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Project Prometheus (Original Setting Superhero Quest)

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Bitterman said:
Finally, I would appreciate it if you would include our remaining members on missions where you think they would be useful. Whether they one day join Justice Unlimited, go independent, or remain the last vestiges of New Dawn, they're excellent heroes who should know the next generation."
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Bitterman said:
You follow Chaucer, your mind racing. You tell the rest of your team to resume patrols, and ask Renee to get Black Swan to deactivate Acid Rain's mine before she disappears with Scarlet Maturity. Renee gives you a look and you silently agree to talk later.
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@Bitterman, Do we have anything to worry about when it comes to Palisade or will she just become the last vestige of New Dawn?
 
Been thinking, we know that the Spaceport is unfinished, meaning the next stage(Moon settlement) can't go on, though whether that whole thing is real or just a smokescreen is a big question, but do they do anything else space related? Does Osanyin have a monopoly on deploying satellites into orbit? Have more scientific satellites been launched thanks to easy times leaving Earths orbit? Is Asteroid Mining for rare earth minerals are thing they're investigating or outright doing? And how many Metahumans can both survive and maneuver in semi-reasonable timeframes in space that are doing so?

Or has the difficulties of existing projects and the worlds issues caused most space stuff to hit a dead end?

Partially asking because even at the lowest speed to be generally be considered "relativistic" which is 10% the speed of light, Mona could get to Pluto and back in slightly under 6 days at the maximum distance between it and Earth. To the Moon and back would be less then 30 seconds: 405,696 km at max, 0.1c is 29,979.2458 km per second. Slightly over 13.5 seconds to cross distance. Slightly under 27 seconds for a round-trip.

And, well, Mona doesn't need to breathe and absorbs radiation, so unless there's a distance from humanity/Earth where her powers stop working, she can survive up there indefinitely.

Which, of course, brings up the most important question of all: is there a way she can transport Ellie with her, so they can have dates on the Moon and Mars?
 
Mona's combination of speed, flight, and invulnerability probably makes her pretty unique when it comes to spaceflight. While I'm sure there are a handful of others who might be able to reach space (White Hawk could probably manage, for instance), I think she's probably largely unique in being able to leave earth orbit due to her ridiculous speed advantage over every other metahuman we've heard about. Since just supersonic is considered an impressive speed.
 
ArgentThyme said:
Mona's combination of speed, flight, and invulnerability probably makes her pretty unique when it comes to spaceflight. While I'm sure there are a handful of others who might be able to reach space (White Hawk could probably manage, for instance), I think she's probably largely unique in being able to leave earth orbit due to her ridiculous speed advantage over every other metahuman we've heard about. Since just supersonic is considered an impressive speed.
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Sure, but there's plenty of other stuff, even discounting Algernon stuff. Metahumans who generate elements can be used to supply resources in a space mission. Metahumans who can provide propulsion break the Tyranny of the Rocket Equation. Metahumans who can survive in space means no need for spacesuits.

And the right Teleportation power, assuming sufficient range and capacity, allows all sorts of things.

Mona just happens to be a one-woman space mission.
 
ScorpioSting said:
A worry occurs to me:

What are the odds that R-Train's human half gets mad at Ellie for using Dynamite and making the Leviathan move, and then refuses to sell to us?
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Well... it would need to know that Dynamite caused it to move. Second, Eliie does not know that it caused its moment since she was quite occupied being a goddess at the moment soooo....
 
It would be kind of a dick move to make using VG's ult ruin our chances to complete that mission, so I doubt that's the case. At most I could maybe see it giving some.kind of penalty.
 
Orbmorb said:
I think the bigger danger is R-train was implied to need Goldnine to propogate itself, and might therefore be unwilling to trade any of it for that reason.

And the immense danger of spilling some on any any organic matter and it spreads oit of control of course
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Honestly theres so many g9 on QZ I doubt R-Train will care. Hell Reducing G9 properly is actually a good thing in the perspective of keeping the word safe.

Also I'm pretty sure Leviathan is still bleeding out making even more g9
 
Hologram Killer said:
I've spent the past week or so making a sheet that compiles a lot of the current information regarding Ambrosia and powers in general. The sheet also includes the first version of an Ambrosia Builder for making builds.

Version 2.2 is HERE

Current Features (Last Updated 2/6):
  • List of all known and available DNA profiles (Updated with DNA from Issue #3.8!)
  • List of all known and learned synergies and a worksheet for recording synergy guesses
  • An Ambrosia Builder. Allows for the combination of up to 5 DNA samples. Compiles all used keywords and calculates potency.
    • Synergy Detection! Thanks to spiderhellian for completing this feature!
    • Easier Copy + Paste! Rename your build, copy the cells then shift + ctrl + v to more easily share your builds.
    • More Samples Slots! There are now a total of 13, which is the maximum. By default the rows containing them are hidden, so make sure to Unhide rows 23-54.
Work In Progress Features:
  • An explanation of all keyword types
  • Add all known DNA profiles to Ambrosia Builder
Info I'm Looking for (Last Updated 1/19):
  • Any miscellaneous information about Ambrosia or DNA Profiles not yet in an informational post (please include links)

Google Account Method
If you have a google account you can copy the sheet directly to your drive. Remember to check which account you are signed into and practice safe internet practices. To be safe you may want to use a private or incognito tab.
1. File > Make A Copy
2. Open the Copy on your Google Drive. This version should be editable by you.
Direct Download Method
If you do not have or don't want to use a google account you can also directly download the file.
1. File > Download
2. Download as a Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) or OpenDocument (.ods) file

Once downloaded go to the Ambrosia Builder tab and select the samples you want to use from the drop down. To make a Sample dropdown blank backspace until the cell is empty then select another cell.

I know there are errors so please let me know when you find them by @ing me. For glitches and bugs I will try to solve them to the best of my ability but please be patient- this is not my specialty or something I'm experienced in and I'm just doing this for fun :)
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More sample slots added! Ever wonder what an all 1 potency build looks like? Wonder no longer!

My next project will either be something fan art related (remember the logos? I didn't!) or some synergy speculation.
 
I wonder what P1 Samples Global Justice had.

Also, personal speculation:

Plasticity: Enhanced Senses, Ally Empowerment
Perspective: Ally Empowerment, Clairvoyance
Joules: Elemental Manipulation, Construct Creation (lightning whip)
 
The twins could honestly both be Enhanced Senses + Ally Empowerment. Umibozu also had the same sort of thing and she had Enhanced Senses rather than Clairvoyance.
 
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The draft is finished. 25k. I'll see if I can edit and post tonight; if not, tomorrow for sure.

I know this is the longest I've ever gone between updates, but it will be worth it, I promise.
 
Bitterman said:
The draft is finished. 25k. I'll see if I can edit and post tonight; if not, tomorrow for sure.

I know this is the longest I've ever gone between updates, but it will be worth it, I promise.
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- Valiant Silver about Obdurate and Madam Dianmu 2: Forbidden Love Boogaloo

Unfortunately, the Movement took place before she could post it, and the only draft was saved on EXCEED and tragically lost to the world. We all mourn what could've been.
 
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Fill-In Issue #4: Flight of the Bumblebee pt. 2 New
  • Threadmarks
    • Reference to previous suicide attempts, sexual humor

    Somewhere Safe—February 3, 2068

    You are Mona Merola-Morales.

    You snap back to your body as the tube-television turns to static. The golden child sits up, annoyed, and walks over to it. It looks at it a few times before shrugging and giving it a few good whacks. The picture flickers and then switches back to . . . a DVD menu?

    You only know what that is because Mom has a physical collection of stuff that's no longer available! It's how you watched The Wizard of Oz as a kid!

    . . . how old is the Apiary? Well, okay, you guess it's less than ten? But still!

    You stand up and stretch. You whine as you cramp and rub your butt; it fell asleep! But, as you do, the motion yanks your t-shirt up and exposes your undies.

    Right in Ellie's face.

    "OmimygoshI'msosorry!" you scream, flying up and pulling your shirt down. Ellie makes a choking noise and turns bright-red before looking away.

    Ohhh, maaaan! She probably thinks you did that on purpose! And right after she got a boyfriend too! You gotta tell her it was an accident—you're not a hussy!

    "Ellie, I—"

    "Wait," she says sharply, her eyes hardening like brown diamonds, "Where are we?"

    "W-what? What do you . . . mean . . .?" you trail off. You look around.

    Huh. Where are you, actually?

    You're not in Ellie's room anymore, that's for sure. Instead, you're inside the coziest little house by the beach. You're in a living room, you think? There's a huuuuge sliding glass door that shows this great big deck and, behind it, the ocean. There's a lit fire pit just beyond the glass doors, surrounded by a semi-circular couch. You zip outside out of curiosity—

    And come face-to-face with a gigantic set of glowing eyes.

    It's a colossal serpent, bigger than even Floating Venom Morpheme. It rises out of the water like the trunk of a tree, water dripping down its scaly body. Its head towers above the deck's railing, silhouetted by the moon which casts its whole form in darkness. You try to focus on it, but your eyes refuse to.

    It's still looking at you.

    "Hi?" you venture, "I'm Mona. Nice to meet you!"

    The creature keeps staring.

    "Sorry for dropping in! I don't know how we got here. We're on a vision quest—I think?—but our TV stinks and went on the fritz before we finished. We'll be on our way as soon as we, uh, know how?"

    It looks at you again before, very slowly, nodding. It then drops back into the water and, as it does, it dissolves into countless fish that dart away under the surf. You wave at them.

    "Bye! Don't get eaten!"

    You go back through the deck and to the living room where Ellie and the golden children are gaping at you.

    "He was nice!" you say cheerfully, "Should we watch the rest of the movie?"

    The golden child violently runs its hands through its non-existent hair and then throws them up in the air, defeated. Ellie hoods her eyes and gives you the tiniest smile before shaking her head.

    "Only you, Mona. Only you."

    Your stomach does a triple backflip and you feel all warm and gooey—no. Bad Mona! Ellie has a boyfriend! She . . . she doesn't like girls and doesn't even like you, let alone like you–like you. You need to stop . . . stop c-crushing on her!

    Oh god, Rei was right! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    ". . . are you okay?" Ellie asks, concerned.

    Oh. You were screaming into your hands while you curled up into a ball in the air. O-oopsie . . .

    The golden child is banging its head against the wall again.

    "S-shut-up!" you shout at it, "What do you know?! And if you have Rosemary's memories, how did you show us all that stuff she wasn't around for?!"

    It flips you off while still banging its head.

    "T-triple bird?! Ohhhhhhh, you're in for it now! When Lady Leizi finds out—"

    "I'm here, darling," Lady Leizi says, appearing from nowhere. She's sitting on the cool, half-circle couch by the bonfire. She's staring at the television screen, her voice faint. "And you very much deserved it. One Nora-and-Yazmin was enough for a lifetime, thank you."

    "Lady Leiziiiiiiiiiii!" you shout, zipping over and crushing her in a big hug. She returns it absent-midedly, still staring at the television. Next to her is someone else you recognize, it's—

    "Yaaaaaaaraaaaa!" you call, flying over to hug her too. She hugs you back.

    "Black Swan! I'm sorry for hiding just now. I felt someone come in and I didn't know who it was—"

    "What is this place?" Ellie says, all business as she walks over. "Where are we?"

    "Uhh, I don't know?" Yara admits, "I control this place—I think—but I don't really know where it is. I think it's a dream or something?"

    "I was thinking the same thing," Ellie says, nodding, cool as always. Gosh, she's so awesome. Nothing ever phases her! Her eyes are clear and her lips are soft and kissa—no! Bad Mona!

    ". . . y-yuri . . ." Yara breathes. Ellie stares at you slapping your own face. Lady Leizi stands up, oblivious to the three of you, and walks over to the golden child.

    ". . . she knew him. She knew Scarlet Maturity before he . . . And he empowered her. That's how he did it," Lady Leizi says to the golden child, stunned, "But why didn't she ever tell us? She never said anything about any of this."

    "I don't think she could have," Ellie answers as you look at the shell-shocked Lady Leizi, "Those contracts she signed . . . I'm pretty sure Faust enforced them with his power."

    "Yes. Yes, of course," Lady Leizi says, looking down, "She couldn't have. But, she loved him. Like her brother. So why did he . . .?"

    Yara appears next to her, and puts a hand on Lady Leizi's arm. "Maybe we should watch the rest? This . . . uh, person? This person wants to show us . . .? I'm going to be honest, I have no idea what's going on here and just kind of started talking."

    "You'll fit right in," Ellie says, walking over to sit down, "But you were largely correct. Should we continue?"

    "Yeah!" you say flying over, "I wanna see what happens next!"

    "She gets sent to Wonderland, darling," Lady Leizi says walking over, "This isn't a movie. This all happened."

    "What?! Bullpoop!"

    "Yeah!" Yara agrees sitting with all of you, "Also, uh, do you want pants . . .?"

    You blush and pull your shirt down lower. "Yeeeeeah, if you have any—"

    The golden child sits down, pulls out a remote, and goes to scene-select. It finds the right place and presses play.

    "Wait!" you call, "I'm not ready—!"

    But suddenly you're not there anymore.

    You're not you anymore.

    * * *​

    Horizon, City of Leviathan's Rest—Maximum Security Metahuman Detention Facility "Wonderland" —January 5, 2056

    You are Han Yu.

    Dozens of drones fly forth and scan your nude form, head to toe. One takes a strand of your hair, another takes a sample of blood, you provide the prints of every one of your fingers to another, and you bite down in a dental mold provided by a different drone. You do all of that along with dozens of other ways to verify your identity.

    You resist grinding your teeth and silently endure all of the scrutiny. Honestly, you called ahead and told Steelheart you were coming. You'd think that would be enough, but the man takes to his role as Warden of Wonderland with zeal. No one gets in or out until he is absolutely certain that they are who they claim to be.

    "It's the minimum necessary security measures," Steelheart had told you during one of your visits. You suppose that's fair given who's incarcerated here.

    And who shouldn't be.

    "You don't have to come," you tell your traveling companion as the drones continue verifying your identities, "Goodness knows, this is tedious."

    "I don't mind—ow, my beard!" Gabriel yelps from an adjacent stall. "I don't mind, Yu. Actually . . . I feel like I should be asking you that question."

    "What do you mean?" you say, confused, "I finally have good news to tell that poor girl. Why wouldn't I come?"

    Gabriel sighs in that way that drives you crazy. It means he's about to say something smart that undermines what you just said.

    "Yu . . ." he begins, "You haven't been here to visit since Heracles was imprisoned."

    You freeze and grit your teeth. Six months. It's been six months since you've last been here. Four, if you are being generous and start the count after you were released from the hospital. You've told yourself it's because you've been busy taking care of Noelle, getting back into the swing of things at work, and with the NuGen selection committee . . .

    But you've always been good at avoiding the things you don't want to think about.

    When you woke up, your face was so swollen you could barely open your eyes. The fluorescent lights were blinding and your throat felt like sandpaper. You tried to call out, to ask where you were, but all that came out was a dry gargle.

    "Mom?" Noelle called out from somewhere in the room. W-why was she here? Shouldn't she be in school? Where was 'here'?

    You tried to turn your head to find her, but something kept your neck in place. You called out again, swallowing to wet your dusty throat.

    ". . .elle? Where . . . 're . . .?"

    "Nurse? Nurse! Uncle Gabriel! Mom's awake!" Noelle called. You felt her hand gently hold yours."M-mom, you're in hospital. You . . . um . . . you got hurt really bad."

    Y-you did?! W-why can't you remember—?

    Heracles.

    Right. There was a fight downtown. He was going after some heiress to some third-rate corp . . . trying to kidnap her, you think? A big fight broke out. You were in the area, and you went to stop him. But, the reports on his powers were wrong, incomplete. His immunity was a form of enhanced durability, but there was more to it than that. He was immune to your interia control, but you had no idea.

    He pretended to be pinned down, you got too close, he grabbed you by the neck and—

    Oh god. You almost died. You almost died and left Noelle all alone. Tears streamed down your face.

    "Mom? Mom? Are you okay? What is it? Does it hurt? Just wait a second. I'll get a nurse—"

    Don't go. Please. Don't go. You wanted to call out to your daughter, but you could already feel yourself slipping back into unconsciousness. As you did, one thought runs through your head over and over again.

    Close. This was too close.

    So, yes, maybe there was another reason you haven't been to visit. But you can finally help that poor girl. You can finally start to make up for what you did to her.

    You're not going to let him take this away from you. You're not going to let her take this away from you.

    "I can tell her the news," he says, "There's no need to force yourself—"

    "I'm fine, Gabriel. I'll . . . be fine," you say, giving him a confident smile you both know is fake, "I have to do this."

    He looks you over with those warm, brown eyes and nods. He says nothing further.

    You smile again, this time full of gratitude. Gabriel is too good to you. He's always been there, present but not overbearing. Sometimes you think you two could—

    But no. There's always too much work. And when there isn't, there's Noelle. You can't give Gabriel what he deserves, no matter how much you might want to. He's better off moving on, finding someone who can make him happy.

    You're interrupted from your thoughts by the sound of a chime, indicating the initial identity verification is finished. You and Gabriel quickly pull on your costumes and rush to the main entrance. Stale air rushes out to meet you as a series of interlocking mechanics unlatch and doors made of multiple feet of metal swing open.

