡± I said weakly. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± They did just that. I must have passed out at some point because I woke up as a mummy in one of their exam chairs. They weren¡¯t there. I pulled myself up slowly, groaning. They had taken my phone. Fuck! I thought. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuckety fuck fuck! Without that, I couldn¡¯t make a clean getaway. They had also taken my rig. I groaned. I got up and shambled out to the waiting room. I looked around. No one was there. I needed to get my things back. So I couldn¡¯t just leave yet. I found the stairs and made my way, stumbling up them. There¡¯s only one floor above Des¡¯ practice. I knocked on the door. They answered. They looked haggard and exhausted. But my phone was in their hand. ¡°That¡¯s mine. I need it back.¡± ¡°What if I said no?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯d take it,¡± I said simply. It wasn¡¯t a threat. ¡°I need it.¡± ¡°And I need to know how you keep doing what you do. I know where you got shot. I figured that much out.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t keep a lock on your phone,¡± they responded, handing it over to me. I took it and pocketed it. ¡°And my rig?¡± ¡°Not until we talk.¡± ¡°Doctor Desai, I don¡¯t think we have anything to talk about. You¡¯re not involved.¡± ¡°I¡¯m breaking the law!¡± They shouted. ¡°I¡¯m not reporting a gunshot. I could lose my license! I could go to jail!¡± ¡°If you had reported it, I would¡¯ve been killed,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°What?¡± ¡°That place I came from. The place I was shot. It¡¯s a cop¡¯s stash.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Des whispered desperately. ¡°I was trying to get evidence. And some of the stuff they were hiding there.¡± ¡°To sell.¡± ¡°To substantiate my claim. The chief of police keeps all kinds of his dirty laundry there. And if I can prove it, I can tear out one chunk of corruption in this fucking city.¡± ¡°Is that what this is all about? Trying to correct the corruption.¡± ¡°Trying to make the world a less shitty place, doctor.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t steal your way to justice.¡± ¡°They stole it first. I¡¯m just evening the odds.¡± They looked at me suspiciously. ¡°The police?¡± ¡°The police, corporations, politicians. They stole everything and left people with scraps. People are struggling and dying out there. And I can do something about it.¡± I watched some of the tenseness drain from them and they just looked at me, almost dumbstruck. ¡°A-and how are you going to do that if you¡¯re dead?¡± ¡°It would be more difficult.¡± ¡°You stole some prescriptions. I looked at them. They were for pain meds. What did you do?¡± ¡°Some of it was for me. Some were for other people. I had broken a few bones. And needed a way of dealing with the pain. Can I have my rig back now?¡± ¡°I need you to promise me something.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a thief. Think you can trust me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re an idiot. So, yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably fair. What is it?¡± ¡°When you¡¯re hurt, you come to me. Day or night. You let me know that you¡¯re hurt.¡± ¡°Because . . . If you mean what you say. If you¡¯re genuinely trying to make the world a better place . . . Maybe you¡¯re right. Maybe you can steal your way to justice. Besides, I really like the toys you bring me.¡±

=== Present Day ===

¡°I did it!¡± Des shouted, bringing me back to the real world. I shook my head and focused in again. ¡°Got the files?¡± I asked, looking around. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m starting the transfer right now. They knew about it, Curt! I was right.¡± ¡°Of course, you were,¡± I said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. Because it was. ¡°You believed in me.¡± ¡°I always believe you, Des. I just think you should leave the thieving to me and Cin.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you shouldn¡¯t steal your way to justice. You can make a difference in the light. I work in the shadows.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not in the shadows anymore, Curt. And I¡¯m not in the light anymore.¡± I checked my phone. This had taken too long. But there was little we could do about it now. I checked the status of the transfer. Des was just transferring the whole database after all. Probably to look for more signs of malpractice, I thought. I checked Twitter. Generally, my mentions were a disaster, so I avoided them. But this time I saw something. ¡°Fuck!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re right. Again. I am going to need therapy.¡± ¡°Well, duh. But why are you saying that?¡± ¡°My parents did an interview with the news.¡± Issue #38: Curt Levels of Stupid

=== Chuck === Someone had left a voicemail on my office line late at night requesting an appointment. That wasn''t so unusual. He said he had been referred by a doctor. Which was also not weird. What was strange was that he sounded exactly like Curtis Reese. The Esvanir. But that wasn''t possible. There''s no way that Reese would be that stupid. But the name he had left had to be fake. Bob Demoise? No one would ever go by such a silly name. Usually, I wouldn''t be the one to make the call, but I was curious. I called him back, and he answered blearily. "Hello?" It still sounded like Reese. "Hello, is this Bob Demoise? This is Doctor Berry." "Oh, right." His voice cleared up a little bit. "Can you fit me in, doc?" "Yes. There was an opening in my schedule for this week. Are you available?" He was. Most of the week up until then was exactly the same as every other week. Tedious. Except for the few times I went out with Kari. Some on patrol and some on dates. Kari was apprehensive about it but also seemed to enjoy herself. And I was content. We had dinner as Smash Gal and Professor Mind. I would have preferred to be Kari and Chuck, but with her identity and celebrity status, it just wasn''t feasible. One of our dinners had been interrupted by a bank robbery, which almost resulted in us dining and dashing. We had managed to resolve that, fortunately. When it finally came in for ''Bob''s'' appointment, I was not surprised to see Curtis Reese sitting in my waiting room. His leg was shaking, and he looked exhausted. His quaffed hair was a little shabbier than usual. A spike of apprehension spread out through my chest when he looked up at me. Especially when his eyes narrowed. He pursed his lips and stood up and held out his hand. "Doctor." "Mister . . . Demoise." I took his hand and shook it. Fear, anxiety, anger, fatigue, and paranoia all hummed through him constantly. There was also pain. A lot of pain. I can sense some level of both physical pain and emotional pain. Physical pain is just a faint phantom sense that echoes in the area where the other person is experiencing it. I can block it out. Emotional pain varies. People feel emotions differently, and it affects the way their bodies react to them. Even without opening myself to his feelings, this man was overwhelming. His body was strained; his muscles were all tight, especially around the jaw and neck; his stomach was roiling from not eating. He held his anxiety in his shoulders and chest. I took a deep breath, closing him out slowly. I''d still be able to read the emotions, but I''d never be able to focus with the constant waves coming off him. I led him back into the room and closed the door. He didn''t sit. Instead, he looked around and examined everything. I made my way over to my chair. I didn''t sit until he did. "Is everything okay, Mister Re- . . . Bob? Do you prefer Bob or Robert?" He didn''t answer immediately. He just continued to look around. "Mister Demoise?" "Oh, uh. It doesn''t matter. Don''t stress about that." He looked at the overstuffed couch I had in the room as he sat down. I sat down across from him and watched him. "So, what brings you in today?" "I . . . I''ve been informed that I am not handling my stress in a reasonable way. It was suggested I reach out to someone, and you were recommended by a fri- . . . By my primary care physician." I smiled at him. Doctor Desai, no doubt. "You don''t sound so sure about that." "They have a point. I just don''t know that there''s anything to be done. I''m pretty stressed out but in my line of work . . . I''m in IT, so I get a lot of demanding people constantly wanting me to do impossible things all the time," he added defensively. Even if I hadn''t known who he was, I would have picked up on that lie. "Is there anything else that you''re stressed about, or is it just work?" His leg was shaking again. He kept glancing around the room. "You could always get another job. You seem like a smart, capable person. I''m sure you could do some good in the world." "It''s not really an option," he said. I could see him trying to find a way to justify his lie. ¡°I . . . Uh . . . What I do in IT . . . It helps people. I''m pretty good at it. Second best I''ve ever met. And if I just stopped, a lot of things would . . ." He stopped, staring at my face for a moment. He didn''t make much eye contact, but I couldn''t help but feel uncomfortable when he did. The way he focused on things. Between that and his sharp, angular features and the possibility that he finally realized who I was, I couldn''t help it. I pushed myself back into the chair. I could feel suspicion coming off of him in waves. He sighed and took a breath, and looked down. Paranoia, I thought, possibly narcissistic personality disorder. Anger problems. Trust issues. I sat there puzzling out the things I had seen in this man, both on the news and from our previous interactions. Should I even be doing this? I know him. I know who he is. But if I say that I can''t help him, where could he go? He''s obviously struggling. And he obviously needs therapy. But we won''t get anywhere if we have to talk behind this false persona. Navigating that is too hard. Then again, if I push too hard, he''ll bolt. He chose teleportation as a power for a reason. Running away for a reason. "Mister . . . Demoise. Can we please speak frankly for a moment?" "W-what do you mean? I thought we were already." "We''re not. We haven''t been for the first . . . twenty minutes of the session," I responded, glancing at my watch. "I think I can help you. But the issue is that you''re lying to me. And I get it . . . Mister Reese. You''re an international criminal. Esvanir." He jumped up and held out his hand, the hand that Kari had broke. It was in better condition than it should have been, so quickly. His device wrapped around his hand. His eyes were wide, and he was breathing heavily. "Mister Reese . . . I''m not going to turn you in. Please. Hear me out. Sit down." He did so, but he didn''t put his device away. I eyed it. Until he said something. "You seem pretty calm. Do you often work with terrorists on most-wanted lists?" "No." I took a deep breath. "No, I do not. But I also don''t believe you''re a terrorist, Mister Reese. And this is a special circumstance. I want to help you." "I''m not going to stop. You have to know that, right?" He asked, rage coloring his voice. "I understand that, Reese. You believe what you''re doing is not only right but of the utmost importance." He soured at my wording, and I shook my head. "I didn''t say I disagreed. Some of my favorite people in the world do things that are . . . illegal but important." "So, you''re a fan of capes," he accused. "Capes?" I asked. "C''mon. You''re obviously smarter than that. You . . ." He squinted at me again, trying to piece something together. "This is going to come up eventually. You''ll figure it out," I sighed. "Please do not run. Hear me out." I transformed. I shifted from my dress shirt and slacks to my superhero costume. Reese didn''t look surprised. But he did look angry. He started glancing around the room, waiting for something. "Well, where is she?" "She?" "Don''t play fucking stupid!" He shouted. I closed my eyes and blocked out his rage; I had prepared myself for this. I had been mentally training in case we got into another fight, and the training paid off. "Kari isn''t coming, Reese." "Do you honestly think you can take me without her?" He asked, raising his hand. "I don''t want to, Mister Reese. I am not here to capture you. I wasn''t even sure it was you until you showed up in my office. But I do think that I''m one of the few people who can help you." "And why would you do that? After everything you''ve done to me, how could I trust you?" He asked, deflating. His rage was still there. His anger. His pain. But they were all overwhelmed by exhaustion. "How long have you been on the run?" "I don''t know. Six months? Whenever Kari streamed that time I broke my hands on her ridiculously hard head." I laughed; I couldn''t help it. He glared at me. "I''m sorry, Ree-" "Drei," he corrected. "Drei?" I asked. "I took Cindi''s last name." "Oh. That''s unusual. Why do you think you did that?" "Because she wanted me to. So I wanted to. ''A rose by any other name'', and all that. She has her brand to worry about." "Technically, so do you." This time he laughed bitterly. "That''s funny?" "I never wanted to be a brand. I was content to be in the shadows. Kari ruined that. Now I''m stuck being a cultural touchstone of sorts. And it''s getting people killed." I thought about it. He never really seemed to desire the spotlight. That makes narcissism less likely. "I assume you''re talking about the Acolytes. That terrorist group working in your name. You don''t have any affiliation?" "No! I don''t operate like that. C''mon, Mind. You should know better than that. I kill people in self-defense. I don''t blow up buildings. I''ve never needed to." I left the fact that he had almost killed Smash Gal, Bion, and I unsaid. He probably did consider that self-defense. I suppose it is; I remembered what he said back on the Grignau planet. I don''t like killing people. She tried to kill Cindi. If it were just me, I wouldn''t care, but she hurt the woman I love. Then I remembered that his parents had been interviewed. Kari had talked about it. She said that they hadn''t treated Curt at all like what the interview said. I put all of the pieces together. His childhood was difficult; his parents were verbally and physically abusive, according to Kari. Given his overall paranoia, that seems pretty likely. He grew up poor and miserable. He raged against people in power who weren''t doing what he felt they should. Unable to stomach it and unwilling to let someone else do it, he took it upon himself. He figured out how to do it. It''s not arrogance or narcissism; It''s trauma. He doesn''t trust anyone else to do what he does. Probably not even Buck Cherry. Not entirely, anyway. I looked at him. He hadn''t moved. But he was still primed to disappear at the first sign of trouble. I had to do something to earn his trust. His friends were right. If he wasn''t careful, he might end up like those Acolytes. He had been on the run, constantly fighting and struggling for months. And I hadn''t helped with that at all; I had made it worse. Gods, help me.

=== Cindi === With Curt out and about, I had some free time to repay the favor I owed to Tierra. She was still in town playing with Des. And that should be payment enough for both of them, I thought. But I am a woman of my word. Sometimes. I contacted her. She answered the phone tiredly, "Yello." "Tierra, darling. How is Des?" "At work," Tierra answered. "They don''t want to just live off of my kindness. Can you believe that?" "I can. Between them and Curt, I think we might have fallen in with a bad crowd. People who believe in things and want to make the world a better place." "God, don''t remind me. They''re cute, though," Tierra said fondly. "Curt, too, I guess." "You don''t care for him, do you?" "He''s just . . . really intense. His emotions are always so . . . raw." "Hmm. That''s strange, considering how he processes everything so carefully. Tries to reason through everything." "Probably an overcorrection. Anyway, enough about your husband. Can''t believe you let someone pin you down. Jeez." "I do the pinning most nights. And if I am pinned, it''s not usually his decision," I said, grinning. "Enough, breeder. What''s up?" "Thought we could get your painting back. Was wondering if you wanted to see how the world''s greatest thief does her thing." "World''s greatest thief? Cherry, sugah, surely you don''t mean you. I''ve never been caught. Especially not by some vanilla." Her tone was filled with disgust. I saw what Curt meant. Metas like me and Tierra underestimate people like him. And yet he is constantly around proving us wrong. Though, he''s hardly your average person. "Well, it just so happens that we are going to see said vanilla." "You gave my painting to . . ." "Are you in, or are you out?" I asked, examining my nails. Truthfully, it would be better to have her on the job. I needed backup. If for no other reason than I needed someone to stop me from doing something stupid. Curt levels of stupid. "Of course, I''m in. How else will you learn the truth?" "The truth?" "That I''m better than you and your husband combined." I could hear the grin over the phone. I rolled my eyes and smiled. "Of course. Be ready in ten minutes." Ten minutes later, I appeared in the hotel room she was keeping in Avalare. She was wearing her outfit; it was black on black on black. But she did make it look good. We disappeared and reappeared several time zones away. In Europe. Curt had kept track of where he had been staying. Mainly to avoid him. After all, the only person that pissed Curt off more than Smash Gal was this man. I could see the mountainous silhouette through the window and gritted my teeth. The only one who hated him more than Curt did was me. I almost teleported directly to that room and killed him then and there. Tierra put a hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay, Cher?" "Yeah," I managed to say through gritted teeth. "Bad memories is all. Let''s go." We walked over to the gate. There were guards in a little station just inside the walls. This was an older building, and they had retrofitted many of the man''s more absurd security measures. In some cases, it was a matter of choosing between aesthetics and security. Surprisingly, he opted for aesthetics in several instances. To cover for that, he had hired more guards. Which was where Tierra came in. Several men were cycling through their watches. She stretched out her arms and released a wave of calming energy. I didn''t know how else to explain it. It wasn''t enough to knock anyone out. Just kind of kept them from being really enthusiastic about reacting. I noticed some of the effect on me. I pushed it away. You could do that if you were ready for it. They hadn''t been. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. I teleported us onto the villa''s grounds. The doors didn''t have any glass, so I couldn''t just teleport sight unseen inside. I could''ve maybe estimated it, but Curt said that was dangerous, so I refused. I took out my thieves'' tools. It had actually been one of the wedding gifts he had bought me, with real money. He''s so cute. Tierra asked, "Can''t you just phase through?" "Maybe, but more and more people are using those electric currents in their security designs. And this man knows that''s one of my weaknesses." "Is he expecting you?" "He probably is." I picked the lock. Curt had made me practice a lot. And it was a good idea. This one was very complicated. As I opened the door, I did start to phase through it, just to see if I could have. I felt the familiar, disconcerting buzz of electricity running through it. I frowned and stepped in. The bottom floor was a mishmash of different cultures thrown together haphazardly, with no concern for history or even basic design sense. This isn''t art. It''s a display of control, I thought, frowning. Opulence. We wandered through several rooms, all of which were overstuffed with exhibits. Some from each culture. The statue of Baast was prominently displayed. I froze, staring at it. How had he gotten it out of the country? I wanted it. But first things first. I had to get Tierra''s painting. It was in the same room. A vast, heavy display of a Don Quixote charging at windmills off in the distance. I never liked the painting. But Tierra wanted it. I examined the frame and the wall around it. The wall was actually built around the piece, which would make removing it a pain in the ass. I put my hand on the wall and started to phase through, only to feel the same electric buzz. "Damn it! Even on the display walls!" "You stumped already?" Tierra asked. "No. Absolutely not," I said, thinking through the problem. I should have planned more before coming. I grabbed the bag from Tierra''s shoulder and took out a drill and one of Curt''s batteries. I knocked on the wall, looking for a stud. There was one going entirely around the painting. I found one of the wires that caused the current to run through the wall and attached the battery. I activated it, and the lights dimmed for a moment. Then sirens started ringing, and the doors slammed and locked. "Fuck!"

==== Kari === I was in Ren''s dojo. I stretched out the fingers on my left arm; it hurt a lot. There were marks that had laced around it from the trap Lady Blade had sprung on me. I was furious with myself. After we had gotten back, Suiren had gone immediately to bed. I saw her grandmother follow her, but neither would speak to me. I really pissed Suiren off. I laid back and stared up at the ceiling. I seem to be doing that a lot lately. I must''ve fallen asleep at some point because the sun was up when I opened my eyes. I yawned and stretched. It was one of the things that living here for a short time had instilled in me. I needed to stay limber. I walked out into the courtyard, and several people nodded to me deferentially. I smiled at them. Suiren''s grandmother stepped up to me. "Good morning, my pupil." "Hey. How''s Ren?" "She''s pretty mad at you. She thinks you let Lady Blade get away again." I stared despondently at my feet, trying to think of a response. She''s kind of right, I thought. The old woman patted my arm and then started forward. "Let''s get some breakfast, dear." I followed her. We went to the kitchen, where several people chopped various vegetables and meats. They owned a local garden and farm not too far away, and their food was brought from there. The old woman pulled a cutting board out and placed it in front of me and then one for herself. She grabbed some of the vegetables and put a knife in front of each of us. I picked it up. "Why are we doing this?" "You seem to have a lot on your mind, Kari," she said simply as she started to cut some leeks. "Sometimes doing something simple can help you focus." We chopped through a lot of vegetables. I had to carefully regulate my speed and strength, so I didn''t break the knife. My mind did start to wander not too long after. I considered the fight, frowning. I''m still not fighting as good as I can! I chided myself. I forced myself to loosen my grip on the knife before I crushed it, taking a deep breath. But the forcefields are pretty effective against her. If I could get better at those . . . I let the thought drift, considering what I could do. Chuck had a pitching machine fire baseballs at him until he got good at catching them. But I think I need something a little stronger than that. I stared down at the onion I had been chopping. I had minced it. I loaded it off into a bowl and took another one, reaching for the knife again. I froze, thinking. Maybe . . . I concentrated and created a small forcefield in the rough shape of the blade. I sliced down. A dent appeared on the onion, but it didn''t cut through. I pressed down harder, and the onion exploded, sending bits everywhere. People looked around at the mess I had made. Suiren''s grandmother smiled at me. "What were you trying to do?" "I was trying to see if the forcefields I create sometimes can be used like a knife." "Didn''t work," she remarked, pulling a piece of onion out of her hair. "Guess not." "Why do you think that is?" She asked, returning to her chopping. "I think it was too dull. I''ve never had to create such a thin forcefield before." "Hmm. Do you think doing that would be useful?" The older woman asked. I shrugged. "Forcefields are what allowed me to get Ren out of there. To escape Lady Blade''s weird trap. "Trap?" "Ren didn''t tell you?" I asked. She shook her head, watching me. "Well, she started slashing at me like a mad-woman. I thought she was just desperate to catch up with me now that I can actually dodge. But I went to hit her and this weird flame cage wrapped around my arm, and I was stuck there. Until I pushed a forcefield in between my arm and the fire. Then when I pulled it out, it exploded." "That''s. . . Do you think you could remember how she slashed her sword?" "Uh . . . Maybe?" I asked, unsure of it. "Show me." We went out to the courtyard, and she tossed me a kendo sword. I caught it effortlessly. I closed my eyes and tried to emulate Lady Blade''s stance. It felt weird, and I adjusted it several times, trying to emulate the ease she moved with. It was amazing that she could do this in a full armor set. I frowned, stepped through the first few slashes, then paused, shook my head, and started over again. I did this several times. It took me the better part of an hour to do it. But when I did it, my teacher''s teacher was staring at me, concern etched on her face. "Are you sure that''s what she did?" "Pretty sure." She twisted her cane and unsheathed the sword inside of it. She gripped it in both hands and recreated the motions I had made. Or that I thought I had made. Looking at how she did it, I knew I had made a couple of missteps. I tried not to chide myself for that. It didn''t work. "Was it like that?" She asked, her tone solemn. "Yeah. Sorry. I . . . I''m no swordswoman. You got it in one." She nodded absently, clearly only half-listening. "What''s going on?" "That . . . The sword has several abilities. A lot of which are very risky. If she had done that to Suiren . . ." Her voice trailed off, and I thought I could see a tear trail down her cheek. I stepped forward and hugged her; She hugged me back; We broke apart. "I don''t know that she would''ve done that to Suiren," I said. "I was dodging her, and I think she was just trying to trap me." "Maybe," the woman said noncommittally. "But using that in a city . . . Using it at all. She could''ve gotten herself killed. She really is . . . lost." The way she said that broke my heart. I felt some kinship with her. I sat down in front of her. "I know how bad it feels to have someone you care for go down a bad path." She looked at me, then nodded. She also sat down across from me. "She was a good girl, once. She wasn''t always . . . Like this."

=== Curt === I sat across from Doctor Chuck Berry, Professor Mind. I had thought I had recognized him when I had looked him up, but I hadn''t quite put two and two together until he summoned his suit. I had only seen his face in the dark on another planet for a moment when I was slightly distracted by a million other things. When he did change, I set up several snap points all over the hemisphere. The instant he made his move, I would be gone. Alternatively, I could just kill him. It wouldn''t be hard. But he hadn''t attacked. He had known who I was since I had gotten into the office. He''d implied that he suspected it was me since he had heard my message. And he had just asked me a question. And I had missed it. "What did you say?" "It doesn''t matter. What are you thinking about?" "I was . . ." I tried to think of a plausible lie. Could you even lie to him? He''s a fucking mind-reader. I froze, my thoughts shifting quickly. He could be reading my mind right now and influencing my emotions right now. Why haven''t I run? He could be doing what he did to Scott Springs or Blanca White. I was spiraling. I took a few deep breaths and tried to regain my composure. "I was thinking about how to . . . defend myself against you if I needed to. I''m worried about what you did to Cannon Punch and Knight Light and trying to think of ways to resist it." "That''s. . . a reasonable concern. I guess I haven''t given you much reason to trust me," Professor Mind responded calmly. I examined his body language. He was tapping his pen against a pad; a frown creased his face; his legs were crossed. Closed off. Is he hiding something? I thought. Then dismissed it. Curt, you''ve met shrinks before. He''s being professional. Keeping his distance. The first voice countered, You still can''t trust him; he''s a hero; he''s Smash Gal''s boyfriend. The thought echoed through my head. He''s a threat. "I think this is where we end it. I''m out of here." "Do you think that''s a good idea?" Professor Mind replied. There was no affectation on his tone. He was utterly dispassionate. Is he gearing up for an attack? Will he try to stop me? My thoughts paused for another heartbeat or two. Can he stop me? I don''t think he can. But he''s never really fought me all out before. "What do you mean?" I asked, trying to modulate my tone. "I think I can help you, Curt." "I already told you, I''m not stopping what I''m doing." "I . . . I don''t mean the thefts. Your . . . morality would never allow that. You are a hero . . . in your own way," he began. I rolled my hand, motioning for him to continue. "Do you know what my powers are?" "Mind reading, emotional manipulation, mental faculty manipulation, mental construct creation," I read it off the mental list I kept of every hero I''d ever encountered or predicted I would face. He sighed and was silent for a long moment, then looked up at me, meeting my eyes. "That''s a pretty good list, but it''s not all of it." Before he could continue, I broke in. "Is that supposed to be comforting? That there''s more I don''t know about you when you''re already a huge liability?" "Perhaps not, but it is a chance for you to learn a potential weakness or at least collect more data on me to better counter me. And you want to do that anyway." I thought about it for a moment, eyeing him. I could still escape. The menus I could access with a swift eye movement were just in my periphery. If he made any move, I could run. "I can sense emotions. I can sense them off of you. It''s why I got overwhelmed when we . . . tangled at your wedding. So many high emotions can be overwhelming. Like a flashbang, but constantly." "I don''t see how this is relevant." "I have been able to sense your emotions since we met." I froze, thinking through the implications of this. Right now, I was afraid and angry, I was probably other things, but I couldn''t distinguish them. I was in pain, and I was tired. It was most of the reason that I had relented to Des'' insane demand. I can''t wait to hold this over their head. This is fucking hilarious. Dangerous, but hilario . . . I thought about it for a moment, leaning back. Do I have the right to reveal his secret? Should I do what Kari did to me? Hell, even she didn''t mean to do it. It was more my and Marcelli''s fault than hers. The shrink''s words cut through my thoughts, "What are you thinking?" "I was going to use this to make fun of my friend, but then I started questioning the ethics of revealing your identity." "And that''s something you care about?" "You''ve chosen a private life. Though, the longer you''re around Smash Gal," I couldn''t keep the vitriol out of my voice. He frowned at it. "The more likely it''ll come out without my help." "Do you hate Kari?" "Yes," I said immediately. "Would you like to unpack that?" "You know why I hate her," I said bitterly. "I know my side of it. I know what I''ve seen. What she''s said. What you''ve said to her. And one conversation we had. But this is your chance to convince me." "I won''t be able to convince you. And that''s a cheap trick." "You probably won''t. You''re right about that," he said, holding up a placating hand. "But wouldn''t you like to say your piece? This is a judgment-free zone." "No such thing," I scoffed. "I guess that''s fair. I can''t truly withhold judgment fully. But I''ll hear you out and be as fair as I can be." "She''s destroyed my life. At this point, she''s doing it on purpose. It''s obvious to anyone who isn''t trapped in the Kari-Whirlwind." "Kari whirlwind?" He asked. "She''s funny and personable and confident. That makes people blind to all of the bullshit they let her get away with." "Like what?" "Ugh!" I exclaimed, deflating. "Isn''t it obvious?" "Not to me," the doctor said. "Explain it to me." "She doesn''t take responsibility for her actions! She blows in and stops a few petty crimes but blasts off, leaving whatever destruction she couldn''t prevent or, often enough, caused in her wake behind." "She''s trying to get better about that." "Oh? Small comfort. She made a conscious decision to work with Bion to ruin my wedding. You should know that. You were there!" I shot back angrily. Professor Mind winced. "I . . . I don''t know what to say to that, Curt." "That''s because it''s indefensible," I muttered bitterly. "Do you really think she''s intentionally hurting you?" "Yes. I do. What other explanation is there?" Chuck didn''t respond. He looked like he was trying to come up with something to say. "The options are either that she''s so fucking stupid that she doesn''t realize that her actions have consequences. And considering she''s never had to deal with any consequences, I guess that''s possible, or she''s doing it on purpose. Those are the only two possibilities I can see." "So, you think she''s purposefully escalated against you?" The doctor asked. "Again, I feel that''s pretty fucking self-evident," I shot back. "But at the same time, you''ve also escalated against her. I was there at your first fight. You dodged and evaded everything. And in your last few encounters, you''ve tried to kill her." "What choice do I have?" I asked, deflating. He shifted in the seat and sat staring at me silently for a moment or two. "What do you mean by that, Mister Reese?" "You can''t run from someone who won''t stop. You can''t run from someone willing to chase you across the planet, threatening you constantly," I muttered. I was barely able to keep myself upright. I felt so tired. "You can''t understand what it''s like." "Try me," he responded blandly. "She''s. . . Kari has always been a force of nature. She has always gotten her way. Even when we were kids, she could do anything she wanted. And now it''s worse. She''s fucking scary. She scares me so fucking much. She can lift, what? Fifty tonnes? More? Fly faster than most military jets. And I''m in her crosshairs." "Do you think she would kill you?" "I don''t think she''d mean to." "But you do think she would." "She almost killed Cindi twice." The anger crawled back into my voice. I clenched my fists, and they were shaking. I watched Doctor Berry shift again. "I''m sorry. I will try and keep a cap on my emotions." "How often do you do that?" "Do what?" I asked thickly. "Try to suppress what you''re feeling?" "All the time. I have to." "Why?" "You can''t trust emotions. They are there. They''re necessary, I guess. But they don''t make good decisions." "Do you think you''ve made good decisions recently?" He asked, noting something on his pad. "I . . . Some of them aren''t too bad. Marrying Cindi," I said fondly. "And fighting Smash Gal?" "Has to be done." "You could continue to run," he suggested. "I have work to do. She''s put herself in the way of that." "So, what are you going to do?" "I . . . I have to find a way to stop her." "And how are you going to do that? Are you going to talk to her?" I laughed; I couldn''t help but throw back my head and laugh. "Talk to her? Have you ever tried to reason with a brick wall?" I wiped the tears from my eyes. "No, I''m not going to talk to her. There''s only one thing she understands. Power. Strength. I will show her that I''m not so easy to push around anymore." Issue #39: That鈥檚 All We Can Do, Right?

=== Kari === After leaving Ren¡¯s dojo, I flew around the city. I opened up my senses and watched people break minor laws. Jaywalking, speeding, turning right on red. I watched people get into accidents, heard people fight and scuffle. Avalare was big. Bigger than me. I couldn¡¯t be everywhere at once. Ren¡¯s grandma wouldn¡¯t give me the name of Lady Blade. I wanted to stop her. I have to. To keep Ren safe. The thought echoed through my head. But I don¡¯t know if I can beat her. She¡¯s a better fighter than I am. I landed on a building somewhere and stared out at the cityscape in front of me. The pain in my arm had faded, and the lines were gone too. I thought about it for a moment. Even the scars Curt caused when he tried to saw off my arms and legs were mostly gone. Benefits of Grignau DNA, I guess. A call brought me back to reality; I glanced at my phone. It was Harold. I answered. ¡°Hey, Thundy, how¡¯re you?¡± ¡°Doing better than you. Heard you got your ass kicked by that crazy fire sword lady.¡± I grimaced and consciously did not clench my fist. I needed to work on my anger issues. ¡°I¡¯m doing an event at a hospital in a bit. Was wondering if you wanted to come along. I¡¯m sure the kids would love to meet the Smash Gal.¡± ¡°Kids?¡± I asked. ¡°Yeah, just raising their spirits or whatever. I¡¯ve done it before. It¡¯s a blast.¡± ¡°Okay, yeah. That does sound fun,¡± I responded. Harold gave me the details, and I was in my full super suit a few hours later. Red cape, pink shirt, pink skirt, red boots, mauve stockings. There was a lot of press at the hospital. They were taking pictures of Harold. His suit was tight on his body and gave the impression of a lot of muscle. It was primarily purple with red accents. It was almost like a skintight tracksuit. He didn¡¯t have a mask and wore a huge smile as he took questions from the reporters. He met my eye and motioned me over. ¡°I¡¯m sure you all recognize my girl Smash Gal,¡± he said, grinning at me as I pushed my way through the reporters and stood next to him. It was still kind of weird to think of myself as a celebrity. The people surged forward with questions for me, and Harold and I tried to keep track of them, but Harold was much more adept at it. He was a natural interviewee. After a few moments, we broke off and went into the hospital. A camera crew followed us in and filmed us as we interacted with the children. We went to a wing with twelve kids, all somewhere between seven and fifteen years old. All of them looked sickly and gaunt. A few had no hair and were obviously going through chemotherapy. But they were all excited to see us. A few even yelled ¡°Harry!¡± when Thunderblast entered the room. His media smile was gone, and something far more genuine had stretched his lips wide. He fist-bumped one of the kids as he walked past, gave one a high five, and then stood in the middle of the room. I joined him. A few kids did whisper ¡°Smash Gal¡± as I came in. I smiled at them. I felt stiff and uncomfortable. A few kids came up and talked to me and showed me little projects they were working on. They had done a lot of drawings; There were even some pictures of me in there. It was the cutest thing I¡¯d ever seen. I spent my time carefully lifting some of them up. The doctors and nurses panicked some, but the kids had a blast. Some of the older ones were less excited to see us there. The fifteen-year-old boy looked especially disapproving. I tried to get him to come out of his self-imposed isolation, but he just returned to his book. Curled up and separate from everyone, he reminded me of Curt. I sighed. Even the thought of him raised my hackles. After an hour or so, Thunderblast and I ended the session. A lot of the kids were tired out from the excitement. When we were walking out, Harold asked, ¡°Do you want to grab a bite? Catch up? It¡¯s been a minute since we kicked it.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± I said, then grinned at him. ¡°Do you want me to carry you over there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± he said, matching my grin. He bought a car with some of the money from the tie-in deals that Jenny had arranged. It was a pretty big SUV, but he had kept it a classic black color. It had been adjusted in other ways. The stereo system was replaced, and the windows were tinted, which was technically illegal, but I didn¡¯t say anything. There were so many more significant issues than tinted windows to deal with. He had also added his logo on the doors and the hood. I sat uncomfortably in the passenger¡¯s seat, impatient to be there. Not because I didn¡¯t enjoy his company. I just am not used to moving so slowly anymore. We got over to a lovely Indian restaurant, and we sat down. ¡°So, Smashy, how have you been?¡± ¡°Oh, you know, been busy.¡± ¡°Yeah, taking on Bion and that dick Esvanir.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, you fought him.¡± ¡°I caught him. The cops let him escape. Honestly, surprised they didn¡¯t take him to get a cheeseburger before they booked him.¡± ¡°You think they let him go on purpose?¡± ¡°I knocked his tech out. How else could he have escaped?¡± ¡°Buck Cherry. He gave her some tech like his,¡± I said simply. ¡°You really think the cops would just let him go? He¡¯s dangerous. Especially after attacking that same precinct before, when he helped Marcelli escape.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying. Lots of my folk don¡¯t get off that easy.¡± I frowned at that thought and pursed my lips. ¡°Can I ask you something then?¡± ¡°Yeah, go for it.¡± ¡°If you think that the cops are that . . . corrupt, that . . . racist, why do you do it?¡± He frowned at me from across the table. He studied me, thinking through his answer carefully. The waitress came by and put our food down; I grabbed a fork and dug in. ¡°I . . .¡± He hesitated. I motioned for him to continue. ¡°You sure you want to have this conversation, Smashy? Might be a little heavy.¡± ¡°All the more reason to have it. I don¡¯t want to hide from tough subjects. And . . . I think that¡¯s part of the problem. People aren¡¯t willing to have those tough conversations anymore.¡± Skepticism played across his features, then he shook his head. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll try it,¡± Thunderblast began. ¡°The day we met . . . That could¡¯ve been it, you know? I . . . I was so scared. Captured by some fucking bank robbers on one end, and on the other, guns pointing at me by a bunch of cops, ready to end me then and there. And you¡¯re there, bulletproof, faster than any of them, and you hesitate. You don¡¯t want to hurt cops. You know I¡¯m innocent, and you realized what could¡¯ve happened. I saw it on your face. And you got me out of that; you saved me twice that day. But you hesitated. Then those Grignau attacked. You weren¡¯t there to help me. You were off fighting your own battles uptown. No one was coming down to save us.¡± ¡°I wou-¡± I started, but he cut me off, swiping his hand through the air. ¡°Kari, I know you would have if you had done it. But you can¡¯t be everywhere. And we weren¡¯t the priority down there. And more importantly, I don¡¯t need you to. I have the power. I like you, girl; I do. But I don¡¯t need Super Karen bursting through the ceiling to save me. You inspired me to be a hero, but it¡¯s twofold, right? You showed me that people can use their power to try and make the world a better place, but you also reminded me that there¡¯s some hesitation there from white folk. But I don¡¯t have that same hesitation. I see injustice, I''ll do something about it if I think I can. ??I can¡¯t always rely on you to be there for me and mine. But I can be. I can challenge this system. Both as a black man and as a meta. Be there for people who need it. Protect them from those that mean us, all of us, harm. If I¡¯m involved, at least I can trust myself to do what is right, even if I can¡¯t trust the cops. Or you.¡± I sat there for a while, silent, considering his words. He took a few bites of his Pad Thai in the meantime, then met my eyes. He seemed to be searching for something. I looked away and sighed. ¡°I . . . I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± He asked. ¡°For . . . Hesitating. I . . . I can¡¯t justify that.¡± ¡°Yeah, well,¡± he stirred the food on his plate for a moment. ¡°Do better next time. That¡¯s all we can do, right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I muttered softly.

=== Cindi === The sound of guards collecting outside almost drowned out the sirens, which were shut down after a moment. Louder footsteps echoed out over the stairs and stopped on the other side of the door. I couldn¡¯t hear what was going on. I looked back at the painting. I had already tripped the alarm. Tierra just sat there, looking between the door and me. I took the bag and looked into it; there was a box cutter. I considered it for a moment. We could just cut the painting, edging around the frame . . . I hesitated. But then we have to stretch the canvas, and it¡¯d damage the canvas. Damn it! The door started to open. ¡°Tierra, darling. Do your thing.¡± She nodded and held out her hands, then stumbled. I looked back; she had fallen on her ass and looked horrified. A man stepped inside. He was huge and had tanned some since the last time I had seen him. He grinned at me, which made me feel slimy. ¡°Misses Drei. How nice it is to see you again. To what do I owe this honor?¡± ¡°Oh, Marcelli. I was in the neighborhood. Thought I¡¯d pop in on an old friend,¡± I said, stepping between myself and Tierra. What am I doing? I thought. Risking myself to make sure Tierra lives? Why? But I knew why. Curt had gotten to me. Marcelli stepped forward, popping his neck. I stretched out my limbs, ready to rush forward at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you,¡± he said, looking around the room. His eyes trailed over Tierra lasciviously. I shuddered. ¡°Where is your dumber half? Or have you traded up in the world?¡± ¡°Curt¡¯s not here. He¡¯s off dealing with more important matters.¡± ¡°Ah. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m disappointed,¡± Marcelli said, shrugging his massive shoulders. ¡°But at least now, I can punish one of you for what you did to me.¡± He charged forward; Tierra rolled out of the way; I phased through my clothes and dived forward. I was aiming to go through him and catch him by the neck, but I slammed into something and was thrown back into the wall. Through it, actually, where I felt the buzz of electricity try to grasp me. I became solid again. Drywall shattered around me, and I fell to the floor, coughing. Marcelli smirked down at me. I pulled myself to my feet and shook my vision clear. That hurt. Marcelli tapped his belt. ¡°Do you like it, Misses Drei? It rebounds most forms of strange or dangerous matters and energies back at whatever is doing the throwing. I imagine that¡¯s why your friend here was on her back when I walked into the room. Or perhaps, she was just preparing herself for what is to come. She is a pretty one.¡± I almost gagged. Fuck! What am I going to do? I need to get us out of here . . . I can¡¯t . . . I won¡¯t let him touch me again. I won¡¯t let him touch Tierra! I clenched my fists, taking in the room. There were hundreds of pieces of art. Marcelli is a collector, but he¡¯d probably be willing to sacrifice a few if it meant capturing us, I thought. My bag had the glasses and system Curt had given to me. I had been practicing keeping it on even when phasing, but it was far from perfect. Truthfully, the only times I managed to do it was when I remembered that they were a gift from him. The idiot, I muttered internally. Then I had another thought. Marcelli had been closing in slowly. He had been saying something, but I didn¡¯t really care. Nothing he said could matter. All that mattered was getting out. He lunged for me. I dodged out of the way and rolled. I came up on my feet and dashed, then slid over to my bag. I grabbed it and thrust my hand into it. Marcelli was hot on my trail. I grabbed the two cases that mattered and discarded the bag roughly. He slammed his fist into my back, and I stumbled and bashed my head against one of the cases. My head swam in the pain. But I had what I needed. I threw myself to the side as he slammed another fist down. It missed and shattered one of the displays. I slid my hand into the bracelet, and it clipped into place. One band around my wrist, one around my palm, and two capping off my middle finger and thumb. I put the glasses on, and the AR display started focusing on several things throughout the room. Tierra, Marcelli, and some of the faces on paintings and statues. The man closed in again, and I dashed back and started mentally selecting things. The glasses would mark them with a blue outline matching Curt¡¯s portals'' edges. I dodged under another blow from the man and held up a hand. ¡°Marcelli! Stop now!¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. He laughed as he loomed over me, raising a fist. ¡°And why would I do that? I¡¯ve wanted to kill you for months. Now¡¯s finally my chance.¡± ¡°Because if you do that, you¡¯ll never get your collection back.¡± ¡°What idiocy are you going on about now?¡± ¡°This,¡± I responded, smiling at the man as I snapped my finger, mimicking my man. A hundred or so portals opened up at the same time. They were all different sizes. There was a loud clatter as hundreds of pieces of art fell into them. Marcelli whirled around, cursing. ¡°What the fuck did you do?¡± ¡°I just robbed you, Marcelli. The biggest robbery in the world,¡± I muttered. There were entire chunks of the walls missing where the paintings had been. He lunged at me again, and I disappeared and reappeared behind him. I didn¡¯t quite judge the distance correctly and bounced off his barrier. I slammed to the ground and looked up as he whirled on me. I took in Tierra, marking her. I then snapped my finger, but nothing happened. An error message came up.
Energy Low! Countdown:30 Seconds
Countdown:29 Seconds
Countdown: 28 Seconds
"Fuck!" I yelled. I had maxed out the energy usage on the teleport system. And now I had to stall this madman for half a minute. He slammed a foot down, and I rolled out of the way and jumped up on my feet. I went to kick him, but he caught my leg and squeezed hard. I grimaced and started to zap him. The energy pulsed and then came flooding back into me, causing me to convulse violently. He slammed me to the ground and then threw me across the room. I rolled and slammed into a display. Miraculously, my glasses had stayed on. Only four seconds had gone by. I looked up blearily. Marcelli was charging forward. I started to sink through the ground, but I could feel the buzz of electricity running through the floor. I grimaced. But another thought came to me. I dipped my hand through the floor and gripped one of the live wires, my arms shaking violently. I pulled on it, and just as he got into range, I dodged his slam and pressed the wire against him. His barrier glowed for a moment, then the house was plunged into darkness. I could only see his vague shape above me, but I took a guess and slammed a kick up. It landed exactly where I wanted it to. He groaned and collapsed to his knees. He reached out to grab me, but I danced out of the way. I called out to Tierra, "Ti, you still there?" "I''m here," she responded, sounding scared. I made my way to her. There were still fifteen seconds or so left on the timer. I groaned as I heard Marcelli get up to his feet. I grabbed her hand and snuck over to my bag, gathering my clothes. The lights flickered back on, and I saw Marcelli looking directly at us with rage and hatred in his eyes. I pushed the bag into Tierra, grabbed her hand, and snapped.

=== Chuck === My session with Reese . . . Drei, I mentally corrected myself, ended on as positive a note as I think it could have. I suggested that he take a little vacation. Get away somewhere and do something that wasn''t thieving and wasn''t just surviving. He needed it. He said he''d consider it. When I asked him if he''d see me again, he also said he''d think about it. I hope he does; I think he could really use it; He and Kari are so similar in some ways. Both were entirely devoted to doing what they thought was right. Completely unwilling to see things in any other way. The most significant difference is that Curt was taking all of this personally. I thought about it for a moment. Were they different in that way? Kari had always been fighting him, even before she knew what he was, with no control, no respect. She almost killed him countless times. Curt had escalated the situation, but that was only after she had gone way farther than she ever should have. He''s a criminal, sure. I guess at his worst, he''s a murderer, but more often than not, he''s just a thief. And she was using deadly force from the start. I frowned and considered what I wanted to do. He''s planning on killing her. I can''t let that happen. I don''t know if he can, but it won''t help anything to just let him do that. But can I get Kari to step down? I flew off into the night. I had texted Kari, asking if she wanted to meet up. She had already grabbed dinner with Harold. That''s fine; I''ll just grab something on the way. After doing so, we met up in the city. We were just going to patrol a little. She filled me in on her fight with Lady Blade. I didn''t tell her that I had met with Mister Drei just yet. I didn''t know how to broach the subject. Something she said brought me back to reality. "We need to do more." "What do you mean by that?" I asked. Something about how she worded the statements raised alarms in my head. It reminded me a little of Scott. When I had been shaping his emotions, he had become much harder on crime. More violent. She was also tense and stressed out. It''s understandable with what she''s been going through lately, but still. It''s spooky. "Just that we need to do more," Kari responded. "I was talking with Thunderblast, and he said he didn''t really trust me to do what''s necessary to help people. And he''s kind of right. I hesitated when I saw those cops harassing him. And I''ve never really stood up to them as much as I should." "You''re just one person, Kari." "I have more power than almost anyone in the world. And I''m not doing enough." She said, back straight, fists clenched on her hips. Her cape flared out behind her. She was the spitting image of everything a superhero should be. And, as always, her heart was in the right place. "And I need to take the kid gloves off with Lady Blade. And with Curt." "With Curt?" I asked hesitantly. "Yeah. He''s a thief and a murderer. He needs to go down. I''m so sick of hearing his self-righteous rants and his followers tagging me in things, harassing me. And now he has a cult! One that blows up buildings in his name. Taking him down will solve a lot of problems." She turned to me. I had tried to school my face and make it passive, but I must have failed. "What are you thinking?" "Kari . . . I . . . Something happened today. And I need you to hear me out, okay?" She frowned but nodded at me. I took a few deep breaths; she was nervous, and so was I. I put up my mental shield and blocked most of her emotions out from my preternatural senses. "I met with Esvanir today. He came to my practice." "That''s great!" Relief poured off of her. "I didn''t see anything on the news about him being turned in. Did you keep it secret? It might stop Buck Cherry from breaking him out. Give us time to plan around that." "I . . . I didn''t turn him in." "Why not!?" She asked hotly. "Because he was there as a patient. He was trying to get help. And turning him in when he was trying to get help would just shut him down in the future. It wouldn''t help anything." "He''s a murderer, Chuck! He kills people." "Yeah," I agreed, sighing. I sat down on the edge of the building we were on. After a moment, she sat next to me. "Then why didn''t you turn him in?" She asked. She was trying to keep a cap on her emotions, but I could feel her annoyance, her fear. "What do you want him to do, Kari?" I asked. "I want him to stop stealing things. Stop hurting people. Stop pretending he''s so damn noble." "Well, he''s already doing one of those things." "What do you mean?" ¡°He . . .¡± I paused, trying to collect my thoughts. Her emotions were pushing on me. She tried her best to be patient, but she just wanted to rush off and catch him. Impatience, anger, and betrayal all washed off of her. "He doesn''t think what he''s doing is noble. Just that it''s the best option. He saves people . . . In his own way." "And kills people to do it. He''s just like Lady Blade!" "No!" I scoffed. "You can disagree with his methods, but he''s nothing like her. He rarely kills when he doesn''t have to as a necessity for what he''s doing. You know that." "I . . . Curt still kills people, Chuck. I can''t excuse that." "So, if he was nonlethal, would you let him be?" "No! He''s still a criminal!" "So, it''s not really about him killing people, is it?" "He''s breaking the law. We can''t just let people steal whatever they want." "No, we can''t. But we can also realize that the situation isn''t that simple. And you know it''s not. I think that''s why you get so mad at him. Or . . . at least part of it." She huffed and wrapped her arms around her knees, but she looked at me, silently urging me to continue. "You get so upset with him because he has a point. He''s right about how corporations do things. How they abuse people. About how people like Bion are hoarding things. How they''re unethical, sometimes. He pushes on the things you believe and makes you question them. And you hate it." "That doesn''t justify what he''s doing." "Not completely, no." "We can''t just live in a society where people can take whatever they want." She said, glaring out over the city. "He would agree." "What?" "That''s what he thinks people like Bion are doing. Taking whatever they want. He views himself as a balance to that." "D-do you agree with him?" "I . . . I don''t know. I think he goes too far." "So, why didn''t you turn him in?" "Because he was scared and stressed out, and I took an oath." "Your oath was to do no harm." "Sending him to prison would be doing him harm." "What?" "Kari, come on. The absolute best thing that would happen is that he would be further radicalized. He could get hurt and maybe die. And it wouldn''t do any good for his mental health, which is crumbling." She sat there for a few moments, silently. I could sense pain and anger coming off of her. But also concern and empathy. "Is it really that bad?" She asked. "Yeah, Kari. Probably the most on-edge, paranoid person I''ve ever met who I didn''t advocate to be put away for an extended stay at a care facility. He''s exhausted and constantly gearing up for a fight. I''m afraid that he might hurt himself if he doesn''t get some help. Or someone else." "What . . . What did you talk about?" Kari asked, then quickly added. "Right, Doctor-Patient Confidentiality. Sorry." "That''s. . . None of this is ethical, Kari. Hell, me telling you would have thrown that out the window. Besides, I think you should know." She curled into herself a little more and looked at me through her lashes. She was wound up pretty tight. "We discussed why he does what he does, a little bit about Misses Drei, and you. Most of our conversation was about you." "I . . . Okay." She said, screwing up her face. Curiosity came through powerfully. Apprehension and curiosity. "I asked him if he hates you." Her leg started bobbing up and down. "He says he does. He thinks that you''re actively trying to ruin his life." "What!? No, I''m not!" She roared, blasting off the ledge. She turned to me, rage contorting her face. Her arms fell down at her sides. "You know I''m not, right?" "I . . ." I paused to consider how I wanted to approach this. "Kari, come. Sit with me. Let''s talk this through." "You," she started, sounding hurt. "You do agree with him." "I didn''t say that I did. And I don''t," I cut Kari off before she could start again. "But I think it might be helpful to look at things from his perspective." "Why should I give a damn about his perspective!?" "Firstly, you already do. Secondly, because if you do that, you might be able to calm things down." "What do you mean?" "He''s gearing up for a war, Kari," I said simply. She looked thunderstruck. "What?" "He sees you as a threat. And he thinks the only way to stop you from ruining his life further is to kill you." "And you''re still on his side!?" She demanded, pushing herself into my personal space. I glared at her and forced her back, raising myself off the ledge. She backed off some. "Sides!" I yelled. "Both of you are totally convinced that there''s some side that you have to be on!" She cowered away. I had never yelled around her, but my emotions were frayed as well. I was also exhausted between the two of them and just the general feeling of discontentment around me. I took a few deep breaths and took control of my emotions. I didn''t crush or compress them. I just wrestled them a little and sorted through them. In some ways, it was harder reading my own emotions than it was other people''s. After a moment or two, with us just floating there, midair, I spoke as calmly as I could, "I''m not taking anyone''s side, Kari. Not his and not yours. I''m trying to be fair to both of you. Because he needs help. He''s spiraling. And because I know this is tearing you up. I know that you both need to calm down. Because I think if I can''t help him, and I might be the only person who could, he will just become more desperate until he finds a way to really hurt you or dies trying." She floated there, considering. The anger was still there, but she had gotten a cap on it. She drifted back to the ledge. "Okay. I''ll try to listen. But I can''t guarantee I''ll agree with him. Or with you." "Thank you, Kari." "For what?" "For trying." "That''s all we can do, right?" Issue #40: Something Nice and Romantic and Hopefully On-Planet

=== Curt === After my session with Professor Mind, I came to the hotel room that Cindi and I had been staying in. We were working on getting a more permanent space, but it was rough. I wanted to live somewhere in the States, but we were both wanted criminals. She wanted a place with every creature comfort one could imagine. Except for the Tesla Coils that I said I needed to be a proper Mad Engineer. If we had more space than a hotel room, my bed might not have been covered in . . . A lot of things. Artifacts from all over the world. I couldn¡¯t name any of them. Or even half the cultures they were from with any more specificity than ¡°Asian¡± or ¡°Middle Eastern¡±, et cetera. I picked one up and called out. ¡°Cin? What¡¯s with the stuff?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch any of it!¡± She called out from the other room. I examined the dagger I had picked up; it was a little weird. It had a glass bottle filled with sand at the bottom. She walked in, rubbing a towel against her hair. ¡°Curt, what did I just say?¡± ¡°I had already picked it up by the time you said that. Why can¡¯t I touch it? We can get rid of any evidence.¡± ¡°Because Tierra and I haven¡¯t decided how we¡¯re going to split it up yet.¡± I turned to her. She was wearing a robe. Under the robe, I could see a huge purple bruise. Her eyes were slightly unfocused. I put the dagger down carefully and walked up to her, lifting her chin. She pulled away, and I let her go, frowning. ¡°Hard job?¡± ¡°Oh, you know how it is. A little more security than you¡¯re prepared for and the entire plan is shot,¡± Cherry said noncommittally. ¡°Oh,¡± I responded robotically. I wanted to go to her and make sure that she was okay. Anything that could bruise Cindi was serious. But she wasn¡¯t talking about it, which meant she didn¡¯t want to talk about it. It could be because she didn¡¯t think it was a big deal or because she didn¡¯t want to worry me. Good luck with that. I¡¯m always worried. I sighed, walked into the sitting room, and took out my phone, mindlessly scrolling as I considered Professor Mind¡¯s advice. ¡°I think you need to take a vacation,¡± he had said. ¡°I¡¯m already living out of a hotel. I haven¡¯t done legitimate work in months. I think technically I¡¯m on vacation already.¡± ¡°Do you really believe that?¡± He asked. I hadn¡¯t had a response, so he continued. ¡°You carry a lot on your shoulders. You have experienced a significant amount of trauma, and you need time to recuperate. My suggestion is twofold. You need to get away from everything. From the Acolytes, from Smash Gal, from Twitter, from everything. Take Misses Drei and go somewhere private. Then come back for more therapy. Because I think you need it.¡± ¡°What happens if I come here next time and cops are here to arrest me? Smash Gal or Thunderblast?¡± ¡°Curtis, I could¡¯ve tried to capture you already. I could have reached out to them, and they¡¯d be here if I wanted them to be. But I suppose it is a possibility. What if I say this: when we¡¯re in this office, when we¡¯re alone, in this room, there is a pact of nonaggression? That would mean that neither side will attack or detain the other.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been a fan of the Pact of Nonaggression. Always seemed like if one person decides it¡¯s not worth it to keep it up, it falls apart.¡± ¡°True enough. But that¡¯s all I got. I can¡¯t promise you everything will go well, but I can promise that I can try.¡± ¡°Can . . . Can I think about this? All of this,¡± I asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to feel about any of it right now.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± It was just that easy. I hate to admit it, but I think he¡¯s actually a really good shrink. Jackass. As I was scrolling through Twitter, against my doctor¡¯s orders, something I take great pleasure doing given my relationship with Des, I saw the interview with my parents. I hadn¡¯t really watched it; I was honestly kind of afraid to. This was a link to the entire thing. My thumb hovered over it. I tapped the link, and it brought me to YouTube. My mother and father, Margaret and Jay Reese, were sitting on the back patio. They had refurbished it since I had last been there. The reporter sat across from them. My mother held up the picture they¡¯d taken for the Sadie Hawkins ??Dance. My red face and ridiculous, cheap tuxedo and Kari towering over me already at thirteen. I clenched my fist. ¡°What do you think of what Curt has been accused of?¡± The reporter asked. My mother began to speak, but my father cut over her. ¡°We taught him better than to be a no-good thief. And a commie at that. My own son . . .¡± He trailed off, and my mother cut in. ¡°He was always a passionate boy. Smart as can be. And I think that¡¯s his problem. He sees all of these hardships people go through and wants to do something about it. Then he just decides to. Whether or not it¡¯s the right thing. He . . . He cares about people. He just needs to realize that there¡¯s a right way and a wrong way of doing things.¡± ¡°Smart? He¡¯s a [bleep]ing commie!¡± My father scoffed. ¡°How smart could he be?¡± ¡°Did you know that he was a thief before his identity was revealed by Smash Gal?¡± ¡°No, he . . . he doesn¡¯t visit often,¡± my mother said. She seemed almost sad about it. ¡°He emancipated himself at seventeen and hasn¡¯t been back since. Was probably mad that I wanted him to work instead of going to college like I do. I run my own construction business, Reese Cons. Obviously, those Marxist professors got to him.¡± I turned the interview off. I didn¡¯t really need to see more. It was a little strange how different they looked. It had been twelve years since I had seen them. But I hadn¡¯t considered their hair growing gray, their faces becoming harder and more leathered. Cindi curled up on the couch next to me, and wrapped my arm around her. I stroked her arm absently. ¡°How was therapy?¡± I didn¡¯t know how to answer that question. I laid my head back. I could feel her eyes on me. ¡°No biggie. Turns out I¡¯m not as unstable as either you or Des think. But he does want me to go on a vacation.¡± She didn¡¯t say anything for a moment. I didn¡¯t know what she was thinking. ¡°Well . . . we can do our full honeymoon. Something nice and romantic and hopefully on-planet. With the score I just made, we have a nice little bonus.¡± ¡°Yeah, but we should probably avoid Italy and Sicily, though.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Being that close to Marcelli after you just robbed him would probably be a mistake.¡± ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡± ¡°The Baast statue was kind of a dead giveaway.¡±

=== Kari === I had listened to Chuck go through what he thought about Curt. The fact that he had shown up to a therapy session with Professor Mind on accident was kind of funny. But I couldn¡¯t even enjoy the irony of that. He¡¯s gearing up for war; that¡¯s what Chuck had said. We had gone over everything that had happened between us. All of the fighting, me almost killing him several times. I had much more control than when I started, but looking back at how I had been treating him, I was definitely out of line sometimes. That didn¡¯t excuse what he was doing. But I had almost killed him. I had nearly killed the woman he loved. When you laid it all out, it made sense why he would fear me. Why he would hate me. I couldn¡¯t blame him for that. But what am I supposed to do? Just let him go out and steal? Kill people during his thefts? None of this is right. I left Chuck behind. I needed time to think about this. I flew around the city, stretching out my abilities. I wasn¡¯t really patrolling so much as just trying to be in the moment. I was really stressed out about how I had done things. Unfortunately, I was brought back to reality. There was screaming. I could hear people running and panting. I put Curt and Chuck out of my mind and sped down to earth. I landed on the ground, fist pressed into the street. Then I looked up. There was a woman in a bright yellow raincoat and enormous boots, with a maniacal grin on her face. Under her raincoat, she wore a bright red tube top and short-shorts. Next to her was a man in a cool-blue business suit. She cackled and extended a hand. Ice shot forth, freezing a man who was midstep, and he crashed to the ground and shattered. Cops circled from behind and started firing at her back. The man in the business suit waved his hand, and fire lanced out, melting the bullets before they ever came close. He stood straight and glared through his plain glasses. She cackled and clutched his chin in her hand, which ended in long fingernails. ¡°Thank you, m¡¯lord.¡± ¡°Of course, m¡¯lady,¡± he responded in a monotone. ¡°We should probably escalate this if our intentions are to be accomplished.¡± ¡°Right you are!¡± She yelled, stomping forward in her large boots; the man was fit and strong-looking but otherwise unassuming. He had black hair, combed back responsibly. Her makeup and hair were exaggerated. Her eyes were two different colors, and her hair was cut in jagged pieces and was a bright, radioactive yellow. They were a bizarre couple. I couldn¡¯t quite get a read on them at all. She jumped onto the hood of a car and then the roof and spun, firing out several more blasts of ice. People hopped and jumped out of the way. She extended out her arms and shouted, ??¡°People of Avalare. Send out your champions. We have come to claim this land for our own.¡± ¡°You stop that!¡± I shouted back, charging forward. ¡°Aaand we have our first challenger!¡± She grinned down at me, pointing her long finger; ice shot forward. I dashed to the side and started towards her. Just as I got to her, fire erupted in front of me. I stopped just before it; the fire died down. Her hand shot forth and gripped my face; ice flowed from it into my eyes, nose, and mouth. I coughed and gagged. In a second, my head was encased in ice. I couldn¡¯t breathe. Pain shot out, and I couldn¡¯t think straight. Still gripping my head, she jumped down from the car and slammed my face on the ground. The ice shattered. She stepped over me and spun on her heel. ¡°Is that really the best you have?¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. I slowly got to my feet, shaking my head. ¡°Brain freeze! You gave me a brain freeze!¡± She stopped, eyes wide. She looked around. She took a few steps closer, wrapping an arm around my neck, and whispered into my ear, ??¡°You know you¡¯re supposed to be dead, right? I froze your head. It¡¯s supposed to shatter like grandma¡¯s fine China.¡± ¡°My head is made of harder stuff than that,¡± I said, grinning at her. I gripped her hand, spun, and threw her into the air. She flew through the air, flipped, and shot out a stream of ice. It caught her, and she continued to fire out ice just before her. It spread quickly, and she slid back down to earth on her butt. She arched up her hand, creating a ramp, and flew back into the air. She dived at me. She¡¯s going to get herself killed. As she fell, she reached out her hand and shot more ice out. I dove out of the way, but somehow, I wasn¡¯t fast enough. Ice covered half of my body. I landed hard on the sidewalk, turning just in time to see her land in a perfect handstand, then flip back onto her feet, arms extended like a gymnast. A crooked grin spread across her face. Her companion clapped, smirking with her. I stood up, flexing my arm and leg, and the ice shattered. I clenched my fist and charged forward. I tried to clothesline the supposed Queen, but she ducked under it, and I was blasted with fire. Well, that¡¯s not entirely accurate. I was blasted with fiery plasma and thrown to the side. I grimaced and threw it off, glaring at her. She grinned at her friend. ¡°Who the hell are you people?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the Ice Queen Prince, future ruler of America,¡± she said, grinning as she leaned against him. ¡°Introduce yourself, baby.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the Lord of Fi-¡± ¡°He¡¯s the Flame Lord,¡± she cut him off, stroking his cheek fondly. He leaned into her touch. ¡°Future househusband to the future ruler of America.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to rule anything,¡± I exclaimed, charging forward.

