《The Original》


 Chapter 1. The Sun Rises.

    The Sun Rises


    Those we call heroes appeared before the 1940¡¯s of course, but the population wasn¡¯t in general aware of them. Only with the projects being run by the Allies, Nazi¡¯s, and Imperial Japan bearing fruit in the form of the first recognized super-humans did the idea truly become something more than a comic book fantasy.


    When the Germans revealed Kriegsmarine, the living battleship, many felt terror at the idea of a man who could fling artillery barrages from his hands, and rumors of Japanese shapeshifters were the stuff of nightmares. Everyone felt fear.


    Then a tiny nurse, barely five foot two and petite enough to be called elfin decided to pick up an aircraft carrier, and everyone felt a certain sense of perspective return to the war effort.


    -Doctor James Ortega, ¡°Super-Humans and the Greatest Generation¡±


    Her awareness started with the itching. Not a casual itch like from a bug bite, she barely remembered what those felt like. No this was a full body, burning itch, the kind that made you want to take your skin off with sandpaper.  She couldn¡¯t move to scratch though, her muscles wouldn¡¯t respond, or only slowly.


    Then there was light, a familiar soft golden glow, her light. It was fuzzy at first, but her eyes began to clear, the haze blinking away as she began to see a dust shrouded lab. Cobwebs covered much of it, and hers was the only light. She sat slowly up as her body started responding again.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Her voice was thin as she spoke to herself. Just moments ago, she remembered, the lab had been lit with hundreds of tiny lights, meticulously clean with the sound of machines whirring, the scent of heated oil keeping parts moving smoothly.


    She looked down at herself, sitting in a small puddle of greenish water surrounded by a tube of stainless steel and brass. Thin ice still clung to some of the pipes running along it. ¡°A frost trap?¡± she said, lifting herself out of the wreckage, gliding. ¡°Bloody McCarthy. If I¡¯ve missed the World Series, there won¡¯t be enough of you left to re-elect.¡±


    Her feet settled on the floor, her small practical heels clicking on the dust coated flooring.  She checked the small pouch on her hip, finding her camera still there along with her locking document bag. Nodding as she saw both were still intact, though much worser for wear than they should be. She wasn¡¯t sure if the film was still going to be good. ¡°Nothing to do about it now. Looks like they have cleared this place out properly.¡± Her voice was strengthening, her oxford accent filling the echoing space.


    She checked around for any intel, she was a professional after all, though it turned out to be fruitless. Then turned to the big heavy door and pulled it open onto the old tunnels she remembered, heading through the storm sewers, dust falling from time to time from the roof, hear ears catching loud thumps from time to time, though it was as though they were filled with water. Finally, she found a manhole cover.


    ¡°I should be down near the docks, the lower west side, right?¡± She thought as she climbed up and up, it was getting louder and louder. ¡°Whatever is going on?¡± She wondered as she pushed the manhole open, a delicate hand casually moving over 100 pounds of steel and climbed out into the daylight.


    Her eyes went wide. The crowds were thick and strangely dressed, with strange sleek cars choking the streets.  She turned, gasping as she saw huge white ships that looked bigger than an aircraft carrier nestled against large buildings with gangways bridging the space between them. ¡°My word.¡± She whispered. Several people stopped, holding up what looked like all the world to her like tiny walkie talkies at her, before continuing by.


    Then there was a roar from the harbor. Some people screamed and ran, others just turned towards the sound holding up the strange little devices like it would shield them from harm.


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    The woman known so long ago as Solaris flew up above the crowd to get a better look.  Out in the harbor was a huge, mechanical monster, an uncanny mix of a dinosaur or dragon with some mechanical nightmare, but with four long squid-like tentacles adding to the insanity of it.


    The monster was heading for the huge white boats, and before her foggy mind could act beams of light burst from its eyes, searing the paint off the ship¡¯s hull, La23r5AUrU2.


    She shook her head, trying to shake out the cobwebs, as she watched a young woman fly, with a trail of flame, from the other side of the bay towards the bizarre war machine, firing disks of crimson fire at the mech, who used it¡¯s squid like appendages to smack the fire disk down before firing a water cannon at the red clad heroine blasting her back.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, or what that code is, but I know how to deal with a robot!¡± With a golden trail of light, she flew towards the enormous thing.


    Apparently, her appearance was noticed as the robot turned, revealing a cockpit in the chest of the monster, the pilot a shockingly gangly and acne covered teenaged boy.  ¡°You! Who are you! How dare you challenge Lasersaurus!¡±


    ¡°Seriously young man, you are going to injure someone with these antics. Shut that robot down before¡­¡±


    Solaris didn¡¯t get to complete whatever she was going to say when the fifteen-year-old pulled a trigger, and the beast¡¯s mouth opened. A torrent of superheated seawater poured out, striking with a shattering force, causing the flying target to slam back into a concrete wall, several seconds of torrential steam and superheated water cutting off moments later.


    With a flex of her shoulders Solaris freed herself from the five foot nothing crater she¡¯d made, glad she¡¯d used extra pins to keep her hair up. She frowned as she watched the tattered mess of her suit jacket fell away, leaving her only in a white silk blouse and barely intact skirt. ¡°That was silk, you little heathen.¡± She muttered, moments before zooming towards the mechanical terror, grabbing the lizard-like nose and twisting it a full circle around, metal and wires shattering with sparks and smoke.


    ¡°No!¡± The boy yelled as the robot he had been piloting started jerking spasmodically, the tentacles falling limp, before the torso began plummeting towards the water and the cruise ships.  The blonde woman who¡¯d just ripped off his monsters, reached out and plucked him out of the robot, giving it a soft kick so it wouldn¡¯t fall on the ships, instead tumbling sidewise with a large splash.


    ¡°Really. All that, and no plan for ejection? I bet you think you¡¯re smart, too.¡± she muttered.


    Penelope Ward was already pulling the light blue uniform blouse off as she burst into the muster station. She was the first there, which made sense since she was still riding a desk and was closer than the other UNLOC agents on the shift. Either way, she stripped her skirt off, tossing it aside as she climbed into the open shell of her assigned RESOLUTE armor, starting the emergency, abbreviated start up sequence, managing to not shiver in the bathing suit like undersuit she wore which allowed uninterrupted connections between her and the contact sensors that read her bodies commands for the mecha.


    ¡°Ward! You¡¯re still not cleared for field duty!¡± The stern voice came from the woman who¡¯d entered moments after the taller Penny. Her hair was a faded shade between grey and the red of her youth.


    ¡°Director! We have an all-hands signal. I can¡¯t¡­¡± the alarms which had been going off cut out as she was speaking. ¡°What the hell?¡±


    ¡°Someone showed up and managed the snot nosed brat. Remind me to chase down what idiot let him out of juvie this time. We¡¯re not going to have to send out an action team, assuming NYPD ever bothered to ask for the help.¡± The last part was spoken with long suffering irritation.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll¡­ get back to my desk.¡± She said disapointedly


    ¡°No, you¡¯re going out.¡± The director countered.


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°You can call me Helen, kid. This isn¡¯t the Coast Guard.¡± Her boss pointed out.


    ¡°Um¡­ Yes sir.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± The older woman rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re going to take the mech, and you¡¯re authorized to use a Chariot. Get to the scene quickly, because we¡¯re seeing social media posts claiming Solaris is the one who finished the fight.¡±


    ¡°Are they sure it¡¯s not just Luna Fuego again?¡±


    ¡°She showed and got fucking clobbered, what the hell is a fire type doing attacking a water monster, idiot. No, the woman who stopped it reportedly glowed with ¡®golden light¡¯, and schooled laser brain like he had built a half functional tinker toy, instead of a city threatening mecha. Pictures we are seeing are compelling but not certain. Go, make contact if you can, and if it¡¯s Major Elizabeth Summers you get her ass back here so we can find out where she¡¯s been for the last seventy years.¡±

 Chapter 2, Turning Up

    Chapter 2, Turning Up


    ¡°This resolution, which I put before the United Nations General Assembly is in response to three months of fear inflicted upon the world by the organization called The Black Hand! Never has a group of individuals been a threat to nation states, but now this criminal cabal seek to create horrors to inflict on the world.


    Villains seeking power, beasts turned into living weapons, and constructs like something from the mind of Mary Shelley have begun to swarm the world and despite the threat our member nations content themselves with battling in their so called ¡°Cold War¡±.


    And now those foes, the United States, the Soviet Union, and Mao¡¯s China sit currently crippled as they struggle to repair damage from a dozen or more man-made disasters held at bay only by those men and woman gifted with powers who acted in good faith and with no guidance or support.


    Thus, I put forward this resolution, that the United Nations found an expansion upon the United Nations Police services to be named the United Nations Logistical and Organizational Command, to coordinate with national and regional super-teams, both in alliance with our nation state members, and perhaps in spite of them! And that is why I call for a vote before this council, even as those worthies cannot attend, because we cannot wait!!¡±


    -Excerpt of Hiro Sakomoto¡¯s speech before the UN, August 5<sup>th</sup>, 1974


    Elizabeth Summers, formerly known as Solaris, was still confused by all the people pointing their little devices at her, or the smoking wreck of a robot in the water. She took a deep breath, then made her way to a cop who had tried to approach her twice already and was a little wide eyed.


    ¡°Pardon me, officer. I apologize for the inconvenience, but could you take this young man into your custody? And, perhaps, give me directions to the UN building? I thought I was in Hell¡¯s Kitchen, but I seem to have gotten somewhere¡­ else.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right¡­¡± He said, another officer came over to help cuff the boy and drag him off.


    ¡°You broke my mech you bitch! I can¡¯t believe you did that! it is going to take forever to rebuild him!¡±


    ¡°My, your parents should wash your mouth out with soap, being able to build a giant robot, does not give you the right to use it to damage other people¡¯s property.¡± Solaris gave a long sigh. she¡¯d had to give that speech to so many people.


    The policeman coughed. ¡°Can I get your name, Ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Officer, ¡°I am Elizabeth Summers, I work with the United Nations Trusteeship Council, a bit of a trouble shooter as I¡¯m sure you can imagine.¡± She reached into her bag and pulled out her ID, giving a little gasp as the ancient bit of plastic disintegrated in her hand, leaving a pile of yellowed fragments. ¡°Oh¡­um. well. That is inconvenient. I apologize sir. I will have to get a new ID made. I¡­may be later than I thought I was.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Um, I imagine so.¡± He said wryly. ¡°It¡¯s Okay Ma¡¯am. Let me get your statement. What were you doing in Hell''s Kitchen when the incident started?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry I cannot say. That information is, unfortunately classified.¡± She said her tone was apologetic. ¡°I was over in that direction when I heard the roar. I flew up to see what was going on. After I saw the machine commit violence, I moved to neutralize it. It used a water cannon on me.¡± She fought sighing, hating to think what that had to do to her hair even with the pins, and what it had done to her already abused clothing. ¡°After which I removed the robot''s head and collected the pilot.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I saw most of that. Why did you come out of that sewer cover though?¡±


    She opened her mouth to answer but a high-pitched whine caused both to look up, seeing a strange rotary vehicle coming in for a landing amongst the emergency vehicles. ¡°Oh joy. UNLOC decided to visit.¡± The officer she had been speaking to muttered, then looked at her ¡°Guess I know why though. ¡°


    The odd vehicle landed on four wheels, the arms mounting quadcopter style blades folding up and stowing along the main body. It was as if a wheeled tank had been built with an oversized cockpit on top, when that cockpit swung up allowing a nine-foot tall black and pale blue mech suit to climb out, UN markings identifying who it belonged to. It seemed to look around before walking with surprising grace towards the pair.


    ¡°Unlock?¡± she asked, thinking the suit looked very sleek, nothing like the large, smelly, oil fuming, aeronautical kit bash that Tankman wore. Whoever this was, they were some sort of official.


    ¡°United Nations Loose Overpowered Cannons.¡± The cop replied. ¡°Guaranteed to turn any situation into international news.¡±


    ¡°We prefer Logistical and Organizational command, and technically we tend to be international news ¡°the suit commented, the helmet and top of the chest swinging open to reveal a surprisingly petite woman with brown hair in a pixie cut.


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    When she¡¯d stepped out of the Chariot, she¡¯d scanned the crowd, both for threats and for the woman she was looking for. It didn¡¯t take long for the suits AI to spot the largest threat in the area, nor did it take the database image search any time to confirm the woman¡¯s appearance as matching Major Elizabeth Summers, Royal Nursing Corps and one of the Original Guardians known as Solaris.


    She had swallowed as she started to approach, the scanning systems continuing to confirm that the energy field coming off her body was ¡®consistent¡¯ with previous analysis, though it did also note the previous records were lacking details. Still, a shapeshifter would have to work pretty hard to duplicate not only the woman¡¯s known powers, but also her general energy readings.


    ¡°United Nations Loose Overpowered Cannons.¡± She heard the cop gripe, despite speaking under his breath to Solaris. ¡°Guaranteed to turn any situation into international news.¡±


    ¡°We prefer Logistical and Organizational command,¡± She commented, rolling her eyes at the local police griping. ¡°And technically we tend to be international news regardless of whatever else we¡¯re doing.¡± She keyed the faceplate release, the air cooler than what was in the suit. She considered the woman she had come to find with her own eyes.


    For one of the legends of World War II she was kind of tiny.


    ¡°Major Summers, I am Lieutenant Penelope Ward. I was dispatched to investigate when we received reports of your appearance.¡±


    Solaris smiled seeing the neatly put together woman, surprised to see a female in a battle suit, ¡°Pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant Ward. I found a spot of bother, but I was going to head to the office as soon as this was managed.¡±


    ¡°Um. Yes. That is good.¡± A giant dinosaur-Cthulhu cross was a ¡®spot of bother¡¯. Granted, Lasersaurus was a dweeb at best but still, how very British. ¡°I was sent to bring you in. I mean into the office of course.¡±


    Solaris frowned, ¡°Is there a problem Lieutenant.¡± Her back tightened, she wasn¡¯t a fool, she could see time had passed, she just had no idea how much time, only that it was significant.


    ¡°Well. There are a few questions ma¡¯am. About where you have been for the last seventy years. ¡°


    Elizabeths heart dropped into her stomach. ¡°Seventy years.¡± She looked at the water, letting that number settle in her mind. ¡°Well let¡¯s head to the office, I don¡¯t think I should give my report in the street.¡±


    ¡°Of course, ma¡¯am.¡± There wasn¡¯t really much Penny could say to make things better, so she led the tiny but powerful woman to the Chariot, the armored door to the rear section opening to reveal a bench seat. ¡°My apologies for it being a tactical vehicle. Considering the traffic between here and the UN though, we thought something that could hop snarls to be a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Yes, there are a lot of cars, more than I remember. She took a seat, folding her hands in her lap, years of British boarding school kept her face properly stoic. ¡°So, who are we reporting too?¡±


    A monitor flickered on as the vehicle rocked, assumedly as the other woman settled her mech in its own seat. It showed her face in the mecha, as well as another showing outside the vehicle. Other data flowed over the screens, but the time-displaced woman had no idea what it all meant. ¡°My boss, at the very least. That¡¯s Deputy Director Helen Kincaid, director of UNLOC¡¯s special response teams and second in command of UNLOC overall.¡±


    ¡°And pray tell, what is UNLOC?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. We weren¡¯t around back then.¡± The Lieutenant mused. ¡°UNLOC is an expansion out of the United Nations Police Service, or UNPOL which was around back in your time. We are the international organization who coordinates superhuman contact and civil rights concerns, villain containment, and super-hero management. Most countries manage the day to day, but we oversee the big lifts.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m shocked the major powers let you develop what is obviously a tactical wing.¡± Solaris nodded, looking out the window as the four blades swung back out and extended, their spinning lifting the vehicle into the air. ¡°Seventy years did pass, I suppose¡­ Well at least the park is still here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, lots of things are. No one¡¯s torn down the Chrysler building or Empire State. Oh, The Whisper is a museum ship now. It¡¯s at the USCG academy. I got a chance to serve a bridge watch on her during training. ¡°


    ¡°She is a good ship, we put her through a lot. So, what is your duty? Are you something like a cop? Your armor is quite refined.¡±


    ¡°I. Was. Am. ¡°Penny sighed. ¡°I am detached Coast Guard working for the UN Headquarter offices of UNLOC, Second Lieutenant USCG serving as part of UNLOC¡¯s fast response team. Callsign Dreadful¡­ This armor is a pretty standard Resolute frame, but my last suit was destroyed a few months back¡­ I haven¡¯t been back on duty long enough to start tuning.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard coming back after a bad turn, it shows character that you are back in the saddle. That name, Dreadful, that is an interesting call sign.¡±


    ¡°Call sign tends to be attached to pilot and armor both in the case of suit troops. With a first name like Penny in the academy it was likely best I could hope for.¡±


    ¡°Penny dreadful, well it could be worse.¡± The chariot began to descend. ¡°Could be Penny


    Pincher, or Two cents.¡±


    ¡°Bad Penny got debated.¡±


    The chariot landed in a marked spot outside the United Nations building, then pulled into an underground garage, going deep until reaching a subterranean level with nearly a dozen of the mech transport vehicles siblings as well as four similar vehicles that looked to be purely for non-armored troops.


    The armor rose, opening and allowing Penny to step down, a tech taking over the mech. Elizabeth noticed and turned to face an older red headed woman as she approach. ¡°Good afternoon, Major. I¡¯m sorry, but authentication code: Evergreen.¡±


    ¡°Greenland¡¯s hot springs.¡± Solaris answered, as she gave a sharp little salute.


    ¡°And safe code was verified. We thought we knew it was you, but that confirms it.¡± She turned to look at Penny, eye going down to her leg, then back to the Lieutenants eyes. ¡°Take her up to the RRT lockers. I had some clothes sent over for the Major. Then bring her to my office.¡± She turned, pausing. ¡°Major Summers, Dreadful is going to pretend she isn¡¯t favoring her leg. Please do not feel the need to hurry. I need to brief some people on events. ¡°


    ¡°Of course,¡± Solaris looked down at her pack and pulled out her camera and sealed files.


    ¡°I doubt these are of much use anymore, but here are the documents from my last mission.


    ¡°Yes well. If it helps, McCarthy destroyed himself not long after you vanished. Drank himself to death.¡± With that she walked away.

 Chapter 3, Changing

    Chapter Three: Changing


    ¡°Yes, yes, I know that I have not always been a perfect man, but I swear to my constituents that I will be the man they need in Washington DC, just as I was for so long in the streets of New York City! If I can wrestle a Kaiju outside of Madison Square Garden, I sure as hell can wrestle the budget as your congressman!¡±


    ¡°What? Oh, yes, Marilyn and I have chosen to be wed in the summer, now that she¡¯s, um¡­ completed her master¡¯s degree and time as an intern on Capitol Hill, yes.¡±-Richard Garibaldi, the Empire Statesman, announcing his run for reelection.


    ¡°How prosaic.¡± Elizabeth took a breath, hating that the mission that had stolen her from time was in the end meaningless. ¡°Well lieutenant, shall you show me to the lockers and maybe a shower? I am feeling rather grubby after my dousing.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine.¡± Trying to conceal a limp, Penny led the smaller woman to a bank of elevators, punching a code into a pad to summon a car. The lift didn''t have any buttons on the inside and seemed fast enough it was likely a direct express route between two locations.


    A stack of clothing sat on what looked to be a normal bench with a small note with Elizabeth¡¯s name on it. In fact, the whole room was strangely familiar, like a dozen other rooms of the same kind she¡¯d seen over the years, if perhaps cleaner and more colorfully painted. A stack of clothing, including the undress uniform she recognized as similar to what others in the garage had been wearing as well as what seemed to be gym clothes, underthings, and a set of flight coveralls. ¡°Looks like she grabbed you a full set of the basics. Not fashionable, but at least it¡¯s more than a blanket.¡±


    Elizabeth glanced over at the young woman, who was putting her own uniform on over the rather skimpy suit she¡¯d been wearing, Solaris remembered other armored heroes wearing something similar if slightly heavier for piloting robots. ¡°Shower?¡±


    ¡°Through there. The body wash is in a dispenser on the wall and works as a shampoo too. It¡¯s not great stuff, but it¡¯ll get you clean.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Now sit down and rest. There is no reason to strain yourself.¡± The blonde told her. ¡°I can tell your leg is bothering you.¡± She continued as she selected a locker, her small and sensible heels making a louder clang than expected as they were put inside.


    Sitting as she was told, Penny watched as the blonde pulled a dozen or more pins to let the long hair free. Penny sighed and started massaging her thigh. She watched as the heroine removed a golden necklace and hung it in the locker with care, then winced as she took off her watch. ¡°Killed another one, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Might get a Divers watch. Mine¡¯s rated for something like 400 meters. Not that I plan on going that deep, ever.¡±


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    ¡°Something to think about. If you don¡¯t mind my asking what happened? I assume you were injured in your last combat.¡± She removed her blouse ¡°This is a total loss.¡± She tossed it in a nearby garbage can. ¡°And I was a nurse long before I was a ¡°hero¡±, so you don¡¯t have to pretend it¡¯s not bothering you. If I could see Breakneck through malaria, I think I can assure you anyone can be laid low, from time to time.¡±


    Penny sighed. ¡°You had the Black Hand back in your time, so you know what kind of bastards they are.¡± The smaller woman¡¯s wince was all the confirmation she needed. ¡°Terrorists fear them, and my dumb ass got between one of their enhanced assassins and a target. Good news, I won. Bad news, I did it by activating the escape function on the armor while the bastard was squeezing the life out of me. One leg didn¡¯t escape with the rest of me. I would have died, but a super with healing abilities was there but even then¡­ the fact the surgeons and super could reattach the leg alone was a miracle, but it¡¯s not¡­ all right. Nerves aren¡¯t all connected right, it gets chilly faster than the rest of me, and ghost pains hit sometimes.¡± She glared at an armor rack. ¡°And for some reason the feedback from the neural interface causes a nasty ache. I think it just needs to be tuned or adjusted more for me, but the techs don¡¯t agree.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry to hear that. I¡¯d say I¡¯d ask around but I¡¯m afraid my contacts are a bit out of date. She pulled her skirt off, tossing it to the trash. Then began undoing her garter belt, the nylons almost literally disintegrating as she did. ¡°Considering everything, you move well in your mech. I knew a few armored types, and few walked so naturally.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I love piloting the suits. I qualified on the old Privateer suits before the Surfmen came online and even took extra tech classes in the academy about them, but the neurofeedback can be a beast. ¡°


    ¡°Tankman always complained about his shoulders after he wore his suit for a while.¡± She walked into the shower and turned on the water, washing her hair and getting the salt and port gunk off her skin. ¡°But he always found one thing to be cheerful about and one thing to complain about.¡±


    ¡°Australians. Comes with everything on the continent trying to kill you. ¡°.


    ¡°It could be worse. It was only one shark.¡± Chuckling, Solaris came out drying her hair. ¡°It is an interesting place. Very good steak. She began dressing, taking a Moment to look over the sports bra before shrugging and putting it on, using her hair pins to assemble her long golden hair into a tight bun.


    Penny had pulled herself together at that time, her pixie cut hair less demanding. She put the other clothes into a sports bag for the other woman and gestured towards the door. ¡°This way, ma¡¯am. It¡¯s mostly going to be what happened and debrief. I think the current most popular theory is an alternate universe, but I am thinking of a mystical time trap?¡±


    Solaris slid her shoes back on, ¡°Nothing so fancy, I think it was some sort of freeze trap. I¡¯m not sure what caused me to thaw.¡±


    ¡°My bet is Lasersaurus knocked something over. That kids his own worst enemy. And why did he add tentacles? Creepy little bastard. ¡°


    ¡°He was a rude young man, and his robot¡¯s head was far too easy to remove, not nearly enough reinforcement on the neck.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s going to get himself killed one day¡­ hopefully before he kills someone else. ¡°


    They entered an area with several people working at desks, screens displaying news channels and vid feeds from operational areas. The directors office was glass walled and raised to see all of her domain. She stood and gestured to the chairs. ¡°Sit ladies. Let¡¯s chat. First off, welcome back Ms. Summers. Are you feeling healthy and whole? And do you prefer your name or Solaris?¡±


    Either is fine with me, when I¡¯m not in uniform I prefer my name, but I¡¯m a public hero, so I¡¯m used to my call sign being used.


    ¡°Fair enough. So¡­ for the record what happened? Why did you disappear?¡±


    With a deep breath, Elizabeth began to give her report.


    ¡°With help from a snitch I managed to find Senator McCarthy¡¯s bunker in Hell''s Kitchen. I went to find the evidence confirming that he was working with the Black Hand. Using their intel to find communist sympathizers in exchange for helping to remove or inconvenience their opponents. I found the bunker and managed to find all the intel we¡¯d need. but I hit some sort of trap when I was leaving. My next aware moment, the bunker was dusty and shut down. I made my way back up to the surface and I believe you know what happens from there.¡±

 Chapter 4 Settling In

    Settling In


    ¡°So, analysts are saying that she looks like Solaris, and that her powers are consistent with Solaris, but how sure are we of her identity?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Pat. We¡¯ve had heroines appear for decades who could just about be Solaris. Blond bombshells who turned out to only have a fraction of The Original Girl¡¯s power. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t do us the favor of hitting anyone with a small ship.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure Norwegian Cruise Line appreciates that, since they¡¯re lagging behind their competitors in regard to mega-ships already.¡±


    -Michael Walace and Patricia Kent, Super-Watch, Fox News.


    . ¡°I will send people down to collect the tech. Now for you¡­ both of you¡­¡± she leaned back. ¡°Solaris, the UN no longer uses true super assets, above a class D. I could give you the political run around, but you know why no government or collective of nations can use empowered people as weapons. It quickly turns into existential threats.¡±


    ¡°We are also going to be assigning Penny here as your liaison¡­ and don¡¯t argue Lieutenant. You know you can¡¯t clear medical yet, as much as you try to fake it, and the Coast Guard has already warned they¡¯re considering med-boarding you out. This buys you some healing time to try to keep your commission. Try actually not pushing your leg for a bit.¡±


    Solaris nodded, ignoring the dark look on the younger woman¡¯s face. ¡°So, she is going to help me reintegrate? I appreciate that since my commission has certainly expired. I admit I am a bit out of sorts, I¡¯m still digesting so much right now. I still can¡¯t quite grasp how much time has passed, I don¡¯t know if any of my homes or accounts exist anymore.¡±


    ¡°We contacted your accounting firm. That was the only number we had, and why your emergency contact number was accountants I am sure I don¡¯t want to know. They are supposedly going to contact you as soon as tomorrow to discuss details. They sent a packet for you as well, including an already booked and paid for suite at One UN Millennium Hilton. At least it¡¯s close.¡±


    ¡°Because my twin is about as reliable as overcooked pasta when it comes to family matters,¡± Solaris said, her eyes sad. If it really has been seventy years¡­My parents would have passed.¡± She swallowed. It was hard to say that and keep her composure. ¡°Hugh probably set that up because he is impossible to get a hold of, and he wouldn¡¯t want to be responsible for me. Need someone to infiltrate the KGB, he¡¯s your man, need someone to remember your birthday, forget it. Which is even sadder since we have the SAME birthday.¡± She took a breath to resettle herself. Hugh had enjoyed being vexatious.


    She turned to Penny, and gave her a friendly smile, ¡°Well, looks like we''ll be together a bit. I thank you for your time, I am sure you are in for odd questions as I settle in.¡±


    ¡°Oh no. I am waiting for the storm.¡± The young officer said with a touch of sarcasm. ¡°You aren¡¯t the first hero to reappear after vanishing for years.¡±


    The deputy director nodded in agreement. ¡°And whenever one of you comes back, shoes no one else remembers seeming to start dropping. I¡¯m probably being superstitious but I''m still canceling some people¡¯s leave. You check out a side arm and stay with her Lieutenant Ward. I expect you¡¯re going to need it. ¡°


    " Ma''am, I''m not usually a liaison officer. I''ve not been trained as an, um."


    "She''s trying to tactically not say babysitter." The director said candidly. "And in this case, you''re not. Your job is to keep idiots from bashing their head against her trying to make a name, not keep her from throwing her toys out of the crib. One, you couldn¡¯t stop her if you wanted to. Secondly, you''re a twenty something young woman, and tech nerd like all suit jocks. That means you can explain the things she needs to know better than any of the more well trained and "appropriate" choices would. Good lord, could you see Ken Watanabe trying to explain Wi-Fi to her? She''ll think Pok¨¦mon Go means monsters are going to attack at any moment!"


    "That only happened once, and it was because of The Tripper. There¡¯s no evidence any pocket monster attacks actually occurred. God only knows what the hell he thought was going on." At the confused look on Elizabeth''s face, she chuckled. ¡°Super-villain, technically. When he gets stoned, everyone near him gets stoned, and he takes some weird shit.¡±


    ¡°Right. That¡¯s certainly interesting.¡± The woman out of time mused. ¡°I do understand your position, lieutenant. No one likes escort duty, and the Lord knows I¡¯ve done enough of it myself.¡± She smiled in shared pain. ¡°I promise I will not act like a sailor on leave., though if you could tell me what these Poke-man creatures are and why they aren¡¯t a concern I would appreciate it. And of course, help me get caught up as quickly as I can. Perhaps I will need to find some back issues of the papers.¡±


    "What papers? Did I miss something?" Penny asked, looking around for documents she hadn''t noticed other than the room reservation and debit card.


    "She means newspapers, Penny." The older woman said. "You know, those things millennials ignore?"


    ¡°What¡¯s a millennial? And why do they ignore the news?¡±


    "Millennials are people who were adolescents around the turn of the millennium." Penny said. "I''m Gen Z, actually."


    "And I''m a boomer. Baby boom kid." The director explained.


    ¡°Interesting way to delineate the generations? What would I be?¡± the young woman in her nineties asked.


    "Most commonly... You fall into the, um... greatest generation." Penny said with a blush. "To be fair, you guys kind of set the bar with the whole World War II while recovering from the Great Depression thing."


    Solaris blushed. ¡°Well, that is flattering. It¡¯s nice to know we are appreciated¡±.


    "History certainly does." Penny admitted as she squirmed a bit.


    "Well, I''m going to send you on your way, but Penny, I''m going to send a few more detailed questionnaires over, the intake ones and the after-action sheets we give new supes. I know she¡¯s not one, but we have none of the standard paperwork for her. Get the information from the Major here, here and send it back. I''m expecting you to be traveling with her for a while, so at least the fact you''ve been staying in the on-call quarters means your kits are handy.¡± She looked at Elizabeth ¡°As if losing a leg, temporarily, wasn''t bad enough, her apartment building was condemned due to bed bugs and wiring issues while she recovered."


    "Got more than the furniture was worth in the settlement though."


    ¡°That sounds vile, don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t suffer¡­I just hope you enjoy shopping as I¡¯m going to need a new wardrobe for a new millennium.¡±


    "I mean, I don''t hate shopping." She shrugged.


    ¡°My dear, you have never been shopping with me.¡± Solaris said and Penny felt strangely intimidated.


    Half an hour later they were shown into the room at the hotel. Penny was blown away. She''d heard of multi-floor hotel rooms, but this is the first time she''d seen one. Two bedrooms up a short flight of stairs, with a dining room, living room. It was basically a small house pretending to be a hotel accommodation. And all of it was nicer than anything she''d ever owned.


    "Is there anything you ladies will need?" The bell hop asked, after setting their limited luggage on the dining table, not wanting to assume shared or individual bedrooms. At check in they''d been told the room was attached to a "corporate account'' to cover services.


    ¡°Is there a room service menu? I think I¡¯d prefer to settle in tonight rather than eat in the main dining room.¡± She looked around the room, finding it to be plush and sleek. And blessedly quiet. She was tired after everything. which she thought was ironic, she¡¯d been asleep for decades.


    "Oh, of course." The Attendant picked up the remote for the large screen opposite the couch, and turned it on, quickly turning to the room service menu. "You can see the menu and order from here. Just note if you want it asap or at a specific time." he said, offering Solaris the remote control.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She let the bellhop leave, considering the remote, then the TV. Then back to the complicated object covered in buttons she held. Handing the detonator looking thing to Penny with an annoyed look. ¡°On the bright side you get to order whatever you want to eat?¡±


    "Yeah... my dad had that exact expression when we took a cruise as a family trip a few years ago." Penny chuckled. "I''ll scroll through slowly, tell me if you see what you want. For myself, this vodka sauce pasta sounds great, maybe with a chopped salad."


    The large steak, with veggies, and a bottle of red wine, and pick out a couple of appetizers. I have no idea what most of those are, no oysters though, never liked them. And get a couple of slices of cake¡­maybe 2 bottles of wine. What do you think?


    Pennelope blinked in surprise, considering the still young, but much older woman. "I''m thinking I''m not so upset about this assignment as I maybe was a bit before." She chuckled, punching in the order. Lemongrass chicken dumplings, BBQ Chicken wings, New York strip with all the fixings. Two of both desserts, a good table wine, red, and a dessert wine, white. There we go.¡±


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I think this assignment may have me concerned about fitting into a mech suit!" She joked.


    Solaris chuckled, "Don¡¯t worry, busy as we are likely to be you¡¯ll work it off. And you deserve some pampering since I¡¯m going to probably be asking questions that would make a toddler laugh. And on that note, I am going to ask the first of many awkward questions, why was everyone holding up those odd little devices? The ones that looked like small walkie talkies? I figured they are some sort of communication device, but are they also protective in some way?"


    The younger officer frowned, then pulled out her smartphone. "You mean like this?" she asked, holding it out to Solaris.


    "Yes. Everyone seemed to have one and when that robot started attacking the ships many people just stood there holding them up. I was very confused that people were not evacuating or panicking.¡±


    "It takes a lot to make New Yorkers run away from anything. They were taking pictures." She flipped it around and snapped a pic, showing Solaris her own photo, standing in front of the window. "This is a smart phone, so it does a lot of different things. Pictures, emails, text messaging, phone calls, and watching videos. Kind of does everything, really."


    ¡°My goodness! That is a powerful bit of technology," she rolled that in her head thinking how many more lives she could have saved with a phone she could carry wirelessly in the field?¡± She wasn''t sure what email was or text messaging, but they sounded useful. " It''s really beautiful that everyone can have such a powerful thing, but that doesn''t explain why they were taking pictures instead of getting away?¡±


    "I mean, I''m sure someone''s done a research project on it, but honestly. It''s mostly because people can be idiots at the weirdest times. However, everyone taking pictures and putting it on social media is how we found out you had appeared so fast. "


    Social media? They mailed pictures to the papers that fast? How strange. I guess one thing we will want to do tomorrow is to get a phone for me as they seem to be a necessity for the new modern times. Is your phone of sufficient quality?"


    "Um... I guess. It¡¯s a couple of generations old but does alright." She used the TV again, and accessed YouTube, calling up some of the videos of the fight, hitting play. "Here¡¯s some of the video shot. This one has. over a million views already."


    The blonde hero¡¯s eyes went wide. "Such clarity. And instantaneous?" She looked at Penny. "A million people have seen this already?" She was torn between being amazed and appalled as she looked like a mess.


    "This one, yeah. There''s others from different angles, and most aren''t really this nice. The guy has a channel specializing in Super events, and travels around the city to catch them. Rumor has it he¡¯s got an unlocked police scanner and might be a low level speedster."


    ¡°Other channels are debating who you might actually be and are doing really well to get it right. There¡¯s been other potential Solaris reappearances but obviously, they weren¡¯t you."


    "I guess it would be a little odd for me to reappear out of nowhere, though your boss said that it isn''t the first time it''s happened.¡±


    "No, not at all. I mean, ignoring the Speedster war, it¡¯s happened a few times. Dimensional rifts, jaunts into micritization, random dimensional hops, all things that have happened." She shrugged. "There''s a reason known heroes aren''t declared deceased unless a body is found. Even ordinary citizens find it difficult to declare dead quickly, even with reasonable cause to believe, because of some of the precedents."


    ¡°Well, that means I should still have an adequate nest egg. I put my funds in the hands of good people. Well, people that were good with money in any case.¡±


    The door rang. "Ahh, our dinner is here. Solaris stood then paused. "What is the standard tip these days? I have a feeling it''s more than the dollar I used to give?"


    ¡°Let me. I¡¯ll charge it to the room. Twenty percent is the norm though, but I personally only do that much if I¡¯m pleased with the service. ¡°. Penny signed for the meal, and set out the dinner at the table, a meal Penny was surprised to find on proper plates and with real silverware. Most places just used plastic and foam.


    This looks lovely. Solaris poured two glasses of wine and set her cloth napkin on her lap. "Please dig in, if we need more we can always order again. I haven¡¯t eaten for almost eight decades after all.¡± She selected a couple of dumplings and a pair of the wings to set on her plate. ¡°This doesn¡¯t look like barbecue. And what are the little puffs?¡± and took a delicate bite. ¡°Other than delicious of course. She took a sip of wine savoring it for a moment. ¡°Now since we will be together for a while, please feel free to call me Elizabeth, or Solaris, whichever you prefer.¡±


    ¡°And I am Penny, obviously. Dreadful doesn¡¯t really work when I¡¯m not in a suit.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°So why don''t we start getting you caught up, hit me with all the questions. ¡°


    "Yes, I''ll be honest I don''t really know where to start. Seventy years! Did anything end up being done about McCarthy?¡±


    ¡°He got cocky and targeted the US military and its interests in his and his allies'' little purge. The pentagon didn¡¯t like that, and they slapped him down so hard he left office and became an alcoholic. Honestly, I''m not sure that the whole thing worked out well for any of its biggest proponents in the end, but I don''t know much about the broader history. Most of what I really know I remember from watching ¡°Chaplin¡±, and in spite of it all he still got a lifetime achievement Oscar."


    Solaris nodded, "I dislike communism as much as the next person, but I hate witch hunts more. It escapes me why humanity seems so fond of them.¡± She sighed" "So what is going to be the best way to get caught up on current affairs? This social media you were talking about earlier?"


    "That¡¯s a very good question, and I¡¯m not sure there really is a good way. No one really creates content targeted to the ¡®out of contact for a few decades¡¯ crowd." She mused. "And that''s ignoring the fact that some of it isn''t even that useful anymore. I mean, the entire Korean and Vietnam wars are historically significant events, but not really day to day useful to you or me. The USSR doesn''t exist anymore, though the Russians are periodically a pain in someone''s rear. The cold war pretty much ended in the Nineties when Germany decided it was going to be one country again, wall or no wall.¡±


    "Well, that is good, and Russia has been going through periods of being problematic since before the Tzars. though I did get along well with most of their heroes." She chose not to ask about the wall reference.


    "They don''t have a lot of those right now for lots of reasons, starting with Stalin and the cold war. I won''t worry about the details right now. Now North Korea that''s still as stupid as you likely remember, but no active conflict going on." She rolled her thoughts around.


    "The director mentioned there aren''t Supers in the UN anymore, for the most part. This is because some of the rules you all started playing by in World War II became more and more supported by treaty. No one above a Tier D Enhanced human can serve in a military unit. Government, corporate, and other agencies can finance and support super heroes or teams, though to operate legally as the classic idea of a hero does require registering with an appropriate government agency, ultimately UNLOC and the UCGS in the United States. That doesn''t require full Identity revelation but requires registering your so called ¡®heroic Persona¡¯.¡±


    She paused, trying to remember the major rules. ¡°Secret ID types have a few other hoops to jump through, but nothing challenging. Their biggest issue is that the Federal Government won¡¯t fund their teams at all. The US Coast Guard, by tradition, manages the US registration as well as helping with cape law enforcement as a support element, while Britain handed that over to MI5. Both give the information to UNLOC who are the ultimate managers of the information since heroes find themselves all over the place by really stupid coincidences."


    "Now that is the truth, one minute you¡¯re crossing the pond, the next on an island full of dinosaurs. How do you think that would affect me, as I was contracted to a joint Government project team? Are the Guardians even still a thing?"


    "The Guardians are still a thing, yes. based out of Washington DC, they''re the United States primary Super Team. The sort of people who deal with invading alien despots, plummeting comets, that sort of stuff. The British equivalent is the Watch, though the two groups have traditionally been good about sharing resources. Canadian heroes have been in both teams."


    "As for your personal status, you¡¯re listed as inactive. Having been gone a long time, who the hell knows what rules who might want to grandfather a rule to justify borrowing your services for a mission or two.¡±." She shrugged. "It''s kind of up to you. Get back in the field, retire and raise those little dogs the royal family likes so much, or buy a California winery. Or go back into medicine. No one really EXPECTS anything at this point, or maybe they expect everything and are waiting to see which actually comes true."


    Solaris took a bite of steak looking out the large windows over the city. "Well, there is time to figure that out, it¡¯s not like I can do much useful until getting settled. Do you know, or can you find out what happened to my family''s holdings? I assume my brother inherited the Summers title and lands? I think maybe that would be a good place to start, it''s where I was born after all."


    "Let me see. Where are those lands?" She used her phone and called up the information about the lands and location. "Wow, you¡¯re from actual English nobility, that¡¯s neat. From what I''m seeing here, it was kind of split in half. You had a southern, London area home that your brother took over when you disappeared, but the ancestral lands are held by a holding company which is noted as being part of your own estate. The London property was sold, the land there was worth too much in comparison to updating the house, I imagine. Your brother, who looks surprisingly young in this picture from the seventies, passed without issue under suspicious circumstances. Your brother was a spook and disappeared in a boating accident. about thirty years ago."


    Solaris laughed,¡± Well, at least one of her family was still around, "Hugh will probably pop up some time in the next few weeks. My father was an Admiral, we grew up on boats so there is no way my brother died on a boat especially if the wreck was found! He just got fed up with whatever malarky he was into and decided to make a dramatic exit."


    "He was apparently in parliament, and I get the impression he was talked into it by someone else." She wasn''t going to argue the man turning up, it kind of sounded James Bond-ish to her. "That seat is occupied by another family now, but I''d judge you''re the heir to the title and properties in total at this point. However, google earth photos suggest the property is in need of renovation."


    She leaned across the table, and showed a photo of an overgrown, but not completely unmaintained property with a few derelict buildings on the edges. "Someone''s keeping it up, but it¡¯s been nearly a century without a major overhaul."


    ¡°The old girl is still there. Renovations are easy enough to do and old houses always need renovations. It''s like churches always needing new roofs, I think that will be our first stop once we finish up here in New York. We can take an ocean liner to London then drive or fly north to the property. Do you have your passport?


    "Yeah. Frankly it''s yours we''re going to have to get." She explained. "But I can look into cruise ships going to England. She was going to ask about flying, but in thinking figured her new boss just wanted to take it easy. Plus, who would fly commercial if they didn''t have to? Bookings tend to be online, and we haven''t even started getting you comfortable with that."


    "Don''t put yourself out Penny. You just need to find me a good travel agent, it''s their job to deal with the minutiae of travel. How is the pasta?"


    "I can do that too." she shrugged. It wasn''t that much effort but whatever the boss wants.


    "It''s delicious. No regrets here. I..." her phone began playing a pop song. "One moment. hello?" She listened for a few minutes. "Um. Someone from Credit Suisse wants to know if tomorrow morning is a good time for their representative to come and speak to you? Apparently, it''s about your accounts?"


    "That would be excellent, I''ll need to get that set up so I can get a new Cheque book! A woman cannot properly go shopping without that. What time is good for them? We can use the menu to order a nice morning or afternoon tea for everyone."


    "Check book? Um, right. I''ll let the bank guy explain that." Penny muttered. "Can you come in around eleven. I would bet this place could do a tea service, then I know you''re going to want to do some shopping."


    Solaris nodded, pouring a fresh glass of wine. "Sounds wonderful.¡±

 Chapter 5 Horsing Around

    Horsing Around


    ¡°Nike has announced that they will be terminating their relationship with Snapshot, the speedster vigilante from LA. Snapshot has been in the news lately due to an accidental fatality caused during a car chase. A fourteen year old girl died when the speedster threw a metal sphere into the cabin of the stolen Hyundai Elantra she was driving, causing a fiery crash injuring 3 others.¡±


    ¡°Nike Representatives state that, while they understand that heroes are in a dangerous business, that a fourteen-year-old girl was not enough of a danger to herself or others to justify lethal force, which motivated their decision to end their contract. LAPD representatives have sanctioned Snapshot, removing his privilege to operate as a hero within the State of California for a year due to the event.


    ¡°Representatives of the hero state that, while Snapshot regrets the death of a misguided young woman, that she was driving at over one hundred miles per hour and at any moment could have come upon another car and crashed, killing innocent bystanders. To that end, he denies any wrongdoing in the case. The family has filed suit against the hero, demanding over one million dollars in damages.


    Solaris had gone to bed shortly after the end of their conversation, allowing Penny to write her after action and principal activity reports for the day as well as file a passport request for the other woman online, and make an appointment with both the Apple Store and, at Elizabeth¡¯s request, Burgdorf Goodman. Just making that last appointment had almost scared the woman.


    She¡¯d also arranged for a car service to send a car and driver for them, to get around the next day and thought that should set them up nicely for the next couple of days. The next day she learned again, never to make assumptions.


    ¡°Yes, I can see that it¡¯s a problem, but I don¡¯t know what to do about it.¡± She said into her phone, as she looked out the window, as close to straight down to the front of the building as she could.


    Solaris tipped her head, wondering what was wrong as she walked down the stairs, checking just outside the door and cheering silently at the presence of a New York Times, then wincing at her own photo being on the front page.


    "Yes, I am aware, thank you." Sighing, she hung up.


    ¡°Something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Jesus!¡± Penny yelled, jumping in shock having not heard the other woman come down. ¡°Scare the hell out of a person, why don¡¯t you.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t want to bother you while you were on the phone, i was just grabbing the paper.¡±


    ¡°It seems the famous heroine Solaris has returned from a long disappearance, who knew? People found out where you were staying, somehow.¡± She said, turning on the TV to a live stream, the streamers voice muted but the crowd around them was clearly large, and dominating the space in front of the hotel. ¡°The cape chasers came out in droves, and the car service I arranged our ride with for the day decided to cancel due to ¡®safety concerns¡¯.¡±


    ¡°My word, is that crowd just outside?¡± Solaris asked, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m not going to claim it¡¯s not gratifying, but I¡¯m not precisely Hetti Lamar. And I had assumed you would tell the service who I was to start with.¡±


    ¡°I did, and you¡¯re hardly the most at-risk person they¡¯ve driven. They just don¡¯t want to deal with the crowd and traffic, the wimps.¡± Penny shook off the issue. ¡°On the positive side, I got us a one o¡¯clock appointment to get you a phone and other tech, but Berghoff didn¡¯t have an opening until tomorrow at eleven. I think they might have fudged their schedule a bit to even do that.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve always treated me well there.¡±


    ¡°Right. So, anyway, that¡¯s the next two days. I figure we can hit more¡­ basic¡­ stores to get you a few minor sundries after the phone appointment, depending on what is going on with your bankers.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully we¡¯ll have some liquid resources to play with.¡±


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Right.¡± Penny said absently, her attention having been pulled back to the television screen. She lifted the remote and rolled back the scene several frames. The drone whatever youtuber was using, was excellent, and got a great shot of one man in particular, milling around the crowd. ¡°Well fuck me sideways with a chainsaw.¡±


    ¡°Penny Ward! Such language.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re adorable¡­ but we have a larger problem.¡± She tapped the screen, the latino man dominating the frame she¡¯d paused on, sunglasses covering his eyes. He had a nose that must have been broken numerous times and the rich, dark skin of his face was ruined by pale scars suggesting knives, bottles and fists had come in contact with his face on more than one occasion. ¡°This guy.¡±


    ¡°Well he looks like a long stretch of bad road. Who is he?¡±


    ¡° Dionisio Gonz¨¢lez. He''s on our priority watch list. Wanted for a whole host of crimes back in his home country, including enemy of the state. Unfortunately, that state is Cuba and thanks to that little island and the US not being over cold war insults, there¡¯s absolutely no way to extradite him for anything he¡¯s alleged to have done.¡±


    ¡°And he¡¯s a real threat?¡±


    ¡°Class B Speedster and Tank combo. No projective abilities, but tough as hell on his own. You could pretty much take him with your arm behind your back, except you don¡¯t have a reason to start anything and he¡¯s in the thickest part of the crowd, and I¡¯ll give you three guesses as to why he¡¯s in that crowd.¡±


    ¡°Someone¡¯s looking to make a name for himself. Still, getting him out from amid the crowd shouldn¡¯t be too hard, though having to wait for him to act could be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s trying to make a name for himself with the local talent, particularly the Cuban gangs. Calls himself Semental, means Stallion in Cuban.¡±


    ¡°Lovely. Someone¡¯s a narcissist, or compensating.¡±


    Penny nodded, but frowned, looking closer at the screen. ¡®Definitely. He was something of a big deal on the island, but that¡¯s not the same as being big in the US.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming that him assaulting me would give an excuse for his arrest. And I¡¯ve had larger opponents with less space. Just need to get him out of the crowd. With calling himself Stallion I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s a melee type.¡±


    "Oh yeah, total tank." she nodded. "Low grade speedster as well. call him a top speed on par with a sports car? General athletics at Olympic level. He¡¯s about a class B, from our estimates so not really a threat to you. I would give me even money in my old armor. But yeah, the crowd. And NYPD would love to arrest him for something,"


    Solaris walked to the window and looked down. ¡°Mmm. How polite are crowds these days. I do not mind going down and showing the flag, if we can open a working area and if he pulls an assault I can get him away from the crowd if I have space.¡±


    "Problem is, he''s not stupid. He won''t come direct. He''ll mask up, and attack out of the blue." She mused. "And to be frank, he''d be an idiot to not think in terms of trying to limit you. He might want the crowd around to make you pull punches."


    " If I don''t want to make a paste out of him I will have to hold back anyway. What style of combat does he use, and can he fly?¡±


    "No flight, though he jumps well. A couple of stories." She mused the report she''d read on him. "He''s a straight brawler, so no particular skill, but stubborn and experienced. He grew up rough and hungry, which made him mean... and we might not be getting a choice. Shit." She turned to the door, snatching her bag off the desk as she burst out.


    Solaris followed, pulling her robe off and dropping it on the floor. Glad she''d put on the comfortable stretchy pants and shirt. "Do you think he will attack the crowd?"


    "No, someone in the crowd is about to attack him." She growled, pushing through the stairs door, pulling a device out of her bag as she jumped over the railing, plummeting down the narrow tunnel between banisters.


    Solaris followed, flying after her. letting some of her light spill from her skin, ¡°I am with you, what is your plan?¡±


    With a snap and hiss a grapple grabbed a rail and slowed Penny for the last dozen feet, allowing her to land easily. "You keep the idiot kid alive." She yelled, bursting out of the stairwell, pulling a huge revolver from her bag as she ran for the hotel''s front doors, ignoring the cries of shock and people ducking away from her.


    As they burst out of the glass doors, the fight had already started without them and gone badly. A small man, or teenaged boy based on the ganglynes of the struggling figure who fought for breath in the Stallions grip, swinging a glowing crowbar at the criminal¡¯s head.


    The Stallion, now wearing a helmet shaped like a horse¡¯s skull, shrugged off the blows, in spite of the cracks forming, and seemed dedicated to squeezing the life out of the kid.


    Solaris flew, a golden streak of light towards the man, bringing an arm up to block a roundhouse kick the man threw at her head. In return she delivered a punch, strength pulled to not send the man flying, receiving a grunt and hop back, the criminal dropping the masked kid in the process.


    ¡°This is not the way to impress a lady, she growled


    "Fuck, bitch! They said you¡¯re strong, but that hurt!" the man yelled, shaking off the hit faster than Solaris expected. He took a step forward, only to stagger back several steps, grunting in pain as the revolver in Penny''s hand barked twice, shockingly loud, the shots both hitting the man in the chest but failing to penetrate the skin.


    Solaris stepped in front of the boy, using her light to keep his eyes on her. ¡°Such language. There are children present sir!¡±


    "Damnit." He grunted.

 Chapter 6 The New Kid

    New Kid


    ¡°The concept of a super-hero was pop culture, until it wasn¡¯t. When World War II came around, something like a dozen new sciences were born and some of those created men and women of power right out of Greek myth, or the funny pages.¡±


    ¡°Everyone expected to see them on the front lines, especially since the Germans and Japanese had them in play, but for some reason that never developed. Rumor has it that the Supers themselves had met, in secret, and made agreements to not operate as weapons of mass destruction. I hesitate to think of what Kreigsmarine could have done to London if no one was there to stop him, or what Ronin could do to San Francisco. It was the stuff of existential terror.¡±


    ¡°It seems to be one of the traditions to have lasted, as the three occasions where a patriotic super decided to try, such as Saladin the Slayer¡¯s assault on Tel Aviv and the resulting response by three villains, criminals by any reasonable measure, who showed up and stopped him.¡±


    ¡°Rumor even has it, there are meeting houses for elder heroes in certain very private, very neutral places in the world, managed by someone or something called ¡°The Manager¡±


    The Stalion turned, and took off running, jumping over a section of the crowd he grabbed a cop who had been trying to control the mob and threw the man as high and far away from him as he could before taking off around a corner at reckless speed.


    Solaris, who had started to pursue, was forced to shift her flight to intercept the screaming policeman, catching him a few meters above the ground and setting him down, unfortunately giving the criminal time to get away.


    "God damnit. coward fucking runs?" Penny gasped, catching her breath, Then glaring at the boy. "And you... Seriously? We''ve talked about this Ma... Moron.."


    Solaris looked at Penny "Should I give chase?"


    "Not worth the possible crossfire, especially with the head start he got with the bystander toss." She grabbed the teen¡¯s shoulder, and pulled him after her, tucking the huge revolver in her pants, pulling out her UN ID for another uniform that was approaching with his own gun out. "UNLOC. Sorry. Saw what was happening, stepped in."


    "Got it... We''re going to make these idiots clear out, but I''d suggest you and your charges get inside and out of the way while we do. Otherwise, they''ll just keep being stupid."


    Solaris nodded, ¡°Have a good day officer.¡± She glided back into the hotel, trailing Penny and the young hero wannabe. ¡°Do you want to take the lad upstairs, or are you calling his parents down here?¡±


    "Upstairs. his grandmother doesn¡¯t have a car, and is not really close." She said softly, leading to the elevator, then the room. Once there, she pulled off the stupid knit mask he was wearing, revealing a handsome if young man with indistinct ethnic features. Almond eyes suggested asian ancestry, while darker skin suggested at least near eastern heritage. "Marcus Ruan, what the hell do you think you''re doing? We''ve talked about this; you have nowhere near enough training to be sticking your toe into the super shark-tank. Not yet!"


    Solaris listened as she answered a knock at the door, giving a pleased sound to find a tea service being delivered. She looked the young man up and down as she poured a cup.


    ¡°I heard he was going to rough some old lady up! I had to do something!¡±


    ¡°Old lady?¡± Solaris muttered, grimacing.


    ¡°Right. Okay. You made several critical mistakes in that encounter, young man, and I¡¯m just starting with this outfit. Knit mask and hoodie? You don¡¯t look like a hero, you look like you¡¯re planning to rob a bodega!" She said, "Two, did it occur to you that you picked the worst place to start a fight?"


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Solaris nodded. ¡°Penny is correct, and if she doesn¡¯t mind the old lady you were trying to protect to steping in you made many fundamental errors.¡± Marcus gaped at the stunning blonde who looked in her twenties.


    ¡°Your intelligence was either incomplete or wrong, as you had no idea who or why he was targeting the ¡°Old Lady¡± Further you were going to start a fight among a crowd with an opponent who is known for violence and super strength. He could have used a member of the crowd against you easily, leading to unneeded injuries or death. Were you aware of his capabilities?¡±


    "I mean, he''s fast, he''s tough, and I heard he was coming here to show off. He doesn''t have a lot of close ride or dies, so I figured he''d be alone. I didn''t know that dumb looking helmet thing was actually that tough, though. was like hitting an anvil."


    ¡°Never assume a villain is alone. What if he had another friend taking pictures and did you also account for him being a low end speedster?


    "I mean, I knew he was fast, yeah. Didn''t know he was quick. That''s not always the same thing." he pointed out. "But yeah, I get what you mean. I didn''t know enough about him, but heroes don''t always get to know everything about the guys they fight."


    ¡°No we don¡¯t, but there are assumptions you have to make, which leads to another error. Always assume your opponent does not care about collateral damage. You initiated a conflict with a super strong villain in a crowd, what would you have done if he took a hostage, or threw you into the crowd and hurt or killed multiple people including children.


    "Okay, yeah... I..." He sighed. "I''m just sick of waiting, man. I mean, I got these powers..."


    "Two months ago. We don''t know everything you can do yet, and you didn''t exactly get a black belt when you took martial arts classes at the Y."


    Solaris held a hand up to stop Penny, the hero¡¯s eyes hard as a drill sergeants ¡°Did you think to bring your own backup? And since you want to be a masked hero what was your exit strategy for getting out of a potentially panicked crowd unmolested?¡±


    "Run? I mean, I don''t know any other powered people. Not really. I mean, there''s the class d speeder kid who does Uber Eats but he''s kinda happy racking up the tips, ya know?" he said. "And Dreadful here. Metal ass name, but she refuses to just build her own suit, never mind I know she''s sketched designs."


    "I''m not a super brain kid. Not the kind you¡¯re thinking, anyway.¡±


    "No, but you have a Masters in Robotics, I saw the ticket. And I know most coasties only go for a bachelor¡¯s at the academy. You did extra cause you like it, you told me as much."


    So you knew someone who could do something,¡± Solaris said, interrupting him. ¡°someone with more resources, and you didn¡¯t think to contact them? Marcus, I¡¯ve done this job for a long time. I know there are solo heroes, but believe it or not most solos have teams supporting them from the rear, providing intel, preparing extractions, and gathering materials. Being a hero is not about powers, they just make it easier, this job is about taking the right action, whether that is laying your life on the line or calling the cops.¡±


    "Calling the cops? Yeah, you can tell she''s been out of circulation." He muttered. "Half of them can''t be bothered to do their job most of the time, another half are on the take, and the last few who actually want to do their job and do care get crippled or killed in the line because of the first two."


    Penny winced. "His dad was a cop. His parents were, well officially it was a drive by they were just caught in, but no one with sense bought that story."


    ¡°That is rough, and you have my condolences. but we cannot let emotions govern our actions. Penny was still an option, and you chose not to call her.¡± The golden haired woman looked out at the city with eyes full of pain. ¡°It is our duty as heroes to be better. A hero does not look for fame or glory, they do not throw their lives away recklessly because there is always more to do tomorrow, and if you are gone someone still has to do the work. If we fight it is because there is no other course of action, and we do our best to damage as little as possible. It is not easy, you will make mistakes and people will get hurt,killed, maybe even someone you care for. But we soldier on, because we must be better if we are to inspire others to be better with us


    "Oh, wow, she''s hard core." The young man said softly, to Penny, not really aware that Solaris could hear him.


    "She''s an Original. World War II. You remember Mr. Jacoby?"


    "Oh yeah, that man was like a monument or something till the cancer got him."


    "Same place. Same time. Just Mr. Jacoby was a Paratrooper, not a super."


    Solaris smiled. ¡°We fought so others wouldn¡¯t have to. I am Elizabeth Summers, known by most as Solaris, former leader of the Guardians.Pleasure to meet you Marcus Ruan.