    "Greetings." Steelheart's voice rings out from a spherical drone stamped with his emblem—two red eyes overtop a circular mouth that blinked in time with his voice, "It's been some time, Yu. It feels like it was not too long ago that you were knocking on my door every week. It was to the point where I was concerned you were going to test Wonderland's defenses, and, yet, now I've not seen a trace of you for half a year."

    You flinch, feeling guilty. Gabriel steps forward to answer Steelheart.

    "She's been in recovery."

    "Heracles, yes. A thoroughly unpleasant individual. I have no idea why every metahuman with a god-complex wants to name themselves after a mythological figure," Steelheart replies, "I was displeased when Yelena had him transferred to the isolation cells. I agreed with the need to separate him from the general population, given his personality, but the location was clearly a slight against you—"

    "But you did it anyway," you say coldly. The drone hovers in place for a moment and then disappears deeper into the facility, as if to beckon you. You and Gabriel follow.

    "Yes," he admits as you walk, "Sometimes, one must choose to pick their battles."

    You say nothing as the three of you walk through the atrium. Eventually you reach a platform with railing installed where you stop and wait. You and Gabriel stand in place as the platform rises and takes to the air, carrying you forward. As it does, you're able to look down and see it: the true Wonderland.

    To the outside world, Wonderland is a massive concrete and steel sarcophagus located in the outskirts of the NID, but that was just the outer facade. Beneath the concert sky are three roofless, triangular buildings arranged around a circular pillar. Each triangle is further divided into three cell blocks separated from one another by the telltale desaturated glow of Cisma's power.

    Those blocks were right next to each other, but they may as well have been on different planets. Cisma could create pocket dimensions which could not interact with things in the regular world and, likewise, things in the regular world could not interact with them. They can keep up the pocket dimensions indefinitely as far as you know, but they regularly come to Wonderland to ensure there was no degradation to the fields.

    "Prepare for descent," Steelheart warns, and the platform begins dropping toward the central pillar. As you fly through the air, you can see the glow from the hundreds of drones in the air.

    You try not to shiver as one the size of a zeppelin zips by at impossible speeds. You've seen those drones in action—only the R-Train itself puts them to shame. Any prisoner who was somehow able to escape Cisma's power would face an army on the way out.

    But, even if they were able to survive their drones, an escaping prisoner would not be home free. Because the final, most indiscriminate, line of defense for Wonderland was where it was built.

    Wonderland was built on Valkyrie's Fall, the location of the final battle of the Susurration. The surrounding area was so badly irradiated that it is still inimical to life all these years later. That Steelheart built the Mill nearby and spent most of his days surrounded by radiation shielding spoke to the man's deeply antisocial nature.

    The only safe way through Valkyrie's Fall is via a lead-lined railcar operated by Steelheart. And even then, you are going to have to take several rounds of decontamination showers and clear multiple Geiger counters after you leave. It made visiting Wonderland terribly inconvenient and escaping nearly impossible.

    Which was fortunate, because in those cell blocks are the most dangerous metahumans in the world.

    And one innocent girl.

    You grit your teeth again as the platform docks with the central pillar, and you and Gabriel disembark. Steelheart's drone doesn't follow you, but he transfers over to a larger, more humanoid machine already inside the building. The robot rises to its feet and he leads you down more stairs.

    "Be mindful of your footing," he warns, "Prisoner 001 has been more active than usual. Whether it is because of dark dreams or some other factor, she's been causing minor tremors with her telekinesis."

    Prisoner 001. Valkyrie, who was imprisoned at the bottom of this pillar in the deepest bowls of Wonderland. That she could cause problems even while in a medically-induced coma was terrifying. You nod and slowly travel down the stairs. Steelheart leads you to a wing of the isolation cells, Gabriel right behind you. The door unseals itself and hisses open, and the three of you walk in.

    Here are a dozen rooms, all partitioned off from one another by Cisma's power. Technically, sound could not cross their dimensional divide, but electromagnetic waves could. So each cell's sole link with the outside world was a window facing outward and a radio intercom on the wall. You walk down the hall briskly; the cell you're looking for is at the very end of the wing. But as you do, a deeply, deeply unpleasant voice calls out.

    "What is this? The Heavenly Astrologian still walks among the living? It gladdens me. I was concerned I was too rough with you." Heracles' face presses against the cell's window. "One must be so careful with the mortals. I never know what is too much pressure and what is just right."

    You don't respond as he laughs to himself. You don't even acknowledge his presence. Gabriel opens his mouth to say something, but you put an arm out.

    "Don't," you hiss, "He's in isolation most of the time. He wants us to react. It's probably the most human interaction he's had in weeks."

    Heracles' expression sours upon hearing that. "First, you interfere with my courting of Lady Nguyen, then you dare imprison me, and now you deny the masses my grace. There will be a recompense."

    You don't reply, but Steelheart does. "I'm not certain Miss Nguyen would characterize your encounter in the same way. And you're in isolation because you repeatedly attack other prisoners. Stop and you will be returned to the general population."

    "YeAh! AlSo, 'cOuRtInG?' NoT gOnNa LiE, tHaT sOuNdS pReTtY GrOsS, dUdE," a voice from the cell across the hall calls, "I'M hErE bEcAuSe I nEeDeD sOmE 'Me-TiMe'. yOu'rE hErE bEcAuSe YoU'Re A dIcK."

    "That's not—! I would never!" Heracles calls, indignant, "If Miss Nguyen was unreceptive I would have ransomed her back to her family as I originally planned!"

    He points at you.

    "I didn't do anything to this one while I had her at my mercy, didn't I?!"

    "WhAt, Do YoU wAnT a FuCkInG mEdAl? ThAt's ThE fLoOr NoT tHe CeIlInG, bRo. If YoU hAd, I wOuLd HaVe PoPpEd YoU lIkE a ZiT." Warpstar looks over at you. "HeY, aStRoLoGiAn. GlAd YoU'Re OkAy. ArE yOu ViSiTiNg AgAiN?"

    "Yes," you say to the surprisingly affable serial-killer.

    "BaLlEr. HeY, cOuLd YoU tHaNk HeR fOr BuYiNg Me ThIs ScReEn AnD pUtTiNg MoNeY iN mY aCcOuNt FoR tHe InTeRnEt CoNnEcTiOn? I gOt To WaTcH tHe WoRlD sErIeS aNd My OsHi!"

    "Oh, uh, sure."

    "ApPrEcIaTe It! ShE'S tOo PuRe FoR tHiS wOrLd. Ah, AlMoSt MaKeS mE wAnT tO sTaRt KiLlInG aLl OvEr AgAiN!"

    "Please do not," Steelheart says, "You're due to return to the general population at the end of week."

    "SwEeT. i'm GoNnA bUlLy HiVe AgAiN."

    Heracles watches the whole exchange, Gabriel not breaking eye contact with him. Steelheart sighs, his breath crackling over the remote connection with his drone, while you reach your destination. You take a deep breath at the door.

    "Only one of you may enter, I'm afraid," Steelheart says, "Cisma will have to dismiss the dimensional distortion when she is released, but for now I have her room wired with enough sound that you should be able to communicate without issue."

    "But that's—"

    "It's okay, Heavenly Astrologian," Gabriel says gently, "Go share the good news."

    "You—" He came all this way just to be moral support? You feel a horrible pang of guilt and temptation again. He deserves someone better. "Thank you."

    You take another deep breath and the door opens. You step inside.

    "Thank you 'LacklusterTime' for the red superchat! 'Dear QT Bee, I'm glad to see you get back into RPGs. Fun fact, you get a special interaction if you bring Wyll with you to the'—aww, man I missed it?! I'm not gonna go replay all of Act II just for that, right . . . ? Okay, I might."

    The room in front of you is trapped in a pocket dimension like every other cell in Wonderland. But this particular room is three times the size of any other. It's furnished with a large, four-poster bed with a sky blue canopy. There's a large television with all manner of game consoles on one side and a large bookcase overstuffed with novels and comics of all stripes on the other. There is a large dresser with a handful of loincloths draped over it—although the floor is clear of dirty laundry or trash—but, notably, there is no mirror.

    "Moon River—hey, good you see you back!—thank you for the superchat! 'Have you ever considered doing karaoke, I love your voice?' Uhh, not really? My condition makes it kind of hard to sing—"

    However, the focus of the room was a truly massive desk against one wall. It is adjustable and could be raised and lowered as needed for comfort. On it are three large monitors, a microphone, a screen, and, underneath, a custom-built computer. One of the monitors show an image from a game, the seconds shows some sort of recording software, and the third shows a cartoon, bee-girl hybrid mimicking the motions of the person at the desk.

    Rosemary Ward. The girl you failed.

    The day Ellie ran away from home counts among the worst days of your life. You can still remember the panic that gripped your heart when you came home and realized she was gone. Where was she? Had someone taken her? Was she even still alive?

    You had flown out of your apartment without your costume, hysterical. You were going to destroy Horizon trying to find Ellie. You were on your screen, trying to explain to Gabriel what was going on, when you met another person in the sky. She looked like a giant, four-armed insect, but, when you looked closer, you saw someone clutched in her arms.

    Ellie.

    You don't remember much after that—you and Ellie cried for a long time, that much you're sure—but when you went to thank your daughter's savior, you realized she was just a child herself. One who had been living under the thumb of Dominion for the last three years and was turned out to the streets with barely a penny to her name. For all that her appearance was frightening, she was a painfully sweet, earnest girl.

    So, you convinced her to come home with you. And, the next day, you took her to the Zenith. Even if her power was lackluster, even if she never saw active patrol duty, even if she was never a "true" hero, getting her affiliated with New Dawn would ensure she would have a support network in times of crisis. You even idly toyed with the idea of letting her stay with you—goodness knows you could use the help, and Ellie admired her as far as you could tell.

    But it was not to be.

    Once you got her registered, she was taken for routine power-testing. You told her you would meet back up with her after your patrol was finished, and you flew off. But, when you returned, she had already gone.

    Sent to Wonderland.

    "What is the meaning of this?!" you screamed as you stormed into the Council Meeting.

    "Darlin' stop, it's not gotta help—" The Mysterious Stranger grabbed your cape, trying to hold you back. But you didn't let the gunslinger stop you. You were beyond rage, beyond reason.

    Novalight, Cisma, Arc, Lloyd, and Gabriel looked at you as you thundered forward. Steelheart's symbol was visible on the holographic display. Novalight's expression was as blank and icy as a glacier.

    "That's my question, Astrologian," Novalight said, "What are you doing, interrupting a council meeting. You were not summoned."

    "Why are you throwing a child into Wonderland?!" you said, apoplectic, "She hasn't done anything wrong!"

    "She is a threat."

    "She's eighteen and looks like a giant bumblebee! How much of a threat can she be?!"

    But it wasn't Novalight who answered.

    "Surprisingly, a significant one," Steelheart replied, "She's an X-Class metahuman. A potential extinction event if left unchecked."

    That brought you up short. "H-how?"

    "Her power," Steelheart sayid, changing the display to footage from Rosemary's power testing, "She isn't just dysmorphic. She can ingest any organic matter and convert it to an unknown substance she can freely shape, including into biological drones she can control. The drones themselves can, in turn, convert and shape organic matter. She's functionally unkillable so long as she has an alternative body to return. If she wanted to, she could proliferate at an exponential rate and subsume whole countries."

    Everyone's face was stone, except Gabriel's. Only he looked at you, exhaustion evident in his expression. He shook his head sadly, his silent message loud and clear: "I tried, but there was nothing I could do."

    "So this is what we do now? We lock away children for what they might do?" you snarled, "Look at me, dammit! Look me in the eye and tell me you're okay with this. Lloyd? Charlotte? Maria?"

    ". . . sorry, Yu," Lloyd said, not making eye contact, "But . . . come on. She's the R-Train except she doesn't need goldnine! She admitted Dominion's been poking and prodding her for years; who knows what else they've done?"

    "It's a temporary measure," Arc said, looking disquieted, "Just until we can gauge her temperament. Perhaps we can offer her training, guidance—"

    "Guidance we'll give after we lock her in Wonderland?" you shouted. Arc flinched and looked away. You shook your head and looked at the last council member, "I know you're little more than a second vote for Novalight, but this is a new low, Maira. A new low."

    Maria sighed, but otherwise remained unmoved. "There is a difficult choice—"

    "No it's not!" you screamed, "It's the easy choice! The one you make every time! Something is scary? Lock it in a dark hole and forget about it! It's why Mendicant won't join us! You're continuously poisoning your old teammate so you don't have to confront her!"

    You jabbed an angry finger at Novalight who was glaring daggers at you, eyes sharp enough to cut bone.

    "And now you want to do the same to an innocent girl! Cowards! All of you! Cowards!"

    You yanked off your communicator and threw it on the table. Then you stormed out of the room.

    "Yu, wait!" Gabriel and Lloyd both called, but Novalight cut them off.

    "She'll be back."

    You tried not to go back. But no matter how hard you negotiated, you couldn't register on Hero for Hire without revealing your identity. Steadfast outright warned you away from Global Justice—apparently enlisting as a foreign auxiliary in the United States military was mandatory for membership—and there were no other hero teams who could pay enough for you to take care of Noelle. Going corporate had the same issue with your identity and would likely involve the same kind of moral compromises you faced here.

    You . . . you even tried writing to Noelle's father. You hadn't heard from that worthless bastard since you told him that you were pregnant. But, like every message you tried to send to him in Elysium, it went unanswered.

    You were stuck.

    So you came back. Novalight docked your pay and put you on double shifts for a year. All the while that poor, sweet girl sat in hell.

    Until now.

    You pull down your hood and expose your face as Rosemary finishes playing on her computer. She once tried to explain to you what "v-tubing" was, but, honestly, it went over your head. Still, it made her happy, so you fought tooth and nail to make sure she had whatever equipment she needed. Just like you did for her books, her games, her furniture . . . everything.

    Just because you couldn't stop them from locking Rosemary up didn't mean you were going to let them treat her as they pleased.

    Eventually, Rosemary stops, says goodbye to her friends, and rises from her computer. She sticks all four arms over her head and stretches her back with a great crack. She then shakes off the loose chitin off her body.

    "Uuuugh, sat in one place too long," she groans, "It's been . . . nine hours? Leviathan's Blood. I probably stiiiiink."

    She sniffs—you think? She doesn't have a visible nose—her armpit and turns around.

    "Yeah, super grody. I'll take a quick shower—-ahhhhhhhhhh!"

    Rosemary spreads her wings and leaps into the air in shock. She hovers in place before she recognizes you and lands.

    "Ms. Han? Is that you? You scared the bejesus out of me!" she says, clutching her heart, "Wait! I heard what happened?! Oh gosh, are you okay?!"

    She runs toward you before hitting the border between dimensions and stopping in place. She nervously clutches her four hands together as she looks you over.

    "I was so worried when you stopped coming to visit and then Heracles got put in the cell next to me and was bragging about what he did to you so I got mad and told him to shut up and he just laughed but then Warpstar said "sOmEtHiNg FuNnY dIcKfAcE?" and a fight broke out—"

    "Rosemary, breathe," you reassure her, "I'm okay. I should be asking how you are."

    "Me?" she asks, confused, "I'm fine. What would be wrong with me?"

    "Rosemary," you say disbelievingly, "You're in Wonderland."

    ". . . well, yeah. But they let me stream and buy things? So it's not all bad, even if getting anything delivered takes forever and Steelheart is, uh, terrifying and weird and keeps taking my blood, but—"

    "Rosemary," you interrupt, "I can get you out."

    ". . . w-what?"

    "I can get you out. I've gotten approval. New Dawn is starting a junior, satellite team. Gabriel managed to get you a spot on it. You can be a hero, but, more importantly, leave."

    Rosemary clutches all of her hands together, squeezing them tight. "M-me? A hero? I . . . you can't be serious. I'm not—"

    "I am deadly serious," you tell her, "You are more of a hero than half the people who take the title. You are a good, loving person. Who else would be this calm at being imprisoned for two years for no good reason?"

    "But me? A hero?"

    "Yes, you. Rosemary, please," you beg, "You shouldn't be here! I've done everything I can to get you released, but this is our best chance! You don't have to fight if you don't want to. You can be on comms, or overwatch, or general support, anything."

    You feel your eyes burn and your throat tighten, but you refuse to make this about your guilt. This is about Rosemary.

    Rosemary twiddles her fingers together and nervously shifts her weight from foot to foot. She looks down.

    "What if . . . what if everyone's just scared of me again?"

    "You shouldn't have to live in fear of their fear," you say with a tight voice, "But this is your chance to prove to everyone that you're not what they're afraid you are. To show them who you really are."

    You look down at your hand, still covered in your costume.

    "Your chance to be a hero."

    Rosemary looks down for a while longer before looking back up.

    ". . . I'd really like that, Ms. Han. I'd . . . really like that."

    You exhale. A smile comes to your face for what feels like the first time in two years.

    "Okay," you say, "Then Rosemary, it is my pleasure to welcome you to NuGen."

    "Oh! Like 'New Dawn'?"

    "Yes, but 'new' is spelled 'n-u'."

    ". . . why?"

    "I have no earthly idea."

    * * *​

    Horizon, City of Leviathan's Rest—Just Outside The Bastion—February 2, 2056

    You are Rosemary Ward.

    Today is the big day! You gulp nervously and smooth over your fur for the thousandth time that morning. You can't help it! You're actually going to be a superhero! On a superhero team! How could you not have nerves?