=== Curt === We agreed to split our honeymoon into two parts. The first part would be incredibly relaxing. We would just do a bunch of the stuff we always want to do but never have time to between heists and recovery. The second part would be a glorified shopping trip for both of us. Finding stuff for each other, for ourselves, for our friends. ¡°But before that, we have to visit Des.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Cindi asked. ¡°Because you got hurt on your last job, and I want to make sure you¡¯re okay. And I want to prove that I¡¯m not the only one who gets hurt on jobs.¡± ¡°Be honest, Curt. It¡¯s mostly that second thing. I¡¯m fine, really.¡± ¡°Sure, we can say it¡¯s because I want to rub Des¡¯ face in the fact,¡± I responded. ¡°But we¡¯re still doing it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a baby sometimes, you know that.¡± She sighed and tried to pout. ¡°I¡¯m fully aware, Misses Drei.¡± She glanced up at me, a small smile stretching her lips. ¡°Why, Mister Drei, you wouldn¡¯t be trying to seduce me? I¡¯m hurt. You could exacerbate the issue.¡± ¡°All the more reason to see the doctor. Get you cleared for duty. Or at least vacation.¡± I texted Des.
< Des
Got any appointments available? How the fuck do you get hurt at a fucking therapy session? Room 3.
Ten minutes later, we were in Des¡¯ office. I had put Cin on the examination table. She rolled her eyes. ¡°This isn¡¯t necessary. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Would you accept it if I said that after being thrown around?¡± I asked, still scrolling. She sighed loudly. ¡°That¡¯s different!¡± ¡°How?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯d lie about it; I wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Cindi Drei, the Buck Cherry, the person who lied her way into an entire internship, wouldn¡¯t tell me a white lie about how she¡¯s feeling so we can go on a vacation?¡± ¡°I knew I shouldn¡¯t have told you that,¡± she said, pouting. Des walked through the door, flipping through some pages. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you have terminal stupidity,¡± they said without looking up. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a shame,¡± Cindi responded. ¡°Curt, you¡¯ve been suffering from that for years. Is there anything we can do?¡± Des looked up and saw Cindi on the table. They then looked over at me. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not you that¡¯s hurt. Well, my joke still worked. What happened?¡± ¡°I was doing my job, and one of the animals I was dealing with threw me all around,¡± Cindi said as Des started examining her. Des made a noncommittal noise. ¡°And do we know this particular animal?¡± ¡°Yes, we do. It¡¯s caused huge issues before,¡± I interjected. Cindi shot a glare at me. I blinked impassively at her. ¡°Oh?¡± Des asked. ¡°Yeah, has a proclivity for implanting people with dangerous things,¡± I responded, flicking on my screen. ¡°Implanting dangerous things?¡± Des asked, eyes wide. They resumed their examination much closer, then stopped after a moment. ¡°M-Marcelli? You robbed Marcelli? After he planted a fucking bomb in you? Are you insane?¡± ¡°He had something I needed to get back for a friend,¡± Cindi responded indignantly. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Curt¡¯s just a baby. Running to you every time he gets a little booboo, and now he wants me to as well. Ow! What are you doing?¡± ¡°Checking your ribs. There are a few that are broken. Or at least fractured. Heavy bruises.¡± ¡°Oh, guess our vacation will have to wait, then. That¡¯s good; I have wor-¡± ¡°No!¡± Cindi yelled, slipping off the table and walking over to me. ¡°We¡¯re going. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Vacation?¡± Des asked. ¡°The shrink you sent him to said he needs to relax. Suggested a vacation. No Twitter, no thieving. Just us recuperating.¡± ¡°She¡¯s in good enough health to do that. It¡¯d be good for both of you,¡± Des said, considering it. ¡°How was Doctor Berry? I hear good things.¡± ¡°He seems to be good at his job,¡± I answered cryptically, looking away. Cindi leaned in, examining my face closely. Des looked at me skeptically. I stepped away from my wife and walked, and shrugged. ¡°Hard to say . . . Only had one session. I . . . might go back.¡± ¡°Curt, you said you¡¯d try,¡± Des responded despondently. ¡°I said I¡¯d go. I went. And . . . it¡¯s a little complicated.¡± ¡°What¡¯s complicated about seeing a therapist?¡± Cindi asked, wrapping her arms around me. ¡°I think it¡¯d be good for you.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m an international criminal on the FBI¡¯s most-wanted list. And he¡¯s . . .¡± I froze, considering. If I told them, I¡¯d have an out. I wouldn¡¯t have to go again. It wasn¡¯t really my secret to tell, but I couldn¡¯t go back. Not after discovering who he was. ¡°He¡¯s Professor Mind.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Both Cindi and Des demanded. ¡°Doctor Chuck Berry, psychiatrist and psychologist, is Professor Mind, the mentalist superhero and Smash Gal¡¯s boyfriend.¡± ¡°You¡¯re fucking kidding!¡± Des all-but-shouted. ¡°What are the odds of that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said honestly. I wouldn¡¯t even know how to begin to calculate it. ¡°But he told you to take a vacation?¡± Des asked. ¡°Yeah . . . It was weird.¡± ¡°This is insane.¡± ¡°I told you that when you suggested it!¡±

=== Kari === I sped forward, and the supposed Ice Queen raised her hand, and a column of ice shot up. I reared back and slammed my fist into the barrier, which shattered. I continued punching until I got through. The Flame Lord was waiting for me on the other side and slammed a fiery fist into my face. I went flying backward. I caught myself and flew around the icy debris. I ducked under a blast of ice, only to be cold-clocked by a belch of flame. I spun and put it out. They continued to alternate, the Flame Lord wearing a neutral expression contrasting the Icy Queen¡¯s maniacal laughter. I was pounded back by their constant barrages. Their attacks wouldn¡¯t stop. I tried to take a deep breath, but the fire burnt up most of the air. The icy air caused by the woman¡¯s frozen flurries cut into my lungs. I didn¡¯t know whether to sweat or shiver. I pushed forward through their attacks, and they got more and more desperate. It didn¡¯t hurt. I could barely feel it. But it was just so fucking annoying. Something hit me from behind, and I looked around, not seeing anything. No ice and no fire. I slammed down in front of them and slowly stepped forward as they continued to blast me with alternating attacks. Fire. Ice. More flames. More frozen air. Every time I got close, they¡¯d pour all their energy into pushing me back. It was so frustrating. Anger boiled up in my chest, and I blasted forward with as much speed as I could manage. The air condensed in front of me. Dust, debris, fire, and ice flew away from me as I pushed through it. The couple pushed harder and harder, and I finally met resistance. Ice formed in front of me in thick sheets. I reared back and slammed my fist into it, which shattered into millions of pieces, continuing forward. When I was finally in front of them, and in one fluid motion, I backhanded the woman and kicked the man into another wall of ice that was slowly melting in the spring heat. He slammed against it and gasped as a jagged piece of ice stuck out from his stomach. She went flying and collapsed into the wall. She was still breathing, but her neck was at an odd angle. Both of them would need a hospital before going to jail. Cops and ambulances slowly made their way through the wreckage surrounding us and checked on the status. They were loaded onto stretches, and I saw the paramedics trying to keep the man alive. Others were gingerly moving the woman. I lost control again, I thought. This isn¡¯t right. I have to try harder. I just got so frustrated with everything that was happening. People with cell phones were filming the aftermath. They might have been around filming the fight itself, and reporters filed in and started asking questions. I flew up. As I did so, I caught sight of several men with sniper rifles on roofs. I thought about the hit from behind during the fight. It had to have been one of them. They were following me with their guns. When I focused on their faces, I could see the look of dispassionate concentration as they pivoted their weapons. I frowned. Had they been aiming at me? I asked myself. Then another thought occurred to me. Would it have been better if they hadn¡¯t been? Issue #41: The Power of God in Your Hands and You Use It to Dress Like Jackasses

=== Cindi === After Des cleared me for our vacation, Curt and I got to packing. We were going to have fun. We had both chosen things we wanted to do. There was to be no work, unfortunately. But with my latest score, we would be set for a while, and it''s not like we couldn''t always get more. After all, we are the two greatest thieves in the world. And together, nothing can stop us. Not Smash Gal, not Professor Mind, nothing. I smiled to myself as I folded my clothes and put them away. Curt came out of the bathroom, rubbing a towel over his head; my eyes fell on the scars he had collected. So many of them were recent. I''m so glad we''re doing this. Getting this man to relax is just short of impossible. And we''ve earned this. After everything, we deserve a little happiness. He smiled up at me and snapped on his little device. He wouldn''t leave it behind. I had tried to convince him to just have the poppers available and use those to get around, but he flatly refused. "Nah, they''re not efficient enough. It''ll be better to have it. What if we need to go somewhere in a hurry? Or get to somewhere specific? You should bring yours too." I caved. I put the cute little cases Curt''d made in my bag. If I needed to get to them fast, I could. But I wasn''t worried. After he got dressed and packed, he opened a portal to the first stop. He gave me the first choice. We stepped through the ingress together and walked out onto hot, white sand. The crashing of waves. The sun was high and bright. The beach was not exactly crowded, but there were some people around. No one seemed to notice that we had just arrived in such an unorthodox way. I wrapped my arm around his and leaned into him. "Think anyone saw that?" "Doubt it," he responded absently, starting to walk forward. "Most people aren''t that aware of their surroundings. And my portals do kind of have an S.E.P. thing about them." "S.E.P.?" I asked, pouting. "Somebody Else''s Problem. Basically, they might see it, but it''s not got anything to do with them, so it''s not important to them." "Do you really believe that?" "People rarely want to interact with the swirling energy circles of doom, so, kind of?" "I suppose." "So, what''s the plan?" "We''re going to do something I''ve always wanted to do but never got around to," I whispered excitedly, guiding him over to the pier. We got over to a rental station, and the man looked at us both closely for a moment. We each put down our I.D.s. "Curt Wagner and Kitty Pryde?" The attendant asked, eyeing us even more closely. Curt and I smiled and nodded, putting the money on the table; he shook his head. "Whatever." We were out on the open ocean a few minutes later as the same man drove us out. We were busy squeezing into wetsuits. Curt helped me fit on the oxygen pack. He then got on his phone. I glared at him and was about to mention it to him when Curt got up and showed the man something on his phone. After that, he put it away and sat next to me. After just short of an hour on the boat, we both fell back into the ocean. The water wrapped around us. I swam down deep, breathing in through the mouthpiece. The water was beautifully clear. Schools of fish dived out of our way, breaking into groups to avoid us. I reached out to touch them, but they scattered quickly when I did. Curt circled around me, and we went down. I frowned at him around the mouthpiece. He was wearing his glasses under his goggles. That man, I thought, kicking my feet after him. He swam fast, but his motions were not nearly as practiced as mine. My flight always felt like swimming through the air. I caught up to him quickly. He appeared to be looking for something; he swam deeper, getting to the ocean floor. I followed him. What is he up to? After a few minutes of swimming around, he dug something out of the dirt and sand, swam up, and held it up to me. I took it from him and rubbed some grime off it. It sparkled in the soft sunlight, barely breaking through the ocean water, even as clear as it was. It was a gold coin. Probably from the 14th century. In the water, I can''t identify precisely where it was from, but it was quite the find. He gestured up and started swimming. I followed him, clutching the coin tightly. We broke the water, and Curt removed his breathing mask and cheerfully said, "I was right!" "Right about what?" "Pirates. There was a ship that sank maybe thirty miles from here. The ship was never found. So, I was doing some current drift calculations and realized we weren''t that far off. So, I offered the boatman a little more money to go where I calculated to see if I could find it." "Curt, this is meant to be a vacation." "So, are you saying you don''t want to explore a pirate ship with a bunch of gold on it?" "I . . . That does sound fun," I muttered, a smile spreading across my face. "But I didn''t want this to be work." "Cin, we''re out in the ocean. We''re not getting shot at. We''re just exploring. Doing archeology. This isn''t like one of our jobs." "I . . . Okay. So, you found one piece. But that''s not a ship. Do you have any idea where it could be?" I asked, stuffing the coin into the pocket of my suit. "Yeah, I''m pretty sure we''re within a mile of it," he said, grinning. He is so cute. It''s not exactly the vacation I had imagined, but this does seem more us. He unzipped his suit and took out a case; it matched mine. I watched him strap on his little device. "You ready?" "Lead the way, husband," I said. After we both replaced our mouthpieces, we dove down and swam. It took us a while to get anywhere. And the ocean gets dark quick. We crested an underwater cliff and stared out over, and there was a vague shape down below, but it was too dark to make it out. There were more schools of fish, some of them more immense than I would have figured. But we were really far out now. Curt swam down further, kicking off the cliff and powering through to the shape. He reached up and turned on a light he had on his goggles. I did the same. There was a wooden structure slowly rotting away in the ocean. It had a huge gash in it that had been mostly buried by the passage of time. Curt considered it for a moment, then swam up on the deck. I followed him and peered into one of the broken windows, and a sea of fish burst through the window, panicking, slamming me in the face. I rebounded and looked around. Having just barely heard the commotion, Curt grabbed my hand and pulled me through the school and up with him. He then motioned to the door. I swam up to it and tried it. It was stuck. The handle had rusted well past the ability to move. Curt frowned and tried to slam into the door but couldn''t get enough speed. I rolled my eyes and took a deep breath before shifting through my wetsuit and the door. The water was so much colder without it, and I shuddered, but I got in and looked around. I couldn''t see anything; my goggles and thus light were left on the other side. It was incredibly murky and dark in the room. I swam a little deeper into it. It might have once been a beautiful, ornate room, with several little baubles and even a nice carpet. At least, I think so. Again, it was incredibly dark. My lungs started to ache as I circled the room. I got to the chair behind a desk and swam around. The grinning face of a skeleton stared blankly up at me, and I shot back, gasping. I coughed as seawater filled my mouth. I started to choke. There was a crack to my side, but I was still struggling to keep what little air I had left in my lungs. It got louder. My heart started to pound fast; I was trapped in here; I was choking. I could die here. There was another one, and the door flew open. Curt swam forward, lugging my oxygen tank behind him. He pressed the mouthpiece into my hands. I clutched it tightly, leaning into it, and took several deep breaths, my heart rate decelerating to something approaching human levels. A little more stable, I took the wetsuit from him and slid into it. It was much more annoying to get into it underwater. Curt swam around, looking at things, shining his light on things as I worked to squeeze into the suit. Once done, I considered the goggles. I couldn''t do much to keep the water out of them now. They were useless. I really shouldn''t have used my powers like that, I lamented. It''s not often, but I do sometimes wish I could keep my clothes on when doing my thing. Maybe I should work on that. Curt thinks it''s psychosomatic. He might have a point. I thought about how I could kind of keep the teleport control he made for me on if I concentrated on it. Curt was busy trying to move the desk, only to find it nailed down. He furrowed his brows and then started digging through the drawers. I watched as my husband opened one that immediately closed itself. He opened it again, and it pulled itself closed again. He looked at me with wide eyes, silently asking What the hell? I shrugged. He opened it again, only to be sprayed in the face with a jet of black goo. Something swam past him and out of the room. I watched as an octopus slowly made its way. I grinned from behind the mask, watching the man I had chosen above all others desperately scrape the ink off his face. He then swam forward, shaking his head. We had found the ship, but we were running out of oxygen. We didn''t have much longer to do this. We swam out of the captain''s quarters and found a way down below deck. We swam deeper, and there were more fish. Thankfully, there were no sharks down here. Though the quarters would have been a little tight for a big one. It was a little spooky here in the dark, the only lights being our little headsets. Mine now hanging loosely around my neck. The saltwater was stinging my eyes, and it was getting hard to keep them open. We found more bodies, eaten away by the ocean and its inhabitants alike. Barebone grinning skeletons. We found surprisingly intact barrels. Ale and wine aged to vinegar by now, likely. Curt swam around, examining the area. I shivered. There was so little space in here. I worked to keep my breathing under control. He didn''t have any way of knowing this, but I didn''t like tight, dark spaces. I never have. My father had kept me in a few, and it had rarely been an issue ever since I got my powers. But still. With all of the pressure of the ocean and the oppressive darkness, it was starting to get to me. Curt swam up and pointed to the wall. I had stayed in the one shaft of light, but he was pointing deep into the darkness. I frowned, trying to keep myself relatively calm, and swam through a loose, rotted-away gateway. Curt directed me to a wall. I tried to get a good look at him, but he just gestured to the wall again. This part of the wall didn''t look all that different from anything around it. I got closer and ran my fingers over it. There was a subtle ridge covered in sea grime. His glasses must''ve picked something up. I looked back at him and nodded. He made a motion of reaching and pulling something. I frowned and phased my hands through the wall, the sleeves of my wetsuit drifting bonelessly around in the soft current. After an inch or two, the wood stopped. Curt was right; it was a false wall. I felt around for a moment on the wall itself. There was a latch at the top, and I tugged on it. It took a few minutes, but eventually, I managed to move it enough for the door to fall down. Inside there was a lot of stuff. Curt met up with me and held out my suit''s arms so I could get back in easier. Then we looked into the little cubby. There was a chest and some jewels and a bottle of wine. Water had gotten into the space, of course, and the wood of the trunk was mostly rotted away. And we didn''t have bags. I hadn''t known we would be treasure hunting today, much less in a creepy ship full of dead pirates. Curt, realizing the problem, had a portal sweep quickly over the contents of the cubby. He sure does clean house well. Then I frowned. You know, he could be better at actually picking up after himself, given his ability. Our oxygen was dangerously low at this point. We were pretty far from the surface, too; we couldn''t safely make it. We started to swim out of the ship, but the light was blocked by something. An enormous shadow passed overhead. We made our way out, only to see a twenty-foot-long shark swimming around. I froze. My heart was pounding. It was so huge and swam with the natural grace of a predator. I had never seen a shark up close like this. It hadn''t seemed to see us, thankfully. We started swimming up, passing by it. It swam up to us, and out of instinct, I threw out a hand and shocked it. Whatever I did rebounded around us in the water, causing the shark, Curt, and I to convulse. I couldn''t keep up the attack, and Curt grabbed my hand, clenching tightly. Then the world shifted. We were somewhere else. We were still in the water, but the pressure wasn''t as harsh. The endless expanse of the ocean spread out in front of us. The shark was gone. My stomach was tumbling violently. Still clutching my hand, Curt pulled me up, and we started heading to the surface. Before we got there, our tanks ran out of oxygen. My lungs burned; my muscles clenched. But Curt was there with me. And it was certainly something I didn''t want to forget. After swimming up for another minute or so, we broke through the surface and gasped desperately for air. We looked around and found the boat, the man just sitting there, an anchor keeping his craft stable. He got up, putting away his book. "You took longer than you said, Mister Wagner. That''ll cost you." "That''s fine," Curt said breathlessly as he swam up to the boat. The boatman helped me up, and then Curt. We collapsed onto the floor. "That was a hell of a workout." "Yeah, no kidding." "Where''d you guys go? And what happened to your face?" The boatman asked, gesturing to Curt. "Ink. Got sprayed by an octopus." Curt replied, sitting up. "Alright. Know any good restaurants in the area? I''m starving." Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Not on the ocean, but we can get you back to town. Provided you have some money for me." The man smirked at him. Curt rolled his eyes and grabbed his shorts, digging out his wallet. He took out a few bills and passed them over. The man counted it; It was just short of two grand. I raised a brow, looking at Curt. He smiled at me. While the man was distracted, I slipped the coin out of my pocket and into my bag. The man seemed satisfied and drove us back to shore. We watched the sunset, cuddling up into one another, the engine''s roar comforting me after the eerie silent pressure of the ocean. We took the man''s suggestion and went to a nice restaurant. We had to dress up a little more, but that was fine. I was a little eager to check to see what kind of treasure we had found, but both Curt and I were positively ravenous, so food would have to be first. We sat down and ordered, but nothing came for a long time. Slowly, all of the guests drifted out of the restaurant. Thirty minutes went by, and we hadn''t gotten so much as drinks. I was about to get up and ask what was happening when Curt grabbed my hand. "Don''t." "Why not?" "Look around. Really look." I did so. The waitstaff were all staring at us from behind corners. Some of them looked scared. Guests had been cleared out. Out of a window, I caught sight of a man with a gun strapped to his waist. "Someone recognized us." "It was bound to happen," Curt said. He started to reach into his sports coat pocket but stopped when he heard someone shout. "Freeze! Hands where I can see them!" He held up his hand and glanced over his shoulder. I looked at the cop too. He was an older man in his fifties. A bit of a belly on him. Balding, but he made up for it with a graying mustache. "Is there a problem, officer?" I asked, putting on my kindest, most patient smile. "Cindi Drei, Curtis Reese. You''re under arrest," the man said, four more officers closing in on us. I watched Curt''s mind run through the possibilities, trying to decide the best course of action. I wasn''t doing the same. I knew what we had to do. I prepared myself.

=== Chuck === Bion had been out of the picture for a while now. And honestly, things were getting pretty demanding without him. Crime hadn''t precisely increased. At least not exactly in the way you would expect. Crime doesn''t actually increase when you reduce police forces by any tangible degree. And that''s what we are, really. Superheroes are just vigilante cops. Heroes are irresponsible and answerable to no one. Esvanir''s words played through my head again. It was from an interview I had rewatched. His words were starting to get to me. After meeting with him, talking to him as a person, and not considering him an enemy, even for just that session, I was questioning my role. With Bion out of the picture, at least for the time being, the threats he had taken care of were active again and unrelenting. He had several enemies that were a lot more direct and violent than Reese . . . Drei was. We were running ourselves ragged. I had spent the month rounding Bion''s enemies up; Kari was doing a lot, too; Jenny and Harold were working overtime constantly. I checked the app that kept me apprised of concerns around the city, and there was a report coming live. I tapped on it and could hear David Thrawn''s voice talking over the situation. "It appears as though prominent activist and respected member of the community, Adam, ''Doc Oak'' Oakley, is attacking the Bestly manufacturing site outside of town. It appears as though he''s gained some form of powers and . . ." David trailed off as the camera focused on Oakley. He was a tall, wiry man with a pale green skin tone and was completely nude save for a leaf that covered his genitals. It had not left much to the imagination. A cop car drove at him and stopped. The cop got out and took aim, and just before he could fire on the man, Adam gestured with two fingers. Plants burst from the ground, growing fast and thick. The cop and the car were actually raised from the ground, and for a moment, I thought he might have killed the police officer, but he was still struggling. The drone came down, and we got a good shot of the doctor¡¯s face. He smiled at the camera and gently pushed it to the side as he practically sauntered forward. He wouldn''t trap anyone who was running away. He did nothing to stop them. "I''m sorry, mates. I was a little distracted there. I just didn''t expect him to be so . . . He''s quite good-looking, don''t you think, Sarah?" "I . . . He''s a criminal, David," his co-host responded. The smile they had captured of him appeared on the screen. "But he is not bad looking." "He certainly has a lot to . . . work with," Thrawn responded, then cleared his throat. "Uh . . . Powers wise. He''s quite an effective metahuman, I mean." Oakley got to the steps, turned to the camera, and stood tall. His playful smile had been erased by a look of sternness. Despite his pale green flesh, he was still striking. A painting of a perfectly crafted dryad. Vines came and surrounded him, elevating him a few inches off the ground. One of the ends of the vines turned to him, and he looked at it, nodded, and caressed it fondly. "I have spoken to Nature, and she is rejecting the right to this company''s existence," he spoke softly, but his brown eyes were filled with pain and rage. Something about how he said Nature implied a profound reverence. Maybe he worships Nature, personifying it as a concept, I thought. ??"This company steals water from the ecosystem, denying Nature her due. The C.E.O. of Bestly literally would have you and the world as a whole dehydrate, dry out and destroy the world. He has said as much. Letting this continue will not only destroy mankind but do irreparable damage to the planet. This is the start of the revolution. Our plant friends have spoken to me and told me that Nature is sick and tired of your behavior." There was a roar of grinding stone; from behind him, rocks shattered and metal crumpled. Vines moved down and slid around metal and cracked the concrete. Water burst forth from somewhere in the factory, soaking the ground. The vines supporting Adam flowered, and he leaned back on colossal petals. He sat on the flower throne and crossed his legs. "This is the beginning. We have to change what we''re doing. We will no longer stand by and let these C.E.O.s do whatever they want. Killing people, denying the world what it needs to flourish for some idiotic perpetual growth." The drone flew back and caught sight of the factory as a whole. Oakley had destroyed the factory. Water flowed back into the riverbed, slowly overtaking the cracked and dry ground the factory had caused. He isn''t hurting anyone. But he''s still breaking the law, I thought to myself. Kari would undoubtedly want to stop him. And . . . In the exact way that we can''t just let C.E.O.s do whatever they want, we can''t let him. I had been resting for a moment. Between my job and picking up for Bion''s absence, I had intended to stay in tonight, taking a night for myself. But I couldn''t just sit by and do nothing. My clothes shattered around me and were immediately replaced by my superhero costume. I looked around my apartment. I walked forward, opened the window, and crawled onto the fire escape. I launched myself off of the railing and started falling before catching myself and burst forward. I flew as fast as I could. All that time patrolling and going around with Kari had sped me up. It took me less than ten minutes to reach the edge of town and maybe another two until the factory was in sight. I landed just ahead of the police barricade; their guns trained on me for a moment. I swept my mental senses over them; their surface thoughts were primed for violence. I walked over to the officer who appeared to be in charge. It was actually the chief of police. "Chief Lassitrahd, what''s the situation?" "Professor Mind," he said with subtle disgust. He rubbed his face and looked around. "One of your kind is out there, destroying factories. So, we''re going to put a stop to it." He gestured over to a team of snipers that were setting themselves up. I frowned and shifted. "I might be able to talk him down. It may not come down to something so . . . violent." "So violent?" The chief demanded. "He''s got a cop trapped in there. He destroyed a factory. He deserves this!" "Any casualties?" ¡°Casua- . . . No. None confirmed. But we haven''t cleared the building yet. There''s probably dead in there. He destroyed the factory." I extended my senses. I could feel him and a vague sense of . . . something else. I couldn''t identify exactly what it was without deeper probing. There were ten people somewhere in the building. A few closer than others. I didn''t need anything more. He had hostages. But strangely, no one seemed that afraid. There was some fear, sure. But much less than should have been in this situation. "There are ten people in or around the building, excluding Doctor Oakley," I responded, turning back to the chief, who shook his head, scoffing. "You freaks are something else. The powers of God in your hands, and you use it to dress like jackasses and play cop." "Well, I''m going to go play God, then. And stop this peacefully." I blasted off the ground, and he stumbled back. I flew over to the building and landed about fifty feet short of it, holding out my hands. Adam was still sitting on the flower, but things had changed since the broadcast. The sight before me was off-putting and downright baffling. There were more huge flowers, and two fully-clothed workers were sitting around him, a lean, beautiful, naked man. There were more people just behind them. I can''t let them shoot into that. If they miss, they might hit the civilians. A blonde woman was smiling up at Adam, and he doted on her, producing a flower from somewhere and putting it in her hair. On his other side, a balding, but confident-looking man, held his hand. Adam turned to him and smiled gently at him. Neither of them were scared at all. Nor were the people behind them. They were . . . They''re aroused; that''s really strange. Maybe some kind of brainwashing? I walked forward, and something hit my nose. A flowery scent filled the air and blew out from him. My mind felt a little muddled from it. I wasn''t hit with arousal, but I didn''t really feel like fighting. I tried to kick my brain back into action, but it was difficult. I stepped forward. "Doctor Oakley." "Doc Oak, please," he said, turning to me. The group of people switched their focus too. Their pupils were dilated. They were high. What had he done to them? His eyes were also dilated. He smiled at me; his eyes crawled over me for a moment. I shifted under his gaze. "Or Adam. How can I help you, Professor Mind?" "I . . ." I began, unsure of myself. He wasn''t being violent; he didn''t seem dangerous. "I''m here to try and talk you into surrendering. Letting these nice people go." "They are, aren''t they?" He said, returning his attention to the two around him. He patted the cheek of the man and held out his hand for the woman, who promptly took it. "They''re not bad people. I''m not going to hurt them, Professor. But I also can''t surrender. I suppose I can let them go, though. Provided the cops out there don''t shoot them. My friends tell me that they''re gearing up. About to snipe me." "Your friends. The plants. You think you can talk to the plants?" "Is that so strange?" "I''d say so. I don''t think any plants have ever said anything to me." "You don''t know how to listen. And that''s okay. For a long time, I didn''t either. But I learned. I could help you learn to hear them if you want." "I . . ." "You think I''m crazy. That I''m hearing voices. That plants can''t talk." "According to my understanding of the matter, yeah." "Aren''t you a psychic?" "What? Well, yes." "Many people would consider that to be something impossible. If it were not so evident that you could do it, don''t you think people might treat you like you''re treating me, Professor?" His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. Something underneath. Underneath the dampening effect of whatever he''d taken, whatever he''d given them, under his cool-as-a-cucumber demeanor, he was annoyed. No, it''s more than that. He''s angry. ??"Even if I am crazy for that reason, for listening to the plants, stopping these monstrous factories is more important than my possible insanity." "Let''s start small," I said, lifting placating hands. "Let''s let the hostages go, and then I can see what we can do." "Hostages!?" Rage flared off of him, and he sat forward. "These people are not hostages. They are free to leave at any point." He turned to them and smiled softly. "My friends, go. I have the feeling this is about to devolve, and I''d rather not have you caught in the crossfire." The blonde woman who was sitting next to him took a pen from her pocket and grabbed his hand. He let her, watching her patiently scrawl something on it. He looked at it and smiled at her. The man on his other side handed him a card and smiled. All ten people walked away slowly, with those two glancing back. Reluctance, desire, regret. Those were the emotions I could sense in them. This situation was so bizarre. "The cop too." He nodded and waved his hand. The cop car and the officer were gently lowered to the ground. The man got up and looked around. He retrieved his gun in a shaking hand and started to raise it, fear radiating off of him. He hadn''t been affected by whatever drug was around. Something to note. Adam glared at him, and the cop''s gun fell to his side. He backed away before turning to run, leaving the car behind. ??"Okay. Thank you. Now, if you''d come with me, we ca-" "No," he cut me off. "We can''t. And I won''t." "Why?" I asked. "You don''t want to hurt anyone. What''s the point of this?" "I haven''t done anything wrong. I am righting a wrong." He stood up and stretched, walking down the steps. He''s like Reese. Well, no, not exactly. He''s in control of his anger, not ranting and raving. I thought. Then again, there was a time when Curt was like that too. Before . . . I stopped the thought. Adam stood in front of me. "You should leave too, Professor. I really am getting the feeling that it''s about to get fairly violent. And despite your condescension, you''ve been kind. Which is more than I can say for most of your . . . our kind." "I . . . I can''t do that. I need to bring you in. You . . ." "Need help? I''m not unwell, Professor. I''m perfectly healthy." "But . . . look at you. What happened to you?" "I wanted to be closer to Nature, and I found a way to be." He met my eyes. "And if it''s your intention to take that away from me, then I''m afraid that''s something I can''t abide by." "What if I took you in peacefully, and we see if we can''t find a compromise? I . . . I don''t think fighting you is going to accomplish anything. You''ve been so rea-" I cut myself off as he buckled over and growled in pain, clenching his fists. Rage boiled off of him. And there was more panic coming from behind. One of the cops from behind had thrown a cigarette down on the ground and had caught some dry grass on fire. They were trying to stomp it out but had limited success. There was also the cold determination off in the distance. Some ridge where a sniper was positioned. I could feel his sight on us. "This is the problem, Professor!" He shouted, letting his voice echo throughout the valley. "Even when they''re not actively trying to, they''re so callous to the environment, casually destroying it. Human apathy is almost as dangerous as their continuous antipathy toward Nature. She will not allow this to continue, and as her champion, one of the few who can hear her voice, I will not either." Issue #42: I鈥檓 Not Coming Back

=== Curt === The officers closed in around us, guns pointed at the woman I love and myself. Cindi, never one to hesitate, was already in motion. She flipped out of her chair, her dress flying through the air. She hadn¡¯t gone insubstantial yet, so it hadn¡¯t come off. I called out to her, ¡°Cindi! Not here! There are people.¡± She froze midair, hanging off of her chair. It was too late; the cops had started shooting all around us. Cindi slipped through her dress, which fell to the ground, and bullets passed through her. I growled and dove to the ground. People were screaming. I dug my rig out of my breast pocket and slipped it over my hand, crawling under the table. I could see my wife being an overachiever in the background. She was backflipping, going insubstantial at random intervals to avoid being shot. I put on my AR glasses and crawled out from under the table. A cop shot at me, and the glass to my side exploded. I marked the gun and redirected one of his frantic bullets back into the barrel, causing it to explode. ¡°Everybody fucking stop!¡± My shout carried over the intermittent gunfire, and shockingly, they did. Buck Cherry landed forty feet or so away from our table, prepared to start again instantly. The cops all froze. The only sounds that could be heard were the whimpers of the staff and the pained cries of the cop whose gun had become shrapnel. ¡°Alright. Cin, grab your dress. We¡¯re leaving.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere, scumbag!¡± The chief said, brandishing his gun. I stared at him in disbelief, my mouth hanging open. ¡°You¡¯re a terrorist, and I¡¯m going to take you in.¡± ¡°I just want to get something straight,¡± I said as I rubbed my face. My hand dropped, and I looked at the portly man in front of me. ¡°You are going to take us in. You. I regularly get one over on people like Bion, like mother fucking Smash Gal. And you, a cop on an island armed with nothing, think you can take us down.¡± ¡°I have this gun,¡± he said, taking aim. He tracked me as I dashed forward. He was a good shot. ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± I said. He fired the gun. People screamed. I appeared just before him, grabbed the gun, and elbowed him in the face. Then I roundhouse kicked him, and he stumbled back and fell on his ass. He roared at me and tried to kick me, but I just stepped to the side. I looked at the gun in my hand. Then opened a portal and threw it in. He stared at me, mouth open. ¡°W-why are you here? What are you doing?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe me if I told you, so why bother?¡± I asked, turning my back on him. There was a crackle over the radio, and a voice cried out. ¡°Mayday. There¡¯s a ship off the coast caught in a storm. It¡¯s capsized. Is there anyone in the area who can rescue them?¡± I looked at the cop who was glaring at me. ¡°Get the coordinates,¡± I said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll rescue those people. Get the coordinates.¡± ¡°I . . .¡± The man stared at me for a moment. Then he called into the radio and got the coordinates. I had already brought up a map and was tracking the storm. It was a sudden summer storm, coming from seemingly nowhere. I sighed and input the location he was given. Cindi was already dressed and making her way over to me. The other cops all looked at Cherry; the staff¡¯s eyes were bouncing between the two of us, terrified of her and me. The cop met my eye. ¡°When you get back, I¡¯m taking you in.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not coming back.¡± Reality shifted as Cindi put her arm around mine. We appeared on top of the boat that was rocking back and forth violently. I started to identify people with the glasses, disappearing them as I went. They would appear on the shore that was about ten miles out. It was easier that way. I took off my shirt and dove under the roiling waters. I could barely make out bodies that were sinking. I marked them with my glasses, and they were gone in the next instant. I swam around, looking for more, but I couldn¡¯t see anyone else. I surfaced and took a deep breath. Cindi grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the water. I looked around, and the same thought that haunted me passed through my head too often. Imagine the good you could do if you just made this public. The rescues that could happen. If you weren¡¯t so selfish, you would do it. Another thought had started to accompany these ever since my little trip off planet. It¡¯s not even your technology, anyway. You don¡¯t deserve it, you fraud.

=== Kari === I watched my boyfriend, Professor Mind, talking to the eco-terrorist Doc Oak on my phone. I couldn¡¯t hear what was being said. The drone wasn¡¯t getting close enough for that. One of the police snipers shot forth, and the bullet narrowly missed Chuck. Doc Oak had jumped back. The bullet tore through plant flesh, and I watched him cry out. PM turned to the cops, concern playing out on his face. More shots rang out, PM flew back out of the way, and they struck out around the vaguely green man. He threw out his arms and cracks formed in the dirt and plants exploded around him. His face was overtaken by rage and pain. The drone turned, capturing the plants overtaking the cop cars. Smoke that was crawling up under the feet of the police was snuffed out and the plants wrapped around the legs of the officers, and slammed them into the ground. More shots were fired out, but they were ineffective. Because, of course, they were. Chuck called out, and flew forward. He summoned an ethereal sword and slashed the cops free, who fell to the ground. Oakley screamed out, and gestured up at Chuck. Plants rushed at the call to war, and my Professor started slashing and chopping violently out but he couldn¡¯t keep up. They grasped him, and pulled him to the ground. He was tightly restrained and Doc Oak stood over him, supported by vines he had crafted. I couldn¡¯t see the man¡¯s face, but I couldn¡¯t imagine it was friendly. Chuck¡¯s just not made for fights like this. He can¡¯t do . . . He won¡¯t do what¡¯s necessary, I thought, putting my phone away. I summoned a forcefield around myself and reinforced it for a moment or two before dropping off the building I had been resting on. I charged forward at my fastest speed, the air I had compressed into my psychic tunnel buffeted me violently, but it didn¡¯t matter. I had to get to Chuck. Everything was protected from the force of the sonic booms I was creating. I slammed down on the ground. I hadn¡¯t controlled my strength or created a barrier to disperse my landing, so it shattered underneath me. I charged forward, grabbed the cops, and pulled them out of the way. Vines and plant life tried to grasp at me, but they were nowhere near strong enough to stand up to me. I tore at them without even paying attention. Within the minute of me getting to the scene, the cops were all safe and far away. They were yelling at me, but I wasn¡¯t listening. I blasted off again through the veritable forest that Oak had created, pushing through the plants, snapping branches, vines, and leaves. I heard him cry out. ¡°What are you doing!? You monster! Why are all of you such bastards?¡± He screamed out. I slowed down and landed in front of him, rolling my shoulders. Chuck was trying to cut through his bindings, but every time he did, the vines tightened, and he lost concentration. I clenched my fists, and sped forward again. Until I heard him cry out. I froze. ¡°Stop, Smash Gal! Take one step closer, and I¡¯ll end him.¡± Chuck¡¯s eyes were wide behind his mask. He was clutching at the vines. Doctor Oakley stood behind him, hand waving slightly in the air. Both of their faces were red with exertion. They were less than a thousand feet from me. I could get to Oakley in less than a blink of an eye. There was nothing he could do to stop me. He tried, though. Vines shot up around me and wrapped around my entire body. They constricted me tightly, trying to pull me down. And if I had been vanilla, an ordinary person, I would have been doomed. They would have squeezed and wrapped around me and probably strangled the life out of me immediately. But I just walked forward. Then I blasted off towards Oakley. The vines snapped, and he cried out and fell to the ground; there were tears in his eyes, and he looked up at me, enraged and consumed by pain. His hands were shaking; Chuck dropped down, the restraining vines slackening. Oakley tried to reach up, and I reeled back my fist and was about to slam it down onto his face. Then something else wrapped around my wrist and yanked me. Or tried to. I¡¯m still Smash Gal. I spun on a heel, ready to destroy whatever it was. Chuck extended a hand, projecting a mental rope on my arm. I froze. He coughed weakly but pulled himself to his feet. ¡°Smash Gal . . . Kari, don¡¯t. It¡¯s over.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I turned back to Doc Oak, who was crying weakly, curling into himself. I picked him up bodily and slammed my fist into his neck. He went entirely limp. I had used more force than I had intended and had broken the skin. Doc Oak¡¯s blood was on my knuckles. I looked over at Chuck. ¡°We can¡¯t go easy on criminals. He destroyed a factory. He could have killed you.¡± Chuck frowned at me, clutching his throat, but he didn¡¯t say anything. The weeds Oakley had created retreated some but didn¡¯t disappear altogether.Shaking my head, I started off towards the police. Chuck followed me. I could feel his eyes on me. And not in the way I wanted my boyfriend to look at me. He was disappointed by something, but I didn¡¯t really know what. I dropped the man to the ground before the cops. They stared at him and then at me. Then they went to work, arresting him. None of them paid us any attention. I glowered at them. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± I didn¡¯t wait for a response. I just blasted off, breaking the sound barrier eight times. Chuck couldn¡¯t keep up. Which was good. I didn¡¯t really feel like listening to his lecture right now.

=== Curt === I grabbed Cindi, and we popped somewhere else. It was my turn to choose what we were doing for the vacation. We still hadn¡¯t eaten since we were interrupted. Cin wrapped her arm around mine and gripped me tightly. I glanced over at her, and she was pouting at me. I asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I know that look, Curt. You were beating yourself up over something again, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± I lied. ¡°I¡¯m on vacation with the most beautiful, delightful woman I¡¯ve ever met. I have nothing to beat myself up over.¡± ¡°Curt,¡± Cin whined, clutching me tighter. ¡°You really don¡¯t. I wish you¡¯d realize that.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just get something to eat. We have people to see, things to do, police and military institutions to humiliate.¡± She frowned at me, fully aware I was changing the subject, but she let me do it. We had snapped off to the other side of the world. We were back in Europe. I saw one of the world¡¯s most famous landmarks when I glanced around. The Eiffel Tower was standing tall in the distance. We weren¡¯t here for that, though. Cindi took out her own rig and chose a new address, snapping us far away from the random street we were on. I didn¡¯t recognize it, but I also hadn¡¯t spent much time in France. She had. She guided me over to a small family restaurant. Despite the seawater that had somewhat dampened our appearance, we were decidedly overdressed for it. The woman in the front greeted us with a smile. She walked out from behind the pedestal, took Cindi¡¯s hand, and kissed her cheeks. They spoke French much too quickly for me to make out much of anything. So, I just looked around the restaurant. It was a small place, basically just a hole-in-the-wall. But I could tell at a glance that a lot of love and care was put into it. The furniture was worn but cared for. There were framed pictures of a family, including the woman Cin was speaking to; a mural of the French countryside was painted on the wall in that middle ground of amateurish and professional art. The hostess had diverted her attention to me and was speaking very fast in French at me. I looked over at my wife with wide eyes, silently begging for help. She just smirked at me. The woman took my hands in hers and squeezed them tightly. Her vocal inflection and tone told me that whatever she said was probably positive. I smiled at her and shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m uncultured. Uh . . . Parlez vous . . . anglais?¡± ¡°She¡¯s just excited to finally meet my husband,¡± Cindi said, her smirk breaking into a grin. ¡°It¡¯s cute of you to try, though.¡± Both of the women laughed at me. And it was infectious. I laughed too. The woman guided us to a seat and sat with us, and they both spoke in French very quickly. I bet I could design a system that taps into translation software. Then at least, I could know what they were saying. I looked at the menu. It was also in French. I frowned and started googling to figure out what I could order. After a few minutes, the woman got up and left. I began to call after her, but Cindi grabbed my hand and held it in hers. ¡°But I still need to order, and I do-¡± ¡°Shh,¡± she cooed, squeezing my hand. ¡°Everything is okay. I ordered for you.¡± ¡°What? But I thought you were just catching up. What if I don¡¯t like what you ordered me?¡± ¡°Curt,¡± she began, smiling softly. ¡°Shut up and trust me.¡± ¡°I . . . Okay. Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± I took a few deep breaths and took her in. A candle between us lit up her face, causing her blue eyes to glint beautifully. She had that particular cat-like focus about her. A predatory look of self-assuredness and control. And it still made my heart skip. I stroked her hand. After a while, food was delivered, and I reluctantly let go of my wife¡¯s hand. I didn¡¯t recognize what she had ordered, but it was delicious. Simply amazing. The wine at the table was well-paired with our meal. I sighed contentedly. After I had finished sopping up the sauce with some bread, I asked, ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°Their special. Did you enjoy it?¡± ¡°Yeah, I did.¡± ¡°Of course you did, Curt. I know you. And I know that the secret to your heart is a lot of garlic, meat, and sex.¡± I wanted to argue, but she was just correct. So I just rolled my eyes and grinned at her. The woman returned as we were getting up and spoke more to Cindi. I still couldn¡¯t catch anything, lamenting my education¡¯s lack of decent language courses. Just another thing to fix in the world. The woman handed us a dessert, and we were on our way. I offered Cindi my arm, finally distracted from all of my self-loathing. At least for the time being. She took it, and I snapped my fingers, and we appeared before the Louvre. The line was short. It was the middle of the week. Still, it was the most famous museum in the world. ??¡°Are we honestly going to go in there?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are we stealing something?¡± ¡°Not unless you want to.¡± ¡°Then why?¡± Cindi asked. ¡°You pointed out just recently that we¡¯re international criminals. Undoubtedly they know our faces. Aren¡¯t we just asking for trouble?¡± ¡°Oh, we absolutely are. That¡¯s the point.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Cin, think about how fucking funny this is going to be. Two of the greatest thieves ever are going to walk into the world¡¯s grandest museum and steal nothing. We will get to play hide-and-seek with the guards, it¡¯ll cause an international panic, and it will be hilarious.¡± ¡°So, you just want to fuck with people? That¡¯s what you want to do on our honeymoon?¡± She asked, her brow raised. ¡°Well, yeah, kind of. Do you have a better idea?¡± ¡°You¡¯re an idiot,¡± she said, laughing. ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± We made our way into the museum after buying our tickets. No one seemed to recognize us, so we were free to make our way through the grand halls by ourselves. The collection was amazing. We got a chance to glance at the Mona Lisa, which was incredibly small but still a masterpiece. We saw several displays of art from all over the world. After about an hour or so, Cindi drew my attention, leaning in and whispering, ¡°We¡¯re being followed.¡± ¡°Oh? Well, then. Should we have a bit of fun?¡± I whispered back. ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± ¡°We could lead them down a hall, snap behind them and greet our new friends. Nonviolently, of course. Don¡¯t want to risk any of the art.¡± She smiled and guided me down a hall. I slipped my rig on and adjusted my glasses carefully. I accessed a map of the museum and marked out where I figured they would be as we made our way down the hall. I heard them turn the corner, but I purposefully didn¡¯t look. Instead, I just grabbed Buck Cherry¡¯s hand, and we shifted. We appeared maybe four hundred feet from where we had just left. Two people, both in black suits, not standing together, rushed forward to where we had just disappeared from. They got to the end of the hall, looked at each other, and then around further. One of them caught sight of us, pointed and yelled something in French. We looked at each other, grinned, and waved. Cindi gave a flourishing bow and said one of three phrases I knew of in French, ¡°Au revoir!¡± She snapped, and the world shifted. When the world reasserted itself, we were just outside of the museum. She clung to me, giggling. I laughed with her, pulling her in close. ¡°That was much more fun than I was expecting, darling.¡± Issue #43: Enough!

=== Kari === I avoided Chuck for a while after that. He had tried to call a few times. But with how he had reacted to me handling the Doc Oak situation. And with Curt gallivanting around the world on his advice, instead of in jail, I was pretty pissed at Chuck. I know he''s trying his best, but at some point, when did what we do stop being justice? Worse than that, though, was that he might be right. I probably didn''t have to knock out Doc Oak. He was basically catatonic already. Apparently, he could feel the pain of the plants I had torn up in our . . . Well, it wasn''t much of a fight. Confrontation? I asked myself. I shrugged, not really caring. Then there was the other stuff he had been saying. About Curt. About how prison isn''t a great solution to that particular problem . . . I thought about my wording, something Chuck had been pushing me to get in the practice of. I had labeled Curt a problem. I had dehumanized him. And that''s part of the problem. I view criminals as inhuman. Just because they are breaking the law doesn''t mean they''re not human. In fact, it''s kind of an argument for them being human. I sighed, considering it. When I thought about what would probably happen to Curt if I did catch him and Cherry and put them away . . . Chuck''s right. I hate that. It would just make his life worse. I would''ve hurt him. I . . . I have hurt him. The fact that Curt hated me so much hurt. I accepted that we could never be . . . whatever we were again. But to think that he would turn entirely away from me . . . It was painful. I didn''t know how to deal with it. I decided to be a little more proactive. I had been hiding in my room for a while, ignoring texts and calls. I just wasn''t up to it. But I had to be out there. I put on my supersuit, tugging the cape, and stood in front of the mirror. It had been modified again. It showed off my arms like a form-fitting tank top. It was still that same hot pink, and my cape was still mauve. We had switched out the boots for shoes with a bit more arch support and what amounted to highly resilient yoga pants. The thin lines where Curt had tried to take off my arms were almost gone. It would be much the same on my legs. Despite how dangerous it felt at the time, I had recovered. The cuts from Lady Blade were disappearing too. Soon, there''d be no remnant of these fights. I stretched out my arm and flexed as hard as I could. My muscles bulged. I thought back to the first time I saw myself in a supersuit, what felt like eons ago. I look hot, is what I had thought then. And looking at myself, I still felt that way. Even after everything that''s happened, I like who I am. I feel strong, capable, and attractive. It has been difficult, lately, to remember to love myself. I was constantly being barraged with opinions I didn''t ask for. People telling me I should''ve done this or that, and people insisting that I was ugly or terrible in countless ways. But I didn''t have to listen to any of it. I just need to remember that they don''t know me. I smiled at my reflection and walked out of my room. Mom and dad both smiled softly at me as I walked past them. Even without them saying anything, I could tell they didn''t want me to go out. They didn''t want me to be a hero anymore. And they were trying to be supportive. But I saw how their eyes tightened when they looked at my suit, the way their mouths contorted briefly. I knew. I hated training my senses because now it''s so hard to ignore the small expressions people make unconsciously. Maybe it''s time I move out. I just couldn''t help it. I flew over to Avalare City. I was still working on my forcefield, and it shattered several times on the way over when I hit my top speed. But I was getting better. I arrived in the city and started my patrol. Listening and watching everything I could. There were little crimes here and there, things like purse-snatchers, that I could have stopped, but there were already people working on it. Regular citizens were standing up for each other. It warmed my heart to see. I landed in the middle of the Avalare Open-Air Mall and decided to get myself something to eat. While I was waiting, I got a call; it was from Suiren''s grandmother. Oh no. A spike of panic spread out in my stomach. Did something happen to Ren? Not wanting to be rude, I stepped out of line and answered it. "Hello?" "Kari, how are you doing, dear?" She asked. "I''m. . . okay. How are you? Is everything okay?" "Yes, yes. Everything is fine. I was just wondering if you remembered it was Suiren''s birthday tomorrow. You''re still coming, right?" My eyes widened, and I stuttered for a moment. Fuck! I had completely spaced it. "I-uh, yeah. I''ll be there. What time is everyone coming?" "3pm. Bring her a present. It''ll make the events with . . . Lady Blade easier to deal with," the old woman added. I nodded and agreed. What do you even get for an eight-year-old martial arts master? I asked myself. I considered what I knew about Ren. She was constantly striving to be skilled enough, to be strong enough, to reclaim that sword. And I had never seen her relax fully. The closest we got was at that ice cream parlor, which still ended up with us beating people up. Thinking about it, it wasn''t that different from how I grew up. Isolated from the world with a goal that no one else could relate to. And what I wanted more than anything during that time was a friend. Someone to talk to. Someone to understand what was going on. That''s why I became so active on social media. So that I could have anyone to talk to. Even if I couldn''t talk to them about everything, I could talk to them about something. I flew off to a store and got her the best present I could think of.

=== Curt === It was pretty late by the time we left France. We teleported back to our hotel room and took a shower together, washing the saltwater off. Cin likes her showers to be scalding, and it did take me a while to get used to the lava pouring from the showerhead, but once I was used to it, it felt divine. We went to bed, not precisely cuddling but in contact. Her presence, as always, was reassuring. I always slept better when she was around. "Curt," Cindi said the next day, resting on my chest with her arm wrapped protectively around me. "I want to go back to the dig site." "The dig site? The . . . The one where you and Hope met?" I asked apprehensively. "That seems like it would dredge up a lot of feelings and isn''t exactly honeymoon material, you know?" "I know. But I need closure. And I want you to come with me this time. That was where Buck Cherry was created," she emphasized her title. Her voice was solemn. I peered down at her, trying to get a read on the situation, but I couldn''t get a good look at her from my position. "It''s why I got to know you. And I think it''s probably the safest place to stash the Figure." I thought about the little statue that we had stolen from Hope. Cindi had stashed it somewhere, and I didn''t ask where. It wasn''t my place to. I thought through the logic. She usually ran away from her attachments. Realistically, I''m the most significant attachment she has, I thought. I nodded. "Okay, Cin. But you''re going to be my tour guide. My personal Lara Croft and explain whatever I want." "Deal. Just don''t ask stupid questions," she smiled, leaned up, and kissed me softly. "Will you wear the outfit?" I asked, grinning. "That would be an example of a stupid question." Her smile twisted to match my grin. A little while later, we were in the Middle East; the site had been long abandoned. We walked forward. Some of the things had been cleaned up after the events. I looked up what had happened while getting ready. When one of the university''s doctoral students became a suspect in the world''s most successful antiquities theft, they quietly shut it down. Hoping that no one would remember that they''d ever been a part of it. As we were walking, we kicked up an abandoned tarp. They really half-assed the cleaning. I sighed and pulled it out of the sand. Cindi glanced at me and it; she wasn''t smiling anymore. She turned to the structure, staring pensively. I folded the tarp, teleported it away, walked up to her, and took her hand in mine. She squeezed it. The clean-up team had haphazardly sealed the ancient temple with a large piece of wood. It was only a few years later, but it was already breaking down. Cin started to phase through it, but I just teleported us inside. She spoke in a low voice, her usual humor muted, "Well, aren''t we useful today, Essy?" "Had to happen eventually," I responded, digging through my bag. I took out a small, palm-sized drone and tossed it into the air. It started to fall before catching itself and hovered carefully, spinning around. It turned on a light and scanned the area. "What''s that?" "Sigournal Weaver," I responded. She looked at me, nonplussed. "She''s a signal booster. Making sure if we need to make an escape, we can. Sig, sentry mode." "She?" Cindi asked, leaning in to examine the drone. The drone stabilized. She smiled softly. "You''re such a dork." "I''m your dork." "Yes, you are," she replied warmly, retaking my hand, and we made our way down the corridor, both holding flashlights. I didn''t understand any of the symbols, and I was going to ask about them, but Cin just kept moving, so instead, I just made my presence known by pressing into her sometimes, by squeezing her hand. Eventually, we got to a wall and walked around it until we found a seam. She swept her flashlight across it. There were a lot of characters and pictographs. "This is amazing," I muttered, stepping closer as I fingered an image of a woman who stood tall above everyone else. "What is?" She asked. "Everything we make breaks down pretty easily. It''s by design. The nature of capitalism and all of that. Obsolescence and a need for progress. But that''s not what these people were concerned with. They carved and designed things to last, what? Two thousand years?" The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. "Three thousand five hundred," she replied quietly, stepping up with me. She was reading . . . understanding? the symbols. Eventually, she reached up and pressed her hand into a stone, which depressed. It was a button. They had made a button somehow. The sound of stone grinding echoed through the halls, but the wall in front of us barely budged. She sighed, stripped down, handed me her bag, then offered me her hand. I took it, and we floated through the stone. It was a thick wall. Probably four feet. That was mainly to hide the device inside that was supposed to open the door. Passing through that much solid material is always really weird. You''re still whole. You can still feel things, and the object you''re going through wants to resist, and sometimes parts of you get briefly stuck on other things. So there is resistance. I still didn''t have any real clue as to how her powers worked. We got through to the other side and landed carefully. Cindi had described it briefly, but honestly, it didn''t do it justice. There were little streams of water pooling throughout the room; leaves and plants had overtaken much of the ground. Light was dispersed throughout the room, and when I looked at the ceiling, there was a series of gems that they were using to do it. "The physics of this room makes my head hurt." "You are aware we literally just walked through a wall because your wife stole a magical statue, right?" "I . . . Shut up." Cindi grabbed her bag and walked to the center of the room, where a raised platform was barely overtaken by plants. In the middle of the platform was a pedestal, presumably where her statue was meant to be placed. She opened the bag and took out the case she kept the Figure in. Buck Cherry took out her ill-gotten gains and did something I''d never seen her do before; she returned what she had stolen. She took the piece out and carefully placed it back on the pedestal. Nothing dramatic happened. There was no shaking of the temple, no great upheaval of stone, no collapsing. It was completely normal. Except Cindi. Cindi fell over and started convulsing. Panicking, I dashed towards her.