 Chapter 7 Banked On It

    Banked On It


    ¡°The birth of the Superhuman Era has led to discoveries that weren¡¯t even science fiction at the time of their appearance. Alternate dimensions, time travel, weird abilities that teleported people across the world, all of these were events that even today occur with more and more disturbing regularity.¡±


    ¡°The law had to adapt to this. Getting a known superhuman declared dead without a body, for example, has become nearly impossible and even ordinary humans occasionally turned up well after they¡¯d been declared dead due to some mishap. The laws had to change.¡±


    ¡°Now, for the common citizen, being declared dead takes a multi-year long process that has made the creation of so-called Ghost Wills, not only bread and butter for young lawyers, but necessary for anyone with serious resources at their command. In the case of a Super this is even more true, because their resources can become locked for their own protection in the case of a disappearance if they haven¡¯t made legal preparations for their estates maintenance.¡±


    ¡°Remember, ladies and gentlemen, while writing wills of any sort isn¡¯t precisely exciting case law, it is definitely going to help you all buy your first BMW.¡±


    Dr. Roger Morris, in a Freshman class on estate law at Harvard Law School


    "Um, yeah... You know you''re in history books, right?"


    ¡°From the crowd outside I rather imagined.¡± She said with a small smile.


    ¡°Did you get a chance to order breakfast before deciding to play masked vigilante outside?¡± Solaris asked "Oh and thank you for making the tea."


    A knock was the answer, a porter soon bringing in a large cart of sausage, eggs, toast, pancakes, and bacon. "Yeah, I basically the buffett but in private. And yes, Marcus, eat some." Penny said with a roll of her eyes at the drool she could almost see forming.


    Solaris got another cup of tea as the porter set the table, Sitting down and setting her own plate up. "So Penny, what is our itinerary for today?¡±


    "Bergdorf is on hold till tomorrow, but we have the Apple store at one o¡¯clock. Your bank guy is supposed to be here in an hour and a half. I was thinking we''d go to someplace simple to get some day to day stuff for you, but I think we want to avoid the subways. I don''t have a car currently, and the driving service canceled when that mess hit the news. Marcus, do you still have the Zipcar app set up?"


    "Um, yeah...."


    "Fine. So you get to be the driver today. I''ll put some money into the account, but I want you to go get the closest car to here. You''re going to be driving us around a bit."


    "What is a Zipcar?¡± Solaris asked as she put extra meat on the boy''s plate.


    "A car share service. Mostly based around universities and dense cities like New York. Essentially quick car rentals." She explained "The cars are usually not really great but they are transportation and will do until I can look into a more reliable service, or just arrange a car to drive myself. Or just put that dummy to work as our driver for the next few days.¡±


    ¡°Look, you made your point. I shouldn¡¯t have tried to fight the horse''s ass.¡±


    Penny looked doubtful, then turned back to Solaris. ¡°You know that kid forgot to sign up for college because of his powers? Smart as anything, tried to get him to join the coast guard, but he''s afraid of boats."


    Solaris shook her head. "I believe it, I saw many, many privates like that. She turned to the young man ¡°Other than a hero what do you want to do with yourself Marcus?.¡± She took a second serving of eggs glad for the big meal.


    "I mean. I have power, right? I''m supposed to use it for something." He shrugged, frowning. This was the conversation that always confused him with Penny too. He felt he had a responsibility, and she admitted there was a moral responsibility but then argued against being a superhero.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    "Yes, you have power, however you are not defined by your powers, and doing so limits you greatly. You said you read about me in history class. I am sure they covered all the big flashy battles like the destruction of the submarine base in France, or rescuing the royals in Sweden. Do you know what accomplishment I am most proud of?¡±


    "I''m betting on the Sweden thing."


    "And I''m betting it was feeding Soviet soldiers when their own damn country couldn''t during Stalingrad." Penny said, having been a bit more familiar with the history of Dr. Elizabeth Summers thanks to reading her file.


    "I am proud of that, but no.¡± The blond smiled. ¡°You see, My teammates were all super-brains, while I simply am not. I''m intelligent and well educated, but I lacked Tankman or Nerid¡¯s raw intelligence or Breakneck¡¯s diligence to his chosen field. Compared to them, I could have been described as a bit dim, so instead of looking for big and elaborate things to occupy myself between battles, I looked for the small ones. For example, did you know that foot injuries and fungus took a lot of soldiers out of the field during both World Wars? I decided that was the first issue I wanted to tackle, so I worked hard between missions and got my PHD in Podiatry. I used that, and a bit of common sense, to design better boots to protect soldiers feet from frostbite and fungus, to keep airborne troops from breaking ankles when they landed. I will never know how many injuries I prevented or how many lives I saved with something so small as sending foot powder and antifungal sock wash, but it warmed my heart as I found such avoidable injuries becoming less and less common¡±


    "Plus her company, Sunrise Shoes, is still partnered with several other companies for super-person wear. Nike Enhanced Trainers are in partnership with them." She pointed at his shoes, which she''d bought him a month ago as a joint birthday gift and way to keep him from literally walking out of them as his strength developed. "So say thank you. And don''t call her an old lady again."


    " Man, these are the best shoes I''ve ever owned too! Sweet!" He said, then blushed. ¡°Um, sorry for calling you an old lady.¡±


    Solaris laughed, ¡°Well it¡¯s good to know my shoe line survives to this day. But that¡¯s why you cannot let your power define you. You are so so much more.¡±


    Moving on from the topic, the boy obviously thinking about what they said, she asked ¡°Penny, would it be better to just buy a car and have it delivered? I thought it would be excessive but it sounds like it might be necessary?¡±


    "I mean... that would save some issues?" She blinked. "That... um... I''m guessing you mean after talking to your bank guy."


    ¡°Yes, they should be here soon. And assuming my accounts are in order it should be no issue, especially with the services the Swiss and my personal accountant in the States both provided. Why don¡¯t you use your phone and find us something nice with plenty of room for our shopping?¡±


    "Uh, sure... Anything specific you''d prefer? New, older but in good shape you''d be familiar with... Terrifyingly advanced so it scares me too?" She asked.


    "Google doesn''t have cars in New York, so I think we''re safe there." Marcus joked.


    Solaris decided not to ask. ¡°Get something you are comfortable with that can be delivered quickly, something new. I¡¯ll find a charity to donate it to when we leave. I don¡¯t really want to bother until I figure more stuff out and keeping a car in New York is ridiculous¡±


    "Right. I¡¯ll look into it now."


    Solaris nodded. I¡¯m going to finish putting myself together and get my shoes. She headed back up to the master room.


    Kilian Bloomberg Von Volkhard frowned as he considered the large computer screen on his desk. His eyes, the color of the sky immediately following a storm, watched as a small woman in tattered clothing destroyed a robotic monstrosity, then another video of possibly the same if less disheveled woman snatching a youthful fool from a villain wearing a skull for a helm.


    ¡°These are the best videos you have found?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kaiser Kilian. Unfortunately no one was very close to her while also taking imagery that we consider of quality.¡± The man across his desk said, his military uniform crisp. While the man''s stance was relaxed it wasn¡¯t lackadaisical.


    Kilian considered him, and internally nodded. It was good for his men to know they need not fear his anger when their work was well done. Perfection was a foolish pursuit. It was also good that the man wasn¡¯t too confident, however.


    ¡°Irritating that these fools can get fantastically detailed imagery of almost anyone¡¯s sexual improprieties but two separate public events seem to slip by them.¡± He leaned back, tapping the hard stone surface of his desk, carved out of volcanic stone by a group of loyal citizens of Ask-Embla for his birthday decades ago. The spot was often tapped as he thought, which had lead to noticeable bowl in the smooth stone over the years.


    ¡°Inform the United States that I wish to make a state visit to the United Nations. I believe there¡¯s something or other going on I might pretend interest in. Likely the Ukraine situation.¡± He didn¡¯t honestly care. ¡°And have our assets in New York pursue this directly. No contact, but I want to know if it is her.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Kaiser Kilian. I will order it personally.¡±


    ¡°Dismissed, Oberst Klein. Get to it immediately.¡±


    He returned to the screen. Caution made him double check, but years of looking across the lines of battle, and then the lines of politics at the woman made him certain in his core. ¡°Greetings once again Fr?ulein Solaris. I had wondered when you would finally return.¡±

 Chapter 8 Cashing In

    Cashing In


    ¡°Welcome to Cowl Watchers, your podcast for all things super-heroic and villain, and oh man is it a big year for money on both sides.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty darn right, Patty. The Trio Terrible have had three major heists go without a hitch this year, and its only September! Their raid on Caesars Palace will likely go down in legend, having cleaned out the cash room and disappeared before the Golden Guards could react to the attack, and people still don¡¯t know how they stole an entire Super Yacht in the middle of a major trade show. They even managed to evade the guardians after the bank hit in Baltimore early last month.


    ¡°Impressive as that is, Mike, I¡¯m still not sure they¡¯ve made, or stolen in their case, as much bank as some of our Heroes. The new kid on the Guardian block, Vanguard Red, is rumored to have scored a multi-million-dollar contract with Virgin, with his recent appearance in Virgin Cruise Line¡¯s advertising backing that up. I¡¯m pretty sure that puts him close to their success rate, and he doesn¡¯t have to hide from the police!¡±


    A half hour later, the front desk called up then sent up the bank representative, who turned out to be a man in a tailored suit, himself accompanied by two assistants who carried paperwork and briefcases. He spoke with a distinct Swiss accent. "Guten Morgen Lady Summers. I am Noah Oblisk, and I am your account manager for UBS. These are my assistants William St Caer, and Michelle Donavan. " He said, offering a hand to shake.


    A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Oblisk.¡± Solaris said, shaking his hand. ¡°Thank you for taking time to see me today. I hope it was not too much trouble, I had tea and coffee prepared for your comfort.¡±


    "That''s very much appreciated. We contracted a teleporter to bring me in from Switzerland, as your account is a bit complicated. Normally, Michelle and William will be your primary contacts, but we wanted to have someone senior here for our first meeting with you, Michelle was setting up a laptop and secondary screen for Solaris to see, and William was arranging various packets. The two Americans watching noted that the envelopes did not seem to be made of anything as simple as paper.


    ¡°Please let me know if there is anything I can get for you. I know this is after hours for you. After seventy years I¡¯m sure things have been at least somewhat tangled.¡±


    "Oh, I made sure to have a light dinner before leaving. Teleportation makes me a bit queasy." He chuckled. "And fortunately, by the time you had disappeared we''d started developing some processes due to, well, ironically certain German disappearances." His tone was ironic.


    "Starting with your business interests. Those are going to take a bit longer to untangle, but not to any detriment to you. We entered into contracts, regarding your preferred stocks, allowing others to leverage your votes for specific periods of time, choosing those we thought would be responsible with the vote, and contractual requirement that no vote be used that would cause you to lose stock percentages. Those contracts are renewed currently on a bi-yearly basis, so most will end in fifteen months. For the most part, this has worked well though a few investments have failed in the spanning time.


    ¡°That is fine with me, I would prefer to have factors that know what they are doing instead of simply leaving the stock fallow, though I will want to audit them and make sure our priorities align so I know which contracts to certainly end. I¡¯ll admit I¡¯m not sure what companies I¡¯m involved in at this point save for my shoes, I heard they¡¯ve withstood the test of time.


    "Of course, though that is a privately owned company attached to your estate. If you look on the screen this will list your current portfolio of both preferred and simple stocks, and these are the voting records for all the concerned individuals involved.¡± The stock information appeared on the computer screen, while he slid one of the parchment envelopes to her to peruse later. Seeing her nod, the screen changed. ¡°These are the outlines of certain sales. We did take the initiative, with your American accounting firm''s joint approval, to dispose of assets we felt were either doing you a disservice or were likely to become economically harmful to you. We feel our track record was very good."


    ¡°That makes sense and looking over the bottom lines you''re displaying I can¡¯t realistically complain. I¡¯m sure there were errors here and there but over so many years there would be, and I know Louie would be cautious. He was never a man to let money not work to earn itself.¡±


    "While Mr. Lou Carenza and his son have both passed, I believe the third generation of Louie has taken over A grand-daughter Louise. I rarely speak to them directly, instead of one of their staff who are usually subject matter experts on the topic at hand. I know they have your personal finances reasonably well in line with our input of course. Approximately fifty percent of your personal wealth is currently invested in conservative, but guaranteed for growth, investment instruments outlined in this packet. Those are mutual funds or stable government or corporate bond investments. Twenty five percent is in a more aggressive portfolio in the investment market, managed directly by Scottish American in a more aggressive stance. You did occasionally get hit, everyone did in the seventies, tech bubble, and so-called Great Recession, but mostly they have done very well by you.¡±


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°A shame Louie has passed. He was brilliant back in the day, he had to be with the crowd he ran with. I can only imagine how terrifying his organization must be now. I¡¯ll have to visit his granddaughter when things are settled.¡± She looked over at Penny. ¡°Louie was referred to me by a respectable, made man after we did some work against the Black Hand. The Mafia did so dislike them.¡±


    "Made man? You have a mob accountant? Okay, see, now that''s old school cool." Marcus commented. Penny just shook her head and chuckled.


    "As for your liquid assets, you currently have," He opened a leather folder. "One account is with Bank Suisse; this is the largest obviously. That account, or rather those accounts for insurance reasons, have thirty-four million, American, in available funds. Your second block of accounts with the bank of England, are a fairly modest 753,000, but this is the maintained amount, with monies coming out to pay taxes, as well as the maintenance staff for your family¡¯s land estate." he explained.


    "Your third block is with the First Bank of Alaska, and stands at one million, and your most active account is with Axos Financial, out of Las Vegas, with fifteen million active. The Axos account is your primary American investment bank as well, with UBS handling auditing the account as well as your overseas investments, which are in turn audited by your personal firm."


    "Total, liquid, you currently have around Fifty-two million dollars, with another one hundred and seventy-five million in investment assets. This ignores properties you own."


    ¡°That is excellent news, if I understand correctly that would have been around five million and change in my time. Inflation is scary. But at least I know I will not be standing in breadlines!¡±


    ¡°I believe the US uses food banks now.¡± The banker commented. "This does ignore your various safe deposit boxes which I have been advised are most likely filled with war bonds, jewelry, and possibly other liquid or easily mobile assets, though you could argue those might be more interesting as what they are, compared to possible intrinsic value." He chuckled. "Now, property. I am afraid in this case you have not weathered the years quite as well in this regard."


    Solaris laughed. I''ll go through them eventually. How odd land is usually one of the most stable investments.¡±


    "And financially that has been the case. However, maintaining properties was determined to be counter to your financial health. Your home in Nevada was donated as a charitable contribution to the university and now is the home of a Sorority. The building your New York residence resided in was demolished in the seventies, as part of a larger investment building project. We negotiated your ownership in the building itself, which has added to your personal wealth, but you don¡¯t currently have an apartment or office in the structure. You still own land in the Hamptons, but the house there was destroyed in a severe weather event and your accountant had it demolished. A complete rebuild would be necessary there. Your family estate in the United Kingdom is the most significant real estate you currently posses. I think I will let William speak to that."


    "Yes. It''s an honor to meet you, Lady Summers." The younger Englishman spoke for the first time. "I recently did a property assessment of your family home, or should I say homes. It is not in bad shape and a maintenance firm keeps up things such as roofing, plumbing, and the like. It is very outdated, doesn''t currently have a functional kitchen, the windows are nearly a century old, and that''s ignoring the electrical systems. We would estimate just doing minimal updates would take six months to a year."


    Solaris nodded. ¡°Is the village still solvent?¡±


    "There''s still a small but stable fishing industry, and a bit of a recreational boating industry. However, it is very much a sleepy English village. Parts of it are right out of Harry Potter." He joked absently. "I can present an initial renovation plan that won''t require you to deal with cosmetic choices initially. "


    ¡°Yes, that would be helpful.¡±


    "I will start working on that immediately." he agreed, making a note on his phone.


    "Well, while William is distracted." Michelle said with an American accent, she opened another leather folder. "Here we have a UBS debit card, Credit Card, and check book for your immediate use.¡±


    ¡°Excellent, I was just speaking of purchasing a car while I was in New York.¡± She looked at the card. ¡°So did these actually catch on? They were only just coming out when I was inconvenienced? I used cash or checks when I shopped.¡±


    Penny spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s harder to find someplace that takes checks over cards these days.¡±


    ¡°We also have a packet from Axos that is tied to a ¡°Sunlight Investment Corp.¡± which appears to be a Camien Islands based shell corporation which is how this room is being paid for. This packet has a card for you and a couple for assistants as bearer cards.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, of course. The off the book money. Louie was always so good to me. Seems to be flush as well. Penny, you are acting as my assistant right now so why don¡¯t you take this one. It¡¯ll save us time, I¡¯m sure.¡± She held the card out to the lieutenant. ¡°Thankfully he knew to pay the damned taxes for such things.¡±


    "Um... what... hey... this is... a lot..." she held the card like it was made from radioactive waste "I''ll go... order that... car... like a pizza."


    ¡°Oh pizza! We need to get pizza. Is Lombardi¡¯s still around? We could do that for dinner!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Rei-Chan.¡± The woman formerly known as Kitsune said, as she accepted the tablet computer, considering the pictures on the screen. After nearly a century of stalking foes in shadows, not to mention shifting into their forms to confuse or defeat their allies, she could pick details from all but the most unclear of photographs.


    ¡°It would seem Elizabeth-Sensei has appeared once more. I had wondered if I would live to see it.¡±


    ¡°The woman known as Solaris? She has been thought dead for some time.¡±


    ¡°If there is no body, never assume an ally nor an enemy dead. Especially a powerful one. I would think you¡¯d remember that after your misfortune in Okinawa last year.¡± She raised an eyebrow, reaching out to trace a pale scar on the younger woman¡¯s neck.


    The woman pulled away, but didn¡¯t scowl, bowing. ¡°As you say, Grandmother.¡±


    ¡°Keep an eye on this situation, and see if we can hire anyone in the area to get us more information on Solaris and her activities. I¡¯m sure it will be of value to us that we know.¡±

 Chapter 9 Baby Driver

    ¡°Very few people ever tried to emulate Batman in real life, with so-called ¡®sidekicks¡¯ being young teens. Empire Girl was an exception, being sixteen when she started working with her father.¡±


    ¡°In most cases, heroes formed teams of friends and allies. The few cases of true Sidekicks were almost always also employees of the lead hero in question, such as a bodyguard, driver, or in one notable occasion a nurse. Even then, the relationship either slowly became a team up of friends or eventually fell apart when the professional relationship outside of hero work fell apart. Oddly, it was more often the former than the later.


    ¡°Strange how fighting lunatics bent on blowing up the Statue of Liberty or some other bone headed plot can lead people into lifelong friendships.¡±


    The woman smiled ¡°It was not in the larger account outlays, but your family vacation house in Gibraltar is not only intact but recently updated. It was remodeled by your brother, who then used it as an investment property, and when it came to your ownership we continued this. The last update was in 2019 and it is now operating as an Airbnb along with a few other properties he purchased in the area. It¡¯s not currently inhabited, and we have put a hold on rentals in case you decide you wish to visit it.¡±


    Solaris nodded. ¡°Go ahead and resume renting. It may take me a while to tour those properties. Now regarding physical property I had several storage units under long term rental. Please tell me those were secured, I had my scrapbooks and baseball memorabilia in them.¡±


    "It was made certain that those units were either maintained, or the items were moved to new facilities if needed. To my knowledge all your storage units should still contain what you anticipate, baring of course unknown events, damage, or theft. Sadly we don¡¯t really have complete information on what should be where. We also know you have multiple vehicles in storage as well."


    ¡°Thank the lord. I should go through those before I head to England. I should take the scrapbooks to the manor. But where to go with my baseball things? I don¡¯t have a US home right now. I know it¡¯s silly to spend money keeping all that stuff, but I loved going to the games and meeting the players.¡±


    "Wait, you have world war and after world war era memorabilia?" Michelle said, leaning forward. "I mean, Yankees stuff?¡±


    "I''ll find someone to do an assessment so we can arrange the proper insurance. We didn''t know what was in the lockers." William said his fingers racing over his keyboard.


    Elizabeth arched an eyebrow at the reactions ¡°Mostly Yankees, they were my team but over the course of the war, and often after, I did my best to see a home game for each of the teams, when they weren¡¯t playing the Yankees. I was such a fool for the game I also hit the Negro league games. Lords they could hit a ball. The Guardians teased me for my very American taste in sports. You really think we need to have my collection assessed?


    "Do you have a Mickey Mantel?¡± Michelle asked, her eyes wide.


    ¡°Yes several, and I had several boxes of cards I purchased that I put in storage till I could go through them. That was the year I was trapped; I was still filling my sets for 52. I want to say I have at least a 43, that was when I first got into the game, and that cheeky bugger pinched my bum.¡±


    "Ignoring the providence, a fifty-two Mantel card recently, in mint and signed condition mind you, for over fifty million dollars."


    Solaris¡¯s jaw dropped, the time tossed heroine looking out of sorts as she turned to her assistant. ¡±Penny¡­ we may be in New York a little longer than planned¡±


    "Passports take weeks anyway. If it helps, most of the cards aren''t going to be like that... but for the legends of the game, yeah, memorabilia from that early can get big."


    Solaris nodded. Thinking of the bats, balls, cards, programs and hats in the storage unit. ¡°That makes me feel a bit better, for a moment I was worried my weird little hobby was a secret Fort Knox!¡±


    ¡°Not quite Fort Knox but valued heavily by a certain subset of the population. You might consider letting museums display some of the pieces, depending on what you have. Or the stadiums, which have small museums themselves."


    ¡°I¡¯m more than happy to let others enjoy the collection. If you want to have some of their curators come look at it, we apparently will need them to assess it.¡±


    "Actually, a question for you, Ms. Summers." The American woman asked. "Are you planning to move entirely to the United Kingdom, or to have a more transitory lifestyle as you had before your disappearance?"


    ¡°Probably I¡¯ll stay mobile, with a semi-permanent home somewhere here in the USA and the Manor in England. I want to see how the world has changed and see if I can find people I used to know, and figure out how I fit in this new era.¡±


    The older gentleman spoke. "You might consider finding something here in New York, then. It can take several months to get a passport, even if you pay for expedited delivery. It would also be a good place to go through your memorabilia."


    ¡°Maybe,¡± She laughed, ¡°I¡¯ll probably end up buying a lot of little homes here and there while I find the right place to settle.¡±


    "And New York is a good central point to start.¡±


    "Well for now, We just have a few things to sign, essentially reactivating your accounts." He let her read and sign. "And at this point, we can let you have your day. This packet has my own, as well as my associates, contact numbers if you have any questions or issues."


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    "I live on this side of the pond, William is London based. We thought that would be the optimum for your financial team." Michelle added. ¡°I¡¯m your day to day banking expert, he¡¯s more investment and property.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "Michelle is based out of Boston, actually, so is East Coast time."


    ¡°Excellent, I look forward to working with you both. Are you going to stay in New York for a bit?¡±


    ¡°I will be.¡± The woman replied. ¡°If you would like to meet tomorrow, I might look into living spaces in the area with your approval."


    ¡°I have a shopping appointment at Bergdorfs tomorrow morning but I am free after that. Today I¡¯m going to the phone store and getting pizza. You are welcome to join me for dinner.¡±


    "Oh, Lombardies, I haven¡¯t been in years. I will have to meet you there." She turned to Penny, handing her a card. "Text me, so I can save your number. Then let me know when you are heading over. I''m sure you''ll have a few stops before dinner."


    She shook hands and saw the bankers out, well now I have my cards and checks. ¡°Were you able to get a car?¡±


    "Yep.¡±


    Not long after the bankers left, two men in Polo shirts for their dealership showed up, looking half like they expected a joke, or to get jumped, then happily accepted the check after a quick call to the bank to confirm the value. Soon they were in the parking garage looking at the new car. "Hyundai Santa Fae hybrid. I sprang for the Calligraphy trim level because I kind of felt like I should to be honest." Penny admitted.


    ¡°Wonderful! Shall we go? Solairs asked, tossing Marcus the keys. "And you are driving so we don''t have to worry about parking. You come back for us when Penny calls you."


    "Sure thing! Man this is sweet... Wow, wireless charging! nice..." He settled in the driver''s seat, while Penny opened the rear passenger door out of habit, looking at Solaris to get in.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She slid in. This is spacious! She said pleased, enjoying plush seats. ¡°Well, the new car smell is the same.¡± Solaris said, then looked at the front. ¡°My. There are a lot of lights and dials.¡±


    "Just about everything seems to have touch screens these days." Penny admitted. "And links to your phone." She accessed the system, and started NPR, the news discussing random news items. "We''re going to the Apple Store, so I''ll put it on nav for you, kid."


    "Thanks. I''ve never dared try to go there."


    Solaris leaned back and looked at Penny. ¡°So is Marcus out of school? You mentioned he missed the deadline for college?¡±


    "He graduated, near the top of his high school class this year and turned eighteen a month ago." She explained. "We used to live in the same building before the infestation happened.¡±


    "Yeah. By the way, Grandmother wants you to come visit. She says she''ll make Pho."


    Solaris remembered Penny saying her building had gotten condemned., ¡°Do you have a job?¡± she asked Marcus.¡±


    "I did, I was working at a bodega for over a year, but some asshat with a shotgun decided to rob the owner and shot him a couple of months back. I was there, he shot me too. Guess when I found out I had powers." He muttered. "The dude ran, and I managed to try and stop Mr Suvichi¡¯s bleeding. Lucky for me Penny Dreadful back there wandered in, found my glowing ass trying to save the old man."


    "He made it, but he closed up the shop and moved in with his daughter. He was pushing seventy and she''d been asking him to for years. Hell of a way to decide it was time."


    ¡°That is terrible, I¡¯m glad to hear your boss made it. Penny, what do you think of hiring Marcus to drive while we are in the city? That way we won¡¯t need to worry about the car.¡±


    "Means you have someone handy to run errands and such even if I''m not around." She mused.


    "So basically, I get to be your own personal Uber. I could roll with that. And she''s right, I''m good at errands, and maybe you can help me with the whole hero and future thing." His tone of voice grew progressively softer, a young man admitting he wanted help from an older, wiser person.


    ¡°Of course, that is why I was making the offer, that and you are Penny¡¯s friend. As I said hero¡¯s work with a team and for now you are part of mine.¡±


    "I can roll with that."


    "And we''ll sign you up for online college, too!" Penny said.


    "You hate me, don''t you?"


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with Trade School as well, mechanics never have to look hard for work.¡± Solaris said practically.


    "Right, right... we''ll talk about that later... weren''t we going somewhere?" He pulled out of the garage, and into New York traffic, surprisingly calm for a driver in the city. Once again, the amount of glass and cars and people became apparent, though here and there signs of older things, parts from the past, could still be seen.


    Solaris watched the city fascinated by the variety of styles. ¡°Looks like hats and gloves have fallen out of vogue.¡±


    "They come and go, but yeah, nothing like you saw back in the day." Penny agreed. "And you might be noticing people are a bit more casually dressed."


    ¡°Yes and scantly.¡± she said, watching a woman whose butt was almost hanging out of her too small shorts with a top that had less fabric than seemed wise.


    "Okay, so, that''s a skank, and you cannot judge the rest of humanity by them." Penny observed. "I mean, nothing wrong with showing off a bit, but good lord!"


    ¡°Indeed!¡± She agreed. ¡°But in general, the clothing seems more abbreviated.¡±


    "Yeah... you''re not wrong."


    ¡°Sign of a good economy.¡± Marcus commented. ¡°Hemlines rise the better it is, and drop the worst. And I learned that from a documentary, before you ask.¡± The car pulled up in front of an almost painfully white store. "How very austere.¡± Solaris said after getting out of the car. ¡°It looks almost more like a jewelry store with all the lights.¡±


    "That''s not entirely wrong, considering Apple watches." Penny chuckled. "We''ll call when we''re done. We''re going to be getting her set up for a while."


    Marcus saluted, and said something about a hamburger before pulling out back into the madness of New York traffic. Figuring they¡¯d be at it for a while he considered how to spend the time. Well, after he turned up the surprisingly kick ass sound system.


    Spotting a deli with actual street parking in front of it he cheered and pulled into the spot, or more accurately let the truck pack itself just shaking his head and enjoying not having to do it himself. Climbing out he set the alarm and started walking into the shop.


    He frowned, pausing and looking around. Something seemed off to him. Then his eyes caught the movement of a slim girl, a young woman his age moving through the crowd on the street, towards the outdoor seating for a bar and grill a half a block away. Recognizing her, he started to follow, struggling to keep his eyes on her in the crowded sidewalk.


    To be fair, he knew he¡¯d have trouble if they were the only two people around.


    He got close just as her hand snaked out, reaching for an old ladies purse as the woman was showing her friend a picture on a cell phone. Before she could touch the designer leather, Marcus¡¯s hand snatched out and caught her wrist, pulling her back and away.


    ¡°Who the fuck!¡±


    ¡°Hi there Z, your mom was wondering when you were going to get home. Something about not seeing you for a month or two.¡± Marcus snapped, pulling her further away from the table. ¡°Do you want to get popped again?¡±


    Smirking, she leaned forward, opening her mouth as if to answer, moments before driving her knee into his groin, causing him to gasp in pain and let her go.


    ¡°Back off, Marc.¡± She snapped, dashing off, grabbing a handful of cash from a waitress who had just settled a bill as she passed, almost knocking her down.


    ¡°God damn it.¡± He muttered, taking off after her.


    Running, she was a lot easier to keep track off, though she wormed her way through the crowd easily. Unlike her eel like movements, he had to stagger, and dodge through the crowd, apologizing to people as he bumped into them, before turning to follow her down an alley.


    Cursing, he looked around, trying to find her. ¡°Zoya, come out, damn it. This is stupid!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s stupid is why everyone else in the world ignores me, but you just can¡¯t help but notice.¡± The girl said, stepping from behind a dumpster where she¡¯d been hiding. ¡°What the hell is with you.¡±


    ¡°Z, I¡¯m not sure what you think you¡¯re doing. Stealing from people? In public? Didn¡¯t you learn anything in Juvie?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, picking locks and how to kick the shit out of some bitch who stole my ramen.¡± She picked up a bottle and hurled it at his head, stepping back in surprise when he started to glow blue, the bottle shattering against his forcefield.


    ¡°I learned some new stuff too.¡± Marcus said. ¡°Now calm down, and come on. Your mom would love to see you, and I can help you out too. This stealing and running, you don¡¯t have to do this anymore. He¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and so am I. Leave me alone, Marcus.¡± She stepped back, and it was as though the shadows swallowed the girl, and then she was gone.


    ¡°Well fuck. That¡¯s new.¡±

 Chapter 10: Pizza Party

    Pizza Party


    ¡°One argument that broke out amongst the various governments, communities, and citizen groups was, eventually, who was responsible for all the damage caused by super powered maniacs destroying segments of a community. Lawsuits were filed against villains and heroes alike, driving some heroes out of the business early on and leaving the villains very free to murder anyone who tried to hold them responsible for anything.¡±


    ¡°Eventually, the US came up with a voluntary inclusion to put on an empowered persons personal tax that caused a small, additional amount to be taken out of their returns in order to build an emergency fund for the repair of damages. It was supported by both the hero community and congress and passed popularly in the late sixties.¡±


    ¡°Of course, then it got treated like social security, a slush fund for every bad decision made by the government and led to FEMA still being the underfunded shell of an organization which failed in mitigating so many disasters in the early part of the century.¡±


    Andrew Fitzgerald, Analysis of Public Service and the Heroic Age


    After a lengthy trip to the Apple store, leaving one Very happy sales girl Solaris was finishing up her first text to Marcus asking him to come get them. ¡°Sincerely, Elizibeth Summers.¡±


    ¡°Did you really just write all that out as a message to Marcus?¡± Penny asked, raising an eyebrow. She¡¯d watched as the blonde woman had tapped out a lengthy message, muttering softly to herself till ending it there.


    ¡°Well you hadn¡¯t gotten into etiquette yet. Oh, he replied. What. What are all these images? Hand making an okay sign. Then I don¡¯t know what these are.¡±


    ¡°They''re called emojis.¡± Penny said. ¡°Probobly just means he¡¯s on his way.¡± She led her out the door, and onto the street, pulling out her own new phone, tapping a message to the boy. ¡°There¡¯s a small bar just a little down the way, we can wait for him there, and I can get some of those questions out of the way.¡±


    They walked quickly through the late afternoon crowd. ¡°You did mention having a survey for me.¡± She mentioned as they sat at a table near the front door, absently watching the traffic drive past.


    "Not so much a survey, but that''s not inaccurate either. It¡¯s a general questionnaire we give to registering heroes, kind of a mix of psych profiling as well as giving us a feel for their mindset and goals. In your case it''s more a formality but it''s something we require to ''authorize'' someone to be active in the ¡®community¡¯. Authorization means you are covered from certain drawbacks of a super powered fight."


    ¡°Ahh. It should be no issue. Heaven knows I¡¯ve been through plenty of evaluations before.¡± Looking at her wrist then the clock on her new phone. ¡°My, that took more than a little while. It¡¯s about time for dinner.¡±


    "I''ll text Michelle about dinner, since I''m betting your banker will already have some suggestions for you, or at least questions." She chuckled, turning to the waitress and ordering a glass of white wine for both. "And I know the answer to some of these just by being around you. Hobbies, that¡¯s a good question. I know you were big into baseball back in the day, but I also know you had a license to drive and pilot airplanes back then too. Are you wanting to renew those? We can arrange that easily enough."


    ¡°I might as well. I enjoy driving for fun, though I admit I prefer a driver for most city driving. And flying is just enjoyable in a plane or on my own. Do you have a license? If not, I don¡¯t mind sponsoring it for you.¡±


    "Obviously I know how to drive, yes, but I haven''t gotten a pilot license. I''ve kind of wanted one, but I focused on suits and those required enough training during the academy." She admitted. "And I imagine ground school is easier with a partner to work with. Maybe we include Marcus in this, and he can play copilot when you want to go somewhere long-distance."


    ¡°Piloting lessons?¡± Solaris considered it, taking a sip. ¡°Not a bad idea, and a good trade to learn as well.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°He needs the job, and it¡¯d let me keep my eye on him.¡± She looked up. ¡°Speak of the devil. You made good time, but you better not get a ticket, kid. She is thinking of making your job a long term thing.¡±


    ¡°Right, no tickets. Got you. Wait, Like a real job? Does that mean I¡¯ll get paid?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ll get paid. Now take us to Lombardies. I¡¯m starving.¡± Solaris said cheerfully.


    .


    ¡°Man, it''s too bad I have to stay in the car. Mind bringing me a slice? I never got my lunch. I got, um, distracted.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen enough young privates eat to know you need more than a slice.¡± Solaris teased


    "Well, okay, bring me a small pie, and I''ll eat it at the hotel before going home. I''m guessing you aren''t planning on being out super late."


    ¡°No, not tonight after dinner I¡¯ll head back to the hotel and practice using all the new tech the lieutenant insisted I get. Things are likely to get busier for a bit after today.¡±


    "Busy and not busy, to be fair. You have no serious demands on your time, technically. "


    Solaris nodded ¡°No but I have a lot to learn and set up. I¡¯m a little annoyed that none of my American properties are left.¡±


    "It sounds like a lot of it was bad luck, and seventy years of being empty." Penny pointed out. " But to be fair, considering the era in question, you''d have to do a major remodel on all of them at this point if they had."


    I intellectually know that it just rankles a bit that instead of my lovely flat with a patio garden that I left three days ago I must bunk up in a hotel. It¡¯s a nice hotel, but not home.


    "Right, priority one. Find a home for you." The kid said from the front. "Stability is kind of a big deal, so getting you some is the best thing we can do." Seeing Penny¡¯s expression he sighed. "Look, when mom and dad passed, they had me in therapy with Grandma cause I was angry. But she was there, she''d always been there, and I needed it. Just cause you can storm the beaches of Normandy doesn''t mean you don''t have the human need for a place to call your own."


    ¡°That is very wise, Marcus. I think that is one of the things Michelle is going to be working on. I¡¯ll probably get a flat somewhere in or near the city. I need somewhere for Hugh to show up unexpectedly¡±


    "Hugh is your brother, yes? Are you sure you want that in the city proper? I mean, the suburbs are great, and less crowded.¡±


    ¡°He went the spook route, then they gave him the same serum that worked on me though its effects were different for him. He¡¯s never come in a door if he could use a window.¡± She smiled as she saw the pizza place. ¡°American pizza, like baseball, I never get tired of it.¡±


    "I''m from down south a bit more, so I''m not quite the worshiper that my New Yorker friends are, but I am willing to attend the church. "


    Michelle the banker, in more casual attire than earlier, raised a hand to summon them to the table she''d claimed, the restaurant already quite busy. She''d taken the chance to order some smaller sides for everyone to enjoy as well. ¡°Good evening. Make sure I mention something work related, then the appetizers are a business expense." She said with a wink.


    Solaris laughed, ¡°Well Penny and Marcus have convinced me to buy some sort of new home.¡±


    "That would be a good place to start. Any idea what you''d want in a home? With as much business as you are likely to be involved in, New York is likely to be a frequently used residence.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps something just outside of the city proper, with space for some sort of garden. I like having a green space. It will need a good sized space to entertain, and a nice kitchen for a cook.¡±


    "Any requirements for the size of the house, other than a good kitchen and entertainment space?


    ¡°Hmm, I think at least four bedrooms. That way there is space for Penny and any guests. two master¡¯s. Someplace for the housekeeper I will need to hire to stay..¡±


    "So you want to keep staff on property? It''s not unusual now to have housekeepers come in from outside, with insured and bonded services."


    ¡°I prefer to have at least one member of staff staying at the house. If the manager I hire wants to contract out the cleaning and such that is fine, As you said I am likely to be fairly mobile, and empty houses are often filled with trouble, it''s better to have someone watching.


    "It''s something I can consider. I will contact a realtor I know, and bring you the best options that are move-in ready. We should get you somewhere more Comfortable quickly."


    ¡°That sounds delightful, thank you.¡± She chuckled. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted this potential house. ¡°I am getting more excited about this. I do enjoy hosting a good party.¡±


    "Then I have criteria to give the realtor. And while they hunt for the perfect house you can shop till you drop tomorrow, and make some happy salespeople at Bergdorfs day."


    Solaris laughed. ¡°I plan on it! I asked Penny to find me a car with plenty of room for shopping.¡±


    ¡°I am now a little intimidated.¡± Penny said dryly.

 Chapter 11: Glow Up.

    Glow up


    ¡°Curiously, as wild as the world went about superheroes in the very beginning, not many became fashion icons. While many heroes would wear flamboyant uniforms or costumes, depending on the reader''s preference, these didn¡¯t become popular on the civilian clothing front.¡±


    ¡°Partially this could be due to the practical elements that such costumes had, such as utility belts or helmets which caused people to shy away. Hairstyles were a bit more common to see picked up by fans, but even then, hero practicality kept them away from even the most basic of updos.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t to say there wasn¡¯t a closet community of stylists who focused on the hero set. This is likely where the war on the cape started.¡±


    The next day found Solaris smiling, almost dancing, through the hotel room. ¡°I am so glad we are going shopping today. While these sweatpants and t-shirts are comfortable, I feel like I am running around in my night clothes, and the laundress here is going to wear them out with how often she¡¯d have to wash them otherwise.¡±


    ¡°I think they¡¯ll hold up a little longer.¡± Penny teased, ¡°but based on the reputation of Bergdorf Goodman I am sure they will get you set up properly. Whatever that means for terrifyingly rich people.¡± Penny mentioned. ¡°They apparently still had your file from previous visits in their archive!¡±


    ¡°Truly, you can¡¯t beat the service there on this side of the pond. In London we would go to Selfridges or Harrods. There are perhaps some specialty stores in Paris that are worth hitting but then we¡¯d have to go to France. And most stores certainly can¡¯t get one set up with everything they might need in one stop, barring the technology everyone seems to think is essential now.¡±


    Solaris paused, realizing she was rambling and considered Penny. ¡°Mmm, maybe I¡¯ll have them do a wardrobe for you as well.¡± Her eyes were slightly mischievous. ¡°After all, if you do decide to be my assistant, and companion you will want to look the part.¡±


    Penny panicked, and pointed at Marcus ¡°Then do him too! Look at the boy, driving dressed like a hoodlum.¡±


    ¡°I am wearing a Yankees t-shirt. ¡°


    ¡°We can do that, he should look a bit sharper when he¡¯s driving, especially for special occasions. I was thinking of siccing the butler on him if he made it to England with me, But no reason not to start polishing him up now.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean I get to come into this place? I was getting used to living in the car.¡±


    ¡°Yes I think that would be good.¡± Solaris said, ¡°We will have to get a before and after photograph.¡±


    ¡°Oh lord. You¡¯re as bad as Grandma. Oh, we are going to need to take a small detour. Apparently, some c list villain tried to rob a bank. I mean, what is this, LA?¡±


    ¡°From your statement, it sounds like they were promptly stopped.¡±


    ¡°Idiot didn¡¯t notice the Empire Girl in the line next to him. He barely got ¡°this is a stickup¡± out before she fried him.


    ¡°Empire Girl? Tell me a bit about her. I¡¯ll admit I am so happy I didn¡¯t end up with ¡®girl¡¯ as part of my main nom de guerre.¡±


    ¡°Daughter of The Empire Statesman. Technically she is semi-retired as a public face. Flight and lightning, with remarkably fast reflexes, where her father was a growth size-shifter. She got stuck with the name as a kid sidekick.¡° Penny said knowing all the local capes was part of her job.


    ¡°Ahh, her face went soft, remembering the junior hero¡¯s she¡¯d worked with. I take it papa was a big enough name she couldn¡¯t choose a new one?¡±


    ¡°Literally.¡± Marcus said. ¡°Then he went to congress. And then, he slept with his secretary or intern or something. It was a whole thing, and all over the media for like six months last year. ¡°


    ¡°To be fair he was divorced. By then. ¡°


    Solaris made a slightly disgusted face ¡°It¡¯s never a good look, it''s just so¡­cheap.¡± How hard do you think it will be to find parking in the area?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d let their valet deal with it. That''s Fifth avenue. I wouldn¡¯t expect to find parking for multiple blocks.¡±


    Penny¡¯s gaze went to one of the famous display windows of Berghman "Okay, even I know this is an Icon in the city, and I''m not exactly high fashion." Penny admitted.


    ¡°Oh you¡¯ll love it.¡± Solaris promised. ¡°And treating oneself can make you feel unstoppable.¡±


    ¡°To be fair, you kind of are unstoppable.¡± Penny muttered.


    The Bergdhoff Goodman windows in view were, as usual, artwork dedicated to the height of fashion and consumerism, and stepping into the store was different. Displays were almost museum quality, in spite of being dedicated to consumer goods to buy, and even the building itself was styled, not the plain white of most department stores.


    A quick trip to the third floor saw them signing in at the personal shoppers¡¯ desk, quickly being led to a private room where the consultants were already awaiting them. "Lady Summers, a pleasure to have such a legendary client return after so long. I am your personal shopper and Stylist Pooja." The middle-aged woman greeted a pair of younger assistants setting out items on tables. A champagne flute was offered to her immediately, with one of the assistants offering drinks, not alcoholic but bubbly and sweet, to Penny and Marcus. "And we were warned you needed the full service."


    "Yes, it seems I am almost a century out of mode, so please do your worst. Also my companions will need some new things as well, day to day and event clothing for my assistant. Then I will also want some daily wear and special event clothing for my driver. and of course a couple of proper suits¡± Solaris took the Champaign with a smile, gesturing with it at Marcus and Penny. This she knew how to do, the slight fear on their faces amusing her.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "I''m assuming we should do the classic set for the driver. A good looking young gentleman is such a pleasure to dress. Wallace, You can handle him, take him over to menswear and start pulling together a collection . I''ll send a list in a bit, but he''ll need a few good suits. Sari, you can summon one of the juniors to assist you and handle this young lady. May I have your name?"


    "Um, Penny."


    "Ohhh, named after money. Excellent. Let''s get your sizes. I already have you scheduled for the Salon for a time while we pick, and I''m sure they can fit you in as well, Penny." With the amount the consultant estimated Solaris was going to spend, they damn well better be able to, or someone was getting stabbed with scissors.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Solaris said with a smile. ¡°Now where do you want to start? These clothes are comfortable around the house, but I do not like being out in public in them. It almost feels like wandering around in my night things. While still feeling overly masculine.¡±


    "First, of course, measurements. While getting those I''d like to find out what sort of styles you might like and events you''re planning for in the near future." The Pooja explained, gesturing at several magazines showing recent fashion trends. "For example, considering who you are, you''ll begin to get invitations to events, so I''d suggest some gowns. Business wear is a must, based on what we know of your reputation. And, of course, the more casual day to day wear for yourself, if not for your Penny or young Marcus.¡±


    ¡°That all sounds lovely.¡± Solaris said, climbing on top of a small podium, allowing her measurements to be taken, though as far as she knew her measurements hadn''t changed since 1944. ¡°I am a bit nervous about the day to day clothing. It''s much less formal than I remember and more revealing.¡±


    "Ahh, yes, you''re not quite ready for some of the more aggressive styles. We will definitely take that into account." The stylist agreed. "We¡¯ll keep things a bit more conservative for you. In fact, I''m going to aim for more fall, winter set for you for now, just to get you a head start."


    Solaris nodded. ¡°It was spring when I was last around.¡± Not that she noticed temperatures anymore, she was pretty much comfortable anywhere. She took another bracing sip of champagne ¡°Alright where do we start?¡±


    "Well, I thought we''d start with the side pieces that I wager you haven¡¯t even thought about yet. I''ve taken the opportunity to select a basic beauty kit for you here, assorted hair brushes, combs, makeup brushes, and other tools and accessories for primping. The hardware, if you will." She said, gesturing at one of the rolling tables, covered with brushes, combs, trimmers. "These are all going to be things you''re familiar with, at least similar tools, and I thought would be a good place to start."


    Solaris smiled, ¡°Bless you, I didn''t even think about all that.¡± she admitted. ¡°I got a little overfocused on clothing¡± She picked up some odd stretchy circles. ¡°What are these?¡±


    "¡°Hair bands, essentially rubber bands, but designed to not damage your hair when putting it up.¡± She gestured to her younger assistant, who did her long hair up quickly into a ponytail. They are a must for when one is on the go, and just needs to throw her hair up... much as I would deny ever doing such myself."


    ¡°That would be wonderful for working out, ribbons never did very well for holding my hair back without a lot of pins. She eagerly followed the assistant''s example and did her golden hair into a ponytail.


    Pooja, the stylist, nodded. "You''ll find them in there too, don''t worry. And I''ll have more brought in to add to the sundries." she chuckled. "Now, handbags... while I have obviously not started selecting for specific outfits quite yet, and I would never deny a woman the joy of hunting the perfect bag for herself, I thought some stand byes for the time being would be good." She pulled another cart over.


    "Of course, we also selected a small travel case, as well as a larger luggage case for your items, as we were told you are in the market for a new residence." She explained, gesturing to a larger, and smaller, make up bag.¡±


    "Now for the fun part. ¡°First, an evening bag. The clutch is falling more to the wayside due to cell phones, and I thought this might fill that role better for you." The bag was a muted gold tone, smallish but more than a clutch, with a gold chain. "It¡¯s chain is designed so you can wear it more as a wristlet, or a cross-body bag depending on how you orient it. As for the color, I thought it would go well with your own hair and skin tones."


    Solaris nodded, ¡°This is nice. I like the chain detail. I was in the apple store yesterday and I just felt naked without some sort of handbag. I like this. It can go in the approved pile. She caressed purses enjoying the feeling of leather and Luxury fabric. I will say this for the new times, the purses are divine, so many styles and materials. It''s going to be hard not to be horribly naughty and buy them all."


    "Speaking of which, in a style that might be a bit of a surprise, backpacks." She chuckled. "In this case, designed by Akris, these are designed cleverly." She lifted a black, vaguely diamond shaped backpack, and by redoing a few snaps turned it into more of a ''shopping'' bag arrangement. "Good for when you''re going to be running about all day or carrying a large amount with you. This is big enough to suit even a laptop or tablet in need. I fetched both the black and this lovely blue version."


    ¡°What interesting detailing.¡± she tried it on feeling how it would hang. "It''s quite sleek, and black is a good neutral, go with anything sort of color.¡± She set it next to the gold purse. ¡°It looks like an excellent day to day bag.¡±


    "Exactly my thought, and the blue would go well with brighter outfits, though a basic black is never out of style." Pooja said, lifting the same purse in a bright royal blue.


    ¡°Oh, you devil! I was eyeing that one. The color is so bright and cheerful. And blue is still my favorite color. Depending on what I''m wearing when I leave, that very well may be the one on my shoulder!¡±


    "Excellent! Then I chose well for these." She gestured and three hard-cased suitcases were brought over. ranging from a larger to smaller size, each was a blue tone, but sturdy looking case. "Porsche may be known mostly for automobiles, but these are their line of travel cases which we carry. They are extremely durable, something I thought you would appreciate, while remaining stylish if austere, and very secure. And again, something I thought you''d need."


    Solaris nodded, tapping a finger on the case pleased with how sturdy it felt. ¡°Interesting. It looks a bit like a jerry can with wheels. she laughed. "But this would keep one''s shoes safe. I do like the little handle and I can see how the wheels would be helpful." To other people, since she could carry a 500 pound barbell one handed like a purse but Marcus or Penny may have to deal with it so the wheels were still useful.


    "There is also a larger garment bag, not as sturdy but not as rough on delicates, and this clever little wallet. Your cards go in this aluminum sleeve to pop up for you," She displayed the feature" and you can open it to reveal other documents or IDs and it''s protected from pesky electronic pickpockets who might try to scan and steal your information. And of course, a passport carrier of the same design. I fetched out three sizes to give you options when traveling. With all three, let''s just say you should be able to carry whatever you need to the field of beauty and battle, with the garment bag for delicates. If you like I could have one or two pulled for your assistant or driver, if you think they might need them."


    ¡°Oh yes, I doubt Marcus has a set, and Penny¡¯s likely to be a left over from college. Do one set of each. I''m planning on taking a ship over to England once I have things settled here. Do you have anything like my Louis Vuitton steamer trunk?¡± I need to find that¡­ Maybe it''s wherever they stored my clothing and apartment goods¡­


    "Of course, and I''ll note cruise wear as something they''ll need a bit of." The stylist noted. "Let me look into the trunk. I admit, I''m not an expert at our luggage collection."


    "For now, I think we have the basics together, and I see we are close to the salon appointment. Off you go, I shall have marvelous things collected for you.¡±

 Chapter 12 Spa Day

    Spa Day


    The influence of super-heroes and, though we pretend otherwise, super-villains on fashion is not something that can be properly ignored. While the War in Afghanistan seems to have caused a surge in the ¡®tactical look¡¯ among some segments of American style, so to does the battle of titans in city streets on a weekly basis.


    While yoga pants might have become popular anyway, especially considering how the third decade of the century started, one piece body suits made out of advanced materials have surged into dominance in sports.


    Then there¡¯s the developments in fashion specifically to suit the Enhanced. Sunrise Shoes, who provides specialized heel and soles to the shoe industry at large, has been the leader in super-strength and speed surviving footwear since the 1940¡¯s. Norelco¡¯s obsidian shaver line allows clean shaven looks for even the most durable of super men without them going through a dozen razors to scrape off that five o¡¯clock shadow.


    Still, the hassles of day to day grooming might be why so many supers wear long leggings and full face masks.


    Rachel Omuru, Fashion and Style in the 2020¡¯s


    ¡°Hello Penny, how are you enjoying Bergdorfs,¡± Solaris asked as she met her assistant at the in store spa


    "I''m slightly overwhelmed. Did you really order me luggage? I mean, I appreciate it, but I think you can buy an actual porsche for the price of those things. I''m tempted to check!¡± then she giggled. ¡°Then you¡¯d order the Porsche I found.¡±


    ¡°Ehh, Depends on what it looks like, some of the italian cars just don''t quite speak to me.¡±


    A tall thin man, clean shaven in a white shirt and black slacks came over and introduced himself as Andre. Solaris blinked at the way he moved and spoke, He was the most homophyllic man she¡¯d ever seen, and she¡¯d never seen one out so¡­brazenly.


    Penny greeted Andre easily, Elizabeth noticing that she didn¡¯t react to his obvious nature, settling into a chair next to Elizabeth as a parade of cosmetics and care products were presented to them as the stylists considered their hair and nails and what suggestions they would make. Penny, in this case, was more comfortable having her personal makeup kit and picking a few things hesitantly to add to it.


    ¡°Well, you are coming to England with me right? You¡¯re going to need proper bags, I didn¡¯t want you to worry about your new things. I selected a set for Marcus as well.¡± She glanced at Andre ¡°Be careful my hair is very, very tough. Fortunately it still styles mostly the same but scissors are not going to work and may be damaged.¡±


    "Oh, of course. We''ve been warned." The stylist pulled out a case, a light glowing on the front to signify charging what was inside. "My master weapon. Synthetic sapphire bladed shears with precision response actuators. I could shave anything short of diamond down with these, my dear. So, what shall we do? A simple trim and style, or something dramatic?"


    ¡°Well, my last trim was done with wire snips in the 1950s.¡± Solaris said with a laugh. ¡°Your super sheers will be a magnificent treat! Assuming they work as you advertise.¡±


    "Well dear, watch this.." He lifted a lock of hair, showed her a split end tuft, and trimmed it with a soft hum and snip, snip, snip. "You just sit back, relax, and we''ll get everything neat, smooth, and maybe even shiny without needing to glow."


    Solaris almost teared up, she¡¯d not had a proper cut in years. She relaxed and let his soothing hands tend her. ¡°You have no idea what a miracle you are to me right now.¡± She said softly.


    "You''re not the first Super to sit in my chair, my dear. Think of all those poor girls stuck going to strip mall haircut shops. There''s a reason a lot of you ladies have long hair." he chuckled as he worked, while a nail tech using a dremel with a diamond tip to start a manicure and pedicure for the relaxing woman.


    ¡°Darling, I may just set up a fund so you can cut their hair, I missed this so much. I have spent hours in chairs getting put together for events, and it¡¯s always a chore, not a pleasure. This is pure heaven.¡±


    "I''ll arrange for someone to get you the company name. It''s professional spa equipment, so not on the sales floor, even here." He chuckled. "Fortunately, your hair is otherwise rich and healthy, so once this trimming is done it''ll be a dream to work with a stylist before an event."


    ¡°I¡¯ll use that information, I promise.¡± she sat silently for a while just savoring getting to feel like every other woman. ¡°Well that¡¯s enough being maudlin. How do you think Marcus is faring?¡±


    "Didn''t you notice he''s four chairs over? And asleep?¡± Penny actually giggled. ¡°I have no idea what they''re doing to his skin and hair, but I am slightly afraid his grandmother won''t recognize him."


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see him come in. I wonder what he thinks of this, and you to be fair. I rather swept you along. I hope you don¡¯t mind getting caught in my momentum, though it does tend to happen.¡±


    "Yeah, I''m trying not to think about how my paycheck wouldn''t cover any of this reasonably. You are just set. Why did you do the hero thing? You sure as hell didn''t need the money."


    ¡°I was raised to serve. My father was a career navy man, an admiral and my mother filled her time with charity work. Neither had any use for the idly wealthy, both my brother and I were encouraged to find our own way to serve. I chose nursing, I loved being able to directly help people. When the war started I signed up with my brother. Because of our family¡¯s reputation we were both put in special services, me working at a lab trying to improve upon our soldiers, Hugh as a man of many faces in the intelligence service.


    ¡°When I became enhanced, quite by accident, it was a natural path. Father raised me to believe that it is the duty of the strong and the privileged to be better, not to act entitled. To inspire by our actions the best in others. And those boys I worked with, well they were brave but incautious men, they would have gotten themselves killed and I couldn¡¯t let that happen.¡±


    ¡°War always changes, but the warfighter is always young and brash.¡±


    Solaris nodded at the simple truth. ¡°Did they get you through all the clothing? That¡¯s next for me. I got a couple of purses, and sundries already chosen.¡±


    "They walked me through a few designs, and I think I''m going to be trying things back on after alterations. Some suits, some cruise things apparently, but nothing compared to what you have coming, obviously."


    ¡°Well, I assume that you at least have day to day wear, though I don¡¯t mind if you want to pick a few purses or casual clothing.¡±


    "I''ll consider that. I''m a bit over-awed as it is. Is this how you recruited this fabled Wendy? I heard you also paid for her whole wedding?"


    Solaris laughed. ¡°Yes, Wendy was assigned to me by the US government because I needed someone to keep track of my shows and commitments. She was delightfully unimpressed by all the superhero malarkey. And like you I hired her out to be my personal assistant and companion. And yes, we got her wedding dress at this establishment''s own boutique.¡±


    ¡°Nice.¡±


    ¡°It was beautiful.¡±


    An hour later, they were back to the try on room, the walls covered with dresses, gowns, outfits, and separates. "Welcome back. Feeling pampered?" Pooja asked as they returned.


    ¡°Yes, that was divine, Solaris said looking at her nails now covered in a pearly blue and gold paint. It is an experience I will be having again!¡±


    "We''re glad to hear it. Now, I don''t want to overwhelm, so I picked a kind of starter set. I selected Three formal gowns and five party dresses of a less formal nature for you to select from. I don''t know if you''d have anything on the line already, but thought you might like an option or three already in the closet for if something comes up."


    Solaris nodded, starting to look at the clothing, touching the fabrics and holding some in front of her to judge the fit. ¡°I have no idea if anything I have in storage would be at all relevant, So I am going to want a full kit. But no reason to do it all in one go..¡± She looked at a pale pink dress with some clever rushing under the breasts. ¡°I like this one, but I¡¯ll want a dickie with it. The neckline is a bit too daring. But it will look stunning with my chocolate mink capelet.¡±


    Pooja gave a soft purr thinking of it. "Oh, furs never go out of fashion, as long as you avoid the PETA people and yours are vintage, so no one will sniff at them really." She nodded. "We can find a shell to put under it, something silk." Solaris nodded as an assistant moved the dress to the accepted rack.


    "Here is a suggestion I have for more business wear. Being a Super, you get a buy on being a bit flamboyant, and it speaks to me..." It was a dark blue pantsuit, with a small galaxy of tiny crystals in the jacket and slacks, to which the Englishwoman quickly agreed. Liking the charm and the cut. "Now, with your background, I thought something for tennis clubs or polo might be wise, so I was going to suggest these, a day party dress if you will."


    Solaris selected and rejected items decisively. Preferring bold colors,and fabrics that where rich but not too shiny. ¡°Yes to the white tennis dress, no to the purple. I love the color and the sleeves but I think it will just make me look shorter than I am, as billowing as it is.¡±


    "Hmmm, a point I did not think of. But then, you are authoritative so it''s easy to miss your height." She sent the purple dress away. "Now... perhaps some casual options?"


    A couple of hours later the stylist nodded at the approved rack. "I think that this gets you the basics all together. You''ll of course need another appointment soon to fill out your closet once you have more of a sense of the times, and of course your own shopping adventures at other locales, but I am sure what you have will suit for a short time at least." She chuckled.