    You sit in the passenger compartment of a large truck that Steelheart is using to transport you to The Bastion, where NuGen will be headquartered. All of your stuff is in the back—decontaminated and all carefully packed away. You're grateful for the ride and in all, but you don't actually like Steelheart.

    It is not just that he was your warden for two years. Nor is it the fact that you've never actually seen him in person. No, it's how he looked at you. Like you are a specimen, not a person. He reminds you of Faust and the scientists back at The Logos, right down to how he took biological samples from you when you had arrived at Wonderland. Maybe he treats everyone like that, but it gives you the willies.

    Even now, you could see cameras in the truck watching you. Jeez, you really hope there isn't anything like that at The Bastion. You're looking forward to privacy for the first time in . . . five years.

    "We're almost there," a low voice says. You jump out of your seat in shock, causing the person sitting next to you to turn to look.

    "S-sorry!" you say, rubbing the back of your head in embarrassment, "You just surprised me!"

    Honestly, Rakeem was so quiet that you almost forgot he was with you. He was a handsome, tall man who looked like he was carved out of onyx. You had tried to start a conversation with him when you two first met in the truck, but he was a person of few words.

    Or maybe he just didn't like you. Either way, you stopped trying after a while.

    "Nervous?" he asks. You nod at him. "It's to be expected. You don't have any experience in the field, do you?"

    "N-no," you admit, "Uh, my body changing into . . . this kinda took a while."

    You gesture to yourself.

    "So, I, uh, didn't get out much." You don't mention The Logos or being in Wonderland. You figure that's the kind of thing you bring up after you get to know someone?

    He nods and you think you hear a soft sigh. "A rookie. To be expected on a junior team, I suppose. Stick with me and I'll look after you."

    "T-thanks!" you say brightly. He grunts in response and looks out the window. You desperately try to think of something to talk about before you lapse into silence again. "Y-you excited to meet our teammates?"

    That, apparently, was the wrong thing to say. Rakeem sighs again, this one more aggrieved. "They're going to be unique. Have you read their dossiers?"

    "Yes!" you say brightly, pulling out the files stamped "confidential" that you had been given, "I've read them over and over again!"

    How could you not? These people were going to be your new teammates!

    Nora Kim, who the media had dubbed "Valiant Silver". An Algernon-type, which meant she was super smart? She made her own awesome armor and other gear. She was probably super intense.

    Yazmin Oliveira, a.k.a Uiara. The heiress to Ọsanyìn Conglomerated Industries and a super powerful hydrokinetic. Gosh, she had to be a good person if she wanted to be a hero despite having all of that money! You just hope she won't be grossed out by you.

    Harper English, The Red Huntress. Another corporate heiress, although the English family was actually really large? So maybe she wasn't an heiress-heiress. She was best friends with Uiara and had a bunch of powers, apparently. You liked her hair! Maybe she likes video games too?

    Lei Zixuan, now going by Lady Leizi. A former crime boss turned superhero. She had clashed with Nora and Yazmin before they convinced her to reform and invited her to join NuGen. She was a martials prodigy with lightning powers, and you were excited to see her in action.

    Eve. No last name, no hero name yet. She claimed she was an AI built by Nora, but your dossier says that's impossible for reasons that are redacted. Something about Nora not being close enough to . . . something for that to be true. Either way, she had no physical presence and controlled machines through technopathy. Apparently she angered Steelheart during their first meeting by seizing control of all of his drones.

    And then there was your travel buddy, Rakeem Wade, also known as "Adamant" in his hero persona. He was the son of two of the founding members of New Dawn, Steadfast and Dragonsteeth. He could turn his body into metal and extrude it while he was transformed. He had taken jobs off Hero for Hire for a bit and already had a sterling reputation as a metahuman.

    He was probably going to be in charge of NuGen, and you could see why! Look at how confident he is, as he takes in your answers. No doubt he's impressed by how prepared you are!

    Rakeem keeps looking at you and then turns to gaze out the window. How cool!

    "So, uh, who are you looking forward to meeting first?" you ask.

    "They're already there. We'll probably meet everyone all at once."

    "Oh," you say. You pause at that and then ask, "So your parents were superheroes? Are they excited about you joining NuGen?"

    "I haven't told them yet."

    "Oh." Well then. "Umm, I can tell you a little about myself? So my codename is going to be 'Apiary'! Because I make drones, Hive was already taken, and I kind of look like a bee, right—"

    "I've read your dossier."

    "Right, right. Of course you have. Right."

    Rakeem keeps looking out the window. The silence is deafening. He must be one cool customer to be able to bear it like this. You should try to follow his example—

    You notice his foot nervously tapping.

    . . . he's just really awkward and bad at talking to people, isn't he?

    You sink back into your seat. Actually, that makes you feel better, in a weird way? Everyone is a super impressive metahumans, sure, but they're also people too. And they'll be your teammates!

    . . . m-maybe even your friends too?

    "We've arrived," Steelheart announces as the truck stops. The back of the vehicle opens, and several robots start unloading your luggage.

    You see Rakeem jump out of the car and stiffly race away, and you have to smother your giggles at him. He's actually really cute in a dorky way. You guess you're not the only person who's nervous! You follow him out and behold your new home for the first time.

    The Bastion.

    The Bastion was located in the heart of the Worker's Mitt, and was one of the original headquarters of New Dawn. It was where Valiant Red built his first lab, before moving it to the Zenith where it was ultimately destroyed. It was apparently a repurposed factory that went out of business decades ago. It was three stories tall and made of brick, with ivy charmingly climbing the walls. The drones take your things inside, and you and Rakeem follow.

    As you walk it, you see that the ground floor is nearly all one great big loft. In the middle of it, gathered around a comically too-small table, is a collection of the most attractive people you've ever seen. There are four women seated at the table, looking at a holographic display showing the image of a silvery girl with a pixie haircut and bangs over one eye.

    ". . . so you wouldn't be curious at all? At all?!" the hologram shouts at a woman with sunglasses, "You wouldn't even consider fucking your clone? You'd just fight it to the death?!"

    "I don't understand why I'd have to do either," the sunglasses woman says. She has long black hair and wears a coat over her shoulders and over a purple qipao top. She crosses her long legs and you forget how to breathe for a second. She is the single most beautiful woman you've ever seen.

    "Because, Zixuan, the hypothetical is 'would you rather fuck or fight your clone?' You have to pick one!" the hologram turns to another person at the table. Nora, what would you pick?"

    Nora is a short, elfin woman with delicate features. She has messy, black hair and big grey eyes that sparkle with mirth as she sits back and crosses her arms in her long-sleeve t-shirt. She looks like something fey, out of a story. Too ethereal for this world.

    "Oh, 'fuck', no question," she says immediately, "I already know what I like. I clean up nice. It sounds like a fun weekend."

    ". . . wouldn't that be incest?" the woman next to her asks. They're sitting close. Suspiciously close. The woman has dark skin that is flawless, hair is wavy and goes to her shoulders, and beautiful, brown eyes. She's also tall—she would come up to your chest maybe?—with broad shoulders and strong arms that sets off some primal instinct in your brain that goes, "Climb, Rosemary, climb."

    Nora turns back to her, finger on her chin. "I thiiiiiink it's masturbation actually, since it's just you?"

    "But if two identical twins had sex, that would be incest," the broad woman insists, "Even though they have the same DNA. What's the difference between twins and you and an identical clone?"

    "We'd have the same memories, Yazy."

    "That would diverge at the moment the clone is created!"

    The last woman, a blonde with legs that go on forever and bright, beautiful blue eyes, giggles at them.

    "Guys, you're missing the point! Zixuan doesn't like girls! So why would she choose anything but 'fight'?"

    ". . . right. Right. You're right, Harper."

    "Yeeeeeeah, Zixuan's silent on the gaydar."

    "Tell me about it! I've gone through her browser and it's nothing but Heteronormativity: The Straightening."

    "You've been monitoring my search history?!" Zixuan says to Eve, outraged.

    "Please. I go through everyone's search history. 500 bucks and I'll cut you in."

    ". . . 2,000, you provide me regular updates, you allow me my privacy, and you agree to an exclusivity deal with me."

    "Ooooooooh, I'm listening!"

    Zixuan and Eve begin haggling over terms while Nora eggs them on. Harper and Yazmin start chatting about someone they both know.

    "They seem like fun!" you say, turning to Rakeem.

    He has his face in his hand, massaging his forehead. Actually, now that you look at him, he's really good-looking too! Is this just a team of supermodels?! Why are you here?!

    You're . . . disgusting. You didn't really have time to come to terms with it in The Logos, but you had little else to do but think in Wonderland. Your body is spindly and bulbous at the same time, your mouth is a mess with human teeth, and your face is like a diseased fruit. You're gross.

    You tried streaming without your vTuber avatar once. Once. Afterwards, after seeing the comments, you deleted that account and swore never again.

    Rakeem sees you staring as you space out and raises a perfect brow.

    "Oh, sorry!" you saw, jumping back a little. You look side to side.

    ". . . do you pluck your eyebrows?" you whisper to him.

    Rakeem flushes before recovering, sighing, and walking forward.

    * * *​

    After you and Rakeem walk in, everyone introduces themselves. You feel intimidated, meeting so many new people at once, but you do your best. You expected the stares at your appearance when they first met you, but they still hurt to see as you nervously introduce yourself.

    "Alright," Rakeem says once introductions are over, "Get settled and turn in early tonight. Meet back here at 6 AM tomorrow morning."

    "I've got a thing with Steelheart in the morning," Nora tells him, "Says it's an Algernon-type thing. Sorry, I'm booked until the afternoon."

    "I've been here for two weeks, darling," Zixuan says, "I've already unpacked."

    "I think we should try to get to know each other first," Yazmin says, "There will be time for duty rosters and training, but we won't have a calm period like this again for a long time."

    "Yeah! Plus, I think most people here like staying up late?" Harper chirps.

    "I don't sleep," you offer. You haven't since your abdomen grew, "So I can do whenever?"

    "Stuff it, Teacher's Pet!" Eve tells you, "And who died and put the token dude in charge? I didn't vote for him!"

    "I have the most experience—" Rakeem begins.

    "Ooooh, tell us about it!" Harper says with a too-big grin, "Nora, Yazy, and me beat the Demon Flamez and dismantled Zixuan's crime empire—"

    She gives Zixuan a big smile which is met with a sneer and roll of the eyes.

    "—and I thought that was a lot! You must have fought tons of bad guys."

    Rakeem coughs into his hand. "Yes . . . well. I have been an active metahuman for three years—"

    "Who have you fought?" Harper says, her expression still bubbly, "Use some names!"

    "I have experience patrolling—"

    "So . . . nobody," Nora says, standing up and stretching, "Cool that we're all rookies! I wonder if they'll send us someone who knows what they're doing?"

    She gets up and everyone starts walking away.

    "Hey, Eve, I'm wired on caffeine. Wanna play video games before I start tuning up my armor?"

    "Holy shit, you, not working? Yeah, sure, whatever, I guess. QT Bee is still on break for her move, so I've got nothing to do."

    "Well, I'm going to take a bath before someone uses up all the hot water again," Zixuan announces. She turns to Rakeem. "Do have a good evening, darling."

    "'Do have a good evening, darling'" Harper mimics as Zixuan walks away, "Who talks like that?"

    Yazmin leaves with her. "Harper, be nice. You said you wouldn't hold her kicking you in the head against her."

    "She zapped me with lighting! It hurt!"

    And like that, only you and Rakeem are left. His expression is stoic, but you can see the frustrated tension in his shoulders.

    "Well . . . we should get unpacked, right?" you say to him. He just sighs and wanders off.

    The factory floor suddenly feels a lot larger with just you in it.

    You stand up and go find your room.

    * * *​

    Your room is on the second floor with Rakeem. Harper, Zixuan, and Yazmin are on the third floor, while Nora's room is in the basement with what will be her lab. Eve doesn't have a body, so she just kind of goes wherever.

    That seems sort of sad to you. She should have a space that's just hers.

    Still, you can't complain if that means you have a double to account for your tall frame. Your room is actually two separate rooms connected by a door. One side has your gaming set up and your desk, the other has your dresser and bed. Everything has been set up by Steelheart's drones by the time you get up there, save the boxes of clothes and stuff you packed. Those are sitting on your bed.

    Well . . . better get to it, you suppose.

    When you finish, you actually feel a lot better. Sure, everyone has . . . strong personalities. But look at this room! You have a big window that shows the downtown of the Worker's Mitt, you have even more space than you did in your cell, and . . . and it's yours. You can do whatever you want and no one will care! You can stay up all night streaming, or reading, or . . . anything!

    But, just as importantly, you can leave if you want! Whenever you want! Finally, you finally have your own space that isn't a prison cell!

    You hope in your bed and roll around, chittering to yourself in pleasure. Then, you stop and the embarrassment sets in. Your stomach growls.

    . . . you haven't eaten today, huh? M-maybe you'll grab a quick midnight snack.

    You tiptoe out of your room, just in case Rakeem is asleep. But you needn't have bothered; he's still awake and the door to his room is cracked open. You can hear his voice as he speaks to someone on his screen.

    ". . . no, Mom. It's done. I'm at The Bastion now. I waited until I was here to tell you. I knew how you would react."

    You hear muffled, electronic shouts.

    "I'm not changing my mind. Mom—Mom!"

    You back away slowly. It's not your place to intrude. But as you find the stairs, you can't help but feel a little envious. Sure, they were arguing now, but Rakeem had a mom to hide things from. You'll never know what that's like. You don't even have any family.

    . . . you wonder what Christian's up to right now?

    You think about it as you put together a grilled chicken, bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich together on a toasted baguette with mayonnaise and fresh mozzarella. Christian doesn't even know you were in Wonderland, does he? Or that you're a member of NuGen now? Well, he told you to lay low, so maybe he just thought you were following his advice?

    You wonder who he hangs out with now. If he hangs out with anyone.

    You finish making your sandwich and find some chips to go with it. You're cleaning up before you eat when you hear shouting.

    "Bullshit! Bullshit! Bullshit! How the fuck am I supposed to deal with that that?! It's an overhead into a 50/50 mix and it's fucking safe on block?!"

    "Eat shit, fleshbag! The AI uprising is nigh! Mwhahahahahha!"

    The sounds are coming from the trapdoor to the basement, and you can't help but wonder over. As you do, you see the glow from an oversized television screen.

    "Eve, I'm going to find out where your body is so I can strangle you if you don't stop spamming that move," Nora yells, running her hand through her hair in frustration, "Levithan's Blood, I knew this game looks like ass, but I didn't think it played like ass too!"

    "You're just mad they nerfed Soul Fist!" Eve cackles, her body on the holographic display from Nora's screen, "And New Dawn vs. Capcom: Infinite has great gameplay! It just looks terrible!"

    "How can you say that when Monster Hunter and Lightstep have a safe, unblockable set up."

    "It's only safe with meter or if she tags," you say from the stairs, "And if you tag after Lightstep's overhead and then jab, he can't react."

    Nora and Eve both yelp and turn to you in surprise. You jump yourself and try to act nonchalant by shoving half your sandwich in your mouth. You start choking.

    "Oh, hey . . . Rosemary, right?" Nora says, "What are you—wait, it isn't safe?!"

    "N-no," you say coughing, "I-it's just a knowledge-check . . ."

    "Fucking snitch," Eve grumbles at you, "You suck and I hate you. I want you to know that. We're enemies now."

    "Shut it, HAL 9000," Nora says, turning off her screen. Eve disappears with a 'hey!' "Be nice to our new teammate."

    She gets up and moves toward you, only to stagger forward.

    "Ow, fuck, ow, my legs, ow," she says, pounding her thigh, "Owwww, they're asleep. How long was I sitting there? What time is it?"

    "Uhh, it's 1AM," you answer, "Have you been playing this whole time?"

    "Ah, shit. Yeah, I was . . ." she says, rubbing the back of her head, "We got a little carried away, I guess?"

    Eve's avatar reappears on the television and flips you both off.

    Nora turns the TV off. "Fuck, when's the last time I did this? Guess I should turn in while I still can—what is that amazing smell?!"

    "Umm, I made a sandwich?" you say, holding it up, "D-do you want half?"

    Nora races forward, grabs the half of a sandwich, and eats it three bites.

    "Oh wow, so good," she says, chewing, "You play video games and can cook? Leviathan's Blood, if I didn't already have a thing going, I'd ask you to marry me."

    "O-oh," you say, your voice suddenly high, "T-t-thanks! And, uh, you would?"

    "Huh?" she says, eating the last bite, "No, not really? We kinda just met. Buy a girl dinner first, yeah?"

    "Oh, y-yeah," you say feeling foolish, "You were just kidding. I mean, of course you were. You're like a beautiful genius and I . . ."

    Nora blinks at you. "Yeah . . . ?"

    ". . . I look like this?" you say gesturing to yourself with all four of your arms.

    She blinks again. "So . . .?"

    "So . . . I look like a monster. I-I'm a freak."

    She furrows her brow and frowns. "No, you're not."

    "Yes, I am. I'm an eight-foot tall insect. How are you not freaking out?."

    "I don't care?"

    "I look like a giant bumblebee!"

    "Some people are into that!"