=== Kari === I arrived at the dojo''s terrace a little ahead of time, gift in hand. I shifted uncomfortably. I wasn''t sure if it was something that she''d want. But it was what I would''ve wanted when I was younger, trapped alone, isolated from anyone who wasn''t my parents. Other people had gathered too. Suiren''s grandmother was smiling at the other guests, a lot of which were just her and Suiren''s students. Suiren wasn''t dressed in her standard gi. Instead, she wore a dress, which was honestly kind of surreal. I don''t think I''ve ever seen her wear anything else, I thought to myself. I stepped up. She was surrounded by a man and a woman, both dressed very nicely. They had her features; the woman reminded me of Ren''s grandmother. They must be her parents. They watched everyone with wary eyes as if expecting something to go terribly wrong. I wandered over to the not insubstantial pile of gifts that had been gathered. When I turned around, I met Ren''s eyes for a moment. She smiled at me slightly. I wanted to go to her, but her parents guided her away quickly. Eventually, after everyone was gathered, we collected and sang her happy birthday. Her parents abstained, but her grandmother belted out the words. We had a little bit of cake, and everything seemed less tense. Especially after that, when Ren started opening gifts. She got a new set of Kendo swords and some training weights to wear. Her parents had given her several large books. She thanked everyone after each gift, but she was especially deferential with those books. Someone had gotten her a collection of trading cards. She opened the package and sifted through them; she beamed down at them. "Kari! Come look!" I glided over to her, peeking over her shoulder. They were superhero cards. I frowned. There were fifteen of them. And upon second glance, they couldn''t have been superhero cards. There were villains and bad guys mixed in with them; Curt, for instance, was in the bunch. I took a deep breath. Ren held out one in particular. I was staring back at myself. It was a foiled card where I was sitting in a very . . . open pose. On the card, I was wearing the costume with the skirt, but it was far shorter than I would have ever dared. My stockings were also more transparent and . . . My chest was much more prominent. "I got you, Kar! Isn''t that cool? You''re very rare. Especially the holo version." "O-oh. Are you a collector?" I asked, staring at how this version of me posed with the implication that standing just an inch or two to the side, you could see a lot more. I couldn''t help but frown. "Yeah, I got into it a little while ago. It really helped me understand what is going on around you. It also gave me a better scope of the abilities you guys have." "Abilities?" I asked, leaning over. Ren nodded and turned the card over. There was another, smaller picture of my face and a list of some of the things I had done under the label Feats of Heroism. My frown deepened. This card had a lot of information about me. At the bottom, there was a logo. Action Publishing. That was the same publishing company that published the charity calendars that Jenny had Chuck, Harold, and a bunch of others do. "Yeah, it lists some of the cooler things you do. And they''re a lot cooler than the Wiki pages." She flipped it back over, revealing the same art. It is a good painting. A little exaggerated, sure, but . . . I tried to get comfortable with this art being out there. It was still less risque than all of the literal porn parodies. And apparently, it was official merchandise. I have to talk to Jenny about that. Maybe we could get less . . . horny art. Suiren held up the card. "Can you sign it?" "Oh, of course." I took the card and a marker I kept for precisely this purpose and signed it as Kari - Smash Gal with a little heart over the i. I picked up Curt''s card; his art was also exaggerated; he looked more muscular and broader. They''d also replaced his regular vest and dress shirt combo with an absolutely scandalous deep V-cut and exceptionally tight pants. They were practically painted on. He could have been on a romance novel cover between that and his long hair. Even with the sides of his head shaved. I couldn''t help but smile at this one. Ren moved on to other gifts. Eventually, she got to mine. She tore off the wrapping paper I had spent an hour figuring out. Even with super perception, I still can''t wrap gifts to save my life. She held up the box underneath and frowned curiously at it. "You got me a camera? Why?" "Uh," I began, self-doubt and anxiety spreading into my stomach. "Well, I . . .When I was locked up in the lab, I got really lonely. The only experience I ever really got of the outside world was making videos and posts on social media. Making videos was a lot of fun. So, I thought I''d share that with you . . . I''m. . . I''m sorry. I can return it." I reached out for the camera box, and Ren pulled it away from me. "N-no. I . . . I want to try it. You think people will watch my videos?" "Yeah, of course!" I said, smiling. Some tension I hadn''t realized had built up in my shoulders released. "You''re like the coolest. You are a martial arts prodigy. Just remember to be goofy sometimes, too." The party continued, and Ren got some batteries for the camera, took a lot of pictures, and had other people take pictures of her practicing with her new kendo swords. Ren''s grandmother brought out one last gift. At first, I thought it was another set of Kendo swords, but Ren struggled to lift one of them with one hand. She pulled the wooden sheath down some, revealing an actual blade. Ren looked up at her grandmother, her lip trembling and tears threatening to leak out from her eyes. The older woman, not that much taller than Ren herself, pulled her into a hug. I watched her parents, who were speaking in a hushed tone in a language I didn''t understand. I wondered what was happening but had no way of knowing. Someone should really invent something that automatically translates things. There was a shuffling elsewhere, and I turned to see a pair of purple-black armored feet dash behind a couple of plants. Time stretched out for me. I blasted off from my spot to try and get a better vantage point. It really was her. Lady Blade saw me, unsheathed her sword, and swept through the plants in front of her; a torrent of purple fire roared forward. The ground caught flame, regaining its more natural orange-yellow. People screamed and dived out of the way; not everyone was fast enough. The armored woman swung again, and more flames gathered around the blade and shot forward. I slammed down in front of the gout and created a forcefield, blocking them. She roared in rage, "Degenerate! How dare you! I will cleanse the world of you and the usurper who tried to steal my divine judgment!" She brandished the blade again, leaping over the flaming plants she left in her wake. My forcefield cracked as she slammed her weapon down on it. She slashed at it seven more times, each time worsening the crack. I tried to reinforce it, but I just didn''t know how. I couldn''t even create a new one because each strike sent a flash of discomfort through my mind. The shield eventually shattered, and I fell back, my head pounding. Using forcefields like that is hard. How does Chuck do this all the time? I asked myself. Lady Blade stepped forward, preparing to cut me down, but Suiren jumped in the way with her new sword. She tried to block the strike, but her arms crumpled under the force of the woman''s attack. She ducked under it and slashed at her repeatedly, but her movements were slow and clunky. She''s not used to the weight of the new sword. Lady Blade backhanded Ren with her gauntleted fist, and she went flying. I roared in rage and threw myself to my feet, interlacing my fingers. I slammed down on the woman with both, and she crumpled underneath the force. And so did the floor, cracks spider-webbing out from where she landed. She pushed herself back up and rolled out of the way of my stomp. The armored woman swept her blade towards my leg, and it bit into me briefly before I flew out of the way. She rose, slicing through the air at me and sending another lance of flame at me. I dodged out of the way and slammed down next to her. She cut at me again, but I ducked. She had been anticipating that, fire blasting out towards the crowd. I panicked and launched myself forward to intercede. She took the opportunity to slash my back several times. I cried out in pain but didn''t let that or the blood I could feel leaking down my spine stop me. I tanked the flame and spun it out. She was going after Ren again. This time, Suiren''s grandmother jumped in the way, blocking the downward arc of Lady Blade''s weapon and deflecting it. The older woman slid her own sword out of the cane. The two launched into a series of quick, skilled slashes. They wouldn''t bang their swords together so much as just catch them and move them out of the way of attacking. These two seemed evenly matched for a full minute. I spent that time pushing everyone out of the way. I swept behind them and scooped Ren, who looked up at me woozily. Her eyes were unfocused. Rage boiled through me. I tried to find the space in my head that Ren had spent so much time trying to instill in me. A place of calm. A place where I could think. But I couldn''t. Not only is she attacking my friend, but on her birthday! I was shaking with rage when I set her down. Her parents took her and nodded at me. She started giving instructions, getting everyone out of the way from her father''s arms. I turned, and Suiren''s grandmother was beginning to fade. She couldn''t keep up with the constant assault that Lady Blade was used to dishing out. I watched the criminal''s sword bite into and cauterize the wound immediately. The older woman cried out and fell over. Lady Blade raised her sword and prepared to strike my teacher''s teacher down. My friend down. She was every bit of my friend that Suiren was. I screamed, "Enough!" I didn''t wait for a response; I charged forward. I didn''t regulate my speed; I didn''t hold back. I was so tired of this woman trying to take away my friends. Trying to kill people in front of me. I slammed a fist into her chest, barely cognizant of the Mach-cone that had formed around it. I also didn''t try to hold back my strength. Her armor shattered under my strike, shrapnel flying everywhere. She flew back and slammed into the wall around the garden. Then through it. Somehow, she had kept a hold on her weapon. But it didn''t matter. I launched myself after her and caught up almost instantly. I hammered into her and sent her to the ground. A crater formed around her, and the street was cracked. Even from three stories up, I could tell her body was broken. I saw her trying to move, and I slammed down next to her, stepping on both the wrist trying to lift the sword and her chest. She cried out in pain. But I didn''t care. I just stared down at the woman, barely able to keep myself from stepping through her chest. I felt tears sting my eyes. Cops and EMTs gathered around us and started carting her away. The cops put her sword into an evidence bag. One of them questioned me. "What happened here?" "She attacked a party up there," I answered blandly, gesturing up to where her body had broken through the wall. The cop nodded. "You really did a number on her," the cop remarked offhandedly. "She shouldn''t have tried killing my friends in front of me. I had been way too easy on her. I''ve been too easy on everyone." Issue #44: You Used Me. It was Fun

=== Cindi === I was nowhere. I wasn''t in the universe anymore. I don''t know how I knew that; I didn''t even know how I thought it. But I was outside of existence. I wanted to sigh; I couldn''t; I also couldn''t look around; I didn''t have eyes; I didn''t have fingers; I didn''t have anything. That''s not true, I thought. It echoed out into empty space. I am conscious; I am aware. Things started to come into focus. Or rather, they began to exist at all. Distantly, stars surrounded me. I wanted to blink but couldn''t; I didn''t have eyelids. I know this place. My thoughts reverberated off of invisible walls. I tried to remember where I had seen these things. I tried to remember anything, but there wasn''t anything there. I had the sense that I was once a part of something. That I wasn''t supposed to be like this. That I had eyelids, eyes, fingers. I only barely understood what these things were. But I had them. They were mine. What do they do? There was a flash. Fingers. I saw them projected across this strange cosmos. They were long, thin clumps of flesh that bent. They were strange. Do I want them back? They connected to another piece of flesh. And they wrapped around something. Another hand. A stubbier finger stroked the fingers of the invading hand. I lurched towards the image, trying to reach out to it. I needed something to reach out with, though. I want that! The image cast across the stars disappeared. The empty space in front of me exploded. Twice. And suddenly, I had hands. They ended just before the wrist. I brought them closer to my perception. They were thin and nimble. They were mine. I tried to move my perception down. There wasn''t anything else. It was just the hands. I gripped the empty space before me and started pulling my way to a star. It was the only thing I could think to do. I wanted to move faster. But I didn''t know how. How do I usually move? I had a memory of weightlessness. But I am weightless now. How''s this any different? I wasn''t complete. All I had was hands. And perception. This is wrong. I remembered kicking off things sometimes. Kicking? Pushing my feet away. I pictured feet. They were like hands but thicker. More stable. Their fingers . . . Toes . . . were stubbier. I looked down at my hands and where my feet would be. There were two more explosions. And I had feet. Hands and feet and nothing else. I thought. Then corrected myself. No, I still have perception. It was much easier to push myself off of the nothing I was inhabiting, and I could move much faster. I threw myself towards the nearest star. It felt forever away. It didn''t seem to get any closer. But I could feel myself move. I felt things change. "CHILD," a voice called out. I froze mid-leap. One of my feet was a pinprick in the distance behind me. It came crashing into me, and I tumbled over. I looked around, stretching out whatever senses I had. This also felt wrong. This wasn''t how I was supposed to perceive things. The constant full circle of perception was disorienting. Two bright lights and explosions reverberated off of the nothing around me. My senses narrowed to what was just in front of me. Some amount of tension was released from me. An unknown pressure that had been building faded. I glanced around. I still needed to be completed. But I felt better. It was good to have limbs. And eyes. "CHILD." The voice vibrated through my six body parts; it was a strange sensation. I searched for the voice again. But now, with my narrower perception, it was actually easier. I spun around. I could get a scope of what I was looking at. I saw something strange. I had thought the stars were an infinite expanse of space, but they had a shape in the darkness. They ended. It was vast. Far more so than I think I could have ever understood. What are you? I thought. There was no response; there wasn''t an echo. I tried again but still nothing. How do I usually speak? I asked myself. The mental image of lips appeared; they were a deep dark red. I knew what that meant. I did that to them; I made them that way; They were mine. And like that, they were. They appeared. I called out again. "What are you?" Space rushed around me. I was brought far away from the star I had been running to. I was pulled up. Two massive, fiery orbs bored into me, and ??I shifted my few limbs uncomfortably. "I AM YOU. I WAS YOU. YOU WERE ME." "What does that mean?" "I . . . WHY? WHY DID YOU PUT ME BACK?" The voice asked. I tried to scrunch my features up. I didn''t have enough of them to do so. This isn''t working. I need all of me; I can''t do this. I tried to concentrate on what I was. What I had lost. Space shifted again next to me. And I was brought in front of myself. Parts of me, anyway. My body without eyes, without hands, without feet, and without lips. "IS THIS WHAT YOU NEED?" "I . . . yes. I need that." "ANSWER. THEN YOU CAN HAVE IT IF YOU STILL WANT IT. WHY?" "Why what?" I asked. I tried to collect my thoughts. To understand what this being . . . what she was saying. I didn''t know why, but I got a decidedly femme feeling from her. "YOU RETURNED ME. WHY? I''VE GIVEN YOU WHAT YOU NEED. YOU GAVE ME WHAT I WANTED." I considered what she was saying. I jumped back a little bit, trying to get a better sense of her. I cast my eyes out, far away from my lips, my hands, from myself. And I saw her for the first time. Fully saw her. She was the whole of the cosmos I had seen. And my feeling about her femme orientation made sense. She was decidedly feminine-shaped. Entire quasars made up her chest. She had edges of her existence that curved inward, giving her a shape. And it was very close to my profile. I snapped my eyes back in place. "You''re. . . Her," I muttered. If I had knees, I would''ve collapsed to them. "You''re the figure. You''re. . . I''ve met you before." "I''VE BEEN WITH YOU FOR YEARS. YOU''RE THE FIRST ONE I MET IN A LONG TIME. YOU USED ME. IT WAS FUN. WHY ARE YOU LEAVING ME?" She asked. She sounded . . . hurt. Everything came flooding back to me. All of my memories came rushing at once. Mother, father, Larry, Shai, Jesse, James, Harry, Hope, the Figure, Curt. The last thing being me putting the statue back. Then darkness. Then now. "You . . . I didn''t leave you . . . I don''t want to . . . I didn''t. . ." My voice echoed out against her. She looked at me with her suns for eyes. She blinked, a blanket of void overtaking them for a moment, then lowered me. Her lips were purplish space dust stretched out over the vague curve of her face. They were pulled into a soft smile. "BUT YOU RETURNED MY TIE TO YOU. TO THE WORLD." "It''s not like that. I didn''t want . . . I wasn''t even aware you were there." There was a shifting. She was vibrating. It took me a few moments to realize she was angry. "Wait! I''m sorry. I''m. . . Let''s start this again. Last time, I was distracted. I wasn''t in the right headspace. Let me try again. I am Buck Cherry. Cindi Drei." The vibration stopped, and she pulled me close to her eye. The brightness hurt. And I could feel her peering into me, somehow. I tried to shield myself, to no avail. "I AM THE MISTRESS OF NIGHT, PINIKIR! LEFT IN THE UNDERWORLD, SEPARATED FROM EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING. BUT YOU FOUND A PIECE OF ME! THROUGH YOU, I EXPERIENCED THE WORLD AGAIN! AND NOW YOU WANT TO LEAVE ME BEHIND AGAIN!" The distress in her voice tugged at me. I let my hand drop from shielding my eyes and reached out to her. "That wasn''t what I was doing. I didn''t know about any of that." It does make sense, though. A lot of the pictographs and writings were destroyed, and Hope and I both knew that we didn''t have the complete story, I thought. But in archeology, the entire history doesn''t usually exist anymore, so we just pushed on with what we had. "I CHOSE YOU TO BE MY AVATAR, AND YOU TRIED TO LOCK ME AWAY AGAIN." "No! I just wanted to make sure Hope didn''t get you again. I didn''t know that''s what I was doing! I was trying to protect the figure." The Mistress of Night receded a bit, considering "THERE IS ANOTHER WAY. A WAY TO ENSURE THAT WE WOULD NEVER BE SEPARATED. I COULD BE OUT IN THE WORLD AGAIN. AND YOU WOULD SURVIVE." "Wait . . . I was going to die!?" I gaped at the woman, leaning forward. "I don''t want to die!" "OUR SOULS ARE CONNECTED. I WOULD BE TRAPPED IN THE UNDERWORLD, AND YOU, ATTACHED TO ME, WOULD BE PULLED WITH ME. HOWEVER, THERE IS ANOTHER WAY!" The astral being called out again. Then everything shifted. She shrank until she was about my size. I looked down and realized I was in my body again. I was completely naked, but I had my cherries back. I fingered the tattoos on my hips, on my shoulders. I felt almost whole again. Something was still missing, but I couldn''t place my finger on it. The inky black figure stepped forward, and suddenly she was just in front of me. She reached her hands out and wrapped them around my neck. "YOU WILL TAKE ME INSIDE OF YOU." Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. "I . . . wha-" I started to ask before she drew me into a kiss. I kissed her back, my arms wrapping around her shoulders. It was a strange sensation; our bodies were humming. Something occurred to me. This was what it felt like when I stunned people. It didn''t hurt like it usually did, but it was the same basic feeling. I closed my eyes, and everything disappeared. After a moment, after an eternity, I opened my eyes. Curt was above me. I reached out and wiped away one of his tears. He opened his eyes. "Cindi! Thank god!" "Goddess, actually," I corrected. I pulled myself up off of the floor. I was nude, just as I had been in whatever space that was. I grabbed the statue and held it up. It vibrated in my hands. "Cin, let''s go. We need to see Des. Figure out what happened." "No, Curt," I said softly. He started protesting, getting up off the ground himself, but I looked at him. "Essy, darling. Trust me. I''m fine." "That''s what you said last time. And you had three broken ribs then." "This isn''t the same," I said. I pressed the figure to my chest. Then through it. It shifted inside of me. An electric shock coursed through my body. I could feel the figure shift inside of me. I convulsed violently, and Curt rushed to me, trying to support me. But his hands went through me. I couldn''t breathe like this. It was one of the drawbacks of my powers; I couldn''t draw air into my lungs when I phased through things. But I didn''t panic. I closed my eyes and felt the figure shift inside of me. I matched its depiction as best as I could. After a moment or two, the figure inside me shattered apart and disappeared. That''s. . . that''s not exactly what happened. It''s still there; it''s just . . . I became physical again. I reached out and grabbed Essy''s face, pulling it up. I drew him into a kiss. There was something different about this; a new presence pushing me into it. He accepted it for a beat or two before pulling away, his arms wrapped around me. "Cindi, what the fuck is going on?" "I don''t think you''d believe me, darling," I said, phasing through his grasp and then picking up my clothes. I got dressed and walked over to the door we had traveled through.

=== Chuck === I called Kari again. We hadn''t spoken in a few days. She''s still angry, I thought bitterly. I knew it wasn''t fair to be mad at her. She was doing what she felt was right. But she wasn''t listening to me. I had a handle on the situation. I could have talked him down. I know I could have. It went to her voicemail. Again. I sighed. "Kari, we need to talk . . . Please." I disconnected the phone. I hadn''t called her often; that was the only message I left. She was avoiding me; it wasn''t exactly the healthiest way to set boundaries, but I still needed to respect them. I donned my costume with none of my usual flare. I didn''t really feel up to patrol. Kari was becoming radicalized, and I didn''t like it. But at least I am a hero people could trust to try to be understanding. I opened the apartment window with a wave of my hand and floated out, pushing it closed behind me. Then I blasted off. I flew over the city, opening up my senses, and taking in everything. My hovering wavered for a moment as I experienced millions of emotions. I pushed them back a little and reinforced my mental guard. I had been training them a lot lately. I can''t let myself be overwhelmed by people like Curt or Kari again. I pushed my senses out further, accepting more. Anger, joy, fear, love, lust, contempt, desire, exhaustion. The full spectrum of emotion was available to me. And it was a lot. I sifted through them, trying to separate them and not mix them into an overwhelming soup of humanity. I also pushed for a more substantial barrier between me and them. A cell wall letting things through to be understood but keeping them separate from my core. My nucleus. Something was approaching me fast. A mass of emotions. I turned to see a pink and red blur approaching me fast. It was Kari; I knew it before I saw her. I knew her. She stopped just short of me. She didn''t look pleased, but here she was. "You called. Did you want to go on patrol together?" "I . . . I wanted to talk, Kari," I replied, schooling my voice. "We can talk on patrol." She wasn''t trying to hide her cold rage towards me. I didn''t need to sense it. It was all there in her voice. I closed my eyes and nodded before sinking down towards the city. She followed me. I didn''t say anything for a long time. I didn''t really know what I wanted to tell her. "I-I got Lady Blade." "Yeah," I responded absently. "I saw. You saved Suiren and her party guests. I''m glad they''re safe." "I captured the woman who tried to kill you," she retorted angrily. "Aren''t you happy about that? I stopped midair and turned to her, meeting her eyes. "I''m glad she''s off the streets. I''m happy that you did it. I''m just not pleased with how you did it, Kari." "She was never going to stop! I did what I had to do," she shouted. "Y-you''re probably right about that." "Then why are you mad!?" Kari''s voice cracked. She was hurting. Pain echoed through my chest. I couldn''t tell if it was my pain or hers. It''s probably both. I willed up my mental defenses. I hate having to do this around her. I hate having to guard up against the woman I . . . I froze. Oh. I had spent the last twenty years of my life swimming in other people''s emotions. Reflecting them back and never really understanding my own. Not fully. I have to work to identify them. I flew over to a building and landed on it. I sensed Kari was following me. "Well?" "Give me a moment, please, Kari. I . . . I need to check something real quick." I cut myself off from all of my senses. I stood there, concentrating on my breathing for a few moments. All of the things boiling up in me. I opened up into my mind palace. Not everyone has a mind palace. People who think in words usually don''t. When I enter their minds, it''s more like reading a book. In some ways, I can create a mind palace, force an order that I can understand on them. But it depends on their will. Mine was very tangible. Especially since I had been spending a lot of time in it lately. It was part of my defense training. It was modeled after my old college library. A place where I felt safe and could study in a quiet, calm place. I stepped into the library and navigated to the section I had wanted to get to. J-L. And I didn''t even need to go that far. Sitting just before the shelves I had created was a table with a display on it. There was a small figurine of Kari on it. She was grinning. There was also a book with her in the same pose, smiling, giving a thumbs up. She looked strong and confident. Just like she did in real life. I picked up the book, and as I opened it, all of my thoughts and feelings associated with the woman washed over me from it. I developed these books to try and make it easier to sort through my own experiences and keep them separate and safe from everyone else''s. It wasn''t perfect, but it was better. And Kari . . . She was . . . Strong, capable, kind, scary. Those were the things I thought when I saw her. Memories of dates we had been on, memories of the trip out of town and the dinners, late nights watching movies, and stopping crimes together. Her actions scared me sometimes. But despite all of that, I enjoyed being with her. I loved being with her. I had confirmed my feelings. I put the book back down and came back to my senses. Kari was just sitting on the lip of the building, scrolling on her phone. I stepped up next to her. She looked up. "What was that about?" "I . . . I needed to confirm something," I sat next to Kari and stared out at the city''s twinkling lights. I was silent for a moment longer, still gathering my thoughts. "Kari, I care about you a lot. I . . . I think . . . I love you." I heard her breath catch. Emotions flooded her. Elation, confusion, apprehension, love. Well, love is complex. Romantic love, as I understand it, is made up of multiple parts. Usually, it''s comprised of care, concern, desire, and a little lust. Or a lot, depending on the person. That''s what Kari''s was made of. A passion for her person to be safe and cared for and for them to be around. To be close. It''s what she needed. Before I could go too deep into this line of thought, I continued, "But that''s only a part of what''s going on." "What do you mean?" "Kari, you''re scaring me. I know you''re trying to do right by yourself and the world. But . . . Sometimes, I think you go too far. And I don''t know what to do." "Chuck, I don''t know what you want from me. Like you said. I''m just doing what I think is right." "Is murder right?" "I haven''t murdered anyone." "You could have." "I . . . I am in control." "Are you?" I asked, turning to her. "I saw the pictures of what you did to Lady Blade. I was there when you struck Doc Oak''s neck. I''ve seen you fight Curt and almost tear him limb from limb." "They need to go down." "Does that excuse you almost killing them?" "I didn-" she began, but I cut her off. "Kari. Either it''s okay to murder criminals, or it''s not. This isn''t always a matter of self-defense or even a matter of defense of others. You damaged Bion''s suit when fighting him. He uses that for life support. You almost punched a hole through Lady Blade. I know she was attacking Suiren''s party. I know that you had to stop her. But you also were out of control." "I know," she said in a small voice, then got louder as she continued, annoyance creeping into her tone. "But I''m just so tired of letting these criminals do whatever they want." "Does that make it okay to kill them?" I asked. "I don''t think I can eliminate it as a possibility. I don''t know if there''s another way to stop someone like Lady Blade." "What about Curt?" "I . . . I don''t know that he can be stopped with anything less, Chuck. And he needs to be stopped." "What if I find a different solution? Will you try?" "I . . . yeah, okay. I''ll try. But I won''t make any guarantees." Issue 45: Double Date II

=== Curt === Cindi was acting weird, but I couldn''t quite put my finger on how. I watched her sashay forward and stand before the heavy, stone door. I joined her, and she grinned at me, holding her hand out; I took it, and we walked forward. We floated through the wall and came out on the other side. After landing, we got all of four steps before I stopped, gaping at her. She turned to me and pouted. "Essy? What is it?" "Y-you . . . You''re wearing clothes." "Curt, I promise you, tomb sex is not nearly as fun as it sounds. For one, a lot of dirt and sand gets into places you''d rather not have it." "No, no, no, not that," I replied, shaking the thought away with my hand. I couldn''t let my wife distract me. And that''s what that was. She was trying to distract me. I moved closer to her and said, "Your clothes didn''t fall off when we went through the wall." She grabbed my face and smiled at me. "I knew you''d pick up on it, eventually. It was quicker than I thought, honestly." "I''m not a complete moron, Cin. What''s going on?" "You''re not a moron at all, husband. The only thing you are is mine." "Are you not going to tell me?" I asked, annoyance creeping into my tone. Cherry didn''t look surprised or hurt or even all that invested. "Do we have to do this here, Curt? I''m hungry," she said softly. I sighed and nodded, grabbing her hand. We snapped to Sigournal Weaver, and I collected the drone and put her in my bag. One of the benefits of piggybacking off of other people''s networks was that I got phone reception pretty much anywhere. So, I called ahead to a nice restaurant and got a reservation before popping back to our hotel room. We showered the dirt off and got dressed in some nice clothing. Cindi, of course, was dressed to kill in a slinky dress that showed all six of her cherries. One on either shoulder, on either hip, and two on the small of her back. I grinned. In preparation for the wedding, Cindi had taught me how to dress for high society, and I''d taken the lessons to heart. I had a nice jacket tailored precisely, a nice dress shirt, slacks, and glossy black shoes. They fit well. They were even comfortable after a while. The only thing that was consistent with my old outfits was my rig. I still wore the AR glasses, and my bracelet was ready to pop out of the sleeve with the shake of my wrist. We appeared half an hour later outside of the restaurant. It was a ritzy little place in Avalare. The ma?tre d'' seated us immediately, and we ordered some wine. Then I leaned over the table, having already decided what to eat before we''d arrived. "So?" "I''m thinking the salmon," Cindi said, not looking at me. I stared up at the ceiling despondently. Cindi grinned at me. "Not big on fish? I''m shocked. Perhaps the chicken, then?" I couldn''t help but smile, meeting her eyes. "I''m not getting the fish here. Maybe a little later. As a dessert." She closed her menu and leaned over the table. "You''re not going to believe me when I tell you. So, I don''t really see the point." "I''ll believe you!" I insisted. She raised a brow at me. I hedged a little, "I-I''ll try to believe you." "I met with the goddess Pinikir who was locked away in the statue." "I . . . Okay. That''s a big deal. W-what''s she like?" I asked. My disbelief must''ve been apparent on my face because she rolled her eyes and leaned back. "I told you you wouldn''t believe me." "Okay, okay. Cin. I''m trying. I''ve always been bad at faith claims like that. I''m sorry. So, you met a . . . being . . . named Pinikir. And she''s. . . claiming to be a goddess." "Yes. I guess she''s always been with me. Since I picked up the statue. She''s been . . . kind of like my patron. She''s the reason we met." "And she was in the figurine?" I asked, trying to keep the doubt out of my voice. "Yes, Curt." Annoyance was creeping into her tone. I held up a hand and thought it through. "Okay. Yes. I''m sorry. It''s just . . . You met with someone. What did she say?" "She was hurt. She thought I was abandoning her." "What? Why?" "I was returning the statue." I laughed. I had to. She glared at me and opened her mouth to continue, but I cut her off. "No, no, no, Cin. It''s not that. I . . . Cindi Drei, Buck Cherry, the world''s greatest thief, decided to return something. And this . . . This is so wrong a goddess steps in to correct it. It''s just . . . I think . . . I think I believe you on that alone. Divine providence correcting this. It''s just . . . so perfect." Cindi watched me for a moment, trying desperately to maintain an air of bemusement, only to break into a small laugh herself, shaking her head. I finally calmed down enough to continue. "So, what? You were granted more power from her?" "I don''t think so. I think . . . she''s closer now." "What does that mean?" "Well, the statue is inside me. I think I just have better control over the ability now." "Huh. Well, that''s interesting. I guess this is a good thing. This means you can wear clothes on jobs now." "And ruin my brand? Curt, this doesn''t change anything. I am Buck Cherry." She reached out and grabbed my hand. I stroked her thumb with my own and nodded. I didn''t get it, but it was what she wanted, and I had to respect that much. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something bright and pink and mauve. I took my hand back from my wife and flicked my wrist. The rig jumped out of my sleeve and surrounded my hand. I started to jump out of my chair, but a red, silky gloved hand caught my arm and pinned it to the table. I looked up, and Smash Gal was staring down at me. She wasn''t in her costume. Not precisely, anyway. She wore a dress with her heroic initials emblazoned in a broach at her breast. It was attached to a little shawl draped loosely around her shoulders like a cape. The dress was the same color as her usual costume, that bright, almost neon pink. And with her physique, it''d be impossible to mistake her for anyone else. Her gloves ended just below the fading scars of where I had tried to disarm her. Literally. The impermanence of my actions weighed on me. I should have finished her there. "I caught you, Curt. You''re going in." "Oh? Is he?" Cindi asked. Her voice was ice. "PM, grab her," Kari responded. "Kari, no. We''re not doing that. They''re not hurting anyone; they''re just trying to have dinner. Just like anyone else," Professor Mind chimed in from behind her. Like her, he had customized his costume to be a little more formal. His logo had become a lapel pin, and his everyday skin-tight jumpsuit was replaced with a dress suit in his dark blues and whites. Kari turned to him, annoyed, but never let go of my arm. He met her gaze without flinching, which was something I don''t think I could''ve done. My other hand was shaking just being this close to her. I couldn''t tell if it was from fear or rage. Probably both, realistically, I thought. Chuck Berry, Professor Mind, spoke again directly at me. "Mister Drei, may we join you? I think we have some things to discuss." That threw me for a loop. I looked between the two of them, searching their faces. Behind his domino mask, Professor Mind was impassively waiting for an answer. Smash Gal was gaping. Well, at least someone is just as confused as I am. I looked to Cherry. She was trying to suppress a giggle. Before I had a chance to say ''No'' or ''Fuck off'' or ''Why the fuck would I ever agree to that!?'' Cindi spoke, entirely incapable of keeping the grin out of her voice, "Yes, I think this would be a grand time to discuss our issues. Here, in a very public place. With lots of people watching." Kari whirled on her and looked dumbstruck. Well, maybe just dumb, I thought. I looked at her and tried to understand my wife''s goals; She just smiled at me. She doesn''t have a plan, but she''s buying time. And she''s right. There are lots of people here. Kari''s reckless as hell, but she''d never do something that would endanger the public. Not on purpose, anyway. I took a few deep breaths, trying to shake the reply my mind had crafted immediately. Not that she''d have to. "I . . . Pact of Nonaggression, doctor?" Doctor Berry had taken my meaning and nodded. "I''ll do what I can. Kari, kindly release Mister Drei''s arm." Kari peeled her hand off my arm, and I rubbed my wrist before standing and sliding my chair to be closer to my wife, never taking my eyes off my enemies. Professor Mind gestured with a few fingers, and two chairs from empty tables floated over. People were staring at us, but I couldn''t bring myself to care. Smash Gal sat across from me, leaving Berry next to me and across from my wife. I watched all three of them warily. Cherry spoke up, "Doctor, I never did get a chance to thank you for your help at Bion''s compound. Also, I don''t think we''ve ever been properly introduced. Curt, if you would?" "I . . ." I watched her for a moment, trying to understand what the fuck she was playing at. Then it clicked. This is revenge. Against all of us. Me for being generally thickheaded, Kari for being an absolute bitch all of the time, and Professor Mind for attacking either of us. I sighed, and in a low voice, I introduced them. "Cindi, this is Chuck Berry, psychiatrist, and Professor Mind. And th-this is Kari Stewart, Smash Gal. And this is my wife, Cindi Drei, Buck Cherry." "It''s a pleasure to finally meet the most distinguished guests of our wedding," Buck Cherry said, emphasizing her title for them. She grinned and held out her hand. Berry took it immediately, shaking it once. Smash Gal looked at it and then at Cindi. My eyes widened; my heart was pounding in my ears; my hands were shaking violently. If she does anything to hurt Cindi . . . My eyes flicked around, marking spots. Under the table, I navigated through menus selecting the other sides of the portals. Every weapon I had at my disposal. I will level this entire fucking restaurant. Kari took my wife''s hand and shook it stiffly. "Curt," Smash Gal said, facing me again. Her voice was neutral; it was forced. I knew it was; it had to be. She hated this just as much as I did. "You agreed to the truce. Stop setting up your stupid portals. They wouldn''t matter anyway." "I agreed to the truce with him. As far as I''m concerned, you, Smash Gal," I put as much hatred as I could into her name as I could. "Are a threat. A bomb waiting to go off. Ready to try to destroy me and take away the things I care about." "Speaking of bombs, how''s your cult? Kill any children recently?" Incensed, I leaned forward, gearing up to just punch her in her stupid fucking face. Both Professor Mind and Cindi grabbed me and pushed me back into my seat. "Looks like I''m not the only bomb at the table, huh?" "Kari," Chuck began neutrally, sitting back. "Antagonizing him isn''t helpful." "He started off antagonized," she spat back. "Did I?" I asked softly but not calmly. I stared at the candle in the middle of the table, eyes only barely registering the scene in front of me. A waiter came by to deliver the wine, bringing me back to reality. He was scared out of his mind but also starstruck. We ordered, and he retreated back. But I could see him off in the distance, watching us from the kitchen. Lots of the staff were. There were murmurs from the patrons. People were recording us. Great. I''m going to be on the news again. "Of course. You tried to kill me. You''ve constantly been threatening me. Even right now, you''re thinking about how you could do it. You should give up. I''ll survive. You can''t win," she whispered the last part, leaning in. "You''ll lose." "Yeah, that''s probably true. Especially given your recent attitude towards crime lately. Kill any criminals lately? Did that fire element user survive? Or Lady Blade? I heard that Doc Oak woke up from the coma you put him in. Are you proud of that? Putting people in comas? He''s the second person we know that your recklessness has put in a coma." "Mister Drei, you also shouldn''t antagonize Kari. We''re here to talk." "With all due respect, which is very little, by the by, we are talking. It just so happens that this woman has ruined my life, and it''s taking all of my willpower to not go nuclear. And she would deserve every bit of it and then some." "Oh, Essy, come now. Let''s let bygones be bygones, okay?" Cindi asked. Her voice was velvet. The kind of voice she used for a mark. But it wasn''t directed at me alone. It was for the table. She took my hand and rested both on the table where everyone could see. "After all, you and I met under . . . difficult circumstances, and look at us now. Married, just returned from our honeymoon. Stronger than ever." "I . . ." I sighed. Being this angry and terrified was exhausting, and that was the biggest problem. If I was going to fight Smash Gal, I needed to have energy. I needed to conserve everything I had if this got ugly. "Doctor Berry. You''re the reason we''re all here. What do you want to talk about?" "I want to see if we can get to a point where you two won''t be at each other''s throats." "I''m not at his throat. He''s the violent one," Kari retorted, meeting her boyfriend''s eyes. I glared at her. "Ah, yes. I''m the violent one. I''m the one that flew me up to the stratosphere and then charged down at me at Mach 3. I''m the one who tried to choke the life out of the person you love most in the world. I''m the one who burst into a private event and put someone into a coma. I''ve stalked you all over the goddamn world, obsessed, trying to destroy everything you''ve built." She looked like I had swung on her. She couldn''t meet my eyes. "I wasn''t the one who made this personal, Kari. I just met you at your level." The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. "That''s not . . . It''s not like that, Curt." "The fuck it isn-" "Mister Drei, you''ve had your say. Let her speak," Chuck cut me off. His voice was calm and composed. Cindi squeezed my hand reassuringly. "Whatever," I said, withdrawing my hand from Cherry''s to cross my arms. She watched me. "Chuck, this is pointless," Smash Gal said, gesturing to me. "He''s not going to listen to a word I say." "I think he''ll hear you more than you or even he thinks. Give it a shot. This is the most you''ve spoken in months without trying to kill each other." "Yet," I muttered. "I''m not here to attack you, Curt," she responded softly. "You wouldn''t get the chance to. The instant you make one hostile move, I''ll unload everything I''ve prepared on you." "So you''re going to attack me?" Kari asked. She sounded hurt. "I''m not breaking the truce. I just don''t fucking trust you. Not after everything you''ve done." My words didn''t do anything to lessen the pain playing across her face, but she nodded. "I . . . I hurt you. I didn''t. . . It wasn''t something I was trying to do, but I can admit that much. It . . ." She turned to Cindi. "I''m sorry that I . . . I''m sorry, okay?" Buck Cherry sat tall next to Smash Gal, who was, even slouching, taller. "I''ll keep that in mind." "Curt," Kari said, turning back to me. She took a moment to compose herself as I glared daggers at her. "I wasn''t trying to hurt you. I just wanted you to . . . stop. I wanted you to live up to all of the potential you have. You''re better than this. You don''t have to steal things. Hell, with what you''ve built, you could change the world without ever stealing anything ever again. No one would have to get hurt. You could make a real difference in the world." "He already has, Miss Stewart," Cindi interjected. Kari eyed her, irritation playing across her features briefly. "Don''t look at me like that, darling. And stop downplaying my husband''s accomplishments. He has done things that no one else can. He is a thief, but that thieving has improved the world. More so than your heroics ever could. Just two nights ago, he saved thirty people from drowning. He''s the reason that bastard Bion was taken in at all. If it had been up to you two, he''d still be out on the street, mining on that planet and endangering everyone on Earth."

=== Kari === "Yeah, right," I began, unconvinced. "The man who teamed up with Marcelli is a great guy. Real stand-up individual. Come off it. He does that other stuff to ease his conscience. He knows what he''s doing is wrong!" "You don''t know a goddamn thing about my relationship with Marcelli. Because you''re too fucking stupid to understand anything." "Mister Drei, do not insult her like that," Chuck said. There was a brief pause as our food was delivered. We all thanked our waitstaff, and they quickly receded, having sensed the mood at the table. After they were gone, Chuck continued, "Curt, I would ask you to use kinder words when speaking to us. We''re not your enemies." "She literally just called me a sociopathic thief." "Yeah, because you are." "Kari!" My boyfriend shouted at me. "That also isn''t helpful! . . . Mister Drei, if you would. Maybe explaining what happened with Marcelli might help us understand. We never got the full story . . . Given how that night turned out." "You mean when he almost sawed my arms and legs off, trying to kill me." "I believe that only happened after you strangled me unconscious because I stood in your way from killing him." "I-" I began, then took a deep breath. "We were both in the wrong that night. I . .. I can admit that. I don''t think he could ever admit that he''s wrong, though." "I can absolutely admit when I''m wrong. For instance: at one point, I thought you were a good person. I was incredibly mistaken about that. You''re just a narcissist and a moron." Chuck began to say something, but Esvanir pointed at him violently. "No. That isn''t an insult. That''s an assessment. If you''re going to be impartial, be impartial. But so far, you''ve been much more lenient on every word she said against me than the inverse." "Your language has been far more inflammatory, Mister Drei." "Implying I have a cult that murders children is plenty inflammatory." Curt''s voice had become stony. "For your information, Kari, after you ruined our job at Marcelli''s, he was so enraged that he managed to implant a bomb in Cindi''s back and threatened to kill her. I had no choice but to work for him until I could get rid of him." "You could have asked for help," I replied petulantly. "And who could have possibly helped me. Who would have? Your solution, your only solution, would be for us to turn ourselves in and die in prison." "I . . ." I sighed, causing the candle between us to almost flicker out. "Would that be so bad?" "I, personally, greatly prefer fine wine and king-sized beds to dying in prison," Cindi replied softly, cutting into her meal and taking a bite. "Kari, genuine question," Curt began, trying to school his voice into something approaching calm. "What would be accomplished by sending us to prison?" "You wouldn''t be stealing anything anymore. People wouldn''t die trying to protect their property." "People would just die from the hoarding of resources. People like Bion have killed more people with their businesses than Cindi or I ever could." "You should work in the system to change it. Stealing from him doesn''t solve the problem." "The system is explicitly designed to protect people like him, Kari. There isn''t anything in the system to stop him. That''s where I come in." I met Curt''s eyes, searching for something, then sighed and took a bite of her food, my gaze faltering. "Maybe." I knew he had a point. I hate it, though, I thought. It''s not fair! Why does he have to have a point? The voice in my head sounded childish. I knew why he had a point. He''s right because he''s smart enough to see what''s going on in the world, and he''s doing something about it because he cares, another calmer voice countered. Even if he does it in the wrong way, he does care. My mind flashed to the image of Doc Oak. Another criminal activist just trying to right the wrongs he saw in the world. And I put him into a coma.

=== Flashback ===

He was too slow to react. I charged forward. My senses were so much sharper after training with Suiren and her grandmother. I could track his eyes trying to follow me. And they couldn''t. In less than a blink of an eye, I was behind him, causing a gust of wind to tear through the foliage he''d grown. He was turning, but it was still too slow. Everything is too slow. I swung my hand without thinking. It connected to the back of his skull, and he crumpled underneath it. He slammed hard into the ground, bouncing roughly a few times. Chuck cried out and tore free from his bonds, collapsing in front of the criminal. I reeled on him. Then I saw the blood. There was blood painting my fist. I . . . I hadn''t used that much force. I was under control, I tried to assure myself. But it was a lie. I saw Chuck choking and dying and didn''t think twice about eliminating that threat. Chuck called for an ambulance. One was there in a few minutes. I could have flown him to a hospital. But the truth was I didn''t want to.

=== Present Day ===

What I''d done didn''t scare me, but not being scared by it did. I felt completely justified in what I was doing. I had saved Chuck; I had stopped an eco-terrorist. I''m doing the right thing! I''ve told myself this over and over again. But the way that Chuck looked at me. The way people skirted around me on the street. A week later, after I''d stopped Lady Blade, it was even worse. Suiren thanked me for saving her and her grandmother, but the other people there, the partygoers, didn''t look at me the same. They were scared. I couldn''t help but remember the way Curt looked at me. Filled with rage and anger. Calling me a monster and a threat. I looked up from my plate to the man sitting across from me. Curt''s face had become harsher since his secret had come out. He was a lot more angular. He''d always had deep bags under his eyes, but they had darkened to perpetual bruises. He had become more predatory too. He reminds me of a caged tiger waiting for the first sign of weakness to pounce. Andrew Wan''s words echoed through my head. He doesn''t see me as a friend anymore. When we were kids, he''d look at me with admiration and affection. He''d try to play it off as though he didn''t love me, but I knew. Everybody did. ??That look was gone. It''d been gone for a long time. It had been replaced with fear and anger, and hatred. I tried to ignore the pang of pain echoing through my chest. It broke my heart to have him look at me like that. I cared about him even if we weren''t what we once were. I wanted him to be happy. And he hated me. "Curt," I began in a small voice. "What?" He asked heatedly. There was so much distrust and loathing in that one syllable, I thought. I closed my eyes. "You''ve asked me a lot about what I should do about you. You . . might have a point about me. You might have a point about the way I''ve treated you," I said, turning my head away from him. He scoffed. "But you''ve never offered me a counter. What do you want me to do?"

=== Cindi === I frowned at the woman in front of me. Even just being this close to her was difficult. She''d almost killed me twice. She made Curt reckless. What do you want me to do? Her words echoed in my head. I want Curt to realize that he''s beyond you. I want him to just know you''re not worth anything. I clenched my fist and then released it, trying to relieve all the tension in my hands and chest. I want you to be gone, out of our lives. I want Curt to just leave you behind, where you belong. In our past. After a long moment, Curt spoke in a rough, strained voice, "I think I''ve been pretty clear about this. I want nothing to do with you. I want you to leave me alone." "So, I can''t ask you to stop, but you can demand that I stop?" Smash Gal retorted, her hand balling into a fist. "How is that fair?" "Kari," Curt began, considering her words, deflating. I watched him work through the problem. Trying to figure out how to handle her. He scooped up the last bite of what he had on his plate and downed it. "Smash Gal, I''m not asking you not to be a hero. I''m asking you to stop chasing me. To stop trying to kill or capture me. My wife. To stop trying to ruin my life." "That was never my intention!" She shouted, slamming her fist on the table. Amazingly, it didn''t break. I looked away. "I don''t want to hurt you. You just . . . You just . . ." "Won''t surrender," I offered, looking at my husband. Curt is a man of singular devotion. Whatever he cares about is all he sees. And he wants to fix the world. And he can. I can''t. I never cared to try. But he does. And that''s part of why I adore him. The woman glared at me. "You won''t stop committing crimes!" She countered. "You''re both right," Curt replied quietly. "I won''t stop. I won''t surrender. And neither will you. And that''s the problem." "Mister Drei, I don''t think that''s fair. You two are talking here." "To what end?" Curt asked. "What do you mean?"Mind asked, frowning. "To what end? What are you trying to accomplish?" "I think if you two were willing to stand down a little more, you might not be friends again, but you wouldn''t have to kill each other," Professor Mind said, trying to keep his tone even. This man''s goals were entirely against my own. But I can use him, I thought. He wants to try and get them to reconcile. But Curt would be hard-pressed to make up with anyone. Especially with someone who has done as much as she has. I tried not to think to me at the end. When I looked at her, I couldn''t help but see her floating over me, her hands around my throat. Struggling to breathe. A voice in the back of my head countered, CHILD, YOU NEED NOT FEAR HER ANY LONGER. I AM WITH YOU. HE IS WITH YOU. He? I asked Pinikir. YOUR HUSBAND IS CLEVER. I AM STRONG. BETWEEN US, YOU ARE SAFE. Her presence did make me feel safer. So did Curt''s. I smiled at him softly. "That will never work," Curt replied, voice small. The three of us all laid eyes on him. "Why not?" Professor Mind asked. He was looking for an opening to trick them into getting along. I grinned inwardly, already knowing that Curt could never accept that. "What you''re asking of us goes against everything we believe. What we''re asking of each other goes against our very natures. Kari has a strong sense of justice. She''d never be able to just let a criminal like me go. And I''ll never stop stealing from the rich. They''re killing people with their incompetence and their indifference. And I can''t stomach that." "Does that make stealing from them okay?" Kari asked. "Does it justify hurting innocent people and getting them killed!?" "You and I both think that it does. That''s why you almost killed that katana-wielding psycho. It''s why you almost killed Doc Oak, even though he''s objectively correct." "I did no-" "Kari, you did use more force than was warranted," Berry put in. "We''ve discussed this before. You didn''t care if he died as long as you stopped him. I hate to say it, but Mister Drei has a point. They aren''t exactly dissimilar." Kari glared at her lover. He held up his hands placatingly. Curt took out his wallet and threw down some money. Enough to cover everything and a healthy tip. Professor Mind turned to me. "You''re leaving?" "I don''t see the point right now. If I stay, we will end up fighting. And I''m just so tired. I don''t intend to go to jail. So, this is the other option." "I think there''s potential here," Doctor Berry replied. "Would you be willing to work on this again in the future?" "I don''t know," Curt said contemplatively. "I don''t think she can work with me on anything." "You did get off an alien planet together," I added, reaching for his hand. This wasn''t over, I thought. Curt hasn''t realized that he''s already surpassed her in every way that matters. Fortunately, he has me to help him teach him that and many other lessons. I smiled up at him. US, Pinikir added in. WE ARE ONE NOW. HE IS MINE. HE IS YOURS. HE IS OURS. I considered this for a moment, trying not to frown. I''d never thought for a moment that I''d have to share Curt. He''s always been mine. He just didn''t realize it until I had the bomb in my back. Something Professor Mind said brought me back to reality. "She also stood up against Bion," Mind said. "I don''t think your goals are that different." "What!?" Kari demanded, ignoring her lover, directing her attention to Curt. Discomfort shifted in me. Both my own discomfort and Pinikir¡¯s. I¡¯ll unpack that later. Right now, I have to focus. "I can do whatever you can. Better, even." "Then I have a challenge for you. Something that should be easy for the mighty Smash Gal," Curt responded snidely. It took a lot of willpower to not roll my eyes. "What?" "Meet with Doc Oak. Listen to him. Bring the Professor here. Apologize. Free him." Curt emphasized the word apology. I frowned at this. He''s still trying to teach her. Redeem her. Why is she so important to him? One little kiss. There was a shift inside me. Both Pinikir and I were revolted at the thought and prickled at it. "He is a criminal! He endangered people!" Smash Gal spat back. "He was nonlethal to everyone until the cops tried to kill him. He didn''t hurt anyone seriously,¡± Curt responded in a bored tone. "He tried to kill Chuck!¡± The woman in pink exclaimed. "And this is exactly what I mean." Curt''s hand reclaimed mine, and the world shifted. Issue #46: Do What I Do. Be a Hero

=== Shay === Traffic blows, I thought, tapping the steering wheel of my car impatiently. It was rush hour, and I wanted to be on patrol, but instead, I was stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic downtown. I pulled up a few feet, then leaned over to see what the cause was. Construction, I thought. Reconstruction, actually. There had been a super-fight around here recently. It had destroyed the street. But it also stopped that Amish guy who started destroying cars. Bro wanted us to go back to horses and buggies. A smile spread across my face as I pictured some of the vehicles from the neighborhood as buggies. Just two hundred pounds of speaker loaded in the back. The horses slowly desensitized to eardrum-crushing bass. There was an alarm going off somewhere nearby. I could sense it. A pulsing signal sent out from a few blocks away. I could feel, hear, and sometimes see the electromagnetic signals constantly being sent out. I don''t pay it a lot of attention anymore. As a child, it was pretty overwhelming. I missed school for a few weeks. My mom was so worried. She took me to the doctor, but they couldn''t do an M.R.I. or anything. I caused too much interference. Fortunately, I practiced with my powers constantly. It''s hard not to. I was eight, and when kids find out they can do something, they do it all the time. Billy was double-jointed in his arm, and he constantly showed off. I draw out the electricity in everything around me. The kids at school loved it. I pulled over to the side of the street and tuned into the alarm. It was a bank. They were being robbed. I thought briefly of my first experience with Kari, still smiling. I stepped out and looked at the parking meter on the sidewalk, considering it. I don''t have any change, but I''m about to stop a robbery . . . I pointed at the device, and a spark of electricity shot forth from my finger to it; the display flickered for a second, then the display read 4 HOURS. There was a meter maid down the road, but I didn''t pay them any mind. Instead, I took out a spooled piece of copper from my coat and brandished it. With a flick of my wrist, it extended out entirely and gripped a powerline. The smell of ozone filled the air. I pulled myself up, landed on the line, and bungied off it, soaring over the building. I threw out my copper whip again, and it caught onto something else. I pulled myself forward before landing on a building across the street as I honed in on the feeling of the alarm. I landed on a building across the street. Despite being after hours, the bank''s doors were propped open. There was the barrel of a gun sticking out of one. Cops had surrounded the bank, and when one started moving towards the doors, the gun would go off. Something''s off, I thought. There''s something . . . robotic about that. I closed my eyes and let the sensations rush over me. The buzz of electricity in the city was constant, running through the streets, buildings, lights, cars, clocks, phones, everything. I pushed my focus towards the bank. I accidentally picked up some messages on the cops'' phones. There was one with texts from both people labeled as ''Wife'' and ''Marisa <3''. I saw the contents of the messages too. The Wife was asking him to pick up some milk. Marisa <3 had sent him some pictures. I wasn''t trying to snoop, but it''s hard. I can just see things sometimes. I honed myself in and found what I suspected. The rifle sticking out of the door didn''t have anyone manning it. It was just tied to the door. It had a thermal sensor welded to it. I couldn''t tell exactly how they had rigged it together, but it was set up to fire whenever it sensed heat above a certain amount. I pushed past the door and tapped into the electrical feed. Eventually, I found the cameras. I''d been practicing at this for a while. Tapping into the cameras of security systems. It was easier the closer I got, but now I could do it from this far away. There was just a bit of lag. I could only trust it to be somewhat up-to-date. Through the lens of the lobby security camera, I saw the tellers and patrons bunched up in the middle of the floor with a masked man with another rifle standing over them. They looked terrified. I traced through the network and found another camera on the back wall. Someone was setting up something on the window. It looked like clay shaped into an empty square around the frame. I frowned, considering, then switched to another camera. More people in masks with guns were standing in and around the vault. I switched to the vault camera. And saw some of the same guys and a shaking teller pushing money into the bag as one of them gestured with his gun, demanding she go faster. I jumped down from the building, landing heavily on the street below. Some of the cops spun and trained their guns on me. I raised my hands and smiled at them. "Whoa there. I''m here to help." Some of them lowered their weapons, and one or two even nodded to me. The man in charge called out, "Thunderblast, we have everything under control here." "Alright, I just thought I''d offer. Do you have eyes on the inside?" I asked, making sure to put extra deference in my tone and to keep my hands out. "Not yet. Situation just started. But there''s only one exit." "I think they''re going to create a second one," I said, taking a few steps closer. "What? How do you know that?" "I tapped into the security cameras. Took a look around. No one was hurt, that I could see. They have most of the hostages in the lobby." The cop looked at me skeptically. "How many are in there?" "Five," I replied. "One in the lobby, one in the vault, two just outside of the vault, one in a back room setting up their escape." "What about the one at the door firing on us?" Another cop asked. "That''s just a gun with a thermal sensor attached. Anytime it senses heat, it fires." "You sure about that, boy?" "Yes, I am," I responded, a bit of the respect fading from my tone. I felt my jaw tighten, and I stood up straighter. I was taller than the officer, than most of them. "What''s their escape plan?" "I''m not sure. I saw the one in the back putting some putty around a window." "Might be C4," one of the cops added. "Could be looking to blow out the window and escape that way." "Okay. And what''s your plan to deal with it, Thunderblast?" The lead cop asked. I pointed a finger and arced a lance of lightning over to the barrel of the gun. The cops jumped, and a few raised their weapons for a moment. I traced the electricity coursing through the metal and chained it to the thermal sensor, frying the microchips. "Do what I do. Be a hero," I replied with an easy grin. "But I think we gotta move quick. They''re probably almost done." I walked forward, and the breach team gathered behind me. I felt my back tighten. I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. Having that many cops behind me, all itching to shoot, makes me nervous. When I got to the door, I pulled it open, peered inside, then connected to the cameras again, briefly cycling through. None of them noticed that I had shorted out the gun up front. I got into the antechamber, taking out my copper line again. Rushing in, I flicked my wrist, and my wire wrapped around the gunman''s weapon, sending a quick pulse of electricity through it. He yelped and dropped it, and I pulled it away with a little tug. He started dashing to the back as the other robbers came out to see what the commotion was. They started brandishing their guns, and I pointed and arced a bolt of lightning at the first one through the door. It struck him in the chest, and he spasmed, his gun firing randomly. Damn it! He must have had his finger on the trigger. No one had been hit, which was good, but it hadn''t been smart to handle it that way. The S.W.A.T. team behind me charged forward and shot at the thieves. They fired back. This is going to be a bloodbath if I let them handle it. I glanced around quickly, trying to think of something, anything to stop this. My eyes landed on the lights above the gunmen''s heads. I shot another bolt of electricity through the air and overloaded the bulbs. They exploded overhead, raining glass down upon them. The men screamed and scattered. I took this opportunity to jump up on the counter and brandish my copper whip. I swept it across the three figures, and they all spasmed and twitched before falling limp. I hadn''t used enough electricity to really harm them. Just as much as your average taser. Just enough to disable. The cops split up, some going to check on the hostages and others going to cuff the burglars. I watched them, noticing that a few of them carried heavy anti-meta cuffs. I suppressed a shudder, trying not to remember the terrible nausea they caused, and hopped off the counter. "There''s still one mo-" I began to say, but my words were drowned out by the roar of an explosion, crashing metal, and shattering glass. I sprinted to the back room. Well, what was left of it. The wall had been taken off entirely. A man was dashing away, dressed in black, wearing a ski mask, and carrying a gun. Ladies and gentlemen, I think we found our last contestant. I ran after him, unfurling my copper line. He turned a corner, and I skidded after him, barely staying upright. He turned and opened fire. My eyes widened, and I dove to the side. People screamed. Fuck! In public! I shot up and cracked my whip, sending an arcing line at him. He wasn''t fast enough to dodge lightning. But realistically, who is? Kari? Bion? I grinned to myself and started towards the criminal. Only to hear some heavy breathing. There was a man who had been caught in the crossfire. Blood was leaking down the front of his shirt. I leaned over him and pulled his shirt open. There was a lot of blood. I looked around for anyone to help, but almost everyone else had scattered. Applying pressure to the wound with one hand, I raised the other to my head, searching. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. I found the signal I was looking for. Chattering over it as the police I''d left behind to chase the last guy reported in. I cut in, "This is Thunderblast. I need an ambulance; a man''s been shot. I got the last thief. He''s in custody. Hurry!" I couldn''t keep my voice steady. I''d seen a few people die in front of me before. It never really got any easier. I didn''t want this man to be added to the list. I grit my teeth. The ambulance got there within minutes and started treating the man. He was pale; I didn''t like his chances. I stared down at his blood, staining my hands. The cops showed up a while after that and took the last robber in. They asked me to stick around and give my statement. I did so, not needing any more problems with the police. During the questioning, a white guy with slicked-back blond hair in a nicely tailored suit joined in and introduced himself. ¡°Hello, Thunderblast.¡± Something in the way he said my name set me off. I didn''t like it. "I''m Don Lawin, Assistant District Attorney." "Why''s the A.D.A. here?" I asked. "I make it a point to check in on crimes involving vigilantes," he said dismissively. "Why did you get involved?" "Seemed like the neighborly thing to do. After all, I may end up using this bank." "And your interference almost let one of the robbers escape. Almost got a civilian killed. Maybe you should''ve stayed away, meta." My mouth twisted into a frown, and I nodded. I understood why the way he said my name had sounded wrong before. "And if I hadn''t interfered, sir," I put the same amount of contempt into the syllable that he had. "Our boys in blue might still be outside trying to find a way to outsmart a gun with a thermal camera taped to it." The cop standing next to Lawin glared at me, but he looked away when I met his eye. "The next time y''all need help, just give a shout. I''d be happy to lend a hand."