    Solaris nodded, ¡°You are not wrong. It¡¯s better to stop before getting too tired to make good decisions, and I am starting to get a bit peckish. I think it¡¯s time to gather my companions and get some dinner.¡±


    "Absolutely." She agreed." I''ve got the dress you wanted to wear out, ready for you here, and the items ready to go home will be bagged up. The things requiring tailoring will be delivered by tomorrow morning to your hotel.¡±


    Solaris changed into a rose gold sweater dress with a cute pair of gold tone heels, putting her phone and wallet into the new backpack purse. She smiled at Penny who had opted to wear what she came in wearing. ¡°I feel so much better now.¡±


    ¡°I imagine it must be better wearing your own skin, so to speak.¡±


    ¡°Did you have fun?¡±


    "It was a wild experience, and enjoyable. I also managed to find a place for dinner and I''m paying. This is a lot.¡± She glanced out the door. ¡°Yes you can come to Marcus, and get in here. You¡¯re looking good!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to Fogo de Chao, it¡¯s within walking distance so we can come back for the car. Brazilian food and eat till you can''t. You both will love it."


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever had Brazilian, that sounds perfect, I¡¯ll handle the tip though. Did you enjoy yourself Marcus?¡±


    "I was a bit blown away. How do I look, by the way? They, um, the old lady said something about burning my outfit from before." He frowned and shrugged. He wore a gray designer t-shirt under a charcoal sports coat, with black slacks, and sturdy walking boots. "It was the only wear out option that she''d allow me?" He was confused by that too. "I think that the lady must know my Granny. She had the same glare."


    ¡°Years of practice with trust fund princesses.¡± Solaris suggested.


    Penny glanced up from her phone. "By the way, Michelle sent me a potential house. I''ll go over it with you later, but it certainly seems to check all your boxes and then some.


    ¡°Oh, that is good to hear! I can¡¯t wait to see it! Her blue eyes sparkled. She was feeling much more comfortable.¡±

 Chapter 13 Take Me Out to the Ball Game

    Take Me Out to the Ball Game


    ¡°During the war, the United States did some things for what looked like counter intuitive reasons. Ace Pilots were tracked and brought home when their number of kills got high, and Medal of Honor winners were brought home almost immediately, and the original Guardian team of Supers was based out of Baltimore, far from the front.¡±


    ¡°This was done for two reasons. One, morale. The stress of rationing along with loss of favored forms of entertainment in favor of the war effort. It was better to use them to stir up purchases of war bonds than to fight on the front lines, though all managed to get back to the fight eventually.¡±


    ¡°Even as strong as someone like Solaris was, the bombproof bombshell drew alot more attention when she was dressed pretty and visiting baseball games to stir up the public.¡±


    Elizabeth had fallen in love with the house at first sight, it had plenty of bedrooms and space for offices. It had a pool house that would work for her house manager, a spot for a boat, and space to put in plenty of gardens and a greenhouse. With throwing a bit of money at the problem she¡¯d managed to secure the house quickly. A few more calls had movers bringing in all her packed furnishings and the contents of her New York storage locker to her new home.


    The blonde woman sat on the couch that had been her favorite perch in her apartment all those years ago, though the volume of the living room made it clear it was not going to be able to do the job here. She watched workmen carefully bringing more delicate items into the house, while appraisers examined things.


    ¡°Is everyone here yet?¡± She asked Penny, thinking it felt a bit like Christmas, opening and reclaiming her past. It was also strange that it¡¯d been two weeks for her, but seventy years for the rest of the world.


    "Except the art guys. They¡¯re stuck in traffic. The people looking at your furs took them for cleaning and reconditioning, though they said they were fantastic otherwise." The lieutenant replied. ¡°The baseball guys are downstairs in the bar, to be out of the way.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s be naughty and visit the baseball people first. It will be nice to talk to other people who love the game.¡±


    The team of appraisers, including one person from the Yankee¡¯s own museum staff, greeted the two women as they entered. The oldest gentleman offered his hand, after removing a latex glove. "Good morning, I¡¯m Jake Rizzo. Thank you for letting us look at your collection here." He said, waving his hand at the three other people, who were carefully shuffling through stacks of cards, slipping cards into binder pages they¡¯d brought along. Several cards had already entombed in plastic cases that looked very secure to the time-lost hero. "Even as old as these are, most aren''t going to be very valuable, but we''ve already seen some that are quite valuable, and we''ve just started." He said. "That¡¯s ignoring the most significant cards, which we looked for first.¡±


    Solaris smiled. ¡°Looks like you haven¡¯t gotten far in the collection yet. Somewhere in here are my framed sets.¡± She went over to a box, opening a small one at random ¡°Penny this one is my photos! Myself with the St. Louis Browns!¡±


    "Is it weird that pictures from St. Louis without a big arch in them confuse me? But what are the St. Louis Browns?¡±


    ¡°They moved to Baltimore and became the Orioles.¡± One of the experts said.


    One of the movers slipped down. ¡°You want the big walnut four poster and the matching set in the Master bedroom, right?¡± He asked. ¡°They¡¯ve finished examining it and said it¡¯s in good shape to be used like you want.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, thank you.¡± Solaris was peeking in other boxes ¡°Ahh! Look my baseball uniform.¡± What she pulled out reminded the contemporary folk around her of the outfits from A League of Her Own, though in Yankee¡¯s colors. It was in a box, well packed and displayed like a wedding dress. ¡°I wore this when I went to the games. I had others for different teams during the war, but don¡¯t know where all of them may have gotten too.¡±


    "Oh lord, that was fortunate to be packed well." The collectables expert said, looking it over. "It looks like it''s still in shape to be worn, even."


    "They had the storage containers in climate-controlled conditions. There''s been very little damage that we''ve seen, beyond just time." Penny said.


    ¡°I was worried about things getting wet and damaged. Nereid teased me about my very British need to catalog and store everything. Are the cards what you¡¯re most interested in?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily, but it¡¯s a good starting point as we can look things up online easily.¡± The older man said. ¡°Though considering your appearances during World War II, this dress would be appraised highly, I¡¯m sure. That I¡¯d have to research to estimate though.¡±


    "That and the signed balls, of course." One of the others said, looking at one of the balls in question. "Though sadly, the cards and balls are both going to be below mint quality, but that isn''t anything you did. You wouldn''t have known how things would change."


    ¡°Somewhere there¡¯s a couple of cases of cards I never got around to opening.¡±


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "We found the sealed boxes. Topps 1952 series. I¡¯d have called them crates more than cases. " The group chuckled. "We weren¡¯t sure if we should suggest opening them, or leaving them sealed as a representation of fans'' dreams."


    "Schrodingers Baseball Card." Penny joked.


    ¡°You could find the most common of cards, or the more dear but no way to know which.¡± Elizabeth nodded. Then she giggled. ¡°Penny, should I be very good and very naughty at the same time?¡±


    "Well now I¡¯m curious. Shoot."


    ¡°What do you think of taking a few of these cases and donating them to the Yankees so they can auction them for charity?¡±


    "You could damn near give some to every team. That''d be a wild event in the off season."


    Solaris looked thoughtfully, the tactician in her waking up, here was a way to do a lot of good AND get hours of entertainment. ¡°Penny, can you make a note? I need a person to handle publicity.¡± ¡°she began pacing, talking to herself. ¡° Don¡¯t want to devalue the cards by releasing too many.¡± she muttered. ¡° Yes, there are sixteen teams.¡±


    ¡°Thirty teams. There have been some expansions since you left.¡± The Yankee¡¯s representative said helpfully


    Solaris stopped pacing and blinked ¡°My it¡¯s almost doubled! That changes the math, but we have more than enough. What I am thinking is each team will get Three packs of cards to raise money for their preferred charity, one of those fundraisers must be a raffle with¡­ call it a one dollar per ticket fee so everyone can afford to participate. Then we will see which team and which league raises the most money and do some sort of extra benefit for them.¡±


    The winning team gets to host your personal collection for display first?¡± one of the card sorters said.


    ¡°Perfect!¡± Solaris said. ¡°Getting excited to do something big with the sport she loved.


    "I''ll look into publicity firms. It''s more than a one-man thing, these days." Penny chuckled.


    "I think that''s fantastic, and doing something to kick the NFL in the balls during winter will be gladly grasped by MLB." the Yankee¡¯s rep laughed.


    Solaris waved that away. She didn¡¯t care about the bizarre American rugby. She opened one of the larger crates. ¡°Ah yes, this is my Yankees 51 complete set! It was hanging in the apartment.¡± She took it over to the evaluators. ¡°Here you go, where would you like me to put this?¡±


    "Yankees 51..."


    "Oh wow, yeah, that''s all of them. Including Bera, Mantle, and DiMaggio. Nice set. Very nice set. And that¡¯s not just monetarily speaking."


    ¡°Yes, I told you I had all my sets mounted. White frames for the American League, black for the National league. If I had an office in a city with a team, it was done in their theme. I believe those boxes should be the rest of the sets, from forty-two to Fifty-one.¡± She pulled out another frame. ¡°Ah, forty-five. This one was the Pirates.¡±


    "I see why you planned to do your offices in that manner." he chuckled. "I want to find you a nice New York office to set you up in, just to display some of these," he admitted.


    She laughed and nodded, I¡¯ll probably set up my home office with the Yankees¡­mmm I¡¯ll need to get a new frame with the current roster. she pulled out her phone and asked siri to make a note to go buy baseball cards. ¡°I should go check on the furniture people, please let me know if you need any help.¡±


    The Yankees rep laughed and looked at Penny. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to my boss, I am sure we can set her up with a Yankee¡¯s dream office.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll love that, we¡¯ll make it a surprise.¡±


    Solaris walked to the living room where more people were going over furniture, house wear and clothing. She frowned. ¡°You were right Penny most of this just needs to go, it looks all wrong for the space.¡±


    "It''s all lovely, obviously quality when purchased and fine vintage pieces." one of the assessors said "but few pieces are of truly heirloom quality, with the exceptions are your bedroom set, this wardrobe which we were going to put in the back of the walk-in closet for more prestige items, and this China hutch. I actually have a dining room table and chairs in my showroom that would go well with these and the attending sideboard. It¡¯s huge, but so is this dining room.¡±


    Looking at a picture the woman offered, Solaris nodded. ¡°Oh yes, those would look nice. I¡¯ll take them, though I think I¡¯ll be having you sell most of this as well.¡±


    "Can do."


    "I suggest getting a proper storage rack unit for your vinyl collection as well." She suggested, gesturing at the records, and the record player. ¡°The player works, and the wax is all okay so far, and some of that you will just not be able to replace, especially the jazz.¡±


    ¡°Please get me one, the best for my needs. I would hate to lose my collection, though this Amazon music has been a delightful discovery on my phone.¡±


    Solaris smiled as she noticed one of the clothing items being hung on a temporary rack ¡°I got that particular coat when I was in Canada. It is delightfully warm and sinfully soft.¡± Her eyes went sad at a fine chocolate wool men''s coat, neck edged in mink joined it. ¡°That one can go. I thought I got rid of it. That was a Christmas present I bought for Reginald, there should be a matching hat and boots. I never got to give it to him. The maid must have stored it.¡±


    "Um. Yes, of course." The woman said awkwardly, then at Penny''s gesture from behind Solaris, she moved away, carrying the coat.


    "Hey now, you okay?" Penny asked, slipping between her and the workmen "Funny how things like that can sneak out and bite you, no matter how many decades slip by, hmm?"


    "You¡¯re not wrong. It has been 6 years since I lost him by my personal timeline. Most of the time now I''m fine. I miss him, but I''m alright. I have even been on a few dates. But, well. nothing really came of them. Hard to match up to a man shot down a hero during the war. That¡­and other issues.¡± Solaris shook off the tears and looked at Penny. ¡°Enough woolgathering, have you chosen a room yet?¡±


    "I kind of figured you''d want me around, so yeah. Claiming the office in the basement, since you want to use the big one off the entry.¡±


    ¡°They obviously need furniture, but I imagine we are going to be dealing with that sometime soon. I went and got an air mattress, and it''s really not bad, so I''m good till we go."


    ¡°Well I won¡¯t let you suffer that too long- Ohh! My travel trunk! She darted over to a blue and rose gold patterned chest. ¡°This has been all over the world with me.¡± She pulled it open, and the top drawer still had her old grooming tools, the vintage sellers were all drooling at the rare Louis Vuitton trunk, as she went through it pulling out her back up pearls, and putting them on, finding their cool weight comforting.


    Penny chuckled and glanced at the vintage furniture seller. "Yeah, so... you aren''t getting that. We both know it. It''s likely going to get its own alarm system."


    ¡°I¡¯m still annoyed that my trunk is too valuable to travel with.¡± She said ¡°The new suitcases are nice but it¡¯s not the same.¡±


    Penny nodded absently, as a jumpy man came and whispered in her ear ¡°Guns? Oh hell, show me." She followed him over to a rather large crate with US military markings, and inside were packing materials and guns. "Oh my lord, she really couldn''t help it. Solaris, what do you want to do with the crate of german military weapons, which in this state starts with making sure you can own them.?"


    ¡°Oh, this is stuff I stole from the Nazis.¡± She said waving a hand carelessly before she poked around in the box a bit. ¡°Looks like these are the smaller guns. These were at my storage in the Hamptons I think.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t really need them. Keep one of each type and sell the rest, unless you want something. The paperwork for them should be somewhere in the box.¡±


    "Um, right. Move these to my room for now, put them in the walk in, along with any other weapons you find. I''ll arrange for them to be sold." Penny said, needing to go through the box. She also made a note to order another safe, this time for guns, pre-ban WWII Machine guns were going to be worth as much as some of her baseball cards.


    ¡°There should be another crate with the big guns around here somewhere. We stole so much from the enemy; it was a game we all played.¡±


    ¡°Of course you did.¡± Penny said, shaking her head.

 Chapter 14 Capes and Flames

    Capes and Flames


    ¡°It''s not well documented, but evidence suggests that the first villains might predate the first heroes, while others suggest they appeared at the same time. I tend to lean towards the shared timeline.¡±


    ¡°The Blackhand, while they were active even as early as World War I, didn¡¯t start fielding their own super powered agents until sometime after the creation of the Guardians and the third Reich''s Ubertrooper program. Most likely they stole the technology.¡±


    ¡°So, of course, one of the worst came out of this era. Chimera, the living disaster, has been profiled as everything from a narcissist to a schizophrenic. Today, based on the attack on the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the destruction of so much of Oak Ridge Tennessee suggests to me that, whatever else he is Chimera is a clear and present threat to humanity that I urge the United Nations to list him as a warlord, wanted by the world court, and all nations on the Earth hunt this monster, who is no longer anything like a man, before he manages to truly become an existential threat to the world!¡±


    Canadian representative to the UN, 2003.


    Solaris let out a happy gasp as the movers brought in a heavy medium sized safe. ¡°She quickly had it open and pulled out a cedar wood box, she opened it and relaxed. ¡°Ah wonderful it is safe and sound, " she reached in the box and revealed a dark red woolen capelet, covered in badges, medals and ribbons. She set it on top of the safe bending down again to look in it ahh that didn¡¯t hold as well. Penny, can you get a camera over here? I am worried that the instructions on what goes where for my capelet will disintegrate if I move it.¡±


    "Shit, yeah. I can get that." She said, hurrying to take pictures, then a short video of the list. "Nice use of a cape, but that doesn''t look like a hero-cape kind of thing."


    It¡¯s not, it¡¯s a nurse¡¯s cape. I got it when I graduated from school. I wore it at full formal events. The College of Heralds had a fit figuring out where all the awards and sashes from other countries would go.¡±


    "Okay, that''s kind of cool, in an old school sort of way." Penny admitted. "Do we need to get the cape in a display or is it in a safe for a reason."''


    Solaris tapped her chin, I wanted to keep it safe, I was worried someone would try to steal it. but I guess it would be nice to display it. I think I¡¯d need a manikin to do it right.


    "With the old uniform, maybe? Could put it in the corner of the home office, for now. I''ll look into finding a display case for it, and a manikin."


    ¡°That could work,¡± she said, her fingers running over the pins and medals. ¡°Nothing too ostentatious though.¡± She saw her huge oak desk being carried into the office. ¡°Have you settled in? After arguing you down from finding your own new apartment I would be disappointed if you were avoiding it.¡±


    Penny rolled her eyes and nodded. "Bedroom furniture is about all I need. Well, that, and I will finally have to break down and buy a car. At some point you, me and Marcus are going to go in different directions for some reason.¡±


    Solaris shrugged ¡°We can go pick one up for you. Then we can go furniture shopping, I told the vintage furniture woman to just take the lot of it away, excepting what we¡¯d already put in place, and she may put it up for consignment.¡±


    "We will need a lot of it. With a living room, family room, entertainment room, and four bedrooms to fill, I mean. And that¡¯s ignoring those random little rooms we aren¡¯t sure what they were for. And the sunroom. I¡¯m kind of glad they left everything in the guest house. It means Granny Ruan is comfortable already, and so can ride herd on the movers and delivery people.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad she was willing to manage the house. I¡¯m likely to be fairly mobile for a while, I gave her the basic staffing list but told her I¡¯d leave the hiring to her discretion. She is a proper whipsaw of a woman.¡± Solaris said approvingly


    ¡°I am not sure what whipsaw means but thank you I suppose.¡± The older woman said with a chuckle. ¡°I heard you talking and thought I would peek in. Going furniture shopping?¡±


    ¡°And a car for Penny.¡±


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find something on my own later.¡±


    ¡°Actually, would it be possible to get a car for the house? Something simple for when errands must be run and you¡¯ve already taken my grandson on some errand?¡± Granny Ruan asked.


    ¡°Tell you what, we¡¯ll drop you off at a dealership, you can select one or two for the house to use. I trust your wisdom and can always veto your choices if I dislike them.


    ¡°Oh, and Penny, remind me to order Michelle a cheesecake and a bottle of champagne. This is the perfect house, and she deserves to be treated.¡± I still can¡¯t believe she found this so quickly.¡±


    Penny, distracted, didn¡¯t see Solaris lean into whisper instructions to the older woman


    An hour later saw Elizabeth and Penny walking into Dreamland Furniture. "I''d toyed with going to a place I found on Fifth avenue, but the stuff just looked like crap online. I figured we¡¯d try here first." Penny said. They found a massive showroom filled with sectional couches, recliners, dining room and bedroom sets.


    ¡°Excellent. they have a lot to choose from.¡± Solaris¡¯s eyes were drawn to an enormous three-part navel blue sectional with silvery gray trim. ¡°Ohh, that looks lovely.¡±


    "Well let''s go look at it. If you like it, that''s another room started." Penny said, following her boss towards the couch, chuckling at the salespeople talking in a corner, deciding who would approach. The agent knew they looked young, so they weren''t expecting much of a sale, the poor dumb suckers.


    Solaris sat down. ¡°Oh yes, I rather like this. It will need a coffee table, otherwise there is nowhere to put drinks. And a nice fluffy rug.¡±


    "It''s nice, and big enough for the living room, which is a concern... and they are sending the youngest, most scared looking salesperson to us. Oh, this is going to be fun."


    ¡°Great fun!¡± the blonde agreed, picking up just as Penny had that the sales staff was underestimating them.


    ¡°Hi, welcome to Dreamland. I¡¯m Lisa, can I help you look for something?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, let¡¯s start with this. We¡¯re going to buy this couch, along with this table, I think. Now, what do you have in bedroom sets? Oh, and perhaps deck furniture?¡±


    Solaris took a deep breath as they left the store, carrying two bags of bedding. ¡°Lord, the other salespeople looked like they were going to swallow their tongues, they were so shocked, and Lisa¡¯s eyes were about to pop out of her head when I handed her my card!¡±


    "Yeah, I think we''ve disrupted the local economy enough. We can hit Best Buy for electronics later. Or send Marcus with a wad of cash and a dream." Penny said, walking back towards the car. The sound of motorcycles growling filled the air, then yelling. "I wonder what that''s about." Penny muttered, looking around.


    A man with dozens of visible prison tattoo''s came roaring up on a sketchy looking bike, yelling something with a ball of flame in his hand. Penny dove to the side instinctively, while Solaris, who had turned late, wondering what all the noise was about, took the fireball directly, instinct causing her to lift the bag between her and the flame.


    The bags melted and the sheets and linens caught fire. Solaris dropped them on the ground, not afraid of the flames but not wanting to catch her clothing on fire. "Alright. I am now a bit perturbed." She looked the flame wielder over, his face and arms were covered in crude language, swastikas and other unpleasantness.


    She took the heavy-duty silk pillow from Penny. ¡°Penny, go and make sure everyone stays in the store. And see if you can get my bag''s contents replaced.¡± She turned back to the bikers "Now, who are you? I''ll need your name for the paperwork I am sure I''m going to have to fill out."


    "I''m the Anarchist Knight! I am here to tear down the system, which you helped create!"


    "Lord, give me patience.¡± Solaris said, rolling her eyes. ¡°You are a long list of bad decisions and a disappointment to your parents. Now you are going to take those bikes, which are too good for you, and leave. Or you are going to try to learn to fly, your choice.


    "Stupid bitch." He snarled, charging her as his hand burst into flame as he threw a Saturday morning cartoon grade haymaker at the tiny woman, relying on bulk and strength over anything one could call skill.


    ¡°Add a potty mouth to your list of sins. Solaris said dodging with almost no effort, catching his fist with her own as if he was a small child to judge his strength ¡°Flying lessons it is.¡± She swung the silk pillow in a sorority house pillow fight uppercut.


    Anarchist Knight sneered at her ''catch'' and ignored the swinging pillow, until it hit with the force of a sledgehammer and sent him flying thirty feet into the air, crashing down on top of an abandoned cart, crushing it.


    Two of the other bikers charged Solaris, a third watching and shaking his head in apparent dismay. One tried to tackle her, diving for her waist while the other tried to clothesline her to bring her down.


    Solaris sighed ¡°Let me guess, Sir Bad Decisions over there held the sum of your brain cells. Well, nice to see Nazis haven¡¯t changed. She let them make their hits, she figured she could let them hurt themselves on her.


    The tackle slammed into her, the man knocking himself out hitting what amounted to a brick wall. The clothesline guy was luckier in that he remained awake, but less so in that he hit second, and managed to dislocate his shoulder, the loud and wet pop filling the air, followed by him screaming. The petite woman hadn¡¯t budged.


    She turned her head, to see the remaining biker was just shaking his head and had already dialed a phone. ¡°I¡¯m not part of his gang. I¡¯m his lawyer. He invited me to ride and talk about his current probation. That conversation just got a lot easier.¡±


    ¡°Thank you?¡± She half said and half asked as she knelt down to look at the men, it didn¡¯t look like the man concussed himself. Then she frowned at the man in the cart. My aim is off, need to spend more time on the golf course,¡±

 Chapter 15 Signing Bonus

    Signing Bonus


    ¡°Splicers is the nickname given to biological and genetic ¡®Techno-wonder¡¯ type enhanced. The methods of achieving this are numerous, but are always based on some formal type of research and development. Even those that claim to use magic or alchemy for repeatable results are using measurable and quantifiable, if not actually understandable, methodologies that boil down to technology.¡±


    ¡°The first documented splicer was, unfortunately, Josef Mengele. During World War II his experimentation on victims of the holocaust ranged from the merely horrific to the existentially terrifying. He was, undoubtedly, worse than any of the monsters he created during his lifetime.¡±


    ¡°Now there are more than a few Splicers in the world. The responsible members of that community work in medicine or traditional research, which has led to medical discoveries that have saved thousands. Some white hats see the genome as just another computer to hack, but do so to help others become heroes. Others create genetically modified creatures who are harmless, essentially custom pets.¡±


    ¡°Others do the same for the other side, the cartels and criminal organizations. Even independent criminals are willing to pay. Perhaps the darkest are those who create monsters to do battle in modern gladiatorial games. The least horrible of these use animals to make their creatures, and the least ethical of them¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason we do a genetic workup on any mutated monster that is destroyed. There¡¯s a lot of missing persons cases out there.¡±


    Recorded presentation to UNLOC Special Response Team trainees.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to tell you this, but your sleeve is still smoldering.¡±


    Fortunately, speaking to the police hadn¡¯t taken long, as there had been witnesses and security cameras in the area. This, and Anarchist Knight was something of a known issue. Soon, Elizabeth and Penny were walking back towards the truck.


    ¡°Bloody hell¡±. She said irritability, patting out the smoldering cloth. ¡°Well at least it¡¯s just a t-shirt. And now I am craving barbecue.¡±


    "We can pick some up on the way home." Penny assured the English woman as they got in the truck, and pulled out. "They¡¯ll deliver the replacement linens by the way.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is very good of them,¡± Solaris leaned back in her seat. "I wonder how long it will take the trash villains to figure out that attacking me like that is utterly pointless. Seriously Tankman could have taken that fool without the suit!"


    "Not all of them are that stupid, or weak. And trash tier villains are supervillians for a reason. No marketable skills and not creative enough for the Super Fighting circuit."


    "I don¡¯t want to know." They drove a bit down to the car dealership. Solaris smiling as she got out of the car looking for the Ruan''s, finding them chatting with a salesman, a shiny new and sporty sedan and a somehow older but well maintained looking used car.


    ¡°We found some good choices. The Toyota crown will do me very well for running about.¡± Mrs. Raun said. ¡°With your approval that is. I also thought this older Grand Marquis would be good for when we have guests who need to borrow a vehicle.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very low mileage, frankly we¡¯d normally have shipped it to a discount lot but it was in too good a shape.¡± The salesperson said, offering his hand. ¡°Kent Keller.¡± Noticing Penny was distracted, talking to Marcus, he under his breath said ¡°We¡¯re throwing it in since the other vehicle is going to be taken for new paint, once you sign off on it. A very nicely loaded Chevy full size. She said it¡¯d be a surprise.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. I assume we have some paperwork to fill out then?¡±


    ¡°Yes, though¡­ may I ask why your shirt looks like it¡¯s been set on fire?¡±


    Elizabeth sighed.


    ¡°She got into a fight with some fire throwing moron. It¡¯s all over the media.¡± Mrs. Ruan answered for her, holding up her cell phone.


    ¡°Right. Well, sorry to hear that. Come with me and we¡¯ll get that paperwork signed.¡± Car salesmen let little stand in the way of a sale, even literally smoldering young women.


    "I am still not used to how quickly news spreads now.¡± Elizabeth said with a look of mild irritation on her face. "Also the resolution of your cameras hides nothing. My hair is a mess." she said with a blush.


    "Welcome to the era of 4k." Penny said as she caught up with Marcus. ¡°So guess we¡¯re going to caravan home.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I hope we beat the workmen there with the furniture.¡±


    "They said it''d be a couple of hours, but they''ll have a group of workmen to move and assemble a couple of the bedroom sets and the couch. The rest will have to come tomorrow or the next day due to the amount of overtime involved." Penny said.


    ¡°At this rate we¡¯re going to have too much for the garage. We might want to add a car port or two to keep things out of the rain when not being driven.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, you didn¡¯t need to get me a truck, I could have gotten it myself.¡± Penny said a couple of days later, looking at the Ram 1500 that had just been delivered, white with an orange ¡®racing stripe¡¯ like a coast guard cutter. She wanted to be more irritated. but¡­it was perfect and she couldn¡¯t wait to drive the beast.


    ¡°A signing bonus for you, my dear.¡± Elizabeth said with a smile. ¡°You were going to start building a suit, weren¡¯t you? This should help move equipment about when you get it.¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­ I might have done more than think about it. Or buy little bits here and there.¡± Penny admitted.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°I might have a kind of off the books workshop. Well, it¡¯s a trailer I bought at a seizure auction that I turned into a workshop. And it might have the start of a suit in it.¡±


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    ¡°Well we should go fetch it and bring it home!¡±


    "Um, no. It¡¯s not an attractive trailer. I wasn¡¯t worried about it being pretty." She admitted with a slight blush.


    "Nothing wrong with that, farm trucks aren''t pretty but they do their job well. We will make it work. It''s not like I care about what the neighbors say. Worst case we replace it with a workshop in the garage."


    Penny sighed. "Wanna take a road trip?"


    "I don''t see why not, Ms Ruan is more than capable of handling any deliveries..¡± She pulled out her phone and began awkwardly tapping on it to open the message feature. "Dear Ms. Ruan. I am running an errand with Penny. If you have any questions about anything please feel free to call. Sincerely Elizabeth Summers."


    ¡°God I love your texts.¡±


    ¡°The trailer is in a storage lot on Staten Island. I took it out from time to time when I had time off.¡± Penny explained as they pulled onto the highway, her new truck growling like a predator.


    "Makes sense to me. How far have you gotten?"


    "Well, I managed to get a pair of base frames cheap from a failed start up. The design was called Gumshoe, meant for police and heavy security. The company went out of business because the frame and control systems were first rate, but they cheaped out on armor and combat systems. I''ve basically stripped the suits down and have maybe another two suits in spare parts from the fire sale they had when their start-up folded."


    "I''ve removed the original armor linkage points, and installed my own, and have 3d printed test plates in place of actual armor to see how everything fits. I redid the software package completely and improved the HUD. Targeting I can''t test till I have weapons systems. I have a coil gun mostly assembled, but haven''t had a chance to test it. In simulations it works okay."


    ¡°Well sounds like you¡¯re moving well along, are there places to test weapon systems. and is your trailer enough workshop space for you?¡±


    "Testing is the tricky part. I technically have all the licensing, pretty much anyone who gets into building battle suits gets it just to avoid suspicion since everyone assumes we''re building a suit anyway." She admitted. "I keep toying with taking a trip out west, like to Nevada and just unleashing in the middle of the desert somewhere. I haven''t gotten past the basic idea there, though, since I haven¡¯t got anything to unleash."


    "As for workshop, It¡¯s a weird set up, you''ll see, but I got it cheap. It¡¯s pretty spacious for what it is. It got seized in the process of shutting a supervillain supplier specializing in custom animals."


    ¡°A splicer?¡± The blond shuddered. ¡°Splicers are some of the vilest of villains. Mengela was a manufacturer of nightmares.¡±


    "To be fair, splicers fall on both sides of the spectrum now. The better-behaved ones just don''t admit Mengela was the first on record." She chuckled. "I know one, she''s a licensed splicer who can make custom pets. It''s very regulated, and requires certain certifications, but when someone wants a miniature great white shark for their fish tank she can make a lot of money making them one."


    ¡°I¡¯ve only met one splicer I considered mostly sane. And she used it for limb replacements and such for wounded soldiers. Lady Frankenstein was a sweetheart but she was still a bit odd.¡±


    "Yeah, there''s more than a few in medicine now. Very minor splicing can help with several diseases. Of course, then there''s the idiot who gets spliced with a honey badger and starts attacking everyone who looks at them funny. Or, you know, looks at them."


    Solaris nodded, ¡°Most powers can be used for good or evil. Splicing is just one of the easier ones to abuse.¡±


    "True. There''s a few too many guys out there selling superpowers and leaving someone a very ugly corpse by the end of the mutations. The process must be so custom to the target and so carefully developed. And most power vendors victimize young, weak and desperate supers to fuel their therapies.¡± Her voice was sad, she¡¯d fought against power vendors, there always were tragic consequences around them.


    "Cyberneticists are a bit more reliable on that front." Penny moved to avoid the major traffic zones as best she could, guiding the SUV towards Staten Island. "Battle Suits are the cheap and cheerful option in a lot of ways, but the difference between a suit driver like me and an armored wonder like a Tank Man, or Armorstar is hard to really apply."


    ¡°I think it comes down to how replicable the tech is. Tank man could make a suit out of a fridge and a broken motorcycle engine and use it.


    "Yeah... I am rated D class as a Super tech "Catalyst type." I came in just under the limit to prevent military service.¡±


    ¡°What is a catalyst type?¡±


    "Oh, sorry. I forgot; we started really classifying after your time. You fall into what we call an "Original" type. Flight, strong, tough. In your case you''re a "Powerhouse", noted for extreme physical abilities but limited energy projection. Kriegsmarine is an "Original" type, but he''s a "Dreadnaught", more oriented towards energy projection." She explained.


    "In the case of Tech types, there''s the Kit bashers, which Tankman is the best example. Then there''s the Breakthroughs, like Nikola Tesla. Last you have the Catalysts, think Edison or Benjamin Franklin. We''re the ones who can take nearly, or totally, incomprehensible science and make it make sense and re-creatable. Wildly valuable to business and a reason to hide things for the other two types. I cause paranoia."


    ¡°Ahh. Poor Tesla he was never really appreciated. But that is a fascinating distinction. It¡¯s a real trick to make things accessible to everyone, sounds like I would have tried to recruit you to my Tank Girls. I know how hard it is to make technology explainable.¡±


    "Oh, St. Nicks is one of the best-known places for all three getting along. That, and Space X at this point. But it means I watch things on Youtube and go ¡°I can make that better¡± or "I can do that." Except the damn Elephant Toothpaste thing Mark Rober did. I have no idea how he made it go so high. I just don¡¯t want to do that math."


    ¡°What is elephant''s toothpaste?¡±


    "It''s just an experiment. Mix a little yeast, water, hydrogen peroxide and a little soap and you get a LOT of foam very fast. It''s a great lesson for reactivity in chemistry, but the substance it produces is basically just soap and water so can go right down the drain. Rober made it go something like thirty stories high, I think? It was ridiculous whatever the height was.¡±


    ¡°Encouraging children in science is quite noble. I love how the internet evens the field in education and liberation. Even though we got the right to vote just before I was born, when I was trapped I still had to have my father¡¯s permission to sign contracts, or even start a bank account.¡±


    "Women couldn''t have credit cards till the damn seventies if memory serves." The younger woman nodded. "And there''s still places with glass ceilings for women. But that''s true for everything and everybody somewhere, I guess. At least the playing field is more even. Especially for people with battle suits or the ability to lift ships."


    Solaris laughed. ¡°Most men didn¡¯t know what to do with me. I was a woman who was stronger than any man, and weirder still I was a military woman that was in command of a bunch of men. Men that they couldn¡¯t mock for being under a woman¡¯s command.¡±


    "Okay, I could see how that could be a problem, especially back then. Not as much of an issue now, women serve across the spectrum and have for a while, not just as nurses like back in the day."


    "It is a beautiful thing." Solaris said "Seeing women live so freely. So tell me Penny how is your suit coming together, what kind of build are you going for.¡±


    "Honestly, it was a hobby so I wasn¡¯t really focused until now.¡± She admitted. ¡°but considering it is likely I¡¯d be in support of you or Marcus, I was thinking of ranged fire support and battlefield monitoring.¡± She glanced at Solaris. ¡°I mean, I know you¡¯re not jumping right into fighting criminals or other adventures, but you¡¯re the type to get involved, even when you aren¡¯t looking to get involved.¡±


    "It is the nature of what and who I am, and means that I will always have to be ready to go into the field.¡± Solaris smiled. "I wonder if Phantastique is still around. She did my post war costume. I will need a new one."


    "Oh she''s a legend, and retired from what I heard. I think something about living full time on a worldwide cruise." Penny said. "But her apprentices are in a few places around the world, including here in New York. I can see if I can find out how to contact them. Tailors are secretive folk. Unless that''s who the lady at Bergdorf Goodmen gave you the address for."


    "Hmm...we will have to check that out. Marcus will also need something. He is a charming boy and he should not look like a goon."

 Chapter 16 Personal Project

    Personal Project


    ¡°The Armored Wonder is possibly the most confusing of the hero community. People don¡¯t fully understand why there are only a few suits that really compete with high grade enhanced. They think that if you build one, building lots should be easy. It¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°For one, many super-tech suits cannot be effectively piloted by someone other than their builder, or the person the builder made it for. The suits are so custom they can¡¯t be mass produced, or require a level of technopathic ability on top of creative genius. The Original armored hero, the first Tankman, was a prime example of this as only a very small handful of people ever managed to pilot that suit, at least two of them having their own.¡±


    ¡°Even the manufactured mecha-suits used by police and specialized military units require intensive training, with the drop-out rate for the training programs being almost prohibitively high, even for equipment that is not on par with a true, so called ¡®Armored Wonder¡¯. A bit like the Wish version of a power suit.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t help that most tech-oriented heroes are also really, really worried about people stealing their patents.¡±


    Penny pulled into the storage facility, tapping in a code and swiping a card at the gate, guiding the new truck they¡¯d picked up that morning into the back where RVs, cars, and trailers were parked. ¡°This is mine.¡± She said to Solaris as they pulled up to the trailer furthest back.


    The fifth wheel trailer was obviously fairly new, but in spite of that the paint was about half peeling off making it look far more decrepit than others around it. A mismatched door, painted a different color than the rest of the trailer, also suggested it had lived a short but rough life. It had several doors along the back half, suggesting that it was used to transport horses.


    She parked next to it. "Come on in. I put a solar power system on the roof so it''s pretty off grid." The interior was a surprisingly cozy, if tiny cabin with a small kitchenette, couch, and television. A bed was in the loft above the towing arm, and a door led into the back. "The rear half is basically the bathroom, a tack room, and what was meant to be a horse trailer, though it wasn''t horses they were moving. The paint outside is wrecked because of whatever the things spit during the raid in which the trailer was seized." she admitted. "Bought it at a police auction."


    ¡°This is more spacious than it looks.¡± Solaris said, ¡°and it has good bones, I bet you did get a good deal for it.¡± She tapped a finger on her chin, considering how to get it to the painter who had done the truck, so they would to match.


    Penny led Elizabeth through the bathroom to the back revealing she''d pulled the walls between the ''stalls'' out, with the tack room becoming a tool locker. In the middle of the large ''room'' she¡¯d created was a suit on a table, just enough room to move around it, a couple of work benches on either end. The suit was skeletal, with what looked like a long cannon with electronic parts on a shelf below the tabletop. "I need to start getting the armor together, but I''ve got an idea of how to work that. Just didn¡¯t have time or money."


    "The stall doors will let you get it out without disassembling the whole trailer. Very nice, a good choice." The Englishwoman said, tapping her finger on one of the plates, each tap a little firmer. "This is a very good metal, very strong, it looks like you have a good start on it, though it looks like there is a lot yet to do.¡±


    "Well, the frame and its actuators, hydraulic and electric, are in place. I have the batteries to assemble into a pack stored in the other part of the trailer, so the big thing is sensors, weapons, and armor systems, some of which can be off the shelf. Ballistic cloth sandwiched between carbon fiber with heavier metal inserts for larger segments is my thought."


    "Do you know good vendors for those things? I don¡¯t mind helping with getting you put together. The chances of us having to fight side by side are higher than I''d like. Especially with you not equipped properly.¡±


    "For some things, yeah. The thing here is the coil gun I built. It''ll hopefully be the heavy gun. I can buy 40 mm launchers. Actually, I own a couple already, but I''d want to get specific models to gut." she explained. "I already retrofitted a 12 gauge to install, to use variable rounds as well." gesturing at a locked safe against the back wall next to the tool room door. "The really high-tech stuff I don''t have access to, and not sure how to make the contacts, but the coil gun should be powerful enough to make even fairly tough opponents take notice. Then there''s the fifty cal rifle the original suit was designed to use, and it''ll still be able to handle. Even fairly sturdy heroes don''t like dealing with the BMG."


    ¡°Perhaps before that we will run up to Kennecott, there may be some fun toys we can pick up there for you, assuming I can convince St. Nicks to allow it. And I should check in with them anyway. Or the Christmas Park Facility in Utah we did more vehicle development there though."


    "Christmas Park does Research and Development on frames, though I don''t know that they do a lot of weapons testing." Penny said. "I''m familiar with the program, in passing at least."


    ¡°Might be fun to swing by either way. Lord, so many places to see and catch up! It may take a couple of years just to do that much!¡±


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "You were a busy girl in the past, and no reason to hurry." Penny said, leaning against a wall. ¡± I admit, I''ve been meaning to say this. Don''t feel like you must get into the flow of things fast. You''re already doing a lot, and that can stress you out more than you''d think, and with people like you, virtually indestructible by normal standards, that is about the only way to hurt yourselves. It''s one of the reasons I supported the house buy so much, to get you some roots to build around, like Marcus said."


    Solaris closed her eyes and leaned against the opposite wall; it took all her British reserve to not let the tears fall "You are not wrong. Keeping busy prevents me from thinking about things. I lost Wendy to cancer, not long before I was frozen. And now, almost everyone I knew is gone. Most of my friends, my parents, and my home. Hell, the world I knew is gone. I don''t even know how to morn that. Inflation is a nightmare, but so much about this new world is better. Louder, and less intimate but better.¡±


    "Unfortunately, I can''t help with most of that." Penny admitted. "I can help you with what you want, or need, to do. Want to prepare for having a full-on super team? I can suggest other equipment and facilities you might need. Just want to be a world wandering adventure type? Again, I can make suggestions. But you don''t have to pick now, unless you just like collecting toys which granted is fine too. I can likely get you a deal on an MRAP."


    "I am British, collecting is a national hobby." Solaris said pushing her emotions down putting the pain in a neat little box and storing it for later. For now, I will just work on putting one foot in front of the other and see where that takes me. Adventure is bound to happen.


    "Fair. Now how hard was it to not ask what''s an MRAP is and where can we get one?"


    ¡°That was going to be my next question, Is it a tank? I rather like tanks.¡±


    "Oh lord, I could totally entertain you with GOVplanet for days." She chuckled. "And it stands for Mine Resistant Armored Transport¡±. A truck designed to survive mines and IEDs. Afghanistan was more a game of infantry wandering around waiting for someone to pick a fight, then destroying them, than a conventional war by normal definition."


    ¡°There was another war in the middle east?¡± Solaris said unsurprised. ¡°How involved in that mess was Toth? That was rather his stomping ground.¡±


    Penny laughed. "Another war? The Middle East has been unstable for as long as I can remember, and well before that. We, the US, just got out of Afghanistan, and the bastards fell apart again in less than six months."


    ¡°Sounds about right.¡± Solaris said, India was a special kind of mess after they got their independence for a time, though that was not entirely their own fault with some things my own government did. A complete disaster all in all.¡±


    ¡°So, on a happier note, shall we get this trailer hooked up and home? It can be put next to the boat house, leaving it available for you to work on.


    "Yeah, let''s just get it done.¡±


    A couple of days after the move to the big house, Marcus parked the old Grand Marquis on the street, checking his phone and messaging.


    Nahoa Kim texted back. A few minutes later a Tall broad man with burnished skin and black hair walked out. He''d chosen to wear his good black slacks and a dark blue shirt, the short sleeves showed off his thick arms covered in tribal tattoos. "Man, that is a nice car. And what''s with the suit?¡± His bud had been rather cagy on the phone, "Please tell me you aren''t falling to the dark side dude."


    "Only if the dark side means rich white women money." He laughed. "No, got hired by a white cape as a driver, Penny introduced me." He said, keeping details to a minimum. "The car is kind of a bonus, for running errands. I can borrow it sometimes, too. Figured I''d pick you up, get some dinner, and see if you wanted to make a couple of bucks for a few days¡¯ work. Maybe longer, if Grandma is right."


    "Cash is tight, always is, I''m happy to help her out, especially if Granny is making mung bean cake, or pho.¡± He grinned, it was stereotypical, but he loved food and had the metabolism to indulge.


    "Oh, she''s doing that and more. She got a job like mine, but the lady is getting lots of deliveries right now and Granny, you know she don''t trust workmen not to get sticky fingers, right?"


    He guided the car through the streets, heading for the midrange restaurant the two liked. Fortunately, the parking situation there wasn''t horrible, so he could park relatively near it, just a couple of blocks.


    Nahoa laughed. ¡°Your gran doesn''t trust anyone! It took what, a year for me to figure out she likes me?¡±


    "Yeah, well, it''s the glare. your mom probably does it too, ya know." He pulled into the parking garage, and set the alarm as they climbed out, walking out to the neighborhood street. "By the way, how''s pre-law. As heavy weight as you thought?"


    ¡°Yeah, they are already pouring the homework on, and two of my three roomies are asshole dudebros. The third is just a man-whore with a goal of collecting as many ladies¡¯ panties as he can. It is almost impossible to study there at all.¡±


    "Man, that bites... I have people pushing me to do trade school. mechanic or something. I''m thinking about it, since this driving thing is kind of cool so maybe." He shrugged. "Maybe Ms. Summers will need someone else, she seems to do a lot of stuff."


    The big Samoan man arched an eyebrow. "You are too smart to stay dumb. Trade school or college, you gotta do something to secure your future. Preferably something with good insurance with your hobbies."


    "I think I have that covered right now... and don''t start reading me the riot act. I''ve had enough crap over that for the last couple of days."


    The big man shrugged. ordering his meal and leaning back in the stall. "So, what does Granny need me to do, move furniture?"


    "A bit, but also keep eye on workmen along with me and her, assuming I''m not running some other errand. You''re big, so it¡¯s not likely someone''s going to risk you also being short tempered, even if we both know you''re not."


    ¡°No problem, though I doubt she needs a heavy. Your gran can be a scary lady. We going to head over after dinner?"


    "That was my thought, I can show you around the place. I came down to get you cause I figure. I''m likely to end up in the Long Island subs, so might not get a chance at some of my favorite joints as often as I''d like, ya know?" Marcus frowned. Something was bothering him, but he couldn''t put a finger on it. "So, other than crap roommates, is your class schedule okay? You able to rely on the subway or you still thinking about getting some sort of bike?"


    ¡°Yeah, keeping things with what my grants will cover, so got Three classes right now, plus one E-class, though they all believe in the power of homework. Did luck out and score nothing too early in the day.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s pretty much being a¡­¡± His blue aura surrounded him, senses he didn¡¯t understand reacting before he was aware of the threat. He was impacted from behind, slamming into a wall.

 Chapter 17 Wild Horses

    Wild Horses


    ¡°The path of a hero is hard. You never get to take time off, not really. One day, you take on a villain and drive him off, tail between his leg. Then the next, you¡¯re trying to do your Christmas shopping, and he hits you from behind with a rocket launcher.¡±


    ¡°I still get nervous looks when I visit that shopping center.:¡±


    Pinnacle, leader of the Guardians in reference to Marauder¡¯s assassination attempt on him


    "I think that''s pretty much being a..." His powers flared to life as senses he still didn¡¯t understand detected a threat before he was consciously aware, impacted from behind and flying across the street and into the wall, bouncing off but leaving a cracked shape in the concrete.


    ¡°Th-fuck!¡± Nahoa said running to his friend before spinning to look around curling his big hands into fists and preparing to use his abilities. ¡°Marcus, you okay man?¡±


    "What the hell hit me?" Marcus asked, shaking the shock out of his head. He wasn''t hurt, but he was glowing and looking around.


    ¡°That big, ugly looking mother right there, I think.¡± Nahoa said, pointing.


    Marcus recognized the guy. He¡¯d tried to confront him earlier. The cracked horse skull helmet was a clue "Oh shit. It''s the fucking Stallion. I might have pissed him off a few days ago. How''d he know it was me, though?"


    ¡°Your costume sucks.¡± The Cuban villain growled. ¡°And a punk thinking he¡¯s a hero goes in with Solaris, and your stupid ass comes out. That math wasn¡¯t hard.¡±


    Nahoa reached into his pocket turning on his phone¡¯s recorder. ¡°Listen Stallion, or whoever you are, we don¡¯t want trouble. Why don¡¯t you just leave and go get a sandwich or something. We are nothing to someone like you.¡±


    "You¡¯re right, you¡¯re not." He growled at the big man "Fuck off and you can live. You''re not what I''m here for. I''m going to stomp that punk into the ground for fucking with me."


    "God you''re an asshole." Marcus grumbled. "Run, Thud, call the cops. I''ll kick this idiot¡¯s ass."


    "Yeah, cause you did so well before." The speedy tank surged forward, driving a one two punch into Marcus, bouncing him into the wall again, Marcus too slow to block the punches, pain penetrating his shield, though he didn¡¯t take as much damage as the wall.


    ¡°Dude, not cool. Marc, Surfs Up.¡± The big man let out a deep guttural shout and stomped, the ground around him rippling out like water rushing towards the angry Cuban.


    The Stallion tried to avoid the wave, but it was too wide even for his speed, the stone reaching up to smack into him like a hammer, tossing him into the air like a North Shore wave would a surfer. He slammed into the same wall Marcus had, above the younger man¡¯s head.


    Marcus, not wanting to give The Stallion a chance to get even, threw an uppercut as the larger man fell from the wall . The lack of technique less important than the force of his force-field sheathed fist as it drove into the Latino gangsters ribs, the air filling with the cracking of bone.


    Marcus staggered back as the body slammed to the ground, catching his breath as the criminal pushed himself up, clutching his ribs. "You fucks." He snarled, his free hand ripping a golden Desert Eagle from behind him, aiming at the big Samoan. "Die you fat fuck!"


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    ¡°I¡¯m not fat I¡¯m fluffy!¡± Thud turned, trying to minimize his profile, as well as get closer to the guy with the shields.


    The muscular man fired twice, but Marcus managed to get into the way, grunting with the impact of two .50 action express rounds slamming into his shield, watching them pancake only millimeters away from his eyes. He fell against his friend, ice running through his veins at the sight.


    Panicked, feeling Marcus stagger, Thud reached out and instinctively grabbed the closest thing he could reach. Ripping the no parking sign from the concrete, he swung it fast and hard, slamming the blow into Semental, the Cuban flew down the alley, allowing Nahoa to heft his smaller partner and take off in the other direction Running as quick as he could.


    ¡°Jesus Christ, this is not how I wanna figure out how bullet proof I am. Is he following us?¡± Thud growled


    Marcus looked up, from where he was bouncing on his big friend¡¯s shoulder, then started laughing. "I think you blew him through two dumpsters, buddy. Based on the shaking, he''s still trying to get out."


    Thud slid into a side alley, setting Marcus down. ¡°Okay, so you wanna call Penny? I turned on my recorder, so we have him threatening us and the gunshots. Fortunately, we are a one-party consent state.¡±


    "Um, I don''t think that matters when they''re trying to kill you, man." Marcus pulled out his phone and dialing. "Come on, we should keep moving. We get back to the car and we can get the hell out of here. Hey, Penny, I need a hand."


    ¡°Dude, I am studying to be a lawyer. I have to remember this shit. Oh fuck.¡± He picked the smaller man back up and began running as the Cuban Death Horse came around the corner. Does that asshole know what car you¡¯re driving?


    "I don''t know! Yeah, Penny, that guy found me. You know, horse head guy. Stallion. He''s chasing me and a friend. Duck!"


    Thud activated his gift again as he dropped into a slide surfing on the earth waves. Using them to give him a boost of speed. As two more rounds flew over his head.


    Despite the pavement surfing, the Cuban was catching up. Desperately Marcus stretched and snatched up a trashcan lid as they ran past, his blue aura spreading over it, allowing him to use it as a shield. Bullets impacted and fell away again and again, before the gun ran dry. Then the gaudy side arm flew by their heads. "Did that fucker throw his gun at us? The fuck good does that do?"


    "Try and remember where it is for the cops, if we live you can tell them where it is.¡± Thud knew he couldn¡¯t outrun the other man. He was big and strong, but he was no speedster. "Marcus. Do you think you can Blue my arms? We can¡¯t keep running.¡±


    "Do what, I¡¯ve never¡­¡± He shook his head, clearing it. ¡°Okay... hold on....." Closing his eyes, concentrating, he willed his azure aura to spread, the energy abandoning his adopted shield and flowing over not just the big guys arms, but his torso and head too. "I can''t hold long! Do what you''re going to do!"


    ¡°Oh. this is going to suuuuck!¡± The guy nicknamed Thud spun around, changing the direction of his surfing, spinning to face the villain. "Earth mother lend me your strength!¡±


    He pulled the rippling heartbeat of earth to his hands his arms, his momentum combining with Stallions as he slammed his powerful fist into the villains unarmored gut, the combined force of the boys powers lifting the Stallion into the air. Even with the shielding, pain sang up Thuds arm from the impact as he followed up the punch with a spinning kick, blasting the now airborne villain into an ally wall.


    "Oh hell... that..." Marcus scrambled off the big guy¡¯s shoulder and vomited, his shield flickering off. The gangster did nothing more than groan, slumping unconsciously. "That felt really, really weird."


    Fuck, that guys freaking granite. Thud rubbed his knuckles. "Penny still on the phone? Can you have her call the cops before this asshole wakes up? I''m going to try and find his gun before some kid picks it up cause it''s gold."


    "She hung up to call someone. It hit that dumpster back there." The smaller boy said, gasping for breath and to avoid another session of retching.


    Put your head between your knees and sit down, lemme know if he moves.¡± Thud walked back to the dumpster and found the scuffed golden gun. He sighed, realizing he didn''t have anything to pick it up with. ¡°Ah well, the pants are ruined anyway.¡± He ripped the lower half off his left pant leg off and used it to pick the gun up. A deep purple mark on his leg from where he kicked the villain. He limped back and leaned against the wall, ¡°Adrenalin is a hell of a drug.¡± Thuds heart was pounding. "How you doing man. Are you hurt?"


    "No, not hurt... just... haven''t spread the shield thing over another person before, and then you hit him and it all went plaid."


    "Plaid?" The question went unanswered as two different streaks of light came flying into the alley. One was a Latina woman with long hair and burning aura, while the other was Solaris in reasonable slacks carrying a white and orange truck with Penny sitting in the driver¡¯s seat.


    "Um. Hello Lieutenant Ward." The Samoan greeted, a bit shell shocked.


    ¡°Hi Nahoa. Having an interesting night?¡± Penny asked as Solaris set the truck down gently.

 Chapter 18, Talking Shop

    Talking Shop


    ¡°Modern policing is a mix of normal patrol and crime prevention, emergency response, and dealing with the walking nuclear wars people call supervillains. In the fifties and sixties they were stuck using drugs and extremely heavy restraints to lock down the strongest criminals in manners that would seem more in line with the Spanish inquisition than law enforcement.


    ¡°Now when a criminal is taken into custody, depending on their powers, there¡¯s entire suites of prefabricated cell set ups that can be employed. Only the most powerful or bizarre cases require bringing experts in to customize containment units.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more humane, more responsible, and has seriously cut down on the number of super-villains who add random acid flashbacks to their more mundane form of psychosis.¡±


    Police Commissioner Karl Larson, 2019 Midwest Security and Police Expo.


    ¡°It was lovely to get to punch it, even if it appears things have been handled.¡± Solaris commented, running fingers through her windblown hair. She looked over at the tall Latina heroine, in her red and gold swimming costume called a uniform. ¡°Ah Luna Fuego right? Pleasure to meet you.¡± She looked over at the villain who was moaning as he began to fight towards coming to.


    ¡°Yes, and you¡¯re Solaris, right? I mean the real one! It¡¯s good to meet you.¡± The other woman said. ¡°Though a dark ally over a groaning idiot isn¡¯t how I¡¯d prefer to do it.¡±


    ¡°Comes with this type of work.¡± Solaris said, pulling the helmet off the Stallions head. ¡°Lad, have you already developed your first nemesis?¡±


    "Apparently? Yay me?" Marcus replied with a weak shrug. Nahoa patted his back.


    Penny hopped out of the truck. "Luna Fuego, do you mind doing the heavy lifting here? Solaris isn''t quite back on active status and this idiot is likely to pick a fight." As she spoke, she pulled out her Unlock credentials and her Smith and Wesson 500 magnum revolver. ¡°And it could be awkward if Solaris knocks him into orbit.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, far more official and appropriate if I set him on fire.¡± She joked. "No I don¡¯t mind, I know the NYPD will be very pleased to finally have a reason to properly arrest pony boy here.¡± From the decorative seeming belt around her waist she pulled a pair of handcuffs with glowing bracelets, snapping them onto the crook.


    The Cuban man began struggling, but surprisingly clumsily and weakly. "Let me go, you bitch. ?Joder, siento que voy a vomitar!¡±


    "Um, here is his gun.¡± Nahoa said, handing the cloth wrapped bundle over to Penny. ¡°And I also have an audio file of everything that happened since he came at us."


    ¡°Can you please tell me about your handcuffs, and why do they glow?¡± Solaris asked absently.


    "Now those are a useful bit of tech." Luna said. ¡°They¡¯re called Neuro-cuffs. Since it¡¯s not possible to negate enhanced abilities without custom built devices or preparations; some tech geniuses created these, and managed to manufacture them. They use electro-magnetic fields and subharmonic sound in some obscure way to disrupt inner ear and voluntary neurological function. Basically instead of negating you, they make you so dizzy, nauseous and clumsy you can¡¯t really do much of anything. I once had a vil decide to try and fly off after I snapped them on, he did a loop-de-loop and crashed back into the street at three hundred miles per hour. Hurt himself more than I had managed to in a fifteen minute long fight.¡±


    ¡°Helpful, and clever.¡± Solaris observed Penny stepping away from the foul mouthed criminal to talk on the phone, apparently to the police dispatch.


    Luna laughed as Stallion stood, still cussing as he fell sideways. "Yes, it is. I must admit, it is wonderful to meet the Original Girl. When I first powered up I was mistaken for you because I had dyed my hair blonde.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Which was super embarrassing since I am a projector, not a powerhouse.¡±


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    ¡°Projector, no, wait, you use fire so I¡¯m guessing that means you project energy.¡±


    Luna nodded "Did you know, statistically speaking, fewer super heroines actually dye their hair blonde than the average? I know of a couple of natural blondes who dyed their hair darker. Your return may allow new hairstyles for the world of super-ladies since we won¡¯t all be your second coming now."


    ¡°I do hope you''re joking. I hate to think that every heroine is mistaken for me just because they are blonde! I think I''m more distinctive than that!¡±


    "Not all, just the flying, glowing ones." Luna joked. "Get a golden aura and fly, and even guys have gotten ¡®it¡¯s Solaris¡¯ thrown at them before their gender was known."


    "To be fair, Elvis sightings are more common. I still don¡¯t know why since the dude would be dead again by now anyhow." Marcus pointed out.


    ¡°Elvis? Is he a hero.¡± Solaris asked


    ¡°No, just a King.¡± Luna Fuego chuckled.


    "Depends on a whole lot of opinions." Marcus countered.


    ¡°He was a singer and musician who got really popular a little after you disappeared.¡± Nahoa said, seeing her confusion. ¡°And it is nice to meet you both, Miss Solaris, Miss Luna.¡±


    ¡°Such a polite young man. And yes, he was a rock and roll star.¡± Luna Fuega said with a grin.


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t really been exposed to that yet.¡± Penny said, coming back. ¡°Think Jazz but with vocals and you start to get an idea."


    Solaris shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll have to listen to it and see what I think. I do love the fidelity of the music now. It¡¯s so clean and clear. Do you need assistance getting him to a station?¡±


    "Station? What? Elvis has been dead for years." Marcus was confused, but then he was still catching his breath.


    Solaris chuckled, ¡°No I meant taking the ¡®Stallion'' to holding.¡±


    "The way he''s flopping, no." Luna shook her head, then nodded towards a police vehicle that was approaching, something between an armored bank truck and paddy wagon from the old days. "They can help me load him into the ECT. Then they¡¯ll take him to super-crook holding where the idiot would have to be a special kind of stupid to keep fighting. We have this down to an art, nowadays. I can''t imagine dealing with this sort of thing back in your day, before we had the tools and infrastructure."


    Solaris smiled ¡°Human sized foes like this weren¡¯t too bad. Between Toth and I we could manage most people. It was when you got to monsters like Chimera things got a bit dicey.¡±


    "Madre'' di dios, Chimeria is that old?" Fuego Luna said, unconsciously crossing herself. The pissed off looking Stallion shockingly doing the same. Penny even flinched slightly at the name.


    "Yeah, he''s one of the Originals, but that''s not common knowledge. But then the Chimera back then isn''t what it... he is now." Penny said.