    "It's true," Eve says from a computer screen where she's playing solitaire, "You should see some of the dysmorphic groupie websites. Here, I'll pull some up!"

    "Don't look, it's pornography," Nora warns, "It's always pornography with her."

    ". . . it's definitely a fetish for some people, yeah, I know," you say, looking down and clasping your hands. Half the reason you switched to an avatar for streaming was the, uh, propositions people sent you. You suppose that's the most you can ever hope for in a relationship . . .

    Nora puts a hand on your shoulder and you look at her.

    "Hey, Rosemary, look. I've only known you for a few hours, but you seem really cool. You like fighting games, you make a good sandwich, and you've already made an enemy of Eve. That makes you good people in my book."

    She smiles at you and jerks a thumb at the television. "Now, do you want to show me how to block this mix-up?"

    "Don't you fucking dare, I will haunt your hard drives!"

    "Well you have to now!" Nora says with a grin, "Come, let's ruin Eve's day!"

    "Yeah! Okay! I mean . . . you sure?"

    "Your lack of confidence is going from 'endering' to 'kind of annoying'."

    "Sorry!" you chirp, "Let's play!"

    And play you did. You, Nora, and Eve took turns fighting each other. Eve won most of the time, until you realized she was cheating by reading your inputs. Once she had to play fair, she was actually the worst. Eventually, she got so mad that she declared a "blood feud" and left.

    You thought that would be the end of the evening, but, to your surprise, Nora didn't kick you out. Instead, she turned on the TV and you two watched anime all night.

    It was strange. In a good way! You had never really spent time with anyone your age before. You were in a weird spot in the orphanage where everyone was either way older than you or much younger. And at The Logos, your best friend was a man in his late thirties. In Wonderland it was . . . Warpstar? Oh god.

    In comparison, talking to Nora is easy. You two hit it off right away—you like the same games, you like the same shows, you even have the same favorite author! Her taste in music is, uh, odd—Eve called it 'music for sad robots'—and she curses like a sailor. But you suppose it would be weird if you were identical! Nora doesn't judge you and she's content to carry the conversation herself and chatter away while you listen.

    She tells you that she never knew her mother and was raised by her dad. She doesn't outright say it, but you read between the lines and realize she was a genius before she got her powers. She tells you about all of the scholarships she got to private academies when she was growing up, and mentions it so casually that you realize she thinks it's normal.

    Because of that, she and her dad lived in a crappy, tiny apartment in the Uni District that was filled with all of their junk. Nora was a collector and her dad was apparently a massive metahuman-nerd who loved Valiant Red. He would talk anyone's ear off about his favorite hero until the day he . . .

    Nora's voice trails off. You see her clutch her wrist.

    "Sorry," she says, "Didn't mean to bring the mood down."

    "No, it's okay!" you tell her, "You don't have to talk about it if it makes you sad."

    "No, I'm over it . . . well, okay, it's not as fresh, at least," she admits, "Uh, he died of Jordano's Disease. You ever heard of it?"

    "Kinda? It rings a bell, but . . ."

    "You probably heard a lawyer mention it in an ad or something," Nora says, "There's been a big class-action lawsuit going on for over a decade now."

    Nora shifts uncomfortably and pulls her sleeves up over her hands.

    "Jordano's is a signature disease, like mesothelioma is for asbestos exposure. It hardens your skin until it cracks like glass. Then it moves into your lungs," she explains, "Some of the materials they used when building Jacob's Ladder weren't safe. They didn't do anything immediately, but a lot of the workers on the Ladder got sick later in life. My dad was one of them."

    "Oh no."

    "Yeah. It's treatable, but only Ọsanyìn has the tech to do it. And they charge a fucking arm and leg for it. There was, uh, no way we could afford it."

    "Oh, Nora, I'm so sorry . . ."

    "Not that I let that stop me," she says, clutching her arm, "I was in college at the time. Just started. I went to classes during the day and built tech to sell on the black market at night. I think I was pulling 18 hour days, every day? I didn't realize it at the time, but apparently I was using my Algernon-type powers to do it."

    "Wait," you say tilting your head, "You didn't realize you were using superpowers?"

    "Well, it's not like there's a sign or anything!" she says defensively, "And I thought the pain was just because I was skipping meals to save cash! I mean, it fucking worked didn't it? I made so much money!"

    She closes her eyes and rocks back and forth.

    "I was this close," she says inching her fingers together, "This fucking close to having enough when my dad died. And then I got robbed by the Demon Flamez. They took everything I had and left me these."

    She pulls down the collar of her shirt, and you see the start of nasty burn scars on her neck. They travel down as far on her back as you can see.

    "Then I had nothing. And so . . . I, um . . . I made a hasty decision."

    She looks at her arms, like she can see through the sleeves. She notices you looking, and you put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

    You can imagine what's under there.

    You two sit there for a long time before Nora speaks back up.

    "Some . . . some really good people found me and saved me. But the medical debt wiped out what was left of my savings, so back to the black market I went. That's how I met Yazy."

    "Oh, I see—huh? Isn't Yazmin one of those Oliveiras?"

    "Yep."

    "As in 'heiress-to-the-largest-megacorp-in-the-world', Oliveira?"

    "Yeeep."

    "And she was buying stuff off you on the black market?"

    "Well, it was more of an unregulated grey market, and she needed services, not goods, but yeeeep."

    ". . . what did she need?"

    Nora holds a finger up to her lips. "Secret. I'll have to ask her if it's okay to tell you. It's not that I don't trust you, but we just got back together. I don't want to fuck things up over nothing, y'know?"

    "Oh, yeah, no worries!" you tell her. Then, you duck and move closer. "So . . . you and her?"

    Nora looks side to side. ". . . yeah. We're gonna keep it lowkey for now, so keep it under your hat."

    "I knew it!" you cheer, "And my lips—uh, mandibles—are sealed!"

    "Wait, you knew it? Bullshit!"

    "Have you seen how you two are basically hanging off each other?"

    "What? No way, we're super subtle!"

    "Nuh-uh. You're super obvious," you say, sticking your tongue out. And with your mouth, you can stick it out really far. "Also, you said you got 'back together?' What happened?"

    "Oh," Nora says, suddenly bashful, "I met her first as 'Uiara', right? Well, when I learned who she was, and that her dad's company is who fucked over my dad, I kinda . . . freaked."

    ". . . Nora."

    "I know, she has no control over the company's business practices!" she flails, "Also, she hates her dad! It's just a sore spot for me, okay?"

    "Nora."

    "It was an understandable, emotional reaction, okay? Okay?! I need you to tell me it's okay, Rosemary!"

    "Nora."

    "Stop saying my name and reassure me, dammit!"

    Nora throws herself at you and tries to get you in a headlock before she realizes you're three feet taller than her and have twice as many arms. You wrestle back and forth before you pin her and make her tap out. You can't hold in your laughter at her indignant yelps.

    "Eve's right, you suck!" Nora pants, once you let her go, "This is an act of war! War!"

    You just laugh at her. Man, you've never had this much fun before. Wait, was this a slumber party?!

    "Hey, Rosemary," Nora says out of nowhere, "Thanks. You're really easy to talk to, you know that?"

    ". . . no actually? I've been by myself for a long time now."

    "Why? I was wondering why I've never heard of the 'eight-foot-tall-bee-superhero' before."

    "Umm, well, for the last two years I've—"

    "As heartwarming as this is," an electronic voice interrupts, "Valiant Silver is forty-five minutes late to our meeting."

    The voice comes from a humanoid drone that is walking down the stairs. It's Steelheart.

    "Oh shit!" Nora calls, "What time is it?!"

    "9:30 AM," Steelheart answers, "Hmm. Your file described you as a 'irritable, chronic workaholic'. I see that it will need to be updated."

    "Shit, shit, shit, sorry!" Nora says.

    "I gotta go," she tells you, "But this was rad! Feel free to come down here to hang out anytime! Well, maybe not tonight because I'm going to crash hard. And, uh, I'll put a sock on the door or something if Yazy's—"

    "Yeah that's fine," you say quickly. You stand up and start walking away. "See you later?"

    "Definitely, I—"

    "Enough. There's much to discuss, Valiant Sliver. Take this seriously."

    "—am in so much trouble. Bye!"

    * * *​

    Horizon, City of Leviathan's Rest—The Bastion—February 16, 2056

    The next week is kind of a blur. You spend most of your nights hanging out with Nora, which still leaves you at odds with what to do during the day. But . . . you're already become friends with one of your teammates, right? Maybe even . . . best friends? So maybe you do the same with everyone else?

    You don't have anything else to do, so you devote yourself to meeting everyone. It's awkward at first—Harper and Zixuan are noticeably unnerved by your appearance—but you don't let that deter you.

    So, you brace yourself and get to know your team.

    * * *​

    "So you don't wear clothes, huh?" Harper asks you.

    "N-no . . ." you admit, "I don't have any secondary sexual characteristics and they don't make things my size. I have this . . . loincloth—" You hate calling it that, "—but that's about it."

    "That's a bummer!" she says, putting a finger to her cheek, "I think you'd look really cute with a little hat. Or a scarf?"

    "Y-you think so?"

    "Yeah!" she says, "Hmm, for you, maybe something bright to contrast with you, errm, skin?"

    "Chitin," you correct, "And you would really help me?"

    "Totally! Yazy and Nora are sucking face—wait, that's supposed to be a secret, they're keeping it lowkey— and I'm, like, a fashion guru! You would be my masterpiece."

    "Please help me, then!" you beg.

    "Wheee! This is going be like dressing up a giant, insect Barbie!" she titters then pauses with her eyes wide, "Wait, is that offensive? Ohmigosh, I'm sorry!"

    "I don't know!" you say cheerfully, "What's a Barbie?"

    She gasps. "You have so much to learn! Come with me!"

    She drags you to her room where a frankly ridiculous number of clothes are thrown all over the floor and every available surface. Harper is something of a slob, you guess.

    "Let's see . . ." she says, digging through a pile, examining articles of clothing and discarding them as she searches for something, "Hmm, wrong color. Too busy! Oh, this is cute! But it's waaaaay too small. Hmmm . . ."

    You find a patch of bare floor and sit down, watching her.

    "Thanks again," you say softly, after a while, "You don't have to do this."

    "I want to, silly!" she tells you, "I would be so sad if I didn't have any clothes to wear! It's like . . . how would I let everyone know who I am?"

    "What do you mean?" you ask, not getting it.

    She stops digging for a second and leans back on her knees.

    "It's like . . . our costumes. When I wear my outfit, I'm The Red Huntress. A predator. Dangerous. I don't need to be afraid. And, if it ever becomes too much, I can just take it off and be Harper again."

    She resumes digging.

    "I'm feeling fun? Flirty top. I feel gross and bloated? Big sweater. I can change how people see me without them ever realizing just by putting on a different outfit. I can . . . hide in plain sight."

    A weird emotion passes over her face as her lips press together and quiver for a second.

    "Sometimes it's all you can do."

    You see her bubbly expression come back, but it looks fake. Like a mask. Or maybe it's like a costume. You don't know what Harper is trying to cover up, but it's not your place to pry.

    However, maybe you can make her smile a little more real.

    "Well, I'll never hide in plain sight . . ." you grumble, "Unless you have something in that pile that's 10XL, extra long in there."

    She giggles. "Ohhh, probably not. But don't worry, I'm determined to succeed! And yes, indeed, you . . . will be . . . popular! You're gonna be—"

    She starts singing some song you don't know. You feel a sense of impending doom.

    * * *​

    "Is that a scarf, darling?"

    "Yep!" you tell Zixuan, "Harper helped me pick it out."

    "Well, it's positively fetching," the lightning mistress tells you, "And I wanted to say again how much I appreciated you putting Nora and Eve in their places the other night. Being on my team is a handicap, honestly!"

    "Oh, no problem!" you tell her, "You should come game with us more! It's more fun with four people."

    "I'm afraid that I'm not the 'gaming' type. That was a one-time occasion."

    "Aww, okay. Well, I'm gonna grab a snack. You wanna eat with me?"

    "Darling," she says looking over her sunglasses, "You're a dear, but I think you're mistaken about something. I'm not here to cozy up to everyone and make friends."

    "Oh," you say, feeling disappointed, "Then . . . why are you here?"

    "What do you mean?" she says "I was invited."

    "By Nora, right? After you helped her fight off the Defiance Unit, right? But why'd you accept?"

    She looks taken aback. "Well, I . . . I was curious, if you must know."

    "Curious? About what?"

    She huffs, but answers you. ". . . if I was wrong, I suppose. You know about how I first came to meet Yazmin, Harper, and Nora, yes?"

    "The destroyed your criminal empire?"

    ". . . in a manner of speaking, that is correct, yes," she grudgingly admits, "They managed to subvert my information network by convincing the people there to support them. Despite all of my efforts to cow them into submission, they betrayed me. Simply because two heroes asked them to."

    She crosses her arms and looks away.

    "I don't . . . I don't understand why. I don't know what I'm missing. I'm here to see if I can find what it is."

    You smile at her while she isn't looking. You don't think she would take well to you saying it, but you think you have a pretty good idea of what she's looking for. However, you shouldn't say it; she needs to figure it out.

    Buuuuuut, you can't resist teasing her a little.

    "And you're friends with Nora at least, right? That's why you went to her room in the first place!"

    "Well, I don't know about friends, but I respect her—"

    "And when she was busy, you started this conversation!"

    "I'm allowed," she says, flipping her hair.

    "Yeah! But why though? If you don't want to make friends?"

    "Is there a problem with speaking with you?"

    "No, not all!" you say. You tap your chin and pretend to be deep in thought. "Buuuut, Nora's been really busy with Steelhart lately. Probably doesn't have time to chat or hang out. And you've done nothing but talk to someone on your screen or lay around all day for nearly a week."

    You grin at her.

    "Zixuan, are you bored?"

    "Bored? How could I be—"

    "Yeah, that's it! You're talking to me because you're bored!" you announce, with the air of someone who made a great discovery.

    You see Zixuan starting to get annoyed, so you ease off the teasing.

    "I'm really glad you did. But, um, I have to ask: why me? Why not Yazmin? Didn't you two fight the Defiance Unit together?"

    ". . . I find her sanctimonious. And they way she and Nora hang off each other? Goodness, that's them 'keeping it lowkey'."

    "Yeeeeah. But what about Harper?"

    "Insincere."

    "Eve?"

    "Vulgar."

    "Rakeem?"

    "Ha!" she laughs, "That bore?"

    ". . . so it's me by default then?"

    She doesn't say anything, her usually refined expression nowhere to be found. Instead, she looks deeply, deeply uncomfortable.

    Well, you know something about being lonely. And you don't have anything going on yourself. Plus, there's something you've been kind of wanting to ask her . . .

    "Hey," you ask, throwing her a rope, "Could you show me how to fight? I see you training sometimes and you look like you really know what you're doing."

    "You want me to teach you hand-to-hand combat?" she asks incredulously. But you can see a glimmer of interest in her eyes.

    "Well, yeah. I've never fought anyone before, and I don't want to drag everyone down. Nora told me you were a prodigy or something, so I figured you would be the best person to ask," you say, baiting the hook.

    Then you reel her in. "But if you don't think you can do it . . ."

    "Oh, darling," she says, grabbing your arm and pulling you to the training yard, "I know you're playing me. But it's working."

    * * *​

    "Eugh . . ." you groan as you walk down the stairs. You don't even have the energy to fly. It's been a while since it acted up, but sometimes your stomach gets so sensitive that you can't keep anything down for days. It wasn't anything dangerous; it was just a natural consequence of having a human digestive system in an insectoid body.

    You shuffle your way to the kitchen to find some ginger ale, only to find the fridge is empty. Again. Man, you guys really need to figure out buying groceries. You're basically always out of food.

    You sit down at the round kitchen table and set your aching head down. It's early in the morning, so early the sun is just starting to rise. The Bastion is quiet for once, with everyone asleep except you.

    It's soothing, actually. Being around people again—everyone busy doing their own thing, but somehow still connected. It's like being back at the orphanage. If you could sleep, you would just drift off here and let someone wake you up when they found you. But, alas, no matter how much you wish you could, the gentle oblivion of slumber is beyond your reach.

    You don't know how long you lie there, but eventually you hear the door to Nora's lab open.

    "Oh, hey, Nora," you say without turning your head. You open your compound eyes. "You're up early—Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!"

    "Rosemary?!" a very scantily-clad Yazmin says, turning cherry red. She's wearing nothing but a too-small t-shirt that reads "SPEAKING IS NOT COMMUNICATION" and leaves nothing to the imagination.

    "Sorry! Sorry!" you scream closing your eyes and throwing your hands over them, "I didn't see anything!"

    "I can explain!" she blurts, "I am . . . um . . . I am . . . sleeping with Nora. Wait, no, I didn't mean that—merda!"

    You hear her hitting her head.

    "I misspoken!" she says, "I am sleepwalking. Yes, that's what's going on! Wait. How did I get here?"

    "Yazmin, I know," you say, putting her out of her misery, "Nora told me."

    "She did?! Porra! We were trying to keep it lowkey!"

    "I haven't told anyone!" you assure her, "Don't be mad! We were up all night playing video games and we started talking about our feelings and she told me about her dad and how she met you and I sort of figured it out and I know you just got back together please don't let me ruin it—"

    "Rosemary," Yazmin says, gently as she puts a hand on your shoulder, "Breathe. I believe you. And I'm not mad. Just . . . uh . . . well . . . mad."