=== Don === I watched that freak walk away. I could have him arrested for Obstruction, but the press is here. They''ve been interviewing the witnesses. And the hostages have been singing his praises. Calling him a hero. It made me sick. The thought of them putting freaks and monsters like Thunderblast, like Smash Gal, on a pedestal infuriated me. Don''t they realize they''re just destroying everything? Even today, this man, Harold Shango Jonathan Bien-Amie, got a man shot and killed. Kari Stewart has killed people. I took a few deep breaths, suppressing the images of the remains of people that woman flew through when she was thrown through a building. My stomach turned. And people laud them as saviors. Their day will come, though, I thought to myself as one of the cops guided me through the crime scene. They showed me the window that the thieves had blown out to escape. The light that Thunderblast had blown out. It was an open-and-shut case, even with the meta filth making my job harder. Officers had started to do an inventory of what the team had been trying to steal with some bank employees. I walked in and watched them for a few minutes. A few bundles of money were lying on the table next to me. They won''t notice. And if they do, they''ll just assume that filthy meta took them. Or the criminals. Arms crossed, I gestured with a finger to the bundles, and light started to bend away from them. They disappeared from sight shortly after. And I leaned on the table for a moment and slipped them inside my coat. For the Cause, I thought, grinning inwardly. The Fed can reimburse them. Just like it did when those degenerates on Wall Street tanked them before. I walked out, the bills still invisible in my jacket. Those freaks won''t know what hit them when we''re ready. Using those abilities, like the filth, made me sick. I hated everything about it. But I had to remember my goal. God has gifted me with their curse to take them down. No one stopped me as I walked out. Why would they? I''m the Assistant District Attorney. A good man doing right by normal people. I got into the car provided to me by the city and drove back to the office. I parked it and walked over to the muddy jeep I kept nearby. I opened the back up and stashed the cash in the spare wheel well. I heard some footsteps behind me. "Hey there, Don. How''s it going?" I took a moment to adjust the money, making sure to avoid sudden movements. It was just the District Attorney, Alan Crane. "Oh, you know, just getting ready to do a little off-roading." "Yeah, you love the outdoors," he responded affably. "You wanna go fishing sometime?" "Yeah, we should put something on the books," I responded, trying to put my best smile on. "How''s the Wan trial going?" "I don''t know, Don. It just doesn''t feel right." Crane''s body language visibly closed off, and he frowned, leaning against my jeep. I narrowed my eyes at him, then took a deep breath. "Prosecuting a man who''s saved the world. It''s just not right. But he broke the law. Got thousands of people killed." "We''ve always been too lenient on these vigilantes," I muttered, staring into the back of my jeep. "Yeah, but what can we do? They''re necessary," Crane said thoughtfully. "We got too many of those strange events. Even if Bion brought the Grignau to the planet, he still pushed them back. He''s the only one who could do anything to them. Well, until Smash Gal. She''s a good girl." "She''s no different than the rest of them." "I thought you''d be a fan," Crane replied, raising an eyebrow. "She''s almost as law-and-order as you are." "She . . ." I stopped myself. My stomach roiled at the thought of me being a fan of any of those things. "She''s done some good in the city. But she can''t even stop those cat burglars. She''s even friends with them. Didn''t you see that Esvanir and her had dinner the other night?" "From what I heard, they weren''t on friendly terms. Professor Mind was the only thing that stopped them from going at it." "Of course," I said, trying to minimize my patronizing tone. The man''s a moron, but he''s still my boss, I thought. Worse than being a moron, he''s a traitor. Selling out his people for those monsters. I sighed and closed the trunk of my jeep, forcing Crane to stand away. "Anyway, Alan. It''s after hours, and I was hoping to get out to the campsite here pretty soon." "Oh, yeah," Crane replied, smiling. "Enjoy your little getaway." I drove off a few minutes later, driving out past the suburbs and deep into the rural areas surrounding Avalare. It took a few hours before I turned onto a dirt road leading deep into some woods. About twenty minutes after that, I came across a gate. Men were patrolling around the perimeter and protecting the fence surrounding the area. I stopped at the entrance and one of the young men, dressed in camo fatigues and a buzzcut, carrying a rifle, stepped up to my jeep. I rolled down the window and greeted him. "Jenkins, good man. How is everything?" "Ah, Sargent Lawin! Good to see you. Everything is going well. No visitors except for you today. Nothing to report," he said deferentially. "That''s good to hear. Open the gate." The young man rushed off and pulled the gate open. I pulled through. Behind the fence were several steel buildings. There were more men running circuits around the compound. I pulled up to the spot set aside for me, parked, got out, and retrieved the money. I walked through and made my way to my home-away-from-home; my office had a heavy desk with a plush seat behind it. I smiled up at the wood-carved insignia nailed to the wall. An eagle with arrows clutched tightly in one taloned foot and a syringe in the other. Just below the eagle''s feet were the words Curatio Virium Armatorum. The Cure Armed Forces. A few minutes after I sat at my desk, a stiff-backed woman walked through my door without knocking. She had a severe face and tight, angular features framed by long black hair; her gaze cut through me sharply, and I shifted before putting on a smile and greeting her. "Stacy. It''s good to see you." "Lawin," she said shortly. "What''s going on in the city?" "Nothing out of the ordinary. They''re still letting the degenerates run around and do as they please. A freak helped ''stop'' a bank robbery." I tossed the bundles of cash onto the table. She picked them up and spread them out with her thumb. "How much is here?" "I don''t know. Probably 20k," I replied, yawning. "Didn''t have time to count it." She smiled. It transformed her face. She still looked like a predator, but the kind that one wanted to keep around. I grinned back at her before shaking my computer awake. My desktop came up. The background picture was the hole in the building that the Grignau had thrown Kari Stewart through. It wasn''t graphic. But I''d seen the photos of the victims. The Grignau were monsters, but she was just as bad. Worse, even. The Grignau go away eventually. In a small voice, I said, "Make sure some of the money gets to the recovery fund." "Of course, Don," she muttered, nodding before turning to leave. I watched her go. I spent a few minutes double-checking the funds and reports from members of the organization. After finishing that, I got up and went to a different building. They were all disconnected from the electrical grid and were powered by colossal gas tanks. What we''ve built here is proof of our righteousness. God gifted mankind with the world. And we will reclaim it from those usurpers. I strode into a brightly lit, very white room. It was partitioned off by large panes of glass. I stepped over and pushed a button on a panel built into one of the support beams. "Alexander, how''s the research going?" A man in a hazmat suit jumped and turned. From behind his transparent faceplate, I could see him smile brightly. "Oh, uh, Sargent Lawin, sir. Good to see you. It''s very promising, very promising indeed. I need a subject to really test it on, but I think that we have a cure." "A cure for the meta contagion?" "Well, I still need to run more tests. My hope is that we can cure it and keep the poor souls afflicted alive." "That would be ideal, but remember, stopping it from spreading further, stopping them from spreading their degeneracy, is much more important." "Of course, Sargent," Alexander replied, nodding fervently. Issue #47: This Beautiful, Mostly Naked Man Brought Me Pancakes

=== Chuck === "That was a disaster!" Kari exclaimed after we left the restaurant. "Also, did you see how much he left on the tip? Doesn''t that feel like a little much?" "He probably just felt bad we had disrupted the restaurant so much." "Maybe, but I don''t think that''s it. I think he always tips like that. Trying to raise the servers out of poverty one ridiculous dinner at a time." "Kari," I began, chuckling. "Are you really begrudging him for leaving a large tip?" "Considering the money''s stolen, yeah, kind of," she responded, wrapping her arm around mine. "But we talked. I tried." "Yeah. It went better than I thought it would." "What did you think was going to happen?" She asked, nuzzling my shoulder. We were around the same height, so it was a struggle for her. I started floating to make it a little easier. "Honestly, I thought you two would just start duking it out, leaving me . . . and I guess Cherry to try and stop you. Not that I think we could. I . . . I think she''s a better influence on him than I would''ve guessed." "She''s a thief who encourages his stealing." "I don''t know if that is as true as you want it to be. I think it''s kind of cyclical, but they''d both still be thieves without the other." "Yeah, that''s probably true," Kari responded. "What do you want to do next?" "I think we should try his idea. Meet with Doc Oak," I said thoughtfully. "Apologize." "No, I meant . . . You really think we should?" "I don''t think we handled that situation correctly." "You mean you don''t think I handled it correctly." "No, I meant what I said. I should''ve tried harder to de-escalate the situation. I failed. I don''t like what you did, but it''s just as much my fault." "I . . . I''m not just going to help him escape." "I''m not asking you to." "I don''t know if I can apologize." "You don''t think you handled that wrong? That hitting him like that wasn''t wrong." "I . . . May have used too much force. I don''t know. I saw him choking you . . . and I kind of lost it." "Kari, we both know you''re too strong to lose it. You have to be more careful." "It''s not fair," she said, pulling away from me. Irritation boiled off of her violently. "What''s not fair?" "I feel all this pressure to be perfect! To always do the right thing! Everyone expects me to be constantly on top of everything just because I''m strong! Just because I''m fast! It''s a lot of pressure." I closed my eyes, willing away the unwanted memories of Scott and Blanca. I tried to push the well of pain and anxiety in my chest. Instead of letting it overwhelm me, I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around her, kissing her cheek. She looked back at me, her hand gripping my arm gently. I whispered in her ear, "I get that, Kari. I really do. I feel the same pressure." "You do? But you . . . you always seem on top of everything," she muttered warmly. "But I wasn''t always. My actions cost me my best friends. I have a lot of power. Not the same as yours, but a lot all the same. Do you know what I could do to people if I stopped holding back?" "N-no," she muttered softly. She had never considered it. "Neither do I. And I''m scared of it. If I can fuck up like I did with Scott and Blanca with good intentions, just imagine what would happen if I just said ''Fuck it!'' and didn''t try to exercise any control." She shuddered against me. I didn''t need to read the fear and anxiety she was feeling to know them. I knew them because they were a mirror of my own. I could destroy people. I have destroyed people. "I . . . It''s not like that. I just feel so much stress, and I don''t know what to do, Chuck. What do you do to release it all?" "I . . ." I considered it for a moment. "I don''t do a lot. I read and watch movies to decompress. I see you. I see my friends. I work out. But sometimes that''s not enough." "What do you do when it''s not enough?" "Ignore it." "Is that your prescription, doc?" Kari asked, smiling softly. Amusement and affection wafted off of her, intermingling with the rest of her emotions. "No," I said, trying to laugh it off. "No. I would never recommend it to a patient. But it doesn''t take away my responsibility." "I know," she muttered before turning around and hugging me. She was so warm. Not feverish, but just so vibrant. I held her back, stealing as much of it as I could. We floated there like that for a moment. She broke the hug first and looked into my eyes. "I''ll go with you. I can''t guarantee anything. But I''ll be there. But we need to find a way to decompress." "Yeah, we do." "You mentioned exercising. Does that help?" "It can," I muttered. "What if we exercised together?" She asked, tracing a finger down my chest. I raised a brow at her. "Oh? What did you have in mind?" "You''re the telepath. You tell me," Kari said, a cat-that-ate-the-canary grin spreading across her face. I grabbed her hand, and we flew back to my place.

=== Curt === We got back to the hotel room, and I flopped on the couch. Cindi wandered over and got some champagne, pouring two glasses. She put one on the table in front of me and sipped her own straddling my waist, carefully moving her dress out of the way. She smiled down at me. I looked up at her, frowning. "That was really stupid and really dangerous." "The dinner?" Cin asked innocently. "We need to eat, Essy." "We don''t need to eat with them," I shot back. She leaned down and put a finger to my lip. "You need to learn they''re not to be feared, husband. That they are nothing more than obstacles in our way. That we can and already have gone far beyond them." "She''s strong, Cin. She can kill us if she wants. And given how she''s been acting lately, I don''t think we can take her lightly," I said softly. She finished her glass and leaned over me to set it to the side. I breathed her in. She wore this perfume; I''d learned the name of it, Bergamot, that I would never associate with anyone else. Warm and sunny, from a faraway beach. I wrapped my arms around her. She didn''t resist. She pressed into my chest, snaked her arms around my back, and held me. "I know that, Curt. She''s tried to kill me twice. She''s tried to kill you more than that. But that''s all the more reason we need to put her out of our life. We need to focus on building our life together. Being together and living fully. Fighting her, trying to convince that woman of anything, is a waste of time. And I''m trying to prove that to you." "And what happens if she attacks again? W-what happens if she . . ." I couldn''t finish the sentence. Cin lifted her head just enough to face me. "Curt, I have a goddess inside me, and you''re the smartest man I''ve ever met. We''ll figure it out. But we can''t live in fear. Now. I want to enjoy you, husband. I believe you said you were interested in some dessert?" The following morning, we woke up on the couch, cuddled together. Cindi was draped across me lazily. Her hair was its typical uncontrolled mess again. I gripped her arm and held her close. She stirred slightly and pressed into my chest more, snoring softly. After about ten minutes, I grabbed my phone and opened Twitter. There had been another attack by the Acolytes of Esvanir. This time they had succeeded in leveling the WanEn Research Facility. It was also local to Avalare. There was another video by what seemed to be the same person with the voice changer and the mask. I watched it muted after a second, with the captions on. "The Acolytes of Esvanir will not stand idly by, waiting for justice to be served to the masters of capital! Bion has been arrested, but that trial is a sham! Months and months of nothing! It is time that we, the people, dismantle these systems! Brick by brick!" Stolen novel; please report. Rage boiled inside of me. When I put my phone back down, I noticed Cindi frowning at me, blue eyes focused on my face. "Curt, what are you thinking?" "I''m thinking that it''s time I got back to work," I said, disentangling from her and sat up on the couch; Cindi also sat up. I could feel her eyes on me. I got up and started walking to the actual bedroom. "What are you planning?" "I''m going to find them." "Then what?" She asked. I froze. It was a simple, honest question. And it had stopped me in my tracks. I considered my words for a moment. But Buck Cherry spoke before I got a chance to, "You''re not a murderer, Curt. Not really. If someone was killing in my name, it would upset me, and if I wanted to act against them, I would. No one would ever find out. But you''re not like that." "Then . . . Maybe I need to take a page out of your book, Cin," I said. "I would leave them alone unless they made my life more difficult." "They are, though," I muttered softly. "They are taking my name, which I didn''t choose, but my name nonetheless, and running it through the mud. They''re ruining the chances for real change in the world." "What do you mean by that, husband?" "I . . . Actually, you should get this, Cin. It''s what you were talking about last night." She raised a brow at me. "Your brand. You are the nude thief, Buck Cherry. If you started wearing clothes, you wouldn''t be Buck Cherry, right?" "No, I wouldn''t be. I would just be the greatest thief in the world." "True, but you wouldn''t be you," I responded, thinking it through. I finally understand. "My brand is being an annoying, fedora-tipping communist online and stealing things to make that a little more feasible. These guys are out there ruining my brand." "Curtis, my love, you can''t control the actions of other people. I thought you learned that with all of the porn of us online," Cherry said, smiling at me softly. "I can''t control them. But I can stop this. I can stop people from dying in my name."

=== Kari === I woke up in Chuck''s bed. He wasn''t there with me. The bed felt weirdly big and cold without him. I guess he''s not the only one falling, I thought. I knew he was in the kitchen, cooking. I could hear him. But somehow, I still felt lonely without him. The last couple of days have been tough. I''d tried to avoid him. I didn''t want to be judged. But the only reason I care is because . . . My heart skipped a beat when he walked back into the room carrying a tray of food. This beautiful, mostly naked man had brought me sausage and pancakes. Okay, fine, I admitted to myself. I love him. He set down the tray over my lap, and I looked into his brown eyes. His hair wasn''t styled in the careful, slicked-back manner it usually was. It was hanging limply, freshly showered. He smelled like fresh soap. I grabbed his neck and pulled him into a soft kiss, unable to not smile during it. He broke it and smiled back. "What''s that about?" "Nothing," I said before dousing my pancakes in syrup. Chuck brought in his own plate, and we ate side-by-side, comfortably naked. My mind shifted back to Curt and Buck Cherry. I''ll never understand how she could be comfortable being out there . . . the whole world to see, I thought. I chewed on some sausage, then nodded to myself, turning to Chuck. "Let''s visit Doc Oak today. I . . . I won''t make any guarantees, but I can take responsibility for being too hard." "Being hard can be a good thing, sometimes," Chuck said. I raised my eyebrows suggestively at him, grinning. "I . . . I deserve that. But I''m glad you''re going to try." A few hours later, we arrived at Bellemere Meta Prison and Sanitarium. It was well outside the city. It was raining by the time we got there. Which didn''t help the atmosphere at all. It was an old building, crumbling in some places, retrofitted in others. It was made of cold, gray stone, which the overcast sky only made gloomier. The thick bars on the windows gave the impression that the building was glaring at me. "This is where we sent him?" "This is where we send all meta-criminals. Three states'' worth," Chuck said, frowning at the building. "What about trials?" "They don''t get trials, Kar. Have you ever been asked to testify?" Chuck responded, his words more clipped than usual. "The government considers them domestic terrorists and thus threats to national security. So they just skip that. Not that many jurors would let them slide anyway." "I . . . I never thought about it," I said, guilt spreading out in my stomach. We walked forward in full costume. The lighting was harsh and fluorescent inside the building, casting harsh shadows. My footsteps echoed down the hall. We were let in, but they checked us for weapons and anything else. We weren''t allowed to take our cell phones in, either. "Why can''t we have our phones?" "Privacy concerns. There''s a lot of proprietary technology and research done here," the guard with a name-tag that read Jenkins said. I got the sense those weren''t the only reasons. But I didn''t mention it. We were guided down more halls. The cells were weird, each having large reinforced glass doors instead of the typical bars. More Silence of the Lambs than the Shawshank Redemption, I thought. The guard spoke up. "Ballistic glass. Reinforced to withstand anything short of a missile. Not that it''s necessary. Not with the inhibitors." He had gestured to the thick collars they put on the inmates. All of them looked lethargic and a little sickly. I glanced over to Chuck. He also looked a little green. "Are you okay, PM?" "Yeah," he lied, standing a little straighter. "Just can sense what they''re going through. It''s. . . Not pleasant." "Should''ve thought about that before they decided to terrorize us, huh?" The guard replied coldly, picking up his pace again. I recognized some of the people that had been put away here. I had helped. They stared out of their cells, eyes following us, but nothing else. I don''t think they can get up. "What do the collars do?" "Pump them full of a powerful sedative. Keeps them from getting too uppity," Jenkins responded. He glared at one of the prisoners. It was the man made of concrete I''d taken down on my first day in Avalare. "Sometimes, they start to resist it, and we ge- have to knock them back down, then up their dose." I frowned at the man, and he grinned back at me. We went down a few more halls until we pulled in front of a larger cell. A green-skinned man was sitting on his bed, barely able to move. I could see vents pumping in air, and I frowned. The other cells used the same duct system, but this one was separate. "Why is his cell so different?" "Have to make sure that no plant matter gets near. Had to get this one a special diet too. Just meat and pills. Most expensive prisoner we have here," the man said, disgust coloring his tone. "You should''ve hit him harder. Would have saved us a hell of a lot of trouble." "I''m not in the practice of murdering people," I shot back. The guard laughed at that. "Not yet. You know the way out. Enjoy your conversation," he said, laughing as he walked away. I reeled on him but stopped. Chuck was staring at the man in the cell. His green skin had become sallow, and the mild muscle definition he had was quickly fading. There were intercoms on the door frame. I walked up and pressed the [Talk Button]. "Doctor Oakley?" I asked hesitantly. He didn''t so much as stir. Chuck joined me, leaning over and pressing the button again. "Doc Oak?" He asked, waiting for a response. The man was barely breathing. "This is torture," I said, gesturing to the door. "He''s dying." "I think that was what Curt wanted you to see." "Did you know about this?" "I''d. . . never seen it first hand. I heard stories." "Is there anything we can do? They''re still people. They don''t deserve this," I cried, my voice cracking. My feelings only darkened further when a thought bubbled up from the back of my mind. This could''ve been Harold. He was literally seconds away from this being his entire future. Picturing my happy, smiling friend, lethargic, unable to move at all, broke my heart. "You heard the guard. Even if we could give him resistance to the drug, he would just be given a harsher dose." "But you could do it, right." "I-I could, probably," Chuck said, hesitating. "It''s safer than what I did with Scott and Blanca. But . . ." He trailed off, and I gripped his shoulder. "Th-this is where they''d be, isn''t it?" "Who?" I asked. "Scott and Blanca. After their . . . After what I did. Normal facilities couldn''t handle them. I . . ." I pulled him into a tight hug. "God, Chuck. I''m sorry. I didn''t even think about that." I patted his back. "Kari, I don''t think I can be here right now." "Me neither. I-I don''t think we''d get much out of him anywhere." I leaned over and pressed the [Talk Button] again. "Oakley, I''m sorry. For everything. I''m going to see what I can do to make this right. I . . ." My voice trailed off. I didn''t have the words. I didn''t even know what could be done.

=== Don === I received a text from one of the members of Curatio. It was Jenkins. I frowned. He''s not supposed to contact me like this. I tapped on the message, ready to give him a piece of my mind, but I stopped. He''d sent a picture of Smash Gal and Professor Mind. He was typing something. I waited for the message to come through.
< Jenkins
[Attachment 88.jpg] 13:41pm Sir, I¡¯m sorry to contact you like this. I know it¡¯s against protocol. But I thought you should know that these freaks were at Bellemere. They were here visiting that one that controls plants. I couldn¡¯t stick around to listen to their conversation. 13:43
This is good work, Jenkins. Valuable information for the cause. I¡¯ll take it from here. 13:45
I considered what this meant. Why would Smash Gal and Professor Mind be at Bellemere? Visiting Doc Oak, I asked myself. One of the few good things that monster did was almost kill that hippie bastard. Couldn''t finish the job. Probably couldn''t stand to harm one of her own kind that much. I sighed. I couldn''t think of what this meant for the future. I also wasn''t aware that Jenkins worked at Bellemere. Now that does open up some possibilities for the future. A grin spread across my face. I called Alexander. "Hello?" "Alexander, you know how you wanted some test subjects? I think we found some for you. How much of the Cure can you prepare?" "Oh. Probably enough for ten subjects. Anything less than that, and we couldn''t be sure of its efficaciousness, Don." "Get it ready. It''s time to move to the next stage." Issue #48: Getting Involved with a Thief Always Ends Well

=== Shay === I tried to lay low for a few days after I stopped that bank robbery. I really did, but after being on patrol so much, staying home was boring. There were always robberies and thefts happening. And people needed my help. I helped stop a few small-time crimes. I''d intercede if I was close enough to intercept a tripped alarm. But a lot of the time, I needed to be closer to do much. So, I sped up. Well, I tried, at least. I got another long copper line, and I tried to alternate which arm I was swinging off of. It didn''t work. I wasn''t strong enough to swing one-handed easily. And I fell on my ass more than a few times trying. So, I sat, posted up on the roof of some building, trying to think of a way to move faster, when I saw this tiny figure running across another roof. I frowned. Whoever they are, they can''t be more than 4 feet tall, I thought. The figure stalked over to the ledge and looked around before jumping off the building and landing in a roll. I winced as phantom pain shot through my shins up to my knees. The figure rolled as they landed and disappeared into the shadows. This is an excellent chance to practice sneaking around, I thought. My powers weren''t subtle. Lightning is kind of loud. It''s always buzzing and crackling, trying to escape from control. It''s also usually shining bright. But I had been practicing a lot and could control the current pretty well. My stomach twisted as I stood up on the roof. I took a deep breath and stepped off the edge. As I fell, I took the copper line, now twice as thick since I had braided the two lines together, in both hands and lashed out, sending a small stream of energy through it. The ductile material responded and wrapped around an electric cable, and I swung off of it. Had I mastered the double line, I might have tried to do a flip. But as it stood currently, I could just barely land safely. Kari''s lucky she can fly. Doesn''t have to fuck with all this other stuff, I thought. I rolled into the ground and narrowly missed a trash can. I stepped lightly forward, trying to trace the path of the mysterious short person. It was only a short time until I found them. They were running straight towards a barbed wire fence across the street that was easily four times their height. But they climbed it like a freaking spider-monkey. I also realized I couldn''t see any of their skin. They wore a ski mask, gloves, and long dark black sleeves. They just launched themselves over the barbed wire when they got to the top. I stood there, mouth agape, watching them land on the other side. After a moment, I processed what I had seen and realized that they were going to rob the place. I sighed and looked around. It wouldn''t do for me to just go in after them. If the cops came, they might think we''re both trying to rob them. And I didn''t need that. I looked at the sign posted on the fence. This was a police building. It was just a giant warehouse downtown. I frowned and extended my senses. There were several security measures. Cameras, window and door sensors, and when I tapped into the camera feeds, I saw guards walking the area, doing their rounds. I also finally got a decent look at the prospective thief. It wasn''t a little person. The proportions were wrong. It had to be a child. What kind of child can jump a 20-foot fence? I asked myself, furrowing my brow. I watched the kid run up a wall and catch the ledge of a window twice their height above them. The camera could have had a better vantage point, and I couldn''t see what they were doing. After a moment, they slipped through the window, and I lost them entirely. I checked the alarm sensors, and they had tripped them. They''re good, but not that good, I thought, relieved. With the alarm going off, I have an excuse to go in. I ran across the street, unfurling my whip. I swung my arm, and the tip wrapped around the top of the fence. I climbed up the whip quickly, balancing on the top pole, before jumping over it. My coat got stuck on the barbed wire. ??I slammed against the chainlink on the other side and hung there for a moment, gritting my teeth. My coat tore, and I fell, rolling. I picked myself up and started out. Guards were rushing around. One saw me and started charging toward me, shouting, "Freeze!" "Whoa!" I said, raising my hands as he drew his gun. "No need for that. I''m here to help!" "Likely story. What''s your name?" "I''m Thunderblast, the lightning hero. I heard the alarm." "How''d you hear a silent alarm?" The guard demanded angrily. "I''m a lightning hero. It''s an electronic signal. I can sense them," I said, bemused. I was getting really sick of people I was helping pointing guns at me. I gestured with one hand. "There was a breach on that window, right?" The guard looked at the window and nodded, lowering his gun somewhat. There was gunfire coming from the building. I started moving, motioning for him to follow. "Well, let''s go."

=== Cindi === I watched my husband scrub the video for any hints as to where they were. The original had been deleted, which he claimed made things more difficult. I wouldn''t know. I still wasn''t sure why he was bothering. Pinikir shifted in my mind, wanting something to do. I frowned. It''s strange having another presence inside of me. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WITHIN YOU. YOU''RE JUST CONSCIOUS OF IT NOW, She thought. I nodded. That seemed true. Her presence was familiar, almost like the touch of an old friend. But still. You said that Curt was yours two. I don''t know how I feel about that. She directed her attention to me directly. ALL THAT BELONGS TO YOU BELONGS TO ME. YOU ARE MY AVATAR, MY POWER GIVEN FLESH. IN RETURN, YOUR FLESH, FRAIL, IS GIVEN POWER. IT IS A FAIR TRADE. AN EQUIVALENT EXCHANGE. Curt jumped up and shifted so that his control was around his middle finger and thumb. He was gearing up to do something. "What''s going on?" "I think I found them," he replied gruffly. He''d been on edge a lot since Marcelli had installed that bomb inside of me. It had gotten a little easier since we managed to escape his clutches. But this was precisely like that. And that was a problem. When Curt was like this, he got reckless. And when he was brash, he got hurt. And not just a little hurt, either. I won''t allow that, I thought, crossing the room and wrapping my arms around him. "What''s the plan, then?" "We stop them." "Darling, that''s more of one of my plans than it is yours," I murmured into his ear. I felt him stiffen against me. "What''s the layout? How many are there? Do they have security or patrols? Is it in a crowded area? These are all the things you ask when we go on a job. These are all the things that you''re especially good at asking. The details. What do we know?" "I . . . There''s no time for all of that, Cin," he said somberly. "What if they make another move during our recon?" "It would still not be your fault. You''re not a hero, remember? You''re a thief. And you can''t save the world." "So, I''m just supposed to do nothing!?" He demanded, pulling away from me. My arms fell to my side. "I''m just supposed to let them hurt people and blame me?" "I never said that, husband." His voice was hot, but mine was ice cold. I closed the distance between us and gripped his neck. I couldn''t tell if it was Pinikir or me, but the tone he took with me was not to be tolerated. "These people are dangerous. They''re capable, and they have no qualms about killing people. You do. If you go in there unprepared, you will get hurt. You might die." "I don''t ca-" he began. I pushed him against the wall. Hard. "I do. You''re mine. You are not allowed to die. You''re not allowed to get hurt. I''ll let you do many things, but those aren''t on the table." He couldn''t meet my eye. "Think this through, Curt. You are Esvanir. The second greatest thief in the world. Don''t fight them like her. Fight like yourself." He scowled at me, chewing on my words, before nodding. "You''re right, Cin. I wasn''t thinking. I . . . I just can''t handle this. . . . Does Tierra owe you any more favors?" "Tierra?" I asked, thinking about it. "I''m sure we could work something out."

=== Chuck === We left Bellemere, flying back through the rain and thunder. Lightning struck off distantly. Kari was next to me. Neither of us were talking. Just stewing in our own thoughts. I left them in that terrible place was the thought that kept eating away at me. Being in there had been hell. A bunch of people trapped inside their bodies, unable to move, barely able to think. Nausea and resentment building. Bed sores consuming them. When we got back into the city limits, I landed heavily on a building. I was drained. My costume shattered around me, leaving me in my street clothes. Kari landed next to me and wrapped an arm around me. She didn''t say anything. I just sat there, rain still pelting us. I leaned into her, and she cooed softly in my ear. "It''s okay . . . It''ll work out. We''ll figure it out, Chuck." I kept her emotions at bay, but I could still identify them. She was just as emotionally raw as I was, seeing the results of our actions. She hadn''t destroyed her friends, despite what Esvanir said, but she was still deeply hurt by what she did to those people. After a while, we got up and went home, neither of us having the energy to patrol. The next day, we woke up, curled into one another. Kari was up before me, scrolling on her phone. I looked, figuring it would just be Twitter, but it wasn''t. She was looking at different meta-advocacy groups. She frowned at her phone. "Kari, what''s wrong?" "These groups don''t really do all that much. The Meta Advocates have teamed up with the ACLU for a few cases, but they have yet to go anywhere. Metas are Humans have done some demonstrations, but no real action''s happening." "A lot of these changes are slow." "Yeah, that part makes sense. But even with that, people treat them like they''re destroying society. These small, incremental changes they''re asking for are met with doomsaying. Some people are saying that metas aren''t even people. That we''re aberrations. That we''re Marked by the Beast." "There are always people like that. Do you remember the BLM protests? Almost all of them were peaceful, and those that weren''t were usually instigated or escalated by the presence of police." The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "Chuck, what should we do? We have to do something. I got so wrapped up fighting with Curt and being a hero, but I''ve had these questions. I''ve been ignoring them for a really long time. And seeing that place . . . I can''t just sit by." "But we also can''t just let dangerous people exist. Many metas are antisocial, and we can''t just let them run rabid." "But why are we antisocial?" "What do you mean?" "You and I aren''t destructive. Not really. We fight a lot, but that''s to help people. To save people. And there are lots who are just everyday people. Harold wasn''t even a hero until I hooked him up with Jenny." "Do you think there''s another cause?" "Yeah. People are scared of us and treat us differently. Some people just lean into that." I nodded at my girlfriend, smiling. She''s right. And I''m sure even Curt would give her that credit. "What do you want to do about it?" "What if we gave some support to these groups? I''m really trendy. I''m always trending on Twitter. We could have Jenny reach out. Maybe be a brand advocate, or whatever." "That''s worth looking into, at least."

=== Curt === We met at Tierra at Des'' place. Apparently, she''s still sleeping there. I frowned at this thought. Des'' knows what they''re doing. They''ll be fine, right? Right. Of course. Getting involved with a thief always ends well. Just look at Cherry and me. Or Thelma and Louise. Bonnie and Clyde. My thoughts darkened as I sat across from Des'' and Tierra, the pretty, tall woman with a shaved side of her head opposite mine. Especially as another thought crossed my mind. That''s even more reason for you to stop coming to them with your bullshit problems, dumbass. Des'' hair was down from their signature ponytail, and they were hanging off of Tierra. They looked just as dumb and smitten as I''m pretty sure I did when I looked at Cindi. It''s nice to see that look on their face. Whenever I visited them, all I got was a sharp wit and a sharper tongue . . . Maybe Tierra will make them happy. I ignored the second thought that bubbled up immediately. Unlike you, who only brings pain and misery. "What can I help you with, Mister Drei?" Tierra cut in. I came back to myself. I realized that I had been dissociating for the last few minutes. And that she had been watching me suspiciously. "I have a job that I''d like you to help me with. If you have the time." "Is this job dangerous?" Des asked. Tierra smirked down at them, leaning into their touch a bit. "I''ve patched you up enough to know how your jobs go." "It is dangerous," I said honestly, meeting their eye. Then I met Tierra''s gaze. "But it''d be safer with you on the job. From what I''ve seen and what Cin tells me, you can stop people from acting. Is that right?" "Kind of. More I just push on their emotions, finding the one that disables them the most," Tierra said in a bored tone. "For you, it would be anxiety. If I want to ramp you up, it''s anger. For Cindi, it''s greed to ramp her up and fear to paralyze her." Cindi sat straighter next to me and narrowed her eyes at Tierra. "Relax, Cherry. I''m not looking to do it. I just know what to do. What''s this job?" "I want to take out the cult that''s doing bombings in my name. I have a pretty good idea of where they are." "Oh, that. Nah. Forget it," Tierra responded blandly. "I''m not involved in that. That''s between y''all. You can handle it yourself." Des stiffened against their girlfriend a little but didn''t say anything. I sighed and nodded before starting to get up. "Well, it was worth a shot. Thanks for your time." "Wait," Cin began, grabbing my arm and pulling me back down to the loveseat we were sitting on. She wrapped an arm around my neck. ??"What would it cost?" "Your husband doesn''t have anything I need, Cindi," Tierra responded simply. I watched her. Something''s off. "Oh come now," Cindi responded, giggling lightly. "The second greatest thief in the world doesn''t have anything to offer you?" "Oh, you certainly do. I just don''t see what he has. He''s vanilla." "He''s fought and won against Smash Gal." "He''s survived those fights. I wouldn''t call any of them a win," Tierra shot back. "And besides, what''s this got to do with me? This job doesn''t have any windfall. I don''t get anything out of dismantling a cult of personality surrounding some nerd with authority problems." "That''s fair," I cut in before Cindi could try to defend me against those entirely true accusations. I saw what was happening now. I wasn''t used to negotiating. "It''s not your usual kind of job. I get that. But I do have a couple of things I could pay you with. Things you can''t get anywhere else." "What''s that?" "I get you Poppers." She raised a brow at me, rolling her hand. I sighed. "Quick, one-time use teleport devices. Gets you anywhere within the hemisphere. Ensures a quick getaway anywhere in the world." "Unlike you and Cherry, I don''t need quick getaways. I don''t do jobs that I get shot at." She let that hang in the air for a moment before continuing. "Unless I''m working with you two. Besides, if I wanted your powers, what''s to stop me from just suppressing you and taking them right now?" Des frowned up at their girlfriend again. They don''t like that, I thought. They''re not going to like this any more. "There''s nothing. Except you wouldn''t be able to use it. It''s too complicated." "Cindi can use them. Are you insinuating that I''m dumber than her?" Tierra responded, her tone playfully dangerous. "Cin can use them because I allow her to." It was my wife''s turn to stiffen. "If I wanted to, I could shut hers, mine, and with enough prep time, even the Stargate Bion designed. There''s a lot of math and programming that only a pissed-off nerd with admin privileges can keep up and running. That''s outside of your skill set. And there''s nothing wrong with that. But it does mean I have something to offer. It''s not money, but it is freedom." Tierra considered my words. She didn''t seem outwardly offended by my words. But I''d also been more diplomatic than I had wanted to be. "How many of these poppers would I get?" "I have ten prepped that aren''t promised to Cin. You can have all of those." "Why do you have ten that aren''t for me?" "I make sure I have some backups in case something goes really wrong with my rig or Des wants a day trip to a spa." Des gaped at me, blushing. "Curt!" They shouted. I smiled at the couple across from me. "Your girlfriend has been taking low blows and potshots this entire time." Tierra grinned toothily at me. "Gotta get in a cheap shot where I can. It''s how I survive, after all." "I think we can work something out. But Curt?" I met Tierra''s gaze. "I want the payment upfront, and if things go sideways, I''m leaving. I''m no hero. And quite frankly, I don''t give a damn if you die." "Understood."

=== Shay === The security guard and I got into the warehouse, where two other guards were doing their best Scooby Doo routine with what had to be a child. They would run after the kid and disappear behind some shelves, only to reappear a few seconds later from behind a different set of shelves, still chasing the kid. I stopped and watched for a moment. How could I not? They even managed to recreate the scene where they lost track of the kid and just stood in the middle of two shelves for a moment. Enough of that, though. I cycled through electrical signals I could use to find the kid who had very much disappeared. I could sense the soft buzz of energy from the guards'' phones, the building itself, the lights, the security system, and the refrigerator. But the kid had nothing on them. I frowned. "Well, it''s been a minute since I played Hide-and-Seek, but I was the best back in the neighborhood. Might as well come out now because I will find you, kid." I didn''t mention that I had been the best because I could detect their phones on them. I heard some soft shifting to my side. I motioned for the guards to be quiet and gestured toward the sound. They nodded. We stalked over as silently as we could, going around a shelf filled with stuff the police had confiscated. The kid was digging through something, then pulled it out. It was a sword that was as tall as they were. I held up a hand. "Whoa, watch out. That''s dangerous." "You have no idea," the kid whispered seriously. They fit the scabbard in the cloth belt they had at their waist, joining another shorter wooden sword, then called out. "I don''t want to hurt you. Get out of my way, and I won''t have to." "Kid," one of the guards said, closing in. "Just give up. You''re caught." This child jumped off one of the shelves and did a backflip behind him, landing perfectly. The guard turned and lunged at them. The kid rolled under his legs, the sword getting caught and halting their progress. They growled and spun their legs in a kick, striking the guard several times; then, they launched themselves from the ground, connecting their feet with his face. He fell back, and the kid landed on his chest before dashing toward another guard. That guard pulled out his gun and fired, but the kid just slid underneath it and slammed the sword''s handle into the man''s stomach. The guard next to me also fired but missed. My chest tightened. I don''t want to see a kid die. I charged forward, unfurling my line. Brandishing it. It shot forth with a flick of my wrist, and I caught the kid''s ankle. It zapped them slightly, and they fell to the floor. Shaking from the small current I was putting through, the kid drew the sword. It was massive relative to them. They sliced at the line, chopping through it. I must''ve been using more electricity than I intended because the sword was smoking afterward. The child put the sword away and continued running away. I ran after them until they got to the door. I threw out a spark and locked it. They slammed into it, growled, and kicked it. I stepped up behind them, the guards following me. "It''s over, kid. Come on. We don''t want to hurt you." "You can''t," they said petulantly, taking out the blade again. "S-stay back, or die." The weapon was way too big for them, but they knew how to handle it. That much was obvious. They held it in both hands, and when one of the guards shot, they moved the blade in the way, and it cut the bullet in half. I threw out an arc of lightning, and they also sliced through that, smoke gathering around the sword. I don''t think I''m the one doing that, I thought, eyes widening. They swung the blade, and a wave of green fire washed over us. We were thrown back, and I landed hard on my back. I pulled myself roughly off the ground and watched as the figure turned to the door and slashed; the door was thrown from its frame and landed heavily outside. The child dashed out into the night. I started to chase them, but a groan of pain stopped me; I checked on the guards. They were both laid out and struggling to sit up. I patted the regular flames away and checked on them. I''m no medic, but I''m better than nothing. I called an ambulance to make sure they got the help they needed. The police were already on the way, considering this was their contraband warehouse. When I checked the radio signals, I heard my name. I sighed. Tonight''s going to be a long night. Issue #49: You Metas Make Everything So Complicated

=== Don === I got a call in the middle of the night. I opened my eyes slowly and winced at the harsh light from my phone. Reaching over, I picked it up and tried to understand the number. It was private. I grimaced and answered, ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Mr. Lawin?¡± The voice asked, static, almost making their voice unintelligible. ¡°What is it!?¡± I demanded angrily. ¡°There¡¯s been an issue down at the prison.¡± The prison? I thought. This must be Jenkins. I gritted my teeth and tried to take a few deep breaths. ¡°Then take care of it,¡± I said through my teeth. ¡°Mr. Lawin,¡± Jenkins began. He was scared. He¡¯s just a kid, barely in his mid-twenties. Doesn¡¯t know a damn thing. ¡°One of them died.¡± ¡°Died?¡± I asked, sitting up in the bed. We had gone forward with the experiments that Alexander had devised. To see if we could get the cure going. We were moving faster than the scientist was comfortable with. ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°Slab,¡± he said solemnly. ¡°Richard Martin.¡± ¡°Ah. The concrete villain that gave Smash Gal her name,¡± I said the supposed hero¡¯s name with as much vitriol as I could fit in the two syllables. ¡°Dispose of it.¡± ¡°How are we supposed to dispose of him, sir?¡± ¡°Figure it out. I can¡¯t be seen having any connections to this. I¡¯m sure Alexander can come up with something.¡± I hung up the phone and stared at it. 3 am. I¡¯m never going to fall asleep, I thought, laying back. The next thing I remember was my alarm going off. I got up and got dressed. There was a text message waiting for me when I checked my phone.
< Jenkins
It¡¯s taken care of. 4:07 am
Good, I thought. All the boy needs is a little confidence, and he can take initiative. There were no other details. I made sure to check the news periodically throughout the day to see if there were any updates. Apparently, that same night, Thunderblast had broken into an evidence warehouse chasing some criminal. I tried to convince Alan Crane to pursue charges against him, but he refused. ¡°He was helping us out.¡± ¡°He let the criminal go! Apparently, he can¡¯t even capture a literal child!¡± ¡°A child who stole an ancient magic sword that shoots fire,¡± Crane replied, grinning. ¡°We live in strange times, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°That¡¯s an understatement,¡± I muttered bitterly. I checked Curatio¡¯s bank account.
Available Balance: $642,904.79
It¡¯s really not enough. Not if we¡¯re going to expand further. Not if we want to solve this problem. Curatio wasn¡¯t public yet. We couldn¡¯t be. The degenerates had fooled everyone. But the people would see them for what they actually are soon. That didn¡¯t really change what I needed to do. We needed more funds to expand. The issue is that I couldn¡¯t take any more from crime scenes. That had helped some, but it had raised a lot of suspicions, and the police were investigating the bank employees, assuming it was one of them. No one suspects me, of course, I reminded myself. Alan Crane burst through my door, destroying my train of thought. I suppressed a grimace. ¡°Don, you¡¯re never going to believe who they just arrested?¡± ¡°Did they catch the child that Harold couldn¡¯t catch?¡± ¡°Nah, better. They got Johnny Rolls!¡± He exclaimed. ¡°Rawlins? Marcelli¡¯s second in command? Thought he went underground after Reese disappeared, his boss.¡± ¡°He did, but Rolls did something real stupid. He tried to dig through and grab some of the product the cops had been keeping an eye on. Guess they thought that Marcelli or one of his guys would go after it eventually.¡± ¡°Looks like they were right.¡± ¡°I want you on the case. See if you can get him to give up Marcelli.¡± ¡°Unlikely,¡± I said evenly. It¡¯ll never happen. Even if it did, Rolls would be shanked when it got back to Marcelli. There¡¯s no way we can keep him alive. ¡°How much was he trying to get?¡± ¡°3 mill,¡± Crane said, awe in his voice. ¡°Mostly in cocaine. Would¡¯ve been quite the payday.¡± 3 million dollars . . . The number echoed through my mind. With that, we could buy some anti-military tech from Israel and Russia. Both countries had taken a hardline stance against the impurities. Russia invented the original anti-meta cuffs that had become standard during the Cold War. An American spy was said to have stolen the design and brought it back to America. Since then, they have also developed several conventional weapons to fight powered dissidents. The Gaza Strip had been the site of several attacks against Israel by Muslims with destructive abilities. In response, the Israel Defense Force invested heavily in anything to neutralize or kill freaks who dared stand up against them. I had spent a lot of time researching their methods. The Russians overwhelmed these monsters with raw power. The Israelis had very precise, capable ways of taking them out. I spent a lot of time watching videos of both groups enacting God¡¯s Will on these degenerates. Former communists and Jews were willing to do what America refused to do. It¡¯s disgusting how far our country has fallen. The number repeated in my mind again. I pursed my lips. There might be an opportunity here.

=== Kari === I wanted to be flying around the city. I wanted to be on patrol. Instead, today, I needed to be somewhere specific. But I might be able to help people. Really help them. Not like I have been. Jenny had set up a meeting with Metas are Humans, and that¡¯s where I was heading now. I hesitated. I was wearing my hero clothes. It¡¯s who I am. But I¡¯m going to see professional activists. Should I be dressed formally? Most street clothes couldn¡¯t really survive the speeds I usually flew out. They just haven¡¯t made clothes for the super gal on the go. I passed over the river that separated the inner city from the outlying areas. I was running a little late, but it wouldn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll just speed u- A loud, whining groan echoed over the city, and I froze, looking around and focusing my senses. Thousands of heartbeats and breaths, tires screeching, brakes crying out, car crashes and yelling, and every other sound. But I heard the groaning again and blasted off the air around me towards the sound. There was a bridge with large metal wires keeping it up. But one of the wires had snapped. I looked around, trying to see who had done it. But I heard more people cry out as another line snapped under the strain of the extra weight. And then another. Cars were speeding past me. One side of the bridge shifted, and several cars were tossed up. The bracing on one side started tearing apart. Then the other side of the road rose up, throwing more vehicles as it went. Steel cried out. I don¡¯t see who¡¯s causing this, but I gotta do something! I flew down and caught one of the cars bucked up into the air. I set it down as gently as I could, and it immediately started driving off. Sections of concrete fell into the river below, cars tumbling after them. People were screaming. Speeding down, I caught one of the cars but didn¡¯t brace myself properly and slammed into the water hard. I groaned, water pouring into my mouth. I coughed and threw the car into the air, sending the screaming civilians high. I blasted out of the water and caught the car again. More sections of the bridge were falling. I need to go faster. And my phone started ringing. With the car in hand, I flew over and caught another car in my other direction before blasting to the shore and setting them down. I need to be faster. And I sped up. My phone started ringing again. I didn¡¯t bother ignoring the call. I focused on everything in front of me. Time slowed down for me. Cars and people were raining from the sky. I flew around falling concrete and caught another few vehicles, but for every one I grabbed, five or six would slip through and slam into the river. I¡¯m not fast enough! I thought, trying to speed up even further. My heart pounded as I caught cars and dragged them from the river. The bridge was destroyed. There was nothing I could do, I tried to tell myself. I can¡¯t lift an entire bridge. I fished people and cars out of the river. Other heroes and emergency services were on the scene. They helped as much as they could. People still died. I could only lift two cars out at a time. And I could only go so fast. People thanked me, and I tried to smile at them. I tried to stay optimistic about what was happening. I had helped save so many people. But I couldn¡¯t rescue them all. Reporters were barely being kept at bay by the cops at the scene. They would shout questions at me like ¡°Smash Gal, several people died. What can you do to prevent this from happening in the future?¡± I froze. That question shook me. There were people I hadn¡¯t saved before, but I¡¯d never failed like this. Never so hard. The reporters, sensing my hesitation, pounced and barraged me with questions. ¡°What would you like to say to the families of the people you couldn¡¯t save?¡± ¡°Why did this happen? Why didn¡¯t you save more people?¡± I tried to answer the questions, but I hadn¡¯t been this flustered on screen since the first time I¡¯d been in Avalare. A policeman pushed me back and frowned back at the reporters. ¡°Jackals. Blaming you at a time like this.¡± I looked at him. ¡°Y-you don¡¯t hate me?¡± The cop met my eye. He was a little shorter than I was. He screwed up his mouth and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t agree with everything you do, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re trying to hurt anyone. Besides,¡± the officer paused for a moment, shaking his head. ¡°Without you, a lot more people would¡¯ve died today.¡± I checked my phone afterward. It had managed to stay alive despite all the dips into the river to dredge out cars. There was a voicemail. I listened to it. ¡°Hey, this is Kevin with Metas are Human. We had an appointment, but I can see on the news that the bridge collapsed. Call me to reschedule when you can.¡± How the hell is he so cavalier about it? I sighed and got up. Emergency vehicles were clearing out slowly. I caught up to a paramedic before he left. ¡°Hey, do we know who caused the bridge collapse?¡± ¡°What do you mean who?¡± The man asked. ¡°It was the mayor. Fucking thing has been about to go for like ten years.¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°What? If it was that bad, why were people still driving on it!?¡± I demanded incredulously. The paramedic stared at me like I was the dumbest person on the planet. ¡°Because it¡¯s the best bridge to get downtown, and the rest of us can¡¯t fly.¡± ¡°Oh. Right.¡± I deflated. ¡°Do we know how many casualties there were?¡± ¡°Only a guess, right now. At least fifty.¡± I nodded, trying to suppress my frown. The man closed the doors to his truck and drove off. I flew off into the air. It was cold. I was still soaked through. I flew to the closest place I could think of, landing on the zen garden rooftop. A couple of the acolytes nodded at me. A few smiled. Suiren came running up to me immediately afterward. ¡°Kari!¡± She tackled me. Well, she slammed into me face first and hugged me. I grinned down at her. ¡°Are you here for some more training?¡± ¡°Training? No, Ren. I just needed to see a friendly face. I . . . It¡¯s been a hard day.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only eleven am.¡± ¡°Yeah. And it¡¯s been a hard day.¡± The little girl looked up at me, considering. ¡°Maybe some training or meditation will do you some good. It¡¯s been so long since you¡¯ve done either.¡± She turned her back to me. ¡°I¡¯d hate to see you become sloppy. Again.¡± ¡°Alright, master. You want to train pretty badly. What do you have in mind?¡±

=== Cindi === Curt and Tierra went about planning the job. He had gotten the schematics for the building, and they were strategizing. I could have joined them and learned their ideas, but honestly, I didn¡¯t see the point. It would all change the instant we got there anyway. And besides, Curt knew what he was doing. I just reminded him that he needed to stop and think. Instead, I sat next to Des on their sofa, and they looked over at me. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be planning with them?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll fill me in later. Besides, I wanted to catch up. You are my favorite doctor, after all,¡± I said with a small smile. ¡°Besides, if we whisper, I can make Curt think I¡¯m talking about him, and he¡¯ll realize he¡¯s not paying me enough attention.¡± ¡°Have you ever considered just getting his attention?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve seen how I dress. I have his attention. But I need him to remain obsessed.¡± ¡°Cindi, you¡¯re nuts, you know that, right?¡± ¡°Is that your official diagnosis?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a shrink,¡± Des said, holding up a hand. ¡°So, other than your husband, what do you want to talk about?¡± ¡°Your future wife,¡± I replied blandly. They jumped and shot me. I grinned at them. ¡°Oh. There¡¯s a nerve. Interesting.¡± ¡°I-we are in the early stages. We don¡¯t have any concrete plans. And she¡¯s a thief, and I don¡¯t know if I can date a thief.¡± ¡°Oh, Des, darling. You are already dating a thief. And your best friend is a thief. And your other best friend.¡± ¡°Other best friend?¡± They asked. I clutched a hand to my chest and did my best to look scandalized. They rolled their eyes. ¡°You¡¯re so much. I don¡¯t know how Curt deals with it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very pretty and willing to be naked around him. For that, he¡¯d brave just about anything.¡± I watched the two at the table. They were having a heated discussion. Well, Curt was heated. Tierra was closed off but not budging an inch. I couldn¡¯t quite make out what they were saying, but they would work it out. ¡°What about the world¡¯s third-best thief? How do you deal with her?¡± ¡°She¡¯s super easy to deal with. She really gets me, and we just fit together. And I know a little about her life.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s why she and I never got on more than a night or two.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh? You didn¡¯t know? It¡¯s nothing, Des. Just a one-night stand or two.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you work out?¡± Des asked, feigning half-hearted interest. But their hands gave them away. They were clenched tight, and I could see their knuckles stretch out their skin. ¡°She¡¯s very low energy. Low-key and constantly aware of me. I got bored.¡± ¡°You got bored of her knowing what you needed?¡± They asked incredulously. ¡°Yes,¡± I responded, scratching my nails together. ¡°But I thought you wanted people to pay attention to you.¡± ¡°I do, but I want it to be a challenge. For them to work at it. Tierra just knows. It¡¯s boring.¡± ¡°Curt¡¯s smart enough to figure it out.¡± ¡°Ah, but he has to figure it out. There¡¯s a chase. And I also have to figure him out. It doesn¡¯t feel so one-sided.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, you¡¯re certifiable.¡± ¡°Maybe. But you¡¯re not a shrink, remember? Perhaps I¡¯ll ask Professor Mind for his opinion when I see him next.¡± ¡°You¡¯re planning to see Professor Mind? As a patient or . . .¡± Des let the question hang in the air. I laughed and shook my head. ¡°He and Smash Gal are dating. Undoubtedly, we¡¯ll run into each other again when that woman tries to take Curt away from me again. And we can have a nice chat.¡± ¡°During the battle where she tries to take your husband in. Right.¡± Des looked out to the pair at the table. They had relaxed some and had moved past whatever disagreement they had been having. ¡°Why do you guys do that?¡± ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°Put yourselves in so much danger? Curt¡¯s gotten shot how many times just stealing stuff? He fought with Smash Gal that night outside the police station and the wedding. He got caught by that Thunderblast guy. Why don¡¯t you both just hide away and lay low? As thieves, shouldn¡¯t you be trying to not be found?¡± ¡°Curt and I do it for different reasons. Mostly. I do it because I love the attention. I¡¯ve hidden most of my life. Whether it be because that¡¯s what the job asked me for or because no one wanted to see me, or if they did, they wanted to hurt me. But now, I have all of the power. I control the narrative. I control how I¡¯m perceived. At least more.¡± Pinikir¡¯s voice in my head echoed out. YOU COULD CONTROL IT FULLY. WE HAVE THE POWER. I pushed the invading words away, shaking my head. ¡°And Curt?¡± ¡°He¡¯s an idiot. But he¡¯s my idiot.¡± ¡°Cindi, seriously.¡± ¡°He grew up poor and doesn¡¯t want anyone to live like that.¡± ¡°That explains why he steals. Not why he doesn¡¯t run away.¡± ¡°That is because he¡¯s stupid. Well, not just that. But it is a part of it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it. Because he¡¯s not. Not really. He¡¯s reckless and can be bullheaded. But more than that, I think he just wants to prove his point to the world.¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of it. My husband thinks if he backs down, it¡¯ll show the world he¡¯s wrong. That his ideas can¡¯t stand up to scrutiny. And he can take people mocking him. Jeering him. After all, it¡¯s what both of our relationships with him are based on. So, when Smash Gal comes around, doubting his ideas, standing in direct opposition to him, he can¡¯t take it and fights back.¡± ¡°And gets hurt.¡± ¡°That¡¯s where the stupidity comes in. Curt doesn¡¯t care if he lives or dies.¡± I swallowed hard, trying to suppress the thought. When did I become so attached to him? Part of me wanted to run at that moment. I knew he wouldn¡¯t chase me. He¡¯d let me go. It¡¯d kill him to do so, but he would. ¡°He¡¯s not going to die,¡± Des said matter-of-factly. I looked at them. ¡°And how are you so sure?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t let him die. Neither will I. I don¡¯t care how stupid and bullish he¡¯s being. I¡¯ll drag his ass back from hell if I have to.¡± They looked back at me. ¡°Cindi?¡± ¡°Yes, Des?¡± ¡°Make sure Tierra doesn¡¯t get hurt. I . . . I¡¯d like to keep seeing her. If I can.¡± I glanced up at the table and caught the empath staring at their significant other when they weren¡¯t looking. They sure fell for each other hard and fast. Another thought followed that one. Not everyone takes three years to admit they have feelings for people. I smiled softly at my Curt.