    Solaris sighed ¡°Is he still a drug addicted, power mad, idiot with a penchant for turning into large monsters? I once had to fight him, at a Yankees game, and he¡¯d grown to eight, nine feet tall.¡±


    Penny shook her head. "Worse. He''s called the Living Catastrophe. Given a choice between a force three hurricane and him showing up, most cities would choose the hurricane."


    "There''d be less death and property damage. I believe Haiti is still recovering from him appearing there three years ago."


    "And the mutates." The large boy added.


    ¡°That sounds bad. Does he still revert to mostly human when his liver processes out all the chemicals?¡±


    Penny made a ''kind of'' motion. "If enough damage is done to him, when he''s driven off, he seems to come back weaker, but his abilities are so changeable and destructive it¡¯s hard to tell. He doesn''t reset to anything approaching zero, I can tell you that."


    "He also is... infectious?¡± Luna said, hesitating over the word. ¡°You know the flawed formulas the rumors said the Reich played with back in your day? Or the cartels have in play sometimes. Think that, only crossed with rabies."


    ¡°Of course he is, he¡¯s eaten enough zombies.¡± She sighed. ¡°Can you get me a file on him? I¡¯m sure at some point he¡¯s going to want a rematch.¡±


    Penny nodded. ¡°I can do that, I¡¯ll see if I can talk to Helen about getting you info on some of the bigger hitters in the field right now.¡±


    Solaris nodded ¡°It''s getting to rush hour and I am not don¡¯t feel like sitting forever in traffic. I¡¯ve already seen that circle of hell in the city. Were you bringing your friend home?¡± She asked Marcus. "If so, hop in the bed and I''ll bring you back for the car tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°¡°In the bed?¡± Are we allowed to do that?¡± Marcus asked.


    ¡°Well one of you can take my seat, but someone has to go in the bed, you''re not all going to fit in the cab of the truck¡± Solaris said rolling her eyes.


    ¡°You can take the seat, I''ll ride in the bed, I used to do it on the beach all the time.¡± Thud said.


    ¡°Okay sounds good. Let''s get out of here." The boys climbed into the car, with Penny getting in behind the wheel. "Not sure why I sat here, she''s carrying us."


    ¡°Wait, what!¡± Marcus said, turning to Penny.¡±


    "Fly safe. I''ll see to Our Little Pony here." Luna waved.


    Solaris smiled. ¡°You, too.¡± She picked the truck up shifting to balance it over her head and took off in a stream of light. She loved flying and the early fall was perfect weather for it.


    ¡°Okay this is awesome.¡± Thud said, leaning his back against the cab, looking down at the ground, then up at the clouds.


    "Yeah... cool... " Marcus swallowed. He wasn''t quite ready to admit he was a little intimidated by heights and was now doubly glad he hadn¡¯t gotten in the truck bed.

 Chapter 19, Ordering in.

    Ordering in.


    ¡°Why am I flying around carrying a car? Because I hate fucking rush hour traffic.¡±


    The Crimson Crusader, Chicago, 2002 to a CGIS Response team leader after panicking citizens called him carrying his corvette past the Sears Tower.


    The truck shook as Solaris set it down, ¡°I need to keep gloves in my bag, or figure out where my super gear is. I need my Thwump. Penny, my hands are a mess. Do you mind getting the door?¡±


    "I have some stuff in the garage that''ll help." Penny said, opening the garage door and moving the truck in, then fetching a bottle of Simple Orange from the shelves and offering it to her. "It feels weird, but it gets grease off quickly."


    ¡°Thank you¡± Solaris said as she squirted the soap into her hands.


    Marcus''s grandmother came looking for them. "Ah, such a handsome boy. Look at my grandson, he is almost as tidy as you, now. Though look at his tie. So crooked."


    Nohoa laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you, and your cooking Granny Ruan. Mama said she was going to send you some Macadamias soon.¡±


    "Your mother is a good woman. And you listen to her, like a good boy.¡±


    "I''m standing right here, Grandma. You make it sound like I¡¯m a goon."


    "Would you prefer I speak behind your back? Silly boy, but I do love you. And stand up straight, don¡¯t slouch." The older Vietnamese woman winked at Nahoa, where her grandson couldn¡¯t see her. "And welcome back, Miss Summers, Penny. I didn''t expect you all back so soon, or at the same time."


    ¡°The boys ran into a spot of bother, so I ended up flying everyone back so we didn¡¯t get stuck in traffic. Marcus can tell you about it later. Are the furniture people done yet?¡±


    "Lazy bums. They''re still struggling to get everything in, especially with the additional orders for the offices. Then the manager had to admit to staffing issues, probably to avoid overtime. We¡¯re going to be getting deliveries for days yet. I said fine, but there better not be a scratch on either furniture or floor, and I would be checking!"


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    ¡°That is irritating. I would think as much as I spent a bit of overtime would be nothing. I will have to write their management a scathing letter.¡± She smiled. ¡°That will also allow me to vent a bit of stress. Penny dropped her suit components in the garage for temporary storage then took the trailer back to the shop to get it repainted to match her new truck


    ¡°We can park it down by the boathouse once the trailer is painted¡­ and after the boat house is built. I might want to put a fishing shed down there, since the dock looks lovely to fish off.¡± At their surprised look she chuckled. ¡°I may be from a landed family, but I grew up in what was a small fishing village. Even My father helped at certain times of the year when I was a child, and he wasn¡¯t at sea.¡±


    ¡°I love fishing myself, but haven¡¯t had a lot of chances since coming to New York.¡± Nahoa said. ¡°Did a lot of deep sea fishing back in Hawaii.¡±


    "Right, so, I''ll also get life preservers for when the boys buy a boat on Craigslist and sink. Boys will be boys." Penny laughed. "And they always have."


    . ¡°To be fair we girls get into our own fair share of scrapes, though most of my worst childhood misadventures could be blamed on my twin.Solaris agreed


    "That is usually the way of twins. One gets away with everything." The Granny Ruan joked. ¡°And speaking of, I have arranged for the boathouse apartment for the cook you want to hire to be done. I found quite a deal online, so I ordered a second smaller version of the little hut to put at the front gate." She reported. ¡°The contractor team delivering it will also run the plumbing and power.¡±


    ¡°That is a quick, unexpected, but pleasant surprise. When will the contractors be out to build them and how long will it take?¡±


    "Men will put down footings in the next couple of days, and the houses will be here in three days, along with the appliances and furniture I ordered for it." Granny said, ¡°The Fence and gate will be next week, but fortunately we''re near the end of the year for such projects, so they had space. The time is more for them to get the materials and equipment lined up."


    Solaris looked confused, ¡°Did Sears start selling houses again?¡±


    "Amazon, actually. Sears just sells tools and jeans."


    "The house unfolds, apparently. Came with all the kitchen stuff for just a bit more. Ordered the furniture too. Was very convenient. Nothing too nice, but nothing to make them feel uncomfortable either. I was going to put this husky boy in a gate guard job. If he does good tomorrow watching deliveries, hopefully the rest of the furniture will be delivered."


    ¡°That would be cool,¡± he said, perking up. Begging meals from granny would decrease his food budget. ¡°I can do that, and iI can keep the yahoos who come out of the woodwork from knocking.¡±


    ¡°I have school, but the subway runs out here, and I don¡¯t have anything to early in the morning or late in the afternoon, this semester.¡±


    ¡°Granny Ruan, did you cook or are we ordering in tonight?¡±


    "I was unsure when people would get back. I can order delivery if we are hungry. Yes, II know you are Thud. Or I can try to whip something up."


    ¡°We can order in, I know the kitchen is still being set up. I do love how easy it is to get things delivered now. How many Chinese restaurants deliver here? We should order a sampling from all of them so we know which we like the best.¡±


    "Oh, that is a good idea. I''ll go check, and order from the best rated five."


    ¡°Sounds Delicious.¡±

 Chapter 20, Going Once, Twice…

    Going Once, Twice¡­


    ¡°Villain teams are surprisingly rare. A lot of enhanced who choose to become villains are too egomaniacal to actually work together. The exception to this is, almost universally, heist gangs. They hit high profile and high threat targets for top end loot and try to do it fast enough that neither police nor heroes can respond.¡±


    ¡°The best of them have started getting hired to perform jobs, often for more powerful villains. I am afraid this is a trend we will have to expect to continue.¡±


    Thoth, in a presentation to the other Guardians, 1949.


    It was comforting every time Solaris found something familiar, and shopping on Fifth avenue was still shopping on Fifth avenue, Nahoa was getting fitted for work clothing. And she decided to walk around instead of waiting. Her blond hair pulled into a tail dressed in jeans and a comfortable Tankman t-shirt, and white jacket


    The Diamond District was, strangely, fairly unchanged compared to the rest of the city, and gems were on heavy display. She''d recovered her personal collection of jewelry, but window shopping was relaxing, and if she saw something she wanted, she could get it.


    She looked in Tiffany¡¯s window wondering if it was too early to shop for Christmas. ¡°No better wait. You don¡¯t want to look pushy. And most of the designs are a bit austere.¡±


    Crossing the street, she found a store she wasn''t familiar with, but advertising absolutely fantastic looking strands of pearls. "Mikimodo...." she mused. "Sounds Japanese. You really can¡¯t go wrong with pearls¡±. She went into the store, thinking about a nice pearl ring for Granny Ruan, her eyes a bit dreamy, she loved Christmas.


    Just as she crossed the threshold, a sound like an explosion ripped through the normal sounds of the city, from down the block. ¡°What in God¡¯s name!¡± Solaris said spinning around and running outside. Flying up a bit to give herself a better view.


    Outside a man wearing a suit was wielding what appeared to be a sword against another man, who was obviously enhanced, his body seemingly made of rusted iron, with a shredded black and red shirt and loose pants.


    Solaris looked around one eye on the fight looking for the explosion wanting to make sure bystanders were out of the way as much as possible.


    The cause of the explosion appeared quickly, popping out the shattered door of Bonhams Auction house, the woman wearing an almost violent blue bodysuit, bringing up her hands and letting loose a burst of electricity which hit the man with the sword, sending him spinning through the air, twitching and screaming. A third man, carrying a leather case, followed the woman. "Fuck, Cape! Ferrous, move your ass!" he yelled, running towards a car just across the street from the door.


    ¡°Seriously! My first day in the city in a week and this happens¡± she landed in front of the car. ¡°Hey Siri, message Penny. Villains on fifth ave. Very irritated. Send.¡± She put her hand on the hood and pressing down. I really need to find my super gear. She thought to herself. ¡°I do believe it is time for you to stop and surrender.¡±


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    The car leaned forward as she pressed down, though the hood strangely didn''t crumple like she''d expected. The man carrying the case cursed and a glowing aura formed around him. "Fulmina, get rid of her!" he ordered as he dove into the car.


    The woman turned, and again threw lighting from her hand, a coruscating ball of plasma slamming into Solaris''s chest, causing the powerful woman¡¯s body to jerk, pain ripping through her nerves, completely out of line with the actual damage the unyielding heroine could take.


    Solaris staggered back from the car, clutching her chest, gasping for breath. She hadn¡¯t felt pain like that in years. ¡°Well now I¡¯m upset.¡± She stepped forward and dug her hand into the hood of the car, ripping it off with her other hand grabbing and ripping the bumper off, stabbing it into the engine and the concrete beneath it. ¡°Alright lightbug, let¡¯s play.¡±


    A small man burst out of the driver¡¯s seat as she turned towards the woman, just in time for the nitrous-aero gas mix he had been using in the engine to explode into flames, the car and Solaris quickly becoming consumed in flames.


    "Well shit... Do you know how much our tech is going to bitch about his car?" Fulmina groaned.


    ¡°Less than me about my damn wardrobe!¡± Solaris patted herself out, walking towards the woman.


    "Fine, but before you pick on me, you might want to look behind you.¡±


    Solaris frowned, and instead of looking back she leapt forward towards Fulmina, intending to swipe at her with the hood of the burning car


    The wind of a near miss to her head, and a slight tug on her hair Drew her attention even as she slammed the hood into the cocky woman, the AR-500 steel flexing around the woman who could only grunt as she was sent flying, leaving a cracked shape in the wall of Trump Tower.


    She spun, coming face to face with the one called Ferrous, who threw a roundhouse at her head.


    She threw an arm up to block the kick, while sending her own kick at the inside of his opposite leg. Her body moving with countless hours of training, under Camp X¡¯s most brutal trainer.


    Both blows hit at almost exactly the same time, and neither combatant moved, the shockwave of the impacts rippling out from them and shattering car windows, setting off car alarms for half a block. The man did stagger back, limping and gripping his leg. "Who the hell are you!" he growled.


    Solaris smiled, and it was not a nice smile, he was tough enough she didn¡¯t have to hold back as much. She swung for his head. ¡°Solaris.¡±


    "Damn, I''d heard you were back, but didn''t buy it. I''d ask for an autograph, but I''m a little busy." His hand shifted, growing spikes, and he threw a jab at her chest, once again achieving nothing but causing a shockwave. "Well crap."


    Her smile didn¡¯t change, as she spun with the strike her leg snap kicking into his side.


    He brought his arms up to take the hit, and while he succeeded in blocking it, the strange sound of metal rending and his cry of pain and falling to the ground, clutching his right arm suggested it didn''t work out well for him.


    "Damn it, Ferrous, run!" the glowing man, clutching a leather case and climbing out of the burning car yelled, showing no damage. Solaris watched as he slid more than stepped away. "Fulmina! Any minute now!"


    "Shut up Tef!" The electricity wielder brought both hands, glowing painfully bright, together and fired a focused beam of energy, her gaze and focus showing she was pushing every bit of power out of her system as she could.


    Solaris let out a scream as the electric feeling ran through her with the force of what felt like a dozen lightning bolts. Her eyes teared up, and she slumped to a knee. Gasping, she could feel her skin resisting the burning of the lighting, but something about it seemed to drive the arcs of electricity right into her nerves, a near perfect pain. She struggled to move, her limbs not obeying her.

 Chapter 21, Bombproof Bombshell

    Bombproof Bombshell


    ¡°On the war front, Allied Forces have begun landing on the African coast, building a beachhead in what the War Department is calling Operation Torch. Film from the fighting shows our new Super Soldiers among the fighting, dealing with moving large obstacles or disabling Nazi war machines.


    ¡°Even when the krauts get a clean shot, it doesn¡¯t do them any good as you can see here, as Solaris is shown in battlefield footage taking a direct hit from enemy artillery and shaking it off as though it were a spot of rain on a picnic.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right folks, we have our own Bombproof Bombshell giving the boys some inspiration and the Nazi¡¯s something to worry about.¡±


    World War II News Reel, 1942.


    With a scream of effort, and a flare of golden light brighter than the afternoon sun, Solaris grabbed the fallen Ferrous and threw him at the energy projector.


    "FUCK!" The woman grabbed her boss, and pulled him in front of her, just in time to take the impact, both villains going flying along with the metal man, turning into a pile of groaning people just as police cars came around the turn. The leather case lay on the ground, where the man had dropped it, after getting grabbed by Fulmina.


    ¡°Rrrr. That hurt.¡± Solaris said rubbing the spot on her chest as she walked towards the villains, her heels clicking on the pavement, each step leaving a tiny half circle divot. As she went to secure the would-be robbers


    Teflon slid out from under his allies, staggering to his feet. he looked over at the case but shook his head, turning and started skating away, moving far faster than if he''d just run, for all the world like he was on ice. "To hell with this!''


    Solaris narrowed her eyes and pulled off her pretty bright blue purse, throwing it at the villain¡¯s legs as he fled. ¡°Coward.¡±


    The purse hit the man firmly in the back of his knees but slid off him instead of bunching up around his legs. He was thrown off his feet, sliding down the street like a toboggan only to get hit by one of the police cars, sending the man screaming to ping pong around the area, vomiting and collapsing when he finally stopped.


    "Signal Lost" came from her air pods a few moments later.


    Solaris winced. ¡°Oh, bloody hell, I forgot the phone was in the bag.¡± She went over to look at her purse, picking it up. She looked at the cops. ¡°Hello Officers, the other two ruffians are over there. She reached into the bag. Sighing as she pulled out half of her phone. Well, that didn¡¯t last long.¡±


    "Well, lucky the Apple store is just over that way." The responding sergeant commented dryly. "Let''s get a statement. We got a call about a robbery, and based on all of this I''m assuming you stepped in?"


    ¡°Yes sir. My assumption was they were trying to steal that case she said pointing to the briefcase. She pulled out her new identification card and offered it to the cop.


    Another officer ran over to the man with the sword, who was groaning and climbing back to his feet, though he accepted help.


    He took it and nodded. "Yeah, the departments been talking about you being back. I may have good news or bad news for you."


    ¡°Oh? What is that sir?¡± she asked, buttoning up her jacket to hide the damage to her shirt.


    "You had a high-profile fight on the most video recorded street in New York City. This one''s definitely hitting the national news channels."


    "Yes. Now can your people return the case to me?" The man, Japanese and carrying his sword, a Katana, asked, his tone firm but polite. "These people were attempting to steal it just as I had arrived to take claim. The items were not meant to be sent with the auction items inside."


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    ¡°I am glad to see you are not injured. I do hope nothing in the case was damaged.¡± Solaris said with a polite bow.


    "Thank you, Solaris-dono, I am injured but not so bad I will not heal with rest. It is unlikely that the items are damaged." He opened the case when a cop handed it to him, revealing an iron tsuba, with a gold and enamel inlay of a snake wrapped around where the sword would have been, with a boulder and shrine lantern as additional details. Its quality was obviously high, and its age apparent. A handle was shattered, with what looked like leather, unexpectedly, around it. "Well, the important item wasn''t damaged. The handle is replaceable."


    Solaris smiled at the man¡¯s musical accent, ¡°It is a beautiful tusba. A friend of mine had one made for me, it was a sun with a white jade wolf spiraling with a black jade raven.¡±


    ¡°I believe a photo of it is still on the smithy wall.¡± He said politely. ¡°I am Takihara Jiro. Chief Inspector, Security Bureau. I was here to recover these items for the embassy. I have the paperwork here.¡±


    The police took the paperwork and scanned it, beginning to verify Takihara''s information. Another set of cops worked on cuffing the three villains while others managed the crowd and allowed fire fighters in to deal with the flaming car.


    "Sir, why were you carrying a sword?" One of the officers asked as he was going through the paperwork. He looked around. "And where did the sword go."


    "It''s an athletic device, not quite a weapon, but as I lacked a side arm I did what I could." He said, ignoring the second question, the weapon having seemed to disappear. Solaris chuckled at the rather blatant lie.


    Solaris looked at him, his accent was so familiar. "Do you know why these ruffians were after the Tsuba? They didn''t seem the Foxiest of thieves."


    "The Tsuba isn''t Foxy, as you put it. It is a bit of a cultural treasure, however. Let us say those who follow Inarri prefer to keep it out of the wrong hands." he replied politely. "I happen to work at the consulate, so it was easier to dispatch me than send a specialist. We didn''t anticipate a theft, but a straw purchase."


    "Ahh someone clever hiring thugs. Some things never change.¡± She said her spine relaxed a bit. ¡°Whatever was going on probably didn''t have anything to do with her old frenemy Kitsune''s people, she really wasn''t in the mood to fight ninjas.


    "Well, the paperwork is sound, and we don''t need the items if we can photograph them." he gestured at the neurocuffed criminals being examined by EMTs. "I''d push on the sword, but you''re apparently embassy staff, so that''s pointless."


    "Thank you, and again, you as well Solaris-dono. I will take it to our embassy, so if you need anything more from me, I am at your service."


    Solaris nodded. Pleasure to meet you Mr. Jiro. She waved at Penny as she saw her and Nahoa pushing through the crowd. Ahh my assistant is here. Do you need any more information from me? she asked politely.


    "No, between existing calls, an officer witnessing on scene, if not equipped to assist, sorry for that, and the camera we pretty much can do for now. If we have more, your contact information is on record." He chuckled. "Once you replace your phone."


    Solaris winced. "Yes. We will need to run by the Apple store for another spare phone. A trio of villains were robbing the auction house. I stepped in, and in the tussle my shirt and phone were ruined." She pointed over to the flaming car and the cuffed bad guys being loaded into cars. ¡°I had Siri send you a message, did it not go through before the phone broke?¡±


    "It did, but I was trying to figure out what ''Wood and Vanilla on Fifth Avenue" meant. I think she''s still learning your accent."


    "Right...don''t trust the robot with important messages. Got it." she said with a sigh.


    "Oh, it''ll get better as it learns but yeah. Might have had her call me instead. Voice is usually better. It''d also tell me if you were panicked or just having fun." Penny considered the car, which was still burning and the spread out and injured villains. "I''m still not sure I would have rushed, seems you needed to stretch your legs." she teased.


    Penny''s phone rang. "It''s me," Marcus said. "I''m not going to be able to get right to where we were going to meet. There''s some car fire thing going on."


    Solaris couldn''t help but laugh a bit. ¡°Sorry officer.¡± she said politely. "The lady''s beam was quite painful, but I didn''t have to hold back as much on the metal fellow so that was nice."


    "Fulmina... yeah. She was a punk kid when she first got popped and started dating a tech-girl in lock up. Apparently, they figured out how to tune the beams to people¡¯s pain receptors. Guess she''ll join her girlfriend in the slammer again."


    Penny, speaking on the phone, said "Come to the Apple store. We had to replace a phone, Marcus."


    "Do you need me for anything else Officer? If not, I''m going to fly over to the Apple store. Penny could you or Nahoa go pick me up a shirt while I deal with getting a new phone between the stab and the energy there is a rather crispy hole in the front.¡±


    "Yeah... We''ll grab you something." Nahoa nodded. The cop waved her off, letting Solaris fly off. "So, tourist shirt?"


    "Tourist shirt." She nodded. ¡°I saw a pink I Heart New York one a block before this one with a street vendor.¡±

 Chapter 22, Emblems are Epic

    Emblems are Epic


    Superheroes and supervillains share one very important trait. They¡¯re all, almost universally, drama queens. If you look at any photo, even if they aren¡¯t aware it is happening, you¡¯ll find them posing as if it¡¯s a natural state. Solaris, the first so-called super human photographed publicly in the United States managed to not only lift an aircraft carrier, but did it with proper posture!¡±


    That is why we teach this course. At some point in your career, you are going to interact with the cape set, fortunately the hero side. They need our expertise less to make themselves look good, and more to make sure they get paid for it, occasionally.¡±


    Professor Sylvia Lang, Marketing 203-Supers in the Media.


    ¡°Good lord, what are you wearing.¡± Granny Ruan said, arching an eyebrow as she took in Solaris. The woman somehow looked almost childlike in an oversized and violently pink ¡°I Heart New York¡± t-shirt that screamed Made in China.


    ¡°My clothing to the brunt of some villains¡¯ misbehavior.¡± She explained her stiff posture as clearly a sign of embarrassment as a blush would have been. ¡°Do we have anything else going today?¡±


    Mrs. Ruan considered the snickering Penny and Nahoa, shook her head, and said ¡°If memory serves, we have the gentleman from EpicEmblem public relations coming out to meet with you.¡±


    ¡°This means we need to know what is in the media already. I bet he will." Penny said.


    Mrs. Ruan unmuted the TV, a news reporter recounting the events in the Diamond District.


    Solaris nodded. ¡°Ah, I forgot, I hope he fits well with our team. I know you went through quite a few agencies picking him out.¡± She said to Penny, as she headed up the stairs.


    "Yeah, first step was figuring out who did what." She admitted as the blonde disappeared going to change.


    ¡°You bought her a tourist shirt? Did you even try to find her size.¡± The elder woman said softly


    ¡°Avoided it outright.¡± Nahoa admitted sheepishly.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you aren¡¯t perfect. You better have gotten pictures because she will never wear that willingly again.¡± Mrs. Ruan chuckled softly.


    Solaris came back down, wearing a better fitting blouse a minute lated. ¡°We still need to find a cook, hopefully soon.¡±


    Penny nodded. "I have a few ideas for a cook and other staff. Granny already found a service for weekly housekeepers. I assuming you don''t mind people who aren''t technically experienced, though they''d qualify educationally. People getting started in their careers."


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about a degree, they are not that important, I care if they can cook! You saw what happened when I tried to make stew.¡±


    "When did you try to make stew?" Marcus asked.


    "You thought she was dying something." Granny said dryly.


    "Oh."


    ¡°I thought stew would be safe! It¡¯s stuff that is boiled. I know how to boil things.¡±


    ¡°I have banned her from all but the microwave.¡± The grandmother commented. ¡°I have also ordered Factor meals like that nice YouTube man suggested. The one who does the history food.¡± She paused. "I also threw the pot in the bay, to destroy the evidence."


    ¡°Rub it in.¡± Solaris grumbled. ¡°So, who do you know?¡±


    "As far as cooks, no one specifically, but I do know of a pool of applicants that you''re uniquely equipped to work with." Penny said, fidgeting.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Solaris asked, curious. ¡°I¡¯m fine with someone that isn¡¯t fussy.¡±


    "Well. Fussy isn''t the issue." Penny sighed. "Did you, in your time, know any younger kids who expressed abilities? And wasn''t really in control of them?"


    There were the kamikaze girls, but diabetes isn¡¯t really a superpower. Oh Hummingbird, Breakneck¡¯s little sister, she was 14 when she expressed. We''re talking about speedsters, so sometimes she talked extremely fast and zipped about when emotional. Is that what you mean?"


    "Imagine that, with someone who fires energy out of their eyes when they get excited, or who was young enough they didn''t realize their illusion powers had anything to do with them and just accepted it as the area around them became pretty existential in a hurry. There are academies, and in more extreme cases medical facilities, for the very young or people who have issues early on controlling their powers.¡±


    ¡°I could see the value in that, in some cases.¡±


    ¡°I''m thinking graduates who may not have found other options yet. The academies help them get through high school and into college or trade schools, and provides housing while they try to get on their feet, but it can be tricky sometimes for them to integrate after being in such a contained environment, especially if they still actively express unconsciously on some level."


    ¡°I certainly don¡¯t mind helping somebody get a start. It can be hard even as an adult, getting used to powers. For a child it¡¯s got to be miles worse. And they might have potential hirelings for other things, such as the gardening position.¡± Solaris tilted her head thoughtfully.


    "I''m sure someone interested in gardening would be somewhere, and there''s a lot of great culinary tech academies around. Hopefully we''ll find someone to interview. We might need to fly them out from whatever place they are at, though."


    The Alexa screen chimed, and Thud appeared on it. "Boss, there is a man from EpicEmblem here, and he says he has an appointment. I know you were expecting someone."


    ¡°Yes, let him on up, thank you Nahoa. Well, the media person is here. Let¡¯s meet him in the living room.


    Granny Ruan left them to get the door, leading a tall, slim man with skin the color of aged walnut and a sense of stability to match. His dancing eyes were an attention-grabbing caramel color, and a suit a color bordering on bronze hugged an athletic frame. His gaze took in the entire room in a moment, and his smile was just the right tone of happy to meet, and professionally detached.


    "Good evening, Lady Summers, and friends. I''m Zakai Hardy, but I beg you to call me Zakai." He said in a smooth baritone as he set his briefcase on the table and offered his hand.


    A pleasure to meet you Zakai. Please, call me Elizabeth or Solaris, both are like a common name to me.¡± She took his hand and shook it.


    "Most heroes in the business who are public, get like that." He chuckled, settling in a seat. "Now, your assistant, good to see you again Lieutenant, if for the first time in person, told me you need a publicist and PR specialist. I''m curious about a few things but thought you might want to ask me some questions first. After all, you''re trusting me to make you look good."


    Solaris nodded smiling as Granny served tea to everyone ¡°I¡¯ve always had a press agent arraigning my appearances and charity work. I am already talking to the Yankees about a baseball event, and they are wanting to tour my collection. Do you have experience with that kind of events?¡±


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    "Specifically with MLB or another professional sports team? No, but other major events involving heavy media presence and lots of money, yes. A couple of charity auctions, of a smaller scale from top to bottom and assisted on several major concert series."


    ¡°That is good, if things go to plan it will be a nation-wide event. I am still learning my way around modern media, it¡¯s absolutely terrifying how quickly something becomes news. There seems to be no time to explain or prepare, everything just happens. I am doing my best not to make mistakes but I know it¡¯s only a matter of time.¡±


    ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, you have enough of the basic skills to avoid the messes some create.¡±


    ¡°I do try.¡±


    He chuckled. "Let me tell you who and what I am, then. ¡°I was in the Air Force, Security Force, for two years I¡¯d likely have stayed SF, but someone in a Toyota Hylux decided to blow up the gate to the base I was at in Afghanistan and bought me an early trip home and a purple heart. It also means I¡¯m never pitching for the majors after the surgeries. After that I did some schooling and moved into being an Air force Public Relations Officer for eight years, and about four years ago I retired and joined my current agency EpicEmblem. My specialty being Crisis Communications and reputation management."


    ¡°A fellow soldier, I can respect that. Solaris said with a chuckle, And I have a bit of history with the Air Force. I assume they figured I''d click well with you, due to that shared background. They are probably right." she liked his straightforward way of speech. ¡°Now what is crisis communication? And what are your thoughts on what we need to do with my current presence.¡±


    "I suspect you know how to avoid most catastrophes, but supers tend towards being involved in crises, and I''m one of the lead agents for the super clients, though I also handle some entertainment and influencer personalities too. Zakai sipped his tea ¡°From what I''m hearing, your big concerns are reputation management, everyone worries about that, and event management. That, and publicist work along with media relations, the drudgery of talking to the media companies before reporters show up and interviews happen."


    "I''m personally planning to recruit a junior to be your personal social media maven. They''ll be young, right out of school, and in need of experience but they''ll know their stuff. I won''t allow anything else. That requires a special set of skills all its own."


    I know my previous agent, Wendy, had several little minions of her own, but it sounds like you¡¯re speaking of something a bit different, something more than an assistant to do your drudge work.¡±


    "I have an agent who works more or less as my partner, she''ll know what I know and be available if I''m not, but not collaborating with you directly as much. We have a team of writers, social media specialists, and other technical people we can call upon as well as a team of junior agents and interns that answer to us directly and specifically. If, for example, one of these young men turns out to be a super and get into the biz with you, I''d assign one of my juniors to them. No offense boys, but the Major here takes precedence. I only ever made captain, so I feel your pain as her junior."


    "And yes, there is an assumption that I will work with your staff as a team, especially since the rumor mill has it, you''re stealing code name "Dreadful" from UNLOC and the Coasties."


    Solaris smiled like a cat that got the cream ¡°Yes, I am. Penny has been a wonderful companion, and the extra hands I¡¯ve needed to get settled. So, I will primarily be working with you, and if you are busy your partner. How many accounts are you managing right now?


    "Between myself and my partner we have seven, counting you eight, accounts currently, and teams usually max at ten. Two have NDAs so I can''t tell you about them, except that they aren''t very busy accounts. Three are internet influencers, two other supers, and you¡¯ve met Luna Fuega who is only a little time consuming. The other is not someone you know about yet called Victor Dred, younger hero, trying to be a bit edgy. He doesn''t have the look of a true edgelord so he''ll either calm into a dark avenger type, get arrested, or get out in a few years. He''s my biggest time demand currently."


    Solaris nodded. ¡°I met Luna last week. Lovely girl. I¡¯ll admit I¡¯m likely to take a bit more time, I like to keep busy, whether that is business charity, or super work. Though the latter just tends to follow me. The nice people at the iPhone store are likely to know me by name before too long.


    He chuckled. "Well, we can work that into a sponsorship." he teased. "In all seriousness, some of what I suspect you''ll do means I will assign juniors to it. I looked you up, you''re very much the type to do a charity appearance here, or a fund raiser there, and those are things I don''t need direct involvement in unless you''re organizing it all from the ground up and are planning it to be a capital E event, like the MLB project. However, even if I''m not hands on, I will always be eyes on, and ready to react or respond if you need me there. Unless you actively get into a fight with Luna or Victor, I doubt I''ll have my time too split."


    ¡°I do understand the importance of delegation. Will one of the junior agents be my primary contact? I¡¯d prefer to have one person who is first contact, even if it has to be brought to a senior, it reduces the chances of miscommunication.¡±


    "I think I will assign Tracy to that role. She doesn''t work in the field, for reasons that are up to her to talk about if she wishes, but she is an absolute master at behind the scenes organization. She''ll get me in touch with you quickly, if need be, and run my lesser minions ragged without worrying me about it if I don''t have to be told immediately. She''s a born E-4, if you know what I mean."


    ¡°Ahh that sounds perfect¡±. Solaris said relaxing back onto the couch. ¡°Now what do we need to do to move forward? Do you have any questions for me or my team?¡±


    "Oh, likely a lot. I want to start with asking what your short and midterm goals are. Not long term, I doubt you''ve had that long to get a real foot under you, but what are you wanting to do?"


    ¡°Right now, I¡¯m just acclimating. I¡¯m finding out what people and property I have and where it is. I still haven¡¯t found my super gear, my tanks are in a storage facility outside DC, there is a Pegasus somewhere, and I am sure I¡¯m forgetting things due to stress and ¡°thawing sickness¡±. Mid-term, travel, find friends who are still around and make new ones.¡±


    "I''m guessing the Heroic Lifestyle is part of your future plans?"


    ¡°I doubt the heroic lifestyle would let me leave. When I am needed, I will step up. That is just part of who I have chosen to be.


    "Alright, here''s what I''d suggest to start. We get a statement out outlining that in regard to the Fifth Avenue event , you just happened to be shopping at the time of the attack and acted. It''s the truth, which is always nice, and we can punch up the release to catch attention. The narrative in the media isn''t bad, so it''s more a statement of intent than real explanation."


    ¡°Makes sense. I was window shopping and had just found a Japanese store with the most beautiful pearls when I heard an explosion.¡± Solaris gave her friends a bashful smile. ¡°I have a weakness for pearls. They are a wonderfully practical bit of jewelry.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Anyway. I am sure your bosses phone must be inundated.¡± She said apologetically to Penny before turning back to Zakai. ¡°How much of an interview circuit do I need to do to feed the press enough to leave me alone?¡±


    "Mikimodo is world famous, definitely go back and really take a chance to shop. My wife does." He chuckled, quietly noting to mention the pearl thing in the release. It was wonderfully humanizing. "I''m going to release the statement, after your approval then let me feel it out. I''m betting on at least a couple of shows, I''m leaning towards the morning news shows but not right away. You might consider a Podcast for a long form interview at some point and can make a few suggestions for that."


    "Now, for the future, I have some homework for you. One, I want you to really develop some goals. The baseball project is a great one, and I''ll start preliminary work on our end, talk to MLB and what have you, get the ball rolling.¡± Zakai gestured at her with his cup ¡°I''m sure that''s not your only interest. Let me know where you might like to be seen, what impression you want to give. Also take you and your people and get new Union suits. And I''m including all of them, even if they aren''t the hero set, because it''s bad in both a practical and public relation sense if an innocent bystander dies because a bullet bounces off of you into them. And if someone is putting on their spurs, so to speak, let me know so I can pick a team member to handle it."


    ¡°I¡¯ll make an appointment for us to get fitted and try to think of goals, which will get easier as I settle.¡± She thought. ¡°OH! I forgot, one of my current goals is to restore my family home in England, get it fully updated and back to being self-sufficient.


    "There might be fun to be had there. Some media groups or even influencers online would love to get a piece of that, for public entertainment. Just something to think about.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. It will bring visibility to the manor which I am going to be modernizing while keeping the history of the property. Make it an event location. I am also working on hiring people to empty out the attics, figure out what needs preserving, and what needs pitched.


    "I do like a client who thinks things through. Sounds like a wonderful project, and at least profitable enough to keep the property up for the future."


    ¡°Back in my parents day the village and manor were completely capable of supporting themselves. I want to get it back to that point, if we get to actual profit on the property, I¡¯ll probably put that into some sort of charity¡± she paused then shrugged apologetically. ¡°Also, what is a podcast?¡±


    "For your frame of reference, think a radio talk show. Just internet based, and usually filmed as well as spoken, but often offered in both video and audio only content." He explained. ¡°The more things change, the more they stay the same. We¡¯ll make sure to only put you on the shows that offer a friendly slant.¡±


    ¡°Excellent sounds like we have a good start to things. I think I am looking forward to meeting all the people you are going to be putting me in contact with, I love working with creative people.¡±


    "That is the influencer space, these days. The current trend is towards entrepreneurship among younger adults."


    ¡°Perfect! Let us move forward then. What is the opening statement going to look like?

 Chapter 23, Suited and Booted

    Suited and Booted


    ¡°The modern super-lair is something of an urban art form. The classic, comic book meta is a solitary fortress far from humanity or a lonely cave under a mansion just outside of town. In fact, most lairs are built within cities and have to be far more cleverly hidden. Even public groups maintain hidden safehouses and headquarters.


    Today, we¡¯re going to try to build our own super base completely under the radar in our home city, in an abandoned convenience store! But before we start, Like and Subscribe, and don¡¯t forget our Patreon members get their own perks!¡±


    Youtube Channel ¡°Super-culture Unlocked¡±


    The car slid though to a sketchy, small parking lot, parking near an inconspicuous door on the side of the building. A ¡®sleeping homeless¡¯ man acting as a guard a short way from them. Solaris stepped out, ¡°Excited for your fitting Marcus?¡±


    "Fitting, getting mugged, could go either way. What is up with this place?"


    "Super suit makers tend to double as arms dealers." Penny said. "Not officially, mind you, and the reputable ones avoid actually breaking laws, but breaking and bending are very different things to them."


    ¡°Not to mention a lot of them fit many shades of cape. Solaris said knocking on the door. Your tailor is like a priest, nothing you say will ever leave their lips because you were never there. And as long as they are not actively heroing or villaining they are persona non grata. You do NOT attack a tailor.¡±


    "Oh, it is good to know that people understand the rules." The voice came through a concealed box, the door opening to allow them into the building. "Please, go right to the freight elevator. We''ll bring you to us. Thank you for being prompt Ms. S."


    ¡°Of course.¡± She led everyone in. ¡°Penny have you ever been to a tailor?¡± She asked as a concealed elevator opened to let them in.¡±


    "No, unless you count UNLOC Armorers. I am familiar with them in theory, though." She said as they all stepped on, feeling as if they dropped far deeper than was anticipated. "Though I''m feeling like the rumors are true."


    ¡°Which rumors are those?¡± Solaris asked. ¡°Phantastique was a bit of an original herself, she was a a bit like you, making tech and wonders for other people to use.¡±


    "Phantastique is the one who set the bar. Rumor has it she suited all the greats, and some of the worst."


    The door opened, and a man, smiling in a custom suit that somehow gave hints of being soft and metallic at the same time welcomed them. "Greetings, and grandmother was amazing. She also introduced the idea of providing other, shall we say, ¡®accessories¡¯ to the right buyers." He tilted his head at Solaris. "You are one of those right buyers, if I remember her stories correctly."


    ¡°Indeed, and she knew all the best toy makers. It is good to see the family has stayed in the business.¡±


    "Oh, several of us have, in different areas. I took over New York, my sister is in Beverly Hills, because she''s a basic bitch, and my cousins are spread around Europe. Now please, come in. Tell me how many of you need something today, and if we''re talking Cape, Staff, Grunt, or minion. I don''t do goons. You can buy that at Bass Pro Shop."


    ¡°Hmm M. Dreadful and I will want the cape treatment. Granny will want staff, Thud, do you want cape, staff or both?¡±


    "I wasn''t planning on doing the cape thing, really. Don''t have much in mind for what I''d want to look like."


    "And you have the nick name Thud? Interesting, we''ll go staff, but I''ll sketch some ideas up in case he changes his mind. So, raise your hand if you are bullet proof?"


    Solaris raised her hand; Nahoa made an iffy gesture. ¡°I¡¯ve never tried it,¡± the big man said


    "We can test it. It stings a bit, but you''ll not be injured beyond a minor bruise."


    "I generate forcefields. I mean, they seem to kick on when I''m in danger but..." he shrugged.


    "Right, Assume you''re not. And from what you said in the email, personal assistant, house manager, driver, and security right?" he said, pointing at each in turn.


    ¡°That is correct. I didn¡¯t bother to bring any of my old kit since it was made here. And I think my super equipment is probably somewhere up in Kennicott.¡±


    "Oh, I''ve got the old records for you, and just about everything is improved. I already have sketched up an update of your ''dress'' uniform, as it has a certain elegance and old world charm, I suspect you''ll benefit from playing in to."


    ¡°Wonderful! Tailor do your worst, do you want to start with me or the others?¡±


    "Let''s start with most of you. If you go with my assistant Thud, he''ll do the test on your skin." he suggested.


    "Um, okay. I hate shots." He muttered the last as he followed the assistant.


    "Here''s what I''ll suggest for everyone who isn''t bulletproof as, shall we say day wear when they think it is necessary." He gestured at a table and a hologram appeared of a genderless form, wearing what looked like bicycle shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt. "While I will make properly tailored versions, these are on the open market as concealed body armor. What''s commercially available is level IIIa at best. I''ll be giving you level IV equivalent, meaning it will stop up to rifle rounds. It will also involve a carbon-metallic mesh that will diffuse most types of energy hits to give roughly equivalent protection from energy projectors."


    Solaris walked around the hologram fascinated, ¡°This is incredible. What are the tiers of body armor? I¡¯m not familiar with it?¡±


    "Anything below three is pointless so we won''t worry about them. Class III body armor is pistols up to perhaps a nine-millimeter or forty-five. Class IIIa defeats up to heavier pistol rounds such as magnums." He explained. "IV will stop intermediate rifle rounds, such as is used in most military rifles."


    ¡°Ahh, so level IV will protect against most standard rounds that does sound good, most villains didn¡¯t really try to shoot me, but for the boys especially it makes sense.¡±


    "To be fair, the bulk of the cape and cowl club are throwing around similar damage levels, if in more dramatic ways. The weakness are they won''t really provide full protection, and the arms and head are exposed, but this is meant to keep you alive to escape, not make you battle ready."


    ¡°Well, you are starting fresh with M., he doesn¡¯t have a suit or a name yet, he¡¯s a blank canvas for you.¡±


    "Good, so what''s your power set my boy? You aren''t bulletproof, but you generate force fields? Do you project energy or are you more of a melee kind of kid."


    ¡°I can do force fields and force sheathing.¡± Marcus said activating his gift into a simple blue arc.


    "Does the sheathing enhance impact, or impart an energy effect as a rider on the attack?"


    "Enhances, I think it hits harder, and Dreadful has done some tests that seemed to confirm that."


    "Right, so you''ll need a weapon. Does sharp versus blunt matter?"


    Penny nodded. "Yes. Sharp seems to get sharper, and the items sturdiness is enhanced."


    "Right, and is he skilled?"


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    Penny frowned, and glanced at the kid, then at Solaris. "Not sure how to describe his fighting style at this point."


    ¡°He is a beginner with some street fighting experience. Right now, he is very dependent on his powers.¡± Solaris said. ¡°I was going to ask if you knew any Trainers with openings, definitely for M and I, and possibly for the rest of the staff.¡±


    "I can send you a few names." The tailor nodded. "Someone to get the basics in for everyone, and with more advanced skills. I''ll get those to you; they know I will mention them if asked." He nodded. "So, we''re going to go with straight forward weapons, we can always change out as your style develops."


    "I''m thinking we start with weapons. A Kukuri style blade, a large one, for one hand, and a Tonfa for the other, a variation on sword and shield with options for purely non-lethal from the tonfa." He suggested. "We can also install a feature or two in the tonfa, such as a taser, gas dispenser, or grapnel line depending on what he might need."


    Solaris reached into her purse. ¡°We¡¯re on the same page with the tonfa, did you know you could hire people on a place called Fiver? It¡¯s an interesting site. I was thinking something like this, I had someone draw it up for me.¡± The image was of a tonfa where the long end could open into a small shield. ¡°I figured the edge would be sharp like a Japanese war fan. Give it some flexibility and extra shielding for his head, if needed.¡±


    "Oh yes, we could do that. Very nice." The tailor nodded. "I do like customers who think and challenge me." He picked up a tablet and scanned the image in " he undersuit might as well remain, can never have enough defending the trunk. Now, something like this."


    ¡°Considering yourself, I wasn''t sure if a helmet would be needed, or ideal. The armor will bring him up to a class V, essentially anything short of anti-vehicle or armor piercing, anti-material rounds. With his forcefield he should be terribly hard to stop. A mix of classic armor and modern tech.


    "Oh damn, that''s bad ass." The kid muttered.


    "A simple face mask would be my suggestion, as helmets can be a problem for melee fighters as much as a help in our circles. The loss of visibility can be hell in hand to hand against some of our sets opponents, in spite of the protection."


    ¡°I like it, very sleek and not too bulky. I do see your point with the visibility what about a coronet or a laurel, something he can imbue to give his head a bit more.¡±


    "Hmmm... yes, we can design something like that. Something akin to a boxers head protection, but slimmer, more decorative. I''ll work on a design.'' The tailor nodded. "We can include some tech, like a light or slide down night vision visor as well."


    A utility belt, the standard kit with communications, pouches with restraints, tracking tools. God bless apple for making that easier." he chuckled. "I would need to have more details on how he operates in suit before I can add anything to terribly custom, unfortunately. experience creates the questions I need to guide me."


    "Oh, high end body cam functions, as well. Helps with the police."


    Solaris nodded ¡°I understand, my own circlet was just a decorative bit until we figured out I needed some form of ranged attack. Then reinforcing it to survive being a weapon took a bit of time. Marcus. Ms Ruan any thoughts on the design?¡±


    "For him to start, it will do well. I am sure he will need to adjust it over time, until reaching it''s inevitable form, but I think he can work with it. do you agree Grandson?"


    "Yeah, it looks great. I like it. Though how hard will it be to put on in, like a hurry."


    "You''ll learn the knack, don''t worry." The tailor assured him. ¡°And I know how to design things for the man who needs to dress in a hurry.¡±


    ¡°Trust your Tailor, they know a suit is near useless if it takes forever to get on. There are all sorts of tricks to it. ¡°


    "Including some is basically just costume art, so flexible without looking it. Part of it is the show.¡± He chuckled. "Though get used to regular clothing getting destroyed. You just won''t always have a chance to change."


    Marcus chuckled, yeah I saw the boss had a big problem with her clothes not being as tough as her. Thank goodness newspapers had to be more discreet back in the day.¡±


    ¡°Lord I will never live that explosion down, it¡¯s been almost a century!¡±


    "Some girl in St. Louis apparently had all of her clothing blown off in a fight, and it turned into a whole issue because she was only sixteen at the time." Marcus said. "I mean, media blurred stuff, but just having filmed it was a bit problematic for them."


    "Please, young man, step into this booth, disrobe, and step onto the glowing disk and do the classic "T-Pose". Don''t move until the disk turns green after that."


    Marcus was bright red as he went in to the booth and stripped down to his underwear stepping following the instructions given to him.


    "So do you know a good vehicle Toy Maker? I think a motorcycle will complete his look." Solaris asked


    "I actually have some things on site, and can contact the builder for more custom work if nothing in stock appeals. You know techs, they can''t help but build stuff they don''t need."


    "Well to be fair we are rough on our toys so it''s not like they sit for long.¡±


    ¡°The scan should have stopped Marcus, you can dress and come back out."


    Solaris tapped her lips letting the Tailor know the bike was a surprise.


    "That was kinda wild. That thing takes all your measurements right? Marcus said stepping out of the booth.


    "Yep. Down to the micrometer. it lets me make suits with armored plates precise and comfortable as a jogging suit."


    "Now Solaris, as I said, I''ve worked on a version of your ''formal'' uniform." He called it up on the screen. "It''s much like the older version, but instead of teh knee length skirt I brought it up a bit to mid thigh. Bare arms but with gloves, modest but attractive, with petticoats to keep it filled out. The classic look, but modernized just a tad." (Essentially your drawings suit). I wouldn''t use this for adventuring but you''re going to want something for those occassions."


    Solaris nodded. I assume some sort of shorts to keep me decent in flight. She said thoughtfully, Will we be keeping the throwing circlet?


    "Leggings, white, down to your boots." he explained. "And speaking off.." He opened a drawer on the table, and pulled out a box. Opening it he revealed a gleaming silver circlet with three gems, one blue, one red, and the top of the circlet a white stone. "Crafted of super-hardened stainless steel, with artificial diamonds for the gems. The central stone can be lit as a flashlight, high powered, and is solid state enough to survive impacts."


    "This should work well pretty and useful but not to dear to replace when it gets lost or damaged. She remembered when they put the first circlet on her, she''d been slightly embarrassed, she was the daughter of a Baron, not a princess, but it had grown on her, a bit of whimsey that was needed on darker days. She ran a finger over the edges feeling the chill of the metal. She picked it up. "It''s lighter than the old one. I''ll have to practice with it."


    He turned the box. "I already made up six." he chuckled. "The last three are dull and have no gems and are meant for training purposes. Those are a high carbon steel, so more flexible ."


    "So less likely to break. I am glad for your forethought. I look forward to trying them out.¡± She placed the circlet on her head, fluffing her hair around it, "what do you think?¡±


    "Looks good. Though not sure it goes with everything." Penny chuckled.


    "That thing was nasty, and they hit me three times with it, yeah." Thud said, coming back from where he''d gone. "Oh, looks good on you there, boss." The assistant handed a sheet to the tailor while he spoke.


    "Ahhh, well, you''re already at level VI defense, so not a lot of reason to add body armor to your look. You shrug off anything not vehicle mounted pretty much. But you''re security, so I''ll give you a nice setup for a utility belt. I feel like you will need more eventually, so think about what you''d like going forward, eh?"


    Thud nodded rubbing his thigh. "Cool. I can be Hawaiian Batman." he said "I don''t know what all would be usefull. I am a rock shaper.¡± He pulled out a granite pebble from his pocket melting it in his hand and swishing it like water.


    "Not much. Might give you a handheld unit for bomb scanning, weapon scanning, and the like. A restraint pouch. A lot of it will look off the shelf since a belt is kind of a belt." he chuckled. "Earth shapers at least usually have plenty of cover."


    "That is true." the big man said with a smile putting his rock back in his pocket.


    "He is studying to be a Lawyer as well so I was thinking a classic Suit with basic features as well as the union clothing." Solaris added.


    "Ahhh, thinking the white linen island look? So lets see, Hawaiian shirt, might as well go with a hat, since Marcus wears one. Hmm, I''m thinking stone buttons, or possibly obsidian. Then you still have rock to wield if needed, if small amounts."


    ¡°I''d also go for cufflinks that are classy and give you another place to add rock without losing your cuffs.¡± Solaris said. ¡°A tie pin would be another nice bit of accessory with that.¡±


    "Oh cufflinks too. definitely. Something perhaps like this."


    She looked at the White single-breasted suite with the three quarter sleeves. ¡°Very nice, I''d go slightly off-white, and I''d go higher with the buttons.¡±


    "Easy enough to adjust. This could work as an erstaz field uniform too, since his ID may be functionally public from what I understand. Thump, will you go into there, disrobe,, and stand on the glowing disk."


    "I''ll do the cloth out of basic bullet proof fabric That''ll allow it to hold up to a lot of abuse. The hat also, so some head protection there. Does he need a weapon or anything like that?"


    "I think all he needs is a good stunner.¡± Penny said. ¡°He''s got some hand to hand so a good non-lethal ranged option is good.¡±


    "I''ve got a plasma stunner. Good range pistol, put a nice holster on under that, and it''s legal for self-defense since its non-lethal."


    "Lets also go with a sneaky stunner something he can conceal as a backup.¡± Penny added.


    "Honey, don¡¯t worry, the one I''m talking about can be sneaky. But we can do a shock collapsible baton, which can go in a pocket. Frankly, I''ll do both, because options are important."


    Solaris nodded as thud went into the scanner. How long do you think it will take to get this all put together?"


    "I can get one suit put together for everyone in say... two days? I usually do a full set of three, minimum, so that would take a week. Then you aren''t out of luck if they get destroyed."


    That is faster than I expected. That would be wonderful, thank you. Thud came out of the scanner. So Who''s next Granny or Penny?


    "Grandmother, if you wouldn''t mind stepping in. I don''t need you to disrobe, as these don''t require quite the same accuracy. However, I will have a surprise for you as well, so you aren''t left out." He winked. ¡°I might have had some warning of your measurements, thank you Dreadful.¡±


    "Ahhh, this Taylor is a devil. I like him." She laughed as she walked in."

 Chapter 24, Weapon fittings

    Weapon fittings


    Enhanced Heros and Villains alike tend to disregard small arms, at their own peril. Yes, a standard 9mm slug isn¡¯t going to do much to most of the community, and the old reliable hollow point may not either. However, there are far more interesting rounds available. Even normal handguns have armor piercing options now, even if many communities make them illegal for sale or use. That¡¯s ignoring speciality heavy rounds that may come into use.


    That¡¯s ignoring the fact that just because you can walk off a handgun hit with a ¡°little bruise¡± doesn¡¯t mean you are going to want a group of goons to empty clips of ammo into your body. No one fears the Six Foot Tall contusion.


    Heroing for dummies, where E-books are sold.


    Solaris laughed. "I am a bit excited to see what you do for her. Ms Ruan is quite the pistol, with a stare that can induce guilt in anyone it''s turned on.¡±


    "Much like my own and like my own. Did you know she''s armed?" He chuckled. "I approve."


    "I am not surprised. Penny and Solaris said at the same time, then laughed..


    The tailor tapped on his pad, and the table in front of him slid to the side, as another lowered from the roof. This one was a bit different, with monitors on the side. "Now for you, Lieutenant, or should I say Dreadful. The first thing is, according to rumor, I need to see any issues I will have to work around."


    ¡°I screwed up my leg, had it ripped off and reattached. It sometimes gives me pain, in bad weather or after using power armor that uses neural link technology.¡±


    "That was what my contacts said, in less detail. It''s not an unusual issue. Your control suit will have to be designed to take that into account. Lay on the table and I can scan for the damage, don''t ask how because I don''t know. A brain made it for me. but, once I see that, I can work around the issue."


    Okay, she hopped on the table shivering at the cool feel of the tech against her. They did the best they could, I¡¯m lucky to still have a leg.¡±


    "Oh, they did fine work. I can see the damage, and the healing. the simple fact is trauma always leaves a mark." The tailor said. "There we are, you have a few nerve clusters that moved a bit. What we''ll do is make your undersuit with longer legs, and a neuro-transmitter relay systems to shift communications to where it needs to be. I''m not going to say it''ll be perfect, but it shall reduce the pain dramatically. Likely no more than being a bit sore after a workout."


    ¡°That will be a blessing. I¡¯m working on building my suit, I should hopefully be able to mitigate it even more with the build. Damn government budgets, of course a sup-tailor has better tech than UNLOC.¡±


    "I am afraid I am not skilled enough to help you there, but I know it has something to do with the actual attenuation between the system and your nervous system. Hopefully this will help." He noted what he needed to. "So, it''ll be a standard suit but with longer legs." he called up the undersuit. "Same bullet proof material, so I''ll drop the other set for these."


    "Now, are you the armor wearer who looks at a wise armorer foolishly if someone suggests an outfit and gear to use OUT of the battle rattle?"


    ¡°I love my armor and I¡¯m more comfortable with it, but I am good with handguns, rifles and knives. ¡°


    "Then I''m going to suggest this..." What came up was a gothic punk look, pants instead of skirts and a leather coat with lace details, buckles, and belts galore. From the look, the outfit integrated her pilot¡¯s suit, but her hair was showing as longer and purple. "I already know what you''re about to ask. It''s a bit of a tech I''m playing with, think a wig that isn''t really a wig, giving you some anonymity. I am using it for those who don''t want masks."


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    ¡°Interesting.¡± she said ¡°I take it if I lose the coat I¡¯ll be able to suit up?¡± She hated how much those super girly lace and ruffles spoke to her. She was macho, damn it.


    "Yes, while the coat and straps will allow for concealed holsters for weapons and other tools, and of course the requisite utility belt integration."


    ¡°Okay, damn it. I¡¯m sold, I¡¯ve always wanted a coat and boots like that.¡± She looked at Solaris and I am buying them, not you. I want them.¡±


    Solaris held her hands up. ¡°As you like.¡±


    ¡°Now for kit, let us talk about your weapons load out. I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re carrying the standard ERT side arm, .500 Smith and Wesson?¡± At her nod, he frowned. ¡°I think we can do better than that. While the .50 action express is a bit of a downgrade, you won¡¯t be limited by NATO regs, so you can load more specialized rounds, meaning more options.¡± He explained. ¡°I¡¯m thinking Desert Eagles, call it a pair, in the manufacturer''s so-called ¡°Black Cherry¡± finish. I will of course have my techs add what recoil compensation we can, as well as an upgraded barrel, sights, the whole shebang. For more generic combat situations, I¡¯m thinking a custom-made variation of the PP-90, chambered in standard 9mm, rated for plus P. That¡¯ll have to be custom built, since those folding bastards are a pain to get from Ukraine and are chambered for Tokarev. Fortunately, I know a guy who can manufacture what I want.¡±


    ¡°Okay, wow.¡± Penny said, blinking in surprise at the suggestions. ¡°That sounds very, cool actually.¡±


    ¡°I will also look into some folding shotgun options, you can load those with Taser shells or something else less than lethal for when that¡¯s needed. Again, something nice and concealable for when you don¡¯t need it. Let the fools think you only have a pistol.¡±


    ¡°Oh I am going to need to book so much range time.¡±


    "As you should, as you should." he chuckled. "Oh, and should I let you see some of the weapons, personal and, larger, that might be laying around for appropriately licensed purchasers?"


    ¡°Yes please. I¡¯d love to see what toys you have.¡±


    Zoya Bo-Hee was having a pretty good day. She¡¯d managed to earn enough cash to buy her own car, She''d found one she could afford and her mother was going to help with the licensing and insurance. She''d be able to have a real job, Z''d even already started to fill out the information to start Door Dashing so she wouldn''t have to fleece tourists anymore.


    ¡°Daughter, it is time to come home.¡±


    ¡°Fuck.¡± She cursed, jumping up off the bench, spinning around. Standing a dozen feet behind where she¡¯d been sitting was her father, his Korean features stern, his dark eyes judgmental. ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°For one thing, I am being disappointed in my daughter''s foul language. We did not raise you to speak like a dockside worker.¡± Kye Bo-Hee said as he walked around the bench, approaching her.


    ¡°You barely raised me at all.¡± She snarled. ¡°That¡¯s ignoring when you decided to turn me into the cops for shoplifting when I was twelve.¡±


    ¡°It was for your own good. I wish you had taken the lesson to heart.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I took the lesson all right. You can¡¯t even trust your own parents in this world.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°I know it is hard to understand how my expectations for you are so harsh, and how my work pulls me away, but it is what is needed. The city¡­¡±


    ¡°The city is just as filthy today as it was yesterday, and you being here sure as hell ain¡¯t changing anything.¡± She snapped.


    ¡°Enough of this. You are a seventeen-year-old girl, and as your father I am taking you home.¡± He reached out and grabbed her arm, only to have her twist and free herself with a motion he¡¯d taught her himself.


    Before he could take another step towards her he was forced to fend off a series of rapid fire snap kicks aimed at his head and chest, catching the third kick and twisting it, sending his daughter flipping in the air.


    She landed with a roll, and didn¡¯t even look back as she took off, diving into a bush. He gave chase, but soon realized she had eluded him.


    He had no idea she was standing not three feet away, watching him, her power and shadows wrapped around her, watching him mutter in rather dockside Korean before walking away.