    You hear her slap herself on the forehead.

    "You're really bad at lying."

    "I know," she moans, "I know."

    You both sit there for a bit, but then your stomach gurgles and you groan.

    You hear her shift. "Are you okay?"

    "Tummy hurts. It's a dysmorphic thing," you explain, "It's okay, I'm used to it. I went through so much worse when my body was changing."

    "Changing?" she asks.

    "Yeah, into this." You indicate your body. "I, erm, didn't always look like this . . ."

    "Right, of course," she says. You hear her sit back, "Can I do anything for you?"

    "I'm alright. Wait, you don't have any ginger ale, do you?"

    "No, I'm sorry."

    "Ah, don't worry about it," you say, waving her off, "I'll be fine in a few days."

    You expect her to leave after that, but she doesn't. Instead, she stays. You don't open your eyes to peek, but you think she's looking at you?

    "I'm sorry if this is an insensitive question," she says, "But . . . you've had a hard time because of your appearance, haven't you?"

    ". . . yeah," you admit.

    "And you still want to be a hero?"

    "Yeah," you say confidently. Even if this wasn't your only way to stay out of Wonderland . . . you would want this. You want to help people. Like Christian and Ms. Han helped you.

    "You're amazing," Yazmin says. You open your eyes in shock, and see she's smiling at you. "You're such a kind person, even after everything you've been through. I really admire you, Rosemary."

    "You do?!" you say, stunned, "But you're like a billionaire! And I'm me!"

    Yazmin makes a face. "You'll find money is no indication of character. If anything, people who accumulate that much wealth tend to be worse than your average person."

    She looks down.

    ". . . myself included. Maybe that's why I want to be a hero. To try to pretend I'm something I'll never be."

    You tilt your head at her, but, before you can ask another question, a voice calls out from the basement.

    "Yazmin, what's taking so fucking long?! Get your damn water and then get back here and fuck me!"

    Yazmin bots up, blushing again. She looks at you.

    "Can we pretend none of this happened?"

    ". . . we'll both know it did."

    "That's fair," she sighs, "I'm going to go now. Just don't tell anyone about Nora and me yet?"

    "I promise." Everyone kind of already knows?

    "Thank you," she says. Then she grabs a glass of water, drinks it, and then looks at the door to Nora's room. She gets the tiniest, happy little smile, like a child being given a treat. Then, she practically skips downstairs.

    You watch her leave, feeling a little envious. Of her or Nora, you're not sure.

    "Guess I'll go read in bed or something . . ." you mumble as you get up. But as you go to do that, you can't help but feel like something's off. You just don't know what.

    Fifteen minutes, when the sound of Nora and Yazmin's passion echoes through The Bastion and wakes everyone up, you realize what it is.

    Yazmin forgot to close the door.

    * * *​

    "Fuck you, bitch. I fucking hate you," Eve sneers as you enter the kitchen one night.

    ". . . I'm just grabbing a snack," you protest.

    "Yeah. I bet you are. Little Miss Rosemary, so sweet and kind. Everyone just loves you, don't they? Well not me, fuckface!"

    "Okay Eve . . ." you sigh as you get your food. Normally someone saying something like that would really upset you, but Eve had been telling you that she hated you so often that the sting had kind of worn off. Now you're just exhausted.

    As you leave the kitchen, Eve's avatar points at you and then runs her thumb across her neck. Then she flips you off for good measure.

    You roll your eyes at her. Looks like you're not going to be friends with everyone, you guess . . .?

    Well, forget about that! Even Eve's inexplicable hostility can't get you down tonight. Why?

    Because QT Bee is returning from hiatus! You finally have your set-up just perfect! Your schedule is clear for the night, and you won't be disturbed! Your Beedies have been waiting for you, and you're finally coming back!

    You chitter in excitement as you turn on your capture device and start the stream. The familiar animation of your 'waiting screen' greets you. Your chat is already going nuts.

    TarusKiss: The Return of the Queen!

    Sanetwo74: I'm so excited! I miss her zatzu streams so much!

    DrFartDFA: cant believe shes been on haitus for so long. dozent evn care about her fansz

    Moon River: You shut up! You shut up right now! She was moving! She was leaving her crappy living situation! Our queen is happier and healthier and all you can do is bitch about a lack of streams?! I've been looking forward to this for so long. I will ban your ass if you ruin this for me!

    StudentA: Moon River's not messing around tonight! Trolls beware.

    QT Bee: Aww, be nice guys! Friendly vibes tonight!

    Moon River: yes my queen, I love you so much

    You laugh again as you start the stream. Your avatar appears, a cute girl with curly, brown hair, big black eyes, antennae, and some chitin plates on her cheeks. The sight of it always makes you grin. You commissioned it yourself!

    It's what you wished you looked like.

    "You only need these letters three, to describe the cutest girl you'll see! Q! T! B!" you say, reciting your intro, "Hey, everyone, long time no . . . bee. Get it?! Get it?!"

    Icarus725: that pun was so bad it physically hurt me

    "Mean!" you mock pout, "You guys are bullying me! Just like you always do! Maybe I should just leave . . ."

    Moon River: Please, no! Leviathan's Blood, no! Don't go!

    "I'm just kidding!" you laugh, "I missed you guys too much to just go after that! Sorry for the sudden hiatus. I had to move from my last place pretty abruptly, but I'm glad I did . . ."

    You yap away, like you always do, and before you know it an hour's gone by. It's amazing how much more comfortable you are like this. You feel like you can really be yourself in a way you can't in real life. Well, except for when . . .

    "So my new roommates are really great," you say, "My new place is kind of like a hostel? There's six other people here, but there's more than enough space. One person I think is my best friend now? It's really easy talking to her. It's like talking to you guys."

    EarthScreamingRed: yuri

    AmbiguousHinderance: Aww, that's so sweet! I know you've been lonely since you moved out from your brother's place.

    Moon River: Wait, what?

    "Yeah! And everyone else here is really cool too. There's just . . . uh, one person who doesn't like me. She hates me, actually."

    DrFartDFA: lol

    Sanetwo74: Who could hate you?

    Moon River: Oh fuck. Oh no. Ohhhhh noooooooooooooo.

    "I just wish I knew why she dislikes me so much. Every time I walk into a room she curses at me and reminds me that 'we're enemies'. It's kind of getting to me to be honest . . ."

    Hyperbola: I'm sorry, that's really tough.

    AnApple: I have an idea! You should hire the greatest hero ever, Earthen Owl, to beat her up! Problem solved!

    Moon River: NONONONONONONONONONONONONONOOHNOI'MSOSORRYNONO

    DukePhysician: uhh, is moon river okay?

    You have the same question. Moon River is one of your mods—your oldest moderator, actually. She's literally been there since the beginning; she was at your first stream! You know she's got some kind of chronic illness that keeps her in bed and at the computer all day, which is why she never misses a stream. She can be a little abrasive, but she's also a really good person. What's gotten into her now?

    You're about to DM her when your screen starts ringing. It startles you. You're not used to having one!

    "Sorry, everyone!" you say, "Forgot to mute my screen!"

    But as you do, you see the call is from Eve. Baffled, you reject the call and turn your screen on silent.

    "Okay, anyway—"

    Somehow, your screen starts ringing again. It's Eve. Again.

    "S-sorry, new screen, uhhh, how do I turn this off—?"

    You turn your screen off, feeling a little embarrassed. What is going on? And on your return stream! You hold back a sigh—it sounds terrible on mic—and try to refocus.

    Then your screen turns back on and rings along with every other electronic device in your room. Somehow.

    "Ahhhhh!" you shriek, "Sorry, guys, one sec!"

    You silence your mic, switch your stream to your waiting screen, and then answer your screen to see what the hell is going on. As you hit answer, Eve's avatar overtakes the holographic display.

    "What is it, Eve?!" you say, nearly in tears from embarrassment, "Isn't enough you harass me everywhere else in The Bastion? Do you have to bother me in my room too?!"

    "I am so fucking sorry!" Eve says, getting on her hands and knees, crying. Little digital tears fall from her avatar. "Waaaaaaaah! I'm soooooorrrrrrrrrrrry!"

    ". . . what?"

    "I had no idea you were her! My oshi! My queen! My shining star in the ocean of shit that is the everyday waking world, waaaaaaaaaah!"

    ". . . what."

    "I'm Moon River!" she sobs, "It's me! I've been your biggest fan since the staaaaaaart!"

    "Wait, you're Moon River? No way," you protest, "You can't be! Moon River is—"

    —incredibly vulgar and confrontational. And has a medical condition that doesn't let her go outside or experience normal life oh god, it is Eve.

    "What the hell is wrong with you?" you ask, bewildered, "If you're my fan, why are you picking on me?"

    "I didn't know it was you! I thought you were just some bitch who was stealing my friiiiiends!"

    "Elaborate."

    "You and Nora have been staying up all night hanging out and having deep conversations while I just cheat at video games! She's the only one who puts up with my shit! I saw you two getting close and I got jealous! Then you befriend Rich Girl, Blonde Rich Girl, and Crouching Tiger, Amazing Ass? It made me maaaaaaad. Waaaaaaaaaaah!"

    She's full- on bawling now. "Everyone likes you! And no one likes me! So I treated you like shit when you're really the only one who gets me! I suck! I suuuuuuuuuuuck!"

    "You don't su—" You stop yourself from lying. "You . . . uh . . . if you want to be friends with people, why do you keep picking fights with everybody?"

    "I'm socially maladjusted, alright!? I live in the internet! I make sex jokes because I don't know what else to say! I'm scared people will leave me so I push them away first! I take Nora's credit card to send superchats because I feel like I need to buy your affection!"

    "Wow. You're, uh, really self-aware."

    "Please don't hate me forever!"

    ". . . I won't do that." You sigh and lean forward and encircle your screen with your arms. You put your head next to Eve's avatar. "I know how hard it is to have a body that doesn't feel like yours. I can't even imagine how hard it must be for you, to not even know where you are. I'm sorry, Eve."

    Her avatar tries to hug your face, but it goes right through you. She's still crying. "No, I suuuuuuuck!"

    "And you want to be a hero after all of this? You don't suck, Eve. You're great."

    "I'm only doing it because I have nothing else! I don't even know what being a 'hero' means!"

    "We'll figure it out. We're teammates, right?"

    Gosh, it's like talking to the younger kids at the orphanage all over again. They cried like this too. Eve cries for a while longer before seemingly tiring herself.

    She wipes her nose. It's an oddly visceral sound, given that it's all virtual.

    "Thank you. I love you," she hiccups, "I'm sorry I made you a dating profile on MorphMatch and have been impersonating you to catfish a bunch of guys. I won't give them your real contact info and I'll tell them that the pictures I sent were photoshopped."

    . . .

    You sit up straight. You very slowly and very deliberately turn off your screen. Eve winks away.

    You start the stream back up and unmute your mic.

    "Moon River, give yourself a two-week ban. Now."

    Moon River: That's fair. I deserve it. I suck.

    "Yes, you do. You don't have to suck, but, right now, you kind of do. Just a little."

    Moon River has received a two-week ban!

    GuardianWaveScarlet:     What nonsense is going on?

    * * *​

    You poke your head around the corner to the training floor, and you find who you're looking for. Rakeem is at a weight bench with a set of dumbbells.

    He grunts a greeting as you walk in.

    "Hey!" you say, walking over, "You weren't at the meeting!"

    Rakeem had been trying to arrange a "team meeting" for days now, but no one's schedule really matched up. Nora and Harper were night owls, Zixuan liked to get up early, and Yazmin was all over the place, either up late with Nora or up early to go swimming. Nora was also busy working with Steelheart, Zixuan did . . . something during the day, and Eve she refused to attend on principle. The upshot was: no matter when he set the meeting, someone wasn't there. And, because everyone wasn't there, it had to be rescheduled ad infinitum.

    Eventually, everyone stopped coming except you and Rakeem. And this morning, not even Rakeem came.

    You sat by yourself there for twenty minutes like a dope.

    Rakeem grunts at you again and then racks his weights. He wipes himself off with a towel, his skin glistening.

    ". . . was the meeting not this morning?"

    "It doesn't matter when it was," he says, his voice tight, "They weren't going to come."

    "Well, yeah, everyone's pretty busy . . ." you say, "But I could try to find a time that works for everyone? Even Eve would come if I asked—"

    "It doesn't matter," he growls, "They're not taking this seriously."

    "The meetings?"

    "Being heroes." Rakeem's expression darkens like a thunderhead. "Being a hero involves more than powers and a costume. No one else seems to care about that."

    "I don't think that's true . . ."

    "They can't even come to meetings," he says, "We have our first patrol with New Dawn coming in two weeks. We're not prepared."

    "Rakeem," you say softly, "It's going to be alright—"

    "Alright isn't good enough. We have to be perfect." You jump at that. It's the most emphatic you've ever heard him get.

    "W-why—?"

    "They 'why' doesn't matter. I'm going to get this team into shape."

    With that, he throws his towel in a basket and storms off.

    * * *​

    Horizon, City of Leviathan's Rest—The Bastion—February 23, 2056

    True to his word, the next week Rakeem tries to smooth the rough edges off NuGen.

    And meets immediate resistance.

    "Chore list," he says, tacking a whiteboard to the wall during one of the rare occasions you're all in the kitchen at the same time. "Everyone is going to have their jobs. Something doesn't get done? We'll know who to blame. We'll rotate jobs every two weeks."

    Curious, everyone stands up and crowds around the whiteboard. You stand in the back so as to not block anyone's view. You lean over and look at your chores for this week.

    "'Maintain training room?'" you read, "Is that like cleaning up? Do I have to fix things if they break? I don't know how to do that."

    "'Cleaning the bathrooms'?" Zixuan says incredulously, "Me? Have you lost your mind?"

    "I understand the logic of having me clean the windows, given my hydrokinesis," Yazmin says, "But all of them? Even the ones on the second and third stories?"

    "Oh, I can get those," you offer, "I can fly! I'll make a few drones and bang it out this afternoon!"

    "No trading," Rakeem says, "Everyone will get a turn doing everything. It's what's most fair."

    "No," Nora says, looking the white board over, "It's what's most stupid. Everyone here is good and bad at different stuff. I love Yazy . . . uhh, in a strictly platonic way—"

    "We all heard you two carrying on like stray cats the other night," Zixuan says, "I care nothing about you two dating so long as never I have to hear your erotic roleplay again."

    "—fuck. Anyway, I love my girlfriend—hey, that feels great to say out loud!—but she can't even boil water without using her powers. Putting her on 'cooking duty' is a good way to get food poisoning. Zixuan doesn't know how to clean anything and would probably just pay off someone else to do it. And how is Eve supposed to do any of this? She doesn't have a body!"

    ". . . okay, we'll have to adjust some of these," Rakeem admits, "But—"

    "And why are we doing any of this?" Nora says, narrowing her eyes, "We're all adults. We don't need a white board to tell us what to do."

    "This is—"

    "A power move," Nora interrupts, "And a dumb one. I'm out."

    With that, she leaves. After a second, everyone begins to follow her.

    Rakeem watches them with his arms crossed, and his face expressionless.

    "I, um, think it's not a bad idea?" you offer.

    He grunts and stomps off.

    * * *​

    "Everyone, lights out early tonight. We're doing group PT in the morning."

    ". . . Eve can't, Rosemary's body doesn't work like ours, Yazy and Zixuan already do it—

    "They can do it with us."

    "Yazy swims with her powers and Zixuan does martial arts with hers. It makes more sense for them to practice that way."

    "Then you and Harper—"

    "Harper's super-fast. We won't be able to keep up with her. And my suit enhances my strength and endurance. I'm better off just working on it."

    "Then—"

    "Then, I'll see you later. Bye."

    * * *​

    "Here is a book of callsigns and code. Memorize it. We'll use it in the field to communicate.

    ". . . why?"

    "So our comms aren't intercepted—"

    ". . . we have a technopath on our team. If they can hack our equipment, we have other problems."

    "And if we don't have access to our comms?"

    "Then why would we be speaking in code? If they're close enough to hear us talking, we shouldn't be exchanging ciphers anyway."

    * * *​

    "This is—"

    "Rakeem, this is stupid and poorly thought out. Also, you're not in charge. Fuckin' quit it."

    "I second the feeling, darling."

    "Me too! You're being sooo obnoxious."

    "It's a little overbearing."

    "Fuck you, asshole."

    Rakeem turns to look at you.

    "M-maybe we should talk these things through first? Instead of, um, one of us just deciding we're going to do them."

    Rakeem doesn't even look betrayed. He just leaves.

    * * *​

    Horizon, City of Leviathan's Rest—Just Outside The Bastion—March 1, 2056

    You gulp nervously as you step into the cool evening air.

    It's the day of your first joint patrol with New Dawn, and things are, uh, tense.

    Rakee—uhh, Adamant stands there in his transformed state, his usual body now made of an orangish metal. His footsteps thud on the pavement as he walks. He stands apart from the rest of the group, tapping his foot as you all wait for New Dawn to arrive. Valiant Silver, in her full armor, chats with Eve who appears on a holographic display from her suit. The Red Huntress and Uiara talk idly, looking comfortable, while Lady Leizi struts back and forth, trying to look unaffected.