=== Kari === Suiren and I circled around each other in the room. She brandished one of the swords she got for her birthday. It was still too large and looked too heavy for her to wield correctly. ¡°No superpowers. Just normal human abilities.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t exactly take away my durability,¡± I replied, grinning. ¡°Maybe I can take away some of it for you,¡± she retorted, smirking. The nine-year-old girl dashed forward and slashed out. I spun out of the way and went to trip her. She jumped over my leg and slammed the sword into my head, but it rebounded, and she landed hard on her back. I went to help her, but instead, she launched herself up, sword and all. My teacher seemed upset by the event and glared at her sword. ¡°You¡¯re not going to earn your right like that, granddaughter,¡± an elderly woman said, hunched over a cane. ¡°I¡¯m not going to use it. Not until I can beat her without it,¡± Suiren muttered petulantly. I looked between the two of them, frowning. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that without it, I don¡¯t think you have much of a chance.¡± Her grandmother closed the distance between us and hugged the preteen. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Were you trying to actually fight me?¡± I tried to keep the heat out of my voice. And I think I mostly managed it. The older woman looked up at me. ¡°You hadn¡¯t heard?¡± ¡°Heard what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably for the best, then.¡± I let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°Kari,¡± Suiren began. ¡°I need to tell you something. But you have to promise to hear me out before reacting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to like whatever¡¯s happening, am I?¡± ¡°You will not. I didn¡¯t. But Ren explained her reasoning, and I came to see her side of things,¡± her grandmother said. The nine-year-old went to the sidelines of the match and took out another sword in a sheath. It seemed somehow familiar, but I couldn¡¯t quite place how. ¡°I took this from the police warehouse. I fought one of your friends to do it.¡± My eyes widened. ¡°You stole Lady Blade¡¯s sword from the police? That¡¯s evidence!¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t safe there. Anyone could¡¯ve taken it.¡± ¡°No, it was confiscated by the police. It was as safe as it could be.¡± I leaned down to be at eye level with Suiren. ¡°You need to return it. The trial hasn¡¯t happened yet. They might need that to prove that Lady Blade did all those murders.¡± ¡°Is her being caught in the armor after attacking a party full of people who will all testify insufficient?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. And that¡¯s the problem, Suiren. She could be found not guilty and then be back on the street.¡± ¡°Then maybe you should¡¯ve killed her,¡± Suiren¡¯s grandmother said somberly. I frowned at her. ¡°I¡¯m not a killer.¡± ¡°But she is. And she doesn¡¯t stop.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to become a killer.¡± My voice was small. I curled in on myself. Images bubbled up in my mind. Of what I had done to Buck Cherry. Of what I had done to Curt. To Doc Oak. You are already a killer. It¡¯s a fluke any of them survived. Suiren put a hand on my shoulder. I looked up. ¡°Why were you trying to actually fight me?¡± ¡°You are the rightful owner of the sword. You defeated her in battle. So it became yours.¡± ¡°That¡¯s stupid.¡± ¡°These things are often stupid,¡± the elderly woman replied, smirking. ¡°We don¡¯t know why the weapon works on this weird system it does. But defeating you is necessary for her to fully control it.¡± ¡°What will you do with it?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Suiren asked. ¡°Let¡¯s say you defeat me. You lay me out. What then? You¡¯ve been seeking this sword for how long?¡± ¡°Th-three years.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a long time. A full third of your life. What do you do when you have it? When all of that destructive power is yours?¡± ¡°I . . . I don¡¯t know.¡± I looked over to her grandmother. ¡°What about you? What will you do when your granddaughter wields a weapon of mass destruction in her hands? A weapon capable of glassing a city block?¡± ¡°I will give her guidance. Encourage her to use it wisely.¡± ¡°And if she doesn¡¯t? If she can¡¯t?¡± ¡°I can!¡± ¡°Everybody thinks that!¡± I snapped at my teacher. She took a step back. I took a deep breath. Tears ran down my cheeks. I didn¡¯t bother to wipe them away. Today has been too much. I came here to see my friends. To unwind. And here I am, yelling at them. I turned to her. ¡°Suiren. I came here because I have too much strength. Too much power. And I couldn¡¯t use it right. And I¡¯m not saying that you can¡¯t. I¡¯m just saying that when you have power, real power, it¡¯s incredibly easy to abuse.¡± ¡°And you think I will.¡± ¡°I . . . don¡¯t know.¡± I stared at the wooden floor panels. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you just taking the sword, then?¡± Her grandmother asked. ¡°It¡¯s rightfully yours. You could return it to the police and be done with it.¡± ¡°Because Ren would just steal it again. She¡¯s as stubborn as I am a lot of the time.¡± ¡°Am not!¡± She retorted. ¡°Am too!¡± I replied, then stuck my tongue out. ¡°What if I just throw the fight?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°To control the sword, you have to beat me, right? What if I let you?¡± Suiren looked disgusted by the thought. Her grandmother looked thoughtful. ¡°That is an interesting question. It¡¯s never come up.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve beat you before. I can do it again.¡± ¡°You beat me when I wasn¡¯t using my powers. If I¡¯m not using my powers, isn¡¯t that basically the same as me throwing the fight in the first place?¡± ¡°I-¡± She began. Then she flopped on the floor, sighing dramatically. ¡°You metas make everything so complicated.¡± ¡°Tell me about it.¡± Issue #50: We Have a Fan

=== Curt === I had worked with Tierra for hours to ensure we would probably not die. Cindi didn¡¯t help at all. She wasn¡¯t really the planning type. Not for things like this, at least. She very much lived by the old adage. No battle survives first contact. And she was right. But that didn¡¯t mean we couldn¡¯t do some prep to make it a little easier. I snapped over to the workshop I was renting. My arrival was a little off. I frowned. I diversified the GPS networks I connected to prevent Bion from just shutting me down. But he had the best satellites in the world. And I wasn¡¯t incredibly comfortable with the change. I considered trying to hack into the government satellites I was using and refining their software myself. I don¡¯t think I could do that without leaving a trail. Then again, I¡¯m already a terrorist. And it¡¯d still be a better use of government resources than those gamers that kept leaking military docs for their war sims. Less funny, though. I unlocked the door and walked into the small room. It was cramped, and half-finished projects were strewn everywhere. I hadn¡¯t had a lot of time to finish anything. The rail gun was the biggest thing. It would function for a single shot, but I hadn¡¯t had time to make it stable enough to last more than that. And I don¡¯t even know if it¡¯ll be sufficient to take Kari down. I shuddered at the thought. I thought about the dinner we¡¯d shared a few weeks ago. Kari had been busy since then, and I hadn¡¯t scheduled anything with Doctor Berry. I hadn¡¯t felt up to it, honestly. I collected the poppers in a box and teleported back to Des¡¯ apartment. I set them down in front of Tierra and texted her a link. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± She asked. ¡°Popp. The app that controls where you go. Choose a spot, grab one, press the button, and you¡¯re there. Within about two meters or so. So, try to choose an open space where no one is.¡± ¡°What happens if I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to know.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a wall, it¡¯ll shear off whatever is in the wall,¡± Des added. Tierra looked disgusted and frightened. I glared at Des, and they responded simply, ¡°Informed consent. It¡¯s important.¡± ¡°And what happens if I teleport inside of someone.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never done it. I¡¯ve always made sure not to after I fucked up the first time and lost like twenty percent of my arm.¡± ¡°You lost twenty percent of your arm? And you expect me to use these? Hell nah. I¡¯m out. You can keep them.¡± ¡°That was years ago. I¡¯ve come a long way since then. And I told you exactly how to avoid any accidents.¡± ¡°How many years ago?¡± ¡°How long have we been friends?¡± I asked Des. ¡°An eternity.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just saying that because you¡¯re old.¡± ¡°So are you.¡±

=== Chuck === I saw Kari on the news dealing with the fallout of the bridge collapse. The media is blaming her for not saving more people. Ridiculous, I thought. I wanted to be there for her. I knew she must be having a hard time, but I had my own hard time to deal with. I arrived at Bellemere Penitentiary and Sanitarium again. This time, I was disguised as Chuck Berry, Psy.D. I was walking down the hall in a tweed jacket and bow tie, hunching my shoulders. I wore my hair differently. As Professor Mind, I combed it back. As a civilian, I wore it down. It was a little shaggy, just enough to have a little leeway here. Between these small changes and the fact that I¡¯m not levitating off the ground and in a glowing blue leotard is more than enough for people to not recognize me. A guard with a name tag that read Jenkins stopped me at a security checkpoint. ¡°How can I help you today?¡± ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Doctor Berry. I¡¯m here to check in on some of the patients here.¡± I kept my voice even. This was a risk. If I screwed up, my identity could get out. I didn¡¯t want that. But I also couldn¡¯t live with myself if I didn¡¯t do something to help Blanca and Scott. The man¡¯s suspicion started to flare up, and I psychically reached out and quelled it. I pushed on his apathy. Security guards spend most of their time bored and lethargic. I located it in the man immediately. I pressed a little deeper and modified his memory a little. To the security cameras recording us, it¡¯d just look like we were talking. But I changed the conversation and showed him my ID, making it look like whatever documents were necessary in his mind¡¯s eye. He let me through, and I made my way through the twisting corridors. The mental patients were kept separate from the general populace for self-evident reasons. And metas were also kept separate. But I reached out and found my friends. Are they still your friends? You haven¡¯t seen them in years. You left them here to rot. I chided myself. Then I took a few moments to reorient myself. There was no reason to spiral. I made a mistake. The only thing to do now is to try and fix it and make amends. I stood outside the cell of Blanca White. The door was locked, and I didn¡¯t have a key or the means to enter the cell. Truth be told, I didn¡¯t have to. I could have done this from out there. But someone might ask questions. The locks were electronic, so I couldn¡¯t exactly just make a psychic key. I didn¡¯t think this through enough. I could go back and get a key. A thought occurred to me, and I had to pause and laugh. It was so off-the-wall. Esvanir would actually be a perfect partner for this. He could get me in and out easily. I wouldn¡¯t have needed to Jedi Mind Trick the guard, either. I¡¯d just have to make this quick. I looked through the window to see the patient. Blanca was on the far wall, isolated. She was thin, and her dark skin had become sallow. Her hair was greasy. When she met my eyes, they looked glassy. I frowned and reached out with my senses. All of her emotions were muted. Everything was depressed, literally. But she still jumped at the psychic contact. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she mouthed a word. ¡°Chuck?¡± I entered her mind. I hadn¡¯t been here for a decade and a half. Maybe more. I remember it well. Everyone¡¯s mind palace is a little different. She used to have huge piles of books and ethereal strings going from one book tower to the next. Entering it now, the books were still there. But they weren¡¯t in piles. They were toppled over. A heavy, gray film of dust lay over everything. The lines were gone. It was still Blanca. But her mind had been thrown about. She could rebuild herself. But she¡¯d need to want to. And she¡¯d need to have help. And no one here wants to help her. She¡¯s a meta. Not only that, but she¡¯s a violent one. I stopped myself from reorganizing her mind palace. The metaphysical nature of the transference would last for a little while. She¡¯d probably become fully lucid again. It might even allow her to rebuild herself some. Create a foundation to decide who she wanted to be. But it would take time. And I didn¡¯t even know if it was the right thing to do. A photo floated down from somewhere. I caught it. It was the three of us. Scott with his arm around Blanca. And me standing slightly to the side. We were all smiling. We were all happy. They were so beautiful. Youthful. Strong. Capable. I felt tears slide down my cheeks back in my body. I returned to myself. Blanca was crying. She had lost so much of her life. And it¡¯s your fault, a voice accused in the back of my mind. She rushed up to the door and leaned up. She was too short to see through the window; I levitated myself a little so she could see me clearly. ¡°Chuck. It¡¯s really you. You . . . You¡¯ve changed. You¡¯re old.¡± ¡°Yeah. I am,¡± I mumbled. ¡°B, I¡¯m sorry. I . . . I didn¡¯t know you were here.¡± She looked around for a moment, her eyes glazing over. But she focused on me again for a moment. ¡°How¡¯s Scott? Is he . . . is he still . . .¡± The question hung heavy in the air. I sensed Blanca¡¯s desperation through whatever emotional depressant the doctors had her on. She wanted him to be okay. She needed him to be okay. I swallowed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Not really. I¡¯m checking on him next.¡± ¡°W-will you come to see me again?¡± She asked. Her voice cracked. I didn¡¯t need to be an empath to know what she was feeling. ¡°Yeah. Officially. I¡¯ll pull some strings. I . . . We¡¯ll get you better.¡± ¡°Better?¡± She asked. Then she smiled, but it didn¡¯t reach her eyes. Pain and anger, and sadness washed out from her. ¡°Of course, Chucky. We¡¯ll make it happen.¡± ¡°I-¡± I froze for a moment, trying to process her lie. I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯ll visit really soon. I¡¯m not supposed to be here. But I¡¯ll be back. I promise.¡± I left. I had to. I couldn¡¯t stand to look at my friend anymore. It hurt so much. And I had spent a long time there. I rushed over to Scott. He was basically catatonic. But I had spent so much time around him that I could pick out his brain wave patterns from anywhere. I got to his cell. He was on a feeding tube and a bunch of monitors. He was so thin, and his skin was so waxy. I pushed away the guilt and the self-loathing. I could process that later. I didn¡¯t have the time to do that now. I could sense his dreams. He was stuck in a constant nightmare. From outside his cell, I stepped into his mind, into his dream. His mind palace was the last thing he had ever done. Kind of, I thought. It was distorted. The weather had been clear, and it had been a nice, temperate day when we had killed that terrorist. But in the dream, it was raining hard, overcast. Thunder rumbled overhead. The buildings were different too. They were the remains of the first bombing we had helped with. Dead bodies were strewn about. There were ambulances and sirens and rubble. But no one was alive. Then something came crashing down to a building not too far off. I shifted there. Space was mutable in dreams. The body of the terrorist had landed. He was dead. But shrill, haunting laughter spilled out of his corpse along with his blood. Scott landed on him and started pounding him. And the body laughed. From above, a laser shot down and incinerated his head. But the laughter never went away. I looked up. Blanca was there in a distorted version of her photon armor. Her Light Knight costume was a white Renaissance fair knight¡¯s armor. But in this, she looked like a glowing version of Sauron. She laughed in the terrorist¡¯s voice. I was there too. The old me. The young me. But I was also distorted. I was the fat kid Scott had first met me as. Crying and weak. Unable to do anything. But the sounds of my crying were also the same maniacal laugh. ¡°This is wrong,¡± I said. Me-me. The laughter stopped. Cannon Punch, young and athletic, spun on a heel and looked at me. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± He demanded. Rage and pain flooded off of him. Anguish had been eating away at his psyche for so long. ¡°This isn¡¯t how it happened,¡± I replied. Then I asserted my will. As I stated, dreams are mutable, and I am the strongest telepath and empath in the world. The dream flickered before me. The scene swapped back and forth between the nightmare and what I remembered. I steeled my will and reasserted my changes. The rainy sky and the wrong skyline shattered. A blue sky floated overhead. The memory version of me changed to the lean, healthier version that was closer to the truth. Light Knight wore her original armor. Scott looked around, eyes wide. Then down at the dead terrorist. Then down at his own bloody knuckles. The nightmare tried to reestablish itself, but it couldn¡¯t. Not while I was here. I walked forward and put my hands on Dream Scott¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Scott, what happened isn¡¯t your fault. We made a mistake. But it was my fault.¡± ¡°Wh-who are you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Chuck, Scott.¡± ¡°Chuck?¡± His eyes widened, and the dream collapsed entirely. I was back in my body. And Scott was seizing in the room. His heartbeat was erratic, and he was shuddering. I shook away the dizziness and ripped the door open, dashing into the room. Putting my hands on his temples, I pressed into his mind palace. There wasn¡¯t much there. It had waned since he hadn¡¯t had a mind, not really, for so many years. His eyes shot open, and he started choking. I tugged at the feeding tube and pulled it out. The man before me coughed, sputtered, and then collapsed to the bed, breathing heavily. Scott looked over to me and whispered in a hoarse voice, ¡°Chuck.¡± He passed out after that. There was an alarm going off. I hesitated. What should I do? That was too sudden. Stupid! That was stupid! I took a moment to collect my thoughts. I heard stomps coming from down the hall. I ran out, sending a psychic wave to befuddle anyone for a moment before thundering down the stairs. Note to self: On the next heist, bring your thief acquaintances. They know what they¡¯re doing. They¡¯ll probably agree with what you¡¯re doing. Gods . . . I got down to the ground floor, and the door separating the two halves of the prison was closed. I reached out psychically and felt around. I found the lock and pried it back with all the force I could. By the time I was in front of the door, I had wrenched the mechanism back and threw open the door. I dashed out into the hall towards the exit. The sirens still wailed, and I assumed the building was locked down. I tested the doors in front of me and found them locked. Frowning, I just tugged on the internal mechanism. This was closer to a standard office door and thus much more poorly protected. I threw it open and continued on my way. I blasted up into the sky, my clothes fading away and transforming into a darker variant of my normal supersuit. Much like Scott¡¯s dream, it was overcast out, and I figured this would be harder to see. I blasted off towards Avalare.

=== Curt === ¡°Have fun storming the castle,¡± was the last thing Des said to us before I snapped, and the world shifted. Cindi, Des, and I had spent the last hour talking Tierra into the job. We were on the top floor of a large office building. These modern terrorists were using a social media presence and needed the internet and access to clean water. They were glamper terrorists, not willing to sacrifice their creature comforts. Not that I¡¯d ask them to. The only thing I wanted them to stop doing was killing people. We started forward, and while we sneaked, Tierra asked, ¡°Why do you snap to teleport?¡± ¡°He thinks it looks cool,¡± Cherry responded absently. ¡°That can¡¯t really be the reason.¡± ¡°Really? Now!?¡± I whispered angrily. Both of the women looked at me with raised brows. I rolled my eyes. ¡°Initially, my rig required a physical motion to initiate it so I wouldn¡¯t accidentally do it. At this point, it¡¯s just a holdover from that. A habit I can¡¯t seem to drop.¡± ¡°But why a snap?¡± Tierra asked. ¡°Because,¡± my wife insisted. ¡°He thinks it looks cool.¡± ¡°It had to be a simple and replicable motion but one that¡¯s hard to do on accident.¡± Cindi was about to open her mouth again, but I cut her off. ¡°A-and I think it¡¯s cool. It¡¯s dramatic. It¡¯s literally snappy.¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Thank you!¡± Cherry said, pushing me playfully. There were a couple of guards wandering around. They were all armed with automatic rifles of some sort. I wasn¡¯t overly familiar with guns. Mostly because I never needed to be. ¡°You¡¯re up,¡± I said, nodding to Tierra. She rolled her eyes and held out her hand. The guards sagged, and I made my way forward, pushing them to a set of chairs. We sat them down and took their guns, and hid them. We also took their radios. It was midday, and the place was basically abandoned. They hadn¡¯t been taking great care of the area. Which made sense. They were squatters. They weren¡¯t paying for anything here on the books. They were stealing the internet and the power. ¡°How¡¯d you find out where these guys were, anyway?¡± Tierra asked. I felt like I was at a job interview. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that hard. Once I tracked down one of the original videos, I found this IP address. They could¡¯ve been bouncing it or misdirecting me somehow, so I cross-confirmed it by descrambling their voice changer and checking the area. This is the only abandoned building in the area with a decent amount of power draw. Satellite photos revealed people coming in and out constantly. It was the only thing that made sense.¡± ¡°It was so much more interesting before you explained it,¡± Cindi whined. I snorted. This is nice. Just like being on a normal heist. Kind of. We continued forward, avoiding more of the Acolytes when we could. Some were drinking coffee and scrolling on their phones, waiting for the next event. Most of them were armed, but they were sloppy. Their guns hung loosely at their sides or were left on tables within arm¡¯s reach, but they weren¡¯t paying attention. We mostly avoided them, making our way to the most significant room on this floor. Occasionally, I would slip someone through a portal somewhere so they couldn¡¯t bother anyone. Sometimes, Tierra would push on their lethargy, and they¡¯d fall asleep, and then we¡¯d stash them in a closet, or if they were sitting, we¡¯d let them rest there. Occasionally, Cindi would waltz over to one, take their gun and zap them. They¡¯d go down. It is pretty hard to remain standing when your nerves are fading in and out of existence. We stalked forward, trying to remain unseen. Tierra was amazing. Her footsteps were catlike. I don¡¯t think she ever made a sound. She didn¡¯t intend to. Cindi was floating, so she was also silent. I was less than quiet. Which was part of the problem. I took a few steps forward, and I heard someone call out. ¡°Esvanir!¡± I froze and took a breath. Cindi and Tierra both turned and looked at the man who had called out. I prepared to open a portal to throw him in as I turned. He was young. Really young. The early twenties at the most, with messy brown hair and baggy clothes. Tierra threw out a hand to stop him, but somehow he shook off her emotional push. I frowned at her. Buck Cherry began to float forward to intercept him, and he stopped before her. ¡°Buck Cherry! Wow! This is so cool! A real honor. C-could I get a photo? With both of you.¡± This honestly short-circuited my brain for a moment. I forgot to open the portal. Cindi landed and grinned. ¡°Essy, we have a fan here.¡± That brought me back to reality. Of course, Cin is going to agree to a picture with a supposed fan while on a fucking job. I murmured to Tierra, ¡°Why didn¡¯t your powers work?¡± ¡°He was too excited. He¡¯s meeting his hero,¡± she muttered back. ¡°Her-¡± I began, gaping at her. She smirked at me. ¡°I¡¯m not anyone¡¯s. . . Shut up.¡± I walked forward and tried to put on an affable smile. The young man actually squealed as I stepped forward. We had sidestepped or indisposed almost everyone else on the floor. And the one that we hadn¡¯t was a literal squealing fan. I¡¯d rather be shot at, I thought bitterly. ¡°Mister Esvanir, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°I . . . I came to dissolve your organization,¡± I said, my fake smile fading. The man frowned at this. ¡°You want to stop the Acolytes? B-but we¡¯re just doing what needs to be done. Like you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t kill people needlessly. I don¡¯t blow up buildings.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not needless,¡± the young man insisted. ¡°Mister Crowley says it¡¯s the only way to make sure the world takes us seriously.¡± Jeff Crowley, I thought. He¡¯s the man who I managed to identify from the voice descrambler. Their leader. There were plenty of voice clips on the internet to place him with. He¡¯s been an activist most of his life, primarily for failed projects. In the 90¡¯s, he was a part of some eco-terrorist groups; in the late oughts, he tried to leverage the Occupy movement for substantial change. He was arrested and put into prison when some of his plans leaked to the public. And had just been released. I sighed and shook my head. ¡°He¡¯s wrong. There are better ways. Ways that don¡¯t involve endangering innocents.¡± The Acolyte looked unsure, but I decided to take a risk. If he views me as a hero, maybe Crowley does too. I reached out and put my hand on his shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Bill Walders,¡± he responded. ¡°Alright, Bill. Look. I¡¯m just here to . . . See if we can¡¯t direct you guys a little more surgically. You . . . I don¡¯t like the methods you¡¯ve been employing, but maybe we can push for real change. Uh . . . Together.¡± He smiled at this, and a pang of guilt spread out in my stomach. I¡¯m not lying. If Crowley can be reasoned with, maybe we could create a network. Distribution. I pushed the flood of thoughts countering this line of thinking away. ¡°We were trying to get in here quietly, so . . . we knocked out a few of the other guys. Could you check on them and make sure they¡¯re okay? We¡¯re going to talk to . . . Mister Crowley.¡± ¡°Yeah, I can do that,¡± he said, then frowned at me, considering. ¡°If you were here to push us to change our tactics, why¡¯d you attack us?¡± ¡°No offense, Bill. But you¡¯re terrorists known for blowing up buildings. Most people here, yourself included, are armed, and I didn¡¯t know how trustworthy you are.¡± He considered my words and nodded slowly. I don¡¯t think that was entirely convincing, I thought. Another voice in my head countered, You¡¯ve always been a shit liar. We turned away and started walking away. ¡°Wait!¡± Bill shouted. I froze and turned to him again. This time I was prepared to throw him through a portal if need be. He held out his phone. ¡°C-can I get that picture? With you and Miss Buck Cherry?¡± ¡°Uh . . .¡± I began. ¡°Of course you can, Billy,¡± Cindi said, grinning from ear to ear, as she took the man¡¯s phone and tossed it to Tierra, who caught it effortlessly. My wife pulled me over to our fan, and I tried my best to smile. Tierra rolled her eyes and took the picture. ¡°Hell yeah! Thanks, Buck Cherry! Esvanir. Uh . . . I¡¯m sorry, miss. I don¡¯t know who you are.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a title. Unlike these two, I keep my face and name out of the papers,¡± Tierra responded smugly. ¡°I tried to do that,¡± I muttered bitterly. Tierra¡¯s smug grin only grew more prominent. Billy walked the other way, and we went to the biggest office on the floor.

=== Kari === I spent a little more time at Suiren¡¯s. She and I sparred; she was wielding Lady Blade¡¯s sword. I was still shocked that she could get into a stance with it at all. Smoke trailed off of the blade. Her grandmother gave us the signal, and Suiren blasted into emotion, spinning on one foot. She used the momentum to slice at me. I twisted out of the way. I didn¡¯t go far, preparing for a counter-attack. But I hadn¡¯t anticipated the burst of green flame engulfing me. My cape caught on fire, and I stopped to stomp it out. Suiren, ever over-competitive, took this opportunity to attack me again. She brought the sword down on me when my back was turned. I didn¡¯t have the wherewithal to dodge and raised an arm to block. And the sword slashed into my flesh. I cried out and jumped away, holding my arm. Blood leaked down my fingers. I stared at the wound for a moment, then at Suiren, who hesitated for a moment. She took a deep breath and steadied herself again. ¡°The sword doesn¡¯t seem that much weaker in your hands than in Lady Blade¡¯s.¡± ¡°There are two parts to its magic,¡± Suiren¡¯s grandmother put in, her eyes following Suiren, who circled around me slowly. ¡°What are they, Suiren?¡± The young girl groaned in annoyance, not putting the sword down. ¡°According to legend, it was forged in Samadhi flames. These flames are supposed to be hotter than anything on earth and capable of burning anything.¡± ¡°And?¡± The older woman asked. ¡°And,¡± Suiren replied, deflating. ¡°In some Buddhist thought, Samadhi is one-pointedness. Complete focus.¡± ¡°I¡¯m confused. Is this metaphorical or literal?¡± ¡°In this case, it¡¯s both,¡± her grandmother said. ¡°Or neither.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t really help,¡± I retorted, turning to her. Suiren used this as an opportunity to charge at me again. She swept the blade at my feet. I still hadn¡¯t seen it coming, but with my perception and reaction time, it didn¡¯t matter. I grabbed her wrist before the swing got going, grabbed her by her belt, and tossed her overhead. Not hard. Suiren spun in the air and landed effortlessly on her feet. It¡¯s almost like a dance routine, I thought. I sped forward and slammed a fist into her chest. It was less than a love tap, but Suiren was also nine. She coughed up all the air in her lungs and stumbled back, dropping her sword. I picked it up and swung it a few times while she caught her breath. I held it in both hands and tried to summon fire. It smoked a little, but nothing came out. Suiren sat down and watched me. ¡°You have to focus, Kari.¡± ¡°On what?¡± ¡°Whatever drives you the most. Maybe your sense of justice?¡± She asked. I closed my eyes, and I thought about helping people. Saving them. Fighting bad guys. The sound, smell, and heat from a fire overtook my senses. I opened my eyes and watched the violently pink flame. My favorite color. I am here to save people, I thought. But another voice echoed in my head. Curt¡¯s voice. You¡¯re so sloppy because you never have to try! My hands shook, and the fire sputtered out. You¡¯ve made yourself judge, jury, and executioner. Doc Oak¡¯s crumpled form flashed before my eyes. No! I was doing the right thing! I- my thoughts were cut off, and the pink fire burst up violently as I tried to reassure myself. Go ruin someone else¡¯s life! Curt¡¯s words echoed through my mind. No! I¡¯m a hero! I pushed my will forward, trying to reclaim my stability. But more accusations flooded up from my subconscious. You went too far again, Kari. Chuck¡¯s words were there too. Kari, don¡¯t. It¡¯s over. Why didn¡¯t you save more people? Every doubt, every fear I¡¯d ever had about being a hero, being Smash Gal, and being me overtook me, and I tried to handle it. I wanted to push them away, but they wouldn¡¯t go. The fire was erratic and uncontrolled and burst out. I was thrown back, and the sword clattered to the ground. I landed heavily, tears leaking down my cheeks. ¡°Kari!¡± I felt my teacher and her teacher walk, hovering over me. I didn¡¯t open my eyes. Suiren¡¯s voice was strained. ¡°What happened? ¡°Her doubt defeated her.¡± ¡°Doubt?¡± Suiren asked. She sounded skeptical. ¡°She¡¯s always so sure of herself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what she wants people to see.¡± I felt someone¡¯s hands on my head and opened my eyes. My face felt hot like I had sunburned. My tears were stinging the raw flesh, and my vision was blurry. The old woman was there, trying to comfort me. Suiren was staring at the sword, her lip trembling.

=== Don === I stepped out of the interrogation room that was holding Johnny Rolls, Marcelli¡¯s second in command. He¡¯d lawyered up immediately, Not that I¡¯m surprised by that. Scum always tries to hide from justice. After a few minutes, his lawyer stepped out of the room and walked past me. I glanced in at Rawlins, who was still sitting, cuffed to the table. I was about to go in and try to talk him into getting a message to Marcelli, but my phone rang. I rubbed my face and looked at the caller ID. Jenkins, I thought. This boy is getting too familiar. I¡¯ll have to discourage that. I hesitated before answering. He was a good soldier. Loyal and capable enough. But he¡¯s becoming an issue. Calling me at all hours to deal with problems. I flicked the accept icon and spoke tersely, ¡°Jenkins, what is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you again, sir. But this is important.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± I replied dryly. He either didn¡¯t pick up on it or ignored my derision. ¡°Sir, there was a break-in here at Bellemere.¡± ¡°A break-in?¡± I asked, my irritation fading. ¡°Not a break-out?¡± ¡°No, sir. I think you should come down here. See the security tape for yourself.¡± ¡°Boy, I don¡¯t have time for that. I¡¯m a bu-¡± ¡°Sir!¡± He cut me off. ¡°I know you¡¯re busy. But this is worth it. The Curatio can use this information.¡± ¡°Jenkins,¡± I began, sighing, but before I could continue, he continued. ¡°Sir, Please, trust me. This is too valuable to say over an unsecured line. This might be the most important thing I¡¯ve ever done for the cause.¡± So, I drove down to Bellemere. It was hours out of town. When I got there, Jenkins greeted me. ¡°Thank you, Mister Lawin. I really appreciate you coming down here.¡± ¡°Jenkins, this better be as important as you said.¡± ¡°It is,¡± he started down the corridor, and I followed him. The prison itself was dark and gloomy but sanitary. While we were walking, he continued. ¡°I didn¡¯t recognize the meta at first, but it clicked for me after he escaped. I¡¯d met him before. At this prison.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Jenkins?¡± I asked. We arrived at the security desk, and he brought up a security recording. ¡°That¡¯s Professor Mind,¡± Jenkins said, pointing at the screen, a proud smirk spreading across his face. I leaned down and looked a little closer. There was a man with dark hair on the monitor. I frowned. He looked like any college professor. ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°He did something to my brain. But when he did, he revealed his name. Chuck Berry. He¡¯s a shrink in the city.¡± ¡°How can you be sure?¡± ¡°I looked him up.¡± He brought up another website; it was a doctor¡¯s profile. I read over it. The security footage was a little grainy, and hard to make anything out clearly, but they could¡¯ve been the same person. ¡°And how do you know it¡¯s Professor Mind?¡± ¡°He came here less than a week ago. And the patients he visited.¡± Jenkins navigated through a few screens to more security footage. The man in the jacket was standing in front of a room. ¡°That¡¯s Blanca White¡¯s room. Light Knight. She was a teenage hero. Got her brain scrambled by Kid Mind. He also visited Scott Spring, Cannon Punch.¡± It¡¯d been years since I had heard those names. I matched Jenkins¡¯ grin. There were a lot of heroes that hid behind secret identities. Some didn¡¯t, like Kari Stewart and Harold Bien-Amie. Those heroes were more culpable for their destruction and public degeneracy. Professor Mind was a famous hero. People liked his soft touch. The fools. They didn¡¯t see what he was doing. Manipulating the public. Lulling them into a false sense of security. He could destroy people¡¯s lives, just like any of them. I looked down at him. ¡°This is good work, Jenkins. The more of them we can flush out, the better.¡± ¡°There¡¯s more,¡± he said. ¡°The doctors usually keep him heavily sedated, in a vegetative state, to stop his night terrors. Berry did something to Cannon Punch. He¡¯s awake. He¡¯s not screaming. He¡¯s lucid.¡± ¡°Why would he do that after all of these years?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, sir.¡± ¡°He¡¯s planning something. He¡¯s got to be. They were a team years ago. Maybe he¡¯s trying to start a new super team. Bring those degenerates back.¡± ¡°What are we going to do?¡± ¡°Bury it, for now.¡± ¡°But we could have him arrested. He broke into the prison,¡± Jenkins protested. ¡°He did, but he could just psychically manipulate any judge or jury into letting him go, any guard into letting him out. So, Curatio will deal with him. Permanently.¡± Issue #51: Why in God鈥檚 Name Do You Want a Werewolf!?

=== Shay === The city was quiet. It was 3 am. The only time that it was ever calm. No one was shouting at each other, no car horns or the sounds of crunching metal. Just the soft hum of power draw. And I was bored. I had been patrolling later because some robberies and muggings were reported late at night, but I had been staked out for the last few days and hadn¡¯t seen anything. I had posted up on the roof of a building where I¡¯d have a pretty good vantage point for just about everything for a couple of blocks. But I wasn¡¯t paying attention. I was just lying, my back against a wall, and my eyelids were heavy. I didn¡¯t fall asleep, though. I just rested them for a little while. There was a crash, and I jolted up. I checked my phone. 4:40 am. I got to my feet and looked for the cause of the noise. There was something huge and furry five stories below. And it had just batted an SUV onto its side. I rubbed my eyes, got the eye boogers out, and stepped off the edge. The ground came quick to meet me, but just before I got too acquainted with it, I threw out my copper line and held on for dear life. It wrapped around a light pole, and I swung forward, my coat riding up on my back. I tugged on the copper line, sending a current through it, and it unwrapped itself. I landed heavily on the ground and rolled. Damn it. Still can¡¯t get that right, I thought. But I¡¯m awake now. The giant, furred beast turned to me and roared. It was taller than any of the cars on the street and looked like a rabid dog someone had pumped full of steroids. I looked just past it to the car it had thrown around. ¡°Mother fucker! That¡¯s my ride!¡± This thing launched itself higher than the light pole I¡¯d just used. It was heading straight for me. I threw myself out of the way, and asphalt and concrete crumpled underneath its massive paws. I scrambled to my feet, brandishing my copper whip. I cracked it against the ground, sending a spark of lightning up. Whatever-this-was jumped back and roared again. It charged forward and swiped at me with its huge talons, and I couldn¡¯t get out of the way in time. I slammed into the ground and went rolling for at least a mile. I sat up, the world spinning around me. My coat was torn, and I had lost my whip. After another blink or two, my eyes focused. The monster dog was barreling towards me. I raised my hand and aimed carefully, throwing a bolt from my fingertips. The beast yelped as it was struck, and its legs went out from under it. It crashed heavily into the street and skidded to a stop a few feet in front of me. I blew out a breath and shambled over to my SUV. It was on its side, on the sidewalk. I gripped the step bar and tried to pull it back onto its wheels, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. Letting go, I landed on my feet easily. I stroked my goatee, considering. Maybe I can text Kari. I saw that video of her at the bridge collapse. The girl was juggling cars like mad. There was a scraping sound behind me, and I turned just as I saw the beast get back to its feet. Jesus! I hit it with 300 million volts! It threw itself forward, growling. I gathered all the electricity I had left, which wasn¡¯t a lot, and charged it between my fingers. The monster-dog launched itself up, and just as I was about to release my bolt, something slammed into the animal. It went flying faster than I could follow. It squealed, and a hovering bumper car with a jet on the vehicle¡¯s back. It broke, and the furry monster went flying. I jogged to catch up to the vehicle. ¡°Jenny! Girl, thank God. I don¡¯t think I could¡¯ve taken it down.¡± ¡°You know I¡¯m always here for my favorite client,¡± she said, her southern drawl taking over her words. ¡°Do you have any idea what it is?¡± ¡°A big dog?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a werewolf!¡± She exclaimed. ¡°I always wanted a pet werewolf.¡± ¡°Why in God¡¯s name would you want a werewolf?¡± Jenny turned to me and grinned. I shook my head. ¡°Well, if you wanted to keep it, why¡¯d you hit it so hard?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let you get hurt,¡± she replied somberly. ¡°You have a photoshoot tomorrow. Are you charged up? I think he¡¯s about to get up again.¡± ¡°I can be if you give me a moment or two.¡± She nodded and blasted forward. I went to the middle of the street and picked up my whip. On the corner of one of the streets, there was a high-voltage transformer that presumably powered some of the buildings around there. I looked around and then whipped off the lock, carving through it. I opened the door and started sapping some electricity. My entire body shook. The street lights dimmed and flickered. I felt my scrapes and scratches close. I drew more into myself. My heart beat faster, and my senses sharpened. Everything smelled like ozone. And I felt like I could take on the world. I cut the connection; I¡¯d taken more than I should¡¯ve already. Mom always warned me about taking too much since I burnt out her toaster when I was 9. I was nowhere near my limit; I hadn¡¯t been close in years. I wonder what would happen if I took more in. I hesitated before closing the doors. I slagged them in place and got back to the fight. Jenny was jetting forward, and her apparent werewolf jumped out of the way, only to chase her afterward. She took a sharp turn and took aim and shot it. Gun barrels extended out of the grill of her cattle guard and pelted the beast with heavy fire. The thing ignored the gunfire as it bounded toward her. She reversed her car quickly and tried to stay out of its way, still shooting it. But she couldn¡¯t get away. It slammed a clawed paw into her hover chair, and she went flying, spinning violently. Her car slammed into a building, and the little shield she used to protect herself from impact flickered out. Airbags blew out. ¡°Jenny!¡± I ran down as the dog was closing in on her. It launched into the air, and I threw out my hand, a lightning bolt arcing out. It struck it just before it landed. The beast itself went skidding and crashed into the building. The smell of singed fur and ozone filled the air. And smoke. I went over to Jenny¡¯s chair. It wasn¡¯t hovering anymore. She was lying against the inflated airbag coming out of her dash. I checked her pulse. She¡¯s alive. Thank God. Sirens echoed out between the buildings. I checked the radio chatter. Cops, an ambulance, and a firetruck were heading this way. Finally! They¡¯re never around when you need them to be. And always around when you don¡¯t need them to be. I walked around Jenny¡¯s bumper car to see someone loading the werewolf dog into a van. A woman in a lab coat watched as two burly men lifted it onto a stretcher and back into a huge commercial truck. I walked up to her. ¡°Hey, who are you?¡± The woman glanced at me and then redirected her attention back to the truck. ¡°Excuse me. Who are you? Why are you taking that animal?¡± ¡°I¡¯m with animal control,¡± she replied curtly. Then she took a breath and smiled at me. It was fake. ¡°Thank you, mister hero. It¡¯s good you were here, but we got it from here.¡± ¡°Animal control? With a cargo truck?¡± I asked, gesturing. The truck itself was one of those large U-Haul types you could rent, but completely white. There were no identifying marks, no numbers, or a company name. Something¡¯s not right. ¡°Yeah. We . . . needed it for some meta animals. Around the same time as the awakening, some animals got powers too. So, we needed some equipment to handle those. Again, thank you, but we have it from here.¡± She wasn¡¯t being rude exactly. Just short. But something about this ain¡¯t right, I thought. I closed my eyes and opened my senses up. Neither she nor the two men had phones on them. Just a GPS tracker. Now that¡¯s even more suspicious than her just picking up a werewolf. Who doesn¡¯t have their phone on them? The monster dog also had a GPS chip in it. I frowned and was about to say something when I heard the doors slam. I opened my eyes, and they were driving off. I started to go after them, but the cops and the ambulance pulled up. I need to make sure Jenny¡¯s okay. Damn it! With their help, we pulled Jenny¡¯s hover car out from the crater she¡¯d made and pulled her up. She came to as she was being moved to the stretcher. She smiled up at me weakly. ¡°Hey, Thundy. Did we get him?¡± ¡°Sorry, Jen. No werewolf for you this time.¡± ¡°Damn. I already have a collar for him and everything,¡± Jenny replied, trying to sit up. The EMT pushed her back down. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Nah, Jen. We need to get you checked out. You hit your head, and I need you healthy. I¡¯d hate to have to find another manager. Who would schedule me for underwear shoots?¡± I grinned down at her. She nodded. After they loaded her up into the ambulance and drove off, I fielded questions from the police and some reporters. They tried to trip me up like they had Kari, but I was not going to let that happen. That girl really needs to take a class. Learn how to talk to people. They confirmed that animal control hadn¡¯t been called. After some time, they all left, and I stood in front of my SUV, which was still thrown onto its side. ¡°Well, fuck.¡±

=== Curt === Eventually, we found the office we were looking for. We threw the doors open and walked through. Tierra closed them behind us, which did dampen the entrance some. Where did that thought come from? . . . I¡¯ve been spending too much time around Cindi. The office had a huge window stretched out, with a beautiful city view. There was a desk with a laptop on one side, and a man sitting in a chair with his feet kicked up on it. He looked to be in his fifties and initially wore a bored expression. In a slow, deliberate motion, he sat up, hands out to reveal he had no weapons. His ID I¡¯d found online didn¡¯t really match him anymore. He had aged a lot since the last time he went in for a picture. He was thin and lanky, with graying red hair and deep bags under his eyes. ¡°Mister Reese, Miss Drei, and . . . I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know your name. We¡¯ve been expecting you for some time.¡± His voice confirmed my suspicions. He was the one who had scrambled it for the broadcasts. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Yeah, sorry, Jeff. Hate to keep you waiting. I just wanted to make sure my entrance was dramatic enough. Apparently, we failed.¡± ¡°Am I supposed to be impressed that you know my name, Mister Reese?¡± ¡°Not really. But I would appreciate it if you referred to me properly. I took her last name.¡± I nodded to Cindi, who grinned brightly. ¡°Another pointless, liberal action from a coward,¡± the man behind the desk stood up. ¡°You have the gall to denounce us when you¡¯re literally married to the bourgeois.¡± ¡°B-bourgeois?¡± I asked, trying to understand what he was on about. ¡°She¡¯s. . . You know what? I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m here to stop you.¡± ¡°Stop me? And why would you do that? We¡¯re the ones who will actually accomplish what you claim that you want.¡± ¡°What do I want?¡± I asked incredulously, stepping forward. Rage poured through me, and I didn¡¯t realize when I started shouting. ¡°I don¡¯t want buildings blown up. I don¡¯t want people to die. Especially not in my name. I never asked you, or any of these kids, to do any of this!¡± The terrorist looked over me, frowning. He wasn¡¯t scared; he wasn¡¯t intimidated. More than anything, he just looked bored. ¡°Mister Reese. Sorry, I mean, Mister Drei. You¡¯re young. You¡¯ve created a movement. But frankly, you don¡¯t know what you want. You¡¯re clever in some ways but sloppy, and you will never achieve real change. I can make real change happen.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been active since the ¡¯90s and have nothing to show for it. I save people. And I don¡¯t have to blow up buildings to do it.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve given water purifiers to a few villages and never looked back!¡± Jeff slammed his hands on the desk. I jumped. ¡°And you never look back. What happens when all that top-secret technology is reclaimed by paramilitary groups hired by Wan En or EnGin, and those villagers you¡¯re so convinced you saved to die.¡± I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came. Someone had shut me up for the first time in a long time. Crowley¡¯s right. I don¡¯t keep close ties to what happens afterward. I shut my mouth. And he continued. ¡°You are a good symbol. Someone that people can rally behind. But you have never done anything to actually change anything. And you¡¯re not interested in doing so. You want to traipse around the world with your slutty, bourgeois wife and pretend that you¡¯re helping.¡± I felt my jaw tighten and stood straighter, stepping right in front of the desk. Crowley also stood up straighter; our eyes met, and his glare practically dared me to do something. But I had found my voice again. ¡°And how, exactly, does blowing up buildings change a fucking thing? Because it looks like you¡¯re just posers. Holed up in a condemned office building, hacking into places and killing people. I don¡¯t see you creating a communist utopia.¡± ¡°The only thing the state understands is violence. That¡¯s why half of those idiot metas heroes are psyops, and the other half are just morons that bought into the propaganda.¡± I wavered a little bit. I narrowed my eyes at this man. The way he spoke about heroes was precisely how I did. Is this what I¡¯m going to be in twenty years? His words echoed in my head. ¡°Responding to violence with violence is acceptable. But you¡¯re blowing up buildings. That¡¯s too far. That¡¯s not a response. That¡¯s just murder. Mass murder.¡± ¡°Omelets, eggs, Esvanir. It¡¯s not like your hands aren¡¯t covered in blood. Hell, you¡¯re trying to kill one of the world¡¯s most famous superheroes. Smash Gal.¡± The disgust in his voice when he said our names was palpable. I gritted my teeth and rolled my shoulders. He took a step back. ¡°Well, then. If we¡¯re so similar, I¡¯m sure you saw this coming.¡± I snapped my finger, opening a portal. Or . . . At least, that was what was supposed to happen. But no portal opened up. Nothing did. And Crowley just started laughing. He threw his head back and laughed at me. ¡°Mister Reese. Come now. I told you I was expecting you. You think I wouldn¡¯t have a countermeasure to your little parlor trick?¡± He reached into his jacket and drew a gun, pointing it at me, but his aim was off. He was still laughing. And it was only growing. He was becoming hysterical. He leaned over his desk laughing, and I took a step back, my eyes wide. I looked back to Cindi. ¡°He¡¯s lost it.¡± ¡°No,¡± Tierra cut in. ¡°I¡¯m doing this to him, numbnuts. And it¡¯s a good thing, too. You would¡¯ve died.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Whatever. What are we going to do with him?¡± I frowned at the giggling man, trying to run through options. Despite all of the violence and grandstanding, he had a point. I am not a vehicle for change. Not alone. And that¡¯s a problem. ¡°Cin, zap him. Leave him alive. I . . . I need some time to think.¡±

=== Kari === After Suiren¡¯s sword literally blew up in my face and burned off my eyebrows in the process, I went to Chuck¡¯s. He wasn¡¯t there when I got there. So I just scrolled on my phone for a while. Twitter was especially cruel today. People were complaining about how people had died in the bridge collapse. And some people were blaming the government, but there were a lot of people agreeing with that reporter, saying I should¡¯ve done more. What could I have done? I can fly and lift stuff, but . . . like, it¡¯s a fucking bridge. We really need a team to deal with things like that. I thought about how everyone else would handle it. Curt would have just opened one of his stupid portals and said, ¡°How dare the government not maintain an infrastructure! If we redistributed all of the money to bridges, then bridges wouldn¡¯t collapse.¡± I laughed at the thought. He¡¯d be ranting and saving people at the same time. The jerk. Chuck wouldn¡¯t complain. He¡¯d probably reinforce the bridge somehow while people got off. I could¡¯ve tried that, but my forcefields aren¡¯t that strong. And people were already falling in, so I had to get them. Not that I could¡¯ve gotten them all. I must¡¯ve fallen asleep at some point because I woke up with dawn peeking in through the curtains. Chuck wasn¡¯t in bed. Had he even come home? I got up and went to the living room. His apartment was small. He said he kept it because of something called Rent Control, but I didn¡¯t care. It was just him. And me now. He was sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. I walked over to him. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up, doc?¡± He looked up at me and gave me a weak smile. It was apparent he hadn¡¯t slept last night. ¡°Hey, Kari. Sorry, did I wake you?¡± ¡°No, but you could¡¯ve. And I would¡¯ve cuddled you, and we could¡¯ve talked about whatever¡¯s bothering you.¡± ¡°Bothering me?¡± He asked, shaking his head. ¡°Nothing¡¯s bothering me, Kari. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Chuck.¡± He met my eye reluctantly. ¡°I know I¡¯m not a psychic or a shrink or whatever, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m dumb.¡± ¡°I-I never said you¡¯re dumb, Kari.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re not talking to me. What¡¯s going on?¡± He hesitated for a few more minutes before sighing and shaking his head. ¡°I fucked up, Kari. I fucked up bad.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I-I went back to Bellemere.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°I saw Blanca and Scott.¡± ¡°I thought we were going to try and get those meta groups to help us with that. Make it a part of the whole meta prison reform idea.¡± ¡°Y-yeah. But we don¡¯t know how long that will take, Kari. And they¡¯re. . . I did that to them. It¡¯s my fault.¡± I frowned and sat next to him, pulling him into a hug. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Chuck.¡± ¡°But it is my responsibility. I put Scott and Blanca in that state. And I needed to fix them.¡± ¡°And did you?¡± ¡°I started to,¡± he said evasively. ¡°Then how did you fuck up?¡± ¡°I went there as me.¡± ¡°Okay? Who else would you have been?¡± ¡°No, I went as Dr. Berry. Not as Professor Mind. A-and I used my powers.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I replied, considering. ¡°Well, is that so bad?¡± ¡°Yes! My identity could be out there! People could know who I am.¡± ¡°And?¡± I asked, exasperated. ¡°People know who I am. This could be a great opportunity to reveal your identity. Dr. Chuck Berry, the Professor Mind.¡± ¡°And I¡¯d lose my practice and never be left alone again. It¡¯s different for you and Harold. I have a life outside of being a superhero.¡± ¡°I¡¯m building a life as a superhero! I have my modeling, I have my superhero boyfriend, and I have activism. But I am a superhero, you jackass. And so are you.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m a doctor!¡± He replied in a desperate whisper. ¡°A practicing psychiatrist. With psychic powers. I¡¯d be opening myself up to hundreds of lawsuits.¡± ¡°So? Did you use your powers?¡± ¡°Sometimes. I can¡¯t just turn off the emotional readings. It¡¯s like trying-¡± ¡°Not to hear something,¡± I ended his sentence for him, a little annoyed. ¡°Okay. But why would people sue you? You didn¡¯t do anything to manipulate their emotions or minds, right?¡± ¡°No, of course not. The most unethical thing I¡¯ve ever done is meet with Esvanir.¡± He replied bitterly. ¡°But Professor Mind has the reputation of someone who messes with people¡¯s minds. And people will just assume that I¡¯m doing it. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s a bunch of charitability towards metas.¡± ¡°N-no, there¡¯s not. I guess you have a point. But I¡¯ll be here, and we¡¯ll figure something out. You have options.¡± ¡°I like being a doctor, though. I like helping people, Kari.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be a doctor. Things might change, but you will always be a doctor, Chuck. And a professor.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied, smiling softly. ¡°Thanks, Kari. By the way . . . what happened to your eyebrows?¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± I exclaimed before deflating on the couch. Issue #52: I Have a Great Butt

=== Cindi === I watched my husband pace in this man¡¯s office. I had done what he had asked, much to Pinikir¡¯s dismay. HE IS NOT SHOWING US DUE RESPECT. WE ARE A GODDESS AND HER AVATAR. WE SHOULD NOT TAKE ORDERS FROM A MAN. I unconsciously shrugged my shoulder. I didn¡¯t care. It was something that needed to be done. I was more curious as to what he was thinking. This man had shaken Curt. I stepped back to Tierra and whispered to her. ¡°What¡¯s he feeling?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I want to be sure before I do something. I am pretty sure he¡¯s doubting himself. That he was shaken by that man¡¯s words.¡± ¡°Yeah, doubt¡¯s a big part of it. Loathing, both self and outward. Anger. He¡¯s winding himself up and twisting himself in knots. And remember: when he does something stupid, like try to get himself, you, or most importantly, me shot, I¡¯m out. I don¡¯t give a damn about him.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t like him,¡± I said. It wasn¡¯t an accusation. But I was studying my friend. Tall, with dyed red hair shaved on one side. Her lips twitched downward. SHE SHOULD BE CAREFUL WITH HOW SHE PERCEIVES OUR PROPERTY, Pinikir¡¯s voice thundered in my head. I closed my eyes and tried to ignore the goddess. She was getting increasingly pushy and entitled. But she¡¯s a goddess. I guess that much is to be expected. I pursed my lips and asked the question. ¡°Why? It can¡¯t just be the strong emotions issue. You deal with people like that all the time.¡± She met my eye and opened her mouth to say something before sighing. She had been about to lie to me. I don¡¯t know what she was going to say, but I know it was a lie. She shifted away. ¡°He¡¯s brash, arrogant, and thinks he¡¯s better than me. Too good to just be a thief.¡± I laughed at her. Curt didn¡¯t even seem to notice. Tierra did, though. She glared at me, and I raised a brow, daring her to try something. ¡°For an empath, you¡¯re terrible at reading people. Or at least people you don¡¯t like.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± She asked huffily. ¡°And what am I missing?¡± ¡°He can be arrogant. He tries to hold the whole world on his shoulders. That can make him reckless. But I think you have cause wrong. He knows he¡¯s a thief. He loves it. Us teaming up together has been a lot of fun for him. I can see it in the way he walked through this compound. The way he threw open those doors. The way we were poking fun at his need to be dramatic. He enjoys this. He loves the puzzle of thieving and even the action, sometimes. But he isn¡¯t content to just have a little fun with other thieves. He wants to make things a little better for people and does his best to do so while still having fun. And he feels responsible. He was ready to get himself killed to stop these people from blowing up his building.¡± ¡°Like I said, brash.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one way of perceiving it, yeah.¡± ¡°Oh. What noble reason did he con you with?¡± ¡°Noble?¡± I laughed at her again. ¡°He doesn¡¯t give a damn if he dies. If it can mitigate suffering, he¡¯d happily die. It¡¯s not nobility. It¡¯s self-doubt and hatred.¡± ¡°You and Des are too easy on him.¡± I raised a brow at her. ¡°He almost got all of us killed at the wedding. You were in a coma because he picked a fight he couldn¡¯t win. And he has the gall to try and turn his survival into a win. And you and Des are happy to play along. He¡¯s going to get you killed. He won¡¯t get Des killed. I won¡¯t let that happen.¡± ¡°And how are you going to manage that?¡± I asked, puffing out my chest and straightening my back. I was shorter than her, but I lifted my chin high. ¡°That¡¯s easy,¡± Curt began, crossing the room to join us. ¡°She¡¯s going to limit my contact with Des and try to have them cut ties with me. Make sure to focus on all of her correct observations about me.¡± ¡°You seem pretty cavalier about it. I will get them to see the truth.¡± ¡°Good,¡± he replied solemnly. My husband threw out the ridiculous little drone he had made and sent it through a portal that opened just outside the window. Curiously, he didn¡¯t close the gateway after he¡¯d done so. ¡°I¡¯ve long since overstayed my welcome. Let me open a portal for you. Get you back there. I wish you the best of luck on it.¡± ¡°Am I supposed to thank you for letting me convince Des to leave you behind?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking for your thanks, Tierra. I don¡¯t care that you don¡¯t like me. There¡¯s nothing you could say or believe about me that I haven¡¯t heard a worse version of.¡± Tierra¡¯s stern face softened some, and she frowned at him. ¡°The job¡¯s not over, is it?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do. But you¡¯ve suffered my presence long enough. Thanks for your help.¡± Something shifted inside of me. I padded over to my husband and threw an arm around him. ¡°What if we used these acolytes?¡± ¡°Use them? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well, Mister Terrorism over there said you don¡¯t pay enough attention to your little projects,¡± I muttered against his ear. He shivered and tried to shift away from me. I didn¡¯t let him. ¡°But things might be different if you had a network, people you could deploy to help you. You could change things.¡± ¡°What do you even want to do anyway?¡± Tierra asked. ¡°Provide water, food, and shelter to people. Let people live safely,¡± Curt muttered absently. He was considering my proposal. I could see the gears turn in his head. I grinned against his neck. He¡¯s going to do it.