    Z was having a really, really bad day.

 Chapter 25, Gifts Galore

    Gifts Galore


    ¡°I am a servant of the city, and its people. My skills are at their service, and my heart beats with a desire to defend the innocent and helpless of this city.


    Qilin, the Warrior Sage, during an acceptance speech for a civic award for heroism.


    ¡°Why is it every martial arts master in the community has to make it sound like they¡¯re on a mystic quest for justice. If you like to fight, just admit it! No one is going to judge, you know?¡±


    Victor Dred, after the speech when talking to the press.


    "Solaris, if you will step into the scanner area, we''ll get your sizing while I have an assistant show her to the weapons locker." He smirked. "Is there an allowance I should know about?"


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I doubt she¡¯s going to go hog wild.¡± Solaris stepped in the scan room stripped down and posed for the scan. She came back out. ¡°That is a fascinating bit of tech. Any changes? ¡°She asked


    "Only very minor. Even you apparently will adjust if not eating for several decades." He called up an image. "You''ve always been doubly patriotic, so I''m sticking to the red, white and blue pallet. The top is blue, moving seamlessly into a lightly pleated skirt, with white daggs in the pleats, and along the curve of your hips to give a look of shape. I have a feminine bit of puff that quickly returns to tight a cloth along the arm, blue transitioning to red, with heavier outer gloves over inner gloves that will allow fine touch and tech use. Leggings of a dark blue down to red and white boots, with small chunky heels. The tiara, of course, is integrated, as are concealed utility pouches."


    ¡°Patriotic but not to garnish.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll probably bounce back in a few weeks. Still unchanging.¡± The last words almost muttered. ¡°I assume tear away sleeves and skirt so they can¡¯t be grappled?¡±


    "Yes, though you won''t be able to tell, of course. The body suit and leggings will be class III body armor, for pure durability. There''s no reason to go stronger, as it just won''t matter to you, and the cost to benefit ratio just isn''t there. Class III will be enough to keep the average nearby explosion or near miss from shredding anything."


    ¡°And durability is a key issue for me. I assume you have someone who does shoes? Go a higher durability on those. I actually need all the basics in day-to-day shoes as well. I killed another pair of pumps the other day.¡±


    "I get my shoes made by your company, who has a custom service." He chuckled. "They allow you to choose several aspects of the shoe. I just have it ''unfinished'' and do the skinning myself with appropriate materials."


    She laughed. Well, I might as well support my company. Can you order me a nice selection with grade three skinning. Shoes take a heck of a beating.


    "I''ll order you a set of basic footwear, and some running shoes. Do not ignore the Sneakers, dear."


    ¡°I won¡¯t they are lovely to run in, Penny got me a pair.


    "Good, glad to hear it. Now shall we go find her and look at the vehicles you were asking about?"


    ¡°Yes. Marcus, wait here, I know you want to see your Granny¡¯s, outfit.¡± Solaris turned to follow the Tailor.


    They took the elevator up a level, and stepped into a playground of handguns, rifles, and high-tech weapons that she wasn''t sure how they''d work. There were multiple tables, stacks of ammo, batteries, and fuel containers under the displayed weapons. Penny stood at a table, a small selection of weapons resting on it. "Okay, I get the Stun pistol, rifles, and cannons. Police Forces are slowly getting them to replace tasers, but where did you get the laser systems?" She held up a hand. "I know, I know, suppliers. Still, I''m impressed, and resisting any urge to check your licensing."


    ¡°Still wrapped up in Toyland? Find anything to play with? Or are you just running up one of everything.¡± Solaris said in a teasing voice


    "Oh, yeah¡± Penny said turning with a grin. ¡°A crate of ammo types for my forty mike-mike that I didn''t have, I¡¯m going to have to redesign the multiload system for it. "I also got a Stun cannon for the suit, pistol for my coat, and a flight system I thought I was going to have to build from half understood descriptions on the internet." She chuckled. "Nothing major."


    ¡°It¡¯s always fun to get toys. I was going to go look at vehicles if you want to join me. I was thinking of getting Marcus something nice to go with his new suit.¡±


    "He does lack a movement ability, so that''s not a bad idea." she admitted. "I suspect we''re still discovering things he can do, but flying isn''t one of them."


    "Now, you mentioned a motorcycle. Are you thinking something he might go on fairly long rides on, or a city pursuit kind of deal?"


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°If I have to choose a preference, I¡¯d go for city driving. Long range is nice, but not as important I tend to be in urban areas.¡±


    "So urban, we can do that, and we want something that looks sharp too. Here''s my first suggestion. This is a BMW R 1250 R cruising bike. It''s good city or long drive, and it''s the same base as the most popular police motorcycle worldwide.¡±


    ¡°That will work, BMW is making motorcycles? Do you think we can get some switch panels to flip between civilian and hero mode?¡±


    "Ahh, my dear, you got ahead of me." he chuckled. Walking over he switched the bike on and flipped a few switches. The gas tank shifted from black to grey, concealed LED lights lit up in decorative lines, and a few small decorative panels slid out of view, leaving the bike with a more ''naked'' design. "Hero mode, so to speak. This uses red lights, but we can have a bike with blue to go with his costume easily. Perhaps add chrome and leave it more naked in it¡¯s civilian mode just to change it up." The Tailor made some quick notes at Solaris¡¯s nod.


    "My tech also disassembles the entire machine, and replaces stock parts with upgraded performance parts, while we replace the lines, oil, fuel, what have you with stronger, essentially bulletproof versions. Where possible, we also remove the cosmetic body panels and remold them in armor quality ballistic plastics for durability. Also, I only offer the police types to the white cape side of the house, so he won''t bump into any gray capes with a similar bike. I don¡¯t deal with black capes, because I like not getting robbed. The paperwork with the Network is nearly lethal itself¡±


    Solaris chuckled. ¡°Paperwork is how we know we are civilized. Definitely go with the blue, and maybe include a spot on the front to put the shield tonfa, so he can duck under it for cover.¡±


    "Ooooh, kind of a bracket to turn it into a windshield. I can do that and have the civilian windshield slide away. Nice touch. We can also add hard saddlebags for cargo storage, which he can pull off when he doesn''t need them." The Tailor said, waving his pen. He could see why Solaris was in his grand aunts VIP book. Money was great. A polite and creative client was a gem. "Oh, and it goes without saying, they get upgraded security to prevent theft."


    ¡°Our set just can¡¯t resist the urge to steal each other¡±s stuff.¡± Solaris admitted. ¡°I remember one time a dumb teenager decided to steal Toth¡¯s car.¡±


    "It¡¯s how you all keep score. That''s why we put trackers in them. And admittedly keep a few spares if we have to replace one." He shrugged. "It is what it is. We collect. I can have this ready at the same time as the other items. Now, was there something else you were interested in? Command vehicle, armored recreational vehicle, submarine? No, wait, that isn''t ready for the field yet, and the buyer got himself creamed but I can¡¯t stand to leave a project undone. But, other than that, what else?"


    ¡°Penny, do you need anything vehicle wise for your suit? I don¡¯t know what kinds of mobility systems you have planned for it. You mentioned a flight system you were getting here.¡±


    "Yeah, but it''s going to be short range. I honestly will have to finish the suit before I can think about transport solutions. I won''t know what I need till I''ve got it running and know for sure what it is. I''m in the art more than science stage of things."


    ¡°We will explore that later then.¡± Solaris said, ¡°I don¡¯t need a car of my own yet, so that should do vehicle wise for now. Oh, please add on a bike trailer. I almost forgot that.¡±


    "Oh, I had assumed." He chuckled. "Although, thinking, I may have a suggestion for you. It''s a bit avant guard." He moved over towards an ATV. "A Polaris, with all the whistles. This model has a second seat that can be easily removed, and considering it''s carry weight, would be suitable for some power armor to use, depending on the agility of suit and pilot. And with the features included here, this is street legal. It might not suit Ms. Ward, but it might very well suit Dreadful."


    "It looks like a baby jeep. Solaris giggled. It''s adorable! What are they normally used for, cause the naughty part of me wants one myself."


    "Well I can certainly get one in your preferred color tones as well. They''re popular with people who own large, rugged properties, hunters, nature wanderers who aren''t hikers. This is a street legal version, even, so technically it can be driven on the streets as well. Now, if you want a comparison to a jeep, I can show you that too." he chuckled.


    ¡°Shall we go see how the others are doing? I want to see what Granny Ruan gets put in.¡±


    "Oh, I think she''ll like it." the Tailor chuckled. "Right this way. Oh, coincidentally, while I don''t keep aircraft around, I do have techs who can do similar upgrades to aircraft if desired."


    "You look fantastic Grandma." They heard Marcus before they saw her.


    "Of course I do. Where do you think you get your good looks from. Not your grandfather. Face like an ax, but hands like a sculptor."


    "I didn''t need to know that."


    Mrs. Ruan was wearing a red ao dai, though not as tight as a younger woman¡¯s might be. Red, with gold accents and embroidery with full sleeves. Slits allowed the loose pants underneath to be seen when she moved, a slightly darker red. "And I could hide my Berretta in so many places." She nodded. approvingly


    "Not to mention all your knives." Solaris said with a smirk, she had no doubt the old soldier that was Granny Ruan, was the best armed person in any room she entered. "That red is perfect on you."


    "Bah, only two. Easy to hide in anything but a bikini." she wove off. "He had a green one I liked too. Apparently, he thought buttering up Granny was a good idea." She waved a finger at the man. "You don''t fool me. Clever man."


    "Ah, but is it working? Oh, and I had this arranged for." An assistant brought him a case and he opened it. "I of course have my people look into customers before they come. Common sense. I understand you prefer an older 92 series. This is a new 92xi in the Vietnam Tiger Stripe camouflage pattern, as they are producing a series of guns in classic camo patterns as homage to American military tradition. As this was also your own, I thought you might appreciate it. With four ten round magazines, as New York is a silly place with magazine limits."


    Solaris smiled at the slightly poleaxed look on Ruan''s face as she took the gun, cleared it, then sighted down it. "You know good guns. Maybe I send you cookies."


    ¡°And don¡¯t forget the over robe, good for cool weather, and protecting you in the case of a firefight or actual fire! the assistant said holding the soft cream-colored garment for her.¡±


    "Of course not." She slid it on, patting it. "I like being warm and protected. And armed. He is tricky Ms. Solaris. Do not trust him, but definitely do business with him!"


    "She is so like my grandmother, truly." The Tailor sighed. ¡°She says the exact same things.¡±

 Chapter 26, Let’s Go to Vegas

    Let¡¯s Go to Vegas


    One of the areas where people expect super-tech to have influenced that it hasn¡¯t is the transportation industry, particularly flying. While certain Breakthroughs have developed advanced technologies for getting into space and Catalysts have made some of that incomprehensible technology at least semi-understandable, the fact is such technology is slow to work into mundane, day to day travel.


    It isn¡¯t that there is no effect on the airline industry. Certain technology used by the TSA originated in UNLOC super-labs while several safety and efficiency technologies have made flying even safer than it already was. However, there¡¯s no real profit for super-techs to figure out how to make airline seats more comfortable, nor motivation for the airlines to treat them like anything more than flying buses.


    At the end of the day, super-powers are still often trumped by the all mighty dollar.


    Russel McFarland, ¡°Technology and the Age of Supers or Why So Few Flying Cars?¡±


    Solaris was kicked back on the couch watching some of the YouTubers Zakai had recommended when her phone rang, she hit the answer button without paying much attention ¡°Hello?¡±


    "Yes, hello. Is this Elizabeth Summers? I want to make sure I used the right number. Penny gave me a few of them."


    ¡°Yes,this is Miss Summers, who may I ask is calling?¡±


    "This is Louise Carpazo. I''m Lou Carpazo''s granddaughter and your accountant. Well, owner of the firm that does your accounting." she explained. "We''ve exchanged some emails."


    ¡°Ahh. It¡¯s a pleasure to hear your voice.¡± She sat up and set her iPad down. ¡°My bankers spoke well on how you¡¯ve taken care of me.¡±


    "That''s kind of them, seeing as we''ve argued almost constantly over every major decision." She laughed. "Though I suppose it¡¯s telling they¡¯ve also suggested me to customers. Which is why I''m calling. I have all the hard copies, including the gray accounts and some more detailed business data. I was wondering if we could arrange for you to come out here, and my staff can go over it with you. I kept the originals here in Vegas."


    ¡°That should be doable, Zakai is still working on the media schedule, so I¡¯m in a rather delightful lull. When do you want us to come out?¡±


    "As soon as you like. I''ve been getting it all put together and it should only take a day to go over it all. You can check out Las Vegas and really enjoy that lull."


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Penny and Tracy, so we get all the details straight, and I¡¯ll have an Itinerary sent over.  We should be able to be out in the next few days.¡±


    "Excellent. There''s lots of things you can do out here besides gamble. Rent a supercar, shoot machine guns, take in some shows. Though I suppose the second one you''ve done."


    ¡°I have, but it is fun.¡± She remembered pulling a destroyers 20mm orlicon off and using it like a Tommy gun. She had kept it as a souvenir, and wondered if it was another item that may have ended up in Kinnecott. She really needed to go to Alaska at some point. ¡°I look forward to seeing it.¡± She gave her fair wells and made her way down to Penny¡¯s office. ¡°Busy?¡± She asked.


    "Just ordering some things from a certain Tailor. He wholesales kevlar and carbon fiber sheeting. What''s up?"


    ¡°Louise reached out, she wants us to come to Vegas to go over the books. Since we are waiting for the suits and such, I figured we could fly out for a bit.¡±


    "Easy to do. There''s direct flights multiple times a day." Penny commented. "Want me to arrange it? And when do you want to leave?"


    ¡°Yes please. We don¡¯t really have anything going on and the media haven¡¯t found the house yet.¡±


    "And I prefer not to be here when they do." Penny admitted. "Though the boys wouldn''t have much to do in Vegas. Mrs. Ruan might like to go. She strikes me as the type."


    "To break a casino? Not since I was young." The Asian woman''s voice came as she walked into the room, smirking. "I heard you talking. I agree, the boys shouldn''t go to Sin City, but I would enjoy it. I suspect you''ll find yourselves needing someone not absorbed by other business from time to time."


    ¡°Alright then Penny, do you mind setting reservations for three? And can you email Tracy and let her know where we will be?¡±


    "Oh, has to be Ceasars Palace." She chuckled. "I''ll give her a heads up. We should be able to get a suite big enough for a meeting. Just checking, you don''t want a private pool or poker table do you.'' She chuckled.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t need anything crazy. I just want us all to be comfortable.¡±


    Penny glanced at the older woman. "Wait till she gets a hold of the shopping opportunities."


    ¡°Oh yes, lots of shopping, we will do crazy spa day too. Vegas has good, crazy spas.¡±


    "Oh, hell yeah they do. And shows. We''ll have to see what''s playing right now."


    Solaris smiled leaving them to the planning while she went to figure out what to wear for the flight.


    Solaris found Mrs. Ruan and Penny lounging in the living room next to the luggage. Mrs. Ruan was wearing a jogging suit, while Penny wore jeans and a Coast Guard T-shirt. Both looked up and were as shocked as her. "What are you wearing?" Penny asked.


    ¡°I was going to ask the same?¡± Solaris said. She has chosen a beautiful gold and cream knit dress with cap sleeves and a pretty set of cream kitten heels, ¡°Why are you dressed so¡­casually?¡±


    "We''re going to be on the plane for like, four to five hours I think. Don''t you want to be comfortable?"


    Nahoa, who had been collecting a couple more bags to take to the truck chuckled. "You''re both dressed exactly right for flying on an airplane. It''s just Ms. Summers dressed for her time, not now. Flying used to be an event, and people would wear suits and ties." He looked at Solaris. "Now it''s more like how taking a short train trip might have been for you?"


    "Yeah, if you''re traveling in the cattle car." Marcus commented, carrying another bag.


    Solaris looked at them confusion plain on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, it¡¯s flying, it is an event, a chance to relax and let the stewardesses take care of you with a fine meal and wine?¡±


    "Fine meal? I mean, wine, yeah, but meal? I mean, we¡¯re first class, so it¡¯ll be pretty decent, probably."


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Aircraft were lower and slower then. They had actual galleys, and mouths weren''t as dry." The big man said. " I mean First Class is still good food, but it''s not quite the fancy event you remember, ma''am. Not unless you''re flying premium intercontinental. Even then, most carriers in the US are basically flying buses with meals, if you''re paying for that."


    "We are."


    "Oh lord, just promise not to throw anyone into orbit when we hit security." Mrs. Ruan said with a smile.


    ¡°Why would I do that to someone doing their job? I am not a, what was the word, a Karen.¡±


    "Go get into something a bit more comfortable. And wear slip on shoes. And socks." Penny instructed. "We''ll deal with the next step when it comes."


    Solaris wasn¡¯t happy, but you didn¡¯t hire people and ignore their advice. She changed into jeans with a blue and white t-shirt and a pair of ankle boots ¡°Is this better?¡±


    "Sure. Looks good." She let the boots slide. Her boss would learn. "The trucks all loaded, lets head out."


    One Hour Later:


    Penny stood, watching Solaris as the other woman eyed all the security, scanning equipment, dogs, and chaos that was JFK. They were just getting to the front of the security line.


    ¡°This is certainly more crowded than any airport I¡¯ve been in. I see why you wanted to leave so early. Why are there so many security checks? Are stowaways a problem?¡±


    "No. Oh man, we''ve not talked about recent history much." She sighed. "Let¡¯s just say people got stupid and everyone gets to pay for it."


    "Next! Please take off your shoes, and put any metal, electronics, and your shoes in these bins."


    ¡°My shoes? She looked around and saw the man wasn¡¯t joking. Looking at the floor she shuddered, then floated up a little and took off her shoes. She dreaded thinking about how dirty the floor must be. She opened her purse and set her iPad and phone in the bin.


    ¡°Do I take my jewelry off?¡± she asked Penny.


    "Yes. Put it back on when we get through the metal detector." She said, almost choking, when a teenaged girl a few stalls down said "Why didn''t I think of that!" And started hovering herself, to her mother¡¯s embarrassment.


    Solaris took off her watch, necklace and earrings, placing them in the bin. ¡°Penny I¡¯ve gone though less security visiting super villains and military laboratories.¡± she said appalled, as she followed them though the white gate.


    "Not anymore." Penny muttered, having already filled a couple of bins. "I''ll explain when we get to the lounge. We do have a first-class lounge at least."


    Mrs. Ruan had, strangely, gone through a different line, and was waiting for them on the other side, muttering in several languages. "Stupid metal detectors. Stupid Transit Authority."


    They packed back up ignoring a very pained TSA supervisor as they did. Reaching the first-class lounge near their flight, Penny sighed. "Where do I start."


    "Communism." Mrs. Ruan suggested.


    ¡°Oh hell, of course Communism finds a way to muck up the fun of flying.¡± Solaris growled.


    "Okay, not completely, but it kind of started that way. This didn''t all happen at once, though it kind of felt like it." Penny said. "See, back in the fifties and sixties, nut jobs would sneak weapons or a bomb, or just claim to, onto an airliner and demand they take them to Cuba, which by that point was Communist."


    "At the time, the airlines kind of just went with it, as the police and feds were concerned with trying to take a hijacker down with the bystanders around. The US usually just contacted Cuba, warned them the plane was coming, and they let it land and arrested the idiot. Then sent the plane back after maybe a day or two, giving the passengers a harrowing flight but lovely stay in Havannah."


    "Then fanatics got involved, particularly religious extremists. Middle Eastern groups mostly, claiming opposition to Israel or some other slight, started claiming God demanded action and started bombing airliners. Thus, security started to increase. Then came September Eleventh."


    ¡°I can hear the capitals when you say that. Solaris said as they sat down to wait for the plane.


    "On September Eleventh, 2001 four groups of terrorists working in unison seized control of four airliners. On that morning, Two crashed into the World Trade Center, what used to be the tallest buildings in New York. One crashed into the Pentagon and the last, the passengers found out what had happened with the other three and attacked the hijackers, causing the plane to crash in an empty field. Two months later the Global War on Terror, and the war in Afghanistan, started. I was an infant."


    "I was still running the family restaurant." Mrs. Ruan said. "I have seen horrors in my life, but never had I seen Americans so wounded. The fall of Saigon is the only day with as much terror for me, but the anger and rage that came after, that is something that seems very American. The comparison to Pearl Harbor was made, and you saw how that ended."


    ¡°Oh my. ¡°Solaris sat quietly letting that settle. She remembered the London bombings, and the kamikaze pilots of Japan, she remembered the American reaction to Pearl. One hundred and fifty million Americans unifying under one tragedy to march to war. ¡°So, all these security measures are a response to that. I can understand needing to protect your people, giving them security to heal from the wounds of war.¡±


    "New topic." Penny said. "Shows. I already booked a Cirque and Penn and Teller." she said, pulling out her tablet. "So, is there anything else we definitely want to see?"


    Solaris looked at her tablet. ¡°Mmm, there is a Sinatra show! We should do that one!¡±


    "Sinatra is good. And classic Vegas. I figured we''d skip Elvis this time, since I''m sure we''re going to be back out here from time to time so you might as well learn who that is first."


    ¡°BattleBots? That sounds fun, but we don¡¯t want to overbook, we will want time to relax and explore.¡±


    "And shop."


    "And to gamble."


    "Caesars Palace was damn near built for you, or at least the shops there were."


    ¡°I am eager to see it. The boys went to Vegas once but I was busy with the tank girls, I think the only casino was the Flamingo, though the pictures of it were amazing.¡±


    "The Flamingo is still here. It''s the only one safe from being replaced. We could go gamble there, walk the same terrain, since we all know a bunch of enlisted guys went and gambled." Penny said


    ¡°That could be fun, a bit of old Vegas and the new. I can¡¯t believe how quickly you were able to get flights. I didn¡¯t even have time to read up on Vegas.¡±


    "There''s like, a dozen or more flights to Vegas a day going out of New York. It''s dead easy to get a flight there. Also, you''re used to aircraft that carry thirty or forty people. The Airbus we''re taking seats over a hundred, I think. And to be fair, it''s only a midsized airliner. That 767 can fit well over four hundred, though those are usually long-haul flights like to Europe or Asia."


    ¡°That is pretty amazing, but that must be a lot of work for the stewardesses. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d like to be on a plane with that many people considering how much people drink while flying.¡±


    "Actually, those planes have crew berths on board, so the crew, including pilots, can sleep on the way while others take over. Also, their crews are pretty big."


    "And only a small amount of it is first class, meaning getting a lot of attention."


    ¡°I am getting more and more apprehensions about this flight.¡± She looked up as someone called their flight to board.


    "We''re in preliminary boarding. Off we go." Penny said, leading the way to the jetway, handing over the tickets and leading the other ladies on board.


    Six hours and a loss of faith in the future later they got off the plane. ¡°My lord, that was not the flying I knew. The only pleasant things were the stewardesses and the wine! I¡¯d have been better off in my F3F, and that¡¯s a one seat biplane!¡±


    "The Bloody Marys helped." Mrs. Ruan added, slightly tipsy.


    "Yeah, well, it''s what you do unless you''re going to charter a flight or own your own plane." Penny shrugged.


    ¡°Do we have to deal with all that¡­. madness if we own or charter a plane, because heaven¡¯s mercy that was not something I¡¯m doing again!¡±


    "No, other than customs we can do what we want with our own plane. Charters are somewhere between the two, but not as secured. Of course, charter would get more expensive than owning, especially if we follow through with getting people pilots licenses like we talked about."


    ¡°I will buy a plane, I probably will need one anyway once Zakai gets busy with the PR. Then I¡¯ll be spared dealing with pushy people and materials that are allegedly food.¡±


    "Right... I''ll look into that." Penny promised. "Though I admit, I liked the idea of sailing to England or Europe over flying."


    Solaris nodded ¡°I see no reason not to keep that plan.¡±  The blonde woman took a long centering breath and looked around. ¡°There are slot machines in the airport. You can lose your taxi money before you even get out of the airport!¡±


    "Yeah, and the clocks are made by Rolex. God, this is so Vegas already." Penny laughed, leading the way to claim their luggage, itself a struggle as Mrs. Ruans suitcase had been damaged in transit, something the airline took no responsibility for. "Well, guess I''m buying a suitcase here." The old woman muttered as they headed towards the door, and their shuttle to Ceasars Palace.


    ¡°I cannot believe I just got off a flight and I still need a drink.¡±  She watched as the luggage was loaded and climbed on the brightly decorated bus. ¡°Is there somewhere good to eat at the hotel? I¡¯m starving. Once we get settled in, I want to find a good meal.¡±


    Mrs. Ruan chirped "Ohh! Hell¡¯s Kitchen! We should eat there!"


    ¡°Aright. Well sounds like Granny has that sorted out. Solaris laughed. ¡°Dare I ask what kind of food it has?¡± With a name like Hell¡¯s Kitchen she had no idea what to expect.

 Chapter 27, Bugsy’s Town

    Bugsy¡¯s Town


    La Costa Nostra, the classic Italian mafia, is rather infamous for staying out of the super community as much as they can. Partially, this is possibly just due to the families more conservative nature and partially, this is due to watching what Enhanced types did to other groups.


    Unfortunately, the South American Cartels have not followed that pattern. In fact, they are one of the organizations pumping money into illegal research to create their own Enhanced super-criminals. This is in spite of the fact that they regularly have to fend off their own creations attempting to take over their markets and organizations.


    This is further complicated by the Cartels complete disregard for any traditions regarding cape culture, which has led to a rumored ¡°Special Relationship¡± between Supers and Cartels. Short meaning, Heros and ¡®respected¡¯ villains aren¡¯t held to the same standards when fighting against the Cartels as they would be in other places. The term Red Cape is reserved for complete psychopaths, like Chimera, and frequently Enhanced connected to the cartels.


    Andrew Fitzgerald, ¡°Analysis of Public Service and the Heroic Age.¡±


    After a rather fraught, if entertaining, ride through early evening in Las Vegas, and a fine dinner of beef wellington and smoked salmon, they were lounging in the hotel room when there was a knock on the door. Penny answered, and Louise Carpazo entered the room with a briefcase.


    Dressed business casual, she wore a sports jacket over a silk shirt and skinny jeans, all of which were obviously expensive, with high heeled boots. "I''d have tried to wait to eat with you, but I know what the strip is like at night. It''s good to meet you, Ms. Summers, Ms. Ward, and you Mrs. Ruan."


    Solaris stood and shook her hand, ¡°It is lovely to meet you as well, Mis Carpazo. Please take a seat, make yourself comfortable, it¡¯s not like this is still regular business hours¡±


    "No, I suppose not, but for the high rollers, or other types of big clients, you make time. Especially ones with your storied history with my family." She smiled as she sat. "I know you were given the short form explanations of your finances at this point, and have had a chance to look at them?"


    ¡°Yes, I was quite pleased with the state of the portfolio, though I admit I¡¯ve been dealing with my business concerns bit by bit. There are a lot of odds and ends after almost a century.


    "Yes, and I admit, I''d like to trim some of them." The accountant admitted. "If something became a problem for your portfolio or holdings both your bankers and I were draconian in cutting off the dregs, but you have a few investments that, while profitable and technically of value, just aren''t performing how I think they should and don''t quite fit in with the rest of your portfolio."


    "Then there''s your real estate holdings, sorry as they are. I didn''t include the accounts for the sale or lease of properties, those funds are sitting in long term, low risk investments. I almost sold the Hamptons property but wasn''t certain you''d want to give that up and even the empty ground is valuable.¡±


    ¡°With the lovey home I¡¯ve been setting up in Islip if we can turn a profit, I¡¯m fine with selling off the Hampton property. If I remember correctly, it was a decent plot of seafront land. I don¡¯t really need a permanent vacation home there now.


    "St. Nicks, which technically does business as Kennecott Science and Technology Center, or KSTC, is still very active and called St. Nicks by those who know it. They are heavily involved in several universities. Frankly, your biggest issue is you are losing massive amounts of money to taxes each year due to not having enough to claim counter to your income. A nice problem to have, but one that irritates your accountant."


    Solaris nodded, ¡°Well I can start increasing my charitable donations to help balance those out. I already am working on an event with the MLB. And I am sure I will find other causes to patron.¡±


    "We can also set you up a HSA and 401 K... and you have salaries going out from your personal corporation, the shell company I set up, which includes all of the staffs payroll, health coverage and 401k deposits. You''re very giving. And yes, I already set up the medical and dental, I''ll bring the paperwork for everyone after you know if you''re doing any new hires here."


    ¡°Thank you for handling that. I was rather getting lost. ¡°


    "I do this a lot. I''m not just an accountant. I''ve taken our services into assisting with both personal finance and business set up for small and midsized businesses.¡±


    "Your estate has a law firm on retainer, they have offices in New York, London, and Chicago with relationships with practices around the country. Just seemed a good idea to have."


    "Penny, can you forward that information to Tracy". She got her phone out, Penny and Granny did the same taking the number down. ¡°How much have they had to deal with, While I was away."


    "Fairly standard attempts by different corporate entities to get control of stock or other resources. Nothing that was even remotely successful. I don''t think any made it to court." She replied. "Some copyright claim stuff, when media sources attempted to use you without your estates permission."Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    "Well, that is good, I rather shudder to think of some of the things people would want to do with my image. That was bad enough back in my time, now with as fast as everything is it would be so much worse."


    The accountant sighed. "That¡¯s the side show, though. For what is important we can talk about tomorrow in detail. I''ll send a car around to take you to my offices so we can go over the books in detail, then you''ll know everything. After that we can start making plans for where you want to move financially going forward. Right now, you could just enjoy your existing passive income, but I suspect that''s not what you want to do."


    "No. It isn''t. The truth is I have no idea how long I will live; I haven''t physically changed since my enhancement and I''d rather live comfortably than not. Also, my parents raised me to be productive. They would roll in their graves if I just became a wastrel."


    "While one would argue your record suggests you don''t really need to justify yourself any further if you don''t want to, I understand the goal. But no hurry, time can be taken to figure out the best plan for you and what you desire to achieve."


    "I am looking forward to working with you. Your grandfather was amazing, and it looks like you have the same spark he did. It makes me happy to know the same family has taken care of me all these years.


    "Well, I won''t pretend mistakes weren''t made, but all in all, your fortunes have been well cared for. Real estate aside." She chuckled.


    ¡°That sounds like a lot of flukes, usually land is the best of long-term investments. I don''t know if it helps but I¡¯m going to be investing quite a bit in restoring the Summer House in England. My PR person is looking at setting up a bunch of influencers to do the work.¡±


    "Yes, but are you planning on living there, or using it as an income property. It would be fantastic as a sight for filming, or for events."


    ¡°I plan to keep my room there private, but I am going to use the rest of the property as an income property, I''m also researching how to make the fields more profitable.¡±


    "Always good, but you''re more of an urban, world traveler sort from what I was always told."


    "I like my privacy every now and then, but for the most part you are right. I travel then I come back to one of my nests to relax until I get to fidgety then I travel again."


    "I would make a joke about buying a private island, but you might just do it." She said with a smile. "Well either way, here''s what I wanted to bring you here." She pulled a file case out of her shoulder bag. "Details on the grey account. It''s taxed honestly, handled directly by one of my staff under my supervision."


    Solaris took the file, interested in seeing what Louise and her family had done. "This is the account the personal monies come from, right?"


    "That is the account that is attached to your ''corporate'' account." She said. "The Super Account, as I tend to think of it."


    "Ahh all the odd little expenses heroing can create."


    "And ironically, it''s filled with real estate." She chuckled. "A couple of warehouses, investments in a few hotels, some small homes that are rented as Airbnbs." She explained. "That, and several offshore investments, essentially serve as passive income for these accounts, and separate from your other more well known business activities. It¡¯s also where the ''undisclosed settlements'' for certain uses of Solaris in media has ended up going. NDA''s are fantastic that way."


    Warehouses. Solaris closed her eyes trying to remember something. "Warehouses. I was going. Oh. What happened to the warehouse in Hong Kong? I have seen on the news China took it back from Brittan and I was curious what happened?


    "Oh... OH, that is a major bit of real estate you own, though it''s a bit strange." she admitted. "My father negotiated that deal right before I took over. The property was technically sold, but you retained a partial ownership in the building that went up as part of the deal, in the form of four floors, which is a significant amount. One floor is a museum of unusual artifacts, I''ve visited, and I don''t know why you had that many mummies, two floors are leased out to offices, and one floor is currently vacant, though until recently it was also offices. The business in question folded."


    ¡°My grandfather bought the land and had the warehouse built not long after Brittan leased Hong Kong. He was gambling on it being a major shipping hub and using it as a place to hide his artifacts from Grandma. She thought collecting dead people¡¯s things was creepy and refused to let it in the house.¡±


    "Oh really?¡± Louise said leaning forward.


    Solaris chuckled. "Father told me about the time Grandpa tried to hold a Mummy unwrapping party at the house, Grandma was so mad she had a maid bring her a broom so she could beat grandfather and his guests with it. She didn''t let up till he took the mummy out of the house, then hired a spiritualist to cleanse the property. Father said that Grandma refused for years to go into that parlor."


    "She says things like that, and it just blows my mind to realize she doesn''t know." Penny admitted. Meanwhile Grandmother Ruan was pulling up something on her iPad and showed it to Solaris. "This is Hong Kong today."


    She looked down at the phone. "Oh my... it''s like Manhattan!"


    "It might be bigger in a way. Its population is desperate for space and building up in a way that even Manahatan doesn''t match. And it was returned to China as treaty demanded, and turned into a special economic zone so the communist regime can pretend they aren''t as capitalist as everyone knows they are. Chinese Style Communism involves a surprising number of new millionaires over the last couple of decades."


    Solaris rolled her eyes. "Of course it does. Well, it''s good to know that even if the warehouse is gone some of Grandpa''s legacy is still around, along with whatever bits of antiquity he hid there.¡±


    "Lots of minor mummies, odd items from all over the world. Nothing earth shattering or really priceless but interesting. They charge enough to maintain the staff and items."


    "That is useful. Perhaps we will add to it when we go through the attic at home. I wonder how much of my stuff has ended or will end up in museums, you should have seen the MLB people when they saw my collection. "


    "Your plane from the war is in a museum, I know that." Louise said, thinking. "As is a couple of your earlier heroic uniforms. One each in the UK and the US."


    Solaris shook her head. "It¡¯s still so odd thinking about it," All those things are only a few years old to her, but antique to the rest of the world. "Anything else major or is the rest to be handled tomorrow."


    "We are good, this was just a quick face to face and some highlights. Tomorrow is going to be dull drudgery, but we should get through it in the morning and maybe bit of afternoon. Then you can enjoy Vegas. We can meet again later to talk over plans you want to start working on.¡±


    "I look forward to it. Once we are done sorting that out am going to purchase a plane whil. Either that or we are taking a train back to New York.


    "I''ll look into the plane purchase immediately." Penny said. "I don''t even know if trains do that anymore. Do they?"


    "Yeah, but it''s not real efficient." Louise said shaking her head.


    "I don''t care, the future has ruined the joy of flying. "


    "Lord, that must have been a bad flight."


    "Only if you¡¯re use to how flights where in the forties and fifties.

 Chapter 28, Economy of Scale

    Economy of Scale


    One of the most distinctive of ¡®Gray Cape¡± jobs is to work as a courier. This is distinct from being a normal delivery man, or even bicycle messenger, as well as not a flattering term for a drug mule.


    Couriers agree to deliver messages, items or goods, with limitations varying from courier to courier. The only universal trait is that the courier does not care what is in the package they deliver.


    They also will require that it be in a sealed container of some sort, and almost universally expect to have no access to the interior themselves. There is also an understanding that the courier will make damn certain your package gets to where its going, baring interference from legal agencies. Its also understood that setting a courier up to get burnt is a quick way to never hire a courier again, or a courier bringing you a bomb instead of the nifty toy you ordered from a Toymaker.


    Bite one courier, they all tend to bite you.


    Phantastic, in ¡°My life as a Tailor.¡±


    The next morning saw Penny and Solaris met by a Lincoln Navigator that drove them to the large, active offices of the accounting firm. Hours of drudgery, during which time Penny shopped online for an airplane, popping outside to make calls inquiring about them, finally ended around lunchtime.


    "If it¡¯s any consolation, that went faster than I thought it would." Louise said


    "It is what it is, there isn''t as much as I thought there would be considering 70 years. How often do you think we should meet face to face?¡±


    "Maybe quarterly, though it won''t need to be a deep dive like this. This will only happen maybe once a year? I can come to you for the quarterly meetings, you here for the annual."


    "That works and will give me a chance to try out more of these hotels. the buildings here are amazing, like dozens of world fairs lined up, side by side"


    "Yes, but the hustle and bustle needs the occasional escape." The accountant opened a door, pulling out a golf bag filled with clubs. "Calloway Ladies, right-handed as I hope I remembered correctly. I figure any kit you have left is likely a bit to old to play."


    "I Haven''t gotten to go golfing yet." Solaris said her eyes bright. She pulled one of the modern clubs out, "Oh, the balance in these is a bit different. These are like clubs for aliens! I can''t wait to try them out!"


    "I think you''ll like them, and Caeser¡¯s Palace can get you a Tee time at a local club. Just talk to the concierge." She suggested. "I''m not sure if Penny or Mrs. Ruan golfs."


    "I''m willing to give it a try." Penny shrugged. "Meaning I''ll suck, but I think someone told me once that was the point of Golf."The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "It¡¯s how I trained to control my strength early on. In the end it''s a nice day of walking in a park with friends.¡± Solaris said, pulling out the putter to try out. "Do you golf Louise?"


    "I do. Let me know when you set the time, and I''ll bring my sister along. She''s a real estate agent and has a pretty flexible schedule."


    "A foursome, Perfect. I''ll text you the Tee time when would be good for you?"


    "You''re here past Saturday, right? Let''s say then. There should still be times open this early, and it gives you time to take Penny to get clubs."


    "A good plan." Solaris said shaking her hand. "Thank you very much for the clubs."


    " Fair warning, those are only a step under what the pros use. The only way past is up."


    ¡°I wonder if we can get clubs at Cesare''s Palace.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea, but I''m sure we can find somewhere if not there."


    They left, sitting back in the navigator as it drove them towards the hotel, though neither could truly relax as the driver kept having to steer around other drivers. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d live to see worse than New York drivers.¡± Penny muttered.


    ¡°Oh, London was bad even in my time. I doubt it¡¯s improved.¡± Solaris grumbled. ¡°Speaking of transportation, are you having any luck looking into a private aircraft?¡±


    ¡°Some. I did some research, and I have a general range of models in mind. I¡¯m avoiding new because, even though you can afford the best I am getting a real New Car depreciation vibe, along with reading about how often FAA has some major system update or repair they need within a couple of years. I¡¯m looking at older, established planes that have all the bugs worked out and the value drop gone but are still nice. There¡¯s a lot out there if you hunt. I just am not sure if they¡¯ll be in Vegas.¡±


    ¡°We can always offer to pay the owner to fly out to show it to us, I suppose.¡± Solaris mused.


    ¡°I was thinking of hiring an agent to go look at the plane, give me their opinion, then fly it in to have techs crawl over it for a couple of days. Then we know we¡¯ve got something steady. I already did research and found out you can set up an account with some crew hiring firms and they¡¯ll get you short- or long-term staff, based on need. I was figuring get someone short term and look into hiring after we go ahead and have the thing gone over tip to tail back home.¡±


    ¡°Not a bad idea. The Toymaker can likely line us up with some very interesting techs.¡±


    ¡°Exactly what I was thinking. Anti-missile countermeasures sound like a great investment.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Marcus and Nahoa watched the delivery men, wearing the name of a delivery service so bland that Marcus strongly doubted it was real, as they removed several large crates from their delivery truck, as well as a couple of dozen boxes and pelican cases. ¡°Are either of you authorized to sign for deliveries?¡±


    ¡°I can.¡± Nahoa said, looking at the invoice which listed the boxes by the numbers on their side. Shrugging, he signed, taking a copy of the receipt. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    He watched the truck leave, the engine roaring way louder than he expected, but then if the truck wasn¡¯t armored, he¡¯d eat his shoe. ¡°So, the Boss¡¯s Toymaker delivers.¡±


    ¡°I figured.¡± Marcus said, picking up a stack of the boxes, ignoring Nahoa as he lifted two, one stack under each arm. They carried them in, ignoring the crates since neither had any idea what would be in them, and set the boxes down.


    ¡°These are labeled with our names.¡± Nahoa said, handing one of the boxes to Marcus who opened it. Inside was a white t-shirt and shorts, though the cloth they were made out of sure as hell wasn¡¯t cotton. ¡°This is the under armor.¡±


    ¡°For you. This is one of my ¡®working¡¯ outfits.¡± Nahoa said, holding up a white sports jacket. ¡°The rest are likely the spiffy things.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll leave it alone till Penny and Elizabeth get back.¡± Marcus said, sighing. If we play with too much of it now, we¡¯ll get our asses kicked.¡±


    ¡°True. But what is this? It¡¯s labeled differently than the others, and I don¡¯t think it was on the invoice. I missed it because it was with the other boxes.¡±


    They opened it, to find a woman¡¯s corset and body suit, along with a gun with glowing gems on the side.


    ¡°Oh hell. This is going to be a problem, isn¡¯t it.¡±

 Chapter 29, Hiring fair

    Hiring Fair


    The Enhanced Student Educational Academies, or ESEA system was created due to several accidents in the sixties and seventies when younger persons expressed as Enhanced. In spite of fears of these being a first step in a containment plan on all enhanced, they were some one of the better run government programs for young people.


    This was fortunate, as families who needed their help were predominantly families that would have needed other help. Often, the imbalances in the students lives caused the emotional control issues that caused powers to flare. The academies have a nearly ninety-seven percent success rate, with only the worst cases needing long term housing in specialized facilities. This is despite how often families effectively abandoned their student to the system permanently.


    Unfortunately, due to the distance the academies were built from large communities, being rural for security and safety, this led to our students being unfamiliar with large groups of peers and anxious in large social groups. Far from a major difficulty to overcome, it does cause the students to have challenges finding employment right out of school. That is why we are scheduling this Job Fair.


    Headmistress Lillian Bradley, Director of the California ESEA facility.


    Getting back to the hotel Penny called the dean of the school in the area, leaving the room for a short conversation before coming back. "Do we want to go there, or they come here. I''m getting a certain ¡®She wants to hire students? I got lots of students!¡¯ Vibe going here."


    "We can go to them, it seems more polite, and I would like to see the school. I am curious about it. You said that these will be high school graduates or college graduates?"


    "All of them will be high school grads, and many will have completed some sort of college or trade school. I mentioned a cook or chef and it seems they have a girl who has finished culinary school, but has an issue with crowds, which he said was ironic?"


    ¡°I am glad to know they aren¡¯t going to try to saddle us with unskilled youngsters.¡±


    "No. The academies tend to be split between the pre-high school groups and the high school through college crowd. This is a teen school, which includes up to about 22 to 24 students. After that they kind of have to move on.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense eventually even if it is hard you have to leave the nest. We will meet there, when is the dean wanting to meet with us?¡±


    "He said tomorrow would be great. he gave me the directions so I''m going to get a rental car. It''s just a bit out of town, in the grand scheme of things."


    The next morning the three of them, Granny a bit hung over but snickering about blackjack dealers, piled into a mini-van and drove out of the city. Solaris looked out into the desert she¡¯d expected to be here when they landed as they drove to the west.


    The location wasn''t in any incorporated area, and took about an hour to drive to, but when they did arrive it looked a lot like coming up on a ranch, though no animals were in sight. It looked from the road like a large main house and several barns, though as they got closer it became obvious the barns were more than they seemed.


    The gate had a fairly advanced speaker box, camera and a very heavy gate between them and the interior. "Well this is pretty secure, though It fits the landscape well." Solaris said as Penny opened the window.


    "Hello, Elizabeth Summers to see the Dean." she said into the speaker.


    "They did put this a ways away from civilization didn''t they." the blonde added


    "Rather intentionally." Penny admitted.


    "She''s right about that." A young man¡¯s voice said, as he shimmered into view near the car, holding a device of some form. "Sorry, we have to be careful. There''s plenty who would love to kidnap a few powered kids for one reason or another."


    Solaris nodded. "I do understand, I dealt with more than enough of that a couple, um, of times a while ago.¡± She corrected herself.


    "You''re clean, go ahead in." The gate opened. "Just pull up to the front of the house, I think the Dean is planning to give you a tour."


    "Thank you."      Solaris said as they pulled through the gate.  "Well, this is already looking like an interesting place."  she said thoughtfully.


    "I''ve never been to one, but I know the staff is usually also mostly Enhanced, though usually retired or never active hero types." Penny said. "I also know they are almost all like this, rural and usually with an airstrip on site in case they need to move a kid quietly for some reason. The US has twenty of them, total."


    The van pulled up to the front, and a man came out to greet them. He was a handsome man, with weathered skin distinct of a man who spent a lot of time out in the field. "It''s not often we get visitors out here. Especially ones with such noted reputations." He offered his hand to shake.


    Solaris shook his hand. "Ms. Ward told me about your school, and I am intrigued, and more than happy to help someone get their start. I hope you will have time to show me around."


    "Absolutely. Please, come in." he led them into the house, which did appear to be a house. "I am sure that Lieutenant Ward has told you we have to be a bit covert." He said as he led them through the home, into a conventional dining room and kitchen, towards the back of the house.


    "Yes, I can understand why.¡±


    "I suppose you can. Less common these days, but just as ugly." he opened a closet door, to reveal an elevator, the door opening and him stepping in, "If you would."


    Solaris stepped in, Penny and Granny following her. "I was surprised you could see us so quickly. I expected to wait a day or two since I came to Vegas a bit unexpectedly."


    "I''ve been eager to meet you since she contacted me before you came out, though today just worked out well. The younger kids are on a couple of field trips. Rockhounding for some, nuclear museum for others though they got redirected to something else because of an unexpected closure. A burst pipe, I think they said."


    He let the door open, and led them into a rather complete, and pleasantly decorated, underground facility leading them through. "The kids live in these pods, well, bunkers really. The younger kids share a room with a roommate, while teachers live in bedrooms attached to their group of rooms, kind of a dorm set up."


    "They have a common area here, and each pod is set up the same. Through here is a garage, we use for teaching as well as for the busses. This is the older students, so they are putting together a Just Aircraft Highlander LSA as a project. We start the younger kids on small motors, then bikes, the next get to work on a hot rod to learn cars, and the next oldest group do a big project, a complete kit car, a kit aircraft, or a boat, though we always question wanting to do a boat in Nevada."


    ¡°I approve of a practical education. Theory is great but you don¡¯t really know anything until you have boots on the ground and a bit of dirt or blood on your hands. Nursing.¡± Solaris added when he looked confused.


    He nodded "Most of the kids are competent amature mechanics  by the time they leave. Just seems like a good way to teach them and good skills to have. We use the cars they build on a track in the back. Its how we teach them to drive."


    ¡°Though we tend to teach somewhat aggressive driving skills.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t judge. We had a group of Japanese teen girls flying mini-airplanes around a golfcourse in my day.¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    "That''s why we let them do this. Two of the girls you knew helped found the governing organization that sets up and runs these schools. That''s why we offer things like this to the kids, though one class in colorado built a tank, not sure how they got that through."


    ¡°Tanks are fun.¡± Solaris said lighting up to hear that some of her girls had done well. ¡°I have a small collection of my own, somewhere or other. Does your school have a speciality?¡±


    "You mean whats our focus? Aside from standard High School Diplomas, because we can spend so much time with individuals unlike other schools we offer the kids an additional educational track. By the time they graduate a lot of the kids are good with coding, mechanics obviously, and more than a few get their pilots license, private or light sport. Welders and art students galore, too."


    "Then there''s the college crew. This being vegas we have a lot of kids get Hospitality related degrees. We bus those kids to the city so they can go to several college options in Las Vegas, even if they are still living here.¡±


    "Then we have a few kids go for tech schools. We have a couple who are certified mechanics, and one idiot went and got a gaming management certificate. Three guesses who is a heightened intelligence with advanced math skills."


    ¡°Ahh brains, the bane of casinos.¡± She chuckled. ¡°What I am looking for, or curious about is a cook, a gardener and possibly a mechanic and pilot. Someone who might be able to wrangle so called ¡®influencers¡¯ for me too, though I don¡¯t know what that job would be called. It may morph into a management and marketing job for my family estate.¡±


    He blinked, then thought about it. "I actually do have one older student who just finished their BA in business admin focused on marketing. That would be Embrace Groves, and as for a chef I already knew about, Anzhela Morozov, we call her Anzy, with the Z."


    "I don''t have a Gardner, technically, but if you don''t mind someone a bit unusual, something a little better."


    ¡°I am willing to listen, my whole life has been unusual.¡±


    "She''s originally from malaysia. her powers expressed very young, plant manipulator. Mercedes binti Qais. She also sometimes expresses plant like traits."


    "As an odd note, Anzy is one of the better mechanics too, though only amature. Our pro students are Erica Jackson or Levi Henderson. They both got certifications, ADE and such."


    ¡°I am willing to talk to them. Most positions will require a certain amount of travel, and my primary residence right now is in New York. I do tend to travel, though.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s start with Anzy.¡± He said. "She''ll likely be in the kitchen in the central pod, so come this way." He led them through a tunnel, to another pod, with a different layout. They heard music playing in the background, the girls voice singing along in a slavic language. "Ansy is an expat from Ukraine, technically Crimea, though she''s been here since childhood and is fully naturalized as a citizen."


    They walked into the room, and five pretty, dark haired girls were dancing along with the music, one stirring a pot, one chopping veggies, another working on a dough, with the last two carefully breaking down chickens which were presumably for dinner later in the day.


    ¡°Hello Anzy,¡± Solaris said in a gentle voice not wanting to startle the girls working with knives. He didn¡¯t mention they had sisters, and she was curious which she was hiring.


    "Huh?" Two of the girls looked up, then said "Hello!" Causing the other three to look up. "Oh, Hello!" They then proceeded to start asking questions before realizing they were all talking at once. They stopped, stared at eachother, and with a "pop" they united into one person, holding the two knives from the chicken, which she set down before washing her hands. "Sorry, Are you the woman who was wanting to hire a personal chef? The Dean mentioned you to me. And you look very familiar for some reason."


    A duplicator, that did make more sense. ¡°I am. You probably saw me in a history book. My name is Elizabeth Summers, but most people know me as Solaris. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you Anzy. That is a heck of an ability for a cook.¡±


    "Oh, the Multi-me thing? Yeah, it''s helpful. I at least we know we all remember the recipes. Well, maybe not four. She gets distracted. But I digress. Solaris? Yeah, I wrote a report on you in my junior year. Wow! And you need a Chef?"


    "She has five people¡¯s lungs, I think she did not breath through all of that." Grandma Ruan joked quietly.


    ¡°Yes I do, I cannot cook and I have been banned from my kitchen. Granny and takeout have kept us fed but I¡¯d much rather have someone to do the job.¡±


    "I won''t judge. The Dean can''t cook either."


    "My skills are limited to ramen and coffee." he admitted


    "I suppose you want to do an interview? Or would you like to taste something? both? Probably both."


    ¡°I would like to taste your food, and I do have some questions. Are you okay with relocating and traveling? I live in New York right now. And we are putting in a boat house for the chef we hire to occupy. Do you get seasick? And how do you see working as a private chef?¡±


    With a series of pops, the girl split into five, with one of her running off. Another stepped around the counter "Actually, let''s go sit in the dining room, and I''ll cook while we talk." She suggested with a smile, gesturing towards the tables in the other room. "And no, I don''t mind traveling, and I''ve kind of always wanted to go to New York City."


    That is good. I also will be bouncing around, England, Switzerland, Paris, Japan.


    "Oh, those all sound lovely!" She said. "Yeah, no, doesn''t bother me at all. I''d love to travel, and you''ve listed like, several very Foody places, so complaining would be silly. As for seasickness, I grew up as a little girl on a fishing boat in Crimea. If the Black Sea couldn''t make me sick, no body of water not rated as rapids can."


    ¡°I ask because we are going to cruise across the Atlantic at some point soon. And I would want you to go with me.¡± She was enjoying the girls bubbly personality. ¡°You¡¯ll be cooking for me and the rest of the on-site staff. Generally it will be family style. I¡¯ll let you know if I need to dine privately, I will also need snacks left in the fridge or counter. I only need a couple hours of sleep a night and I don¡¯t expect anyone to keep my hours.¡±


    "I''m certified in both cookery and as a patisserie , so that''s not a problem." She said. she mused. "I''m willing to try it, assuming the pay is reasonable. I mean, I''m a chef, I am a little narcissistic."


    "She literally once had two of her clones wear cheerleader outfits during a intermural tournament." The dean noted wryly.


    ¡°Oh,that is not an issue, like I said earlier one of the perks of the job is lodging at my boathouse and use of the house car. I also have health and retirement packets set up.¡±


    ¡°How many people are you expecting me to be feeding each day? And are we talking all three meals and snacks, breakfast dinner, and are any of them children?"


    ¡°No kids.¡± Solaris said simply. ¡°Right now there are 5 people living onsite, though we may be adding others, probably a maximum of 10 regularly.  Barring Chinese and movie night you¡¯ll be responsible for all the meals unless one of the others decides to cook. You¡¯ll also handle the shopping of course, and I don¡¯t expect you to cook if everyone is out and about.¡±


    Mrs. Ruan raised a hand. "I will help you with planning shops, as well."


    "Out and about basically means just have something ready that can be whipped up quickly. Trust me, that''s a lesson you learn in school." "However, speaking of something ready." Another her said, the other four coming out of the kitchen, settling trays in front of each of them, including herself. The extras vanished.


    "What I have made for you here is my take on the classic Fish and Chips." She said, gesturing at the beautifully fried fish and battered fries, laying upon a sheet of newspaper like in a traditional chip shop. "The Fish is talapia, which is nicely sustainable and actually local from a fish farm in the state. The fries are a battered fritte I keep par cooked and frozen on hand for when I want to make them. You''ll also find a small dish of malted vinegar, freshly made tartar sauce, garlic aioli and of course ketchup as well as pea fritters, which I understand is popular in northern England with fish and chips."


    "This is served with a pint of Papa''s Red Ale, a local microbrew Ale which was also used to make the batter for the fish."


    Solaris took a piece of fish and broke it enjoying the sound of the batter, she dipped a fry in the vinegar and used it to dribble the dressing on the fish. She took a bite, letting the flavors melt on her tongue. trying the tartar sauce next, she then took a fry and tried the aioli. ¡°That has a punch.¡±


    She took the pea fritter ¡°Your batter is lovely. And the frying isn¡¯t too oily. What do you think your best cuisines are?¡±


    "If you go to a culinary institute, one of those answers had better be French, and I am very good with the ''classical French school''." She said with finger quotes. "I love pastas, and Italian as well as general Mediterranean cuisines. And being in Nevada, the classic American favorites are a must. We all get time working a buffet at some point." She joked. "My weakest is Asian and African cuisine. I''m not bad at the basics, mind you, but I know Mrs. Ruan is going to have tricks I haven''t heard of yet."


    "I am also a baker and Pastry chef, though I don''t have a specialization. I''m more generally competent around baking."


    ¡°I do love a good pasta, and no one born dislikes fresh bread.¡±


    "I am glad to hear you enjoyed the fish. How''s the Fritter? I kind of tossed that together from half remembered reading. I added a touch of dill with the mint because I just thought it sounded good." She thought for a moment. ¡°I also took a course on being a competent Sommelier. It was kind of a summer program, but the teacher also mentioned how to pair beers and whiskeys as well as wines to foods."


    ¡°Well that is useful, I know granny Ruan has been working on loading up the house bar. How much time do you need to pack up?¡±


    "Honestly, not much. I mean, the place I have here is great but..."


    "They''re basically packed in tuna cans we call efficiency apartments. The kids learn to be organized, or to not use their own furniture."


    ¡°Wonderful!  Then you can make the trip back with us. I¡¯d like you to make a wish list of everything you want in and for the kitchen. I¡¯ve deliberately not kitted out the kitchen past some basics. I¡¯ll have Penny send you pictures of the indoor and outdoor kitchens, send her the list and we will see what we can do.¡±


    "Right, can do! Ohh, I''m so excited!"


    ¡°I am glad, Penny did you bring the contract? It will go over your pay and perks.¡±


    "Okay, let''s get to the nitty gritty." The girl said, diving into the contract, looking it over like someone who took more business courses than she really wanted to. She started signing things on the second read through.


    Solaris smiled. ¡°Looks like we will get one of your students settled. She said to the dean.¡± I will apologize for stealing your cook team.


    "Oh, it''s fine. Technically we take turns among the staff, but she better finish dinner tonight. I don''t have staff here to do it tonight!"


    "I will sir." She said, as two of her left to pack, and a pair went back into the kitchen.


    "She cheats, but damn if that isn''t useful."

 Chapter 30, Hiring Fair, Part 2

    Hiring Fair, Part 2


    ¡°When we hire, we¡¯re very careful to screen every applicant, not just for their skills but for any security concerns. It¡¯s a balancing act, because you can¡¯t ignore anything, but you have to disregard certain factors.¡±


    ¡°I mean, someone who can turn invisible is definitely a security risk, but refusing to hire them because of that is a lawsuit waiting to happen.¡±¡¯


    Unknown Human Resource manager overheard at a bar.


    ¡°I am happy we found a good fit for our chef. It kind of fills up our living quarters, though.¡±


    "There''s the option of others coming out later, to be fair. We don''t strictly need everyone right now. It''s late enough in the year we can hold off on a gardener, though I''m already seeing signs of wanting a mechanic on staff. I don''t think we''re stopping with the four cars you have already bought and that¡¯s ignoring the bike you ordered Marcus."


    ¡°True.¡± Solaris said pondering. ¡°Well let¡¯s meet people and see what we think. They may not click with us, if they do, we can figure it out then.¡±


    "Who would you like to meet next?"


    ¡°I guess the mechanics, we do have quite a few vehicles.¡±


    "I know where they are." He led the group up and out, over to a side by side. He drove it over a couple of hills to reveal a dirt race track and a few outbuildings with solar panels. They could hear an engine whining as it failed to start. "That would be Erica and Levi." In one garage were two younger adults working on the engine in a car that had definitely seen better days. "Okay, seriously. It''s got spark, it''s turning. It''s got to be the fuel system."


    "Yeah, but it''s not firing with fluid. Oh hey, Dean, who is your friends?"


    ¡°This is Miss Summers, she¡¯s here looking to hire a few good people, and is from our community.¡±


    "So, what are you looking for, or are you putting together a racing team?" Erica said, looking over the strangers, then stepping slightly away from Grandmother Ruan. "I mean, joking aside, what can we do for you? If it is a racing team, we¡¯re definitely your crew."


    "Well, I know something she can do." The elder woman muttered with a smirk.


    ¡°I am looking for mechanics to look after my various vehicles, ranging from cars to planes. If you want to build a race car, I would happily assist if I hired you. I have always enjoyed motor sports.¡±


    "Well, she knows how to sweeten a pot. What do you want to know? We''re both certified automotive mechanics. We''re familiar with piston aircraft motors and I am part way through the material for certifying as an aircraft mechanic." Levi said. ¡°She certified for diesel as well as gas, mostly because a teacher pissed her off.¡±


    ¡°He said I was too small and delicate for engine work. Jackass.¡± Erica muttered. "I''m also pretty good with computers, got a few minor IT certificates, and Levi''s a very, very good welder. Traditionally and otherwise."