    NuGen isn't . . . coherent. You can see how everyone doesn't mesh. Valiant Silver thinks Adamant is overbearing and arrogant, and he thinks she isn't taking this seriously. Lady Leizi hasn't really befriended anyone but you, and is being excluded by the Uiara and The Red Huntress. And Moon River—you can't believe you didn't immediately realize she was your moderator when you saw her hero name—only talks to Valiant Silver and is in awe of you.

    It's not a good feeling. Everyone here is so great, but you don't gel as a group. You don't know what to do about it either; you just hope tonight goes alright.

    As you're fretting, you hear a car pull up. No, a van. It's armored, painted blue, with a flat roof that has a hatch on top. It comes at you fast before turning sharply and skidding to halt.

    It sits still for a second, before the driver's door opens and a man a few years older than you steps out. He's wearing a long-sleeved, cropped blue jacket overtop a bodysuit with a pattern of pipes on it. Actual pipes run down his arms and legs, feeding to a giant capsule of water on his back. He has dark skin, a short fade haircut, sunglasses, and he moves with a casual ease.

    He flips down his sunglasses and gives you an easy smile. "Seems like you rolled out the welcome wagon for me. Flattery will get you guys everywhere."

    "Whoa," Eve says looking at him. You second the feeling.

    He is the coolest person you've ever seen.

    "I'm Hydrocity, a member of New Dawn's emergency response team, Denial. I'll be showing you rooks the ropes today."

    He pats the van fondly.

    "They even let me borrow Big Bessy here for the occasion. She's got more than enough room for all of us, unless some of you have your own rides."

    You raise your hand. "I can fly?"

    "I'm jealous. Anyone else?"

    "I don't need no stinking wheels! I am everywhere and nowhere all at once!" Moon River cackles.

    "I have a motorcycle," Uiara says.

    "And I can run fast? But nooooot as fast as a car. Most of the time . . ." The Red Huntress replies.

    "Cool. You're with me. Anyone else?"

    "I have my own car, darling. But I'll be sure to follow you closely."

    "Looking forward to it. And, hey: nice shades."

    He makes a finger-gun and points it at Lady Leizi. So cool.

    "I need a ride—"

    "I'll go with you—"

    Valiant Silver and Adamant glare at each other as they answer at the same time.

    "Now, none of that. There's more than enough room for everybody," Hydrocity says, chuckling to himself, "Alright, let's get a move-on. Since it's your team's first night out, we'll stick to the easy routes."

    And with that, he turns and saunters back to the car. Saunters.

    So cool.

    * * *​

    Patrolling is surprisingly easy.

    You're in the air with about a dozen of your drones and two "bodies". The drones are little more than wings and mouths, while your bodies are more advanced. They're humanoid and about five-feet tall. Your most advanced creation—a near-perfect duplicate of your "real" body—is back at The Basition. You can sense everything from all of your creations; it's like being in a dozen places at once. It should be disorienting, but it feels natural to you.

    You're in the sky of the Worker's Mitt, just above roof-top level. You can see Big Bessy below you, followed by a purple convertible that belongs to Lady Leizi. Uiara is on a parallel road, riding a blue, sport bike motorcycle.

    You travel at a leisurely pace, making sure that you're seen. You were worried that would give away the fact that you were coming to the bad guys in the area, but Hydrocity, or LaTrell as you learn his name is, tells you that's not the point of patrolling.

    "We're here for two things, Bumblebee—"

    Ahhhhh! He gave you a nickname! This is the best day of your life!

    "—one, we're trying to deter crime in the area. If people know we'll be around, they'll move their illegal dealings elsewhere. And if we constantly change routes and make sure to never neglect any part of the Mitt, they might just decide to leave the borough altogether."

    "It's true," Lady Leizi says over comms, "Any criminal enterprise operating in a borough with a major hero team will pay top dollar for information about their patrol routes."

    "See, I know what I'm talking about!" Hydrocity chuckles, "But that leads to the second reason we patrol: early response. It's unlikely that we'll just stumble around crime in progress—though it does happen from time to time—but if we're in motion and spread out, then we can get to wherever needs us when disaster strikes. We're not the only ones patrolling tonight. The rest of Denial is out right now too."

    "Is two squads enough to cover the whole Mitt?" Valiant Silver askes, wondering, "It's a big place . . ."

    "The others are traveling in pairs. Umibōzu and Eastwood and then Nephthys and Millions Minefield. Our routes are arranged in such a way for maximum coverage. Though, I'm glad we got a set of wings in the sky now. Eh, Apiary?"

    It takes you a second to realize he's talking to you. Oh right, that's your hero name! "Uh, yes! I'm in the sky because I can fly. With wings. I have wings and can fly—you already know that because you called me 'wings', huh? Am I babbling, sorry, I can stop babbling—"

    "Just breathe, Bumblebee." Eeeeeeeh! Your nickname! "Don't worry too much. The Mitt's been nice and quiet lately, so I doubt we'll see any action tonight. The bad guys seem to have packed up and left town."

    "What are you talking about, darling?" Lady Leizi says, confused, "The Downtown Saints and Silver Lotus Triad have been on the precipice of war for weeks. It's why things have been quiet. They've been gathering their strength."

    "Huh, Sparky's right," Moon River says, "There's a bunch of posts on social media about guys with guns gathering over by the OID border? Huh. Also there's some new meta with them apparently."

    "What?" Hydrocity says, snapping to action. His cool reserve is still there, but now it's focused. He presses a button on the dash of the van. "Umi, Millions, listen up. The rooks have some info you're going to want to hear—"

    His voice is drowned out by the should of a shrill beeping. A voice comes on over the speakers.

    "Denial, there are reports of gunfire in the warehouse district of the Mitt," a man's voice says, "Hydrocity, you're the only one nearby. Can you respond and investigate?"

    "I got the rooks with me, Wolong," Hydrocity says, "How solid are these reports?"

    "I'm trying to confirm—"

    "Someone's live-streaming it—wow fuck that's a lot of shooting," Moon River says, "Yeah, I can confirm shit is going down near the OID. Big ol' shootout."

    "Live-streaming?" Wolong says, "Who's live-streaming it?"

    "Uhh, a buncha folks. I guess the shootings near some apartments?"

    "Wolong, we have confirmed civilian's in the area. I'm requesting permission to respond," Hydrocity says without hesitation, "We'll evacuate the bystanders and contain until the rest of Denial arrives."

    ". . . alright. Request approved," Wolong says, "There's no time to lose. But be careful, Hydrocity."

    "Hydrocity, Eastwood and I are en route. Stay alive," a soft voice says.

    "LaTrell, if you perish, then I will raise you from the dead and torment you for a thousand cycles of a thousand years!"

    "Love you too, Hana. Hydrocity out."

    He yanks the wheel and you have to fly overtime to keep up with him.

    "Okay, rooks," he says, "Follow my lead. We're not trying to stop the fight, just get everyone out of harm's way and keep it from spreading. Moon River, can you mark where it's happening on our map?"

    "Uhhh, yeah, sure. It's here."

    You see a glowing marker appear on your screen. It's actually not that far from where you all are now? The only issue is there's no roads that lead directly there. You have to drive around this wooded area. But you could get there pretty easily.

    "I can get there right now," you say, "S-should I go ahead?"

    "Yes," Hyrdocity says, "But stay high and stay in contact."

    "O-okay."

    You and your other bodies zip though the sky and over the little park in the way. Then, you're in the warehouse district. You guess? You've never been here before. But there are a bunch of warehouses, so probably.

    From your position in the air, you can see muzzle flashes and people running away. But there are also a bunch of people going towards the shooting, many of whom have guns too. Then, a warehouse explodes in a gout of flame, and a person walks out of the burning building.

    It's a metahuman. You can tell because he's wearing a dark brown costume, patterned to look like rocks. He's got a mask that covers the top of his head and eyes and a great, busy beard. His belt is bright yellow and cinched with a golden "A".

    Some of the people with guns try to shoot him, but the bullets bounce right off. He does something to the ground and sends the gunmen flying. Behind him, a group of people in suits come out and start firing their weapons. The metahuman throws up his head and laughs.

    Wait. Whatever the metahuman did flipped and a car and cut off a ton of fleeing people. They're stuck between the burning building and the gunfire!

    You relay what you see to everyone. You nervously ask if you should try to save the trapped people.

    "Yes," Adamant says immediately, "Get in there, now."

    "Wait, are you stupid?!" Valiant Silver exclaims, "Apiary, do not—!"

    But you're already descending. You and all of yourselves drop from the sky like stones. You're going to do it! You're going to save those people! You're going to be a hero—

    One of the gunmen from the first group notices you. They start shooting at you. Then, the gunmen with the metahuman see you. They start shooting too.

    The world is filled with a hail of gunfire. You try to move out of the way, but there's so much. They have automatic weapons and you were going towards them. You bodies die one by one, and you desperately try to pull up and away. But you're too slow, there's too many of them, a stray bullet hits your arm and then your chest and then through your mandibles—

    Into your brain. You die.

    Suddenly you're just inside the body you have in The Bastion. It feels weird and wrong—you didn't quite make it right—but not as weird as wrong as the feeling of a metal slug splitting your skull apart. You clutch your head with all four hands, and curl up into a ball, trembling.

    Died. You died. You died and it hurt.

    You stay on the ground, shaking, unable to bring yourself to move. Time passes, but you have no idea how much. You disassociate; it's like you're viewing yourself from above.

    You don't come to until you hear the door to The Bastion open. You hear familiar footsteps, heavy and angry, and a quick pair of feet come racing towards you.

    "Rosie!" Harper cries, wearing her costume sans mask. She throws her arms around you, squeezing you in a tight hug.

    "Ohmigosh, I was so worried," she says, crying, "I'm so glad you're okay! Soooo glad!"

    "Rosemary?!" Eve says, appearing on the holographic display in the kitchen table, "Oh, thank fucking Chirst, Allah, and Buddha."

    She starts crying too. " I was so fucking worried! Oh, shit, you're okay! Waaaaaaaaah!"

    "W-what happened?" you ask, still out of it, "Where is everyone?"

    Eve gets herself under control, sniffling and wiping her nose. "After you bit it, we arrived. The metalhead sent Harper and Zixuan on search and rescue while he and Yazmin went after the metahuman."

    "We ran into a bunch of them waiting around. I think they were guarding the area?" Harper says, biting her lip, "I turned invisible and and got a way, but Zixuan got hit in the arm."

    "She's okay though!" Harper adds, hastily seeing your face, "It just grazed her a liiiiiitle."

    "So everything worked out?" you ask, hopefully.

    "Uhhhhhh . . ." neither Harper nor Eve look at you. You look around, confused, but then you hear shouting."

    "—contain, contain you fucking moron!" you hear Nora shout. She walks in wearing her armor with her helmet off. She slams it on the helmet, "Why the fuck did you send our teammates without any kind of invincibility into a gunfight?!"

    She jabs a furious finger at the still transformed Rakeem. Yazmin follows in after them, helping a bandaged Zixuan sit down. Hydrocity comes in next.

    "There were civilians who need evacuation," Rakeem says, staring her down, "They needed to—"

    "Yes, which is why you send the guy who can make metal walls and the woman who can make glaciers and who are both invulnerable to bullets!" Nora screams, "And if the civilians were so important why the fuck are you going after some random meta?!"

    "He was an unknown variable. We didn't know what was capable of—"

    "Which is why you don't go after him! You don't know if he can make your head explode by picking his nose or something!"

    "He was the active threat—"

    "No, the fucking people with the fucking guns were! He was clearly just hired muscle! Take care of the gunmen, and he bails!"

    "Nora," Yazmin says, looking exhausted, "Stop, this isn't helping anything."

    Neither Nora or Rakeem seem to hear her.

    "You don't know that, Valiant Silver. He could have stayed."

    "You're right: I don't and he could have. But what I do know for certain is that his power was obviously some kind of vibration. You could see it in how the ground rippled like it was liquid."

    "And?"

    "And?! Waves move faster in solid mediums than in liquids or gases. So surrounding him in water was a good idea. Telling Yazy to then freeze him was just playing into his hands. You're lucky the shrapnel from the ice didn't kill anyone! And you didn't stop him from ramping up! He brough the whole fucking warehouse down!"

    "Nora!" Yazmin barks, "Control yourself! Go check on Rosemary—"

    "Or was that your goal, Adamant?! Seeing as you sent Harper and Zixuan to get shot—"

    "Nora!" Yazmin stands up and tries to pull her away. "Stop it right now. We're all on edge!"

    But Nora wrenches her arm free, "And you fucking sent Rosemary into a cloud of gunfire! Of course everyone could see her coming. Of course they were going to shoot her, you fucking moron!"

    "I didn't see you doing anything," Rakeem says.

    Nora gives a mirthless laugh, rage still burning in her eyes. She leans in close to Rakeem.

    "My nothing didn't nearly get three people killed. You keep acting like you're in charge. You can't even figure out a chore list. And now you're telling people what to do in life or death situations? And you're fucking that up too?! Fuck. You."

    "As opposed to standing around and complaining about everything?" Rakeem says, leaning in as well, "Yeah. I am. It must be easy to criticize from your position in the van."

    "You fucking motherfucker—"

    "Enough!" Hydrocity shouts. He slams his fist on the table, somehow creating a splash that sends water everywhere. For the first time, he looks upset. "Both of you are out of line. First of all, have either of you tried to check on your teammate?"

    He looks at you, and his voice goes soft.

    "Rosemary, are you okay?"

    "I-I-I . . . y-yeah . . ." you warble. You're trying not to cry, but it's all hitting you at once. You died.

    "Leviathan's Blood, Rosemary!" Nora says coming over. Rakeem rushes over too, looking stricken.

    Hydrocity sits down. "This mission was a disaster. I'm not sugarcoating it. You all have a long way to go before you can call yourself a team. But more than that? What really disappoints me?"

    He points at Nora and Rakeem.

    "You were so busy pointing fingers and assigning blame that you forgot about your friends. That, more than anything, is unacceptable. That is not what we do in New Dawn."

    "On that," a voice calls from above, "We agree."

    It's like night has turned to day or a second sun has decided to hang itself in your kitchen. From the high, vaulted ceiling and through an open window, a living star descends.

    Novalight.

    She wears a pearlescent bodysuit with a matching mask. Her perfectly straight, blonde hair is pulled into a ponytail. There is light under her skin, but the intensity dims so you can look at her without going blind. Her crystal, blue eyes sweep the room and eventually land on you.

    You feel a shiver go down your spine.

    "I was against the NuGen initiative from its inception," Novalight starts, "But I was persuaded to give it a chance. A chance that has clearly been squandered. I do not see heroes in front of me. I see children in colorful costumes."

    No one says anything. She has this presence, this way of bearing down on you that squashes all opposition before it is even spoken. She's been a hero longer than any of you have been alive. She stopped the Susurration. She's seen it all. She's seen you.

    And she finds you wanting.

    "Hydrocity, file your AAR. As soon as you have, I will bring it before the council and use it as evidence that NuGen should be disbanded."

    "What?" Nora and Rakeem say at the same time.

    "You should be pleased. You can go back to how you were living your lives before all of this." Novalight looks directly at you. "All of you."

    Your insides freeze. S-she can't mean . . .? She'll make you go back?!

    You have to go back to Wonderland . . . ?

    You sit there numb in horror, unable to breathe. Then, Hydrocity speaks.

    "Ah, well that's gonna take a little bit, Yelena," Hydrocity says, yawning and stretching, "I've got vacation coming up. Hana, Ami, and I are going for a little couple's retreat in the South Docks."

    "You don't have any leave requested. Denied," she says with narrowed eyes.

    "I don't? I told Gabe. He probably just hasn't had a moment to log it. I know how busy you've kept him," Hydrocity says, shrugging, "The rooms are all booked. Can't move it I'm afraid. I'll get the AAR done once we get back."

    He gestures to all of you.

    "Guess these guys have a stay of execution, huh? And if they happen to get their shit together between now and then, who knows? Maybe you won't have to disband them."

    He gives Novalight an easy smile.

    "Wouldn't that be nice?"

    "You're not making things easy for yourself," Novalight warns in a tight voice.

    "Oh, I know. I just don't care."

    Novalight glares at him and then flies up without another word. As she does, she looks at you one last time.

    You will not escape, she seems to say with her eyes. Then, she's gone.

    Hydrocity stands up, rubbing his back. "Alright, bought you kids some time. You've got another shot."

    He starts walking out. He gives a lazy wave with his hand as he leaves.

    "Don't throw it away."

    You look around at the room. No one is making eye contact. Tension fills the air.

    You start breathing heavily. It will be okay, right? Right? Like Yazy said, everyone is just on edge. Things will get better after tonight, right?

    * * *​

    Horizon, City of Leviathan's Rest—The Bastion—March 5, 2056

    Things have not gotten better. They've gotten much worse.

    Zixuan has been recovering in her room, and hasn't spoken to anyone in days. She grabs food when everyone else is asleep, and seems deep in thought.

    Nora and Yazmin had a massive, nuclear-level fight that everyone in The Bastion heard. Yazmin was upset with the way Nora behaved after the patrol. Nora was furious that Yazmin was "taking their side". Things were said.

    Now, they are no longer speaking. It's super awkward for everyone.

    Because of that, Yazmin has been avoiding Nora. And because Nora is nearly always in The Bastion, Yazmin essentially never is. Harper, true to her wont, has disappeared alongside her best friend, leaving your home feeling empty.