=== Chuck === Kari and I landed in front of an office building in the middle of Avalare, just like any other. We were both in full costume. Her eyebrows hadn¡¯t grown back yet, and her hair was a little frayed from when she tried to wield Lady Blade¡¯s sword. Truth be told, I¡¯m glad she couldn¡¯t use it. I shuddered at the thought of Kari with even more power. She was already terrifying sometimes. We walked into the bright, fluorescent lighting and polished floors and got to the elevators. ¡°This place seems kind of corporate, huh?¡± ¡°Well, that just makes it seem more professional, right? I mean, they¡¯re an advocacy group.¡± She tugged at her costume. ¡°Maybe I should¡¯ve dressed more formally.¡± The doors opened on the 5th floor, and we stepped out. This office space had much more natural lighting but was still decidedly pretty formal. The receptionist jumped up from her desk. ¡°S-Smash Gal. P-Professor Mind. You came!¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. Sorry about last time. I was going to be here, bu-¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s no problem. We get it.¡± She walked out from behind the desk. Without trying to, I caught the sense of nervousness, a lot of excitement, admiration, and a little jealousy washing off her. ??¡°You¡¯re a big-time hero. And you saved my sister! Thank you! C-can I hug you?¡± ¡°Uh,¡± Kari began before the receptionist threw her arms around her and squeezed tightly. Kari looked over to me before patting the girl gently on the back. ¡°I-it¡¯s nice to meet you. Uh . . . I¡¯m Kari.¡± ¡°Oh, right,¡± the girl said, stepping back with a wide grin. ¡°I¡¯m Sandy.¡± The girl rushed back behind the desk and picked up the phone. ¡°Kevin. Your 2 o¡¯clock¡¯s here. Yeah, both of them.¡± A few minutes later, a man in a polo, cargo shorts, and sandals walked out. Sandy was dressed formally in a gray pantsuit, but this guy looked like he had just come from the beach. Tan with slicked-back hair. He stepped up to us and held out his hand with a radiant smile, and my heart skipped a beat. What was that? I asked myself. I opened my senses to his emotions, and there was just confidence. Pure faith that everything was going to work out. ¡°Professor Mind, Kari. Thank you for coming down.¡± We walked down into the office, and there were people making calls and the general din of a call center. Kevin would just point to people and give them the thumbs up. And they¡¯d smile back, their nerves easing a bit. I observed him. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s putting off any psychic dampening field. He had the build of someone who casually went to the gym. Muscular, but not like a hero. Not like me, I thought. I wonder what his powers are. We entered his office with a glass wall and a great city view. He sat down and gestured to the seats in front of his desk. We took them. ¡°So, your publicist, Jenny, reached out saying you wanted to get into some activism.¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, we¡¯ve been thinking about how metas are perceived, and we wanted to push for some change. Especially with how they¡¯re treated after they¡¯re arrested.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, it¡¯s awful how y¡¯all get treated. No doubt. By the way, do you want a water or anything? We have sparkling. Didn¡¯t drink it before I started here, and now I¡¯m addicted to it.¡± He laughed easily. ¡°Uh, sure,¡± I said, finding myself smiling, then I leaned in. ¡°You said ¡®you all¡¯. Are you not a meta?¡± ¡°Haha, no. I honestly kind of just fell into this. But it¡¯s good to do something important. Helping people.¡± He pressed a button on his desk phone and spoke into it. ¡°Mike, could you bring our guests some water?¡± A very young, surly-looking man came in a minute or so later. He was carrying three drinks. He tripped over his feet, and Kari and I both jumped up to catch him, but he stumbled forward, and the drinks landed on top of each other, not falling to the floor. They wobbled on his little tray, but the youth managed to stabilize and deliver the drinks. ¡°Good catch, Mike.¡± ¡°That was weird. I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d fall like that,¡± Kari remarked, shifting the drink slowly in her hands. I gauged her emotions. Apprehension, anxiety, hunger. ¡°Oh, yeah. Mike does probability manipulation. Little stuff. Got caught at a casino. His friends put him up to it. Says all he wants to use his powers for is to ¡®get better Gacha draws¡¯. Whatever that means.¡± Kevin leaned forward and rested his hands on his glass desk. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re not here about that. We¡¯re here to talk about changing the world. Now, I¡¯m going to be honest: I don¡¯t know what value you have. Your brands are . . . complicated and not existent, respectively.¡± ¡°I have a huge online presence! 25 million followers on Twitter and 10 million on Tik Tok.¡± Kari said. I could feel annoyance roll off of her in waves. I put up a buffer between her emotions and mine, trying to keep my attention on Kevin. I still wasn¡¯t sure about him. His confidence never faded, but his smile did diminish somewhat. ¡°All of that¡¯s true, and that¡¯s great if you¡¯re selling Energy Bomb. But there¡¯s a difference between being popular and making social change, Kari. We don¡¯t want a Kendall Jenner Pepsi commercial, do we? Not for something like prison reform. Along with that, your punitive reputation does precede you. You are known as particularly hard on crime. And there are a lot of metas that are uncomfortable with how you handle things. The Doc Oak situation. And your attitude towards the very popular Esvanir.¡± Kari¡¯s emotions had sunk lower and lower as Kevin went on, but anger flared up when she mentioned Curt. She met his eyes, glaring. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°You¡¯d rather work with Curt!?¡± She demanded. But Kevin held up a placating hand. ¡°Absolutely not,¡± the man said, trying to maintain his smile. Fear trickled underneath his confidence. It didn¡¯t show in his sky-blue eyes or his posture at all, but I could sense it. I pursed my lips. ??¡°He¡¯s a criminal, and that would be the worst PR for us. And he¡¯s not even a meta, right? Just a tech wiz. No. We wouldn¡¯t work with him either, but he is popular. And your opposition to him makes you polarizing. Every big public figure is to some degree, but you¡¯ve had a lot of controversies.¡± Kari sank down again, stewing on the man¡¯s words. She had cooled off some, but I could feel her temper ready to flare up again at the first stoking. Kevin continued. ¡°As for Professor Mind, you¡¯re popular. Your publicist sent over your polling data. You¡¯re a hit with women between 25-40. But beyond that, you¡¯re not really that well-known. Your online presence is basically non-existent. In some ways, your lack of reputation is worse than a negative one. We¡¯d be building your image up from the start. You do have some spillover from Kari, too. Since you¡¯ve started dating, that made you a little more popular, but it also makes you a little controversial.¡± ¡°So, we¡¯re just not a good fit at all?¡± Kari asked in a small voice. Her disappointment was bottomless. ¡°Well, I think that depends,¡± Kevlin said cryptically. ¡°We might be able to do a test campaign with you. You seem serious about this. But I need to know why.¡± ¡°We are serious,¡± I said, reaching over and grabbing Kari¡¯s hand. ¡°We recently visited Bellemere Sanitarium and Prison. And that really drove home how terrible metas are being treated.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t really know what we were doing to prisoners. Especially meta prisoners.¡± Kari squeezed my hand. It wasn¡¯t quite painful. She had gotten better at controlling her strength. ¡°Especially for people of color. I can¡¯t imagine what would¡¯ve happened to Harold if he¡¯d been arrested that day. I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Thunderblast?¡± Kevin asked. Kari nodded. ¡°Is there any chance he¡¯d want to join in on this? He¡¯s very hot right now. Coming up fast.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t asked him, but we can,¡± Kari added, considering it. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯d at least hear you out.¡± ¡°Talk to him. Let¡¯s see if he¡¯s interested. And I¡¯ll put together some focus groups and see how you guys test,¡± Kevin said. He showed us to the door and shook both of our hands again. I watched him for a moment. Sandy waved at Kari eagerly, and Kari managed a smile. We got to the elevator and started going down. ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Kari asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I think it might be a good idea, but he¡¯s right about me. I¡¯ve never really tried to be famous. Never really wanted it after . . . Scott and Blanca.¡± ¡°Yeah. I guess I¡¯m just different. I like the attention. Most of the time.¡± She paused. I got the sense that she wanted to ask something else. She tapped her foot impatiently. The doors opened, and we walked out into the lobby. ¡°Kevin seems nice, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°I-I guess.¡± ¡°Yeah. Chuck?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Are you bi?¡± She asked it casually. I stumbled and almost fell over, but she caught me and kept me upright. ¡°B-bi? I . . . Well, there are some men I . . . I don¡¯t really think I¡¯m bi, though.¡± I took a few deep breaths and then turned to her. Kari wasn¡¯t meeting my eye. I probed her emotions, but she had put up a wall. She never blocks her feelings. I could¡¯ve broken through it, but I didn¡¯t. That¡¯d be a severe breach of privacy. So, I just did the adult thing and asked. ¡°What are you getting at?¡± ¡°Well, you seemed to be really . . . I don¡¯t know. You just were looking at Kevin. Kind of how you look at me.¡± ¡°I- no, I wasn¡¯t,¡± I retorted a little too quickly. ¡°I just . . . I was trying to figure out what he was about. He just . . . put people at ease. I thought he might¡¯ve been an empath.¡± ¡°Or he¡¯s a good-looking white guy and knows how to leverage that,¡± she said in an almost sing-song tone. I stopped to consider this, pursing my lips. ¡°Was I really looking at him like that?¡± ¡°A little. Reminds me of when you would check me out when you thought I wasn¡¯t looking.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Chuck. Why do you think I switched to yoga pants? It was to give you more to look at. And because I wanted to try to avoid another wardrobe malfunction. But that¡¯s the great thing about clothes. They can serve two purposes.¡± ¡°Is that really why?¡± ¡°Chuck, I have a great butt. And judging from the way your eyes popped out of your skull for Kevin, so does he.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never dated a guy. I don¡¯t look at them like that.¡± ¡°And yet here we are,¡± she said with a grin. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be jealous?¡± ¡°I am. A little. But It¡¯s also kind of cute.¡± Kari said, wrapping an arm around me and squeezing. ¡°Besides, if you act on it, I know you¡¯ll be honest with me. You couldn¡¯t live with the guilt.¡±

=== Curt === I hadn¡¯t managed to convince Tierra to go home. She just kept watching me warily. Cindi wasn¡¯t any help either. Eventually, Crowley woke up, and we tied him up and put him on a couch. He jolted up and struggled against his bonds. ¡°What the fuck, Reese!? Let me go.¡± ¡°No,¡± I responded simply. ¡°We¡¯re going to have another conversation. But I need you to know that you can¡¯t intimidate me. You¡¯re just a petty terrorist. I am the third greatest thief in this world. 7th on the FBI¡¯s Most Wanted list. Even in your prime, you capped out at 10th. Even still. I want to negotiate.¡± ¡°Negotiate?¡± The man asked, still struggling against the ties. ¡°Do you usually negotiate by tying someone up!?¡± ¡°With me, a lot of the time,¡± Cindi replied, grinning. I smiled. Tierra rolled her eyes. Crowley just glared at her. I snapped, which got his attention again. Especially when a portal opened up in front of him. The other side was a choppy, roiling ocean. Well, it would be after about 2000 feet. ¡°It¡¯s to prove a point. You pulled a gun on me, thinking you could kill me. Since the only thing you seem to understand is violence,¡± I let the venom in my words sink in before continuing. ¡°I thought I¡¯d make it clear. You¡¯re not a real threat. I am.¡± ¡°I thought you were supposed to be better than me, liberal,¡± the terrorist spat back. ¡°I am. I¡¯m offering you a deal.¡± ¡°Spit it out then.¡± He said a little desperately, edging away from the portal. I closed it and met his eye. ¡°You were right. I don¡¯t do enough to maintain the changes I¡¯ve tried to implement. I¡¯m only one person. But that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t. I want to use the Acolytes. After we rebrand them to anything else. To start making real changes to the world. But I don¡¯t want any more death on my hands. No killing unless you¡¯re defending yourself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not real change.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more change than you¡¯re doing with your bombs. It¡¯ll last longer than when my gifts are reclaimed. It¡¯s a middle ground.¡± ¡°You really are pitiful.¡± ¡°Alright, Guess I¡¯ll go find a second-in-command. Deal with them.¡± The portal opened again under his feet, and he yelped. ¡°W-wait!¡± I paused for a moment, watching him. He took a few deep breaths, trying to reclaim any calm before saying, ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± After a few hours, we got back to Des¡¯. They were curled up on the couch, watching some terrible medical drama, eating popcorn. ¡°Really, Des? You¡¯re a real doctor, and you¡¯re watching Doctor McHunky sleep with everyone on General Hospital?¡± ¡°Being a real doctor isn¡¯t that sexy. All I ever get to do is patch up whiny thieves.¡± They paused the show. ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± ¡°It was nonlethal,¡± I said noncommittally. ¡°Your girlfriend was a ton of help. It would¡¯ve been much messier without her.¡± ¡°Nonlethal? So, you just turned them in?¡± ¡°N-no. Cin had another idea, and . . . we¡¯re going with that for now.¡± ¡°Yes. We will use these people to our advantage and make Curt¡¯s goals come true.¡± ¡°Oh . . . That makes . . . sense, I guess.¡± Des paused to kiss Tierra, who accepted it happily. The taller woman crawled onto my friend¡¯s chest and looked up at me, jaw set. I nodded. ¡°Right. Anyway, it¡¯s been a day. Don¡¯t want to take up any more of your guys¡¯ time.¡± ¡°Wait, we¡¯re together. It¡¯s not that late. Why don¡¯t we grab a bite?¡± Des suggested. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Time zones and all that.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a grand idea. Don¡¯t you, Tierra?¡± Cindi replied, staring directly at her friend. Des watched them both, clicking their tongue. ¡°Yeah, of course,¡± the redhead responded in a tone suggesting the opposite. Des spent a little time getting ready, and Tierra and Cin had a staring contest over their kitchen table. I think they were murmuring something, but I didn¡¯t dare step any closer. Instead, I just stood staring out the window. After a few minutes, Des called me into their room. Which was weird. Their apartment was tiny, and they had a bed just barely big enough for two people. It wasn¡¯t made. Clothes were strewn about. It was the polar opposite of their practice. Everything was clean and neat there. Perfectly organized and obsessively labeled. Their room looked like a tornado hit a clothes hamper. And I felt out of place being in there. ¡°Curt, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Between Tierra, Cindi, and you. What happened?¡± ¡°Oh. Uh . . . Tierra expressed some opinions while on the job. Cindi¡¯s a little mad about it.¡± ¡°What opinions?¡± ¡°That I¡¯m a danger to you and that I shouldn¡¯t be in your life. And she¡¯s right.¡± ¡°This again?¡± Des sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t get to make that choice.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be mine this time. It¡¯d be Tier-¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t get to choose either.¡± Des cut me off. ¡°Nor does Cindi. You¡¯re my friend. I want you in my life. That¡¯s all there is to it. And if she doesn¡¯t like it, she can kick rocks. You need me.¡± ¡°I know I need you. Just not so sure about the inverse.¡± ¡°I am. I need you; you need me. We¡¯re stuck with each other. Best friends forever.¡± ¡°If we¡¯re going to be the Mean Girls, dibs on Regina.¡± ¡°Absolutely not. Cindi¡¯s Regina. And you¡¯re more Clueless material.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you choose between us. If it¡¯s between me and Tierra, I¡¯ll leave. Tierra makes you giddy and happy and incredibly stupid. All I do is bring you headaches.¡± Des came out and bonked me on the head with their brush. ¡°Shut up. You make me laugh. And you¡¯re my friend.¡± Des said, brandishing the hairbrush. ¡°She¡¯s fun. But both you and Cindi are treating us like we¡¯re already married.¡± ¡°Yeah, because you¡¯re mooning over her like a lovesick puppy.¡± ¡°Shut it!¡± They said, threatening me with the brush again. I grinned and held up my hands in surrender. We went out to a nice dinner on the other side of the planet. Tierra started out sulky, but by the end of it, she and Des were feeding each other and making jokes. Most of which were at my expense, but that¡¯s hardly new. It was nice. Almost like we¡¯re just people. Not just three wanted criminals and the weird doctor along for the ride. Issue #53: It was Elegant. Capable. I Hated It

=== Curt === I woke up with a start, glancing around. It was dark. The cityscape outside of the window wasn¡¯t right. For one, the curtains were open and showed the city. And two, it wasn¡¯t where Cindi and I had been staying at for ages. I felt someone shift beside me. Must be Cindi. Did we stop somewhere last night? I thought to myself. I turned, and I saw a flash of blonde hair. Not Cin¡¯s brown. I froze; my breath caught in my throat. I pulled the sheets down a bit and revealed the woman¡¯s face. What the fuck!? I internally screamed. Smash Gal was lying nude from the waist up in the bed I was sitting in. Her hair was a lot longer than the bob cut she usually wore, but there was no way I could mistake someone with that much muscle for anyone else. I stumbled out and looked around, desperately for anything I could. I saw a case on the night table. I grabbed it and tore it open. It was my rig. Kind of. The design was slightly different, and the base metal wasn¡¯t the same. But it was definitely similar enough. I grabbed that, and my phone and I looked for my glasses. They were nowhere to be found. I took a few deep breaths, trying desperately to stay calm. What the fuck is going on? Why the hell was I in bed with Smash Gal? What the fuck . . . My thoughts constantly cycled through those same sentences over and over again. I took a few deep breaths, trying to find any stability. Alright. What¡¯s the last thing I remember happening? I thought about it. Cin, Tierra, and I just returned from dealing with the Acolytes. We had dinner with Des. Did I get drunk? It was unlikely; I didn¡¯t really drink much. And I couldn¡¯t recall drinking at all. At a loss, I checked the bathroom, unsure where else they could be. I caught sight of myself in the mirror; I was less scared. And less muscular. Cindi had me bulking up a bit with a regular workout routine, and I¡¯d taken well to it. But this body was slim. Still fit, It was also missing almost all the scars I¡¯d accrued. The one on my arm was still there, where I¡¯d ported partially into a wall, but the gunshots and the cuts were all gone. I hadn¡¯t seen my body this unmarred in years. It¡¯s uncanny; I found a small case on the counter and opened it. There were contacts. They were like the kind I had made for Cindi. I don¡¯t use contacts. I . . . I guess I have no choice. I need to figure out what the fuck is going on. It took a while to get the damned contacts in my eye. I had to look up a tutorial to figure it out. My eyes watered furiously. But once they were there, a GUI appeared. I froze. This . . . isn¡¯t mine. I had designed my own UI and had been working the bugs out of it for years. This is cleaner; neater in a lot of ways. It wasn¡¯t the desperately cobbled together at 3am mess I had made. It was elegant. Capable. I hated it. I cycled through several options of the most commonly used locations. Work, Home, Kari¡¯s Work, Turanna¡¯s Ristorante, and a bunch of other places I didn¡¯t recognize, including an office building labeled simply as Work. My radius also was a lot smaller. Limited to about 100 miles. Which was large enough for Avalare City, but compared to my hemisphere range, it was pathetic. I shifted. What the hell is going on!? I fit on the rig and snapped my fingers, and the world shifted before me. I was in an office room. The lights were off, but when I moved, the evil fluorescent lights turned on. It was generic. I frowned and left the room, lights turning on as I walked through the office. I didn¡¯t think anything of it. It¡¯s just a workspace. I don¡¯t know why I have a default set here. Then I froze, and my eyes were stuck on the wall. There was a sign hanging there.
Esvanir, Inc. Recovery and Protection Services.
I stood there staring at the sign, my mind running through every possibility I could think of. Elaborate prank? Any moment now, Ashton Kutcher will jump out and tell me I¡¯m punked. Or maybe I got struck in the head, and I¡¯m in a coma; this is the reality my brain crafted for myself. Maybe I¡¯m dead, and I was wrong, and God does exist, and this is the afterlife, and God, the insufferable prick, still doesn¡¯t show up and give up the game. The lights in the office turned off again, as I had been standing completely still for probably about five minutes. It was genuinely a baffling experience. I took out my phone and did something I had managed to resist for three months. I googled myself. Well, actually, weirdly, Google wasn¡¯t available. Yahoo was the default in my phone¡¯s browser. If this is the afterlife, I must be in hell, I thought. I put Curtis Drei in the search bar. Then slowly backspaced the surname, realizing that wherever I was, I was probably not Cindi¡¯s here. The thought stabbed into my heart, and I swallowed hard. I put in my maiden name. Curtis Reese. It had only been a tiny fraction of my life, yet I didn¡¯t feel like a Reese anymore. I am Curtis Drei, I thought. This doesn¡¯t mean anything. News stories came up. They were old. Years old. I frowned and tapped on one. The Superhero Super-Couple Kari Stewart and Curtis Reese Have Eloped was the title of the article. I stumbled back, the lights buzzing back on as I collapsed into a chair. What the fuck? Me? Marry that fucking monster!? Never! I would never! I could never! I looked down at my left hand. There was a different band on it. Cindi and I both wore simple, elegant black gold rings that she had chosen. I hadn¡¯t thought anything of it because of the shock of what I had woken up to. But this wasn¡¯t my ring. This was a plain gold ring. I slipped it off of my finger. There was a tan line around it. And it was hard to get off. There was an inscription.
KS + CS 6/25
¡°Oh god . . . What the fuck?¡±

=== Kari === I received a message from Curt. It was strange. Curt had no reason to talk to me. He hated me; he hated everything about me. He was trying to kill me. And after everything we had done to each other, I never thought it could be any other way. But the message was right there.
I woke up in a weird place. Our apartment has other people living in it. What the hell happened? Meet me at our spot in town. I think something strange is going on.
What the hell does he mean by this? Our spot? We don¡¯t have a spot. We haven¡¯t had a spot since we were 14. What the fuck? I was on patrol when I got the message. It had been a relatively slow night; I had just been stopping minor crimes here and there. But when I received that, I stopped. I had to. I had to sit down. The message was so . . . Familiar. I didn¡¯t know where to go. I definitely didn¡¯t know what to do. How could I? I sat there staring at my phone for an hour, trying to piece things together. I was brought out of my thoughts when something shifted behind me. I blasted off the building and turned to the noise, fists clenched. Curt stepped out of a portal. ¡°Kari, thank god. You¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± ¡°I . . . Kari, it¡¯s me. It¡¯s Curteh,¡± he almost whispered. He looked hurt. That face . . . It wasn¡¯t filled with the rage that had contorted it the last time I had seen it. There was no malice. There was just pain. He looked down at his hand and nodded. ¡°Okay . . . So, wherever I am, things aren¡¯t right. That . . . Damn it!¡± ¡°Yeah, things are definitely not right, Curt. I¡¯m taking you in! You need to go to jail.¡± ¡°Jail?¡± He repeated. ¡°Ah. Okay. Maybe time travel, then. No, that doesn¡¯t make sense; the date¡¯s right. Hmm. What could be different here.¡± ¡°Acting crazy isn¡¯t going to stop me from arresting you,¡± I called out as I charged forward. Curt wasn¡¯t paying attention, and my fist slammed into his face. He flew into the back wall and then slammed into the ground. Shakily, he stood up. ¡°Kari!¡± He shouted indignantly. ¡°What the hell are you doing? If the tabloids get a hold of that, they¡¯ll have a field day. Call you an abusive spouse all day!¡± ¡°Spouse? You think that I¡¯m your wife? I didn¡¯t hit you that hard!¡± I protested. Hundreds of thoughts flooded my head. The What Ifs that I had when I first found Curt back in my life. What could have been, I lamented. He stared at me, rubbing his jaw. ¡°Right, sorry. You¡¯re. . . You¡¯re not my Kari. And you and I are enemies. Okay.¡± He looked down at his hand. ¡°But I am married to . . . someone. It must be that brunette I woke up next to. And you want to take me to jail.¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about, Curt!?¡± I demanded, clenching my fists. My knuckles popped. I flew closer, but he didn¡¯t raise a hand to defend himself. ¡°I should have known. Your hair is different. And I¡¯ve been sore this entire time. I thought it was just me getting older, but if we¡¯ve been fighting, I¡¯m lucky to not be in a full-body cast. I . . . I must¡¯ve done something to really hurt you for you to respond fist-first. Well, whatever this other me did, I¡¯m sorry.¡± I froze at those words, eyes wide. Curt would never apologize. Especially not to me. Not after . . . everything. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°You¡¯re. . . You¡¯re really not you. You¡¯re not Curt.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. And while normally, I¡¯d be grateful for that, I am stuck here in his body.¡± ¡°And . . . wherever you¡¯re from . . . we¡¯re. . . we¡¯re married?¡± I asked, gulping. ¡°Yeah. You proposed two years ago. We eloped last year.¡± ¡°Eloped? We didn¡¯t even have a proper wedding?¡± ¡°It was mostly to get away from the paparazzi.¡± I landed on the roof. I had to. I needed something stable underneath me. My mind flashed to Chuck for a moment. What he¡¯d think of all of this. I frowned and nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s happening. But I think I need to bring in . . .¡± I paused. Does this Curt know Chuck? I¡¯d better play it safe. I looked away from the man in front of me. I tried not to think of him as my enemy. If he really is a different Curt, somehow, then he¡¯s not. Especially not if we¡¯re married. The thought was almost enough to send me spiraling. It¡¯s all fourteen-year-old me ever wanted. I distinctly remembered scrawling our names together in my notebook in Social Studies. Picturing our wedding. Before everything changed. Before I changed. I took a deep breath. He was watching me. It was a little disconcerting. I hadn¡¯t seen him so calm in months. He looked more curious than anything, the way his lip would twist upward as he considered something. A look I hadn¡¯t seen in too long. It can¡¯t be him. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. But we need to confirm some things. I¡¯m going to bring in Professor Mind and have him check you out?¡± ¡°What!?¡± He demanded, disgust in his voice. ¡°You¡¯re going to trust a supervillain with my brain?¡±

=== Curt === I sat in that waiting room for a long time, trying to understand what the fuck was happening. And I couldn¡¯t. There was nothing to understand. This is insane. It¡¯s impossible. There¡¯s no reality, no way I could ever end up with Kari. I¡¯d never forgive her for what she did to . . . My mind lurched to a stop. Cindi. I checked my contacts, and Cindi Drei wasn¡¯t there. I checked the news. Buck Cherry still existed, and she had teamed up with . . . Professor Mind!? They were a supervillain team. Literally. They went around killing people and lobotomizing them. Professor Mind was considered to be the most dangerous man on the planet. There were expos¨¦s detailing his fall from grace. From his days as Kid Mind to the man who rendered Bion braindead. He¡¯d never recovered from the events with Light Knight and Cannon Punch. He had become more and more violent until he and Cherry had gotten together. They¡¯d done a ton of high-end jobs. They¡¯d robbed the Louvre for fun. They¡¯d steal anything and sell it publicly. And no one had been able to stop them. Cindi also wasn¡¯t the same either. She didn¡¯t just disable people like my Cherry did. She tore people¡¯s hearts out and laughed. Her history was far more sparse. She wasn¡¯t as well-liked in this universe. Some still thirsted after her, but she wasn¡¯t on Twitter or Instagram, and her online presence seemed to revel in people¡¯s fear. I Yahoo¡¯d her ex, Hope Moore. She had been found dead in her prison cell shortly after her arrest, around the same time that Cindi would¡¯ve found Pinikir¡¯s statue. My heart sank. Loneliness poured into me, filling my chest and weighing down my arms and legs. I hadn¡¯t felt this isolated since . . . Since Kari left me. And almost as if thinking about her was a summoning ritual, Kari walked through the door. The lights came on, and I jumped up; the UI responded to my motions and targeted her immediately, but she was outlined as green. I didn¡¯t know what that meant. Her costume was different. It was still her bright pink, but it was a halter top that hung off her shoulders and showed off her chest much more than her everyday outfit, her red cape hanging from just below her shoulder blades. She also wore similarly pink pants, which looked more like leather than her gym rat aesthetic. And her long hair was drawn back into a ponytail. She closed the distance between us and pulled me into a tight hug. ¡°Curt, you¡¯re okay. What¡¯s going on? You weren¡¯t in bed. Did you forget something here?¡± I pushed away from her, trying to keep my breathing under control. My heart was pounding, and my mind was racing. Think! I got to come up with a plausible excuse. She¡¯ll kill me if she finds out that I¡¯m not her Curt. I stuttered for a moment. ¡°F-forgot something, yeah. That¡¯s it. I just had some work to do and couldn¡¯t sleep. I-I¡¯m sorry, Sm-Smash Gal. I didn¡¯t mean to leave you hanging.¡± ¡°Smash Gal?¡± She asked, then she grinned, pulling me back to her. ¡°Ooh. Are we roleplaying? Like the old days. Mean ol¡¯ Smash Gal come to stop one of your little heists. How will you ever convince me to not take you to jail?¡± I choked on the air and pulled myself from her grasp again. The thought of doing . . . that, any of that with her, sent my stomach roiling. Eventually, I regained my composure and looked back at Kari. She was frowning at me. ¡°Curteh, are you okay? I know you¡¯ve been working really hard lately. Maybe you should take the day off.¡± ¡°N-no. I¡¯m fine,¡± I lied. My mind was reeling from everything that was happening. Nothing could have ever prepared me for . . . roleplay with Kari. Nothing. Ever. She stepped closer to me, and I took a step back. ¡°You aren¡¯t yourself. Wh-who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Curtis Dre- Reese,¡± I said, not catching myself soon enough. Her eyes widened. ¡°Reese? Something has happened to you. Was it Professor Mind? Did he do something to your memories? I¡¯ll kill him!¡± She growled. That¡¯s the Kari, I know. ¡°No, Smash . . . Kari. Just . . . Clam down,¡± I began, taking several deep breaths. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe me if I told you.¡± ¡°Curt, try me. We¡¯re superheroes. Weird shit happens to us every day. Remember that time when we were hit with the Rule 63 beam? I was a pretty hot guy.¡± ¡°Uh . . .¡± I smacked my lips. ¡°I¡¯m not your Curt. I¡¯m. . . This is ridiculous.¡± She stepped closer and threw an arm around me. And this body, the body not mine, reacted. It felt right. It was comforted by this. Which scared me. ¡°We¡¯ll get this fixed. We¡¯ll figure something out. We always do, together.¡±

=== Chuck === ¡°Hey, Kari. What¡¯s up?¡± I asked after accepting the call. ¡°Chuck, something weird¡¯s happening with Curt. Could you come down and see what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Curt? Uh, yeah. Of course.¡± It didn¡¯t take long to get there. When I did, Curt and Kari were sitting next to each other on a roof somewhere. I landed, and Drei jumped up, backing away. ¡°St-stay back! Kari says you¡¯re trustworthy, but I know what you¡¯re capable of. I saw what you did to Bion. I was there.¡± ¡°Bion?¡± I asked, looking between the two of them. Kari walked over to me and kissed me on the cheek. I opened my senses to both of them. Apprehension and confusion coming from Kari. I paused. Curt¡¯s emotions are entirely different. There¡¯s confusion and fear, mainly directed at me. Jealousy. But no anger. No hatred. I¡¯d never seen Reese anywhere near this . . . stable. ¡°Oh, so you brainwashed her!¡± Esvanir accused. He whipped out his little toy and started flicking through menus before deflating. ¡°God! What moron designed this? The nested menus are fucking terrible!¡± ¡°So, this is Curt, but I don¡¯t think this is . . . the one we know.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what he was saying. He . . . He thought we were married. Imagine that.¡± ¡°Married? That¡¯s. . . new.¡± I walked forward, and that got his attention again, and he raised a hand, and I held up my own, trying to placate him. ¡°Mister Drei, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening here, but I¡¯m here to help.¡± ¡°Who the fuck is Mister Drei?¡± He demanded, heat crawling through his voice. ¡°Definitely not our Curt,¡± Kari said, standing beside me again. She wrapped an arm around my waist, and I felt Curt¡¯s jealousy flare up. It was pointed and overwhelming. His emotions were still strong and somewhat familiar. But it was surreal, seeing this man who usually was rabidly vying for Smash Gal¡¯s death wanting to flay me for her touching me. ¡°No, but I think he genuinely believes you were married.¡± ¡°How are you so sure?¡± ¡°Every time you touch me, jealousy pours off of him.¡± ¡°Hey, could you two not talk about me like I¡¯m not here?¡± Curt asked bitterly. ¡°Mister . . . Reese,¡± I began. After all of the times he corrected me, it felt wrong to say. ¡°Stewart,¡± he corrected. ¡°What?¡± Kari demanded. ¡°I took your last name.¡± ¡°Some things never change, I guess,¡± I said, looking at my girlfriend. Amusement threaded itself through her emotions. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Uh . . . O-our Curt took his wife¡¯s last name as well. Just not . . . K-Kari¡¯s.¡± This was baffling. I don¡¯t even know where to begin with this. I cleared my throat. ¡°Mister St-Stewart, what¡¯s the last thing that you remember?¡± ¡°Who would I have married?¡± Curt asked, frowning. ¡°Cindi Drei.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. . .¡± He trailed off, shaking his head. ¡°Buck Cherry,¡± Kari said, annoyance trickling through. ¡°B-Buck Cherry?¡± He stumbled back and sat down on the ledge. His emotions were a maelstrom of confusion, fear, and anger. ¡°I-I married a murderer. I married the greatest thief and one of the greatest terrorists in the world.¡± He took several deep breaths and looked up at Smash Gal, and his words sent me reeling. Coming from that face, coming from that man. This just feels wrong. ¡°Kar, help me. Please.¡± Issue #54: I Don鈥檛 Think We Have a Choice

=== Curt === Smash Gal looked hurt when I pulled away. I guess she wears her heart on her sleeve no matter what reality we¡¯re in. I took several deep breaths. I tried counting to ten, but that had never helped me much. My mind was moving a mile a minute. It constantly moved too fast. So, I started talking. I couldn¡¯t stand the silence. I couldn¡¯t stand that pained look on her face. So, I did what I always did when I got in over my head. I pushed forward, trying to figure everything out. ¡°You said that stuff like this happens to you all the time? Has this ever happened?¡± ¡°Has my husband ever forgotten that we were married and acted scared of me?¡± She didn¡¯t even try to hide the pain in her voice. ¡°No, Curt. This has never happened. At least, I don¡¯t think so. I don¡¯t even really know what¡¯s happening.¡± ¡°I . . . haven¡¯t forgotten anything. It never happened to me. This is going to sound a little nuts. I think I¡¯m from a parallel universe. A different reality where . . . we still exist, but . . . not like this. Not . . . together.¡± ¡°Not together? I can¡¯t imagine a world where we didn¡¯t end up together, Curteh,¡± she muttered softly. ¡°Yeah, well. It didn¡¯t happen where I¡¯m from. It couldn¡¯t. Not after everything.¡± ¡°Everything?¡± ¡°You . . .¡± I paused, trying to suppress all of the emotions that were running over me. The pain of all of Kari¡¯s attacks on me. On Cindi. How angry she made me feel all the time. ¡°When you came back into my life, you were already Smash Gal in my world. And you almost killed me. A lot. You . . . you almost killed my wife. Twice.¡± ¡°Wife?¡± She muttered. ¡°When I came back into your life . . . Ten years is a long time, but we¡¯re tighter than that. We could¡¯ve survived that.¡± ¡°Ten years? Well, that explains one aspect.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s about when I met Cindi. You didn¡¯t even come back for another four years after that.¡± ¡°Four years can make that much of a difference?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it was just the time.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kari asked. This still feels so fucking weird. I¡¯m just talking to her. Like she¡¯s a person. Like she hasn¡¯t been trying to ruin my life for a year now. Another voice in my head countered; she didn¡¯t. That was your Kari. You brought that out of her. Because you ruin everything. I pushed my self-hatred to the side. I don¡¯t have time for that right now. I also didn¡¯t have time for every doubt I¡¯ve ever had about Smash Gal to bubble to the surface, but there wasn¡¯t anything I could do about that. ¡°I got involved with the World¡¯s Greatest Thief. And I am the third greatest. Cin encouraged me to be a better thief. And I use that to help the world.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what my Curteh thought too. But I showed him a better way.¡± ¡°A better way?¡± I scoffed. ¡°What, Esvanir, Inc.?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Smash Gal straightened her back a little. ¡°You were just a petty criminal stealing stuff from WanEn, EnGin, and whoever else when I first caught you. You were trying to help people, but you were alone and weren¡¯t doing it in a way that would ever mean anything. You were breaking the law for a good reason, but you were still breaking the law.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll never let myself be bound by unjust laws,¡± I muttered under my breath, unable to keep the heat out of it. Kari watched me. ¡°You really are just like him from all those years ago. But I showed him a better way. You go through the right channels; you help people get their stolen items back, and they pay you for it. And you buy things the world needs and donate them to those in need. You have a network of people worldwide to help manage your donations, ensuring the right people get what they need. You¡¯ve even partnered with Bion. Well, before Professor Mind . . .¡± ¡°Bion . . .¡± My voice trailed off. Did they know? Could they possibly? It was Kari¡¯s stupidity and my dickishness that got him caught. ¡°When was the last Grignau attack?¡± ¡°Last year. But what does that have to do with anything?¡± ¡°In my world, Bion is behind those attacks. And I bet that¡¯s still true here. If I partnered with him, I¡¯m culpable for not stopping the greatest mass murderer ever.¡± ¡°That¡¯s crazy. Why would Bion use the Grignau to stage an attack? You¡¯re nuts.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t. He just did what capitalists do. He invaded their world for resources, consequences be damned, and everyone else had to pay the price.¡± Kari sighed. I glanced over at her. She was frowning at me, disappointment evident on her face. ¡°Whatever. Not my world, not my problem. But after we get this resolved, maybe look into it.¡±

=== Kari === ¡°Um. C-Curt,¡± I said tentatively. I¡¯d closed the distance between us. I think this is the closest I¡¯ve been to him without attacking since . . . we were fourteen. Even on our little coffee date when I first came to Avalare, he¡¯d kept his distance. He¡¯s closed off to everyone. An image of Buck Cherry wrapped around him forced itself up from my memories. But I ignored it, looking down at my old friend. This . . . It¡¯s almost like old times. At least a little. He looked up at me with his piercing blue eyes. They weren¡¯t contorted in rage. He wasn¡¯t screaming at me. Something settled in me for the first time since I found out who he was. What he was. I don¡¯t want to fight him anymore. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out. I¡¯ll help you. Just like when we were kids. What¡¯s the last thing you remember?¡± ¡°You and I were fighting Buck Cherry and . . .¡± He trailed off, looking up at Chuck, who frowned down at him. ¡°So, you were fighting me in your parallel world. Did anything weird happen during that fight?¡± ¡°No,¡± Curt said, his face screwing up in concentration. ¡°Well, no weirder than normal. I mean, I am a guy with a fancy pair of contacts and a piece of tech straight from Aperture fighting the most powerful psychic and the greatest thief in the world. Cherry had me pinned and did that weird nerve thing.¡± He gestured to Chuck and continued. ¡°You blasted me with something, and I must¡¯ve passed out. Fortunately, Kari was there. She must¡¯ve done something. Unless . . . you killed her. Killed me.¡± ¡°Chuck would never do that!¡± I insisted. Chuck shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not . . . I can, Kari. It would be easy in a lot of cases.¡± I watched him. He wasn¡¯t looking at either of us. Instead, eyes were glued to his feet. His mouth was stuck somewhere between a pout and a frown. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve proved that time and time again. Especially against Bion.¡± ¡°Bion?¡± I asked. Even thinking about the man filled me with rage. Curt must¡¯ve noticed that because he looked at me curiously. ¡°What happened to Bion?¡± ¡°Yeah, Brain boy here tore his mind out. Left him a vegetable. He¡¯s still in a coma.¡± PM shifted uncomfortably beside me, and I considered him for a moment. I didn¡¯t need to be a telepath to know that his mind was on Scott and Blanca. I wrapped an arm around him. Then Curt looked away, gritting his teeth. I can¡¯t believe Curt is jealous of Chuck. That¡¯s. . . almost cute. Chuck cleared his throat, forcing a subject change. For a therapist, he sure avoids his own issues a lot. Though, right now is hardly the time. ¡°Mister . . . Stewart. I think that my other self was doing an Ego Drain, and it interacted weird with Miss Drei¡¯s powers, which caused the predicament that you¡¯re in currently. Do you know how her powers work?¡± ¡°No,¡± Curt said quickly, considering. ¡°What exactly is an Ego Drain?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little hard to explain, but if I am inclined to, basically, I can take the whole of someone¡¯s persona, their memories, their personality, their essence, and strip it from their body. It¡¯s. . . not a pleasant experience, but if . . . I¡¯ve gone bad in this other world, then I may be more. . willing to use it.¡± My boyfriend physically shuddered as he thought about it. ¡°Does it always send people to a dystopian mirror of your life where everything is worse?¡± Curt asked bitterly. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I think we have to call in your wife.¡± ¡°My wife¡¯s right there. With her arm around you,¡± he muttered softly. ¡°I mean-¡± ¡°I know what you meant. I¡¯m from out of town, but that doesn¡¯t make me a moron. I just don¡¯t want to call another supervillain.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we have a choice, Curt.¡±

=== Don === Through a series of couriers, I managed to get a message over to Rawlins written in an old cipher the cops had cracked a while back. They hadn¡¯t used it in years, but I was confident he¡¯d still remember it. They had used it for ten years. I had been vague enough to give plausible deniability if he decided to flip on me. But I think my offer was enticing enough to pique his interest. In the meantime, Alexander had mass-produced some of the cures they had been testing at Bellemere. It had proven fatal, and Alexander wasn¡¯t sure about it. Still, I insisted we have some as a backup since, undoubtedly, the filth would fight back. I watched Alan Crane, the senior District Attorney walk by my office. He looked exhausted and utterly defeated. I leaned back in my office chair, smoking a Cuban cigar. Today was good. Everything was falling into place. I couldn¡¯t help but have idle fantasies about what Curatio would accomplish next. We were gearing up and on the cusp of our first big move. I received a call from a police station. Not exactly uncommon, I thought. I answered it and started to speak but was cut off by an automated voice. ¡°This is a collect call coming from Avalare Police Department from-¡± another voice cut in, ¡°Johnny Rolls-¡± the robotic agent cut back in, ¡°Please press 1 to accept the charges.¡± I did so. ¡°Mister Rawlins, to what do I owe this honor?¡± ¡°Well, Mister Assistant District Attorney, I have really seen the error of my ways, and I wanted to talk to you about how I may make things right. With society, you see. I¡¯ve been doing a lot of reflection, and I think about the big man himself and really want to do right by him.¡± The way he emphasized big man was all that I needed to hear. I felt my lips spread into a rare smile. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I get down there so that we can talk in person.¡± A few hours later, I was at the jail he was being held in. He was brought in, chained at the wrists. The cop escorting him chained him to the table. I had already been in the other room and had turned off the cameras and microphones. I couldn¡¯t guarantee that no one was listening on the other side, but at least nothing would be on the record. I gave my best grin up to the cop. ¡°Please, leave the keys. We¡¯re here to have a nice conversation.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Are you sure?¡± The cop asked, looking between the two of us. Rawlins was a big guy. He was not as big as Marcelli, but he still outweighed me by probably a hundred and fifty pounds. I nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m quite sure. Thank you.¡± I said, putting a note of finality in it.¡± ¡°Do you want me to stay, just in case?¡± He asked, putting the keys on the table. ¡°No, that¡¯s quite alright, officer. As I stated, this will just be a nice conversation while we iron out some details.¡± The cop looked unsure but left the room hesitantly. Rawlins considered me for a moment as I undid his shackles. ¡°You know, I was shocked to get that little message from you. Especially when I confirmed it was you. So, I¡¯m a bit curious. What¡¯s all this about?¡± ¡°I want to talk to Vincent Marcelli,¡± I said in an even voice. Despite this being necessary, I did feel a little sick working with criminals like this man. ¡°I don¡¯t think Mister Marcelli wants to talk to you. He¡¯s. . comfortable where he is.¡± ¡°I think he would be very interested in what I have to say.¡± ¡°And what exactly is that? So that I can tell him.¡± ¡°He and I have a common interest.¡± Rawlins raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°No offense, Mister Assistant District Attorney,¡± he began. The way he said my title made my skin crawl. He put so much condescension in it. I fought back a grimace and settled for a deep frown. ¡°But I don¡¯t think that you and he have much in the way of mutual interests.¡± ¡°We have one. I am working to . . . deal with the degeneracy that has befallen our society. Mister Marcelli has expressed a similar attitude several times in the past. In fact, he has something of a reputation.¡± Rawlins¡¯ brow furrowed as he considered my words. Then his eyes widened. ¡°Oh. You and he, uh, don¡¯t like the same kinds of people. I see. And you¡¯re looking to do something about that. I don¡¯t have so much of a problem with that sort. So, I know what¡¯s in it for you, and I know what¡¯s in it for him. But what¡¯s in it for me?¡± The criminal asked, examining his nails nonchalantly. ¡°Plea deal. 3 years, minimum security. A nice place. Lots of free time, lots of exercise.¡± ¡°I was thinking that, as the facilitator of this little meet-cute, I walk.¡± He sounded almost bored. I growled in annoyance. ¡°Rawlins, you have a record a mile long.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never done a hard time.¡± ¡°No, but you¡¯re suspected in every part of Marcelli¡¯s business.¡± ¡°I walk.¡± I watched the man for a long moment, gritting my teeth. I hate the idea of putting this scum going free. But I can deal with him later. I pictured him when the day came. He¡¯s a blood traitor. He¡¯ll hang like the rest of them. And that thought managed to bring a smile to my face. ¡°You walk. But you have to convince Marcelli to hear me out. Fully.¡± ¡°Of course, Mister Assistant Distri-¡± ¡°And if he doesn¡¯t, you¡¯ll get life. I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡±

=== Kari === I watched the man in my husband¡¯s body. He moved like a skittish cat, jumpy and over-aware of everything around me. My heart panged to see it. Curt¡¯s always been a little like this. But this is the worst I¡¯ve ever seen. His words played back in my head; After everything you¡¯ve done to me. I took a deep breath, trying to banish his accusation. If this wasn¡¯t some mind trick played on us by Professor Mind and Buck Cherry, then there was a universe out there where Curt is afraid of me. I swallowed hard, my mouth dry. ¡°Wh-what is the other Kari like?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can answer that fairly,¡± Curt said. So, that¡¯s still the same. A desire for infinite nuance and carefully dodging every question. I rolled my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s pretty complicated. She does what she thinks is right. But she¡¯s myopic and dangerous.¡± ¡°Dangerous?¡± I asked. ¡°She started off her career as green as hell. Couldn¡¯t control her strength or speed worth shit. That was pretty bad, but ultimately kind of forgivable. She wanted to help people.¡± ¡°And now?¡± ¡°She¡¯s better at controlling her powers. But as she¡¯s gained that control, she¡¯s become more lethal. She¡¯s almost killed my wife, me, and several other theoretical villains.¡± ¡°Theoretical?¡± I asked. ¡°It¡¯s not the framework I operate in. Technically, I¡¯m a villain. I hit the FBI¡¯s Most Wanted List, but when you get down to it, I¡¯m just a thief and an activist.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like the whole story,¡± I replied. Curt stared at me for a long moment. ¡°People have taken my ideas and hurt people. I didn¡¯t do it. But I¡¯m still responsible. And I¡¯m handling it.¡± ¡°And how exactly is a thief going to fix anything?¡± ¡°Hostile takeover and dissolution of the group of people using my name to hurt people.¡± ¡°You really think that will work? That you just can tell them not to meet anymore, and that¡¯s the end of it? I¡¯m pretty sure my Curt is smarter.¡± ¡°And what am I supposed to do? Take a bunch of terrorists and make them into activists?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you also just a terrorist? You call yourself an activist, but you steal from whoever you want to and try to force everyone to live by your morals.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re smarter than the Kari I deal with.¡± ¡°I really doubt that. I bet we¡¯re exactly as smart as each other, and you just don¡¯t listen to me. I mean to her, the other me. This is so confusing! But my point stands. You never give her a chance.¡± ¡°I gave her a chance. She burned that bridge. Not me.¡± His voice was harsh, leaving no room for argument. But I¡¯m the most powerful woman in the world. If I can¡¯t find space, I can make space. ¡°Yeah, right. Did you ever talk to her? Or did you just cut and run when she confronted you?¡± ¡°You know, I wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk after she had flown me into the stratosphere and broken my ribs. Or when she almost strangled my then-fiance to death. Or when she crashed my wedding and did that again. Or broke into her hospital room, broke my hand, and sent me to another goddamn planet.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re anything like my Curt, you escalated just as much as she did. Every step of the way.¡± ¡°This is pointless. Arguing with you is like arguing with a less articulate brick wall,¡± This other Esvanir growled. ¡°What¡¯s the last thing that this Curt did before I woke up in his body?¡± ¡°We fought Professor Mind and Buck Cherry. He was knocked unconscious. I didn¡¯t think anything of it. I chased them off and then laid you down in our bed.¡± ¡°Did they hit me in the head or anything?¡± ¡°No, they both attacked you. BC did that shock-y nerve thing, and Professor Mind was probably trying to hit you like he did Bion.¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t take this body to get checked on?¡± ¡°No. Curt¡¯d be pissed if I took him to a doctor. He hates them.¡± The imposter laughed softly, shaking his head. ¡°They can be pretty annoying, sometimes.¡± He sobered some. I recognized the face he was making. He was thinking through the problem. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about how Mind¡¯s powers actually work. But it might be an interaction between the two of them doing whatever they¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°You know Buck Cherry¡¯s powers?¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, I have hypotheses. They¡¯re kind of hard to test. Or were. I think this answers some questions. I read that they¡¯re a team. Do you know where they stay?¡± ¡°If I knew where they were, they¡¯d be in jail.¡± ¡°Point.¡± He sobered some. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have the same phone numbers. Mind wouldn¡¯t have the same private persona. I don¡¯t remember all of Cin¡¯s aliases off the top of my head. This version of Mind. Why did he lobotomize Bion?¡± ¡°He was in the way. Mind¡¯s a psycho.¡± Curt sighed angrily, shaking his head. ¡°What?¡± ¡°This is my problem with you supposed heroes. You never think to look at why someone does something. Professor Mind is the most powerful psychic in the world. In my world, he can keep up with Smash Gal on several fronts. And you think that he¡¯d just wipe someone because they were in the way? I don¡¯t buy it. There¡¯s got to be another reason.¡± ¡°Bion kept challenging him. Chased him all across the planet.¡± ¡°Challenged him?¡± ¡°Yeah. Wan promised to catch Mind and Cherry, lock them up and throw away the key. Forever.¡± ¡°Have we ever done that?¡± ¡°I mean, we boast sometimes. But we¡¯ve never done a full media campaign about it.¡± ¡°Did I boast during this fight?¡± ¡°You promised to get him for what he did to Bion. And you had BC on the ropes.¡± ¡°Okay. I think I have a plan.¡± Curt made some coffee. His version took it black. It¡¯s definitely not my version, then. My Curt risks diabetes every time he has a cup. I smiled to myself, despite the pain wrapping around my heart. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Studying your husband¡¯s UI. Trying to understand some of the decisions he made.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s elegant. I hate it.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s better designed than yours.¡± ¡°In some ways, certainly.¡± ¡°And how is yours any better?¡± ¡°Oh, my range is way larger. I can be anywhere on the same hemisphere in an instant.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t need to run like you did. He¡¯s not a criminal.¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s managed to do some of what I want to through legitimate means. I hate that, too.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because it leaves the structures that cause these problems untouched. It legitimizes them.¡± ¡°The system is good! It¡¯s what keeps us from devolving into anarchy.¡± ¡°God, you really are just like her,¡± he said, hatred filling his tone. He handed me Curt¡¯s phone. ¡°Record this.¡± I got him centered in the frame. It¡¯s so strange, watching this body snatcher in my husband¡¯s body. Curt was normally relaxed and easy going. Both of them were quick on their feet, but this one held himself in a constant hunch, almost threatening to devolve into a question mark. It made me sick to look at. He started talking. ¡°Yesterday, Smash Gal and I fought Professor Mind and Buck Cherry. Professor Mind tried to strip me of my mind, just as he did with Wa- Bion. But he failed. And his failure just shows the bankruptcy of his ideology and capabilities as a villain. I¡¯m here to say that we will take both of them in and have a plan to do so now.¡± I gaped at him. What does he think he¡¯s doing? Mocking our greatest villains? The greatest meta threat in all of Avalare. In the world. I stopped the recording and watched him for a moment before I grabbed him by his collar and hefted him up, shaking him. My Curt would¡¯ve been surprised; he would¡¯ve cried out, demanding I let him go. This Curt just glared down at me, his hand twitching. Rage boiled in my chest. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Setting out some bait.¡± ¡°Bait!?¡± I spat back at him. ¡°You¡¯re using my husband as bait!?¡± ¡°Yes. We don¡¯t know where they hide. So, I¡¯m going to bait them out. And I will get that condescending prick to send me back to my world.¡± His voice was neutral. Cold. He didn¡¯t even let the strain of being lifted up in the air play on his face. I dropped him, and he stumbled. ¡°And what if he just wipes you out? Or even if you get back, what about my Curt?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about your Curt. He¡¯s a tool.¡± I tensed and almost swung at him. I wanted to. I wanted to so badly. But it was still my husband¡¯s body. ¡°You are evil!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°You think your Curt is different? You think he would give a damn if my consciousness faded if it meant he could get back?¡± ¡°I . . . You¡¯re a villain.¡± ¡°And thus, my life is forfeit in your eyes. You are exactly like the Smash Gal of my world. Shortsighted and selfish.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one willing to sacrifice an innocent man for my own goals.¡± ¡°Yeah. Only the guilty ones. Or at least the ones you¡¯ve deemed guilty.¡± I stood there, clenching my jaw. He has a smart-ass response to everything! I paused for a moment. Just like my Curt. They are the same person. Just . . . one¡¯s more jaded and hates me. ¡°Anyway. Now, there¡¯s nothing to do but wait for the fallout.¡± Issue #55: Being Blown Up is Better with Company

=== Cindi === I was in the Acolytes¡¯ hideout, walking around and watching people. All of the eyes were on me, as they should be. I was clothed, showing that I wasn¡¯t here for a fight or anything else. Except for shoes. I can¡¯t stand the things. Curt had gone galavanting somewhere before I woke up, but that¡¯s fine. It allowed me to introduce myself to our new organization. Crowley was awake and not thrilled with the events, but he couldn¡¯t stop us. Pinikir stretched out her consciousness in my mind, and I felt great. There were hundreds of Acolytes, though most were much more casual than the most die-hard. And many held my Curt in high regard. As they should. And this gave us an excellent opportunity. We could use these people. Curt could do his charity work and change the world, and I could train them to be proper thieves. They will hang off my every word and listen to my every direction. As is proper. That thought felt a little strange in my head, but it wasn¡¯t incorrect. I did notice a few sidelong glances from people who were not as thrilled with my presence as they should be. But they will learn. My musings were interrupted as I got a call.
My Curt Accept | Decline
Strange, I thought. Curt hates calling people. He¡¯d text but never called anyone if he had a choice. Especially now that he can text with his eyes. I always chose to test his patience by forcing him to take my calls. It was just one of the little games I played. Though this gives me a chance to set Acolyte¡¯s expectations appropriately. ¡°Esvanir, darling. We¡¯re missing you here. Mister Crowley is desperate to hear your new ideas for their direction.¡± ¡°H-hey, Buck Cherry,¡± Curt began. I frowned. Something¡¯s off. He continued a little more confidently. ¡°Could you meet me somewhere? I-I need your help.¡± I thought I could hear another voice before he disconnected, but I couldn¡¯t be sure. I frowned at the phone for a moment. That had not gone the way I wanted. I called over one of the Acolytes, ¡°You, come here.¡± The young man bounded up to me, gulping, as I took out the cute little case Curt had made me. ¡°H-how can I help you, Miss Buck Cherry?¡± ¡°I have to be somewhere. Keep these safe for me,¡± I said as I pulled off the blouse I wore through my chest, and my pants fell to the wayside. He gaped, and I grinned. ¡°Wh-where are you going?¡± He asked, trying and failing to avert his eyes. And who could blame him? ¡°If my instincts are right, and they almost always are, to war.¡± I strapped on the bracelet and gingerly fit my middle finger into its casing before putting the contacts in. My husband¡¯s UI started identifying things around the room, targeting them. It made special note of the guns in the room. But none of that mattered. I snapped and the world shifted. I recognized the cityscape I arrived at. Avalare. I was on a roof. Smash Gal, Doctor Berry, and Curt were standing there. But he wasn¡¯t looking at me right. He was wary, maybe even scared. His eyes darted around. And when they fell on me, they didn¡¯t linger. Pinikir stirred inside of me. THAT IS NOT OUR PET. I flexed my hand instinctively. She was right. Curt hadn¡¯t looked at me like that since the first night we met.