    "Well, that is a useful skill especially in our set." Solaris said. "The job will require relocation and travel. Right now, I am in New York, though I''m likely to become pretty mobile, hence the need for mechanics. What are you looking in for in a job?


    "Well, we kind of want to work in the same area, though neither of us are opposed to moving. Las Vegas isn''t really a great market for non-hospitality jobs." Levi said. "And some flexibility because we do want to put together a drag car, more for fun than anything but we like working on stuff like that."


    "Well, I doubt maintaining my small fleet will keep you that busy, and Penny,¡± She gestured. "Is working on putting together her own power armor in her free time. So flexibility isn''t an issue. I will need you to get passports if you don''t have them.¡±


    "We have them. The older group, apartment crew, mostly has them. We decided to road trip to Mexico during spring break." The boy was embarrassed, and the Dean rolled his eyes.


    "They managed to irritate some cartel idiots. Fortunately, no one was hurt and what happened in Mexico stayed in Mexico."


    "They wouldn''t be in our set without such events, and I am happy they can handle themselves. I don''t know how many of my old foes are still around. Most of those are polite enough not to bother me at home, but the young turks wanting to make a name are always out there. I assume you are a couple. can you tell me a bit about yourselves."Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "I was born in Vegas," Erica said. "My origin in that regard isn''t something I really want to think too hard about but let¡¯s just say my mother wasn''t fit to be a mother before I started seeing things and was worse after. My power is a bit odd as I have a pan-spectrum vision. If it¡¯s an energy, or energetic particle, I can choose to see in that spectrum. And yes, that includes ye olde X-ray vision. Course, when it developed my vision would shift sometimes at random, everyone becoming walking skeletons... Halloween isn''t my favorite time of year."


    "I was born in Texas, my family one of those Christian fundie types who think they needed as many kids as possible. When I first developed my powers, well," He picked up two pieces of steel, and with a surge of heat, welded them together. "You can imagine I got to be hard on the house and clothes since my control was poor. I was only 12 after all."


    ¡°I didn''t get pegged as a demon or something by my family, but I wasn''t safe with my siblings. They got me into the school, even visit from time to time. I could have gone home but when I''ve visited it feels like there''s more people there than here! And I don''t fit in since my personal belief system has drifted pretty wide from theirs."


    "I can understand that. We are forged by our experiences as much as our families." Her eyes went a little distant then she shook her head. "I was born in England, but I''ve spent much of my adult life in the US. I was raised to treat staff like family so if things seem over the top that is why. I can have Penny send you contracts to go over, but I am willing to see how well we work. I will need to work out housing for you,¡±


    "Bah. I move into the house,¡± Granny said with an imperious wave. ¡°Marcus can bunk with Nahoa, then young couple can have pool house. Problem solved."


    "Or we can do that." Solaris said with dry humor and a roll of the eyes.


    "Ms. Summers owns the house. Madam Ruan runs the house." Penny said with a laugh


    The older woman snorted. "Damn right. Youngsters, all of you."


    Both were blushing, but didn''t complain. "Um, well okay, that doesn''t sound bad. Live in mechanic. I''m assuming you''d like us to do other stuff around the property too. Like I said, I''m pretty good at IT stuff, even some light coding." Erica said. "I do the electronic and," suddenly her arm shot out, a half second before the Deans elbow hit a container of solvent, catching it smoothly and putting it away. "And Levi actually is an artist and just qualified for his multi-engine private pilots rating."


    "Sounds impressive, but I just qualified on a little Piper Cherokee we have here. Not like I''m flying around an airbus or anything:"


    "We flew here on something called an Airbus, and I was not impressed. Piloting is a plus as we are purchasing a plane while we are here so perhaps you can qualify on that as well. Depending on cargo space we should be able to get you all moved in, and if that doesn''t work, I''ll hire a mover.¡±


    "Other than our tools, we don''t have a lot to pack. We''ll leave this beater for the mechanics class to work with. We''ve been buying junkers and getting them running again to sell. It''s made us a bit of cash."


    ¡°Do you have your ''special'' project yet, the white whale you may never finish?¡±


    "Our goal project right now is the drag car." Erica said. "Everyone wants to get ahold of that perfect muscle car or pasta rocket. I''d love to get ahold of a Ferrari to make my own."


    "I''m more American muscle. Pretty much all the old Detroit steel." Levi said.


    "We can do a bit of searching, I love Bentley myself and I''d like to get a nice fun convertible to add to the fleet, something red and reckless.


    "We talking modern, fifties muscle, or old school cool. I recognize who you are, so it could go all three. I could totally see you in a modern vette, or something European from the mid-century and everyone looks cool in something from the thirties. Either gangster or G-man chic."


    "Something soft feminine, with lots of curves. that makes the cops worry." Solaris said. "I missed the Fifties, so I¡¯d have to look at pictures to see what they look like


    "Oh, I can come up with a suggestion." Erica assured her.


    "I am eager to see what you find. I will let you know when we get the plane and are flying back. We are also hiring Anzy as the chef.¡±


    "Ohh, Iteration is going with us? Sweet."


    "Iteration. That is a wonderful name for her. She is charming."


    "She¡¯s adorable, just keep an eye on her and coffee. She''ll sometimes forget there are five of her, and all of them will make a cup of coffee. When she joins back up wow does she bounce off the walls." Levi chuckled.


    "Oh my, that would wire even me!" Solaris said with a laugh. "I have one or two more people to talk to. If you would lead the way dean.¡±


    Nahoa and Marcus had debated what to do for about a day, considering just letting the boss deal with it when she got back, but decided they didn¡¯t want to deal with the sort of person who might handle glowing guns and whips. The first problem, however, was they lacked any way to call the Tailor, since they didn¡¯t know his number.


    The simple solution, and the one they followed, was to drive over to the same place they¡¯d gone to get their fittings. Finding the door, they pulled the box out of the trunk and walked to the door, looking for a doorbell, Ring, or something to push.


    ¡°You don¡¯t suppose they¡¯re only here when there¡¯s appointments, do you?¡± Nahoa asked.


    Marcus shook his head, watching as a ¡®homeless man¡¯ hurried around a corner. ¡°No, but I don¡¯t think they watch the door camera. I think we¡¯ll hear from someone soon.¡±


    Two minutes later the speaker kicked on. ¡°Mr. M, Mr. N. I wasn¡¯t expecting you today. Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°I think you shipped something to us by mistake.¡± Marcus said, holding up the box.


    ¡°Really.¡± The door popped open. ¡°Come in. Let¡¯s see what you have.¡±


    One trip into the hidden depths of the building later, and the Tailor was frowning at the contents of the box. ¡°Oh, now this is a problem. She must be busy, or she¡¯d have noticed this hasn¡¯t been delivered yet.¡±


    ¡°I know enough not to ask who, but we figured you¡¯d love to get this to her. We¡¯ll get out of your hair, now. Oh, can we have a number to call, if we have something like this happen again?¡±


    ¡°Oh, after I¡¯m done with that courier, you¡¯ll never have an issue again.¡± He muttered. ¡°Actually, yes, I can give you my number, but I wonder, would you gents be interested in a little side work? I can make it much more than worth your while.¡±


    They looked at each other, then shrugged. ¡°I mean, sure. Why not?¡±


    ¡°Great¡­ let¡¯s see what vehicles I have in the lien lot. Don¡¯t want you taking something that can¡¯t take a hit, after all.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡±

 Chapter 31, Hiring Fair. Part 3

    Hiring Fair, Part 3


    ¡°Why is it that villains never have trouble finding people to hire? Is there a group called ¡®Thugs are Us¡¯ or something that hires out goons?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but if we ever find them, I¡¯m hiring some myself. I¡¯m tired of being outnumbered.¡±


    Vanguard and Amazonian, after fighting two busloads of goons Major Pain brought intending to attack the Super Bowl.


    "I think she missed having a staff." Penny said with a chuckle.


    "As things get worked up it will get harder and harder to move around. Surrounding myself with good, loyal people is a great way to not get lonely, and to not have to worry about little day to day things.¡±


    "The two remaining I want to introduce you to are both in building A¡¯s apartments." The dean once more drove them back to the house, though this time parking at one of the "barns". "We put a semi-transparent film over the windows to make it look like the barn it¡¯s shaped like. Won''t fool you up close but keeps outsiders assuming we''re a ranch. Never mind we have only a handful of animals."


    He led them through the front door, into what was a sort of lobby. The apartments ran along each side of the barn structure, while there was a common, indoor patio area, with washing machines tucked away opposite the doors. The interior was filled with what could be a chaotic growth of plants, vines and flowers except no handrail was covered, and no front window had their view blocked. It was chaos worked around order.


    "This is an interesting cacophony of colors." Solaris said. "I am assuming this is the work of the prospect?"


    "Yes, she tends to decorate her environment but has learned to make it eye pleasing to everyone, not just her." He led them up the stairs, to one of the apartment doors and knocked.


    "Come In." They entered a tiny but tidy kitchen, a young woman with dark skin but shockingly blue eyes looking up at them from where she was sitting. "Hello." She said, her voice quiet but not soft, reaching like a bell to be heard while still being delicate. "How can I help you and your friends, sir?¡±


    ¡°Hello Mercades. This is Solaris, she is looking for a Gardener and groundskeeper for her home in New York and I thought you might be interested in the job.¡±


    "Groundskeeper? I suppose I''m technically qualified. But is it in the city itself? I''m not sure I''d do well in Manhattan."


    "No, we are on Islip is a quiet place a bit away from New York City with a couple of acers of land. We''re only maybe a mile from a state forest."


    "Hmmm, hiking in the north-east could be interesting."


    ¡°Marcus and Nahoa also enjoy hiking, my security guard and driver.¡±


    "Oh, good. I usually go with Anzy, when she''s free. Are you wanting just pretty, or also practical. I do herb gardens and veggie gardens here."


    "Both. I want a kitchen garden as well as lovely flowers and plants. I''ve ordered a greenhouse that will be put on property soon so plants can be wintered."


    "That''s lovely. Privacy hedges would be easy to do there too, good as a fence, especially if you add brambles."


    "A delightful idea. It will make it feel more like home.  Do you think you would enjoy planning out and maintaining the gardens? I know better than most we are not our powers, and I want to make sure you will be happy doing the work.¡±


    "My powers have been active since I was six. I kind of am my powers. They''re just part of who I am, as much as an arm or a leg." She shrugged. "I just don''t get the science of it. Why would I care about all that fiddly stuff when plants are an open book to me."


    The Dean nodded "To be fair, and honest, Mercedes was a bit of an indifferent student. Never failing or anything like that, but if the topic didn''t interest her, she didn''t excel. She''s a bit more of an artist at heart."


    She blushed. "He''s not wrong."


    ¡°Well, a well-tended garden is a work of art. What is it that you want to do? Do you want to be a gardener?¡±


    "I am a painter." She said, gesturing around the apartment. The paintings on the wall were landscapes and still life. "I don''t keep my portraits. I gave those to the others when I painted them. I am hoping to one day be good enough to show in a gallery. maybe even sell a painting or two. I don''t think I''m there yet, but I''m learning. But in spite of that, a painter can¡¯t just paint. I¡¯d hate to not spend time in the sun."


    ¡°Ahh, I understand. It is good to know what you love. If you are not interested that is fine.¡±


    "I am interested, though I wouldn''t be able to ask for a very large wage. I just wouldn''t be working that hard, since I am kind of a plant cheat code. I am sure I could help with other things too. As long as I can paint, and there are plants, I am happy."


    Solaris was less sure about this one, she was honest but didn¡¯t seem to have any motivation. ¡°Mrs. Ruan, I¡¯d like your opinion she¡¯d be working under you.¡±


    "I''m not sure. She has the talent, but I''m not sure she''s interested or focused. However, it could also be that she''s a bit distant by nature."


    "I can be." Mercedes, admitted. "I am interested in sculpting the plants of your acreage I don''t mind moving to the outskirts of New York and the idea of being able to go into the city to see the galleries and museums would be lovely for me and my development."


    Solaris nodded, ¡°Alright. Penny, can you give her pictures of the grounds? I would like you to view these, Mercedes, and put together a quick plan of what you would do. I want you to show me that you can and will do the job, this is your chance to sell yourself. While you do that I¡¯ll go speak to the business and marketing person, then come back to see what you¡¯ve come up with.¡±


    "I can do that." She said, pulling a sketch pad out of a drawer with colored pencils, accepting a picture sent from the assistant. She started working on it right away, sketching in the house and pool first thing. ¡°Have fun talking to Elenore. She will definitely come off as motivated.¡±


    Out and down the stairs, the other girl¡¯s apartment was on the opposite side. This time the tiny apartment they were let in was decorated by photographs everywhere. A laptop sat open on the counter. "Hello there. You must be the folks looking to hire people. I bumped into Anzy earlier."


    ¡°How many of her?¡± Solaris said with humor in her voice.


    "Two, and they actually ran into me." She chuckled. "I''m used to it. Can I offer you anything to drink, since I''m sure you''ve eaten."


    ¡°Thank you for asking, but I¡¯m alright. The dean tells me you studied marketing and business, what kind of work are you looking for?


    "I intend to pursue my own entrepreneurship, once I can build a nest egg, and settle upon an idea. I''m not interested in working in the normal corporate culture. I''ve thought about bullying Anzy into opening a restaurant, but she wants more experience before she does something like that."


    "Right now, I am working on Fivrr for extra cash helping streamers and youtubers work out basic marketing plans. In their case it¡¯s more important to figure out Merch that will appeal to their viewers than anything. A few small businesses have also had me assist with simple plans for their own small stores. Nothing terribly enriching financially but satisfying in their way."


    ¡°Well, that sounds perfect. Solaris smiled. ¡°I am getting everything set up to rehab, restore and renovate my family home in England. My PR Manager suggested having YouTuber and influencers to do the work. I need someone to manage the projects, make sure nothing walks off, that the influencers are not angering the village, and if someone isn¡¯t meeting their contracted expectations replace them. I also need someone to start marketing the property for events. And finding ways to make the property profitable.


    " And that''s small enough you don''t necessarily want a firm, but big enough you want a specialist." She snapped her fingers, and two puffs of smoke occurred above her. Two adorable looking kittens with wings appeared, and flew off, returning quickly with a folder. "This is a print up of a plan I did for a bed and breakfast. I just happened to have print outs because I wanted to make sure things looked good on paper. There''s a flyer they sent previous customers, sketches for some new signage, things like that there if you would like to take a look."


    Solaris took the paper. ¡°I don¡¯t normally ask but I have to. ¡°Flying Kittens?¡±


    "I create, well we call them imps for lack of a better term. They''re not truly sentient, and I doubt they''re really alive. When I summon small ones to do innocuous tasks they come out cute, I can kind of choose a theme and flying kittens are hard to find scary."Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Her flying tigers are significantly less adorable.¡± The dean wryly commented.


    ¡°Interesting I could see that as useful. She looked over the packet ¡°This is very good. Do you think you can handle managing the renovation and business end of the manor? It is a very large job, and I am certain there will be issues.¡±


    "I can monitor the renovation, at a distance and with occasional visits, but managing it should be left to your general contractor. I don''t know a hammer from a hole in the wall." she admitted. "As for the business end, definitely. I''m getting a feel for weddings, film shoots, and other events."


    ¡°Yes, exactly, the lawyer and the contractor will monitor the actual work, I need you to make sure the people are behaving and not running off with the copper or something else strange. I still don¡¯t understand why people steal copper.¡± she admitted.


    "I''ll talk to the people I know and reach out to the ones I don''t know but think would be good. To manage the project, like I said, might mean frequent trips out there, or even spending extended time in England, depending on what stage we''re at. I don''t mind that, just musing over the logistics."


    ¡°My PR person is also reaching out to people you¡¯ll be working a lot with Zakai and his people, and I figured you¡¯d be staying in England for the project.¡±


    "Can do. I assume short term I''d come to New York to strategize?"


    ¡°Yes, and I¡¯d be taking trips to England every now and then to keep my finger in the pie. I¡¯ll rent a flat for you in the village, in addition to your salary. Along with a car for you to get around.¡±


    "That would be good. A van or SUV would be better. Then I can pick up people coming in." she suggested.


    "It sounds like we both think this is a good fit. Do you have paperwork going over pay and benefits? I can look that over and get everything set in motion."


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t honestly thinking of this position when I came here, I can give you the basic contract and the Penny will send a complete copy with more details.¡±


    "I have a generalized sheet, just in case we were going to hire others." Penny pulled it out of her bag. "This is the benefits we''re offering, and an estimate on pay for given jobs. A marketing project head wasn''t on my list, but I''d say it''s going to be similar to a chef, would you agree?¡±


    ¡°I would think so. There is a bonus system in there and we can increase the pay if the workload demands it.¡±


    "This seems fine to start. I don''t have any formal experience from a normal hiring rate, plus you''re offering to get me a car, send me to England, and get me an apartment. I don''t think complaining makes a lot of sense."


    This should give you a lot of experience toward whatever you decide to do in your future. Impress me enough and I might be your first investor.¡±


    "Impress me enough, and I might prefer being you project coordinating maven." She said back with a smile.


    ¡°Oh, we are going to get along famously.¡± Solaris chuckled. ¡°When do you want to start? If you don¡¯t mind sharing with the mechanic duo, I have a place you can stay while we get you set up in England. That may not be for months, to be fair. Nothing major will start with winter coming in the North Sea.¡±


    "That''s absolutely fine. They, um, don''t both live next door but I see them both regularly. Erica is my neighbor.¡±


    "And sure, her boyfriend never hangs out past curfew. Pull the other one kid." The dean chuckled.


    ¡°Celebrate love as you can, it can vanish in a moment.¡± The blonde hero said with a smile. ¡°I spent enough time in the war around soldiers to lose some of the prudishness of my time.


    "Grim, but true."


    "Shall we go check on our artist friend, and see what she''s achieved?"


    "Yes. Let¡¯s see what she has done. Mercades is the only one I''ve been uncertain of."


    What they found was her with a laptop open, and quick sketches, multiple, of the property from both the overhead they had brought her, and from the front from the real estate listing and google street view. "I think at some point the neighbors were fighting because the current lay out is a bit weird." she said absently as she pushed a few sketches forward.


    "This is the front view. If you look at your street level view, the trees basically hide the house and I figure that''s not a bad thing, so I was thinking we move a few of the trees along the driveway, I can get them to move, not have to dig them up, and thicken the front and sides, maybe even adding a tree at the corner of the house here to give privacy from this neighbor."


    "You think the original trees where part of some neighborly dispute?" Solaris said,   looking over the drawings with a careful eye. She was pleased the girl took the assignment seriously and handed the picture over to Granny Ruan to look over.


    She paused "Oh yeah. Look at this layout. This is obviously a rich community, and the neighbors on both sides ran their driveways right against what is now your property line. And the trees along here are only on your property, at least that''s my guess, and are blocking your neighbor from seeing onto your property. In comparison, the back yard is arranged, again, to make it real hard for your neighbor on one side to see anything that''s going on.¡±


    ¡°Interesting, that does make the suggestion of some tall hedgerows between the properties even more desirable. The last thing I need is some nosy neighbor spying through the windows at me


    "My thought is put a gazebo on a raised dias in the middle of the front yard, which is not really set up to be used for much. The gazebo could be used to wait for visitors. Then around the gazebo plant a kind of faux hedge maze. I say faux because I''d put two full length stretches like a cross, then kind of mini-mazes in the quadrants. I sketched one using roses, one using just hedges, and one with a indistinct flowering bush because I don''t know yet what grows well in the area."


    I do love roses. Strong, thorny, and beautiful.  I like the concept of the faux maze, though I''m not sure there is enough space to do justice to the mini mazes. the gazebo is a good idea and will make a wonderful centerpiece. What are you thinking for the kitchen garden?¡±


    "The maze is more visual interest than really mazy like, I admit." She did say. "I have another idea but I''ll show you that in a minute. The herb garden I''d want to put here, on this kind of secondary walkway. You have a big entrance right here, so guests would come through there, to the pool and covered dining area so they would be unlikely to walk in it. This is also far enough from the salt water of the bay here to keep from being a problem. Instead of planting in rows I think it might look better to put raised planters, and fill the boxes with an herb or two here, a vegetable or three there, so it doesn''t look like you randomly have a tiny farm sitting here. That keeps things organized without needing straight rows for everything. A lot of herbs are happy to grow in more chaotic, um, I guess clumps?" she shrugged.


    "An alternative for the front would be a similar planters, with rose bushes and a kind of stone or brick walkway, I drew using cobblestones, to the same Gazebo. The Gazebo idea is you can wait for visitors there, and if you don''t want the visitor in your house, it can be a comfortable place to talk to them, without them feeling snubbed. It''s less ¡®You annoy me, talk here¡¯ and more ¡®See my lovely gazebo? You don''t need to worry about my back yard sanctuary or my living room, stupid reporter man.¡¯¡±


    "Herbs would also perfume the air nicely, walking to and from the pool. I didn''t think of trying to hide the vegetables.¡± Solaris said pleased.  I''ve always had a garden. I rather like the idea though, it would be more visually pleasing than a small organized plot. It is an idea that can be expanded on too. Maybe grape vines? Or some small fruit trees. I think that would work quite well. Beauty and practicality literally planted side by side.¡± She handed the drawing over to the other two. "I like where you are going with this. Do you think this is something you would like to make real?"


    "Oh yeah, these trees, I mean they were thrown in and then left to fend. I''d like to move them around and get them happier looking, while keeping the privacy and if the Gazebo is done right anyone coming to it knows they''re visiting at the person sitting there''s pleasure. I like the drama. I see your point about the small area for a maze, so the Planters aren''t a bad idea. Roses are kind of stuck up sometimes, so they''ll like having their own little world. As for fruit trees, I could see peppering the back yard with a few. I''d really be tempted to suggest cherry trees, for the blossoms at that time of year, put little benches around them as sitting areas that also smell pretty and make cherries that the birds will eat so maybe not a great idea."


    "Plum or apple might work well too, though both would be messy in the fall." Solaris said. "I am willing to give you a chance. I can see a bit of passion for the project in you now to see what you can create.¡±


    "Thank you. I mean, I''m sure I could do other things too. Anzy uses me as an errand runner a lot. She loves to take me to farmers markets, because I can find the best produce. That and I''m a more cautious driver than basically all my classmates."


    The Dean coughed. "We might teach a fairly offensive form of defensive driving course for the reasons this school exists." He admitted.


    "I''ll have to have Erica and Levi teach Marcus. Defensive driving would be a good skill for him to learn.¡±


    "That''s agreed." Penny said, considering. "I''ll track down something that we don''t mind getting wrecked back home for them to play with in that regard. No reason for them to wreck a nice car." She joked.


    ¡°I agree. You will probably be bunking with Anzy.¡±


    ¡°I don''t mind. I spend most of my time with Anzy. I''m not great with people, but Anzy kind of, well she surrounds you, sometimes literally."


    ¡°We will be leaving once we arrange for a plane. If you want to pack your things. With all of you I may just hire a mover to take all your stuff to New York. Depends on how much cargo space whatever I buy has.¡±


    "I can pack up. Mostly just clothes and my art stuff for me." She admitted.


    "That is fine,¡± Solaris said handing her the contract that Penny handed to her. "I look forward to seeing your work make our lawn a place of beauty.¡±


    "I will do my best." She said, with a soft smile. ¡°Though I suppose I¡¯ll be more of a mason since winters coming. That could be interesting though.¡±


    After they left the apartment Penny said "Seemed she was more energized by the idea than you had thought. She went a bit extra looking the place up online."


    "I am glad, I was worried about her motivation levels. But the work was solid, so I am willing to try. Anzy and Elenore have me excited. Seems we¡¯re getting a good team together."


    ¡°I promise, this is just a precaution, and you can consider it part of your pay. To be honest, I¡¯m never going to be able to sell the car I¡¯m thinking of, anyhow.¡± The Tailor muttered darkly as they rode the elevator up to a level they hadn¡¯t been to before. On this floor were vehicles with noticeable damage, under construction by various people, and a few just parked in the corner, some covered in dust. ¡°This is a bit of a behind the scenes peek most don¡¯t get. Where the toys get made.¡± He chuckled. ¡°And here¡¯s the car.¡±


    ¡°What is it.¡±


    The car was an older design, that much was obvious. The square body was not something you¡¯d see in a modern car, though its size seemed odd. Not as big as the two boys thought older cars should be.


    ¡°This is a 1968 Plymouth Valiant, with some modifications.¡± The Tailor replied, tsking as he ran a finger over the car, dust coming off visibly. ¡°A wanna be new hero calling himself Valiant wanted a car to match his name, and I found plenty of them so we worked out a deal. He paid partially in advance for me to build him a sleeper hot rod version, suitable for the super set, then just as I was half way done he got himself put into traction and a coma by some drug-enhanced maniac in Jersey. Needless to say, he never completed paying and eventually canceled when he regained consciousness. I finished it, just because I can¡¯t help myself.¡±


    ¡°Okay, neat, but it¡¯s a classic, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°A classic you can buy for less than a used Accord. A not very gently used one. It¡¯s probably the cheapest car I¡¯ve ever built, and no one is going to come here looking for it. It¡¯s turbocharged, with enhanced suspension and steering. I upgraded the interior and electronics, so it has a limited infotainment system, though nowhere near what a new car has.¡±


    ¡°I also included a smoke dispenser, oil trap, and we pulled every panel off and layered carbon fiber and Kevlar so the things bullet proof, including the glass. We also reinforced the frame.¡± The Tailor sighed. I hate to see a good machine just sit like this.¡±

 Chapter 32 Living Los Vegas

    Waking up in Vegas


    ¡°Dean Simmons, with all do respect to your position, do you really think your actions were warranted?¡±


    ¡°What actions are you talking about. I had a herd of kids needing work, and I managed to find them high paying jobs! Better than telling them they can¡¯t stay in student housing any longer, and good luck.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you got them, it¡¯s who you found them work with!¡±


    ¡°Tailors need employees too.¡±


    ESEA disciplinary meeting transcript.


    "I was thinking. I''m going to go look for some sort of small storefront, or maybe a closed mechanics shop, so we can set the kids up with a ''work'' place, if for no other reason than to keep the neighbors happy.¡±


    ¡°That is a good thought. I don''t really want a car lift in the garage, at least not a permanent one.¡±


    "You want me to look for little, or plan for growth?" She asked. "Just so I know what I''m hunting for."


    ¡°Meh, plan for growth. That way when things are slow for me they can take clients, or we can purchase cars to refurbish and donate to poor families, Louise said I need more tax credits and a business property is good for the real estate portfolio."


    Turning to the Dean, Solaris smiled. ¡°Well I think I¡¯ve taken off some of your housing strains.¡±


    "That''s certainly true. I admit, I can''t help but sigh a breath of relief. These kids have it hard, since their first inclination isn¡¯t the cape life. We bring them into the schools for their safety, and the safety of others, but it makes it hard for them to integrate sometimes. There''s too few in our community that might be willing to mentor these kids. I admit, I hope that''s part of what you''re going to do, all three of you."


    "Mentor, no. Granny them, yes." Mrs. Pham nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been mentoring young heroes since the Kamikaze girls, it¡¯s practically instinct now. Eventually I¡¯ll probably set the couple up in their own house and shop. Anzy may eventually want to move on or she may just settle in. Elenore, oh I will have fun with her, Mercedes is a wildcard, not too sure what she will do.¡±


    "Mercedes is the one I''ve been most worried about. She''s not aggressive by nature, so is the least likely kid to do the cape thing. She also has trouble making friends, but she''s possibly one of the most powerful students I''ve ever taught."


    ¡°I can understand your fear, she¡¯s a prime target for a power farmer, and with few friends and a solitary profession it increases her risk,¡±


    "Near you she''s a bit less of a target." He shrugged. "I won''t lie, I might have begged you to give her a chance, for the selfish reason that I want her somewhere safe to find her legs."


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to give her a chance, whether she uses it or not is up to her. I like that she opened up and let her passion show. Hopefully she opens up more as she gets comfortable.¡±


    "That''s usually how it works." He nodded. They were walking towards the house, coming across a sheepish looking Anzy walking in the same direction.


    "Hello again! Talking to more of us crazy kids?" She asked cheerfully, blushing slightly.


    ¡°Just finished talking to Mercedes, she decided she wanted the gardener job I had open.¡±


    "Oh good! I was a bit worried about leaving her, but you''re offering exactly what I need to get started. I want to open my own restaurant at some point, but need time to develop my skills, you know? By the way, when were you actually planning on leaving?"


    ¡°Depends on when we get the plane, but probably in about 4 days, I have a tee time on Saturday that I¡¯m really looking forward to¡­and you''re already done packing, aren¡¯t you?


    "Um, well, a couple of me stayed to work on food, and the other three kind of went off to see how much do I have to pack, it wasn¡¯t so much, and started packing and, yeah.¡±


    ¡°How many boxes do you have? Will it fit in the car?¡± Solaris paused ¡°Well it will give me a chance to get to know you. Penny, do you think you can arrange some short term storage? Then any of them that want to come into the city with us can and we can put them up in the hotel with us.¡±


    "That shouldn''t be a problem. Let me check some things. I mean, we have a van and I went ahead and rented it for the rest of our stay."


    "I have two suitcases, one knife case, my laptop case and my tool box." She replied. "My knick-knacks fit in the suit cases, and I really only have electronic books. Well, one box of cook books, but I was debating having that shipped later."


    ¡°We¡¯ll just get it to the van, no reason to hold back, why don¡¯t you send your others to let them know, Mercedes, Elenore, Levi and Erica.¡±


    "Oh, okay..."


    She split into three more, all of them running off. "The last of me is still working on dinner. She, um, doesn''t know yet." She laughed, knowing that sounded a little weird.


    "If the others need more time to pack, I could bring them into the city tomorrow, with the other students going to college in town." The headmaster said. "They can just catch the bus we use to go back and forth."


    ¡°That''s fine, just let me know when to expect them, so we can get the right number of rooms. And If the mechanics have a car or something we will figure out how to ship them.¡±


    "They have their shop truck, and a couple of motorcycles. Considering everything, I''ll arrange to get them shipped to New York. Send me the address to send them to and I''ll get them out. We were shipping something to the New York school anyhow." He suggested.


    Solaris pulled a small pad out of her purse and wrote down the home address. ¡°I¡¯m unlisted and my mail goes to the PO box.¡±


    "Considering you, that just makes common sense." He admitted. "I have some favors I can call in, so it will likely be about a week or so after you leave that they''ll get there."


    ¡°Thank you. I wonder how long till all of them are in the hotel with me.¡±


    "I suspect tomorrow." He admitted. "They are all chaffing a bit, wanting to get out but they had limited options. There''s going to be a certain level of ''jump at the chance before it escapes.''."


    "I''ll do my best to give them a safe place to land." Solaris said, shaking his hand.


    "That''s all I can hope for. And if things work out, and you start expanding your business interests, more students from other schools might be considered, if things work out."


    "Definitely," Solaris said. "If nothing I suspect I''ll be looking for an assistant for Elenore before too long."


    "I''ll contact the New York School, have them reach out. That way you can look at a new body of students to hire from." He said. "They might also ask you to give a talk, history is one of those subjects that is hard to find really good speakers for."


    "I''d be delighted to." She said with a smile.


    "Glad to hear it, and here comes Anzy.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    She smiled at the girl. "All good?"


    ¡®Yup!¡±


    "Lets get your things in the Van. What did the others say?¡±


    ¡°They will come down tomorrow in the bus."Anzy "Which hotel do they need to be dropped off at?"


    We are staying at caesars palace


    "I''ll have Penny make arrangements at the front desk for your friends. Make sure they pack a swimsuit. There is an amazing pool there."


    "Several." Penny chuckled.


    "Ohh, that''s a nice one. Great!" She said. "I''ll text them."


    Solaris moved the young woman''s things into the back of the van, while Anzy texted. "Seems I''ve filled my new nest with a bunch of fledgelings." Solaris said with a soft laugh.


    "Well, to be fair, you started with Marcus and Nahoa."


    ¡°True.¡± She laughed. She got into the car. ¡°Looking forward to New York?¡± She asked Anzy as they started down the road.


    "Actually, I really am. I mean, I know from what I gather you aren''t in the city itself, but I can still go in, try the best places, learn by trying.''


    ¡°Is there anything you need that you don¡¯t have?¡±


    "I won''t really know till I see your kitchen, and what''s in it. I am getting the impression it¡¯s got nice appliances, but you don''t have a lot of anything else."


    ¡°Yes. If you need better let me know, boss here wants you to have best¡­ and none of us want her in kitchen again, ever. Penny chuckled


    The Ukrainian girl¡¯s eyebrow arched. "Right, that sounds like a story. I mean, once I see what you have, I''ll know what we might want to get. I''m assuming you have, like, plates and flatware at least." She joked.


    ¡°We do, I just wanted to wait to do too much in there till I had a cook, it¡¯s your canvas.¡±


    "Fair enough, when I see it I could write a wish list, then you can decide what gets bought when. Don''t want to be demanding.


    ¡°Anything I should know about your friends, anything they need?¡±


    "Honestly, I don''t know. We''ve all kind of learned to work with what we have. I mean, the school is great and did everything they could for our education and basic comfort, but unless your family was staying in touch and sending you stuff, there weren''t a lot of extras."


    Solaris frowned a little, she picked up her phone and sent a text to Granny. The old woman seemed to understand her, {Dear granny once the kids get settled check and see what they have so we can properly kit them out. I have a feeling their personal belongings may be lacking. Many thanks S.}


    From Granny {Grandma will stick her nose in where it belongs, you don''t worry.}


    Solaris smiled, leaning back. Penny we will need to get the new staff in to see the Tailor and get a few party pieces from Bergdorf¡¯s.


    "I figured. Honestly, we¡¯ll also need to kit them out for New York State in winter."


    ¡°Indeed, the weather is going to go cold soon, everyone will need proper weather protection.¡± She blinked. It occurs to me this will be my first American Christmas with my own house. I always stayed in flats in most places, this will be the first year to decorate with an American tasteless abandon!


    "Oh, honey, you''re going to have fun with that. And the sunroom just screams stupid big tree. It''s got that open loft area that''s like two stories high."


    "That sounds fun. Trust me, I can make a Christmas dinner that will leave even the most powerful of bellies straining."


    ¡°You know we could get a big lovely pine for outside the front. Behind the gazebo Mercedes wants to put in, have our own Rockefeller Plaza!¡±


    "Oh, Rockefeller Plaza at Christmas! Never thought I''d have a chance to see that." Anzy said.


    ¡°It is beautiful, I always try to go skating at least once when I¡¯m in New York for Christmas. I tried to go home to England for the holidays when I could but that didn¡¯t always work out.¡±


    "There''s something special about having your own place to have Christmas at though." Penny said. "My family spread to the four winds once everyone hit adulthood so it''s hit or miss if we get together. We call each other though."


    Solaris looked out over the desert. Her parents were gone, her brother was probably spying on Russia, sometimes it struck her how alone she was. ¡°Hopefully some of you will be able to stick around for Christmas, though obviously I¡¯ll fly people back where they need to go.¡±


    "Well, my parents are dead." Anzy admitted. "Father stayed behind in Crimea and we found out he died about a year after we left. Mother passed shortly after I started at school, illness. Bad as that is, it could be worse. I wouldn''t bring up Erica''s mother at all, and I don''t think Mercedes yeah that¡¯s a hell to the no."


    ¡°Poor little fledglings.¡± Solaris said softly. ¡°Well, we will have to make it an especially happy holiday for all of us! Penny, do you think we should give the new hires some pin money to enjoy the city? Call it a signing bonus maybe?¡±


    "I am assuming pin money means walking around cash, and I think they''d appreciate that." She nodded. "Not to mention, they''re going to hit the city eventually anyhow, so better they have the money to get back out!¡±


    ¡°Do you need any, Grandmother?¡±


    "Bah, I am well up. I''ll be a high roller by the time we leave."


    ¡°I am sure, soon all will fear you.¡± Solaris said with a chuckle.


    "Fear? No. Comps! Free stuff. That''s the ticket." The older woman laughed. ¡°I haven¡¯t paid for lunch since we got here.¡±


    Anzy giggled. "You''re gonna be a fun boss."


    ¡°You have no idea.¡± Penny said.


    ¡°Shush, you love my shopping trips.¡± Solaris said


    "Well yeah, I''m not stupid."


    "Solaris doesn''t operate well without a team. We''ve seen that." Grandma said. "She is more comfortable now than she was when we left, because she''s got more people. She''s a creature of community."


    Elizabeth blushed bright red. "You already know me too well, Granny. You are not wrong."


    "Just about anyone who knows you at all can see it."


    The blonde hero patted her cheeks trying to force the blush down. Her light glimmering around her in response to her emotions. She didn''t think she was quite so easy to read.


    "Well, either way, I''ve arranged three rooms for the younger members." Penny said. "Two double queens for the ladies, one single king for Levi. Or however it ends up getting split. We''ll show you where our suite is, as it''s going to be our main gathering spot for the next little bit. Speaking of, what else do you want to do while we are in town? I know golf of course."


    ¡°I would like to go see the circus, and the Sinatra show, and it would be a shame not to spend some time down by the pool. I thought I''d do that while you and the Fledglings played with the bonuses.¡±


    "Oh you totally need to go down the strip at night. See the Fountains and Bellagio, or the battle at Treasure Island. It''s wild."


    Why don''t you pick the restaurant you most want to eat at and we will make a night of it.¡±


    "Well, we''re going to Caesar''s. I mean, we''ll all likely be hungry by the time we go to eat, we could try the buffet. It''s like, one of the most expensive on the strip, and supposedly delicious. I think I read they have multiple chef monitored stations." Anzy offered.


    "Okay so the buffet tonight, but i doubt that is your Vegas dream dinner. Figure out that, and we will all go there together." Solaris said with a chuckle


    "Yeah, I admit, that was also me realizing it was going to take hours to decide." she admitted. "There''s so many fantastic places."


    "Yes, there are, I''ve been really enjoying all my meals so far. Especially yours."


    The car was very comfortable, for all it was an older design, with plenty of legroom for Nahoa. Marcus, behind the wheel, had resisted the urge to push some of the more unusually marked buttons on the console for fear of what they might do. The big guy was reading the car''s manual, and had already muttered something about ¡°But why would you need that?¡± a couple of times.


    The stereo had kept them company for the four hours drive to Providence, the GPS guiding them towards the drop off point. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s a long ass drive, but all things being equal, I¡¯m not sure why he gave us a car for something like this. I mean, we¡¯re basically UPS in a weirder truck.¡±


    ¡°Well he did say this lady, I think he said Mantis? She was in some sort of a conflict with a villain.¡±


    ¡°Venombite I think he called them. Let¡¯s not write this off as a done job until we drop off the package and get back out of town.¡±


    ¡°You are such a worrier.¡±


    They were guided to a quiet, weirdly abandoned part of the small city, pulling up to a building that could be a dentist''s office for all they could tell. They both looked at it through the windshield for a moment, noting no signs or markings. ¡°So, you think this is it?¡±


    ¡°Only one way to find out.¡± Nahoa grabbed the box they were here to deliver and climbed out of the car, Marcus joining him. They had barely shut the doors, and taken two steps before gunshots rang out.


    ¡°Ouch, dammit that hurts!¡± Nahoa yelled as he got hammered by a half dozen nine-millimeter rounds, Marcus¡¯s aura flaring and absorbing even more. Both boys ducked behind the car, hesitantly peeking over the hood as the tinking of bullets hitting it¡¯s side filled the air.


    Eight guys, being led by someone dressed in a violently purple and green costume, had come out of the alleys across the street, and started shooting without warning. ¡°Give us the Mantises Vacuum pistol and you can live!¡± The man yelled.


    ¡°Yeah, this is easy.¡± Nahoa muttered.


    ¡°Oh shut up.¡± Marcus muttered, pulling and snapping out a pair of collapsing batons he¡¯d taken to carrying, on Penny¡¯s insistence. ¡°I¡¯ll go right, you go left.¡±


    ¡°To do what?¡±


    Marcus didn¡¯t answer, going around the front of the car and charging the gun-weilding thugs. He ignored the gunfire, his field absorbing it so far, though he was beginning to feel the slight sense of drain he noticed when his shield started taking a beating. Not wanting to push his luck he snapped out with a pair of swings, sending two goons into a wall.


    Nahoa cursed under his breath, and gestured, a segment of concrete easily three yards round all but jumping off the ground. He grabbed it in his hands as he stood, spinning around and throwing it at another group of mooks, the concrete shattering as it impacted the men, sending them to the ground in a moaning pile.


    Venombite, enraged, charged at Nahoa, his fists growing a venomous green. ¡°Before I kill you boy, what¡¯s your name so I can put it on your tombstone.¡±


    ¡°They call me Thud.¡± He said, just before asphalt rose up to wrap around the criminal. He picked up the ball, hearing the man cursing inside, and threw it at a condemned building. ¡°Now fuck off.¡±


    ¡°Well, I was going to help, but you seemed to handle that well.¡± He spun to find a woman in green armored spandex, and that was a concept that was still new to him on many levels, with a whip and pistol on her hips. ¡°Is that my delivery? The Tailor told me it had been delayed.


    With a cry of pain, and a thump, Marcus turned and returned to them. ¡°Oh crap. Where¡¯d I put the clipboard? We need your signature.¡±

 Chapter 33, Night Life

    Night Life


    ¡°For the experienced Cape Watcher, it is common knowledge that if you want to see a cape battle you don¡¯t hang out at banks, or financial districts. Sure, things happen there, but you are rarely in the position to see anything.¡±


    ¡°The real ticket for super fights is to make major monuments or large art displays a hang out place. Villains can¡¯t seem to resist picking fights at them, and heroes can¡¯t seem to stay away from them either. It¡¯s like they live for set piece battles! The Bean in Chicago seems to be especially popular, probably cause it doubles as a mirror?¡±


    CapeCatcher Podcast


    The lights of Vegas where all around them, all a bit magical. Elizabeth¡¯s new fledglings where having a blast, and the plan was to go see the fountains at the Bellagio, get dinner then head to the pirate show. ¡°So how many people are you going to be at dinner tonight? I know you want to try everything." She teased Anzy. The girl had been triplets at the buffet in Ceasars.


    "Just one. Amalfi is gonna be too crowded for more." She laughed, stepping around a man snapping cards she chose to ignore the topic of. "I''m just glad they all agreed. Helps that it''s a Bobby Flay restaurant. You might not know who he is, but most folks do."


    ¡°I am just enjoying all the food. This place is intense¡± she said. She had been shocked by all the flesh peddlers with their trading cards, Penny had to explain Nevada¡¯s prostitution laws to her. It was just so brazen and flagrant, by the end of the evening the sidewalks and roads would be covered in a pornographic snow that would somehow disappear with the sun. ¡°How are you doing Mercedes? Handling the crowd alright?¡±


    "I''m managing. It helps that they''re all completely out of their minds." she said wryly.


    "You mean drunk."


    "I think I mean both."


    ¡°I spotted another Elvis!¡± Levi said snapping a quick picture with his phone. Granny and Solaris had put out a challenge to see how many they could find, after explaining Elvis to the Brit when she asked why so many people were dressed as the sparkly man.


    "I still think my Tiny Elvis should get double points." Erica muttered as they pushed their way towards the rails to watch the upcoming fountain show. "I think it¡¯s supposed to start soon, so hurry up guys."


    Solaris, not wanting to accidentally launch people into the road, followed more slowly, ending up at the railing a few meters down from the group of kids. Penny was with the kids, listening to them with a smile, giving Solaris a salute, before her attention was drawn by a question from Mercedes.


    "The future sure is weird, isn''t it Major." A voice said from beside Solaris. She turned, finding a man with sandy hair, a somewhat unremarkable face, and wearing what looked like World War Two era fatigues, only without any markings. "But you have to admit, they know how to do flashy."


    A visceral terror went through her, this place was chock full of bystanders, though she let nothing show on her face. ¡°Hello Nathan. Indeed, they do. What brings you to Vegas?¡± She was trying to think of some way to alert Penny and the fledglings, already assessing where there was space which was pretty much nowhere except in the fountain.


    "What, I can''t gamble like any other fella?" He asked with an innocent expression, arms spread. "You can stop looking, there''s not enough room to swing a cat.


    ¡°Honestly, I was in town because I heard there were some interesting things to see, and eat, in the Atomic museum. Sadly, nothing I particularly cared about. But then I noticed an old friend was in town! How could I not say hi?" His tone was mocking, his disdain nearly dripping off the words.


    ¡°Have you changed your spots then?¡± She remembered this man all too well he¡¯d been drummed out of camp X for bad behavior. The longer she kept him talking the longer Penny had to notice and get people out of the way.


    "You know my spots are constantly changing." He said. "But I am curious what you''re up to. I Noticed you with your little group of ducklings. I wonder, forming a new team, or just feeling... motherly."


    She snarled ¡°Neither. You know better than most that the mother¡¯s path is not for me. They are employees I hired to cook and take care of my house for me. I didn¡¯t have the pleasure of going through time the long way.¡±


    "Well, you got to avoid the seventies, so that''s not entirely bad. But enough chit chat. You know what I really want."


    ¡°I suppose I do.¡± Her aura flared golden, as she prepared to take the first move, but she was already too late.


    The man she was talking to seemed to turn into semi-solid goo, even as it moved towards her with ferocious speed. Hitting, and grabbing, her. Solaris heard screams fill the air as what hit her was revealed to be the end of a camouflaged tentacle.


    From the water of the huge fountain lifted a massive form, vaguely humanoid in the most putrid of senses, like a month-old corpse had grown four stories tall, as well as three diseased looking appendages. The head had a face, that bore only the barest relations to the man she''d known.


    She was slammed into the concrete, fragments flying all around her as shrapnel causing nearby onlookers to cry out in pain from minor injuries. She rolled with the strike, letting her light shine full and bright, it wouldn¡¯t distract her eyes, but it would make it harder for Chimera to see through her.


    ¡°My goodness Nathan, you¡¯ve really let yourself go,¡± She said as she pushed off into the air from her crater. ¡°That¡¯s a face even a mother couldn¡¯t love.¡± She surged forward, driving a savage, double heeled kick into his chest, shoes shattering as she tried to force him towards the center of the fountains.


    The kick met flesh that was pliable as clay, absorbing the impact with shocking aplomb. "She was a bitch, anyhow." He roared, two pseudopods diving towards her, the tips turning from slimy meat to shining, hardened bone moments before striking her in the chest and back.


    She hissed in pain, her t-shirt ripping on the bone spurs as she pulled herself free, flying higher into the air as she considered her options. She couldn¡¯t flare her aura to blinding brightness, it could harm panicking bystanders. Instead, she whipped around in a tight orbit around him, trying to build as much speed as she could before flying towards his face, trying to get as much momentum as she could, flipping at the last moment to slam her locked legs around his throat.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Oh, such an improper lady you are." He choked out a laugh, his hands grabbing her, and his throat, as he dropped into the water, pulling her under with him. "Need to cool you down."


    She struggled not to gasp as the shockingly cold water of the fountain hit her skin. For all her power, she still needed to breathe. No fear found her, however. Rage, on the other hand, did.


    ¡°You want to swim arsehole.¡± She thought she grabbed one of his fingers and pulled, for the first time in a long time holding nothing she was back, her light a small sun under the water as she ripped his pointer finger off his body letting it fall deeper in the fountain.


    Chimera howled, releasing the glowing woman as he pushed away in the thirteen-foot-deep water, deeper into the wide curve of the pool. He burst back out of the surface, almost simultaneously with her doing the same.


    "That hurt!" he howled, only to pause as gunfire from behind him drew his notice. Three cops were shooting at his back. "Oh, you''re just adorable." He grumbled, flexing. Eight pods launched from what looked like boils on his back, landing with wet slaps on the concrete, before unfolding into smaller monsters, who pounced on the police. "Now where was I."


    Solaris, hovering high above him, glared at the monsters, but shook it off. She knew she couldn¡¯t help them, leaving that up to Penny. ¡°I have to keep on him.¡±


    She dove, skimming only inches above the sidewalk, grabbing and ripping out one of the globed street lamps ripping it out of the ground, barely avoiding another spike driving into the ground as she arced back, flying towards him using the dirt covered cement lump on the end to batter at Chimera like a pi?ata.


    He staggered back for several hits before gaining his footing, throwing a lazy looking but staggeringly fast haymaker, slamming into her with enough force to crack his own bones. Even as unmovable as Solaris usually was, she flew back several feet, knocking a tree over as she impacted it.


    On the ground, Erica and Anzy ran towards the struggling police, Anzy splitting into five parts, one staying with Erica, the other three running harder, one of her scooping up a dropped shotgun and firing it point blank into a monster¡¯s head.


    Another clone grabbed a pistol and vanished, the pistol appearing in the hands of the girl next to Erica. "Catch!" She said, tossing her the pistol. Smoothly the mechanic caught the gun and snapped off three shots seemingly without aiming, a round drilling through a different monster with each shot.


    Elenore threw her hands out, and two solid black winged sabretooths swirled into reality the two cats pounced on one of the Chimera¡¯s minions. ¡°Iteration get some clones on crowd control. Dryad, help Iteration, and get barriers up!¡±


    Several clones ran towards the crowd, helping people who had fallen, urging people to run who hadn''t started yet, particularly the idiots who were taking pictures from a cell phone.


    Erica cursed as another group of pods slammed into the ground, one gun going dry as she emptied rounds into them before they could get up. ¡°I¡¯m running out here!¡±


    Mercedes grumbled. "Yeah, I know." As she seemed to grow herself, tripling her original height as she sprouted wooden ''armor'' and huge bramble like spikes on her limbs. She flexed, and several decorative plants began to move, their limbs like hands grabbing people and pushing them away. She, herself, grabbed two of the new monsters and flung them back at their creator, their bodies bursting into slime as they hit.


    Levi ran slammed a glowing red fist into the face of one of minions gagging a bit at the smell of its cooking flesh as its head turned into a fine green mist. He turned to face another, but it¡¯s head vanished as Penny put a .500 round through its skull. ¡°Does this happen a lot?¡±


    ¡°Eh, you get used to it.¡±


    Solaris wheezed a little working on getting her breath back after Chimera slipped a hammer like pod behind her, driving the air out of her lungs. She spun the cast iron street light over and used gravity and her own flight to spear down at Chimera, using the height his own strike had granted her to her own advantage, only to have to throw herself to the side as a massive geiser of water shot into the air, the show having apparently began on its preprogrammed show.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Chimera said, stepping away from the artillery like bursts of water, having completely forgotten in the fight where they were fighting. Realizing his surprise, Solaris smashed her streetlamp  at the back of the monster''s legs sending him to his knees, and directly into the path of three of the most powerful spouts.


    Chimera staggered, struggling to his feet, unaware of what was beneath him till they kicked off, several dozen water cannons going off around him, three slamming into his body, sloughing flesh from diseased bones. He screamed in rage and pain, not having realized the danger of the fountain itself before the pain came.


    Solaris punched his kidney, trying to force him further into the spouts, letting out a shout of joy as he stumbled again, before taking a blast to her front that finished off her poor shirt, driving her back in need of air.


    The rippling blast of several cannons ripped into his falling form, leaving a floating mass of flesh in the center of the fountain, even as the program continued. After several minutes, it finally stopped, leaving the monster and its blood staining the water.


    Solaris floated above the monster making sure he didn¡¯t ''t get back up. Panting a bit and glad she¡¯d worn a sports bra. ¡°God Nathan you are such an ass. All these years and water is still a weakness.¡±


    Silence was all that answered, she drifted closer ¡°Well, that¡¯s a new trick.¡± Chimera¡¯s skull seemed hollow, as if something had burst from it. ¡°Till next time.¡± She said  softly looking for her friends then drifting over to them. ¡°Are you all okay?¡±


    Anzy was sitting with her head between her legs. Mercedes patting her back. "We''re fine. Anzy had one of her clones get popped so she''s a bit nauseous."


    "Luckily we were close to where the damn pods fell." Penny said. "I don''t think anyone not already enhanced got a scratch. Well, no one lived through it." She said, glancing at the original targets.


    Solaris closed her eyes. ¡°I am sorry I couldn¡¯t divert from Chimera himself; Nathan was focused on me he would have just chased me.¡±


    "And there''s no safe direction to kite him other than keeping him in the water." Levi nodded. "We understand. Sorry we couldn''t help you in some way.".


    You did good, you worked together well, you got bystanders out of the way and took out his sub-units before they could do catastrophic damage, be proud of yourselves


    "We did our best." Evelyn said. Then she frowned. "Wait, did you call him Nathan?"


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve fought him many times. Since he first expressed.¡±


    "But... I mean... The Chimera, Champion of Chaos, Devourer of Degradation..." Evelyn shook her head. "His name is freaking Nathan? That''s...so mundane."


    Penny shook her head, taking off her sweater and offering it to Solaris.


    "Thank you, Penny." she pulled it on. the sweater covering the bruises that where beginning to form on her torso. "He''s just a man Elenore. An insecure, greedy fool who happened to get powers. She looked around. At least there isn''t too much property damage. She took her phone out and dialed Zakai''s emergency number.


    "Hello Solaris. Enjoying Las Vegas?" He asked.


    "Yes, up until Chimera decided to use the Bellagio fountains as an arena. I took him down, but he split part of himself off to run away. There are a few cops down, but no civilian casualties I am aware of, and minimal property damage. My new employees, students from the Nevada super school took out his spawn. Should I head back to the hotel and take cover or continue to our dinner reservations as a show of strength."


    "Go to the hotel, order room service." He instructed. "I am already aware of the event, though details in the media are still sketchy. Can you send me a more detailed summary of what happened?" He asked.


    "Yes. I can do that." She hung up. "Okay once the police release us, we are heading back to the hotel, we are all going to my suite so we can write reports while the information is fresh. We''ll order room service. She looked at Penny. "What all do we still need to do here,¡± she looked around to make sure emergency services where in route.


    "You all go back; I can handle the cops. One last hurrah for the UNLOC ID." She joked. "Order me a steak and potato. See you back at the suite."

 Chapter 34 Leaving Las Vegas

    Leaving Las Vegas


    ¡°Welcome back to Conversation Hour, from Nimble House. We still have the lovely Solaris here. Now Solaris, my daughter has asked me a question, and I hope it¡¯s not to awkward to ask. Why, when you can fly, have you also learned to be a pilot, and fly so often in civilian transportation?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not awkward at all, Richard. A lady must keep her hair neat, if given an option. While I don¡¯t mind being a bit mused if I¡¯ve had to put in a bit of work, against the Nazi¡¯s or some criminal, that is one thing, but flying across town and being windblown would be unforgivable.¡±


    Solaris and Richard Surrard, on the Nimble House Conversation Hour Radio Show, 1944.


    "Order a full spread." Elizabeth told Elenore as they got back to the suite. ¡°I need to shower and change.¡±


    She went into the bathroom and stripped. Now in private she allowed her pain to show. Her stomach and torso were red with bruises. They''d heal quickly but would hurt like hell until then. She was glad for the walk in shower, washing the fountain and bits of Chimera out of her hair and off her skin as quickly as she could, hunger catching up with her.


    She dried off and pulled on a soft, loose t-shirt dress, not wanting anything rough against her skin. "Anyone else need to sluice off?¡± She sniffed. ¡°Levi you go shower next door. Erica, can you get him some clean clothing. Just throw those away."


    ¡°I call dibs on this shower.¡± Mercedes said. ¡°Even when the wood flaked off, I still feel like my hands are slimy.¡±


    Solaris sat down on one of the chairs fighting a wince as her back hit the fabric. "I asked before but after a fight like that things can be hazy. Is everyone okay, no one was hurt? I am sorry I couldn¡¯t come help you.¡±


    ¡°Basic combat training kind of came with the academies. They¡¯re not nicknamed cape-school for nothing.¡± Anzy said with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve never been sure about suiting up, but I know my way around a fight. Same is true for all of us.¡±


    "By the way, you''re trending on Twitter.¡± Elenore said as Levi and Mercedes disappeared to bathe. ¡°Bombproof Bombshell battles Chimera. The Media is asking for any details, or knowledge, about you, us, or what the fight was about. The theory is he was gunning for you."


    She blinked trying to remember what Twitter was. "They are mostly right. Apparently, he came to see if there was anything he could eat in the Atomic Museum. Then when there wasn''t he saw me and decided to have a rematch, he''s never forgiven himself or me for a ''girl'' taking him down.¡±


    "Villain types tend to have enormous egos, and misogyny isn¡¯t dead yet. Part of the reason they do what they do. And for the drama." Elenore observed.


    "Stll, they focused mostly on you, but glowing and fighting a massive mutant will draw the eye. There''s only a few mentions of us."


    ¡°That is not a bad thing, especially if you want to live more normal lives. Solaris said. "Any trouble with the police Penny?¡± Solaris asked, as her assistant and companion walked in.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s Chimera, so things where pretty cut and dried as far as the cops where concerned.¡± Penny said.


    ¡°How bad was the fallout from the attack?¡±


    "Three cops, two bystanders." Penny said. "At that site. He''d apparently done some sort of raid on the Atomic Museum earlier in the day which was only limited by the place being closed at the time. Honestly, this is the least damaging attack he''s engaged in, confirmed, for decades."


    "And he really didn''t seem to like you." Erica said, then looked closer at Solaris. "And I mean that, your ribs are bruised, and I think he cracked your sternum, though it''s already healing."


    Solaris blinked then remembered the girl¡¯s super-vision abilities. "Oh, he loathes me, and he still hits like a train.¡± She closed her eyes. "I can¡¯t believe he was hiding in a fountain. The best way to beat him is to get him in water. He can¡¯t swim and water bogs him down, that''s how we beat him the first time. We froze him in a lake. Weirdly, he can actually breathe underwater, so he loves to hide in it in spite of that fact."


    ¡°To be fair, you can''t breathe under water so he might have been thinking of drowning you." Penny suggested. "Also, there''s just not many places something as big as him can hide and strike out in Vegas that I''m aware of."


    "Still an idiot." Solaris said simply. She could hold her breath a long time, enhanced stamina had all sorts of odd effects on the body. "I didn''t know he got any civilians. Damn. Where are we on getting the plane? Zakai is probably going to want us out of Vegas."


    "The plane is actually here, but I was having techs go over it with a fine-toothed comb just because we weren''t in a hurry. I doubt it¡¯ll be ready to fly tomorrow." Penny admitted. "Speaking of which, I just got an email, and he wants quite the opposite. He is asking if you are willing to do a Las Vegas morning show, and then a few interviews with the cable news channels."


    She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Yes, that is fine, most of the surface bruising and such should be camera healed by tomorrow. How is he wanting to handle the Fledglings? I personally would prefer to keep them as out of it as possible. Although, I guess I should ask, do any of you actually WANT media attention?"


    "Um, I think we should revisit that later." Elenore said, peeking over Penny''s shoulder. "He has notes about how we can be there if needed or wanted, but we don''t need to be. My guess, they''re asking about you, not us. I can come if they need to interview someone. I can be the proper balance of eloquent and boring."


    "You can just tell them that you had help from new friends who aren''t seeking media attention if worse comes to worse."


    "He''s also asking if we need him to find a camera crew, or if we have a camera and microphone worth using." Elenore glanced at Erica. "We can go get something, then you can limit the number of people you''re having to deal with in here."


    "I''m confused, why would we need camera people? Don''t the news shows provide those?" Solaris asked.