    Rakeem talks to no one and no one talks to Rakeem. There's a constant, simmering frustration to the cast of his shoulders as he sits alone.

    Eve has disappeared, and has even been quiet in your streams. Well, quieter. Moon River is still your best and favorite mod.

    And Nora? Well, Nora . . .

    "Fucking moron, you believe this shit? Just sitting there, all by himself, brooding like a metal gargoyle. It's his fault for being a moron."

    Nora complains about Rakeem while you two sit in your room and watch . . . some show. You don't know what it is; you can't really focus. Nora felt so terrible for not immediately checking up on you that she's stuck to your side like glue. She spent two days helping you create a perfect replica of your original body—it was surprisingly easy, you instinctively knew how to do it—and hasn't left you alone since then.

    It's great. It actually is. You've never had someone to take care of you when you weren't feeling well before. It's just . . . just that . . .

    ""I dunno, man," she says, "Maybe we should just let NuGen die. Then you, me, Eve, and whoever else wants in can start up our team or something?"

    She doesn't get it.

    "Oh?" you say, "Just like that?"

    "Well . . . yeah," she says, a little nonplussed by your lack of enthusiasm, "Right?"

    "So, well just say 'Fuck it" here and go try again somewhere else? And that will turn out different, huh?!"

    "Rosemary," Nora says, looking concerned, "What's—"

    "Why do you always pick fights with Rakeem?" you snap, "What's with that?"

    Nora looks shocked, "Rosemary, he got you killed. He's been nothing but bossy from day one. He—"

    "He's trying!" you snap, "He's trying. Have you tried?"

    "Rosemary, what the hell . . . ?"

    "Nora, you don't get it," you say, days of anxiety spilling out all at once. You should stop talking. You need to stop talking. But you can't. She just . . . doesn't get it!

    You can't go back.

    "Rakeem had a point. If you knew how he was messing things up, why didn't you try to help him?"

    "W-well, I—"

    "Or why didn't you just do it right yourself? It would have been easy for you."

    "It's not—"

    "Don't bullshit me," you say, a little manic, "Anyone can see how brilliant you are after talking to you for five minutes. You figured out how that metahuman's power worked by looking at it. Everyone here has a connection to you. You could easily lead this team! But you don't! You rather just sit around and show off how smart you are!"

    You're standing. You don't remember standing. Why are you standing again? You're shouting. You don't want to shout at Nora, but you can't stop. She looks hurt.

    "Rosemary, I don't . . . what? Why do you care so much?"

    "Because I can't go back to Wonderland! It will kill me!"

    Your voice rings in the room. There. You said it. You can't unsay it.

    "Wonderland . . .?"

    "Yes, Nora, Wonderland. That's where I've lived the last two years. Dominion treated me like a lab rat for three years after my body started to change. Then I got out. I thought New Dawn was going to help me, but then Novalight learned what my power was and decided I was a 'threat'. So she put me in Wonderland."

    You're sobbing. Big, ugly tears from your big, ugly eyes. You don't want to go back.

    "Novalight did that?" Nora says uncomprehending, "Novalight, the big hero from New Dawn? The one who stopped the Susurration?"

    "Y-yeah, she did!" you shout, "I only got out because Heavenly Astrologian pulled some strings and got me put on NuGen. A-and now Novalight's gonna make me g-go back."

    You can see the piece snapping together in Nora's mind. You see her go blank as she processes and then understands. Something dark bubbles up from deep within her.

    "That fucking bitch," Nora whispers, "She can't—"

    "She can!" you shout, "I don't . . . I don't need someone getting upset for me! I know it's fucked! I need someone to help me!"

    Your shaking, crying, sobbing, fluids discharging from every cavity on your face. You don't want to go back.

    "I tried to be okay with it! For two years I tried to keep myself busy! But it felt like twenty! I was alone. Only Heavenly Astrologian came to visit me and that was before they put the guy who nearly killed her in the cell next to mine."

    "Rosemary, I'm so sorry—"

    "Shut up!" you scream at her. "I don't need you to apologize! I need you to give a shit!"

    You don't want to go back.

    "Only three people my life have ever given a fuck if I lived or died—"

    The Mother Superior. Christian. Ms. Han.

    "—I thought you were the fourth! But I guess I was wrong! It's too much to ask you to think about anyone else while you're busy proving you're smarter than everyone else!"

    Nora reels like you slapped her and suddenly you realize what you've said. You . . . you didn't mean it . . . or you shouldn't have said it out loud . . . or you shouldn't have said it like this.

    The tears come back. Oh no. You've just ruined your first real friendship with someone your age. You suddenly stand and bolt out the room.

    "Rosemary, wait—"

    But you don't wait. You find the nearest window and fly out. You need to be alone. You can't bear seeing Nora hate you.

    Well, at least you won't have to deal with it for very long. You won't be around much longer.

    You don't want to go back.

    * * *​

    Somewhere Safe—February 3, 2068

    You are Ellie Han.

    The TV flicks and sparks for a second, and a familiar voice rings in your head.

    I remember this. I think . . . I think I can show you a little bit. I just need a little help. Can you . . . ?

    You nod to no one and reach out. You touch the television and something flows out of you and into it.

    Then you're back in the past.

    * * *​

    Horizon, City of Leviathan's Rest—The Bastion—March 5, 2056

    You are Nora Kim.

    Something inside is burning. Your skin feels hot and feverish. Your eyes sting, but you can't cry. You want to run into the night screaming at the top of your lungs. You want to curl up into a ball and disappear.

    You need to do something. You can't do anything. The guilt and shame is eating you alive.

    Ignore it. There's nothing to be ashamed of. Novalight is locking her away. Rakeem failed this team.

    You know how to deal with this. The same way you deal with everything. You disappear into your lab and work until you're too exhausted to feel anything. Then, if you still feel like this when you wake up, you do it again. And then again. And again.

    Work makes the pain stop.

    Or until you take more drastic action. Action that feels unthinkable now, but was the only thing that made sense at the time.

    No. Not that.

    The scars on your arms itch.

    But you're not in your lab. Your legs unthinkingly led you to somewhere else. To someone else.

    The door to Yazy's room looms large in your vision.

    She doesn't understand. Leave. Why even come here?

    Because you love her. Because you want her to understand you. Because . . . because if you disappear now, Rosemary will be gone when you come back.

    You can't run away.

    You swallow and numbly knock. There's silence for a second, so you knock again. You hear shuffling behind the door, the sound of someone tripping and grunting 'merda', and then the door opens.

    "Nora."

    Yazy glares at you, still angry, until she sees your face.

    "Nora, what's wrong?" she says, her eyes filled with worry. She pulls you close and you don't resist.

    "I fucked up. I fucked up and Rosemary's going to get sent to Wonderland and it's all my fucking fault," you murmur. There's still an itch in your veins to do something, but you don't know what.

    She pulls away. "Wonderland? What are you talking about?"

    "Yeah. It's Novalight. She—"

    The story comes tumbling out. Rosemary's situation. Your culpability. Your self-loathing. At some point Yazy has pulls you to the bed and puts you head in her lap. She threads her fingers through your hair in the way you like while she listens.

    When you finish, she speaks.

    "I . . . I see. I can hardly believe it. But a lot of things make sense now," she looks away, "Rosemary is the only one who's friends with everyone. She's gone out of her way to learn about all of us. I guess . . . we've never really bothered to learn about her."

    Guilt colors her face.

    "She's so kind and sweet. Easy to talk to. I guess it's simple to take her for granted, isn't it?"

    "She's right, Yazy," you say, covering your face, "I was an asshole because . . . because it was easy. Because it felt good. And now she's fucked."

    This is the result of caring about lessers.

    "I tried to kill myself when my dad died because I was so burned out and alone that it seemed like it was easier to die than dig myself out of the hole I was in. Then, after I did it, I . . . there was this sudden clarity. I realized every problem in my life had a solution except the fact that I was currently bleeding to death."

    You curl up into a ball and hug Yazy around the waist. You can't bear to look her in the face.

    "I realized I wanted to live. But I was too weak to move. I begged for someone to save me. Begged. I-If Chihiro hadn't found me. If I hadn't texted her about our group project, for some reason, before I did it . . ."

    . . . for some reason.

    You cling to her like a rock in the rapids. "The reason I became a hero was because I kept thinking, 'There should have been someone for me.' I was going to be the person I needed. And yet, here is someone who needs me and I just fucked it up!"

    You won't cry. You don't deserve to cry. But the coiled tension in your body is ripping the muscles off your bones.

    "So what are we going to do about it?" Yazy asks softly.

    ". . . what?"

    "What are we going to do about it?" Yazy repeats, looking at you, "She's not gone yet, right? You've 'fucked up'—we all have—but Hydrocity bought us some time. So what do we do with it?"

    "I . . . uh . . . well . . ."

    Yazy sighs. "Has it not occurred to you to do anything but mope and feel sorry for yourself?"

    ". . . no."

    "Nora," she says, shaking her head and kissing your forehead, "You are the stupidest genius I've ever met. You have time. We have time. So do something. Let's be the people Rosemary needs us to be."

    Heroes.

    The tension and energy in your blood suddenly spikes and sharpens. It's not over yet. You know what you must do.

    You jerk up and leap to your feet. The world is clearer, you feel more focused. It's time to get to work.

    "Yazy, I have to go," you say, your mind racing, "Thank you."

    You look her in the eyes.

    "I love you so much."

    She smiles at you. "I love you too. We're still fighting, however.

    "Fuck."

    Yazy pulls her knees into her chest and wraps her arms around them. "I'll forgive you if you think of what we can do to help Rosemary. I . . . I don't know what to do myself. But we have to do something."

    She's scared too. She also feels guilty. Again, you were too busy thinking about yourself. Dammit, Nora!

    Okay, you'll make it up to her. You'll do this. But—

    "I can't do it alone," you say, "Back me when the time comes."

    She gives you a relieved smile. "Of course. But what are you going to do?"

    "What I always do. Reasoned discussion followed by incredible violence."

    * * *​

    Horizon, City of Leviathan's Rest—The Bastion—March 6, 2056

    You are Rosemary Ward.

    The next day, you're at the kitchen table bright and early with Rakeem. You were here when he arrived. You never went back to your room last night.

    You're too scared to face Nora. You'll probably spend the last few days of freedom hiding from her. Some hero you are.

    Except, she doesn't let you.

    To your utter shock, Nora stomps up from her lab wearing her silver armor, helmet tucked under her arm. She stalks forward, not looking at you.

    She marches up to Rakeem.

    "You and I need to talk," she says. Her expression is as intense as you've ever seen it. For some reason, her armor looks gold for a second, but you blink and it's a trick of the light.

    "Do we?" Rakeem replies.

    "Yeah, we do," Nora says, "You were right. I wasn't taking this seriously. I wasn't helping this team. No, in fact, it's worse. I was undermining things to . . . I dunno, show how I was above it all. That's not okay, and I'm sorry."

    Rakeem looks as surprised as you see him, but also gratified. "Well . . . apology accepted. I supposed can get the others and try to set up a—"

    "But you're also a terrible leader. You can't be in charge."

    That brings him up short. "Excuse me?"

    "When did Yazy and Harper meet? What's Zixuan's situation with her parents? Describe anything about Eve's personality other than 'pervert' and 'asshole'."

    Rakeem glares at her and thinks.

    "You don't know. You don't know because you never asked. You just announced you were in charge and have been making demands from day one. And you know what? That itself would be okay. It would just make you overbearing. But you're also bad at this."

    Rakeem's nostril's flare but Nora doesn't react.

    "Your orders could have gotten people killed. You don't explain your reasoning for anything you do, you just expect to be obeyed. And you don't like talking to people. I have no idea why you want to be in charge."

    "Who should be then? You?"

    "Yeah," Nora says, "It should be me. You're organized, focused, and you care. But leading takes more than that and you don't have it. Maybe one day you will, no one can see the future, but it's not today."

    "And you do?" he growls.

    "And I do. And I will."

    Rakeem stands up. "So, what? Now that you've decided to care, suddenly you take over? Just like that?"

    "Just like that," Nora says, nodding and confirming, "I'm sorry. It's shitty and unfair to you. But this is bigger than either of us."

    For just a second, her eyes flick over to you.

    "And if I say 'no'?" Rakeem says, stepping forward.

    "I didn't expect to solve this with words. Training room. You, me, now."

    And with that, Nora dons her helmet and walks off. Rakeem follows her, body tight. He transforms into Adamant.

    "Uh, uh, what?" you ask the empty room.

    But no one is there to answer.

    * * *​

    You're dithering over whether to follow Nora and Rakeem when a muffled boom shakes the walls. You zip over to the training room as fast as you can.

    As you throw the doors open, you have to take a second to process what you're seeing. There's . . . a hole in the wall. You can see outside. Nora is standing, her arms raised level with her shoulders forming a 't'.

    Rakeem is nowhere to be seen.

    "Dammit," Nora swears, "Way too slow. I guess this is the best I can do in a single night."

    She walks towards the hole, and you follow at a distance. As you look outside, you see another sight you need a second to process.

    Rakeem is pinned to the earth like a butterfly to a card. A long stake of metal sticks through his body, pinning his right arm to his torso, and into the ground. He tries to tear himself free, but can only impotently squirm.

    "Was that . . . a railgun?" Rakeem gasps as he struggles.

    "The prototype, yes," Nora replies, "And, for the record, this wasn't an attempt to kill you. Your transformation starts from the inside-out. I know your whole body is metal as opposed to you just having a shell."

    She walks over to him.

    "Also, I expected you to dodge."

    She grabs the stake and uses her weight to tear it free. She pulls it down and through Rakeem, further deforming his body, before it's loose and he can stumble away. More metal immediately fills the gaps in his body and in seconds he's recovered. He changes back to his flesh-form.

    "Huh, Steelheart's strength enhancements work. Neat."

    "Shit," he gasps, rolling to his side where the stake was, "I . . . I didn't realize I could do that."

    Nora tilts her head. "You didn't? How? I've seen you stretch your arms. You're malleable and your body has a default it always returns to."

    "Most things can't injure me!" he shoots back, "It hasn't come up!"

    Nora sits down next to him. "You gotta experiment more with your power. That's what I would do if my power was anything other than 'smart and gives headaches'."

    Rakeem gets up to his hands and knees. He pants for a bit before looking up at Nora. "So, you're serious."

    "Yeah," she says looking into the distance, "As a heart attack."

    "Dammit," he breathes, looking at the ground, "Why now? Why not earlier?"

    "Like I said, if you want to be pissed at me, you have every right," Nora says, "But I can't let Novalight put Rosemary back in Wonderland."

    His head whips back up. "What?"

    "Fucked, isn't it?" Nora says, still looking away, "Apparently she's scared of Roesmary's power. Locked her in Wonderland for what she might do and lost the key."

    "Dammit. Dammit!" Rakeem snarls, punching the ground, "That is exactly the kind of shit she would do. That's why—! Why—"

    "Why what?" Nora asks impassively, "Why you have to be in charge? Because you and you alone can stop Novalight?"

    "No. That's not it."

    "What is it then?"

    Rakeem looks away. "You wouldn't understand."

    "I'm shooting you with the railgun again." Nora puts her helmet back on, walks away, and then turns around to aim.

    "Stop!" Rakeem barks, "Stop! Look, it has to be me . . . because my parent's quit."

    Nora pauses at that. ". . . elaborate."

    Rakeem gets up into a sitting position and leans back on his hands. He frowns. "My parents were Dragonsteeth and Steadfast, right? Two of the founders of New Dawn."

    "Yeah," Nora says, taking her helmet off and sitting down next to him, "I know."

    "Well, they quit after the Susurration. Decided it was too much. Left Novalight in control of New Dawn."

    He sweeps his arm out.

    "You see how that turned out. She ran New Dawn into the ground, corps popped up and took over the city, and now most metas are mercenaries. No one tries to change anything. Monsters prey on people in the night while corps suck them dry."

    He grits his teeth.

    "It didn't need to be like this. There was a chance, a moment in time where the future was defined. And both my folks ran like cowards."

    "Harsh, don't you think?" Nora says.

    Rakeem snorts. "My dad turned himself into a weapon for the U.S. because he thinks he got his two best friends killed. He's more than content to just follow orders so long as he doesn't have to think for himself. My mom bought a liquor store. Refuses to even speak the word 'metahuman' in the house."

    "So, what? You need to join New Dawn and set things right to make up for your parents running away or something?"

    "Or something," Rakeem agrees. He puts his face in his hands. "Fuck."

    "Yep."

    ". . . I'm not cut out for this."

    "Nope."

    "I've been a real asshole."

    "Welcome to the club."

    Rakeem lets out a bark of laughter. "So what now?"

    "We get our shit together," Nora says, "You weren't completely off-base. You had good ideas about what needed to be done, stuff that doesn't even occur to me. The execution is just lacking."

    "Well," he replies, "You're right about what you said. Took you five minutes to realize everything I did wrong and correct it."

    Nora laughs. "Almost sounds like we'd make a good team."

    Rakeem smiles. "Almost."

    Nora holds out a fist. "Friends? For Rosemary?"

    Rakeem bumps it. "Friends. For Rosemary."

    They sit together and stare at the sky together. You feel weird watching them like this, but feels like a moment for them.

    "So," Rakeem eventually says, "About getting our shit together. Any ideas?"