=== Flashback ===

I was doing a job. I had already stolen and sold my Cherries. And that had netted me a healthy profit. But the problem with profit is that once you have it, all you can do is spend it. And I had. And I was bored. I was in Avalare as a layover to the west coast. I had hours before my flight. So, I was lazily scrolling my phone in the terminal, waiting for something to do. And that¡¯s when I saw something interesting. It was a headline that read Avalare Museum Security Upgraded Just in Time for Middle East Exhibit. I read on in the article. The museum director had been interviewed and had said, ¡°With these new anti-meta security measures, I feel confident in saying that no one could possibly break into the museum.¡± Men are so silly. Always thinking they¡¯d made an unsinkable ship. An unbreachable city. An unrobbable museum. It¡¯s adorable, really. So, I left the airport and caught a cab to the newest additions to my collection. It was like almost every other one in the world. Built to be huge and heavy. To handle the weight of all of the cultures they¡¯ve stolen from. The impressive marble harkened back to Ancient Greece and Rome. The only histories that Americans respected. I walked through the front door, my clothes hanging loosely off the outer handle. Floating, I swam through the halls, looking at the different displays. I did encounter a guard, but his knees were weak when he saw me. And weaker still when I touched him. I found the Middle East exhibit quickly enough. I couldn¡¯t help but read the little inscriptions. They were always so interesting. Most of them weren¡¯t wholly inaccurate, but as with everything designed for public consumption, a lot of nuance was missing. What was more interesting was that I recognized some of the artifacts. I had excavated some of them. With Hope. It¡¯s incredible how often stolen artifacts end up in museums. I slid my hands through the glass surrounding a jeweled crown and took it out of its case. It was gold with beautifully cut sapphires pressed in. I smiled at my distorted reflection. I didn¡¯t have much else I could take easily. And really, this proves them wrong. I pushed my hair down before my eyes and spread my body open for the cameras, flaunting the crown. A wedding gift to a long-dead queen. And it was now mine. I started navigating my way out. I could¡¯ve gone straight up, but I did take a little more time looking at the displays. History and gorgeous art intermingled. Then there was a strange sound behind me. A soft pop. And a man in a mask was stalking down the hall. How¡¯d he get here? His footsteps were loud, so there was no way he could¡¯ve possibly snuck up on me. He hadn¡¯t seemed to notice me either. He made his way down to a series of paintings and sat down a bag in front of one of them. I watched him dig through it. He brought out a drill and a series of strange little plates with clips on the back. I frowned at him. He was just about to start drilling into the wall when I said. ¡°Oh, darling, I wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± He jumped and spun on a heel. His mask had a large hole in the eyes. He was wearing strange glasses, but behind those, he had sharp, blue eyes. They were wide with fear. Precisely how I like my men. But after a moment, he took a few deep breaths and shook his head, returning to his work. In a gruff, annoyed voice, he said, ¡°Get out of here, Buck Cherry.¡± ¡°Oh, so you know me. How cute. But that raises a question. Who are you?¡±

=== Present Day ===

I watched my husband put more distance between us. Something he¡¯d never done before. His eyes were wide, and he actually put Smash Gal in between us. Smash Gal, to her credit, didn¡¯t stand in my way. Anger stirred deep into my chest. I flexed my fingers and walked forward, past her, past Professor Mind. ¡°Essy, my love, why are we here? Why are you with them?¡± ¡°B-Buck Cherry. I needed their help. They were the only ones I could think of going to,¡± he lied. My husband doesn¡¯t lie to me. He¡¯d never be stupid enough to do that. I looked at Smash Gal, who watched Curt; her face was stony and not giving away much. I could read Professor Mind¡¯s face. He was troubled, maybe even concerned. ¡°Who is this? This isn¡¯t Curt.¡± ¡°Well,¡± the psychiatrist began in that condescending tone that was meant to be comforting. ¡°It isn¡¯t, and it is.¡± ¡°Doctor, I don¡¯t mean to question your intelligence. I would appreciate it if you didn¡¯t doubt mine.¡± My voice was a dangerous whisper. Smash Gal scoffed. I raised a brow at her. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯ve already taken you down twice. I can do it again.¡± My anger pooled with Pinikir¡¯s indignation. WE SHOULD SHOW HER WHAT YOU¡¯VE BECOME NOW THAT YOU¡¯RE WHOLE. Her voice resonated throughout me. And I wanted to. I almost did. No, not now. Curt first. Then we can take it out on her. I tried to ease both of the fires burning in my chest. HE IS A VALUABLE SUBJECT, BUT AS WITH ALL MORTALS, HE IS REPLACEABLE. I clenched my fist and straightened my back, turning it inwards. He is not! He is mine and mine alone. No one can do anything to him without my permission. And anyone who tries to take my property from me will fall. Pinikir¡¯s presence had died down in me a little. Her anger was still present but under control. And there was something new. Pleasure? She didn¡¯t say anything else. ¡°Smash Gal,¡± I began gently. She met my gaze. ¡°You have tried to kill me several times, and up until now, I¡¯ve been an excellent sport about it.¡± I turned to face her fully. She was taller than I was. Especially when she was floating. But that didn¡¯t matter. ¡°But if you think I¡¯m going to let you hurt my husband again in any way, my goodwill towards you and your boyfriend ends. And you will learn what a cunt I can really be. Now, someone better starts explaining why my husband is treating me like I¡¯m a bomb, ready to go off. Like h-he doesn¡¯t trust me!¡±

=== Flashback ===

¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Just another thief. I¡¯ve read somewhere that there¡¯s honor among us. So, honor me, and leave me alone.¡± He pressed his drill into the wall. ¡°So, you don¡¯t know how to listen. A shame. Good boys know how to listen.¡± ¡°I am quite literally a thief. I¡¯m actively committing a crime. I am definitionally not a good boy.¡± I giggled at him. I couldn¡¯t help it. He was just so terribly adorable. ¡°Perhaps, Mister Thief. But you¡¯re about to set off the alarm.¡± ¡°I . . . I know. But I don¡¯t have a choice.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°Have to get this to its owner by . . . 25 minutes from now. Fuck. Could you go? You¡¯re distracting me.¡± ¡°Me?¡± I asked, pressing a hand to my bare chest as I floated before him. His eyes flickered over me, and he purposefully looked away. ¡°How could I ever distract you?¡± ¡°Has anyone ever told you that you¡¯re annoying?¡± That gave me pause. No man could resist me. Well, no straight man. And everything about this man seemed straight. He went back to his work and drilled into the wall. The vibrations set off the alarms, just as I had tried to warn him. Heavy glass doors slammed down, trapping us in the museum. Well, trapping him. It was time to go. I floated over to one of the glass panes and pushed through it. But there was a buzz of electricity coursing through it. I collapsed onto the ground and took several deep breaths as I became solid again. I turned back to the thief, glaring. He wasn¡¯t paying me any mind. He had pulled out a wire and attached one of his little plates to it. The blue-eyed man pressed the button in the middle. And nothing happened. He frowned, muttering to himself, ¡°Hmm. Maybe it¡¯s a dummy line? Or they have some extra protections against power surges.¡± A hissing noise started coming from above, which got his attention. He looked around and sighed. I followed his gaze. Several spouts on the ceiling sprayed some thick, gray gas into the room. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Knockout gas,¡± he said, turning back to the painting. ¡°Knockout gas? In a museum?¡± ¡°Part of the security overhaul. The parent company has had several . . . issues with metas and has made it standard practice.¡± ¡°Is it dangerous?¡± ¡°That depends. Do you need to breathe?¡± He asked curtly. I rolled my eyes, then pursed my lips at him. ¡°You don¡¯t seem worried about it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± he replied simply. ¡°But I presume you, Mister Thief, need to breathe.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Which means you have an escape plan.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re not just a pretty face.¡± His tone was drenched in sarcasm. ¡°Aw. I think you¡¯re cute, too.¡± I made my way over to him. It was starting to get foggy in the room. The gas was filling up fast. He wasn¡¯t panicking at all, but I was barely keeping myself together. The walls of the room seemed to be closing in. The air felt heavy. But I can¡¯t let him know I¡¯m desperate. ¡°So, what¡¯s this plan of yours?¡± He watched me momentarily, then returned to his chosen painting. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you. You can phase through things, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s one of my abilities.¡± ¡°But not the glass pane over there. Was it the material or the electrical current that they¡¯re running through it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking a lot of questions, but you haven¡¯t answered mine.¡± I wrapped an arm around his neck and leaned into him, my legs a little weak. My vision was swimming. He looked down at my arm and then over to me. ¡°That¡¯s awfully rude of you, Mister Thief.¡± ¡°You want to get out of here. I can do that. But I need your help. And we have about a minute before we¡¯re both unconscious.¡± ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± ¡°The frame of this painting is bound to the wall. Can you phase the painting through the lock?¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± I asked. I wobbled over to the painting and pressed my hands to the frame. For the first time, I looked up at it. It was of a young woman. 19th Century German, from the look of it. I gripped it and phased and started floating up. The painting came loose. But it was heavier than I thought. Or I was out of breath. And I fell back to the floor, painting in hand, becoming solid again. Something caught me. I looked up, and it was Mister Thief. He grabbed the crown and fit it onto my head. He then lifted his hand and snapped. And our surroundings shifted. And I felt like I¡¯d come to a sudden and rough stop. My stomach lurched, and my head swam. I had to close my eyes for a moment to settle down. When I opened them again, I took in my surroundings. We were outside the museum, on the steps leading to the building. The man had the painting and was looking at the frame. His movements were clumsy and heavy. But it seems like he found what he was looking for. He flipped a knife open before cutting out a small black dot off the frame. He threw the piece on the ground and crushed it under his shoe. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°Lo-jack,¡± he said before standing up. ¡°Can you get out on your own?¡± ¡°No, not that. How . . .¡± My eyes traced him for a moment. He won¡¯t explain anything to me. Didn¡¯t even give me a name. I tried to stand up, but between the shock and whatever that gas was, my head was fuzzy. And more importantly, I was curious. So, I played it up. ¡°I-I don¡¯t think so. You . . . You¡¯re not going to leave me here alone, are you?¡± He hesitated, checking his phone for a moment. I could see the gears in his head turning. ¡°I have somewhere to be.¡± His voice was gruff when he said it, and he started to move away. Then he hesitated. ¡°Put your clothes on. I¡¯ll deal with what I need to. You will not say a word. Then, I¡¯ll get you wherever you need to be.¡± I smiled at him and did so. He didn¡¯t watch me get dressed. I couldn¡¯t be sure with his little mask, but I think he was blushing. ¡°I-I need to touch you to . . .¡± ¡°Do your little disappearing act,¡± I whispered in his ear as I wrapped my arms around him. He stiffened and took a few deep breaths. Then he lifted his hand. There was a strange metal bracelet on it that covered his hand and his middle finger and thumb. He snapped, and everything changed again. I felt like I was being thrown about in a tornado. But he was completely stable. In less than a blink of an eye, we were somewhere else. The entire landscape changed. We were on a boat somewhere. Meaning we were at the coast. I glanced around and saw that we were still in Avalare. But we traveled ten miles in an instant. Fascinating. I need one. There were people with guns aiming their sights at us. I smiled brightly. ¡°Please don¡¯t shoot. You¡¯ll damage the painting,¡± Mister Thief said. ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± a woman said from the door leading inside the lounge of this yacht. ¡°And you brought a date.¡± ¡°This is my associate. I . . . needed an extra helping hand.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not paying extra. I shouldn¡¯t have to pay at all.¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯re not paying more. He agreed to pay me out of his cut, isn¡¯t that right, my associate?¡± I said, putting my hands on his shoulders. Mister Thief grunted in agreement and pulled away from me, walking into the lounge. ¡°Well, let¡¯s see it,¡± the woman said. The man carefully put the painting on the sofa, and the woman examined it. A tear leaked from her eye. ¡°You really did it. Just as they said, you could.¡± She sobered some. ¡°Though, I guess you needed help.¡± ¡°Well, yeah. I¡¯m sorry about that. Uh.¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t do much. Mostly he just wanted someone to talk to. He¡¯s very talkative, don¡¯t you think?¡± The man glared at me, and the woman laughed. ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s told me his whole life story.¡± She pulled out a briefcase and put it on the table. He went to it and opened it as the woman went back to her painting. ¡°I¡¯m so glad to have Granddad¡¯s work back. We never thought we¡¯d get it back after the Nazis stole it and carted him off to the camps.¡± He nodded as he counted one of the bundles of bills pressed into the case. From the look of it, there was around 2 million dollars in the case. ¡°I¡¯m glad I could help.¡± He closed the case and started to leave. ¡°Wait a damn minute!¡± He froze. ¡°You damaged it!¡± ¡°I-what?¡± He turned back. She had turned to look at the back and had noticed the chip he¡¯d put in it when he¡¯d removed the tracker. ¡°Oh. Yeah. There was a¡± ¡°A gash! You were so busy chatting up the girl that you chipped my grandfather¡¯s magnum opus! And you, you little thief, weren¡¯t even going to mention it.¡± ¡°Well, I-¡± ¡°Just take the money and run! All that talk about what an honorable thief you are, and you tried to pass this off!¡± She spoke fast, and I watched him try to speak up and explain it, but she wouldn¡¯t listen to a word from him. ¡°What kind of discount am I getting for this? I think 50% is fair.¡± ¡°I need this money. I hav-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn. You¡¯re trying to pass off damaged goods.¡± ¡°Oh, miss. That¡¯s not at all what he¡¯s trying to do,¡± I jumped in, closing the distance. ¡°Oh? Then what do you call this?¡± She gestured to the little nick in the frame. ¡°That was him protecting you. The museum had marred your grandfather¡¯s painting with a tracker, and he removed it so that they couldn¡¯t try to take it back and so that you could have it restored properly. If you like, I know several antiquities experts who can do that for you for a fair price.¡± ¡°The museum did that, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah, There was a tracker,¡± he murmured in agreement. The woman looked between the two of us a few times before nodding her head. ¡°Well, you should¡¯ve really said something.¡± ¡°O-of course, ma¡¯am. I just wasn¡¯t thinking.¡± ¡°Well, go on then. You have your money.¡± He left the lounge without another word. I took a moment to take out my phone and ensure that location services were turned on. Then I caught up with him and threw my arms around him. One of my hands slipped over his slacks, and I dropped my phone through the fabric. He was so distracted with me pressed up against him that he didn¡¯t even have a chance to notice. ¡°Where to next?¡± ¡°Where am I taking you?¡± He asked. I frowned. He had the opportunity to spend the night with the Buck Cherry and wanted me gone immediately. ¡°The airport. I have a flight I need to catch.¡±

=== Present Day ===

¡°So, you expect me to believe that my husband¡¯s consciousness has been swapped by an alternate version who married you.¡± I pointed to Smash Gal. ¡°With all due respect, that has to be the stupidest thing any of you has ever said.¡± ¡°Why is it so unbelievable!?¡± The giant woman demanded. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know. What about the fact that different dimensions exist? And that we can just connect to them; how again?¡± ¡°I think that when the other me Ego Drained him while you were doing your disabling trick, it may have crossed lines and resulted in this.¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Why the hell would that happen?¡± ¡°Who the hell cares!?¡± Curt demanded. ¡°We need to fix it. I need to get back to my dimension. Where things make sense.¡± ¡°Where things . . .¡± I trailed off, my heart sinking. I had known Curt for six years now. And he¡¯d been mine for that entire time. He just didn¡¯t realize it until this woman had tried to take him from me. In more ways than one, apparently.

=== Flashback ===

I spent a few days out of the States but watched my phone¡¯s location until it disappeared. I don¡¯t know where it disappeared to. But I had noted the three places he¡¯d taken it to before it did so. He¡¯d spent hours at the last one. That¡¯s probably where he stays. He¡¯s not very careful for a thief, but then again, with an ability like that, I don¡¯t know that he needs to be. I had tried to puzzle out how he did that. Well, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s from an ancient Middle Eastern statue. When I returned to the States, I decided to visit him. If I could get my hands on that little toy of his, I¡¯d be unstoppable. I found the place he¡¯d spent a lot of time in before the phone went dead. It was an apartment building. I spent a bit of time searching before I found his apartment. The place was sparsely decorated. What furniture there was had been supplied by the building itself, with the exception of the bed, which was unmade. He could abandon this place without a second thought. Well, at least he already has the attitude of a thief. No one was home when I got there. So, I made myself a cup of coffee. He only has instant. Americans are incapable of taking their time with anything. It was hours before he got home, and I fell asleep on his bed. It was relatively comfortable. The sound of the door opening woke me up. I slipped through the mattress and down to the floor below, swimming through the air, and observed him momentarily. I needed to know if he was the kind of guy to notice someone had been here. And to see how he reacts if he is. I saw his face for the first time. I had definitely found the right place. He wasn¡¯t wearing the glasses but had those same focused blue eyes. His face was thin and all sharp angles. He looked tired and pale with black hair that was unkempt but clean. I watched him cycle through his mail for a moment before he stopped. He looked over to the coffee pot that was still half full. His eyes fell on the coffee cup on the table. He opened his leather jacket, took out his glasses, and took several soft steps as he gazed around corners. He got out the little bracelet he wore, fitting it carefully on his hand. So, that¡¯s where he keeps it. I came up from the floor behind him and wrapped an arm around his neck. ¡°Is this how you treat a guest?¡± ¡°Wha-¡± He jumped and tried to pull away, but I am very capable of holding on to what I want. He looked over his shoulder and relaxed a little. ¡°Buck Cherry. What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I came for my cut.¡± ¡°Your cut? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°That woman was going to take 50%. I stopped her. Therefore, that 50% seems to rightfully be mine.¡± ¡°You want 50% of the fee.¡± ¡°I¡¯d settle for one of those cute little bracelets you wear. I think it¡¯d go with my outfit, don¡¯t you think?¡± I asked, gesturing to myself. Until now, he¡¯d done an admirable job looking me in the eye, something few men were very good at. I made sure that my body was nice enough to make it incredibly difficult. But his eyes did trace down me before he caught himself and looked away. ¡°I . . . Could you get dressed while we discuss this?¡± He asked nervously. ¡°I never discuss business from a weak position. Best to make my offers hard to refuse.¡± I laid my charm on thick. I figured I could just distract the man and steal the bracelet if I wanted to. He took a few deep breaths and then turned his back to me, snapping. A rotating blue circle, the size of a saucer, opened up, and he reached in and retrieved something from it. He set it down on the table, pulled out a seat, and then sat opposite it, gesturing to the chair. He was pointedly looking me in the face again. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I asked, narrowing my eyes. ¡°You said this is a negotiation. Well, let¡¯s negotiate.¡± I walked over and sat in the chair he¡¯d offered. I¡¯d dealt with thieves before, and this wasn¡¯t how it usually went. I glanced down at what he¡¯d set down on the table. It was my phone. ¡°I take it that¡¯s how you found me.¡± ¡°Well, I could¡¯ve asked for your number, but you were already so skittish with how forward I am.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he laughed, smiling. This was the first time I¡¯d seen him do that. And it was infectious. I found myself smiling back. ¡°Breaking into my house is much less invasive. 50% seems like a lot for a conversation.¡± ¡°Well, I also helped you get it off the wall.¡± He nodded, considering. I gestured to his hand, which had the bracelet on it. ¡°What about one of those?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Mister Thief said simply. Then he grinned. ¡°I really think it would clash with your . . . minimalist aesthetic. And besides, if this becomes too common, more people will figure it out and start looking for the signal. Making it harder to do what needs to be done. How about 30%? I did most of the work, and if I hadn¡¯t, you¡¯d have been caught.¡± ¡°Caught? Me? The only reason I was ever at risk of being caught was because you tripped the alarm.¡± ¡°Oh. I guess that¡¯s true.¡± He pursed his lips, his eyes unfocusing. They unfocused on my chest, but I couldn¡¯t blame a man for looking. He realized where his eyes were and met mine again sheepishly. ¡°Uh. H-how do these things normally get solved?¡± ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well, I see your point. If I hadn¡¯t been there, you¡¯d have been in and out without any trouble. But I guess I messed that up.¡± He paused to think about it for a moment. ¡°But you already had your thing. You could¡¯ve left before I did anything and have been fine. Why didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I saw you. I wanted to know what you were doing.¡± ¡°You were curious?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you be? Someone decided to hit the same museum at the same time you did.¡± ¡°I . . . Don¡¯t usually do museum jobs. Didn¡¯t think anyone would be there.¡± ¡°Obviously. So, I trailed you. And then you made a mistake.¡± ¡°Yeah, I thought I could short the security system and the wall locks. But they had protected against that.¡± ¡°Is that what you were doing with the little plate?¡± ¡°Yeah. It works on most security systems.¡± ¡°Who taught you how to do this?¡± ¡°Uh. YouTube.¡± ¡°You learned how to teleport from YouTube? And you¡¯re worried that the secret¡¯s already out there.¡± ¡°No, I learned how to override security systems from YouTube. And some other places.¡± ¡°You learned how to be an art thief from YouTube.¡± I laughed. And he started blushing and sputtering. Which only made me laugh harder. Here I was, naked in front of him, extorting him, and he was blushing because I made fun of him. ¡°How cute.¡± ¡°Yeah, well . . . Do you have a counteroffer?¡± ¡°If I can¡¯t have your cute bracelet, then I want half.¡± ¡°Why do you want my rig so badly?¡± ¡°With my abilities and teleportation, I would be the greatest thief in the world. I would be unstoppable.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you already?¡± He asked somberly. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you already the world¡¯s greatest thief? Unstoppable? Like, the world has seen almost all of you. People are obsessed. Everyone in the English-speaking world knows your name. Yet you can still just get on a plane and walk around like normal. Even if you¡¯re caught, it¡¯s for what? Two minutes? You don¡¯t need this.¡± I watched him for a moment. He met my eye. He¡¯s not trying to spin this. ¡°Being able to be anywhere in the world in an instant seems like a handy ability,¡± I said simply. ¡°Oh. Well, yeah, but it doesn¡¯t have that big of a range. Right now, I can do about 20 miles. I¡¯m working on getting the range up, but as it turns out, physics doesn¡¯t like being Origami¡¯d.¡± He leaned back, looking at the ceiling for a long moment. I could practically hear his mind working. He¡¯s not like any other thief I¡¯ve ever met. ¡°40%.¡± ¡°40%,¡± I repeated, pretending to consider it for a moment, weighing my options. Then I asked, ¡°What are you looking to buy?¡± ¡°An apartment building.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°With that much, I can afford to let people live there rent-free for 2 years. 20 families.¡± I studied him for a long moment, looking for any signs of deception, any tell, anything that would let me know that this was all a game to him. He met my gaze but seemed confused by me just staring at him wordlessly. He broke the silence first, looking away. ¡°Look, I get it. It¡¯s not what anyone else would do with the money. But 2 years of letting people save up their rent money. That might be enough to really make a change in these people¡¯s lives.¡± ¡°40% it is, then.¡± I held out my hand. He took it and shook it. ¡°Thank you, Buck Cherry.¡± I opened my mouth for a moment, considering. What name should I give him? Sabrina? Karen? Lona? None of those felt right. So, I gave him my name. The name I had lived under with Hope. The one I still was. ¡°Cindi, please. And you are, Mister Thief?¡± ¡°Uh. I¡¯m Curt. Curt Reese.¡±

=== Present Day ===

I stared at my husband. He didn¡¯t look at me like I was a stranger. That would hurt, but less than how he was looking at me. He glared and puffed out his chest. I had only ever seen that look directed towards me once. When I sprung Marcelli on him. I blinked back tears. Doctor Berry shifted next to me uncomfortably. I swallowed back all the pain and anger coursing through me and asked in a small voice, ¡°What are we supposed to do?¡± ¡°I think the best bet might be to recreate the circumstances that caused this.¡± The mentalist said. ¡°Isn¡¯t this ego attack you have dangerous?¡± Curt asked. Professor Mind looked away. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s what you did to Bion, and he¡¯s still in a coma. And what about what she does? That kills people. This causes them to have heart attacks. I don¡¯t want him to die, even if he is a thief. I need to get back to my wife, but I don''t like the idea of sacrificing someone to do it.¡± My wife, the words repeated in my head endlessly. My stomach dropped. I shook my head, trying to banish the thoughts from my head. ¡°Curt . . . My Curt has several theories as to how my powers work. What I¡¯m actually doing when I zap people. He thinks two are the most likely. The first is that when I¡¯m phasing, what I¡¯m actually doing is spreading out the molecules of my being out, so they can slip in between the empty space of molecules. His other thought is that I¡¯m sending some of my molecules somewhere else, making me less solid than other matter. He doesn¡¯t know where else. But he thinks that¡¯s more likely. He tried to explain why, but I didn¡¯t really understand it. But he thinks the body is just panicking because I¡¯m cutting off nerves from the rest of the body and then having them come back.¡± ¡°Who cares?¡± The imposter asked in Curt¡¯s voice. I glared at him, and he took a step back. ¡°Well,¡± Professor Mind began, floating forward. ¡°If Mister Drei is right, maybe that¡¯s how this happened. If your nerves were being sent somewhere into the ether and then I Ego Drained you, maybe your consciousness put itself into the closest place it could find that felt right.¡± ¡°None of this is right.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. You¡¯re not my husband. You¡¯re not the man who Buck Cherry fell for. You¡¯re a pathetic little bastard stealing my husband¡¯s body. And I will do anything to have him back.¡±

=== Flashback ===

I spent two days with him after that. Just testing him. He took me out to dinner, and we watched a show. Most of the time, he¡¯d actually call a cab. This man has the power to just be anywhere he needs to be, and he still gets rides. I slept with him. At first, he tried to resist a little, but I wanted to taste him. And when we were done, he held me loosely in his arms. It was comfortable, but I could get out whenever I wanted. I didn¡¯t need my powers to do it. He didn¡¯t trust me entirely. He hid his little bracelet and glasses somewhere. After I¡¯d exhausted him, I¡¯d looked for it. When I returned to his bed, he stirred and pressed into me again. He was warm and easy. Both to talk to and to be around. And on the second day, when he looked at me, I felt my heart skip. So, I left. I didn¡¯t come back for 6 months. He didn¡¯t ask me where I¡¯d been or who I¡¯d been with. We did a job or two together. He helped me with moving some art. I helped him get some water purifiers from a company. And when I spent the night, he still hid his little accessories. I looked for them again, but still couldn¡¯t find them. When I got back to bed, he was awake. He didn¡¯t ask what I was doing, but he knew. He wrapped an arm around me, kissed my shoulder, and went back to sleep. Why isn¡¯t he yelling? Why doesn¡¯t he care? I left before he got up. This time, I was gone for 9 months. I went all around the world, stealing anything and everything. Even when I was selling in the States, I didn¡¯t visit him. I couldn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t bear to. He didn¡¯t reach out to me at all. Not for the whole 9 months I was gone. Where does he get off? I¡¯m not just any other woman, I stewed. Men have proposed to me after spending a few nights with me. And he just let me go. When he did reach out, I felt relieved. A weight lifted from my shoulders. I banished the feeling and answered the phone wordlessly. After a moment, he asked, ¡°Cindi? You there?¡± ¡°Of course, I am, darling?¡± I said in my silkiest tone. ¡°I . . . Uh. How are you?¡± He asked. He sounded tired. Gruffer than normal. His voice always had this dry roughness to it. But this was practically gravel. ¡°Do get to the point. I assume you want something.¡± ¡°R-right. I don¡¯t mean to bother you, Cindi. Y-you¡¯re probably busy. J-just forget it.¡± ¡°Mister Reese, Curt. I took your call. The least you could do is not leave me in the dark.¡± ¡°I . . . I have a job. I could use your help. A million dollars for an hour or two¡¯s work. And that¡¯s all yours.¡± ¡°When?¡± ¡°When can you be here?¡± I was in California at the time. I could be there within the day. But it wouldn¡¯t do to let him think that I would just drop everything for him. ¡°I can be there in three days.¡± My stomach lurched. I actually want to see him sooner. Disgusting. I pushed the feeling away. ¡°Perfect. That¡¯ll give me a few more days to prepare. Thanks, Cin.¡± I froze. It took me a moment to process that he had not called me Cind, Hope¡¯s nickname for me. But the way he said it was soft. He wasn¡¯t trying to manipulate me. Not like she did. He hung up, and I stared at the phone. Cin. I took my time getting to Avalare. I tried not to think about him at all. I went to the spa, got a massage, and tried to relax. When I did get to his apartment, I just walked through the door. It was the middle of the night, but he was still up. He jumped and glanced up. Then when he saw me, he smiled. It was brief, but it caused my stomach to flip. I took a deep breath and pushed it away. Honestly, acting like a damn schoolgirl at her first dance. Not that I¡¯d ever gotten to go to a dance. He didn¡¯t get up from the table. There were papers strewn about it, and he was making notes. With his left hand. Because his right arm was in a sling. My eyes widened. I didn¡¯t rush over to him. If anything, he should¡¯ve come to me. But I did get closer. His left leg was also in a cast. ¡°Oh, Curt. What did you do?¡± ¡°Something stupid.¡± ¡°And what was this stupid thing?¡± ¡°Tried to be like the world¡¯s greatest thief. Should¡¯ve realized that I¡¯m not like you,¡± he said, turning back to the papers, making notes. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I should¡¯ve called you sooner, is all. I needed help.¡± ¡°And why didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Figured you were busy. You¡¯d come back if you wanted to.¡± ¡°Ah, is that why you didn¡¯t call?¡± ¡°Yeah. Figured you have better things to do.¡± ¡°And meanwhile, you were getting your entire body broken.¡± ¡°Being thrown off a six-story building will do that. Honestly, I¡¯m lucky it wasn¡¯t worse.¡± ¡°You can teleport! Why didn¡¯t you just do that?¡± ¡°I did. Forgot to account for my momentum, though.¡± ¡°You forgot about momentum.¡± ¡°I was unconscious when I started falling. Honestly, I was just lucky that I woke up before hitting the ground.¡± ¡°And what exactly happened?¡± ¡°What I was stealing had a highly pressurized container. When I went to disable it, it rapidly depressurized.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°It blew up in my face, and I was thrown out a window.¡± ¡°And you think I can help with this?¡± I asked, stepping closer to look over his shoulder. I pretended to review his plans but didn¡¯t take any of that in. Instead, I just rested my hand on his neck, and he leaned into it. He didn¡¯t react to it more than that, instead opting to continue. ¡°Well, with your phasing ability, you should just be able to grab the loot and put it in the other pressurized container.¡± ¡°And if it explodes on me, too?¡± ¡°Then it¡¯ll go through you, and I¡¯ll be thrown out the window again. It¡¯ll be fun. My doctor will have so many kind words for me.¡± He said, looking up at me. He had a lopsided grin on his face. ¡°Besides, being blown up is better with company.¡± ¡°Oh. And how do you know that?¡± ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t enjoyable without company. So, it can only get better from there, right?¡±

=== Present Day ===

¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Curt asked Smash Gal. The way he was looking at her made me sick. How dare he. ¡°As sure as I can be. I trust Chuck,¡± she said with what I¡¯m sure she thought was a reassuring smile. She didn¡¯t know how to comfort him at all. ¡°But not her,¡± he said, gesturing to me. ¡°I . . . It¡¯s complicated. I think she cares about our Curt.¡± ¡°My Curt,¡± I corrected. She gave me a bemused look. ¡°Smash Gal, darling. You really must do something about that face of yours. I¡¯d be happy to help.¡± Curt started to get up in my face, but Professor Mind interceded. ¡°Kari! Cherry! We¡¯re here to help him. Let¡¯s get to work.¡±

=== Flashback ===

We did the job together. Curt used his left hand to do his snap trick, and we were in some tech firm. ¡°Why do you target tech firms? Art is easier to sell.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t have the same connections you do. Besides, I can decide who gets the tech. Who gets a cut. The one piece of art I ever stole, I had to give a cut to someone I¡¯d just met.¡± He limped over to some console and started typing on it. I considered him for a moment. It was always amazing watching him work. He focused entirely on what he was doing. Nothing could distract him. I know because I¡¯ve tried on other jobs. He found whatever he was looking for, then made it over to the wall with thousands of tiles on it. Each one was about the size of a piece of bread across. He took something out of his bag and gestured at me. ¡°Box A36.¡± I took his little device and floated up to the box in question. I tentatively put my hand through the door, and it went straight through. I¡¯d found that more companies were using anti-meta fields and electric tech recently. But they hadn¡¯t made it everywhere. Yet. My hand became solid on the other side, and it felt like I was being crushed. I grimaced, and Curt gripped my leg reassuringly. I grinned through it and swept the only thing in the little cubby through the door and into the container he¡¯d given me. Then floated down. ¡°What is it, anyway?¡± ¡°Experimental medical tech. I have a doctor friend who has another doctor with a patient who needs it. But it¡¯s incredibly pricey.¡± ¡°More than a million dollars, apparently,¡± I remarked. He looked away. ¡°I will get my cut, Curt.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get your money. Don¡¯t worry about that. Just give me a little while.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°This job was more . . . pro-bono than anything. I¡¯m going to pay you myself.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Does it matter?¡± He asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Cin, I do things because I think they¡¯re right. You need to get paid. So, I¡¯ll pay you.¡± ¡°And how do you plan to do that?¡± ¡°Not sure. I¡¯m not selling any tech. Never know where it¡¯s going to end up. But I can just do a plain old boring bank heist.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that hurt people?¡± ¡°Eh. It''ll be fine if I¡¯m not taking from any specific accounts. Target institutions, not people.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Curt, I learned a long time ago not to take IOUs.¡± I didn¡¯t mention that I was the one usually giving out those bad IOUs. Or that right now, I didn¡¯t even care about the money. I just thought it would be fun to watch him hobble around a bank vault. ¡°Cherry,¡± he always defaulted back to my moniker whenever he wanted to argue. I think he thought it gave him some kind of distance from me. It didn¡¯t. ¡°I don¡¯t have a plan. I don¡¯t even know which bank would have enough money on-hand. Just give me a week or two.¡± ¡°Can this patient wait a week or two?¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re a kid. They need it immediately. Like when I tried four days ago.¡± ¡°Freeze!¡± A security officer came out of nowhere and pointed a gun at us. Curt, adorably, put himself in between me and our captor. ¡°Came back to finish the job, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, you know how it is,¡± I said, wrapping my arms around Curt. ¡°You see something you think a friend may like, and you bring them along the next time just to see what sales are happening.¡± The man shot. I did my thing. Curt snapped. And the weird energy buzzed around us, and we shot around the room for a moment or two before we became solid again. The bullet had crashed into one of the cubbies, which was spewing some kind of liquid out. There were two or three Curts on top of me. But eventually, my vision cleared, and it was just him. He also looked dazed. ¡°That was weird. Let¡¯s never do that again.¡± Then he snapped, and the world shifted into his bedroom. He took the little container and sent it through one of his portals. Then he texted someone before collapsing on the bed. He looked tired. He always looks tired, but today was more so. He fell asleep almost immediately. I cuddled into him for a little while. His arm instinctively wrapped around me. It wasn¡¯t like when Hope had held me. She always clung tightly to me, which had been reassuring at the time. Curt¡¯s grip was firm, but I was always allowed to leave. And not because I was Buck Cherry. Because nothing could tie me down. But because while he was desperate for me to be here, he didn¡¯t take it as a given. And he¡¯d blown himself up to not bother you, I thought. I watched him sleep for a while. And after a bit, I got up. I stripped him down. Just tugging his clothes through him. The last thing I took off was his bracelet. I held it in my hands, studying it. A polished steel circle with a blue vortex slowly shifting inside of it. A pair of glasses. This is what he used to do what he did. It was hardly as cool as an ancient magical statue, but he made do. I tried it on. His wrist and hand were a fair amount thicker than mine. I smiled at the difference. After a while, I felt his eyes on me. ¡°You finally got it. What now?¡± ¡°I have it?¡± I asked, holding it up, letting it hang loosely off my wrist before smiling down at him. ¡°Darling. You said it yourself; it clashes with my aesthetic. For one, it¡¯s far too big. And two, I haven¡¯t the faintest clue as to how to use it.¡± He stared at me for a moment longer before reaching up and grabbing my hand. I squeezed his hand, and he laid down next to me. ¡°You still are going to get me my money.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he laughed. ¡°Thanks, Cin.¡±

=== Present Day ===

I pressed my hands to both of my husband¡¯s temples. His eyes met mine. Distrust stained his face. I steeled myself. I¡¯m going to get him back. I¡¯m sure that wherever my Curt is, he¡¯s working on it. He¡¯ll come back to me. The psychiatrist stood next to me, holding out his hand. He took several deep breaths before I started. Curt convulsed under my fingers as I sent his nerves in and out of existence. A soft blue glow surrounded us. And Curt froze. He was no longer in pain. Instead, he fell completely limp in my arms. I crushed him to my chest, letting out a shuddering breath. Tears leaked down my cheeks. He didn¡¯t get cold. He was breathing. But no one was home. After a few moments, I looked up to the superheroes who had tried countless times to take away what was rightfully mine. Something I¡¯d earned. Something was given to me willingly. I didn¡¯t bother wiping the tears away. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t return, neither of you will know a moment¡¯s peace.¡± Both of them looked at each other for a moment, frowning. Then Smash Gal said, ¡°He¡¯ll be back. Have faith in him.¡± Issue #56: This Doesnt Change Anything

=== Chuck === I spent a moment stilling my hands, which were shaking, before pressing my fingers into Mister Drei¡¯s temples. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m about to do this. I put a wall up to block all of Miss Drei¡¯s emotions. She was an absolute wreck. Kari was doing better, relatively speaking. But she wasn¡¯t processing any of this. Not yet, anyway. I tried not to dwell on her feelings for Curt. They were incredibly complicated, as everyone¡¯s first love always is. I let out a deep breath. You¡¯re letting yourself get distracted, a voice in my head interrupted. Because you shouldn¡¯t be doing this. This is an evil thing. Possibly the worst thing you could do to anyone, a second voice countered. But it¡¯s the only thing we can think of. I dug through this Curt¡¯s mind. His entire being, tearing through every mental defense he could have had. This separate Curt had done some work to try and shore up his weaknesses against the other me, but they were nothing. How could they be? No one is ever fully prepared for what I am, what I can do. I found the core of his being. His memories are what made him who he was. The metaphor this Curt had was an office building with a sign that read Esvanir, Inc. on the front. People were milling about. One of the defenses he chose was a projection of Kari, powerful and capable, slamming down before me. She wasn¡¯t exactly like my Kari. Her hair was in a long ponytail, and she wore leather pants and a halter top that showed off much more of her chest. But it was definitely Kari. Her face was contorted in rage, and her green eyes narrowed at me. That gave me pause. I had never seen Kari¡¯s rage directed at me. At least not like this. Not more than a passing comment. The mental shade threw a punch at me, and I simply walked through her. It¡¯s easy to destroy someone; easy to take away everything they are. I started severing the attachments, carving through the metaphorical space. I tried not to think about Blanca and Scott. Ego Drain is basically what I did to them, just on a larger scale. Just tearing away at what makes a person themself. In his mental palace, everything shuddered violently; cracks appeared on the street around the building; dust and debris shot up everywhere; car alarms went off. I took this space and crushed it all to the size of a marble, leaving behind a void. Empty white space. The absence of anything. Which is how I felt inside. The voice in my head echoed into that emptiness. This isn¡¯t right. You shouldn¡¯t ever do this. It shouldn¡¯t ever be necessary. Feeling a tear trail down my cheek, I countered, speaking out loud in the empty space. ¡°But it is.¡± ¡°Miss Drei. If you would,¡± I said physically. She was still cradling him and sent a shock through him that resonated in me. And the marble I had collected began to jolt and stutter around before it was just gone. I exited Curt¡¯s empty consciousness, returning fully to my body. Kari sidled up next to me and wrapped her arm around me, squeezing tightly. I pressed into her. ¡°Are you okay, Chuck?¡± Kari asked. I opened myself up to her emotions. She was scared for Curt; angry with Miss Drei, with tinges of jealousy and even a little compassion mixed in; but overwhelming all of that was care for me. Concern that I wouldn¡¯t be okay; a need for me to be. Not for her sake. But for mine. I found her hand and squeezed tightly. She returned it. ¡°Wh-what happens now?¡± Buck Cherry asked, her voice cracking. I turned to her and frowned. ¡°We wait. I¡¯m sure Esvanir is doing everything in his power to get back to you.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Kari agreed. She smiled softly before continuing, ¡°If nothing else, he needs to get back here to lecture me about excessive force or whatever.¡± The thief watched us for a moment before returning her electric blue eyes down to her husband, stroking his cheek softly.

=== Curt === I suppressed a shudder as Professor Mind put his hands on my temples; on this body¡¯s temples. Even more, as he tore through everything I had spent so much time building up. I could feel him inside my consciousness. I could feel his terrible, invading presence. I could feel him tearing me apart. The first thing that faded was the general sense of pain. The dull ache this body constantly existed in. This Curt is a moron. Even if I didn¡¯t love Kari, fighting her was possibly the dumbest thing you could possibly do. I tried to imagine not loving Kari. Not having her in my life to comfort me when nothing was going right. Not being there for her when the media was going off about some ridiculous controversy. It seemed so lonely. So terrible. Then I thought about this other Curt¡¯s life. What I had seen of it. He has a wife who loves him. It was difficult to imagine the cold, elusive Buck Cherry loving anyone. But she did. She not only loved him but knew him well enough to realize in just a few words that I wasn¡¯t him. That I wasn¡¯t her Curt. Could my Kari do that? I dismissed the thought. Then something else occurred to me. This Curt fought Kari. The thought boggled my mind. I had looked at the way he¡¯d set up his rig. The range was more extensive. The energy usage was much more efficient in a lot of ways. The UI was trash but usable. Practical enough to fight Kari. I don¡¯t think I could ever stand against her, even on my best days. I could disagree with her. But to actually let it come to blows. He should be dead. Pain erupted all over my being. I felt everything close in. I couldn¡¯t explain it. I felt a terrible mental pressure on every part of my awareness. And I crumpled. Distantly, I heard the words, ¡°Miss Drei, if you would.¡± Another shock went through the whole of my existence. And I shifted away from the pain. From that body. From everything. I gazed out to an infinite cosmos. There were stars lightyears away. Two of them looked almost like eyes. Quasars were spiraling through the nothingness. It was cold here. There was nothing but empty space and darkness. But something was off about it. I shifted whatever consciousness I had, taking in more. It wasn¡¯t infinite. Well, it was, and it wasn¡¯t. It was a limited infinite. The space seemed to go on forever, but only in certain directions. There were walls of sorts. And as I reoriented myself, I realized the cosmos I had observed was behind this wall; behind some kind of membrane of existence. I frowned. Mentally. Then I observed myself. I was there. I existed. A vaguely translucent simulacra of my body; my body. Not the over-muscled, strained body of the other reality but the lean, capable muscle I built carefully over the years. Nothing to do now but wait.

=== Kari === I followed the imposter through his portals. He was off collecting a bunch of things, mostly from electronics shops. Initially, he was just taking them, but I forced him to slow down. To go back and pay. ¡°You¡¯re aware this isn¡¯t my money anyway, right? It¡¯s his. Yours.¡± ¡°Stealing from them isn¡¯t going to help anyone. Is this always your first instinct? To steal whatever you need and everyone else be damned?¡± ¡°Only in emergencies,¡± he replied quickly, scooping up a bunch of wire. He used Curt¡¯s credit card to pay for it. Well, at least we¡¯ll get the reward points, I thought bitterly. ¡°And right now certainly qualifies. Does this Curt have a workshop?¡± ¡°A workshop? Uh. No, not really. He used to, but he mostly commissions whatever he needs now. The thief in my husband¡¯s body stared at me for a long time. I could see his brain trying to work through that statement. He shook his head. ¡°Ridiculous,¡± was all he muttered before teleporting back to Esvanir, Inc. I hadn¡¯t really been paying attention to what he¡¯d grabbed, but I looked over it now. ¡°Why did you get four tasers, electrical wire, and metal pipes?¡± ¡°To deal with Cin-¡± he paused, taking a deep breath. ¡°To deal with Buck Cherry.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not the big threat. Your goal was to piss off Professor Mind, remember?¡± ¡°Cherry is absolutely a big threat if you ignore her. So, I¡¯m not going to.¡± ¡°What about Professor Mind?¡± I asked as he started to assemble something. I didn¡¯t really understand what he was doing. But he seemed to. I had never really watched my Curt work before, not like this. But if it was anything like that, I would need to rectify that. ¡°I have a plan. But I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll survive first contact,¡± This other Esvanir said simply. Something occurred to me as I sat down across from him. ¡°How do you know what to do against Buck Cherry. Is she a big deal in your world?¡± ¡°A big deal? The biggest. In many ways, she¡¯s bigger there than she is here.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°She . . . cultivated her audience more carefully.¡± ¡°Audience? Is she not a thief in your world?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the world¡¯s greatest thief,¡± he said proudly. I frowned. ¡°Then how does she have an audience? What kind of audience could a thief possibly have?¡± He laughed and shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s. . . weaponized the obsession with her nude antics. She goes around, encouraging people to speculate on her and making sure that people are paying attention to her. She has a lot of fans on Twitter and Reddit, and she engages with them online.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a celebrity thief.¡± ¡°Yeah. So am I. Mostly her doing.¡± ¡°So, you two . . . teamed up?¡± ¡°Yeah. For years. Cherry complicates things, but it¡¯s always more fun. I have to give her that.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s how you know her weaknesses.¡± ¡°Well, you should always cover for your spouse, right? Isn¡¯t that what you do for this Curt? What he does for you?¡± My heart skipped a beat. ¡°You married Buck Cherry!?¡± ¡°Had I not . . . I hadn¡¯t.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°Yeah, uh. Got married last year. Well, we never finished the ceremony. You, the other you, made sure of that.¡± His voice was filled with rage at the thought. I tried to picture them together. Even this Curt, as cold and cruel as he is. I couldn¡¯t see him doing something like ripping someone¡¯s heart out. I couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine them together. He interrupted the stalled train of thought with a question. ¡°This version of Professor Mind. He¡¯s cruel, right? Willing to throw heroes in a coma and shit like that.¡± ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s the toughest opponent we face regularly. We¡¯ve never managed to bring him in. We couldn¡¯t with Buck Cherry, but she¡¯s not a heavy hitter like him. But when they work together, they¡¯re undefeatable.¡± ¡°I was afraid of that.¡± ¡°I thought you had a plan.¡± ¡°I do. I just don¡¯t like it.¡±

=== Curt === It was weird being around Kari. Even if she¡¯s not my Kari, I thought. I had finished up the countermeasures and was scrolling for any news of where either Buck Cherry or Professor Mind were. But there had been no word. Damn it. I thought that calling them out would be effective. Kari was sitting next to me, scrolling on her phone. I was bored and on edge. I¡¯d even adjusted some of the equations this version of Curt used to do his calculations. Refining his energy usage and expanding his range. I couldn¡¯t help it. 100 miles is pathetic. I turned to Smash Gal. ¡°How do you usually find them?¡± ¡°We just patrol. They show up, and we try to stop them. Or at least save people from them.¡± ¡°Patrol. How does that work? Would I just listen to the police scanner and arrive wherever trouble is?¡± ¡°Sometimes. But sometimes we fly out. Sometimes we go out just to be seen. To intimidate criminals.¡± ¡°I guess that makes sense. Does this Curt have a super suit?¡± ¡°God, I wish. I keep trying to set him up with the super tailor, but he refuses. Just wants to wear that boring vest and dress pants.¡± I laughed, and she shook her head. ¡°Do you wear a costume?¡± ¡°No. I tried to create a bulletproof vest, but I couldn¡¯t move in it. And fighting you, moving freely, is way more valuable than armor.¡± ¡°And what about fighting me?¡± A voice came from behind as arms started to snake around me. A hand gripped my throat, and all of my nerves were on fire. All of my muscles convulsed and contorted. If I hadn¡¯t experienced it before, I would¡¯ve passed out. I was on the edge already. After what felt like a century, I managed to snap my fingers, and a portal opened up underneath Buck Cherry, and a taser shot forth and caught her. After her zapping, the electricity coursing through her into me was a welcome reprieve. Her hands loosened, and I barely pulled from her grip, breathing heavily. Smash Gal had shot up from her chair and glanced around. She watched Buck Cherry convulse and fall to the ground. I watched her too. She was undeniably Cherry. There were differences. Her brown hair had been dyed black and cut short. Her red cherries were black too. She was thinner. More angular. This gave the impression of increased muscle, but I wasn¡¯t sure. My Cindi could take her. She started to reach over to pull the barbs out of her flesh, and I stepped on her hand. Then something went through my mind, and I almost collapsed on top of her. A wave of doubt and discomfort and pain. I was paralyzed. Almost. But I was pretty angry, and this burned through whatever was happening now. I slammed my fist next to Cindi¡¯s face and roared. And his power receded some. I demanded, ¡°Where are you!?¡± The doors slammed open, and Chuck Berry floated through in his black suit and glowing eyes. He didn¡¯t have my Professor Mind¡¯s swimmer body. And was thicker. He had more muscle and more weight in general. And he laughed. It had no joy in it. ¡°Esvanir, I¡¯ve come to answer your little challenge.¡± Smash Gal charged for him, and he threw out his hand. I couldn¡¯t see what he did, but she slammed into something and grasped her head, falling to the ground, screaming. ¡°I think it¡¯s time to finish this. You¡¯ve stood in my way for too long.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too late,¡± I said, going to snap my fingers. But they wouldn¡¯t move. Nothing would. That¡¯s not exactly true. I¡¯m still breathing. And I can still move my eyes. My eyes flicked over his body, and a portal opened beneath him and sank over his leg, tightening as it went over. He screamed out in pain. ¡°What are you doing!? You don-¡± I tightened the portal around him, and it cut through his projected suit and into his leg. I could smell the blood mixing with the seawater. He looked up at me with fear in his eyes. ¡°You . . . You¡¯re not Esvanir.¡± ¡°Actually, I am. Not this Esvanir. But an Esvanir much more willing to do what¡¯s necessary.¡± Professor Mind sent out another wave of mental energy at me. But I cut it short by cutting into his leg deeper. Kari was watching me, mouth agape. But I didn¡¯t care. I heard a shift and turned to see Buck Cherry starting to get up and phase through the ground. I snapped, and another line from a taser shot into her, shocking her immediately. ¡°Now, let¡¯s not leave the party so soon, Cin. You both just got here. And we have a lot to talk about.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°You think this little trick is enough to stop me, Esvanir?¡± Professor Mind panted. I scratched my face. ¡°You¡¯re nothing. You¡¯re weak, and I will rend your mind and crush your bones. Then I will go after your wife. I can¡¯t do anything to her body, but her mind is even weaker than yours. I¡¯ll tear through it, leaving her just conscious enough to watch me destroy you utterly. What I did to Bion will be just the start for both of you-¡± I cut him off again. I¡¯d let him go on for long enough, after all. I opened another portal about the size of a half dollar and pressed it against his cheek. Then I closed it, shearing away skin, sinew, and muscle. He screamed, and blood leaked down his cheek. I didn¡¯t take any joy in it. There was none to be had. Just what needed to be done. ¡°Now, Professor Mind,¡± I closed the distance between us, gripped his chin tightly between my fingers, and leaned in and whispered, ¡°Chuck Berry,¡± before leaning back to see his reaction. Confusion plagued his features even through the pain and the blood leaking down his face. ¡°You¡¯ve already rent the mind from this body once. And my guess is that she,¡± I continued, gesturing to Cindi, who was glaring at me from the ground as her body shuddered under the voltage coursing through her, ¡°tried to help, and you got your peanut butter mixed in with her chocolate and fucked everything up.¡± ¡°Curt! Esvanir, we can¡¯t do this. It¡¯s torture.¡± I watched her for a moment. Tears were leaking down her face. Was she actually crying over her villains? This is surreal. I chewed on her words for a moment before dismissing the portals around Professor Mind and the taser. Blood leaked out over the floor of Esvanir, Inc. I laughed and shook my head. Fitting that, I would stain this place. In the same instance, I set up backup portals that would open around them immediately if they made a move I didn¡¯t like. I can¡¯t think faster than Professor Mind, but I can definitely plan ahead. Buck Cherry was panting and stumbled to her feet. I watched her walk over to the couch and slump down. She was still glaring, but if she was like my Cindi, she would have difficulty doing her usual gambit for at least a few minutes. ¡°Who are you?¡± She demanded. ¡°I am Curtis Drei. Esvanir. Husband of Cindi Drei. Smash Gal¡¯s enemy. And I want to go home.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send you to hell!¡± Professor Mind screamed, sending out a wave of something, and I felt myself slam into the ground harshly, and everything went black.

=== Chuck === Whoever this was, it wasn¡¯t Esvanir. He didn¡¯t fight like Esvanir. His body language was entirely different. I knew that by the way he sat next to Kari Stewart. They weren¡¯t pressed together in the disgusting way they usually were. I hadn¡¯t bothered listening to their conversation while Buck Cherry snuck up on them. Then he disabled her. Which wasn¡¯t that surprising. Esvanir was intelligent and capable; even if they were on the outs, he¡¯d still be capable of taking her out. As he overtook her, I overwhelmed them both with a discontentment wave. Something small. I could level the block with it, but it wasn¡¯t necessary. I would prove to them and the world that they were nothing more than mild annoyances. But he cut through it. He simply let his rage cut through it and resisted it. Barely, but still. And his emotions were different from the Curtis Stewart I was used to fighting. Typically, he was calmer and more collected, meaning that when his emotions were spiraling out of control, he was easier to deal with. But this one was filled with rage and pain, and worked with it. Weaponized it against me. And it had set me off just enough for him to do something neither of the Stewarts would ever dare. He got one of those damned portals around me and started cutting through my leg. The other side of the portal was cold and terrible, and it felt like I was being crushed. And his portal was a buzzsaw on my flesh, tearing through it. But that wasn¡¯t enough to take me out. Even if he had grown half a spine, he was still just a pathetic hero. A kitten-saving coward. Until he said my name. A name I had long abandoned. One that I wasn¡¯t used to hearing anymore. ¡°Chuck Berry.¡± And he took a chunk out of my cheek. Whoever this was, it wasn¡¯t Curtis Stewart. He¡¯d never be capable of torturing someone like this. It was too brazen. Too direct. I couldn¡¯t concentrate well enough to really read him properly. I sensed his apprehension, rage, and desperation, but I couldn¡¯t sift deeper. I couldn¡¯t find his fears. I couldn¡¯t stoke anything with my leg in this vice. Then Smash Gal spoke. ¡°Curt! Esvanir, we can¡¯t do this! It¡¯s torture.¡± And I watched this different Curt consider her words. Not like how Stewart normally would. But how a coworker would consider a proposal. And he let me go. And Buck Cherry, who was weak on her knees. He went on about being the enemy of Smash Gal, but I didn¡¯t care. He had humiliated me. And that won¡¯t stand! I gathered all of my psychic power, even creating an exception for Buck Cherry, not that she deserved it, ¡°I¡¯ll send you to hell!¡± I reached out to their consciousnesses and tore violently. I gripped the whole of Esvanir and Smash Gal¡¯s existences and started tearing. But as I did, portals opened up around my arms, and I fell through. Around my legs. Around my head. I tried to float away, to push off, but I couldn¡¯t. The little windows tightened around me again. This time I could see my body parts. They were floating, disconnected, around the room. Every time I tried to pull out, they would tighten around me. I cried out in pain, and blood leaked down my body at odd angles. I tried to push a forcefield in between me and the buzzing energy of his stupid fucking portals but couldn¡¯t. It tore through them immediately, and I couldn¡¯t focus enough to harden them. I took a few deep breaths, the circling energy cutting into my neck some. Both Smash Gal and this Esvanir were on the floor, unconscious. I hadn¡¯t been able to finish the job. But I would kill them. Buck Cherry was floating, bisected across the room. The top half of her and the bottom half were five feet apart. ¡°Cherry,¡± I called out roughly. ¡°Can you phase through the portal?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she croaked. ¡°You really fucked up this time, Mind. I told you we shouldn¡¯t take the bait. It was obviously a trap. But your fragile male ego couldn¡¯t take a little prodding.¡± ¡°Shut up and try! We need to get out.¡± She started to phase through the portal and cried out. Both halves of her body jolted and stuttered around the room before coming to a rest in the same places they were. ¡°Fantastic! Because of your tiny dick, we¡¯re stuck. Did you kill them?¡± ¡°No, but I will.¡± ¡°Not until they let us out of these fucking portals, you moron.¡± ¡°I could always start with you,¡± I growled. ¡°Oh. This has been a long time coming, Kid Mind.¡± I watched her flex her hand. I tried to work up the will to just wipe her from existence, but I was in too much pain to focus on it. She couldn¡¯t move from her place. So we were stuck until they woke up.