    "The news show is at a studio in town." Penny said. "And they''re the affiliate for Fox here, so they can interview there too, but the other channels aren''t aligned with the studio and thus don''t play nice. That''s going to be about six interviews on top of the morning show."


    "Alright purchase what you need. Anzy, Mercades, did either of you study photography, so you can act as a camera person?¡±


    ¡°Photography is actually my hobby, but my camera body recently gave up the ghost.¡± Elenore said. "All three of us have worked with cameras before, though. Anzy has a food insta, and Mercedes likes to take pictures of landscapes she wants to paint. We know what you need and we still have the cash you gave us. We can run and get the gear now."


    "Penny can give you a card to use. Get everything you think we need and a bag to put it in. This is not going to be the last time this happens."


    "Will do. We''ll pick up a go pro or two as well. Somehow I see those being useful in the future too."


    "Whatever you think we need. the door rang, "that''s probably room service. would one of you please go fetch it in?"


    A pair of slightly nervous looking hotel employees stood with the large food trolleys. "Room service."


    "Right to the table please. Thank you very much for bringing it so quickly."


    "No problem. The boss also sent up two bottles of wine, gratis.¡± The server said as they rolled the food to the table quickly rolling the carts back out. "Penny, can you grab some socks to pour that ice in. It would feel a treat on these bruises. " Solaris said with a bit of a blush, gesturing at the wine buckets.


    "Yeah, let me grab that."


    The girls had been talking, and two Anzy''s popped into existence next to the first and left setting everyone''s food out on the table while the third left to fetch the camera gear. "Well, other than the fight, the stay in Ceasars has been fantastic and I admit, while I''d rather NOT deal with giant monsters, keeping people from being hurt by it was nice. But god I hate when one of me gets popped." She shivered. ¡°It¡¯s going to take a day or two to get five back. I am achy for a while afterwards.¡±


    "I can¡¯t Imagine that it is a pleasant experience." Solaris said sympathetically. "And I agree this was a lot of fun, save for Chimera. It''s going to take ages to clean the fountains."


    "I suspect they''d rather that, than Chimera have gotten into a full on rampage. That would have been at least the Bellagio and Paris destroyed, and thousands of casualties. The Golden Knights had been responding to something on Fremont Street when the attack happened, so were distracted. Street Sheppard showed up while I was talking to the cops, and wanted to express his apologies that the team couldn''t break off what they were doing to help."


    "It''s dealt with. That''s what''s important.¡± She smiled at Penny as she slid one ice laden sock between her back and the chair, the other on her chest, the cool felt good. "Thank you. Never let them see you hurt. It''s why I used to order a chilled wine after a fight. Zakai have anything else he needs us to do or is he busy arranging the interviews now?"


    ¡°No, he said take it easy. And to go out if you wanted to.¡± Penny said


    ¡°I may have to take some measures to walk around after that.¡± Anzy handed her a steak, realizing Solaris was in enough pain she wasn¡¯t going to move if she didn¡¯t have to. ¡°Thank you Anzy. Penny can you pick up some Giants baseball kit to wear. If I wear a different team and change the hair up it might help with getting mobbed. I can take something more appropriate to the studio. Then I think it is time to relax, by the pool.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Penny nodded "That sounds good, I¡¯ll call down and get a private cabana, it will hopefully encourage people to give you some space. Did you all bring swimwear?"


    Anzy nodded. "We did. And considering the shops here, getting some wouldn''t be hard."


    "Good, we need a quiet day¡± Solairs said between bites of steak. ¡° If I''m being honest, I am going to be very sore tomorrow so not really want to move a lot. I almost never go full strength, and with Chimera you don''t hold back."


    "We''re probably lucky he didn''t realize how powerful the water cannons were. I mean, those things hit with the force of industrial hydraulics if I remember correctly. Stripping flesh was about the best result he could have hoped for."


    Solaris nodded. "It felt a lot like being hit with artillery. One day we will have to come back and see the show properly."


    "They are going to need a hazmat team to remove the husk and bits from the water. the tourists are going to love that show." Erica said wryly, rolling her eyes.


    "Well, either way, I''m tired and I''ve eaten my dinner." Mercedes, who had quietly reappeared in a very long shirt that she apparently stole from Penny, said. "I think I am ready to turn in. Going Ent always leaves me needing a rest anyway."


    The two taxi-vans paused at the entrance to the private plane terminal two days later. "It looks like someone leaked." Penny muttered, looking out. The gate was nearly blocked by people with signs, mostly positive or outright gushing for Solaris with security personnel trying to back them off.


    "Money talks." The impromptu media blitz she''d had to do was exhausting, especially injured, and they''d had to change her room because people found out where she was. The blonde woman was looking forward to getting back to her house, with its walls and gates. "How do we get through? I don''t want to encourage bad behavior by getting out."


    "Security is clearing them. Fortunately, I had the good sense to go with the taxi service instead of Uber." Penny muttered. They were in unmarked vans, with tinted windows, so even those trying to peer into the vans couldn''t see. "This is just wild."


    It took several minutes, but the security personnel finally pushed the crowd back and opened the gate, letting the two vans through. They followed a road to the FBO building, entering the passenger terminal for private jets, which bordered on luxurious, like a very nice hotel lobby. A concierge was there to meet them. "Good afternoon! Summers Party, I hope?"


    "Yes, I do apologize for the hassle." she said politely. ¡°Did all the baggage arrive?"


    "We have celebrities of all kinds go in and out of here. It''s nothing new. The baggage has arrived and has been loaded, though the plane is currently being fueled. That is slightly behind schedule due to other issues. The flight crew arrived yesterday, and I am assured they are fully conversant with the aircraft in question and the catering was delivered an hour ago."


    "Thank you. I truly appreciate your professionalism. Do you think we will have issues on the other end of the flight?¡± She was hoping New York was still delightfully cynical.


    "To my knowledge, no. Fortunately we have an FBO facility at your arrival airport so we were able to call and talk to them. They are aware of what''s happening here, and our concierge on the ground is ordering limo service to take you and your companion¡¯s home with minimal issue. Fortunately, Republic airport isn''t where people assume the famous folks are going to go."


    ¡°Thank you again. I look forward to using your services in the future. Let¡¯s get aboard.¡± She said, following the steward to a delightfully nondescript white plane. ¡°This is perfect Penny.¡±


    "I thought you''d like it. And it was honestly about the smallest that checked all the boxes." she admitted.


    They were led to the plane, where a woman in a business casual outfit with the branding of the crewing service Penny had hired greeted them. "The pilots are completely the pre-flight checks if you all wish to come aboard. I''ll bring out breakfast when we are in the air and settled at altitude." She explained.


    Thank you. The group headed up the stairs and onto the plane, finding plush seats and comfortable decor. ¡°Ahh this is what I remember¡± Solaris said, settling into a comfy chair. ¡°Seriously Penny you did a great job. This is comfort without being flashy. The plane is very unassuming among the private planes I had seen outside. I really like it.¡±


    "No reason it has to be flashy. It¡¯s good to be low key sometimes." She agreed, sitting across from her, Elenore also joining them in the quartet of facing seats, along with Granny Ruan. The other four kids went to the back of the plane, admiring the nice features. "Though we''ll be getting rotating crew until we figure something out for that."


    ¡°Well, we can just hire people we like from the agency. There is usually a fee. But it¡¯s worth it to slowly build a crew that will work for and with us. And I¡¯m not sure how much flying we¡¯ll do short term anyhow.¡±


    "And that''s ignoring training up some of this crew to fill in some of the jobs."


    ¡°True, some of them do have stick training. And we were going to take classes ourselves so maybe we can get a bulk discount.¡±


    "At this point, I''d bet we can. Especially if we make noises about buying something smaller. A lot of the training places double as maintenance and sales. And while this suits many of your needs, I could see you wanting to take short hops that might not be worth the cost of spinning up a jet with this kind of power and range."


    ¡°Something to think about. Any new news from Zakai?¡±


    ¡°He says the interviews are trending well, and there¡¯s interest in follow up. He also said there has been reach out by a few other, non-media agencies."


    ¡°Non media agencies?¡± Solaris asked curious. ¡°You mean like charities?


    "Yes, and advertisers. The more agency to you, I suspect, is some hero organizations have reached out."


    ¡°Oh? What organizations?¡±


    "He didn''t give me the full list, but the Guardians current leadership, St. Nicks, and The Guild for one."


    ¡°The first two do not surprise me, I was going to reach out to them soon anyways, who are the Guild?¡±


    "The guild is a little hard to explain. You''ve met Luna Fuego, who is independent though she sometimes works as a stringer with the local hero team in New York." Penny said. "That''s pretty common, but the guild is relatively new. They''re trying to form a more universal, if less officially organized association to provide non-field support as well as making it easier for indies to contact each other. They''ve had an uphill battle however, because they want their members to be more ''transparent'' with things like identity. At least internally. Since this becomes a bit of a security issue not everyone is excited by that." Penny trailed off.


    ¡°Not everyone wants to drag all the troubles to their homes and families. Look at Chimera, it¡¯s only a matter of time before he builds himself up and tries attacking me again. I¡¯m willing to talk to them but I¡¯m a public hero, I always have been. I believe in heroes supporting each other. That¡¯s part of why the Network with the Tailors and such exists¡±


    "For the record, I''m going to install some defenses at the house." Penny  said nonchalantly.


    "Me too!'' Called out Erica.


    "Her too."


    The jet began to taxi, approaching the runways, the cabin much better soundproofed than the ones on the jumbo jet they''d flown before. That, plus the engines being further back, meant easier to keep a conversation going. "Please buckle up, we¡¯ll hopefully be taking off shortly." The stewardess said, before disappearing to her own seat.


    The sound of clicking seatbelts filled the plane. ¡°Go wild expense what you need to keep our home safe. Just try to keep it subtle and don¡¯t accidentally blow-up Thud.¡± Solaris said.


    "He''ll likely have one of the controls for whatever I do. I promise, only a couple of railguns. Probably."


    ¡°Hide them in planters or something. We don¡¯t want to upset the neighbors


    "I''ll talk to Mercedes and figure out what we can do." she chuckled. "I suspect a few other groups, like the Manhattan Unmatched, that''s the local team though it''s somewhat informal, are looking to talk to you."


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk to the Guardians and St Nicks first. The Guardians because it¡¯s my team, and St Nicks because they probably have my super gear! I still haven¡¯t found it.¡±


    "The Guardians are not quite the team you remember, they are now the United States National Team, and receive the permitted funding from the US.¡± Penny informed her. ¡°They have currently ten members, though it rotates between six active, on site at a time. The four off will go ''home'' and be more local for a time or go completely to down time. I think it''s a six-month rotation. The only exception is the team leader, Pinnacle. I hear he takes vacations from time to time, but otherwise is twenty-four seven on site at their current headquarters, Guardian Island."


    ¡°We got an Island? Well, that is an upgrade, even if the Congressional golf course was lovely.¡± She smiled ¡°Tell me about Pinnacle? What kind of hero is he?


    " Pinnacle ''s reputation is he¡¯s a hard ass, but he tends to get into fights with things like Chimera, or worse, and deals with massive disasters on the monthly so it may just come with the job."


    ¡°I believe the saying is ¡®been there done that¡¯.¡± Solaris said wryly. The sense of gravity increased, and they lifted off, Solaris closed her eyes savoring the sensations of lift off.


    Before long the aircraft reached its cruising height, leveling out and settling into a relatively quiet cruise. At that point the stewardess rose and raised the folding tables from their wall sheaths, then pulled several platters out of where they were stored, laying a pair of trays on the folding tables. "We have a European breakfast display of pastries and croissants, sliced meats and assorted cheeses with fresh fruit and yogurt." She said, placing a plate in front of each person. "We have assorted juices and coffee or perhaps a bloody Mary to drink with brunch?"


    ¡°This is what flying was like for me a month ago.¡± Solaris said happily. Placing her napkin in her lap and taking a bite of a lovely, warmed croissant.


    "It is a bit more civilized. And I''ll take a coffee please."


    "Bloody Mary." Grandmother said, with a smile. "I hate flying. But this is better."


    ¡°Gin and tonic please.¡± Solaris said, smiling as the fledglings heard they could get booze with breakfast.


    "Well, we can pour them out when we get home." Penny chuckled. "But can you blame them. Big changes going on."


    ¡°They have reasons to celebrate.¡± She delicately ate some fruit, ¡°I love pineapple. When we get home, we need to get them in with the Tailor, get them fitted for formal wear, I think Elenore will need a bit more time at Bergdorfs, she¡¯s going to want a media polish, I have a feeling the Fox show won¡¯t be her last time speaking with me on screen. Do you think we should just spa day for all of the ladies?¡±


    "Oh yes. I''m not sure Levi would appreciate it, nor would it last." Penny mused. "He strikes me as a fidgeter."


    "He is, but that''s okay. He''s a man who works with his hands, he''s meant to move." Granny Ruan said with a nod.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to even try.¡± Solaris admitted. ¡°I have known many mechanics; he¡¯ll have one nice suit that we will have to remind him when to wear. And a spare jacket and tie for when he ¡°ruins¡± them.¡±


    "Maybe I''ll just take him to Men''s Warehouse for off the rack, and we can let him get some nice tools instead of nice clothes."


    ¡°Yes¡­ I don¡¯t t think he¡¯d enjoy the pomp. We need to find a shop for them to work out of, our garage is large but not that large. And I kind of want a race car.¡±


    "I think I found something. I want to go look at it to be sure, but there''s a place about fifteen minutes from the house, give or take, that used to be the headquarters for a Limo rental company. It''s got two bay doors, a big ''warehouse'' space, as well as a lobby, breakroom, and an upstairs set of offices, an open area for conference table or secretary area''s and three offices. I suspect we can come in well under what they are asking, assuming there isn''t junk in it we can probably put lifts and get tools in there and get right to doing something with it."


    ¡°Depending on the lobby we might be able to put more bays in, make sure we use all the building. Offices would be useful for Elenore. So, she has a place to work.


    "Room for repair bays is not going to be a problem, but I''ll let the kids figure out where they want to put things." Penny admitted. "I figure we do this the way the accountant wants, do a business loan for automotive restoration I suppose and then we can give the kids a monthly amount to spend on cars to repair for charity like you said, between big projects when they come up. Keep an eye out for a restorable supercar or classic in a junker auction."


    Solaris leaned back sipping her drink. ¡°We could treat it as a trial run for the manor. Save for, hopefully, all the remediations, it will have a lot of the same needs. Renovation, space and team management. What do you think?¡± she looked at Elenore


    "I don''t mind taking it on as a starter project." Elenore said. "I admit, I am nervous I won''t do as well as I hope. I pray I can rely on you to mentor me a bit."


    Solaris nodded. It also gives you something to do, though I¡¯m sure other little projects will raise their head. They usually do.¡±

 Chapter 35, Getting Home

    Getting Home


    The relationship between an Enhanced and their Tailor is rather unique. Even non-cape Enhanced tend to get to know one of the more publicly open Tailors as a client just due to special needs. When you can set fire to your panties if you get excited, you realize you need a special kind of lingerie for date night.


    But that relationship works both ways. As Tailors, we ironically often have very limited Enhanced gifts of our own, usually oriented towards being a Breakthrough or Catalyst, and not much else. You want to make sure your friends who can throw trucks or, as I mentioned, set someone¡¯s pants on fire, are on your side.


    Long story short, make your Tailor happy, and they¡¯ll give you the occasional gift. Just a bit of advice, my darlings.


    Phantastique, Fashion and Style in the Super Set


    Solaris tilted her head. ¡°Are there influencers that work on cars? Maybe ones that need space?¡±


    "There''s a huge number of them. If we improve the lighting in that shop as the first refurbishment project, we could likely draw a few. Especially if we get the tools and gear that they sometimes don''t have access to. Plus we have a pair of additional mechanics to help for the solo guys."


    Solaris nodded, I¡¯ll contact Louise and have her arrange to purchase the property. I want you to figure out what we need to¡­care for influencers, and get it set up properly, and find the contractors as needed. I¡¯ll give you Louise and Tracy¡¯s numbers since you will be working with them, Louise is my US accountant and Tracy, is our point of contact for my PR firm, they may be able to help you find talent


    "I''ll go look at the building after it¡¯s bought, along with Erica and Levi. They''ll know what is a need, a want, or a wish list item is."


    Solaris nodded, ¡°I figured you¡¯d want to include them. She looked back to where the other 4 were sitting. If you talk to them now you may get some more¡­. Unrestrained answers.


    "True... since they''re tipsy." The girl rose and slipped into the rear of the cabin, settling on the couch to chat with the group.


    A few hours into the flight, the stewardess, who had regularly checked on everyone''s need for drinks or anything else handed out small cards with the options for their lunch. A roasted tomato basil soup or potato leek soup as a hot starter, with a ceasar salad. The option of a roasted beef tenderloin with red wine sauce, potatoes and steamed asparagus or lemon pepper chicken breast with wild rice and roasted cauliflower for the main at the diners choice.


    Solaris almost purred as she ate the tenderloin, she was still offended by the way the quality of mass air transit had failed is customers. ¡°Thank you, Juli I sincerely hope, we get to fly with you again you have been wonderful.


    "Well feel free to ask for me the next set of flights you have. I am on a floating team currently, though I would love a more permanent slot. I just refuse to do a main line airline again. Those things are nuts."


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. I took one flight and bought this to keep from doing it again! Solaris said. The girls were still lovely but with so many to tend to and so few tools to do it I could understand the stress.


    "Add drunk, irritated and impatient passengers and it¡¯s just a headache. I much prefer the business jet set, and I feel a bit more self-respect in the product I serve, too. The caterers are so much better at this level.":


    ¡°I can identify this as food, not mysterious substances with gravy. If I wanted that I¡¯d have stayed in England!¡±


    The stewardess laughed. "I understand."


    The plane landed smoothly in New York. Solaris thanked the crew. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go,¡± she led them off the plane and walked them down to the limo. ¡°So how did you like the flight?¡±


    "That was pretty sweet." Levi, who was carrying a sleeping Mercedes, said. ¡°I want to learn to fly jets now. I mean, that just was sweet."


    "I loved the food." Mercedes murmured, barely aware.


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    Happily, there weren¡¯t any crowds waiting for them. And the drive to Islip was smooth, Nahoa meeting them at the front gate to let them in. "Welcome back, or just welcome." He said, raising an eyebrow at all the other younger people pouring out of the car. "Got a couple of deliveries while you were away."


    Solaris was arching an eyebrow as well. The big Hawaiian was wearing a muscle shirt, very loose fitting and she could see several small but dark bruises along one side of his body peeking out. Fairly familiar bruises.


    ¡°Oh? Has the outdoor furniture started to arrive?¡± she asked, stretching politely not mentioning the bruising.


    ¡°Hey, does that car have bullet holes?¡± Erica said, drawing Solaris¡¯s attention to an unfamiliar sedan parked in the corner of the drive.


    "That, and things from the Tailor." he said, pointedly ignoring the question. "The cabins are both set up, including the extra beds. Marcus has already moved into ours."


    Penny rolled her eyes. ¡°Right, we¡¯ll just ignore that.¡±


    ¡°Are you two comfortable?¡± Solaris said, smothering a chuckle. ¡°Sorry about shifting you all about. Let me introduce you to our new hires. She waved the others over. This is Anzy, she¡¯s our new cook, and this is Mercades, she¡¯s handling the gardens, they are taking over the boathouse. This is Levi and Erica, they are Mechanics and will be staying in the pool house. And lastly this is Elenore. She¡¯s going to be a program manager and marketer for several projects I will have running.¡± She smiled at the newcomers. ¡°This is Nahoa, my security guard. My driver, attempting to steer people away from the new somewhat perforated car is Marcus.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "We''re fine, it''s all good." He said. "It¡¯s good to meet all of you. If you need anything from me, just let me know. I got the keys for the houses here. I think you and Mercedes are getting these." He said, handing the boathouse keys to Anzy. "And the pool house is you and Erica." He gave Levi that key. "I got the cameras, and such all installed while you were gone." He informed Solaris.


    ¡°Thank you, Marcus. Why don¡¯t you all go get settled in. I think tonight we will order Chinese in. You can eat in your flats or join us in the main house. Anzy, I know you¡¯re going to want to look the kitchens over.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s not a priority today but Levi I¡¯d like you and Erica to find a couple of cars for everyone to use, right now we have one house car, but we probably need more. Nice unassuming cars, things that will be ignored as they run errands.¡±


    "Can do. didn''t think you wanted us to make super sleepers. At least not yet." He chuckled.


    ¡°Sleepers? Are you wanting some sort of caravan?¡±


    "What, oh, no. Sorry, slang. A sleeper is a car that is chosen because it¡¯s unassuming, but you strip its powerplant and put some sort of a beast in it. Say, taking a Volkswagen Beetle but pull the stock engine and put something with double the horsepower in, with suspension improvements to work with it. You get a car that looks like it''ll putter along but can put most stock sports cars to shame."


    Solaris¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡±Oh! I love that idea. Yes, get cars you can do that to!¡±


    "Um, do you mean too, or instead?


    Erica laughed. "She meant too, we¡¯ll grab a couple of things begging to be tuned, and some practical daily drivers."


    ¡°Why not do that to all of them. Then if you need you can get up and go.¡±


    "Well a lot of cars, you can get performance out of them by changing out a few things, adding turbo chargers or what have you, so we definitely can."


    ¡°Wonderful.¡± She said with a smile that was a little dreamy, she loved powerful cars. ¡°Go settle in.¡± She laughed as Anzy split into three, one dragging Mercades towards the boat house, one heading for the outdoor kitchen, and one for the main kitchen. Marcus watched that with a stunned expression, while Nahoa kept watching her nervously.


    "We will get settled in and see you in an hour for dinner." Erica said, dragging the now muttering and planning Levi after her. Elenore chuckled and followed them.


    ¡°Speaking of sleepers?¡± Penny said. ¡°I can¡¯t help but notice the bullet holes seem to be shallower than they should in that car.¡±


    ¡°The Tailor¡¯s delivery guys screwed up and left something with us they shouldn¡¯t have. We took them back, he asked if we¡¯d do a delivery, and it became a whole thing.¡± Nahoa summarized.


    ¡°Right.¡± Granny Ruan said. ¡°I¡¯ll grill them later. For now, let them think they can hide, and get to know the other kids. Of you go, boys.¡±


    "Sounds good." Penny said, noting the packages stacked on the table. She sat in a chair nearby, stretching out. "Not that we weren''t in luxurious environments, but sometimes getting home is the best part of a vacation."


    ¡°Yes, nothing is the same as home. What all was delivered?¡±


    "Let me see. Okay, I''m betting these are costumes, as they have our code names on them. He put them in pretty nice cases.¡± She patted the pelican case her own was in. ¡°And looks like three each?" she said, thoughtfully. "Four for you."


    ¡°To be fair, I am most likely to ruin them.¡± Solaris walked over opening the box to reveal a uniform in muted reds and blues, with white the brightest tone. ¡°We will need to let Zakai know these are in. I know he wants a photo shoot.¡±


    "These would be the new circlets." she said. "And a note to look in the garage."


    ¡°Marcus¡¯s big toy must have come in.¡± They headed for the garage. ¡°I hope Marcus hasn¡¯t seen the bike yet. I want to see his face.¡±


    There were two crates, both completely sealed, with envelopes on the tops, taped down. Both were large, though one was obviously a motorcycle. A third, smaller crate was marked as components for Dreadful. "Looks like he didn''t." Penny said, pulling the envelope off the smaller box. "Oh yeah, this is the bike we ordered. But I didn''t think we ordered a second vehicle, did we?"


    ¡°I know I ordered some things for England. I don¡¯t think I got anything else.¡± She pulled the envelope off the larger package ¡°let¡¯s see what we have here, hopefully not another erroneous drop off. Then we can call Marcus over.¡±


    Out loud she read, "Solaris, since you made such a big order, and I got notified you''re going to be doing another soon, I thought a gift for a favorite customer might be in order. It''s not precisely your favorite type of vehicle, but I think you''ll enjoy it just the same."


    Penny was cutting the straps and tape on the box, while she read. "Hmmm, so it''s a surprise?"


    ¡°Apparently. Solaris said looking over the box the pulling the lid off the nails on the crate squeezing as they released. She tossed the lid to the side and looked Inside. A Polaris Xpedition, heavily customized with treads, a snowplow settled next to it on the shipping frame but obviously intended to attach to the vehicle.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is interesting, is it lawn equipment or a plaything?¡± She removed the rest of the crate so she could walk around it.


    "Yes." Penny chuckled. "You can put the plow on it, use the winch for work, what have you, but you can also take it into the wild and rip around like a maniac." She said.


    ¡°Oh. We will have to try it out, and show it to Mercades since she¡¯s doing the lawn work.¡±


    "It''ll be great whenever it snows. That driveway is no joke."


    ¡°Yeah. I haven¡¯t thought much about the snow. Shall we call Marcus over?¡± Solaris hit the garage door to open it then patted the box.


    She pulled the lid off and opened it while Penny texted him. ¡°Oh this came out sharp!


    "Oh yes, it looks mean." The BMW 1250 RT was a mean looking motorcycle, with a predatory edge appropriate to the civilian version of the most common police bike in the world. Its black-on-black styling was stealthy and sleek. Penny looked at a note, and flipped a hidden switch, and concealed lights came to life, a blue matching Marcus''s aura acting to bring a dramatic look to the bike, while also changing its appearance to an outside viewer, pipes rotating to reveal hidden chrome. "Oh, that is well done."


    I¡¯m almost jealous. Put it back in street, I see him coming!¡± Solaris clapped her hands; she loved giving presents.


    She hit the switch. A check revealed the light could be turned off but the chrome remaining out, making another subtle, but important change to the bikes look.


    ¡°Hey, if this is about the Valiant, I can explain. It wasn¡¯t really our fault, things just kind of snowballed.¡± Marcus said, pausing when he saw the bike. "Nice."


    ¡°I might have been a little naughty at the Tailors, I never thought to ask.¡± She smirked. ¡°Do you know how to ride a motorcycle?¡±


    "I have, dirt bikes and such, and a street bike a little. Why do you ask?"


    Solaris shook her head in amusement, patting the seat of the new bike. ¡°Because this beauty is your new hero bike, unless you prefer the odd car outside.¡±


    "Really? Holy crap! I might need to get a cheap bike to practice on, because that is just nice." He walked over and petted the bike, then swung a leg over it. "Oh. Oh yeah.¡±


    She smiled at Penny. ¡°Why don¡¯t you do the honors? You helped me pick it out.¡± Penny nodded and toggled the hero switch. The shift happing seamlessly u dear him the blue lights a halo on the ground.


    He looked down. "Oh god that''s hot. Shit, man, I don''t know why you got me this. I haven''t earned this."


    ¡°Because I wanted to, you want to be a hero even knowing the¡­unpleasant parts. And you are part of my team. I take care of my team.¡±


    ¡°Now we just have to find you a proper call sign.¡±


    "Yeah, I have some ideas, maybe you can help me pick." He admitted. "I glow blue, hit things kinda hard, and can take a beating. I mean, at least really big handgun bullets are completely stopped without me feeling it. What covers that?" He shook his head almost vibrating with the need to try the new bike "I''m going to need to get to earning my place, then, but first I''m taking this out for a ride." Switching off the light and starting the bike, he carefully slid out into the evening, laughing as he shot down the driveway.


    ¡°How long till he gets a ticket.¡± Solaris said fondly.

 Chapter 36, Talking shop

    Talking Shop


    ¡°Toymaker, Toymaker, I hate you¡­¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you singing?¡±


    ¡°Listen, I just had a god damn laser pop out of a fucking Ali Express grade motor scooter and melt my clothing off. I can be passive aggressive towards dumb ass super brains if I damn well want to be.


    Lady Bastion and Vindicate, shortly after the former had most of her costume ¡°artfully damaged¡± by a gigawatt grade laser.


    Evelyn was almost dancing as her friends and her got to their new business building. ¡° Oh man, look at all this space! How many bays do you think will fit in here?¡± She sang, more animated than her friends had seen her in some time, and completely ignoring the metric ton of garbage and car parts scattered around the warehouse-slash-auto shop.


    "To keep things from getting cluttered, I''d say four, with a few storage lifts as well. That''s ignoring setting up a couple of bike lifts." Levi said, considering the space, and the crap that got left behind that they were going to have to lug outside and sort through for anything worthwhile. Fortunately, with the boss out of town, Nahoa was able to come along so the heavy ass, broken compressor tank wasn''t going to be an issue. "And the lighting looks like we can unplug whats here and hang new, better stuff ourselves."


    "I am going to admit, that''s assuming we stick a paint bay in that corner over there."


    ¡°I think to save space you should get one of those inflatable bays for painting outside. Or put in a small building for it. That way also you don¡¯t stink up the shop and can have more control of the temperature.¡± Mercades said, looking around. Eleanore had offered to let her use one of the upstairs offices for a studio room, but she was already considering setting up on the roof. She suspected it would be quieter.


    "Fair, and we can take it down when we aren''t painting. We don''t want to paint outside, that''s just a quick way to have bugs and dirt in the finish.But the portable is a good idea, at least short term."


    Anzy, or at least one of her, was poking around in the junk, nodding along with the conversation while setting tools on a cart with a dodgy wheel she¡¯d found. "Either way, there''s not much you guys couldn''t do in here. Hell, you could lose a project in here and not find it for a month."


    ¡°There may be a project somewhere in here now. Possibly three.¡± Levi said. ¡°El, did you order a dumpster to throw shit in? If not, we are going to need one.¡±


    ¡°The front does need greenery. Maybe I can go get some of those big planter things from a home store. Some soil and flowering bushes? Oh, I know, Japanese maples. Mercedes muttered


    "Yeah, I assumed cleaning was going to be needed." She said, "And that sounds lovely for the offices, lobby and front." she agreed. "I''d say, let''s do the four lifts, like you said. Two motorcycle lifts. That''s plenty for our own projects, and for the Youtubers I''m hoping to draw in. It also means if we need a lift in an emergency we can likely clear one."


    "We can also get a portable lift or two, as emergency expansion. I see that being something that comes up." Levi admitted.


    Erica looked at the floor and walls. "It''s dingy in here though. You mind if we clean out, then paint, maybe seal the floors. Make it look nicer."


    ¡°Not at all. We are pretty unlimited in our budget. The boss wants to do this right and is getting tax breaks on the business loan she¡¯s taking out for it. ¡°


    ¡°How about we go for a clean white paint for most of the space with wood trim, the modern black and steel doesn¡¯t seem right with the boss.¡± Mercedes said. ¡°Oh by each bay let¡¯s put in a chalkboard paint section then people can draw and put project notes on the wall, that should look really neat!¡±


    ¡°We might want to get a temporary storage container while we do.¡± Anzy added. ¡°There¡¯s some actual parts and tools in among the junk, so we are going to have to sort it.¡± She nodded and gestured for Nahoa to lift a rusted out block he lifted to show her. It was a paperweight.


    "Oh, that''s actually a couple of good ideas. I always end up writing parts lists and project steps on a bit of cardboard like a maniac." Levi admitted.


    Anzy was googling what made the most durable shop floor. ¡°Looks like epoxy or something called U-creat are the recommended materials. I think a simple grey, keep the clean look. ¡°


    "Yeah, Epoxy floors also tend to resist stains from oil and fluid spills." Erica nodded.


    "It''s a shop, a few stains are fine." Levi chuckled. "But yeah, I think we''ll be pretty well set with the plan here. We can figure out where to put compressors and tool storage once we finish clearing and cleaning. So shall we go look in the offices?"


    They nodded giggling as they all pushed into the small elevator to the second floor before piling out. ¡°Ouch, now this looks dated.¡± Anzy said wincing. Those yellow walls have got to go!


    "Yeah, the flooring is fine, but we need to back that up. White or off white or something." Erica nodded.


    "And I think this is the color every room is. But that makes it easy, we just have to paint everywhere. That won''t take too long." Evelyn said. "A few gallons from Home Depot and we''re golden."The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "The downstairs is just one big open office thing, so why don''t we take that for when we need to call for parts, or the tubers need to record audio." Erica mused. "Up here is three offices, then the open space so what, a table for meetings, an office for you, and the other two are when the boss expands into something?"


    Levi said ¡°I think we mirror downstairs, white walls, wood trim. Oh, I know let¡¯s put in a picture rail to show off projects we finish and teams that work here. Give it a bit of a retro look.¡± He wandered down the hall looking around.


    ¡°Just make sure everyone knows to wash their hands before using anything in the break room downstairs.¡± There was an area, almost an airlock, between the downstairs office and shop area, which included the downstairs bathroom and a small kitchen breakroom combo.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s turn the open space Into the conference room. I think use one of the spare offices as the sound recording room. We can put sound deadening material in there and better light . I am pretty sure it¡¯s going to be too noisy downstairs for recording.¡± Erica said. ¡°And offices in shops collect clutter. No one wants that on camera!¡±


    ¡°It might be worthwhile to build a small office space actually in the shop area, or even just get a shed and stick it in there to use for that. It can be soundproofed and means we¡¯ll get to use office space with nice floors as office space for nice floors.¡±


    "We could paint a wall Chroma Key for that sort of thing too?"


    ¡°That is a good idea.¡± Anzy said. ¡°Put a curtain rod up as well so if they don''t wanna deal with it they can just pop up some black curtains or something.¡±


    "Do you just want to purchase all the recording equipment for the room.¡± Mercades asked. "that might reduce the wear and tear on the room, and gives you another product to offer.If it really takes off, maybe hire a sound guy they can contract from us to really work their magic.¡±


    "The sound guy is a bit much. Everyone deals with editing in their own way, from what I gather." Evelyn mused. "However, getting a couple of half decent cameras, some go pros, that would mean people coming in might not need to heft something, if they''re coming from out of state. It also adds to what the boss has for when she needs it."


    ¡°Hey guys, I''ve been moving all the trash. I found¡­ most of a car. I think?¡± Nahoa called out from downstairs


    The group trooped down the stairs to find Nahoa, who had continued working on throwing junk out the back door staring at what was indeed a considerable portion of a car. Levi and Erica approached, the taller boy helping his girlfriend climb over some junk so she could get to the door. "Cadillac Commercial Chassis...1967... Hearse?" She looked over the frame. Most of the frame was, in fact, still there and had been extended from the looks of it. Someone had removed the bulk of the body after the driver''s seats, leaving only bare metal for the roof and an open back. The rest had been ripped out, leaving the undercarriage and drive train all visible. They¡¯d even installed the drive shaft, likely due to it being easier when the body was missing.


    ¡°I think they were stretching it?¡± Nahoa said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if this was trash or treasure. If you want I can throw it in the dumpster.¡±


    "Let''s clear out around it, see whats here." Erica suggested, the kids starting to heft junk and two cases of motor oil boxed six years ago out of the way. She climbed in from the back, and discovered keys, though there was obviously no power. However she could put it into neutral. "It''s got a transmission."


    After about twenty minutes of work they were able to push and pull it out into the middle of the floor, where they popped the hood. "Oh wow, the engines here. I mean, it needs cleaned up and love, but it''s here." Levi pushed on the fan. "And the engine is turning. If it can start, it''s a driving chassis, just lacks most of the body. I''d say someone got a deal on a used hearse and thought to expand their fleet and only got part way into the project."


    ¡°Then this place closed or they didn¡¯t pay a bill.¡± Anzy said. ¡°It sounds like a good project though. It¡¯s a pretty blank canvas.¡± Mercades and another Anzy moved a bent hood. ¡°Another engine over here!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to see why this place failed.¡± Evelyn muttered.


    "That''s not a shock." Levi said, walking over and looking at it. "Stuffed all the holes with cloth, looks to be used but not in bad shape. My bet this was something they pulled from a damaged unit to use if they needed to replace a power plant. I mean, this is a good sized v8 so perfect for a limo. This is a keep. Set it on the back of the roller." he suggested to Nahoa. "Until we can get an engine stand for it."


    "Hey, you know what I have as an idea if this runs?" Erica said. "We put a flatbed on it, and have a Cadillac car carrier."


    ¡°Ooooh. Repaint it cherry red with flames?¡± Mercedes said her eyes going bright. No. Dark blue, with red Japanese maple leaves and cherry petals!¡±


    ¡°I like your sense of style. You¡¯ll have a show car if we aren¡¯t careful.¡± Erica laughed.


    Levi nodded. ¡°Fuck yeah I can see it, this will be the coolest shop truck ever! I think if we do a winch and sliding bed it will work, maybe go all out and lift kit it with some airbags.¡±


    "Oh god, we find the tail panels and runners for it, we do it up all nice, paint or epoxy the bed, make it look like a luxury car hauler. Stretch the hips so we can have those caddy wings but still fit a car."


    "Oh a lift kit might be a need, just to haul things. Airbags I''m thinking no, but raise her up, put truck springs and shocks on her. Hell, that and mounting panels isn''t even that long a job. My jump box is here, lets see if we can get her to start." Levi said, as he started rooting through shelves of abandoned crap, cheering as he found a partial can of ether. "Starter fluid. Lets go!"


    Mercedes had found a clear spot on the floor and was sketching ideas for the paint job Erica poured some starter in the engine. ¡°Okay Levi, fire her up!


    "Okay.¡± He had hotwired the car as they weren''t sure where the key was, and it turned over but it didn''t start. He fiddled with a few wires, checked the carburetor and tried again. This time it ticked over a couple of times and died. "Oh, it¡¯s trying."


    Erica put in a bit more fluid and jiggled a few things on her end. ¡°Try her again.¡±


    He twisted the wires and she kicked alive after some grind, running for about thirty seconds before stopping. "Okay, she runs-ish, though she''s going to need tuned up and maybe a new rod. Does she have fuel, or are we needing to look into a pump?"


    "I think I found the back." Nahoa said, pulling out a pair of quarter panels, the same color and pointed style as the front end.


    ¡°We will want a new pump.¡±Erica said she was making a parts list on her phone. ¡°Man¡­ kinda wish we had that chalkboard you were talking about Mercades.¡±


    Upstairs Elenore looked at another Anzy. ¡°We¡¯ve lost them. Shall we head to Home Depot?


    "Yeah. I can help you shop, and maybe paint. Should we tell them we''re going in case they want us to grab something?"


    ¡°They are too busy. If they need something they can call, let¡¯s go."


    ¡°Yeah and paint sprayers. I think we might wanna pay someone to do the epoxy, we want that to look clean,


    "There''s companies that do that, so we can look them up later. We''ll get them to push the car they''re doing out into the driveway to work on so we can get that done when it is time. Nahoa is still clearing junk, thankfully."


    ¡°He is a really reliable fellow.¡± Anzy said ¡°and a law student. He can herd the cats while we shop.¡±


    "Or pick them up and put them in a box so they can only meow."

 Chapter 37, Visiting Futures Past

    Visiting Futures Past


    ¡°No matter which way you go, time travel is a raw deal. You go into the past, and either events conspire to prevent you from achieving what you want to while you are there, or you get caught up in events you don¡¯t want to be caught up in, or you¡¯re part of some self-fulfilling prophecy¡±


    ¡°Should you really be having this conversation with your daughter from the future?¡±


    ¡°Shit. Then there¡¯s that. How does that work, when I know your mother¡¯s dead again?¡±


    ¡°I am so glad you improve as a parent.¡±


    Solaris had debated wearing her new union suit but decided against it feeling that might come off as aggressive.  Instead wearing a fitting pair of black slacks, with gold strapped heals, a deep blue silk top and a golden leather duster. Her blonde hair swept away from her face with pearled combs, as she stepped off the small boat onto the Guardians new island base. She looked at the tall modern sprawling building, done in the heavy brutalist style. ¡°Quite the modern castle.¡± she said.


    "Yeah, but it makes sense, seeing as you want to be able to fix the building when some idiot blows up a wall." Penny noted, looking around. The island was practical in design, but also had a lot of luxurious features. There was what looked like a small golf driving range, a couple of pools, and the docks they''d gotten off of had a pair of fishing boats, as well as three small, folded wing amphibious airplanes sitting at the dock or in lifts above the water. The grounds were well kept and landscaped as they walked towards the front. A man stood at the door, smiling as they approached.


    "Good afternoon, Lady Elizabeth." the man said, with a Londoner accent. "I can''t deny I''m pleased to get a chance to meet you. I am Tate Atkinson, codename Silver Paladin. I''m the current exchange member with the Guardians from the Watch."


    ¡°A pleasure to meet a countryman. ¡°she said shaking his hand. ¡°Sorry it took me so long to visit I¡¯ve been working on settling in and figuring out where everything thing is. This is a bit of an upgrade from the congressional golf club.¡±


    "Yes, well, they wanted their golf courses back." He chuckled. "Though I understand that the annual birthday celebration is held there, still." He opened the door for the ladies, and led them into a lobby, which had Solaris''s own portrait, along with over a dozen others, the apparent former leaders of the Guardians. The lobby had a secretary, who smiled and nodded, waving them through to the main offices. "As you can tell, we have support staff as well as the active hero types here. Aside from the Icon''s you saw at the dock we have a couple of business jets and a couple of retired trainers for quick response across country, and a few helicopters."


    ¡°Mobility and fast response have always been important, especially with national duties, and good support staff is invaluable.¡± She looked at the painting of herself not sure what she thought of it. She shook her head. ¡°Looks like you have a much larger team now than I did. I understand that there are something like 10 active members now?¡±


    "Six on site, four more in their home city but on call, then ten more affiliate members, those who haven''t been on the active team in the last couple of years but are still authorized to use our resources. The Affiliates tend to get ''called up'' when there''s injuries or illnesses interfering." He explained. "Technically there''s multiple teams that are supposedly subsidiary but, well, that''s got a somewhat checkered past."


    ¡°There were not a lot of independent teams in the 50s, I can imagine the vetting on some of them is more lackadaisical. I am curious what are the credentials required for the team now? She passed at another photo, an older picture of her team one with her missing. She paused and lowered her head giving a small prayer for her friends.


    "Yes, quite." His tone was that English ''Not what I meant, but I also shouldn''t speak out of school'' tone that said quite a bit. "And the team was nearly disbanded in the sixties, partially due to the Cuban Missile Crisis, which you may or may not be aware of. For good or ill, Alexander attacked Washington DC on the day the Guardians were to be shuttered, so it was reborn in a new form. Technically it''s a charitable non-governmental organization that works heavily with FEMA and law enforcement but you know how those technicalities are, especially in the community."


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to look it up. Penny has mentioned it, but only in regard to how it killed the comforts of commercial flight. Or perhaps during your next downtime you can come visit me up north. Wait.¡± her blood ran cold. ¡°Please tell me Alexander isn¡¯t a problem anymore. That he has gone far far away.¡±


    "He''s not turned up in the last few years. Rumor has it he''s currently at war with the Fifth Reich in another set of dimensions, making him not our problem. Neither of them our problem."


    ¡°Oh, thank god. I have enough to deal with without his courting.¡± She was debating, asking where Pinnacle was. He was the leader of the team, and she was not blind to the subtle insult of him not meeting her at the dock or at the door of the facility. ¡°Are there any Legacy members from my old team here? I understand Tankman¡¯s family is still in the business.¡±


    "Not at current. Ra, formerly Thoth, not that I fully understand that group of mystics, visits on occasion and Nerid has visited as well. The Current Tankman is a reserve member." He led them to a formal office area, a secretary position there but no one currently present. "This is Pinnacle¡¯s office, he asked me to show you up." He knocked on the door, and opened it for her. "Good luck, and hopefully I''ll see you again before you leave."


    She gave him a knowing look, that sounded foreboding. ¡°I¡¯d like that, you¡¯ll have to tell me where to go when I get back to England.¡± She tightened her spine and walked in her heels clicking confidently against the polished floor.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The man called Pinnacle was just hanging up the phone as she entered, waiting for her to get to the desk before standing  He reached out a hand for her. "Ms. Summers, it''s a pleasure to meet you. I am sure I don''t have to tell you that you''re a bit of a legend around here." He greeted, his tone pleasant, his grip firm but not foolishly trying to show his strength.


    He was tall, with dark hair, getting just a hint of pepper in it. His face had the tan of a man who worked outside a lot, and his form was strong not just from his obvious Enhanced status, but from work. His uniform was tactical style pants, in black, with a Silver and blue tight, long-sleeved shirt, a utility vest hanging on a hook behind his desk. His eyes were whisky brown.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you as well, it¡¯s a treat to get to see how things have developed. Thank you for the invitation.¡±


    "Of course. I would have earlier, but was letting you settle in, since you hadn''t reached out." He gestured to a sitting area with a couch and chair near his desk Someone had set up tea, coffee, and some finger sandwiches already. "Please, have a seat. I obviously heard about your trip to Las Vegas. I don''t think finding out Changeling was still around would be the best news to hear after sleeping for so long. At that point, the PR people pushed me to contact you, and having fought the man I thought a¡­more relaxed setting would be advisable, that creature punches like a freight train. So I know you must be sore"


    She took off her coat and draped it over the arm of the couch. She let none of her rising irritation show on her face. He had sat back behind the desk trying to look important in his big office chair, Solaris mentally sighed, another blowhard wanting to make sure she knew her place. She poured a cup of tea then took a seat. ¡°I had heard he was still around. I figured it was only a matter of time before we came to blows again, he has hated me for a very long time.¡± She sipped her tea, then stood and added a touch of milk, the tea was a bit bitter.  She sat back down without offering him anything


    "I think he might hate everyone, but yes, it seems he particularly hates you. Those of us in that elite group need T-shirts." Pinnacle agreed. "I also heard you hired some kids from the Academy out in Vegas. Thinking of setting up a working team, or settling into a more civilian life?" He leaned forward to hear her answer.


    ¡°Right now, I am just setting in. My assistant said that kids from the super schools can have problems finding jobs, and apparently my instinct to mentor was not impacted by my long nap.¡±


    "We actually hire them here as well, but there''s not that many jobs, so from the community at large, thank you." He admitted. "And you''re well known for having a strong maternal instinct. I think there are something like three organizations you created that are built around mentorship or humanitarian acts. And I do hope you continue your work there, after all the Guardians themselves, are descended from what you helped create. I look forward to what you might do now a days, when the world could use some old-fashioned guidance."


    Solaris waved a free hand nonchalantly¡°I am still working that out, right now the only thing I¡¯m doing is a project with the MLB to raise money for team sponsored charities. It should be quite a bit of fun. Are the Guardians much involved in charity now? I¡¯ll admit I haven¡¯t read up much on the current team.¡±


    "We are, though I think it''s shifted to different goals than before. A lot of what we respond to is natural disasters, so we lend our name to a lot of causes for recovering from those, as well as children and educational programs. I think in your time, it was more technological innovation, but still worthwhile causes, both."


    ¡°That is good to hear.¡± She sipped tea, trying to remember if she¡¯d ever had such a strained conversation with another hero. The only thing she was coming up with was talking to Kreigsmarine back in the war, and he was at least delightfully sarcastic about the whole thing. She stood  and fetched a macaroon. Ignoring the second cup on the table meant for her host then returned to her seat and ate it, getting tired of filling the silence, as well as his subtle posturing and disrespect.


    He sighed, after waiting for her to say something ¡°Look, I''m going to be honest, I mostly reached out to you because our publicist said I should. I honestly don''t know what the current, modern Guardians and yourself have in common. Aside from the obvious, of course. Politically you are a hot potato I could live without and people are starting to notice that hadn¡¯t visited yet, and wonder why you haven¡¯t gotten involved with us again."


    Solaris leaned back finishing her cookie. ¡°Let me guess, you are worried that the ¡°Original Girl¡± is going to try and bully her way back onto the team she founded, leaving you to try and figure out how to work around a dinosaur, who understands nothing of the modern world.¡± Her tone was cool with polite British frost.


    "I had that concern and won''t deny it''s still there to some extent. Another concern is the weight of election years, and politicians, some who might think pushing the Guardians into a female leader, might look good for their numbers." He stated. "So, I suppose I''ll ask, do you have any interest in trying to come back?"


    ¡°No.¡± She answered simply and honestly. ¡°This is not my team, and I have more than given enough to the role of leader of the Guardians. I am still acclimating to seventy years of change. And when I do choose to hero, it will be on my own terms and with my own beliefs.¡± She set the teacup down. ¡°I had planned to visit, when I was ready. I am still mourning my time, my team, my Guardians. And I find the fact you called me down here for a cock measuring contest more than a little insulting. Your question could have been answered with a phone call. That would have wasted far less of my time and not dredged up as much pain.


    He nodded. "You''re right, I could have done just that, but PR told me that would be the wrong way to handle it, said it would have looked bad. So, to please the media, I invited you down here. For what it is worth, I apologize for any inconvenience. I tend to focus more on making the team look its best than making individual friends. No insult is intended."


    ¡°A pity. Those friends you don¡¯t have may have given you better advice. And if you truly meant no insult, you would have been on the docks to greet me properly, not pulling stupid power plays waiting in your office. I am a woman from the early twentieth century, males being dismissive isn¡¯t precisely unusual to me.¡± She stood, her eyes ice chips. ¡°Good day sir.¡± She turned and walked for the office door, pausing she didn¡¯t turn around before saying. ¡°If I should change my mind, I¡¯ll tell you when to move out of my office.¡±


    He stood, frowning but not stopping her. Outside the English gentleman was sitting, looking at his watch. "That actually took longer than I thought."


    "Damn it Atkinson." Pinnacle said, hearing him.


    "Stuff it, Patrick. I told you to just call her, but you had to be so bloody, I don¡¯t know, you about everything! I''ll give her the tour you should have offered long before starting a fight, and you go back to planning for the next disaster. You''re good at that, as much as causing them." The British hero reached out and shut the door. "My apologies, we argue frequently."


    ¡°Thank you, Silver Knight but I do not know that I am going to be good company after that level of insult. However, I happily will invite you to come drink with me. I did find my favorite underground bar is still here and still has a booth for me.¡±


    "Well then, as long as the important parts of a tour are performed." He looked around. "The door and dock is that way. Did you see our dock? It''s quite lovely."


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡± She said walking towards the dock. ¡°Fall is one of the prettiest times of the year in Baltimore.¡±

 Chapter 38, Skuttlebucket

    Office Rumors


    ¡°There were a lot of questions as to why we were spending the money, using the resources to build Guardian Atoll. Okay, to be fair there were arguments about calling it an Atoll when it patently wasn¡¯t, but I digress.¡±


    ¡°The truth is, we built it for long term public relations reasons. In any organization you will have bouts of office politics rearing their ugly head. Even the first team had bouts of head butting, between Breakneck and Tankman¡¯s random and often unplanned building projects, Solaris¡¯s social calendar, their junior members running amok as only teen Enhanced can. That¡¯s ignoring having a literal squadron of diabetic Japanese schoolgirls turned POW¡¯s, all on a bloody golf course turned into a military base.¡±


    ¡°Frankly, we got an island for when two or more members decided to beat each other around the head and shoulders with powers and weapons capable of destroying buildings due to someone eating someone else¡¯s sandwich.¡±


    Carl Huber, aka Onyx Demon, former leader of the Guardians (Member 1970 to 1987, Leader 1982 to 1987)


    ¡°I am curious, was that cocksbonnet planning on parading me around the juniors and trainees, that have to be around here, after being insulting?¡±


    "Yes, most likely." He admitted. "You have to understand... to play devil¡¯s advocate for a moment, He''s an excellent field commander, and a talented administrator. He''s aware of politics but his grasp of the great game is, well he would look at me funny for using the phrase ¡®great game¡¯ for politics."


    ¡°So, he doesn¡¯t realize pissing me off is not the most politic thing he could have done. When I am calmer, I might accept that. But I am not feeling overly charitable right now. He reads as having the empathy of a rock who needs to puppet what PR says.¡±


    "And that''s the improved him. A few years ago there was a fairly major scandal." The other hero said.


    "Yeah, I remember that.¡± Penny, who had joined them at the mainland dock, said. ¡°I was still in the academy, but it was all over the place. One of the Guardians almost killed another hero in a friendly fire incident, and the Guardians basically victim blamed."


    ¡°Unfortunately, I can see that happening.¡±


    "Yeah, that''s the guy¡¯s rep. UNLOC loves him in the field, but we actively try to keep our own media assets near him when we have to talk. If we can keep him from giving a statement, it''s a good day."


    "I''d have warned you, but I didn''t want to sabotage your meeting, and warning you wouldn''t have helped but he might have been in a good mood. Or replaced by an alien pod, that would have been an interesting early warning."


    ¡°Why let someone who can¡¯t walk for putting a foot in his mouth be the face of a team. Ugg. We are going to Little Eddies. I need a proper drink after that.¡±


    ¡°The car is right there.¡± she assured her.


    "The reason he''s in charge, is on paper he sounds like a good choice. he''s from several generations of that most American tradition, Irish immigrant coppers. His courage is not something you can debate, even I can say that. He also understands the need to work with his public relations and marketing people, even if he hates it. His predecessor thought ''commercialization'' of the team was wrong, and nearly bankrupted the organization."


    ¡°So, what can you tell me about the rest of your team.¡±


    "The Guardians current team, actively, consists of Pinnacle and Myself. He''s a Tank, projective energy and tough but no flight or other movement ability, where I use Armor and tech." He explained. "The Investigative expert of the team is named Valentina, code name Azabache. Telepath, Telekinetic, and psychometric. She''s Puerto Rican and joined shortly after the US dropped the ball on hurricane relief on the island. Starfighter is an energy projecting, flying speedster who is our fast response and fire support expert. She is also fairly weak but extremely competent, as Speedsters who actually hit twenty-five tend to be."


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a competent speedster over a powerful one any day. The competent ones tend to have depths and strike like a riptide.¡±


    "Your mouth to gods ears. Speedsters can be a dime a dozen, but once you have one with some seasoning, and I''ll show you a teammate who I will not doubt." He nodded. "Our leader in the Watch is currently Lord Marvin Tidewater, who in his youth went by "Chop Chop". A fact none of us will let him forget in spite of him not using the name since the late nineties. Speedster and martial arts master."


    "Back to the Guardians, Anchor is the literal heavy of the team. Density manipulator, both himself and his environment. Enemies will find themselves fighting a one ton man in an environment where they''re under several gravities of pressure. I''ve trained against him, it is decidedly unpleasant."


    ¡°I wish I had met him, that might have been educational.¡±


    "Last is Sphynx, who anyone with any sense would be pushing to be the team leader. At twenty-eight she''s not a callow youth, has been in the team since she graduated college, at eighteen with a handful of degrees, and she can duplicate up to two powers of people in her vicinity. Basically, she could have your strength and one of the villains abilities to support you in a fight. Plus she has innate regeneration, the theory is she¡¯s ¡®borrowing¡¯ everyone¡¯s ability to heal around her."


    ¡°My goodness that is impressive, is it her age, gender, or a personality defect that keeps her from being the face¡± She chuckled. ¡°I sure as sunrise wasn¡¯t the first choice to lead.¡±


    "None of the above, for all her sins." He sighed. "The Media got it in their heads that she is the daughter of Chimera."


    ¡°Oh lord. I could tell you that¡¯s a lie. He had impotence issues before he literally nuked his seed to hell and back.¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Yes, due to a treatment for syphilis, apparently." He sighed. "In 1939 Nathanial Greene, later Corporal Green, then Chimera, abandoned his Common Law wife in South Carolina. A wife who did give birth to a daughter as it is told to me. Sphynx is not, however, that daughter."


    ¡°Yeah. Wasn¡¯t his baby.¡± Solaris said awkwardly. ¡°His wife was sleeping with a neighbor. We found out about it when we moved her into protective custody.¡±


    "Yes, that''s what the record shows. Unfortunately, that girl is our girl¡¯s grandmother. thus, in spite of all proof to the counter, the connection is enough that politics nearly cost her the position she already has. In spite of nearly a decade of standing the line. The Watch offered her a home for a year, and honestly would have kept her had she asked."


    ¡°I forget, how¡¯d that come out, the Chimera thing?¡± Penny asked


    ¡°Her cousin wrote a family ¡®tell all book¡¯ after doing a family tree. They chose to make their true ancestry more mysterious than the official record knows it.¡±


    ¡°Throwing my support to her is a possibility, especially if Pinnacle can¡¯t handle the duties of a face. Problems for another day.¡± She said as they arrived at the bar. ¡°I badly need a drink. When are we set to head back to New York?¡± She asked as they got into the car.


    "Day after tomorrow. You have a morning tee time followed by an afternoon tea at Congressional Country Club." Penny replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we didn¡¯t plan for a longer stay. She looked at Silver Paladin. I should have refused this invitation. I knew I wasn¡¯t ready to deal with it yet. Seeing my team without me¡­¡±


    "I understand. Truly." He nodded. "But then, it would never be easy. Hopefully, the wound will heal, and at least everyone else you meet will be a somewhat new experience, well, except perhaps St. Nicks, but its history has always been change. I actually had a chance to go out there, recently. We had something to put in their Vault. This charming, almost primitive looking mining community on the outside, technology that makes NASA look like a Best Buy under the surface."


    "So, we are still holding things there that are a bit too dangerous. Hopefully my meeting with them goes better than the one with the Guardians.¡±


    They walked past a nice bar, confusing her companions. Solaris went to the employee entrance and knocked. "Grey Lady." she said softly, and the door opened. ¡°Come on, she stepped into the door and took a small elevator to a lower floor, a lushly appointed room with a small number of sidekicks for hire, and more liberal grey heroes and other underground members of the community were drinking and nibbling light meals. She walked to the bar. "Hello E2.¡± she said to an old silver haired man. ¡°Can I please have a whiskey neat. she asked"


    The older man paused, considering her, then nodded. "Burbon or Irish. If memory serves, you were fond of both." He asked, pulling out a set of shot glasses, setting them in front of him.


    "Burbon please." She said as Penny and Paladin came up. "I am glad to see you kept your Pa''s place up and running."


    ¡°He¡¯d have haunted me if I didn¡¯t, or if I forgot a regular¡¯s favorites.¡± An unopened bottle of 18 year old Knob Creek came off the shelf, a swift twist of a strong wrist cracking it open easily. Three glasses were poured and pushed to her and the two with her. "In Jim Bean we can trust, all others we verify. 18 year old, small batch offering from that venerable distiller."


    "Thank you." She took the shot savoring the burn. closing her eyes and letting her spine relax as she sat on a barstool. little motes of light drifted around her. "I needed that."


    Both her companions took their own shots, setting the glasses down as well. Penny stepped away to the restroom while Tate sat next to her. "At this point, I''m not sure she would want the job. She''s, honestly, I think she''s fed up but she still believes in fighting the good fight.


    The bartender left the bottle with a nod, moving down to see to another customer, leaving them to their chat and musing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame her, it¡¯s a hard job, and you never get a day off.¡± She chuckled pouring another shot. ¡°The real irony, you said she¡¯s 28 I was, am, 28 now. And I had been running my team for eight years. She looked up as she took the second shot.


    "Which is why we''re all waiting to see what kind of team you end up putting together." He chuckled. "And if Pinnacle had sense, he''d realize that was the more likely event. But I suppose I know your background a bit better than he does, Sister Summers."


    She smiled, ¡°Been a while since I heard that one. Was fading out of favor for nurses even in my time. As much as I would love to say that I¡¯m not going to form a team we both know that¡¯s a lie.¡± She poured another shot, not worried about getting drunk, unless it was brewed by a brain, the most she¡¯d get is a bit buzzed. ¡°I build them almost by accident.¡±


    "Well, while the media didn''t really pick up on it, those who read reports might have noticed your back up during that dust up in Vegas, and Dreadful is actually fairly well known from UNLOC''s fast response teams and no one thinks her medical retirement is going to keep her out of a suit. Especially since she''s a tech herself."