    "Yeah," Nora says, standing up, "I got a few."

    * * *​

    "Where are we going?" Rakeem asks.

    You track them using one of your smaller drones. You feel like a creep doing it, but you're too curious. Nora takes Rakeem to the third floor of The Bastion and approaches Zixuan's door.

    "We need to have a team meeting. To do that, we need to have the team there."

    "No one ever shows," Rakeem says, "It's nearly impossible to get everyone together at once."

    "Which is why we're going to them." Nora slams on the door. "Zixuan, get your perfect ass out here! It's time to get to work!"

    Nora leans over to Rakeem and whispers,"She likes being reminded how hot she is. It's the easiest way to get her to do anything."

    Zixuan opens the door, her arm still in a sling. She looks immaculate, without a hair out of place.

    "Yes, darling?" she says, "What work? I thought NuGen was being disbanded."

    "Fuck that noise," Nora says, "I didn't vote for Novalight. Let's get revenge on the fuckers who shot you."

    Zixuan's eyes sparkle. "Darling, you know all the right things to say to a girl. Where should I go?"

    "Kitchen. We'll be down in five."

    "Perfect. Ta-ta until then!"

    Zixuan gives a sultry wink and disappears behind her door.

    "She knows how attracted I am to her. She knows I know she's straight. She does this on purpose."

    "Probably," Rakeem agrees as they walk to the next door.

    Nora slams on it. A sleepy Harper opens it wearing a robe.

    "Noraaaaaaaa," she says, caught in a yawn, "It's early!"

    "Downstairs, five minutes. We're having a team meeting."

    "Whhhhhhhy?"

    "Because I said so. See you there."

    "Fiiiiine," she pouts, "Are you and Yazy still fighting?"

    "Yes, but I've realized I'm wrong and apologized."

    "Huh, guess she'll be busy tonight. Darn, it's movie night!"

    With that, she closes the door.

    "Harper's pretty agreeable," Nora explains, "You just have to be direct."

    They walk to Yazmin's room, only for her to open the door before they knock. She's fully dressed and smiling.

    "Meeting in five?" she asks, "I heard you tell Zixuan and Harper."

    "Yes," Nora says, "I'm, uh, doing something."

    "I know," Yazmin says, kissing her, "Thank you."

    Then, she goes downstairs. Nora stands there with a goofy smile on her face until Rakeem clears his throat.

    "Uhhh, sorry. What was I doing again? Girl soft . . ."

    "Focus," Rakeem growls.

    "I can't help iiiiiiiit!" Nora whines, "Fine."

    She starts downstairs and bangs a wall. "Eve, downstairs! We're setting this roof on fire!"

    Eve's avatar appears on Nora's armor. "Hell yeah, we don't need no water, let this motherfucker burn!"

    By the time they get to your room on the second floor, you're waiting for them.

    "I was, erm, listening with a drone," you admit guiltily, "Nora, I'm so, so sorry for what I said—"

    Nora throws her arms around you in a chitin-crushing hug. You feel your eyes tear up.

    "Let's go, Rosemary."

    * * *​

    "We sucked on that patrol," Nora says, standing in front of everyone. She looks almost regal in her armor.

    "I'll start with myself. I sucked. I sucked hard. I got on my knees and fucking sucked. But it's a choice to suck. We can stop sucking anytime we want."

    She surveys you all.

    "So let's get our shit together."

    "I'm not sure that's possible, darling," Zixuan says, "Novalight is as harsh as the glow that surrounds her, but she seemed fairly determined. And might have she had a point? We don't seem to truly work as a team."

    "Fuck Novalight," Nora says, "In fact, that's rule one: Fuck Novalight."

    Eve helpfully uses the holographic display to create a list that reads "Rules". "Fuck Novalight" is added at the top.

    "Second, you're right. We don't all have anything in common except for one thing: we all like Rosemary."

    Everyone turns to you and you duck your head in embarrassment. That's what unites the team?!

    "It's true," Rakeem says, "She's the only one who tried to work with me when I was being . . . unpleasant."

    "Rosie's so sweet! Who couldn't love her?!"

    "I consider you a friend, Rosemary. I'm sorry if I haven't always acted like it."

    "My oshi is perfect and I love her. Everyone else, back the fuck off!"

    "I, too, am . . . found of our Rosemary," Zixuan says, "But what does that—"

    "Novalight is trying to stick her in Wonderland. She already has before."

    You could hear a pin drop in the silence that follows.

    "Excuse me?" Zixuan says looking over sunglass, "I'm certain I misheard you."

    "I-it's true," you admit, looking down, "I was in Wonderland the last two years. With my power, I can technically self-replicate at an exponential rate. Steelheart called me a potential 'extinction-level event' so . . . they put me in Wonderland."

    "What the frick?!" Harper says, "She can't do that!"

    "Who can stop her?" Zixuan says. But she looks angry, "No wonder she was so eager to disband us."

    "I'll fucking kill her! Let's see how that robot fuck handles a fucking technopath."

    "Not helpful," Yazmin says, "To stop her, we'd have to be able to fight her. And she's more powerful than all of us."

    "Yes, might makes right and all," Zixuan says. She turns to Nora, furiously, "Well I hope you called us here to do more than say our goodbyes."

    Nora nods. "We won't let her. She wants to get rid of us because we made a mess? Then we'll just clean it up."

    The holographic display changes to show a picture of the metahuman from the other night.

    "Zixuan, Eve, you two are on information gathering duty. I want to know everything about this asshole. His name, his address, his favorite food. If he bangs his shin, I want to know what color the bruise is. Zixuan, we know he was hired by either the Downtown Saints or the Silver Lotus Triad. Figure out who."

    "I'll need a budget," Zixuan says, leaning back with her arms crossed. But there's a glimmer of excitement at the prospect of a challenge in her eyes.

    "Don't worry about that," Yazmin says, "We're good for money."

    Everyone but Nora looks confused.

    "How much do we have?" Zixuan asks.

    "Whatever you need?" Nora says, "Add a zero to it."

    Zixuan's eyes sparkle with delight. "Then his entire life will be on your desk by the end of the week."

    "Good. Eve, help Zixuan however she needs."

    "Ma'am, yes ma'am," Eve says, saluting. She turns to Zixuan. "Let's violate some privacy laws."

    "Darling, where have you been all my life?"

    "Next," Nora says, "We need a presence. Part of the reason Novalight can just get rid of us is because no one knows we exist. We need a presence in the community so, if we disappear, people will ask questions. To that end: we patrol."

    Nora changes the display. It now shows countless routes through the Mitt.

    "We'll split into three teams. Me, Harper, and Rosemary. Rakeem, Yazmin, and Rosemary. And then Rosemary, Rosemary, and Rosemary."

    "Uhhhh . . ." you start.

    "Rosemary, you can be in multiple places at once. Get started on some new bodies. Also: I want you to have two fully-function back-ups in safe places at all times. Got it?"

    "G-got it," you say feeling a little overwhelmed.

    "Also, see what you can do about more exotic shapes to your bodies. Can you make a platform for us? More armored units for combat? What's stopping you from making a kaiju for yourself?"

    "The square-cube law?"

    "That's quitter-talk."

    "Why are me and Yazy split up?" Harper interrupts, pulling on her lip.

    "Because people already know about 'The Red Huntress and Uiara'. They know about Adamant. They might know about Valiant Silver. What they don't know about is the new team made of all of them called 'NuGen' and its dysmorphic member, Apiary. That's what we'll show them."

    She puts her hands on her hips.

    "We're not just looking for crime or rogue metahumans. Talk to people. Take pictures. Sign autographs. Whatever they want. Leave an impression. Any questions?"

    She looks at all of you. There's something in everyone's eyes. A challenge, a purpose, a goal. Inspiration. Rakeem gives an easy smile.

    "Then NuGen, move out!"

    * * *​

    Horizon, City of Leviathan's Rest—The Worker's Mitt—March 13, 2056

    "Whiskers! Get down! Whiskers!"

    "Mrraow!"

    "Mom, Whiskers is stuck!"

    "I got him!" you call flying up. You coax the cat into your arms, where he snuggles against your fur and purrs. You fly back down.

    "Wow! Thanks! Are you a space-alien?!"

    "No? I'm a metahuman."

    "Aww, I wanted you to be a space-alien. Whatever!"

    "Bethany, don't be rude!" an older woman who must be her mother says, "Thank you so much . . . um, miss . . . er, sir . . . uh—"

    "I'm female."

    "Oh thank goodness. Thank you, Miss. You said you were a metahuman? Are you part of New Dawn?"

    "Kinda! I'm with their satellite team, NuGen! I'm Apiary and it's nice to meet you!"

    The little kid runs back.

    "I take it back, I don't care if you're not a space alien! I want an autograph!"

    * * *​

    "Thank you for helping me carry my groceries in, dearie. These old bones can't move so fast anymore!"

    "No problem, Mrs. Li," you say in a triple voice. All three of your bodies come into the apartment carrying groceries. "Just tell me where to put them!"

    "So, kind. Why, you remind me of Valiant Red! I remember him from when I was younger . . ."

    "Uhh, yeah . . ."

    You subtly have two of your bodies drop their burdens and leave while your third stays and listens to stories for two hours.

    * * *​

    "Excuse me, miss?"

    "Oh, hi! How can I help? Is everything alright?"

    "Yes! Well, it's just that we have this massive beehive under our deck and . . ."

    ". . . do you think I can talk to bees?"

    "Can't you?"

    "I . . . no. No, I can't."

    "Dammit! Now who will save the barbeque?"

    You sigh. "Maybe I can . . .? I've never tried."

    "You hear that? Deb, get the bratwurst back on the grill!"

    * * *​

    "E-excuse me . . ."

    "Oh, yes? Oh, wow!"

    "N-never mind!"

    "No, no, your horns are so pretty! And are those scales?"

    "Y-yeah."

    "So cool. I'm so jealous. How old are you?"

    "Nine . . ."

    "Nine? Wow! And you're getting powers already?"

    "Mommy says I was born like this."

    "Wow! You're so brave! I know it's not easy looking different from everyone else."

    "Y-yeah," the little dysmorphic girl scuffs her shoe, "B-billy at school used to make fun of me. But now everyone says I'm 'just like Apiary' and wants to play with me. So, umm, t-thanks."

    You're not going to cry, you're not going to cry, you're not going to cry . . .

    "N-no problem! Hey, will you take a photo with me? And give me your autograph?"

    "Sure," she says shyly, "C-can I have yours?"

    "Of course!"

    * * *​

    "Got it! Found the fucker!"

    "Truly, darling? Eve, you are a marvel."

    "Yes, yes, keep telling me how wonderful I am. I already know, but it's nice to hear."

    "What's his name?"

    "Doug Matthews. Yesh, that's kind of the 'water sandwich' of names, isn't it? Let's see, check Hero for Hire and his meta name is . . . you have to be shittin' me."

    "What? Don't leave me in suspense."

    "Antaeus."

    ". . . surely no one is that foolish, yes? Yes?"

    "Have you been on the internet? Yes, yes they can be."

    ". . . dear word."

    "You're kinda sheltered, ain't ya?"

    "I've been told."

    " . . . you wanna see Nora and Yazmin's search history? Apparently they've gotten into something new and freaky . . ."

    "Disgusting. Tell me everything."

    * * *​


    Horizon, City of Leviathan's Rest—The Worker's Mitt—March 15, 2056

    Antaeus escorts his employers from the Silver Lotus Triad to the meeting spot with the dealer. It was kind of a shady location for this to go down, but, then again, something willing to deal in metahuman tech was, by definition, kind of shady.

    He's starting to wonder if this is a set up when they spot a car out front. His boss, the only one that speaks English, tells him to go first.

    There's a big black guy outside the door. He's young, wearing a black suit with dark sunglasses. He has perfect eyebrows.

    Antaeus marches forwards, only for the kid to stop him with one hand.

    "No metas. No weapons," he says.

    "Sorry, it's one or the other," Antaeus sneers, "You pick. Or the deal's off."

    He pauses for a second and touches an earpiece. He nods his head.

    "Weapons then. You come in and watch yourself."

    Antaeus smirks as five members of the Silver Lotus Triad disarm and head inside. Idiots. Everyone is so scared of guns, they ignore that metas can be much, much more dangerous.

    They walk around a winding hallway before entering a brightly lit room where the most attractive woman Antaeus has ever seen waits for them. She wears a black suit and white blazer. Her hair is in a neat bun, her grey eyes watching them. She has a pleasant smile on her face.

    "Wonderful," she says, smiling, "I do love a punctual client."

    She gestures to a teapot behind her. "Tea?"

    <"No,"> the bossman says in Mandarin, <"Show us the goods.">

    <"Straight to business? I respect that."> She gestures to a crowbar and then to one of the large crates behind her. <"Take a look for yourself.>

    Bossman nods and one of his flunkies grabs the crowbar and pries the box open. As he does, a grey claw bursts out of it and grabs him.

    <"H-help!"> he calls as a giant insect monster stands up. It's gotta be ten feet tall with gigantic arms and two horns on its head. Spires of chitin burst out of every joint.

    <"Betrayal!"> Bossman shouts as a broad in red leather suddenly appears out of thin air and knocks him out. The monster grabs another Triad member and a wall of water takes out another. A woman in silver armor comes in from the next room and tags the last man standing with a silver disk that glows blue. He suddenly collapses, boneless, to the floor.

    Antaeus squints. Wait, does he know these guys? Yeah, he does! The losers from the warehouse! Well, if they didn't learn their lesson the first time . . .

    "You've made a big mistake!" he roars, "Antaeus is gonna smash you!"

    The vibrations flow from his body and start shaking the building at its foundation. Fools! Now that he's gotten started, no one could hurt him now! He's invincible—

    Suddenly he feels a pair of cold, metal arms wrap around his waist and hoist him off the floor. The vibrations stop. He's suddenly very vincible. He wheezes as the metal arms constrict.

    "Levithan's Blood," the attractive woman says in disbelief as she dons a very stylish pair of sunglasses, "He's actually that foolish . . ."

    * * *​

    Horizon, City of Leviathan's Rest—The Bastion—March 20, 2056

    "Well, well. You kids sure take well to adversity, don't ya?"

    Hydrocity shakes his head in wonder as Nora finishes her oral AAR about what NuGen's been up to the last two weeks.

    Not that she needed to. The arrest of Antaeus made the dinner-time block at OCN. Apparently, Nora knew somebody there? And then, photos and videos of you and everyone else helping around the Mitt went viral. Someone keeps making burner accounts to push them to the top of any thread on Hero for Hire.

    "Well, shoot," Hydrocity says in mock frustration, "Guess I'll have to amend my AAR. You kids really have started to come together nicely. Reminds me of Denial, if you'll believe it."

    "Thank you," Yazmin says, meaning many things with two words, "We had some extra motivation."

    "Oh?" a cold voice calls from above, "Do tell."

    Novalight descends from a window, looking displeased. Nora rolls her eyes.

    "Can't you use the door like a normal person?"

    Novalight glares at her and glows brighter, but Nora just grabs Zixuan's shades and puts them on. She matches the other heroine's gaze.

    "You arrested a fool and did a number of photo ops. This will not sustain NuGen for long," she says.

    "Awww, how sweet!" Harper calls, "You're worried about us!"

    Hydrocity's lips twitch.

    "I'm worried about an existential threat to humanity," Novalight says, staring directly at you, "One that will be controlled one way or another."

    "Yes," Zixuan says, taking her sunglasses back from Nora, "I can imagine how difficult it must be to have to deal with powerful metahumans. Why, imagine if one was the equivalent of a walking nuclear bomb? And if that some person had irradiated part of a borough, rendering it uninhabitable? Why, the last thing that person should ever do is lecture others about 'threats'!"

    Novalight's gaze turns to her and she starts forward, eyes full of wrath. But Yazmin stands up and intercepts her. Rakeem and Nora join her.

    "It would be best if you left," Yazmin says, "Eve is recording everything. Aren't you, Eve?"

    "When am I not?"

    "This isn't over," Novalight warns.

    "Yes it is," Rakeem tells her, "We'll wait for our next orders, ma'am."

    Her eyes blaze, but before she leaves, she turns to Nora.

    "That name doesn't belong to you."

    "Not yet," Nora agrees, "But it will one day. Then what?"

    With that, Novalight leaves so quickly you don't see her go. You realize you're shaking. Harper and Zixuan grab your hands and you give them a grateful smile.

    You don't want to go back. And . . . and your friends won't let you.

    "Shit," Hydrocity laughs, "Never seen anyone, let alone some rooks, stand up to Novalight like that. Let alone send her packing! Let me call the rest of Denial; this calls for a celebration!"

    "Let's go, paaaaarty!" Eve shouts. But just as she does, there's a shrill beeping on all of your comms. Nora is the quickest to react.

    She reads it and looks up.

    "The Defiance Unit has struck again."
     
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    • I am so tired. This was so much fun to write. Both things can be true.

    I had a long thing to say here, but I have work tomorrow and have already stayed up too late. Next: The Defiance Unit and the end of Flight of the Bumblebee.

    This update brought to you by: adult snow days!
     
    Many thought-provoking things from this episode, but my first is that this illustrates why the team kept so many secrets from each other. They were never united by mentality or long-term goals, only objectives. So of course they hid their sensitive goals from each other.

    Edit: I also thought of this during the fighting game scene

     
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