=== Curt === Sometime later, I woke up on the floor. Berry and Cherry were both suspended in the series of portals I set up ahead of time. I got up groggily and looked around. Kari was still out. I made my way to her and made sure she was still breathing. Even if she¡¯s not my Kari, it¡¯s still weird thinking about caring if she¡¯s alive, I thought. And a smaller voice in the back of my head countered, And yet you do. You¡¯d probably even care if your Kari died. I didn¡¯t like how it emphasized your but I had bigger problems to deal with than whatever stupid shit my mind was saying. Cindi¡¯s doppelganger was staring at me curiously. She had Cindi¡¯s same predatory eyes, but the sharp angles of her face made her seem more dangerous. And from what I read, she is. She spoke to me. ¡°Who exactly are you?¡± ¡°Like I said. I¡¯m Esvanir. Just not exactly the Esvanir, you know.¡± ¡°You said you were Curtis Drei. Where did you get that name?¡± ¡°Stole it. From my wife, Cindi.¡± Her eyes widened at that. Then she cackled. It wasn¡¯t Cindi¡¯s normal musical snicker. It was a witch¡¯s laugh. ¡°You and me?¡± ¡°Not you. Cindi Drei. The world¡¯s greatest thief.¡± ¡°So, me,¡± she said with a grin. Then it softened to a smirk. I knew it. It was the one she¡¯d use on marks. ¡°Well, husband. Won¡¯t you let your poor, little wife out of your little portal?¡± ¡°Like I said. Not you.¡± I turned to Berry, who was glaring daggers at me. I could see that he was trying to steel up his concentration. So I tightened the ingresses a little, and he screamed out. ¡°So, big guy. You ready to make a deal. Or are you going to force me to kill you?¡± He considered me for a moment. ¡°You really think you¡¯re Esvanir.¡± ¡°I am Esvanir.¡± ¡°Esvanir never had the balls to do anything like this.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, where I¡¯m from, the heroes aren¡¯t so nice. They go around beating everyone close to death. Occasionally just to death. So thieves like me had to step up their game.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a thief?¡± Cindi asked. ¡°Second greatest in the world,¡± I responded with a grin. ¡°Maybe third. Depends.¡± She stared at me a little longer before I turned back to Professor Mind and snapped. I sighed and checked my rig¡¯s UI. I had taxed the system pretty hard and had overspent, though. I wouldn¡¯t be able to portal for at least three minutes. The portals released, and both he and Cherry dropped to the floor. Deep cuts lined his neck, arms, and legs. He had struggled hard while I was out. Not that it mattered. I looked back to Cindi, who had cuts on her arms and torso. They weren¡¯t as deep, but seeing even a facsimile of my wife hurt caused my heart to ache. ¡°Sign of good faith.¡± Professor Mind glared up at me. ¡°And you think just because you have a few tricks, you can just do whatever you want. I am a god to you!¡± ¡°Chuck, Chucky, my friend,¡± I began, grinning down at his seething face. Cindi had been a bad influence on me. I was mocking my enemies way more than I used to. ¡°I¡¯m a thief. All thieves ever have are a few clever tricks.¡± I kicked him in the shoulder, and he tried to catch himself before collapsing and gasping in pain. ¡°And those are always enough to topple arrogant pricks like you.¡± ¡°Maybe I will marry you after all. Or at least keep you as a pet. Steal the only thing that matters to her,¡± Cindi murmured, eyes tracing over me. I laughed. ¡°That¡¯s not too far off from our arrangement back home. But I prefer my Cindi. She¡¯s less likely to tear my heart out. At least physically.¡± I looked between the two of them. ¡°So, here¡¯s the deal. You are going to do whatever you did to this body last night, again. Both of you. Exactly the same. ¡°You want us to attack you?¡± Cindi asked. ¡°We¡¯ve been doing that this entire time, and look at where it¡¯s gotten all of us.¡± ¡°I want you to do the combination attack. According to Smash Gal, that¡¯s the only new element. So it¡¯s got to be what whammied this body and sent me to this terrible new dimension.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be happy to destroy your mind, but I want you to suffer first,¡± Professor Mind said. So I stepped on one of his cuts, putting my total weight on it, and he cried out. Leaning down, I met his gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand that you are not dealing with the nice, cuddly Essy you¡¯re used to.¡± I cracked him in the jaw with as much force as this body could muster, and he went reeling. ¡°This isn¡¯t some idle request, Chuck. You¡¯re out of moves. It¡¯s either you do this. Or you bleed out on cuddly Curt¡¯s floor, and I start working on Plan B. Because I don¡¯t give a fuck if you die. Apparently, this Curt and Kari would.¡± He seethed at me but collapsed back. ¡°Fine.¡± I stepped off of him and smiled. Kari was up at this point, staring at me with fear in her eyes. Cindi was back to considering me. ¡°Is this other Buck Cherry really that much better than me?¡± She asked seductively. ¡°Yes. Because she¡¯s my wife. And only kills in self-defense.¡± ¡°Your version of self-defense doesn¡¯t seem very legal,¡± Kari muttered. I grinned at her. ¡°Yeah, well. What can I say? I¡¯m just a criminal.¡± We spent a little time patching up the cuts on Cherry and Berry and even got them some orange juice for the blood loss. And after an hour, they were in position. Berry was still standoffish, but Cindi had pressed herself into me in an almost familiar embrace. Which was unfortunately necessary. It¡¯s so close to being right. But this body still had goosebumps erupting all over it. The opposite of what happened when Kari was close. It seemed to know this wasn¡¯t right. They started the process, and I felt the invading force in my mind. Something that the Chuck Berry I knew never would do. It wasn¡¯t gentle. It tore through immediately. Buck Cherry also zapped me, and I convulsed. And I started to fade from this body. Everything became distant. And I panicked for a brief moment, worry filling me that I had made a mistake. That I was going to die. But it was too late. Before I knew it, I was in some strange expanse. Stars surrounded me. They looked almost like a person. But then I found something else to focus on. An actual person. Not just my brain looking for patterns where there weren¡¯t any. Floating off was me. Or rather him. The other me. I caught up with him, calling out. ¡°Hey, you! Me!¡± I cringed internally. God, this is weird. He turned and stared at me. ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, you.¡¯ I said with a slight grin. ¡°You figured it out too.¡± ¡°It was fairly obvious,¡± he said. ¡°Yeah. Only tricky part was getting everyone together to do it.¡± ¡°That was surprisingly easy on my part. Just a few phone calls. Your Kari did punch me, though. You¡¯ve really done a number on her. She¡¯d never punch first, ask questions later.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do that. Smash Gal¡¯s stupid sense of justice did. Your Professor Mind is a trip, though. Just tearing people from their bodies.¡± ¡°Yours is . . . Different.¡± ¡°Yeah. Nicer. Better. Oh. I modified some of your code.¡± ¡°You did what!? Why!?¡± ¡°It was energy inefficient. With the new energy use equations, your range is much larger. Also added a few more spots to your default list. Figured that will make up for the fact that I¡¯m stealing your UI.¡± ¡°Thank god for that. Yours is terrible. How are you going to get it, though?¡± ¡°It¡¯s utilitarian,¡± I countered heatedly. ¡°I looked at the framework you were using. It¡¯s not too different than what exists in my world, and there are ways I can rebuild it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s crap,¡± he replied dryly. ¡°Yeah, well. I had other concerns. Speaking of. Made a bit of a mess in your office. And your enemies. Sorry about that. But maybe it¡¯ll remind you of something.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°That working solely in the system doesn¡¯t fucking work. I had to go out of it to get back. And so did you if you teamed up with Cindi.¡± ¡°The system works.¡± ¡°The fuck it does. You haven¡¯t changed anything. You¡¯ve just made yourself into a product.¡± ¡°I worked alone before. And I got nothing done!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m just the better Esvanir. Shitty UI and all.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a thief and a terrorist.¡± ¡°Yep. And I get things done. You can¡¯t even take down Professor Mind. Took me all of six hours and a trip to Home Depot.¡± I looked back the way I came from, and there was a thin string trailing back that way. I gripped it and dragged it forward, offering it to the other me. He did the same. We traded. And when I touched the other trail, I felt a tug. A strong tug. And then a full pull and was being dragged back. I hit a membrane between me and the stars. And then I was pulled through it. I felt myself rushing through the cosmos and then to Earth and then to Avalare. And finally, into my body. I slammed into it hard and took a deep, shuddering breath, my eyes shooting open. I blinked under the harsh sunlight a few times until they adjusted. I was curled up in Cindi¡¯s lap. She had her long hair and her red cherries. I reached up and touched her face. ¡°Cindi. It¡¯s you.¡± Through her tears, she smiled, ¡°It¡¯s me. Is it you, though? How can I be sure?¡± Kari and Chuck walked over, and I glared at her, and she stopped. ¡°It¡¯s him, alright,¡± Smash Gal said. I pushed myself up and looked around, trying to soften his glare. ¡°So,¡± Professor Mind began. I watched him. He wasn¡¯t in the dark blue and black costume the other one wore. Just his ordinary powder blue and white. I wonder why they still chose such similar colors. Whatever. All of this seems contrived and annoying. He continued, ¡°Another universe. One where I¡¯m. . .¡± ¡°A bigger dick, yeah.¡± ¡°So you met him. Me. Gods, this is weird.¡± ¡°Oh, you have no idea. I met all of you. The other yous. And they are all . . . Well, I¡¯m glad to be back home.¡± ¡°Oh, Essy. You won¡¯t miss the other me? I¡¯m sure she was plenty of fun.¡± ¡°In a black widow kind of way. Very dangerous.¡± ¡°How is that different from me exactly?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t open our conversations by choking me.¡± ¡°I could. Might be a nice role-reversal.¡± ¡°God, both of you are so gross,¡± Kari replied. She was trying to keep the smile off her face, though. ¡°Were we really m-married in the other world?¡± ¡°Yeah. And apparently do some role-play.¡± ¡°R-role-play? What kind of role-play?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you want to know.¡± I looked down at my rig. The one I had hand crafted. It hadn¡¯t really occurred to me until just now that the other Esvanir had been made by someone else. His code was written by someone else. He let other people look at the technology. He trusted them that much. I struggled to imagine that. And I looked up to the Kari I had grown up with. My enemy. And her boyfriend. Someone who I didn¡¯t hate. ¡°Uh . . . Thanks for your help, Smash Gal. I . . . I don¡¯t know what would¡¯ve happened if you hadn¡¯t been flexible. And you too, Chuck. Don¡¯t go tearing people¡¯s minds out, though. It¡¯s fucking scary.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Berry said, sighing. I opened a portal to the hotel room Cindi and I were sharing. ¡°Curt,¡± Kari began. I turned back to her. ¡°This doesn¡¯t change anything. The next time I see you, I¡¯m taking you in.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I said before walking through the portal, Cindi in tow. Issue #57: Somebody I Used to Know

=== Shay === I was parked outside the hospital, waiting. One of my mirrors had been crushed when the not-quite-werewolf had thrown it on its side, and I hadn¡¯t had the chance to get it fixed yet. But that¡¯s okay. Most cars have enough electronics to trigger my electric sense anyway. And right now, it didn¡¯t really matter. I was just parked, listening to music, the bass vibrating my rearview harshly. I was nodding along when I saw her. I turned down the music and pulled up in front of Jenny, who was wheeling herself out of the sliding doors. I hit the hazards, jumped out, and made my way to the other side, opening the door. ¡°Harry, sugar. You really didn¡¯t have to. I could¡¯ve called an Uber.¡± ¡°That sounds less fun. Besides, would an Uber take you to your werewolf?¡± ¡°You found him?¡± She asked eagerly as she lifted herself from her wheelchair up into the passenger seat. I watched her strong arms flex and whistled. She grinned at me. ¡°Down, boy. You¡¯re not hairy enough to handle me, Harry.¡± ¡°Please,¡± I said, snickering as I folded her chair and put it in the back seat. Once I was in the driver¡¯s seat and pulling out of the pickup lane, I turned to her, keeping my eyes on the road. ¡°Hey, call me Shay. Only teachers ever called me Harry.¡± ¡°I think I could pull off the strict headmistress look, right?¡± ¡°No doubt about that.¡± ¡°So, what did you learn about my new puppy?¡± ¡°Not much. The lady who took him claimed she was with animal control. But the cops said they didn¡¯t call them, and I checked with the local control, and they confirmed no one was sent out. Also, there¡¯s no meta animal taskforce.¡± ¡°Probably should be.¡± ¡°Yeah, maybe,¡± I said noncommittally. ¡°So, anyway, I tapped into the grid. Boosted my electric sense as much as I could.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°And it knocked me the fuck out. Way too much for me to handle right now.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan then?¡± ¡°I figure wherever your dog came from had to be close. Whoever that lady was, she acted quick. Showed up within ten minutes of the dog being out and about, right? So, we go pick your hover car up, check out the damage, and I¡¯ll check the area and see if I can find his signal again.¡± ¡°Sounds like a party,¡± Jenny said. She leaned back into the chair, closing her eyes for a moment. They¡¯d kept her for most of the day and wrapped her head in gauze. I frowned. ¡°I can also just take you home. Let you get some rest.¡± ¡°Nope,¡± she said, opening an eye and pointing at me. ¡°You promised me a puppy. So, we either find the werewolf or we go to the Dumb Friends League.¡± We drove back to the scene. The cops had put police tape around Jenny¡¯s hover car, but that didn¡¯t stop anyone from posing with it. We parked and rolled up on the machine. She circled it. It was still partially embedded in the building. I asked, ¡°Think it¡¯s salvageable?¡± ¡°Of course. He¡¯s the Cannonball. A little elbow grease, and he¡¯ll be good as new.¡± ¡°He?¡± ¡°Yeah. Cars and ships are normally feminine, but this bad boy? He¡¯s exactly that. A bad boy. And I¡¯m the only one who can control him.¡± I shook my head, laughing, and she just grinned at me. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll need him towed to my mechanic. Battery¡¯s dead, and he¡¯ll need the repairs anyway.¡± ¡°What kind of mechanic works on a bumper car with a jet attached to it?¡± ¡°The kind that works on jets. He¡¯s an ex-engineer for WanEn. Helped design the first few Marks for Bion¡¯s super suits.¡± ¡°I always thought Wan designed those himself.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what the WanEn press team would like you to believe. But no. Not even Wan is that good. Though, Esvanir might be.¡± ¡°Nah, that guy¡¯s a bitch. I took him down with an EMP. No way Bion goes down that easy.¡± ¡°And yet, Esvanir did take him down.¡± ¡°With stolen files. I could¡¯ve done that.¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t.¡± Jenny sobered some. ¡°Be careful if you fight him again.¡± ¡°Esvanir?¡± I puffed out my chest and waved a hand. ¡°He ain¡¯t shit.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what Kari thought too.¡± Jenny shook her head and took out her phone. She got on the line with the tow company, and we waited in my SUV. While we did, I got a call. I answered it through Bluetooth in the car. ¡°Hey, Kar. How¡¯s my favorite Barbie?¡± ¡°Ha ha, Thundy. Heard you¡¯ve been fighting dogs. Did you get your rabies shot?¡± ¡°Ay, Kar. Jenny¡¯s with me.¡± ¡°Oh. Hey, Jay. Sorry. I was going to check in with you at the hospital, but I got wrapped up in that meeting with Kevin and . . . some other stuff. How are you doing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay, Barbie,¡± Jenny said mockingly. ¡°I¡¯m doing good. How¡¯d it go?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m calling about. Kevin wanted to see if Thundy wanted to get in on the action?¡± ¡°And he went through you instead of me. Men. Tsk tsk.¡± ¡°What action am I getting in on?¡± ¡°A Metas are Human charity campaign. We met with the head publicist, and he asked about you. Figured it wouldn¡¯t hurt to ask.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Kar. I already got my other charity work.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. The kids at the hospital.¡± ¡°Yeah, but what¡¯re these guys like?¡± ¡°They are a meta-advocacy group. They seem to want to help and do a test campaign with Chu- PM and me.¡± ¡°Okay. But what¡¯d you think of them, Smashy? You think they¡¯re good people or what?¡± ¡°Well, I brought PM, and he got a good look at Kevin and seemed to like what he saw.¡± Kari put extra weight on good in some way I didn¡¯t understand. I met eyes with Jenny, who just shrugged. ¡°Well, I might show up to see for myself. Meta rights are good. But I won¡¯t abandon my other charity work.¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Kari exclaimed. ¡°Those kids adore you.¡± ¡°You should come back in. They missed you the last few times.¡± ¡°Oh, def. I¡¯ll see when I can and text you.¡±

=== Curt === Cindi and I were sitting in Crowley¡¯s de facto office. I was sitting on the couch, and my wife was sitting on the desk, letting her long legs drape over gracefully. I couldn¡¯t help but compare her to the other Cindi. She smiled reassuringly at me. Crowley was watching both of us warily. Finally, a group of Acolytes, including our fan, Bill, populated the room. They were all nervously looking around as Cindi examined them. She was wearing clothes, dress pants, and a thin white blouse, which was her way of showing that we weren¡¯t here for a fight. We had been sitting in an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. I was about to break the silence when she spoke up. ¡°Alright, we have a few matters to take care of, as you¡¯re all under new management.¡± She emphasized those words with a dangerous, sultry whisper. I did my best not to shiver. ¡°As you can see, we¡¯re keeping your dear Mister Crowley on the payroll, but our goals are now yours. Have any of you ever stolen anything before?¡± A few members shook their heads; a few nodded and murmured soft agreement. Cindi straightened her back and held her chin up high. ¡°Come now. Use your words.¡± The group spoke their answers louder. She smiled at this and said, ¡°Good. Esvanir, thoughts?¡± ¡°Uh,¡± I stood up and looked at them. I didn¡¯t really like it when Cindi used my moniker. Essy is fine. But Esvanir sounds . . . so formal coming from her. I glanced at her, trying to get a reading of what she expected of all of this. Recruiting a bunch of kids and weirdos who liked my rants on Twitter? It¡¯s insane. My mind shifted back to Esvanir, Inc. briefly. The company that the other me built up. The parallels between this and that were not lost on me. I cleared my throat. ¡°Right, I¡¯m Curtis Drei. Um . . . Esvanir. You all know that. Firstly, I want to make a couple of things clear. Things are going to be different. I have spoken to Mister Crowley, and we have come to an understanding about what I think of what you were previously doing. No more bombs. No more blowing up buildings. We are going to be a humanitarian organization. Anyone who¡¯s not here for that is free to leave.¡± A young woman with brown hair and a fierce expression stepped up and squared her hips. ¡°And what makes you think we¡¯ll just listen to you? You aren¡¯t even a part of the Acolytes of Esvanir! You don¡¯t know us. You don¡¯t care about us.¡± I stared at her, but she didn¡¯t back down. ¡°You have a point. I never intended for this group to exist. I was content to do my own thing. Then you people co-opted my name and started blowing things up and killing people. I don¡¯t want that to happen. Even if you hadn¡¯t used my moniker, I would still disapprove of your actions. But in using my name, you got my attention. And there are only really two options here for your organization. Mister Crowley has been apprised of my position and has agreed to it, albeit under duress.¡± ¡°And what two options are those?¡± The woman demanded. Others were murmuring behind her. ¡°Either you agree to these changes, or I disband you all. Forcefully if necessary.¡± ¡°What gives you the right to do that?¡± ¡°Right?¡± I laughed and stepped up to this woman. She was about as tall as I was, so it was easy to meet her eye. ¡°I am a thief. I don¡¯t do right; I do what¡¯s necessary to get the job done. And if you think I¡¯m going to back down from you when you¡¯re bombing people after I stood up to Bion and Smash Gal, you¡¯re a fucking idiot.¡± I watched her expression. She was fuming, clenching her jaw. But she looked away first. ¡°Great. So, let¡¯s get a list of everyone¡¯s skills.¡± The Acolytes of Esvanir were made up of everyday people, for the most part. People who were pushed to the brink of poverty and wanted a way to fight back. They were primarily self-taught, and Crowley had organized them well. Guess he doesn¡¯t want to go back to prison. I had taken down everyone¡¯s pseudonyms and the skills they thought they were best at, cross-confirming them with Crowley¡¯s perception of them. He didn¡¯t know them all by name but did by face. I could create a database and a reference document. I paused at that thought. Curt, they¡¯re terrorists. That¡¯s just making a Most Wanted shopping list. Cindi walked up and wrapped an arm around me. ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan, Essy?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I still think this is a bad idea.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Surely you can figure something to do with them.¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m thinking about it. I¡¯m not used to all of this management.¡± ¡°Obviously,¡± Crowley drolled. ¡°That¡¯s why you should leave it to me. Go on and be a fake activist. It¡¯s all you¡¯re good for.¡± ¡°Yeah, and all you¡¯re good for is blowing shit up and getting arrested,¡± I shot back. Crowley narrowed his eyes at me, but I didn¡¯t blink. He¡¯s not a threat, not like Kari. I sighed and went back to the document. ¡°That aside, what if we broke them up into splinter groups and sent those groups to steal prototypes . . . No, that won¡¯t work. Some have a little skill, but wouldn¡¯t know what¡¯s actually useful.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t train them to be petty thieves.¡± ¡°Yeah, just murderers. That¡¯s so much better.¡± I frowned at the paper. ¡°Looks like some of them have some technical experience. Maybe we can use that to dismantle and rebuild some things. And there is an Ocean Alkalinizer I wanted to build. Some of the materials were at EnGin. Suppose we could take some of them and see how they do in the field.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, Essy. You do that. I¡¯ll stay here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not coming?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have a team, and there are things around here that I¡¯d like to get done.¡± I searched my wife¡¯s face, trying to understand her. Then I just shrugged. I got up and gathered the team. It consisted of Bill, the woman who had tried to stand up to me during the orientation, who was called Ruth, and two others. One of the older men, Jim, said he¡¯d been a mechanic before joining, and another woman, Debbie, who was in IT, before everything was downsized to hell. Which I had helped cause. Wan¡¯s arrest caused their stock to fall, and they had layoffs in a response, and when a major tech company starts laying people off, it almost always has a ripple effect in the industry. They all hung rifles off their shoulders, and I tried not to frown. Getting shot so often had soured my opinion of the weapons. Should be fine as long as they¡¯re not attacking me. I opened the portal, and we stepped to the other side of the country. The Acolytes had posted on the west coast, though Crowley said there were cells all across the country. That¡¯s a terrifying thought. But maybe Cin¡¯s right. Perhaps we can use them. It was after hours on the east coast, which was for the best. We might have to deal with security, but at least we won¡¯t have to worry about any civilians. We entered their labs, and the abrasive woman, Ruth, approached me and demanded, ¡°What are we doing here?¡± ¡°Stealing materials to make a machine to combat ocean acidification.¡± I gestured over to a table that had some materials on it. ¡°Grab those filters. They should be in that drawer.¡± ¡°And why are we here? Can¡¯t you do that on your own?¡± Sandy asked testily. She was glaring at me and hadn¡¯t moved. ¡°I could, but then I¡¯d be leaving you guys alone to blow things up.¡± I couldn¡¯t keep the bitterness out of my voice. I took a deep breath and tried to push down my nerves. They¡¯re amateurs. They don¡¯t know what they¡¯re doing. As if to confirm my point, Billy picked up on a piece of technology, something with a thousand wires attached to it, and stumbled back, tearing them out. Whatever it was started making a loud noise, and he panicked and threw it at the wall. Alarms started going off. God damn it! This is why I work alone! I don¡¯t need this! ¡°What now!?¡± Ruth asked. She still sounded pissed, but fear was overtaking that. I shut my eyes and clenched my fists, trying to will myself into being calm. It didn¡¯t work. Especially as she shouted at me, ¡°What are you doing? What are we going to do?¡± ¡°I told you to grab those filters!¡± I barked. ¡°Billy! Get up. We gotta go fast.¡± Billy crawled to his feet, his face red. He wouldn¡¯t meet my eye. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s take what we can, and we¡¯ll sort it out later.¡± They burst into motion, just grabbing things and throwing them in bags. I also started gathering things. I didn¡¯t have an inventory of what was here or what could be helpful. I¡¯d come primarily for a few things, but I didn¡¯t know what else might be helpful. I had been planning on taking some time to see what else might be helpful. But these damn kids ruined that. There was a rush of air, and a voice called out. ¡°Stop right there!¡± I glanced up, and it was Kari. I sighed. ¡°Wh-who are these people?¡± ¡°That¡¯s really hard to explain,¡± I said, snapping my fingers, thinking, Gotta get them out first. Four portals opened underneath their feet, and they fell through with their pilfered materials. I closed those, opened an ingress under my feet, and started to fall through, but I was too slow. Gravity was too slow. Kari burst forward and grabbed me. She hefted me away from the gateway into another part of the world and threw me. I tumbled a few times and slammed into the opposite wall, struggling to keep my eyes open. I was dizzy and discombobulated. When I came back to myself, Kari was charging forward. I dived out of the way, but she caught me, bashing me into the wall again. It cracked. And so did parts of me. I groaned in pain. She pinned me there, a few feet off the ground. ¡°Give up, Curt. You couldn¡¯t get out of my pins when we were kids, and I¡¯m much stronger than that now.¡± She reached up and took my glasses off. ¡°And without these, you can¡¯t do your little trick. You going to give up?¡± ¡°I-¡± I coughed miserably. ¡°I think you broke some of my ribs.¡± Her grip loosened some. Not enough for me to escape, but it did ease the pressure on my body some. I took a few deep breaths and forced my eyes to focus. My UI came up, my eyes flicking over menus quickly. I found the one that I wanted. ¡°You¡¯re wrong, Kar. I still have a few tricks.¡± ¡°Curt, stop bluffing-¡± Smash Gal began. But another ingress opened up next to her head. She looked over at it. On the other side was my railgun, which sprang to life, automatically aiming for her. ¡°Wh-what? How?¡± ¡°Put me down, Smash Gal. Or we do an experiment. And you might die.¡± ¡°Y-you can¡¯t hurt me!¡± She stuttered. ¡°We both know that¡¯s not true. And that was when I didn¡¯t have any time to plan. Any time to prepare.¡± ¡°Wh-what is it?¡± She asked. ¡°How are you doing this without your glasses?¡± Her grip had loosened on me enough to let me slip down. I rubbed my shoulder. The railgun made minor adjustments to keep her squarely in its sights. ¡°Cherry doesn¡¯t like glasses. So, I made contact versions, and I¡¯ve been wearing them as backups in case some meddling superhero comes and breaks mine again. Only took me three times to learn that particular lesson.¡± ¡°You always have to be so smart,¡± she shot back petulantly. ¡°What about this? What is it?¡± ¡°A railgun. Shoots a titanium rod faster than your top speed. Can¡¯t be sure yet, but I think it could pierce your thick skull.¡± She glared down at me. ¡°Can I have my glasses back, please?¡± ¡°Why? You don¡¯t need them.¡± ¡°I like them.¡± I paused, taking in her face fully for the first time. Her face was red, and her hair wasn¡¯t her usual, perfectly even blonde Karen style. Some of the ends were singed and uneven. And . . . ¡°What happened to your eyebrows?¡± ¡°Shut up! A sword exploded on me.¡± ¡°A sword- That lady¡¯s sword? The one that was stolen a few weeks ago?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I laughed, and her glare got sharper. I held up a hand, smiling. She glanced down at the glasses clutched in her fingers. The portal closed, and I held out my hand. ¡°Kari, I¡¯m tired. I don¡¯t feel like fighting you. So, either we can talk this out, or I go nuclear.¡± She slapped the glasses down in my hand. ¡°You want to talk? You never wanted to talk before.¡± ¡°Yeah, well. Maybe your boyfriend has finally gotten through to me. Maybe I went to a different world and saw a different life. One where we get along. And we had a somewhat successful dinner. I can¡¯t forgive you for what you¡¯ve done for me yet. I don¡¯t know that I ever will. But I can at least not murder you on sight.¡±

=== Kari === I stared down at Curt. He looked tired. I mentally compared him to when I first met him when I got to Avalare. Since he¡¯d been on the run, he had bulked up considerably. He was a lot stronger. His face was all hard angles. He had been shaving the side of his head and leaving the top long. He put on the glasses and blinked a few times, adjusting to them again. He honestly looks more like a barista at some hipster cafe than someone on the FBI¡¯s Most Wanted List, I thought bitterly. The thief snapped, and a portal opened up. I don¡¯t know where the other side opened to. It was either dawn or dusk there. He stepped through it, but it didn¡¯t close. He glanced back at me, waiting. What is his game? Was he telling the truth about that rail thing? I thought about it. He wouldn¡¯t lie. But faster than my top speed? How does he even know what my top speed is? I floated through the portal. We were on a rooftop somewhere. The portal closed behind me. ¡°So? What do you want to talk about?¡± ¡°I want you to stop, Kari. I have never asked you to before. But I¡¯m going to try it now. Communication. Tell you what my goals are. Upfront and in the open. Then we have a decision to make.¡± ¡°A decision?¡± ¡°We can either be enemies, or you can just be somebody I used to know.¡± There was a slight smile on his lips. I groaned as my brain tried to complete the song in my head. Whenever I heard something related to a song, my mind would jump to it, filling in the music. It drove me mad. ¡°You did that on purpose.¡± ¡°Yeah, I did.¡± He¡¯d made a joke. He was trying. His arms were crossed, and he was still wary, ready to jump at the first sign of trouble. But he wasn¡¯t yelling, and he wasn¡¯t attacking. ¡°Do you really think that a titanium arrow can hurt me?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s my best shot right now. You¡¯re too dangerous not to have contingency plans against.¡± ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m that dangerous?¡± ¡°You are, without a doubt, the most dangerous person on the planet. More dangerous than Bion, than that prick Thunderblast, than Professor Mind, and I know firsthand what it¡¯s like to fight him with the kid¡¯s gloves off now. You are a walking weapon of mass destruction.¡± There wasn¡¯t heat in his voice. I watched him. He was trying to keep his tone even. I knew he wanted to yell. His hands were shaking with rage. But he managed his voice better than I¡¯d seen him do in a long time. ¡°You¡¯ve tried to kill me and my wife.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to kill anyone!¡± I exclaimed, stepping forward. He raised his hand, his little metal bracelet wrapped around the back of his hand. I stopped and took a deep breath. ¡°You just wouldn¡¯t stop. And I was angry and hurt. You¡¯re a criminal. I never thought . . . I never once thought you¡¯d be a bad guy, Curt. Never.¡± ¡°Yeah, well. You don¡¯t know me anymore, Kari. I¡¯m not that same weak kid I was.¡± He started off at a distance, the sun slowly crawling up. ¡°I don¡¯t need your protection anymore. I learned how to protect myself.¡± ¡°You think you¡¯ve become strong? That stealing gives you power?¡± ¡°No!¡± He roared, taking a step closer. I didn¡¯t back down. ¡°I think that the world forced me to be strong. This terrible fucking society that we¡¯ve crafted for ourselves, where billionaires like Wan can just kill tens of thousands of people, and the only way he¡¯s even tacitly brought to justice is because someone worked outside of the system and leaked it. I am not weak anymore because I don¡¯t have any option but to be this way.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be a criminal.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. All I¡¯d have to do to stop is watch the rich and powerful step on everyone beneath them. I¡¯d have to give up on making the world better.¡± ¡°Do you really think you can do that? You¡¯re just one thief. You and Buck Cherry can steal everything from everyone, but it¡¯s not changing anything.¡± Curt clenched his jaw, and his eyes flicked about, trying to find a counter-argument. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said finally, deflating. Then he met my eye. ¡°I can¡¯t change the world alone. But that doesn¡¯t mean I can just let things be how they are. Could you?¡± ¡°Wh-what do you mean?¡± I wanted to look away. A thousand thoughts raced through my head. About how the police were treating me. How they¡¯d treated Thundy. Bellemere. How the media was constantly tearing into me. ¡°The world¡¯s a bad place. That¡¯s why you¡¯re Smash Gal, right?¡± This was the first time I¡¯d ever heard him use that name without hatred. ¡°You see people getting attacked or in danger, and you step in. But you can¡¯t change the world either. Not really. You can inspire people. But that¡¯s not really the same thing as change, is it?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± I agreed. I laughed. ¡°You know what¡¯s funny? The other day, a bridge collapsed, and I was trying to save people. And I couldn¡¯t. And I thought to myself . . . If you were there, you¡¯d bitch the entire time. But you would save people. You¡¯d do a better job in that situation than I did.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about all that. I hate to admit it, but you¡¯re really good at too many things. You always have been. I think it¡¯s part of what makes this so frustrating for me.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I-if you could just see things my way, you could do a lot of good. You could stand up to the military. You could push for police reform. You could use your platform in a lot of ways. In honest ways. In the light of day. Not hiding behind a mask.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have a mask anymore.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he laughed bitterly. ¡°Don¡¯t know that that¡¯s a good thing, though. I inspired bombings.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t control what your fans are going to do. Not really.¡± ¡°But I can do better. Kari, here¡¯s my offer. I can¡¯t be your friend. Not after . . . everything. But I¡¯m not going to get in your way. I¡¯ll never seek you out. I¡¯ll never target you.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re not going to stop stealing.¡± ¡°Not until the world¡¯s a better place.¡± ¡°Do you really think stealing will improve the world?¡± ¡°Not on its own. But I¡¯m working on the rest of it. I think . . . I think it¡¯s time I brought the community to my communism.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s. . . complicated.¡± ¡°I have to try to stop you. You know that, right.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Curt, stealing is wrong.¡± ¡°And what exactly are Bion or EnGin doing? Wan is a trillionaire. Not his company. Him. Alone. You don¡¯t get to be a trillionaire without stealing that. He just did it legally. And that doesn¡¯t make it better. That¡¯s a sign that the whole fucking system needs to be razed and rebuilt.¡± I chewed on his words. ¡°You have a point. I hate that you do. But you¡¯re right. It¡¯s not that simple.¡± A thought occurred to me. My jaw tensed as I stared at the man who had been my best friend. The man who had become my greatest enemy. ¡°I have a counter-offer.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not turning myself in. I¡¯m not turning Cindi in, either. And I¡¯m not stopping.¡± ¡°I get that. But . . . What if you become a hero?¡± ¡°What?¡± He laughed at me, uncrossing his arms. ¡°I just said I¡¯m not stopping.¡± ¡°I know!¡± I shouted. ¡°But . . . What if . . . you helped people. What if I ask for help? Would you help me?¡± ¡°You? No. You don¡¯t need my help. But if another bridge collapses, you can reach out. I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s better than nothing.¡± Issue #58: An American Hero

=== Don === I was in my office doing a little bit of paperwork. Alan Crane came in, knocking at the door. I finished the line I was on and looked up, putting on my best boss-appeasing smile. ¡°Mr. Crane. How can I help you?¡± ¡°Oh, just stopping by to say hi, Don. How are your cases coming?¡± I watched him for a moment. He rarely checked on my cases. Mostly because he had learned he didn¡¯t need to. I would get the job done. And my record was impeccable. Only slightly less than his, I thought bitterly. He looked tired, almost haggard, which wasn¡¯t like him. I narrowed my eyes. ¡°They¡¯re coming well. You know I like to stay on top of everything.¡± ¡°O-of course, Don. I didn¡¯t mean to imply otherwise. Just checking in.¡± ¡°Of course, Alan,¡± I said, trying to sound familiar. ¡°Is there something on your mind?¡± ¡°Yeah. I was wondering if I could borrow your ear for a while.¡± I glanced at the plea deal I had been constructing. Then I saved it three times, just to be sure, and stood up. ¡°Of course, Mister Crane. I¡¯m here for you.¡± I tried to play off my disdain for the man as an easy affability. I don¡¯t know if he bought it. He smiled. ¡°Come back to my office. I have some scotch.¡± We were still on the clock. And it would be for a few more hours. But he had never offered anything like that before. And it piqued my curiosity. Maybe it¡¯s something that I can use. We retired to his office, and he poured me a drink and got me a few ice cubes. Then poured himself a healthy amount. More than I¡¯d ever seen him pour off the clock. Come to think of it, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen him drink during work hours. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, Alan?¡± I asked, spinning the glass in my hands slowly. ¡°It¡¯s this damn Bion case. I did my best with the jury, but it¡¯s impossible to find someone who doesn¡¯t have an opinion on Bion. Most of them are positive, even after the news. And his attorneys are good. Of course, they are. Damn it. I¡¯m prosecuting an American hero. The American hero.¡± I tried not to frown. Andrew Wan was barely an American. Much less the best of us. He teamed up with freaks and degenerates. Not to mention his Chinese ties. Alan¡¯s pathetic. Thinking a second-generation immigrant could possibly be the archetype of a real hero. I paused for a moment, trying to keep my smile purely inward. He¡¯d learn soon. Curatio will make our move soon and show the world what true American heroes are. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Don. I don¡¯t think I can win this case.¡± That was a shocking statement. District Attorneys had to keep their records close to perfect, or they¡¯d be voted out. Which would be an ideal chance for me to take his position, I thought, suppressing my lips, stretching at the thought. ¡°Is the information Esvanir,¡± I failed to keep the disdain out of my voice this time, ¡°provided not sufficient? When I looked at it, it seemed pretty bulletproof. WanEn designed the wormhole. They were signed off by Wan himself. He knew the risks. After the first Grignau attack, he reopened the portal, and they continued mining there. Depraved Heart was a good call.¡± ¡°The documents are fine. But you know damn well that the facts of a case are less important than the jury¡¯s emotions. And Bion has been saving cats out of trees and fighting supervillains in Avalare for twenty-five years. There ain¡¯t a single person in the city that hasn¡¯t been saved in some way by him. And that begs the question. Why am I the one prosecuting this? Why wasn¡¯t it kicked up to the Federal court?¡± It wasn¡¯t a stupid question. Despite my opinion of the man, I have to admit he¡¯s a good lawyer. Climbed his way up over forty years and won almost every case. He was careful and choosy. But this wasn¡¯t a case anyone could just walk away from. Wan needed to be prosecuted. And forcing a local DA to take the case was almost certainly career suicide. But in case it¡¯s not, I have to look supportive. ¡°There¡¯s also not anyone who hasn¡¯t been affected by the Grignau attacks. Everyone has a story. If the defense is playing up the emotional angle, maybe you should focus harder on the visceral nature of the attacks.¡± Alan nodded thoughtfully. He still looked a little unsure, so I continued, ¡°When are the closing arguments scheduled for?¡± ¡°Tomorrow, 2 o¡¯clock. Thanks, Don. That¡¯s a good idea. You¡¯re a good friend.¡± I smiled at him as best as I could. Moron. I excused myself and made my way back to my own office. A courier was standing in front of the receptionist¡¯s desk, and she called out. ¡°Mister Lawin. Package for you. Needs your signature.¡± I made my way over to the desk, scrawled a quick signature, then took the package, looking at the return address.
Johnathan Rawlins
I frowned at the package and walked away from the receptionist and courier without a word, closing and locking the door behind me. I took my letter opener out, sliced through the tape, and opened the box. It was a large phone. I took it out and powered it on. And immediately, it started ringing. I answered it. On the other end, some static and a gravelly voice greeted me. ¡°Assistant District Attorney Don Lawin. You are the last person I would have ever expected to contact me. But my associate tells me you and I have something to discuss.¡± ¡°Ordinarily, I wouldn¡¯t want to make a deal with someone like you. But we have a common enemy, Mister Marcelli.¡± ¡°And who would that be?¡± He sounded bored. Irritation flared up in my neck and behind my eyes, and my stomach roiled. ¡°I am a part of an organization that will see the end of all of the genetic degeneration that has occurred in the last generation.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so sure of your role in this, then pray to tell, Mister Lawin, why are you contacting me.¡± ¡°We have developed a cure for it, but as one might expect, maintaining such an operation is very expensive. I¡¯m reaching out to see if you might consider being a benefactor.¡± ¡°Many of my resources were seized when I was forced into my extended vacation. I¡¯m not as liquid as I used to be. Would you be able to assist in any thawing?¡± ¡°There are things I can do on that front. But I could¡¯ve reached out to any number of wealthy men. I need some assurances of my own.¡± ¡°Oh? Do tell.¡± ¡°Our aim is to eliminate every last meta-human. None of them will be left. My understanding is that you also hate these things and would like to see them eradicated.¡± ¡°These metas have taken everything from me. Buck Cherry robbed me twice. Made me look like an idiot. Smash Gal destroyed my house. Or beasts coming out to kill my family with their disgusting fire powers. I want nothing more than the utter destruction of these people.¡± Marcelli started out sounding bored, but as he continued on, heat grew in his voice. He took a deep breath before continuing, his tone returning to its neutral mask. ¡°But if I¡¯m involved, I have a few stipulations beyond access to my funds.¡± I grit my teeth. I¡¯m giving him the chance to do what¡¯s right. To use his ill-gotten gains to do something meaningful. And these criminals spit in my face, making demands. But compromises must be made. I¡¯m doing God¡¯s will, and He will forgive me for whatever transgressions we make as long as we can eliminate these sinners. ¡°And what would that be?¡± I asked bitterly. ¡°I want to know what this cure is. How it works. To see it in action. And I want to add an additional non-meta target to our list.¡± He paused for a moment, and I could hear him breathing heavily. ¡°I want to kill Curtis Reese. I want you to help me find him so I can squeeze the life physically out of him. So that I can crush him after we kill his bitch in front of him. And I want both of their deaths to be incredibly painful. I want them to know no peace.¡± I found myself smiling throughout his rant. ¡°I think we can work that out, Mister Marcelli. In fact, it would be my pleasure to help you with those goals.¡±

=== Kari === I returned to Chuck¡¯s apartment after talking with Curt and told him everything. My boyfriend pursed his lips, considering. ¡°That¡¯s interesting. I guess his time in that other reality really affected him.¡± ¡°No kidding. Do you think he can change?¡± ¡°We all can change. It¡¯s just a matter of wanting to. And that¡¯s the bigger question. But you said Curt could¡¯ve attacked you and didn¡¯t.¡± I chewed on Chuck¡¯s words, pushing myself into his arms. I have been spending more time here lately. He had given me half his closet space and some dresser drawers. My toothbrush rested next to his in a cup. Another thought crossed my mind. Curt and Buck Cherry had been basically the same at this point. And now they¡¯re married. Is that going to be Chuck and me? He wrapped his arm loosely around me and kissed my neck, and I leaned away, giggling. It tickled. Despite all of my strength, my ability to tank rockets and swords, and everything else, I was still ticklish. God has a sense of humor with that. I turned into him and kissed him. He kissed back and just watched me for a moment with his deep brown eyes. The pressure we¡¯d been under lately had worn more worry lines into his face. I pressed into his chest, and he hugged me tight. The following day, I got up and dressed in a business skirt and blouse with a blazer. Closing arguments for Bion¡¯s case were today. I¡¯d testified against him, and it was one of the worst experiences of my life. I had grown up looking up to a ton of heroes, but Andrew Wan was the hero. He was larger than life, more famous than anyone else. Rich, powerful, innovative, and capable. And I betrayed him, a voice in the back of my head kept saying. I had tried to rebuff it a thousand times, countering with, No, he betrayed everyone. He¡¯s the one that caused the Grignau attacks. He¡¯s the one that endangered people. That didn¡¯t allay the guilt at all. And what was worse was that I could hear Curt¡¯s smug voice add to it, And he did it all to line his pockets. He let people die for money. I watched myself in the mirror. This was basically the same thing I wore the first time I had testified.

=== Flashback ===

¡°And I call to the stand Smash Gal, Kari Stewart,¡± the prosecutor said. My heart was beating fast. I had done arbitrations before, settling out of court, but being in the actual court was different. It hadn¡¯t occurred to me before, but none of the metas and supervillains I had stopped ever had trials. They had been sent directly to a holding facility. I didn¡¯t know it was Bellemere yet. I¡¯d never even heard the name. As I stood, my panic spiked, and everything slowed down for me. My footsteps seemed to echo forever with each step I took. The prosecutor was an older, heavyset man. Alan Crane, I thought. The District Attorney. He had a jolly red face, gray hair, and a matching gray suit. The kind of guy who would come up if you googled a lawyer and hit images. The defense attorneys wore dark suits and looked like they¡¯d be the second or third result on the same search. The lead attorney was a severe-looking woman named Julie Mason. Wan also wore a dark blue suit and glared at me, eyes narrowing over his breathing mask. I forced myself to look forward, not daring to meet his gaze. After what seemed to be an eternity and a half, I made it to the stand and took a few deep breaths. I was sworn in, promising to tell the truth. From behind a table, Alan stood up and began his questioning, ¡°Miss Stewart, could you please state your relationship with the accused?¡± ¡°Uh, well, we¡¯re both superheroes. We¡¯ve worked together to try and bring down Esvanir and push back against the Grignau invasion that happened late last year.¡± ¡°Yes, I wanted to thank you for your help with that on behalf of the City of Avalare.¡± Mister Crane smiled reassuringly at me. I smiled back, breathing easily for the first time since I sat on the seat. ¡°So, you¡¯ve worked with Mister Wan before. Is that how you ended up on one of his bases?¡± ¡°Well, no. We had tried to apprehend Curtis Reese, Esvanir, and his then-fianc¨¦, Buck Cherry, at their wedding. The fight hadn¡¯t gone well. Afterward, I found Esvanir elsewhere, and we fought again. I broke his teleport-y thing, and it transported us to the Grignau home planet.¡± Alan paused for a moment collecting his thoughts. It was weird for me, and I fly at Mach 8 daily. It must be really bizarre for a vanilla to deal with this. ¡°So, you ended up on a different planet in your skirmish with Esvanir. What happened after that?¡± ¡°C-Curt, Ch- Professor Mind, and I argued about what we needed to do next.¡± I had purposefully avoided mentioning Doctor Desai. They seem like a nice person. I don¡¯t want to drag them into all of this. ¡°Curt was furious that we¡¯d crashed his wedding, and during the fight that took us to the new planet, I broke his hand, so he wasn¡¯t super cooperative.¡± ¡°Did you immediately realize where you were?¡± ¡°No, Curt did. He was the first person to both piece together that we were on a different planet and that it was a Wan En and EnGin property.¡± ¡°And did you believe him when he told you this?¡± Alan¡¯s tone had become somber. ¡°Not at first. But he pointed out that the cafeteria we were in was filled with products and machines from both companies¡¯ products and that they¡¯re the only ones with the tech to make an off-planet compound like that.¡± ¡°Interesting. And what happened next?¡± ¡°Well, after Curt calmed down, we looked for a way to get back home. Curt powered on some of the computers, got into their systems and started a download of the files. He even found a video of Grignau attacking the workers there. I tried to stop him from downloading the files, but I couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°And what happened after that?¡± ¡°Well, Curt got a wormhole or something up and running, and we returned to Earth.¡± Stolen story; please report. ¡°Where exactly did you end up?¡± ¡°One of Bion¡¯s. . . Sorry. One of the Wan En facilities.¡± ¡°How do you know it was a Wan En facility?¡± ¡°Well, Mister Wan was there. And his company¡¯s logo was everywhere.¡± ¡°Fair enough. What happened next?¡± ¡°Mister Wan knocked out Curt and the doctor who had been brought with us and took them somewhere. He then said that Professor Mind and I had to be kept under observation to make sure any alien pathogens didn¡¯t get loose.¡± ¡°Was that why he was keeping you there?¡± ¡°As near as I can tell, no. Mister Wan was trying to figure out a way to spin this. Stalling for time. Trying to figure out how we could get on his side.¡± ¡°Objection, speculation,¡± Miss Mason called out. ¡°It¡¯s not, though,¡± I countered. The judge, a woman in her fifties, leaned over. ¡°The witness¡¯ last remark will be stricken from the record. Miss Stewart, don¡¯t speak out of turn.¡± She glanced down from her very high chair to the District Attorney. ¡°Mister Crane, I¡¯ll allow you a clarifying question or two to establish her knowledge, but please keep your client under control.¡± ¡°Thank you, your honor. Miss Stewart, you said that this isn¡¯t speculation. How do you know what Mister Wan was thinking?¡± ¡°Professor Mind read his mind and told me.¡± ¡°Objection, hearsay.¡± The lead defense attorney cried again. I clenched my jaw to stop myself from saying something this time. ¡°There¡¯s no way that Miss Stewart could verify the claim being made and is appealing to supernatural knowledge from a third party to substantiate it.¡± ¡°Sustained,¡± the judge remarked. I frowned. ¡°Your honor, sidebar?¡± Alan asked. The judge nodded. Alan and Miss Mason crossed the room to just before the judge¡¯s podium. They started whispering, but they could¡¯ve been seven blocks away, and I could¡¯ve heard them. ¡°Judge, I would like to add Professor Mind to my witness list. He can establish Miss Stewart¡¯s claim.¡± ¡°Absolutely not,¡± the defense attorney cut in. ¡°His identity isn¡¯t public, and we cannot verify he can do what he says.¡± ¡°He has been a hero in the town for most of a decade, and his record of public service should speak for itself.¡± ¡°Mister Crane,¡± the judge began, sounding exasperated. ¡°I won¡¯t allow a masked vigilante to testify in my court. Having to deal with Smash Gal is bad enough. You¡¯ll have to find a different way of substantiating Miss Stewart¡¯s testimony.¡± I watched the District Attorney¡¯s chest swell. It looked like he was going to argue, but after a moment, he deflated and nodded. ¡°Alright, your honor.¡± He didn¡¯t sound thrilled. This is ridiculous, I thought. Why wouldn¡¯t they let Chuck testify? He¡¯s been a hero since he was fourteen! I grit my teeth. Is this what it means to help people? That we¡¯re just never going to be trusted? Both attorneys returned to their seats, and Alan took a moment or two to collect himself. ¡°How long did Mister Wan keep you in his facility?¡± ¡°Three days.¡± ¡°And after those three days, what happened?¡± ¡°After Professor Mind told me what was up,¡± I paused to glare at both the judge and the defense attorneys before continuing, ¡°we decided to leave.¡± ¡°And did you help Mister Reese escape?¡± ¡°No,¡± I said, my voice darkening. ¡°He got out some other way.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know how?¡± ¡°Uh . . . Professor Mind says that Buck Cherry helped him escape. I was distracted at the time, trying to escape.¡± ¡°And after you escaped, what happened?¡± ¡°Professor Mind and I went to the cops, but they couldn¡¯t do anything without hard evidence. So, we did a press conference to try and drum up attention. But . . . we still didn¡¯t have proof.¡± ¡°And then what happened?¡± ¡°Curt leaked the story to David Thrawn. He was interviewed, and Thrawn released the files with most of the information redacted, but I guess there was enough proof for the police to open a full investigation finally.¡± ¡°No further questions, your honor.¡±

=== Present Day ===

I took a cab to the courthouse. I didn¡¯t want to fly there and ruin my outfit or hair. I had to look professional and capable. It took forever to get to the courtroom; I wasn¡¯t used to moving so slowly. It gave me too much time to think. They¡¯re going to find him guilty, right? They have to. He did it. No matter how rich you are, you have to pay for something this big, right? I got to the enormous court building. I could throw any of the marble floor tiles into the stratosphere; I could use the story-tall pillars as a bat. And yet, this place felt bigger than me; More than I was. This is why I am a hero. I tried not to think of Bellemere. I failed. Metas never get to see this, a bastion of supposed justice. They were just shipped off to prison and drugged into unconsciousness. I made my way to the courtroom. When I entered, people stared at me. Alan Crane smiled at me. He looked confident, but I could see things other people couldn¡¯t. And there was a slight tremor in his hands. A tightness in his eyes. I smiled as brightly as I could back. I locked eyes with the lead defense attorney. She grinned dangerously at me. There was no tremor in her at all. Just absolute confidence. I tried not to shiver. I am Smash Gal! She¡¯s just a vanilla. But I knew that wasn¡¯t true. She¡¯d proven that when she cross-examined me.

=== Flashback ===

¡°Miss Stewart,¡± Julie Mason began from behind her table. I¡¯d learned that lawyers didn¡¯t actually step into the gallery. They asked all of their questions from across the room for some reason. ¡°You claim that you just happened to end up on the Grignau planet by pure happenstance; is that correct?¡± ¡°I guess. I don¡¯t really know how I got there. I broke Esvanir¡¯s teleport device, which malfunctioned and sent us there.¡± ¡°That seems like a pretty big coincidence, don¡¯t you think?¡± The defense attorney asked from across the room. ¡°You just happened to end up in the place with all of the evidence to levy these accusations against my client.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know why we ended up there. You could ask Esvanir. He tried to explain it to me when we were on the planet, but it was way beyond anything I could comprehend.¡± ¡°And you and Mister Reese had a relationship, correct?¡± ¡°Rela-¡± I began, but Alan cut me off. ¡°Objection, relevance?¡± ¡°I¡¯m establishing a baseline to test the veracity of Miss Stewart¡¯s claims.¡± ¡°Overruled, Mister Crane,¡± the judge sounded almost bored in her response. ¡°You will answer the question, Miss Stewart.¡± ¡°I . . . We were childhood friends. But I did everything I could to bring him in when I learned who he was.¡± ¡°Everything?¡± She asked. ¡°Your testimony earlier said you couldn¡¯t even stop him from stealing computer files.¡± ¡°I . . . Should have,¡± I said through gritted teeth. ¡°What is your profession, Miss Stewart?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a superhero. I do some modeling and brand integrations to pay the bills, but mostly, I try to help people.¡± ¡°Is what you do legal?¡± ¡°Objection, relevance?¡± The district attorney asked again, annoyance crawling in his voice. ¡°This is to point out that Miss Stewart has no qualms about bending and sometimes breaking the law when she thinks something is right.¡± ¡°Overruled,¡± the judge replied. She looked at Mason. ¡°I¡¯m giving you some leeway, counselor. Don¡¯t abuse it.¡± ¡°Again, Smash Gal, is what you do legal?¡± ¡°Most of what I do is helping people. Helping with disasters and accidents and trying to help people.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer my question, Miss Stewart.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not a lawyer or a cop,¡± I said, anger edging into my voice. ¡°I try to do what¡¯s right.¡± Crane put his head in his hands. It was just for a moment, but the jury definitely saw it. ¡°So, your friend just so happens to take you to a different planet, then happens to find the files that implicate that my client is responsible for two of the worst tragedies in the history of the world.¡± ¡°Objection! Argumentative,¡± Crane cut in. ¡°Withdrawn,¡± Mason replied quickly. ¡°Do you know how Mister Reese accessed these files?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I responded, exasperated. ¡°He¡¯s a thief. It¡¯s what he does. He¡¯s been hacking WanEn for years.¡± ¡°Did you review the files, other than the video, that he took before he gave them to David Thrawn?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t get a chance to. I was a little busy. Being stranded on a different planet. And then being held against my will by your client.¡± ¡°So, you don¡¯t know if your friend, a known terrorist with a vendetta against my client, edited any of the files?¡± ¡°I- Curt wouldn¡¯t do that. He¡¯s a dick, bu-¡± ¡°Miss Stewart!¡± The judge chided. ¡°Show this court proper respect and avoid using any foul language.¡± I gritted my teeth and glared up at the woman. ¡°Or I will find you in contempt of court.¡± ¡°Curt wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°And how do you know that?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s got a sense of honor!¡± ¡°A terrorist, known for targeting people like my client, has a sense of honor? A man on the FBI¡¯s Most Wanted List?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It sounds like you respect Mister Reese quite a bit. Which is why you didn¡¯t stop him from stealing the files?¡± ¡°Curt tries to do what he thinks is right. Even if he is a thief,¡± I said heatedly. It¡¯s so much harder not to curse when I know I can¡¯t! Damn it! I glared at the woman across the room from me. ¡°And he was right about what was happening. The files he took proved that. And I saw where we were with my own eyes.¡± ¡°The files you hadn¡¯t reviewed before Mister Reese could¡¯ve edited them. Right. And you claim that you were on the planet, but the claim that my client was involved maliciously has not been proven. WanEn has lots of interests local and abroad.¡± ¡°Most of those interests don¡¯t get tens of thousands of people killed,¡± I said through bared teeth. My words were both quick and barely able to be heard. ¡°Objection! Argumentative. Again.¡± The District Attorney sounded defeated. ¡°Sustained. Counselor, keep it to the subject at hand, please.¡± ¡°I have no further questions for Miss Stewart, your honor.¡±

=== Present Day ===

District Attorney Crane tried to redirect me after that and reestablish my credibility, but I wasn¡¯t sure the damage could be reversed. And now I was just sitting in what basically amounted to church pews, waiting for the results. The judge, an older woman, walked through the door, and the bailiff said, ¡°All rise.¡± And everybody did, just like that. I could bench a building, and I didn¡¯t warrant a quarter of the respect that this woman did. At least not in the same way. ¡°We will hear closing arguments today. I would remind everyone to keep in mind that this is a courtroom and to respect our institutions regardless of the results. We will hear from the prosecution first.¡± Alan stood up slowly and let his gaze trace over the jury momentarily. ¡°The facts of this case are pretty simple when we strip away all of the science fiction technology and the superheroics. Mister Wan and his company knowingly and deliberately endangered the lives of everyone on the planet. Regardless of who provided the documents, we have confirmed they came from internal Wan En systems and show that the company, and Mister Wan, in particular, were aware of the danger. He opened the portal several times, allowing an external threat a direct line to our front door. Tens of thousands of people died worldwide in the first attack from the Grignau. Thousands in Avalare alone. At the time, we all thought it was a tragedy. Maybe an act of God punishing us. But then it happened again. And more people died. Thousands more people dead. Our city torn asunder. Cities all across the world destroyed. Brought to their knees. And then, because of the actions of private citizens, we found out that it wasn¡¯t an accident, a tragedy, or an act of God. We found internal memos at Wan En that it was a calculated risk. A calculated risk. Tens of thousands dead. Torn to shreds by an alien threat. All because Wan thought he could control it. Stop it. Even after he failed the first time. Even after he¡¯d already sacrificed so many people to the altar of money. Everything else aside, that¡¯s the core of this case. He calculated the risk and decided that tens of thousands of deaths were not enough to pause over. He did this with the knowledge that this could happen. Because it had before. I ask the jury to remember those lost and remember that Bion¡¯s math was wrong. He calculated wrong.¡± I watched the jury. They were considering his words. But I couldn¡¯t read their faces well enough to tell how they¡¯d fall. And we hadn¡¯t heard from the defense yet. She stood up, and my heart skipped a beat. I can¡¯t believe she actually scares me. Her movements were stiff, and she looked around the room like a hawk ready to swoop down and eat whatever struck her fancy. She didn¡¯t take more than a moment sizing everyone up before she spoke. ¡°The prosecution would like to make this case seem simple. Play on your emotions. And it makes sense. Tens of thousands dead; a hero fallen. But there are a lot of questions. The documents were stolen by a known terrorist who has very publicly and privately fought with my client in the past. There is tons of bad blood there. And the documents were stolen and given to a reporter. Not to the police. We have no idea how much that terrorist changed those documents. Beyond that, Mister Wan, Bion, has spent most of his adult life-saving people serving this city and our country. The entire world owes him a debt. And if not a debt, at least some consideration. He has always done everything in his power to protect us. And he usually succeeds. And this time, he made a mistake. But it wasn¡¯t malicious. He was trying to continue to provide the best technology to the world as a whole. Was it dangerous? Yes. But many corporations make dangerous decisions, and we don¡¯t hold all of them to this standard. We don¡¯t claim that they are reckless when mistakes are made. Especially when so much is on the line. The benefits of Wan En¡¯s inventions and innovations developed from this planet¡¯s resources cannot be calculated. The very thing that gave Mister Wan, Bion, the ability to protect us. Again, the prosecution would like to look at this in plain black and white. But this isn¡¯t a black-and-white case. Bion has been protecting us for twenty years, saving hundreds of thousands of people with his inventions and creations. And when something went wrong, he did his best to correct it. Beyond that, he has been targeted by vigilantes, those we know the name of, those you may even like, and those who are enemies of the state. People with a grudge out to make him look bad. To stop all of the creativity and ability to protect us further. Someone who would have us put the greatest mind and our greatest protector behind bars. An American hero. Behind bars. Let me ask you, the next time a tragedy happens, do you want Bion to be behind bars or out here, saving people?¡± She sat back down, and I watched the jury as they got up and began to leave to deliberate over the case. I wanted to hold my breath until they got back. My chest was tight, and my heart was pounding. I had been there. I had seen what the Grignau had done. Tearing people apart. And her question had even gotten to me. Do I want Bion to be behind bars when we need him? Can I take his place? Am I good enough? I didn¡¯t know the answer to those questions. My hands were shaking. The jury was out for hours. It was actually so long that the court closed, and they would continue the deliberation the next day. Is it really that complicated? I asked myself, doing my best to ignore all of the doubts crawling through my stomach. I had worked with Bion. I knew that he wanted to be a hero. He wanted to save people. And he had. But I also knew that he was reckless. Just like you are, a voice in my head echoed out. I frowned and tried to push away the thoughts. The next day, near the end, the jury finally came out of the room where they had discussed everything. The jury foreman stood, then was addressed by the judge. ¡°Has the jury reached a verdict?¡± ¡°Yes, we have, your honor,¡± the jury foreman replied. ¡°Please read the counts individually. And I would remind everyone in the courtroom to refrain from any outbursts.¡± ¡°On the counts of Depraved Heart Murder, we find the defendant . . .¡± The foreman took a deep breath, and my heart stopped. Everything seemed to slow down, even as he continued, ¡°Not guilty.¡± My heart started pounding. The words rang in my ears. Not guilty. I sat there, stunned, unable to process anything else. When I came back to reality, Bion was standing. He glanced at me. I couldn¡¯t tell through his oxygen mask, but I think he was smiling. My stomach lurched into my chest. I pushed my way out of the courtroom, just barely remembering to not knock anyone over.