    ¡°She¡¯s working on it now, I took her to a tailor, who got her the contacts she needed. The rest are students I hired from an academy.¡±


    "Academies which tend to train even the least aggressive members of their student bodies what might be referred to as "How to hero¡¯ classes." He chuckled. "That you wouldn''t know, though, but ask what martial arts the kids know. They will know something."


    ¡°I just consider that sensible. Kidnapping is a real risk. If they want to hero, I¡¯ll support them, and teach them what I know.¡±


    "And learn from them, at the same time. Because you''re clever." He nodded. "So, take a break before going to St. Nicks, since you are suffering culture shock right now. Hell, just take a break, even you have to still have an ache here or there after the Chimera fight."


    ¡°Lord, my ribs.¡± She admitted ¡°I am apparently getting a hot tub and ice bath set up per my housekeeper to help with them. He still hits like a drunk horse.


    "Oh, I know. he knocked me through a building once. Pinnacle ripped his head off in that fight, so at least he knows his business in a fight."


    ¡°You said he was a good tactician and combat leader.¡± She poured him another shot.


    "He is, with excellent instincts for how to use his team¡¯s skills. The man is a born fighter. He was the second in command of the team for years, and no one said a thing against him. It''s only since he took the big chair that he''s had issue. Though to be fair to him, I''ve seen substantially worse. He''s at least basically competent, just not great."


    ¡°He just needs a minder before talking to someone, so he doesn¡¯t come off as an insensitive baboon.¡±


    "Yeah, I saw a PR intern run off when he realized you were in there alone with him. Right now, I''m sure they''re trying to figure out damage control. When they call you, be moody, see if they''ll give you presents."


    ¡°Darling, I plan on being a very upset dame. I do not like my time wasted, especially when I could have been entertaining myself watching the kids put together their shop.¡±


    Penny had come back quietly and chuckled. "OH, you might enjoy the surprise to come. I just talked to Evelyn, her and Amzy are painting the offices."


    ¡°Oh? They decided to do it themselves. I thought they¡¯d get a contractor for that¡¯¡± the buzz in her veins was lovely. ¡°Do you think we could find a handyman at one of the schools? To do all the little fixes and contractor work?¡±


    "Might not be a bad idea, especially if you start purchasing other real estate." She mused.


    "Can''t underestimate the value of a good tinker on hand, that''s for certain." Tate agreed. "So, when you considering hopping the pond to the old sod?"


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Apparently they are going to need to do major work to remove asbestos before I can start renovations on the manor. I¡¯m taking bids for that project now. Once that¡¯s done, I¡¯ll come out to assess the project and make major decisions.


    "That might please the King a bit. He''s not had the throne long, and ANOTHER powerful and intelligent woman in the British Zeitgeist could be disheartening for him, even if he''d never say a thing against a family friend.¡±


    ¡°I heard that Bess had passed. To the Queen!¡± she toasted.


    ¡°To the Queen.¡± Tate joined in, Penny saluting quietly.

 Chapter 39, Flordiagirls

    Floridagirls


    ¡°How is it that people can hero, with all the gear they have, and no one just tracks that back to them? Easy! It¡¯s called incorporation!¡±


    ¡°A shell company, owned by a shell company, owned by an LLC with a bunch of shell companies owning it out of the Caymen Islands is pretty much enough to keep the police from knowing, for sure, who is driving that rocket powered nightmare that some maniac insists is their hero sedan.¡±


    Sylvia Lang, Marketing 203 Supers in the Media


    ¡°So, what are the fledglings up to?¡± Solaris asked, after the other Englishman had taken his leave.


    "Working at the building. Planning where to put bays, throwing out the trash left behind, and painting. Marcus apparently volunteered to stay and watch the gate because they wanted Nahoa''s help with heavy lifting.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense, if I remember right there were some big piles of rubbish left behind. I was tempted to hide little automotive Easter eggs in there


    "According to Evelyn they''re up to three engine blocks, actually. They kept two of them. Plus, some other odds and ends. So, do you want to head right back tomorrow, or fuck off to the Virgin Islands on them." She joked.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re tempting me. Beach and Mint Julip or watching the kids try and adult.¡±


    "Oh, the kids can adult just fine. " She chuckled. "Though they apparently have made some decisions on the project for you so that''s likely to start soon."


    ¡°I look forward to the surprise. Now what to do with our selves. We could visit another school, go hang out on a beach, oh we could go tour the shoe factory!¡± She laughed ¡°I am perplexed by having such free time. Oh, I have an idea, what about flying down to Florida and getting a boat, then we could sail it home.¡±


    "That''s definitely an idea. You thinking a smallish boat, or are we hunting a ship?"


    ¡°Bah, I was figuring on being impulsive and buying what catches my eye. Be a bit of a dilettante and just have a bit of fun. It¡¯s Florida, maybe punch an alligator.¡±


    "Oh, that''s not even odd. Floridaman is an actual word, now." She chuckled. "But screw it. I''ll call the crew let company and extend the crew¡¯s time with us, and we''ll go to Florida. Miami, I think."


    ¡°Sounds like a plan she pulled out her I phone ¡°Hey Siri, what is the best hotel in Miami?¡± She looked at the screen ¡°Okay, the magic robot says we should go to the EB hotel. Can you make the reservations, I¡¯ll text granny and let her know.¡±


    "I''ll call them now. Let Granny know her entertainment isn''t going to disappear because they want to behave for the boss."


    Solaris laughed ¡°E2 can I get a Manhattan please.¡± she asked, letting booze and new friends wash away the bad taste Pinnacle left in her mouth.


    "But of course." He said, quickly mixing the drink with the sure hands of a professional. "So off to Miami to blow some money. That does tend to be good for what ails the soul." He said with a wink.


    ¡°It¡¯s silly, but I think I¡¯ve earned some time to be silly.¡± She sipped the pink drink. ¡°Just like your father, this is perfection. And I don¡¯t know that I¡¯ve ever done much there so it will be new and memory free.¡±


    "Not much in Miami back in the day, but now it''s pretty hopping. And the cruise lines go in and out of there all the time. I think I''ll take one of those cruises, one of these days."


    ¡°You should, go have fun.¡± She passed him her card for the drink bill. I think that is something I¡¯m going to be working on myself!¡±


    "Life is too short, not to have some fun. True even if you live a thousand years."


    ¡°God, I hope not.¡±


    "Not many do, so no reason to worry so young. Have a good trip!"


    Two days later, Elizabeth and Penny had settled into their Miami suites and gotten in a long day of relaxation by the pool. The next morning at breakfast, Penny asked. "So still thinking boats?"


    ¡°Why not? We know we want at least one, and Miami is a boat city. I don¡¯t know if there are any baseball games, I haven¡¯t seen the Marlins play before.¡±


    "To late in post season. They were bottom of their division, I think."


    ¡°Right, Poor Miami.¡± So, I¡¯d say boats, or maybe charter someone to take us out fishing


    "Hey, up to you. You''re the boss. Besides, I''m just kind of looking forward to being on the water. the UN was interesting, but I joined the Coast Guard originally. "


    ¡°Let¡¯s do a fishing charter today, we can look at boats on the water to see what we like and talk about what¡¯s available while we wait for a bite.¡±


    "Makes sense to me, and it¡¯s been years since I went fishing with my dad. The Concierge should be able to set that up for us." Penny said. "And then a trip to a sporting goods store for rods and such I suppose? Fishing would start tomorrow since that''s a head out in the morning kind of thing, not that I complain about taking it easy." She laughed. "We could go find that alligator to punch today. Or a big ass python. They got into the everglades due to pets released during hurricanes."Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°The charter should have rods, but getting some for our own boat would be good. Taking a fan boat out and hunting snakes, interesting choice of entertainment but could be fun.¡±


    "Oh, these are huge snakes, and sometimes you''ll come across a gator and python that died trying to eat each other. It¡¯s what happens when two apex predators fight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m game.¡± Solaris said ¡°Do we need guns, or is this a live capture thing?


    "Weirdly fishing licenses, which we can get online, and you throwing a rock at one would probably do more damage than any reasonable rifle."


    ¡°Well yes.¡± She admitted. ¡°Get the fishing licenses and I¡¯ll see if the concierge can set us up with a fan boat and driver.¡±


    "Bah, driver. Just get us a boat. I can get us into plenty of trouble on my own. Besides, it''s not like you can''t lift it out if I get stuck." she teased.


    ¡°True,¡± Solaris called down and 20 minutes later they had a fan boat rented. ¡°Okay, the boat is secured. We will want to get some waders and boots.¡±


    "Again, sporting goods store. I keep telling you we''ll end up there." Penny teased.


    ¡°Well then let¡¯s go!¡± she said cheerfully grabbing her purse and slipping on a set of strappy heals. One Uber ride later they were at dicks sporting goods. ¡°Thank you for the ride, Julio. Please wait here I¡¯ll try not to take too long.¡±


    "Sure thing. Happy shopping!" If some rich English lady was willing to pay for him to wait for her to get done shopping, Julio was more than happy to wait.


    Solaris walked in her eyes widening. ¡°This may be the most American thing I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    "No, that''s Bass Pro Shop. They don''t really sell a lot of firearms at Dicks." Penny said wryly. "Though apparently we could have gotten a small boat here." She said, pointing at the fishing section, and the small fishing boats on the wall. Hell, had I thought, I''d have tried to find a Bass Pro. You''d love the aquariums. I hear in Memphis they have a whole pyramid."


    ¡°Why are there so many pyramids getting built nowadays?¡± Solaris asked, then shrugged it off. ¡°Well, we will have to go see that.¡± She grabbed a cart, and they headed for fishing gear. My, my so many choices. Shall we start with a a couple of good tackle boxes?


    "Makes sense. Get the box then fill it." The younger woman selected two good sized tackle boxes, one blue and one green. "Salt and fresh water." She explained. Then she grabbed a few of the pre-built sets of lures and hooks for fresh and saltwater, figuring that''d give them basics and still allow them to hunt more specific tools.


    Solaris went to talk to an employee to get help getting poles and reels. Before going to pick out boots. ¡°Penny what do we do with the snakes we catch? Do you eat them make leather?¡±


    "Any of the above. The one thing you can''t do is put them back in the ecosystem." She replied. "Ironically, the same with several species of fish and even monkeys. All of them seem to have gotten a foothold in the everglades from the pet trade or science labs.


    "For all they care, take it home as a pet, it just can''t be released again."


    ¡°A pet snake? Now that would turn heads. I haven¡¯t had a pet since I was a little girl, and that was one of father¡¯s hunting dogs.¡±


    "Snakes are pretty common pets now. Even big ones like Reticulated Pythons. I mean, I''d go more for a ball python, but you could wrestle a thirty-foot snake alone, I would have trouble. I doubt there¡¯s anything that big, though."


    (Meanwhile, back in New York)


    Eleanore smiled at her freshly repainted office with a new desk, as she snuggled into her new super comfy office chair. ¡°This is nice.¡± She said, before reluctantly rising to go down to the shop. ¡°Hey Erica, how long till Levi gets here?¡±


    "He''s here." She said, pushing a load of dirt out with a broom. They''d cleared out the junk, moved out the abandoned shelves, and turned the place into an empty, echoing cavern. "He''s outside offloading the SC-400 we found for the bosses car under the awning we grabbed." she said. "Since you said we have to work outside till we get down here painted and the floor sealed."


    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t need dust and what not getting in the fresh paint. I got a nibble on our first influencer, a wild vehicle maker called Super Badger. He does super conversions and up armors on cars; I think he will be a good fit.¡±


    "Ohhh, does he have a project, or should we find something for him? We were toying with getting those Chargers we saw, with the idea of one for Nahoa and maybe spares in case the boss feels like showing force."


    ¡°He said he was going to see what was in the local junkyard he could limp here. I told him if what he wants doesn¡¯t run, he can borrow our hauler. He does some nice work and is sitting at over a million viewers.¡±


    "I think we''re still getting the Chargers. But that means he has another project if he wants to jump in."


    ¡°I suspect there is going to be a lot of crossovers between our different influencers. Which should only be good. He also said he¡¯s happy to help out around the shop.¡±


    "That''s great. I think after I use the pressure washer, we''re ready to paint down here. Did you arrange a floor company yet?"


    ¡°Yeah, they are going to be out Tuesday. I picked out a semigloss grey with silver flecking. Should photograph really well.


    "Works for me." Erica said. "We debated for a bit, and we decided to go with a pair of two post lifts for cars, and one long four post lift for trucks and SUV''s. We want to round that out by keeping a couple of sets of mobile car lifts around if needed." She said. "We also already picked up two Motorcycle lifts. We want to order a tire balancing set up and an ac recovery machine, those would be the biggest ticket items, and mean once we''re fully set up we can do basically anything. If we decided to do a bus or something, beyond making it run kind of okay, we''ll need some column lifts but that is very much a ''buy it when we need it'' kind of thing."


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget all the paint stuff, Mercades would cry.¡± Eleanore said with a laugh. Oh, she found a nursery that sold the trees she wanted, so she¡¯s going to be putting those in next week. Along with a whole bunch of miniature potted evergreens she¡¯s going to put out for winter color.¡±


    "We''re ordering a motorcycle scale and an extended vehicle scale inflatable setup, so we can set things up when we need it, and pull it down to store it when we don''t. We''re also going to get a shed to keep them in, specifically to keep them away from pointies. Speaking of which, we''d like to get the parking lot resealed."


    ¡°We can do that, shouldn¡¯t be too too hard to find a contractor for it. So, sounds like another week or two and we will be fully up and running.¡±


    There was a series of loud bangs that made Elenore and the others jump followed by the sick sweet smell of burning antifreeze. She ran out to see a young man with his hair in a short brown ponytail, and a neat little beard and mustache climb out of a smoking thing she though used to be a car. ¡°Hi, sorry, this old girl needs work, but she should be perfect for what I want. I¡¯m Nick but everyone calls me Badger


    "Hello Badger. I wasn''t quite expecting you yet. Should we get a fire extinguisher for your car?"


    ¡°I thought it would take longer to find something that spoke to me,¡± he patted the smoking car. ¡°And she¡¯s only a little on fire, it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s all stuff I¡¯m replacing.¡±


    Levi came over, opened the hood, and put out the fire. "Just so we don''t have the fire department show up. We''re getting a new floor put in, in a few days, but we have a few pop-up awnings were using for cover. To rip out the old engine and stuff, that''s a good place to start."


    ¡°Sweet. This is a pretty nice set up. My old garage got eminent domained, something about a chemical plant being safer for the community or something.¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°Oh yeah, this is going to be fun.¡± Erica chuckled.

 Chapter 40,

    At Play


    ¡°If a Tailor isn¡¯t, him or herself a toymaker, she better have a few on the payroll. No matter what hero we¡¯re talking about, they all have a desire for little toys and trinkets to help them with their day. Even in the comic books, you had rings holding costumes, spiffy vehicles, and other little gadgets.¡±


    ¡°Or do you really think a reporter, surrounded by a bunch of other reporters, could hide his ID with normal, unenhanced eyeglasses?¡±


    Cassidy Maynard (AKA Duster), Idiots Guide to Being a Tailor


    ¡°Holy crap, is that your shop truck?¡± Badger asked, staring in admiration at the insane thing.


    "That it is." Erica laughed. The limo had been converted into a flat-bed hauler by adding truck shocks and springs, welding several sheets of metal to the frame, with spacers and a widening of the car¡¯s rear allowing them to put the rear quarter panels with the old school ''fins'' and taillights onto the back with it still wide enough to get vehicles on to. "We''re going to resurface the bed and paint the whole thing later... and rebuild its engine, but she works for it right now. Um, ignore the fact that we''re using a canvas and clear plastic mockup for the rear of the driving cabin." She joked ¡°We¡¯re going to call it the Flatbed Royale!¡±


    ¡°Man, I can see where you are going with this. She¡¯s going to be a Lady when you¡¯re done with her. Lemme know if I can help.¡±


    "Figure she''ll take show cars to events when we get that far. A bit of drama with the whole thing." Levi chuckled. "And we''ll hold off on her for a while. She works and that''s enough for now. Our current project is, we''re pulling apart this Lexus to do an LS swap, put a body kit on her so she looks more aggressive, and put performance brakes, suspension, and such on her. We''re also thinking of putting ballistic cloth into the doors and panels. This is our dry run car; we are getting to try out all the shop toys on her.


    ¡°Gimme the measurements and weight limitations I may have something better than cloth. Lemme get this girl on the backlot and I can help you pull this one apart. You need to set up cams first?¡± he asked, looking around.


    "Right now, we''re at the pulling the engine stage." He said, gesturing at the car, lifted on a mobile lift. "If you want to start yanking the current brakes and suspension, because both of those are going to need an upgrade."


    ¡°Can do, but where are your cameras, even if it¡¯s not exciting it makes good b roll?¡±


    "We set some go-pros up there and there and have another on a stand there." he said. "Evelyn insisted. We figured voice overs might happen, or we''d let you do anything like explain a step. I''ve never done the YouTube thing."


    ¡°Ahh. Okay I can help with that,¡± Badger said, seeing where the camera had been hiding behind the car. The others were on a wall and the pop-ups so he missed them. ¡°So, who¡¯s your face? The one that does the talking. I can work you up a bit.¡±


    Levi pointed at Erica before she could turn towards him. "Not it." he called out.


    ¡°Right, so do you even wanna run a channel? If not, we can record for mine. Believe me people can tell when you don¡¯t wanna do something?¡±


    "Record for yours. We honestly just want to work on fun stuff, and whatever the boss wants us to do. Oh, we''re getting a bunch of Chargers from the salvage, we''re thinking we can put four together out of them, for cheap. R/Ts seem to be a dime a dozen on long island. We want to turn them into epic, show quality, security themed vehicles. Here¡¯s a sketch of the paint idea.


    ¡°Nice. We can supercharge those and make ¡®em mean. Lemme grab the crew. He opened the back of the station wagon he limped in and pulled out a Roomba with a camera mounted to the top of it. ¡°This is my camera bot. I call him Chuck, wake up buddy. He shook it and the front opened and an eye on a long stalk came out. He set it on the ground, ¡°Action.¡± He said moving over to the Lexus.


    ¡°Today we have a treat we are working on this sexy girl here, and don¡¯t get too excited but boys she can even go topless!¡± He gave some simple stats on the car and a project overview. As he started pulling the tires off to start working on the breaks,Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Levi returned to working on disconnecting everything from the engine. Pretty much everything was coming out. Anzy had earlier pulled the stock stereo for him, because that was going to get a major upgrade. She''d since left to go make lunch for everyone. Another Anzy was painting the upstairs offices.


    Chuck rolled under the car filming the undercarriage then pulled up next to Levi to film the engine, it nudged his foot the camera turning to him, then nudged him again.


    ¡°Man, whoever had this never changed the pads before. Badger said with a bit of irritation.¡±


    "Idiot buys a luxury sports car and does nothing to maintain it. The oil I pulled out of this had the consistency of thick syrup. I mean, this engine runs, and I''m going to clean it up for something later, probably, but I''m glad we''re doing an LS swap on this baby. New engine, new trans, so it''ll be darn near zero. I''m toying with lifting it and sandblasting its underside just to get everything as close to zero miles as I can."


    The bot tried the camera around so Levi could see its screen and replayed the undercarriage footage.


    "Actually, not bad down there, likely garaged its entire life. Still, a few spots to blow the rust off of, but not as bad as I feared."


    ¡°Worth doing, then we can throw a protective coat down there, keep the street salts from wrecking it and make it a bit more fireproof. This lug is locked on, you got a power wrench?¡±


    "We have a hammer drill with the right socket. Here you go."


    ¡°Thanks, my tools should be on their way. I had everything in a storage unit. A buddy of mine is shipping them for me.¡± He grunted as he worked the tool, pulling out a bolt. I love the concept you have here for a communal garage.¡±


    "Well, when you think about it, how many folks are needing space to work on a big project? I mean hell, this thing is big enough to build small aircraft in it. And don''t think I haven''t been trying to figure out how to order a jet kit."


    ¡°What kind do you want. I know a grey cape that could get you one,¡±


    Levi blinked... "You know, me and you are talking off camera later. I''m now motivated and curious. I think you just found a place to do those big projects you never thought you could get off the ground."


    Badger laughed. ¡°Yeah, I haven¡¯t done a plane before. I did a jet pack, but not the same thing, some of my clients will really like that I could do bigger stuff now.¡±


    "Oh, planes are fun. I''m actually a qualified pilot." Levi said. "Shocking amounts of things are the same, until they aren''t."


    Badger nodded stripping the breaks down. Going into his happy place of making cars better. Erica looked at Levi. ¡°How the hell did El find a Baby Toymaker?¡±


    "Who the hell knows, but it''s kind of what she does. It''ll probably entertain Solaris though." he admitted. "And you know some of us are going to want a toymaker around."


    ¡°Do you think she knows he¡¯s a toymaker?¡± Erica said as the camera poked him as he began muttering about hover options.


    "I don''t know. You go ask her, we''ll just have to make sure we don''t leave him unmonitored with a project we don''t want to turn weird."


    ¡°Will do, she jogged back upstairs. Walls are looking great Anzy. El back in her office?


    "Yep." The cook said,  A third Anzy was assembling one of the chairs they''d gotten, the conference table still in its box leaned against the wall.


    ¡°Thanks, she walked into Elenore¡¯s office, hey El how good is the shop¡¯s insurance?¡±


    Elenore raised an eyebrow. "I sense my answer should be ¡®Improving soon.¡¯ Why do you ask?"


    ¡°Did you know Badger is a Brain, I am like ninety percent sure he¡¯s a ToyMaker.¡±


    "A breakthrough type, not a kit-basher? I had suspected he was a basher."


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s possible he¡¯s a basher, but I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s also breakthrough. He has a camera robot. And he was muttering about how to make the Lexus  fly and I could half follow what he was saying. Levi was nodding like he got more of it.¡±


    "Well distract him from thator don¡¯t¡­we should be able to sell a flying car to someone." She chuckled. "We''ll have to get Penny to come watch him, see if she can identify it. Didn''t they say she''s a Catalyst?"


    ¡°Yeah. I know she¡¯s working on a battle suit. If Badger is a breakthrough, he¡¯s going to either amuse her or piss her off.¡±


    "I''m more interested in Solaris''s reaction, but that is likely amusement. She''s complained about enough of her little gadgets being missing or stored in Alaska to like the idea of having her own little elf lying about."


    ¡°God, only a breakthrough would call something a Twump.¡±Erica said shaking her head


    "I get the impression he might also have been drunk when he built it." Erica noted.


    ¡°He was Australian of course he was drunk when he built it!¡±


    Out in the Everglades Solaris was wrestling a giant white serpent that started its genetic existence as a Burmese python. The huge snake thrashing around with her wrapped in its grip.


    ¡°Penny! I don¡¯t think they normally get this big, do they?¡±


    "No, they definitely do not get over sixty feet long!" Penny yelled, then ducked as it spit something that hissed when it hit the water. "And they don''t normally spit acid!" The rental boat was already a total loss, having been smashed in the initial attack, and Penny was covered in swamp slime. Luckily, nothing attacked her other than the snake, since it had probably eaten everything in the area.


    ¡°Right,¡± she punched the snake in the head, it released her violently, throwing her into the air. She gasped, wincing as her ribs ached. ¡°Do we need to catch this, or can we kill it?¡±


    "Kill it! If it¡¯s a monster that spits acid, the answer is always kill it!" She had finally gotten her revolver out, shooting only to watch the bullet bounce off the scales of the snake. "God damn it, I really, really need to get my fucking armor done!"

 Chapter 41, Must be a full moon.

    Gently Used Vehicles


    ¡°Bounties have become popular, once again. While they never really went away, with the emergence of splicer beasts, fast moving villains jumping boarders like they were playing checkers, and just general difficulty in dealing with certain grades of criminals in general most nations have started giving bounties for all sorts of issues they just want to go away. Hunting splicer beasts, wrangling the Kaiju back into the depths of Lake Superior, and catching super-villains is all a way to get paid bounties, small and large.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t forget to do your taxes properly. The IRS will come after you all on their own, and no one wants that.¡±


    Andrew Fitzgerald, Analysis of Public Service and the Heroic Age


    ¡°I¡¯ll mention him to Penny next time she checks in. No rush to discuss him right now. They''re relaxing and he¡¯s not an immediate issue. Other than him being a toymaker, he getting into  flow?"


    ¡°Oh yeah, he is fitting in well enough. Solaris may accidentally think she hired him and start paying for his projects. Did the PR guy give you anyone else to talk to?


    "His team sent over a list, and I''ve been screening it and contacting the ones I agree with. There''s a few who are just a bit derivative in the list, but I can see how they don''t quite see it. It''s a developing media universe in a lot of ways."


    ¡°I can see that, there are only so many ways to replace an engine and dissect a car. It really comes down to personality.¡±


    "And knowing where you need to change up the format or do something different. We have the advantage here of being able to facilitate larger projects since we can help take the equipment cost load off people, and it justifies why we have some of the stuff we have."


    Erika nodded, ¡°anyone on your shortlist, or looking to sign on?¡±


    "Oh, we''ll have plenty of takers, no worries there. The wander the country doing restorations set alone will be in and out of here all the time. I''ll make sure to warn them I need to know what lift they''d need, if they need one."


    ¡°That¡¯s good, Badger said he¡¯s having his tools sent up, so he¡¯s planning on being long term, though I doubt anyone else will be able to use his tools if he is a breakthrough.¡±


    "Huh, I''ll have to ask him where he''s staying. And we''ll make sure he has his own tool cart, even if that means getting another tool cart." she chuckled. "One marked with warning signs."


    ¡°I¡¯ll head back down. we should have the Lexus stripped down in a couple of days, especially with the extra hands.¡± Erica went back down to see the boys deep in conversation over the engine.


    "Let me guess, it''s in worse shape than we thought." She said as she approached. "I mean, we did buy the cheapest of the model we could find, with a good body and interior."


    ¡°Oh yeah, a monkey would have maintained it better¡± Levi said, ¡°Whoever stored it didn¡¯t drain any of the fluids and thought oil change was a dirty word. And it smells like burned flowers, I think someone put essential oils in the coolant.¡±


    "Why... what? Okay, fine. That''s just stupid. I''ll get the Sawzall, we can just start cutting shit out." she grumbled.


    Levi smiled, ¡°I love seeing you in Demo mode.¡± He held the saws out to her.


    "Of course, you already got it. Well boys, stand back!" She called up her vision, taking a good look at what was where through the whole of the engine¡¯s mass, then began cutting with abandon. "Bow before me, you stupid engine!"


    ¡°Your girlfriend is hot.¡± Badger said giving Levi a pat on the back.


    "I know, right."


    Solaris sighed, ¡°Well that was exciting.¡± She rolled the enormous snakes hide into a huge roll. ¡°Pity about the boat. Looks like we still have the cooler of snakes.¡± She looked around ¡°Oh, what about snake eggs?¡±


    Penny¡¯s eyes followed where Solaris was pointing, at a pile of a dozen eggs half buried in the mud. "Oh god, we better take those too. If that was the momma, they¡¯re going to be some Kaiju things. We can find someone to hand them over to, and hopefully avoid the Snake that ate Miami. I''d smash them, but you never know what that''s going to do with weird, mutated splicer-monsters."


    Solaris packed the eggs carefully in their lunch cooler. She put the hide and coolers on the remains of the boat. ¡°Well hop on we will fly back to the city and drop these off.¡±


    Sighing, Penny climbed on board. "I''m telling you now, if we are looking at boats and a criminals submarine shows up, we''re turning around and leaving the area. I mean it."This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°Deal.¡± Solaris said with a laugh taking off and heading for the city. ¡°Whoever oversees Miami is going to need to look for the slicer in the Everglades. That snake was not natural. Do you need to report it to an Unloc office?¡±


    "No, we''ll just tell Florida wildlife. It''s not going to be the strangest thing they delt with this week."


    ¡°Do you think the eggs will hatch? Their parent was lovely, if murderous.¡±


    "Oh lord... maybe? No idea. I have no idea where we''d keep them."


    ¡°Maybe the zoo can look at them? They might also be normal snakes, maybe the big one was looking for a snack. You suggested I get a pet. Though it may be awkward if I have it¡¯s parent turned into shoes and a handbag.


    "Reptiles aren''t sentimental, as a rule."


    ¡°True. But now you¡¯re curious what¡¯s in the eggs aren¡¯t you.¡± Solaris teased. As they got closer to the boat dock.


    "Yes, damn it." she muttered. "But I''m not feeding any Chthonic horrors."


    Solaris laughed. ¡°Push comes to shove we can donate them to zoos, they enjoy splicer beasts,


    "Yeah, they tend to draw the crowds."


    Solaris landed on the dock setting down the remains of the boat. ¡°Sorry, ran into a rather nasty slicer beast, where do I turn in the snakes we caught?¡±


    "There''s an office over there that handles it. I''m, I mean you''re going to have to pay for that boat. It¡¯s in pieces."


    "I''ll authorize the payment for it." Penny said. "Go turn in the snakes."


    Solaris picked up the box with a half dozen pythons in it and carried it to the office. ¡°Hello, I am here to turn in some snakes. I also have some eggs, but I think I¡¯d like to keep those if it¡¯s alright with you. They came from a slicer-beast nest.¡±


    "Um, if you want to keep them, that''s up to you but I''d really suggest not, unless you''re qualified to deal with, um, those."


    ¡°I¡¯m not too worried. If I can¡¯t handle it, I have contacts who can.¡± I am sure my Tailor has the contacts for a Wrangler who can help me hatch and home them. She thought to herself. ¡°I¡¯ll keep them toasty till I can get them to a proper expert.¡± Thinking on it I should call the Tailor anyway, he is going to want that white snake hide.


    "Right, well as long as they aren''t kept in the Florida ecosystem, it''s not our issue." The man said. "Sign here, and would you like the bounty as a check, or in Amazon Gift Cards."


    "I don''t need the bounty, put it towards conservation of the everglades.¡± She said with a smile. "Please have a lovely day." She went back down to Penny. "Is the boat all sorted out?"


    "Of course.¡±


    They headed back to the hotel to clean up, neither woman wanting to smell like swamp water. Once clean Solaris dialed up her Tailor. Hello, sorry to bother you. But I ended up in a bit of a tussle with a slicer beast. I ended up with a cooler full of eggs. Do you know any Wranglers in the area who could help me with them


    "Hmmm. A Reptile expert wrangler. I know a few who could help. Send me the information you have on the eggs and their parents, if you know what it was, and I''ll have them reach out."


    "I know one of the parents, which is the other thing I was going to ask, would you like an acid-resistant white serpent skin, it''s about 80 foot long and I¡¯d say about 2 yards wide?


    "Well, you do know how to give gifts. I''d rather love such a thing. I have a client who would die for things made from it."


    "I''ll admit I would like a purse and shoes, but that will not touch the yardage this thing has, and it is rather tough. I had to use the blade from my utility belt and quite a bit of strength to skin it. Do you have somewhere for me to ship it to from Florida or do you have someone you want to pick it up?"


    "Send me your hotel information. I''ll have a messenger come pick it up. I''ll forward you their name and photo, so you know who to expect."


    "I am at the EB hotel in Miami." Solaris said. "I didn''t want the hide sitting and spoiling so I called you as soon as i got out of the shower.


    "They''ll be there in an hour."


    "I mean, really? The damn bot drew a knife on me till you told him I was allowed to be there." Marcus said, popping open a coke as he sat on one of the chairs in his and Nahoa''s small house near the gate. Nahoa, Levi, and he were sitting in the living room, having gotten home from getting the older boy some extra clothes and such since Grandma Ruan hadn''t had a chance yet, focusing on the girls as she had.


    "Like he could have hurt you, Bluelight Man."


    ¡°Are you sure? I mean who knows what crazy shit Badgers put in it.¡± Marcus complained. ¡°And no, I am not using that as a hero name!¡±


    "What, Shit Badger? That would be unique." Levi teased.


    "I don''t know, it has a certain something."


    Marcus flipped both of the other boys off.


    "In all seriousness, I asked him about that. Just the knife and a taser. He apparently did more with another bot build and showed me the scar it gave him when he decided it wasn''t working right. He also said something about that thing, being why he needed a new workspace. And something about a Karen that is in some way related to all of that."


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good, though Chuck seems to like me.¡± Nahoa said. He saw a bright yellow car coming up the road. ¡°Hey maybe that is our seafood. One good thing to come outta Covid, you can get anything delivered.¡±


    "That''s for sure. That is one roached paint job though." Levi said. Marcus frowned, and stepped outside, the other boys following to help carry the food in as the car stopped at the gates, the figure inside reaching for the button. "We''re right here, don''t worry about, wait, Z?"


    ¡°Fuck. Marcus? Thud? What the hell are you doing here?¡± An insulated delivery bag was sitting next to Zoya as her car almost growled, seemingly angry at being in park.


    "We kind of work here. This is Levi. Levi, this is Z. Zoya. We know her from Manhattan, though I have no idea why she¡¯s this far out on Long Island."


    "Or why she''s delivering food. That''s new, so''s the car."


    ¡°Hey d-dash is a good job, and the tips out here are better. I got the car from working my ass off, got it for Six hundred fifty off Craigslist.¡± She opened the bag holding out their food. ¡°And the asshole I call dad won¡¯t cost me a job out here.¡±


    "Okay, under a grand, that''s a deal, but open your hood for a second, would you." Levi said. "I think you have a problem. Did you hear a bang a little while ago, by chance? Did the steering get stiffer?"


    ¡°A bit, but Banana has always been a bit heavy in the wheel.¡± She reluctantly opened the hood as her car made another angry sound.


    Levi looked into the engine bay, sighed, and leaned back. "Shut it off. I know what''s wrong."


    "If I shut it off I''m going to have to jump her to get her going again. and it''s Friday night!¡± Zoya said, not paying attention to what he said. ¡°The Wine and Xanex moms are starting to forget their diets and order food.¡±

 Chapter 42 How to Train your Mechanic

    How to Train your Mechanic


    ¡°The issue with any type of tech, even those with the most minor of gift, is when they get lost in the project. Catalysts tend to be better about it than the others, and Kit Bashers tend to require a blow to the head to distract from their work, but all of them will fall into the task at hand, and usually start overdoing it.


    ¡°Lord help you if you have two working on something at the same time. Assuming they¡¯re working methods can blend, which by definition requires one to be a Catalyst, they will feed on each other''s gift if not focused on something very specific.¡±


    ¡°That, my dear readers, is how the Solar Knights ended up with a base on the moon before they had a reliable way of getting back and forth to it.¡±


    Hummingbird, aka Olivia St. Vincent in St. Nicks Journal of the Technical Sphere ¡°Managing a Team with Super-techs¡±


    ¡°If I shut her off, I¡¯ll never get her started again! I¡¯ve had to jump her twice already!¡±


    "That''s why I, oh never mind." He pulled off the battery cable and the car died. Then he pulled out the very broken and chewed serpentine belt. "This is what should have your alternator charging and a lot of other parts working. It broke, and the car was maybe going to go for another twenty minutes before leaving you stranded. Assuming it didn¡¯t overheat and blow the radiator."


    "No!¡± She hissed. her head resting on her steering wheel. ¡°Damn it. How much is that going to cost me to fix? I need this job.¡±


    "About twenty bucks." Levi said. "Marcus, take her on any other deliveries she has, and lend her the blue bug. It''s an ugly little car but it runs good. When you''re done working, come back and either I''ll have it running again or we can figure something else out."


    She wanted to argue. But if her Banana was broken so she didn''t have a lot of choice, not if she wanted to make enough cash for food and gas. "Fine, damn it." She got out of the car slamming the door twice to make sure it stayed closed. "I''ll take the ride."


    "I''ll go get the car, take her over to the shop." Marcus said. "The bugs kinda beat up but runs fine. Come on, let''s get you going, then you can come back and hopefully have your banana back."


    The other two boys watched them hurry down the driveway then drive off. "So, is it really just a belt?" Nahoa asked doubtfully.


    "Oh, no, this car needs help, but that was going to kill it in twenty minutes, not a few weeks. Let''s eat our food, then we can run to a parts store, get a belt and a few other things. Then we''ll talk her into bringing it to the shop so we can fix the real pressing issues. At least her breaks seemed to be working okay."


    Zoya was not thrilled that she was having to get help for work. She was proud of her independence. "How the heck did you manage to get a job out in Stepford Wife Land?¡± she asked


    "Got hired by a rich Super, someone Penny knows." he said, keeping it simple. "So, conned your mom into signing off on buying a car? Are you going home then?"


    "Fuck no, not while Captain asshole is there. she said dryly. "There is no point in living honest around him. He''s always going to assume the worst of me.


    "Right, figured. You know your mom isn''t to blame for your dad''s crap." he said, leading her to the Grand Marquis. "Get in, we¡¯ll get you set up for all the Xanex moms who have got to be getting ready to order Panda Express to go with their wine."


    "Yeah, but the living doormat, won¡¯t stop him either." she said, Pain in her voice. ¡°I mean he completely ignored me until the one time I fucked up. Now I''m nothing but another criminal to him.¡±


    "It doesn''t help that I know you''ve committed a fair share of petty crimes recently." Marcus said bluntly. "I am not going to give you crap about them now, and you''re working a job so good on you, but it does kind of make your annoyance at his accusations a bit less credible."If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "What''s the point of being a good girl, if he''s never going to believe me anyway. I gotta take care of me. I got Banana now, and as long as she''s working, I can do more legit stuff. Mom helped me get her registered and insured. " She admitted grudgingly.


    "Fine, I won''t say anything more. I wasn''t happy when you got sent to juvie, I''m going to be really pissed if you get sent to prison."


    She gave a half despondent shrug. ¡°He¡¯s the one, that overreacted to me shoplifting one time. HE made me a thief. I just wanted his attention, now I''m just trying to survive. I''m hoping things will be easier next month. I''ll be eighteen and he legally will have no more right to boss me around.¡±


    "Juvie disappears when you turn eighteen. Vanishes from your record, for all intents and purposes. Keep that in mind too." He started the car and drove them off, "The bug isn''t much, but it''ll let you do your job while Levi fixes yours. He''s really good, so don''t worry. Boss hired him as a mechanic for lots of projects."


    "Kay, just let me know what I owe him. Hopefully it''s not too much, or he''ll take payments."


    "He''s offered to help; I don''t think he''s going to screw you. And Nahoa and I can help short term if you need it."


    She shook her head, running into Taco Bell to grab two huge bags, tucking them in her insulated bag and then grabbing the drinks.


    "Yeah, that''s the other issue." she slumped back in the car. "Dad heard me talking to mom after I got out of Juvie. I was telling her about my girlfriend breaking up with me after I got out and she didn''t. He didn''t take it well."


    "Ah. I see." Marcus shook his head. "Your dad''s always been kind of a dick, and I wasn''t one of the kids he snarled at. Probably because dad and him got along. Cop and Cape, natural friends if they aren''t pissed at each other."


    "Yeah, but your dad was cool, he wasn''t pushy, he''d even get my dad to take a day off every now and then so we could all do something together. I hate that the building got condemned.¡±


    "Yeah, well, that''s New York. Twice as nice, till you look under the floorboards."


    "No shit." she said dryly. "Congrats on the new job, must be paying pretty good to order seafood from a classy joint."


    "Doesn''t pay bad, no, and Grandma got the job of house manager. Which honestly, I think means more than I think it does, the boss is giving her free reign over the staff and maintenance. And not that it shows but she''s happy, and me and Thud are sharing that cabana thing at the gate. Nahoa got hired as security."


    "Shit you¡¯re a regular pimp, getting everyone hired out.¡± she teased.


    "Hell, I think she¡¯s planning on hiring a few more folks, too.¡± He laughed. ¡°She¡¯s got Elenore looking for some more people. The Boss, I get the impression she''s got plans she isn''t admitting to yet."


    ¡°Hell, sounds better than working fast food.¡± She said, ¡°Or, getting hooked up with a villain seeking world domination. In Juvie there were idiots who thought that sounded like a good idea! Though admittedly the better villains do offer good health insurance¡­


    "I did about as much the opposite as you can from hooking up with a black cape. The Boss is Solaris. I mean, the original World War II pick up aircraft carriers and hit that one German dude with a submarine, Solaris."


    ¡°Shit, I saw the videos of her taking on the Walking Catastrophe! She must be a hell of a hard ass.¡±


    "Not really, but I wouldn''t mess with her if she got serious. She''s not as Order and Law as some of the white capes sound. Apparently, she also has crates of stuff she stole from the Axis during World War II. Penny showed me the pile of freaking machine guns."


    ¡°That is kind of sick, but I mean, didn¡¯t everybody¡¯s great grand steal something Nazi if they were in the war?¡±


    "Yeah, I get the impression it¡¯s how they all kept score. Hell, she says she has tanks in some storage facility near DC.¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡± She hopped out of the car and ran the food to a door where an older half-drunk woman smiled taking the food. She headed back to the car ¡°Yeah, Taco Bell mom for the win, 20 buck tip.¡±


    "Gotta love those day drinkers." he laughed as he pulled out, guiding the car to the highway, and towards the shop. "The car we''re going to lend you isn''t great, it''s an older modern bug, with some sort of weird gash looking dent in the side, but it runs and drives fine. I think the plan is to supe it up at some point but right now the shop crew are using it to run errands."


    She sighed. "Okay. I¡¯ll borrow the car. I¡¯m trying to save enough so I can get my own place when I turn eighteen. I can''t do that without a car.


    "No problem, just top it back off when you''re done. Bring it back to the house, and hopefully your banana will be running better. Don''t be shocked if he tells you to bring it to the shop later, though. For what you paid, you are kind of lucky it''s not actively on fire."


    ¡°If it gets me from Point A to Point B I don¡¯t care too much, as long as the fire isn''t too hot. Here is the number for my phone so you can get a hold of me.¡¯


    "Will do. I''ll send you my info, and Levi''s if you need to ask him something." Marcus said, pulling up to the shop. He got the key from where it was locked up right inside the back door and tossed it to her. "Good luck, hope the tips are big. Enjoy the convertible."


    ¡°Convertible?" she said looking back at him.


    "It''s that powder blue convertible bug. It''d be pretty if it weren¡¯t for the gash on the passenger side. got it from the auto auction for really cheap."


    "It is really cute.¡± she said, rather liking the idea of a convertible. "I¡¯ll have to try the top down after work. Gotta book, Chipotle calls!¡±


    He shook his head. "Well, at least this time she isn''t stealing stuff."

 Chapter 43 Banana Republic

    Banana Republic


    ¡°We got your maintenance done?¡±


    ¡°How do you call this Maintenance?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? We changed your oil, replaced your brake pads, flushed your radiator and even winterized the thing.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure, those are all great. But could you tell me why my daily driver minivan now has a Nitrous bottle and turbos?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I had to order the brake pads and was at the parts store anyway, so I figured what the hell, should make you popular after soccer practice right?¡±


    Frequent conversation between a Cape and her Tailor supplied Mechanic.


    By the time Z got back to the house, Nahoa was watching the gate and came out to greet her. "Yeah, just pull up to the house and park in front. Um, I think there were complications."


    Her face went pale. "What complications?" she said looking around for her Banana


    "Um... Yeah, Follow me." After guiding her to where she could park, he took her into the garage, where Marcus and Levi were arguing.


    "You said it was a belt!"


    "It was a belt! Until it wasn''t." Levi came back, failing to notice the newcomers. "The water pump is leaking, so I pulled it to rebuild. I mean, it''s just some seals, right? But I have to wait for the parts, and I figured what the hell, do her a solid and do the oil and fluid changes."


    "All of them?"


    Zoya wanted to rage, but instead she just collapsed in on herself, Of course the car she loved was crap, everything she touched turned into crap. "How long and how much is it going to cost to fix?¡± She winced a bit as she forced the next part out. ¡®And is there any way I can borrow or rent the beetle till you¡¯re done, so I can pay for it, I¡­can¡¯t really work without the car?"


    "Oh, shit. Hi!" Levi scratched his head, ignoring the oil. "Um, well, the oil I grabbed from our shop, it''s fine and unopened and we got it basically free so don''t worry about that. It''s a cheap oil filter, and I fortunately found out I needed a fuel filter early in the process, so I got that too, but again, not expensive. The gaskets for the pump weren''t cheap but not bank breaking. I mean... call it fifty bucks? It might take a couple of days though. You can use the beetle; we got it for a shop loner. This qualifies as needing a loaner."


    "God damn it, Levi. This is like when I caught you taking the door off the Valiant. I told you the Tailor''s people were going to deal with it. And what do you know, they came and got it two days later."


    "I didn''t want her car to break down! I feel like a jerk leaving those seats in there, as it is."


    ¡°I need those! I can''t drive without seats!" Panic was starting to set in. "Look I know Banana is junk, all I need is for it to get me through work. I don''t care if it''s pretty or comfortable. I just need function. Just, let me know how much and  I can Venmo you the money as soon as I can.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "What? It still has seats. I''m just saying they are busted up." Levi said, confused. "Don''t worry about the Venmo, hit me when you have some cash, no big hurry. Seriously though, I could do this thing up right as a sleeper. Ugly as Azteks are, they have solid engines and Pontiac''s always hid power."


    ¡°I can¡¯t afford to do anything like that. Like I told Marcus, I¡¯m saving to get my own place when I turn eighteen. Everything is going towards that.¡±


    Levi nodded. "That makes sense." he agreed. "Sorry, I got enthusiastic. Don''t worry about the fifty bucks." He shrugged. "Still. I could probably find at least a comfier driver seat if you want. I can even go scrap hunting. The seats are usually the last thing to go at a pick a part place."


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯m good with making do.¡± She went to the trunk and pulled out her backpack. ¡°Thanks for loaning me the Beatle. I¡¯ll take good care of it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure, that¡¯s not a problem. Oh, I also asked my roommate and girlfriend. You can crash on our couch tonight. I know you''ve been sleeping in your car." Levi added. Marcus and Nahoa stopped and turned to look at her.


    She froze not looking at Marcus. ¡°Um. ¡°She didn¡¯t want to owe them anymore but sleeping somewhere with a hot shower sounded nice. ¡°I don¡¯t want to put anyone out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± The oblivious mechanic said, randomly pulling out a part that she was fairly sure had nothing to do with the repairs he¡¯d talked about.


    ¡°Take him up on it, or Nahoa picks you up and we carry you to Granny.¡±


    She winced, they¡¯d do it too. ¡°Okay, Thank you.¡±


    "Eh, I took your car apart. Erica slapped me on the head. God, I love her." He shrugged. "Anyway, I will be done with this probably not tomorrow. Next day, maybe as long as I don¡¯t find any other ticking time bombs? But then she''ll run like a much less old car. No, to hell with it, I¡¯ll do a tune up and timing adjustment too. No, you aren¡¯t paying, and yeah, then she¡¯ll run like a Lady."


    ¡°Okay thank you. Lemme just run a quick errand and I¡¯ll be right back.¡± She needed to hide her phone somewhere so if her dad got the number, he couldn¡¯t track her to where she was sleeping


    "That''s cool. See you when you get back."


    She dropped her shut off phone about a mile away in a waterproof case, in a weird little bush on a decorative island in the road. She wasn¡¯t quite paranoid to break the phone, even if she bought it from a sketchy hole in the wall in the Bronx for cheap.


    She drove back, finding her car no more disassembled than it had already been. ¡°Okay, so where I¡¯m I am bunking.¡±


    "Come on, I''ll show ya." Levi said, leading her into the house.


    Qilin was confused for a few moments, as his daughter seemed to be driving in two separate sections of Long Island, but one of the markers disappeared. He¡¯d only been looking for her location for a few moments, so assumed it was just lag in the system.


    ¡°You need to stop stalking her, Q.¡± Luna Fuego said. ¡°Besides, we¡¯re supposed to be tracking a ring of car thieves, not your somewhat rebellious daughter.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I don¡¯t understand what she¡¯s doing out in Long Island?¡±


    ¡°Avoiding parents who annoy the hell out of her sounds like part of it.¡± She held her hands up at his glare. ¡°Look, I get you¡¯re worried about what she is getting up to, but I¡¯ve met Z. She¡¯s not going to go black cape on us! Grey, sure, but she¡¯s not stupid enough to go out right black.¡±


    ¡°A father worries.¡±


    ¡°As they should.¡± Luna paused, listening to her earpiece, Qilin standing up and tilting his head as the voice of Urban Ranger came through the Manhattan Unmatched comms. ¡°We got them. They¡¯re doing a hit but it¡¯s further from the city than we thought. Luna, see if you can get there and get a tail on them. Q, get in that supped up tuner of yours and get on the highway, maybe we can intercept.


    ¡°Roger.¡± They both said, Luna disappearing in a cometary trail into the sky.


    The Martial Arts master dropped from the roof, bouncing between two buildings down the alley before landing next to his white and gold custom Genisis G90, with all the special extras his Tailor¡¯s people could put under the hood. It wasn¡¯t as flashy as some, but it was fast, and it was reliable.


    He glanced at his phone, to check where the Ranger had pinned the robbery. He froze, realizing his daughter¡¯s phone was at the same location.


    ¡°Zoya, what are you doing?¡±

 Chapter 44, A Tall Ship

    A Tall Ship, Part One


    ¡°Heroes and Villains tend to be highly mobile people. I don¡¯t mean the number who can fly, or speedsters who can cross continents in bare fractions of the time it¡¯d take any normal person. I mean vehicles.¡±


    ¡°The Original Girl herself stated that flying in a plane was better than on her own, simply to keep her hair from being mussed, and ignoring a particular group of decades where enough hairspray was used by heroines to turn their own hair into head protection this is true be it male or female.¡±


    ¡°Cars, planes, helicopters, all of these are popular with the cape set, and are probably why the Auto Workers of America have a small bullpen of heroes they actively support. Quid pro quo, and all that.¡±


    Phantastique, Truth and Tales of the Fashionable Capes


    "Okay, fishing was fun, and the only sharks were little and not attacking us, so yeah, that was a win." Penny admitted the morning after their fishing expedition, having gotten a great night¡¯s sleep. "So, what today?"


    "We were going to look for a boat, then I think sail it back home. The Wrangler sent me instructions for the eggs so they will be okay until we get them to him. If we can¡¯t find anything then we will fly back.¡±


    "Well, that sounds good. What sort of boat are we talking about here? Good sized fishing boat, with some berths, small yacht, stupid big yacht? hell, might be able to find small used cruise ships if you want. You can be pretty whimsical." Penny teased.


    "Well depending on how many Youtubers I get involved with I may need the ship for the care and feeding of influencers. I think a nice yacht, someplace we can relax and play. And give Mercades her own room.


    "Okay, so a yacht, and something with nice cabins. I''m sure we can find something around here."


    ¡°That is the reason I picked Florida.¡± She said with a smile. And face it, you¡¯re excited to drive the boat, Captain Penny.¡±


    "Hey, only chance to get to be a Skipper." She chuckled. "But basically, what we want is something that Mercedes can basically stake out as a permanent living situation, enough room for the others for when we travel while leaving guest space. Going to want something big."


    ¡°Sounds right. Hmm the family yacht should be docked, somewhere near the manor. I need to tell Eleanore about that, it¡¯s going to need restored too.


    "Yeah, you might want to let her know." she chuckled. "Okay, so... I guess get directions to where you buy yachts and get an uber."


    As it turned out, looking at yachts was more akin to looking at houses, so they had to track down a yacht broker.


    "So, what precisely is your biggest priority for your yacht? Extreme, expensive, luxury. Range. Comfort? You''ll be amazed at what the price ranges are, for what on paper seem like remarkably similar Yachts. Also, what price range are we looking at? A five-million-dollar yacht is a bit harder to track down than a twenty-five million, though there''s fine yachts in the lower ranges."


    ¡°I want comfort, a place I can just sail out and relax, I want plush furnishings I can sink in. A spot to entertain and a kitchen to put out delicious food.¡±


    Hm. Kitchen and plush. I have a yacht in mind, particularly for the plush. It''s an older hull, but recently refit, and has plenty of room for guests. It''s not the most fashionable, but it''s far from ugly and someone felt the furniture in the main lounge should boarder on qualifying as stuffed toys."


    ¡°That sounds fun. Can we go see her?¡± Solaris said curiously.


    "Absolutely. She currently is named Fortuitous, but the name does not come with the ship, so you will need to register her using a different name." The agent explained, driving the BMW SUV expertly through Miami traffic. "That being said, it has shockingly comfortable crew quarters as well as Six guest cabins. Well, five currently, one cabin was converted into a media room. The crew cabins include two with queen beds, the engine and captains, two private singles, and a pair of bunk bed staterooms."


    ¡°So, 6 crew berths and 5 guest cabins. How many crew does she need to sail, and if it¡¯s more than 2 can I hire temporary crew?¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    "Hiring temp crew is usually not a major issue. Technically speaking, Yachts are boats, so there''s not a lot of requirements. That being said, I''d personally suggest getting at least a skeleton crew to man it for sheer safety."


    She nodded, ¡°Penny do you want to turn the fledglings into a proper ship¡¯s crew? We can hire a crew to take her north to get her home.¡±


    "We can teach them the basics. to be fair, it''s not terribly hard." She smiled at the raised eyebrow of the broker. "I''m retiring from the Coast Guard."


    "Ahh, then you would know a bit about it."


    ¡°She was a dab hand with the fan boat when we went snake hunting. And my father taught me my way around boats, though I¡¯ll need Penny to update my knowledge base.¡±


    "All midshipmen serve on a sailing ship, as well as the time we inevitably get on a cutter, though I transitioned to Shipmen suits, then went to UNLOC." She explained. "I''m not super experienced, but I can keep from crashing a boat."


    "Fair enough." The broker chuckled.


    They arrived at the marina and moved down to the long white vessel. It was an older ship, compared to some they passed, but looked in excellent shape. "The Fortitude had a refit only a year or so ago, so all her systems are in good order. As you can see the tender and toys like see doos are in a covered section at the aft of the ship, to cut down on noise when loading and offloading for those still in their quarters."


    ¡°What is a Sea doo?¡± Solaris asked looking at the boat, it had a settled feeling to it that she liked.


    "Sea doo... cross a motorcycle with a boat." Penny said, pointing to a few in the nearby waters.


    ¡°That looks like fun. We might have to try that. Have you ridden one before?¡±


    They were led on board, and began touring the decks, before going inside. "Oh yeah, they''re great fun. I''d considered suggesting you try one out when we were looking at the Polaris. One of the makers is the same as that tracked madness, Mercades uses for lawn care back home, but it''s a bit late in the year up north."


    "There''s a jacuzzi on the deck, along with seating for sunbathing and dining, as well as a small outdoor kitchen and bar area, set around the BBQ here." the broker said as they reached the main entertainment area of the deck.


    ¡°What¡¯s a Jacuzzi?¡± Solaris as she looked over the deck. ¡°There is plenty of room to socialize here, maybe even dance a bit?¡±


    "The little pool there is heated, and the water bubbles, think the best hot bath possible, with a massage from the water around you. And yes, there''s quite a bit of room for something like that." The broker nodded, having realized some explanations would be needed. "Stepping in, the bridge is compact but well appointed, and then we go down."


    "As I said the main lounge is very plush." She chuckled. The couches indeed looked more than overstuffed, with extremely soft-looking cloth covering and no wood or metal to be seen on either the sofas or the ottomans. The floor is carpeted. In the back of the area was a bar long enough to host three stools, with plenty of space for someone to mix drinks behind it.


    ¡°I like this, it looks like a proper retreat.¡± She settled into the couch and purred. ¡°Oh yes this was made for naps.¡±


    "There''s a small dining room, with an eight-place table, and a large, professional kitchen right through here." The broker said, once Solaris could be coaxed from the seating. "And through here is also the stairs going down to the crew area. The guest cabins are down those stairs, with the Master being this way."


    Solaris nodded, ¡°I think Anzy could work here. She gave the broker a rueful smile. I can¡¯t cook.¡± She followed him towards the master cabin. ¡°I like this, it¡¯s nice but not flashy. Well not as flashy as some of the other boats out here. It¡¯s much like the plane we got. Luxurious but understated from the exterior.¡±


    "Yeah, and like the plane it''s older, but been refit recently. All in all, it''s got a good feel to it. And the navigation gear was all top tier. Not fancy but good." Penny said.


    The crew quarters were less luxurious, but still consisted of several staterooms, a spacious common area and a small but full-service kitchen area. "And here we have Mercedes apartment, at the end of the day. Still more room than her old efficiency."


    ¡°Yes, and room for all her art things.¡± Solaris said. ¡°You are indeed an expert of your craft.  This girl is perfect for me.¡± Solaris said. ¡°I love the wood and nouveau details, I will probably reskin the deck cushions it¡¯s a bit stark after how warm the interior is, but that is nothing. So, did you bring the paperwork with you, so we can make my purchase offical?¡±


    "Well, I do like a decisive shopper. Come back to my office, and we can do that. Do you want to keep it flagged in the Caymen, we can contact them and register it, and I can have someone come in to change the name on the hull to what you like."


    ¡°Penny this is more your area of expertise, does that sound reasonable?¡±


    "Honestly, yeah. It''s something like the second most common registry outside of I think the Bahamas. Speaking from Coast Guard perspective, US registration comes with requirements that are perfectly wise and sensible and yeah, do the Caymans."


    ¡°Alright then, full steam ahead!¡± She said with a laugh. ¡°What do you think of Serenity as a name?¡±


    "It''s a good name." Penny agreed. Several pounds of paperwork later, and all they were waiting for was processing to take command of the yacht.


    "If you want to contact a chandler about stocking anything, or getting new sheets and towels marked Serenity go ahead and have them delivered to the ship.'' The broker said he had not been expecting such an easy sale.


    ¡°Do you have a number for one? I can get things started, Anzy will want to handle most of the stocking¡± Solaris asked.


    "I can give you a few numbers, certainly." She smiled. "I''ll call you once everything has cleared, and we''ll arrange the new name badging on the ship. Least we could do for such a quick purchase!"


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe in dithering; this boat has all I need and more.¡±


    "Well, I''m glad we found what you needed. Happy sailing!''

 Chapter 45, Sail by Moonlight

    Sail by Moonlight


    ¡°We don¡¯t talk about it, but espionage has long been the dark secret of the Cape community. Almost any hero, from the whitest of white capes to the grimmest of city avengers, must wear the hat of detective from time to time.


    ¡°Those same skills serve well in the world of espionage. It doesn¡¯t help that black capes, and more than a few avaricious grey capes, are very easy to recruit for sabotage or theft missions funded by some flavor of intelligence service or corporate interest. This leaves even those who would ¡®never¡¯ work as spies operating as, at the very least, counter-intelligence operatives.¡±


    ¡°All that, and that¡¯s before we get to talking about those enhanced who enter the shadowy world of espionage on their own, and vanish into the darkness as though it were a warm quilt surrounding their shoulders. There¡¯s a reason I¡¯m paranoid.¡±


    Tom Clancy, at the release of ¡°The Cape and the Crow¡± 1999.


    Three days, and a few rounds of golf, and the paperwork had all gone through. Penny had contacted several companies and finally found one to arrange a temporary crew, so she could observe and learn about the ship from a more skilled skipper, and so Elizabeth could relax on her new boat.


    Elizabeth happily stepped on the newly christened Serenity; her hair pulled into a loose tail, and wearing a pretty white and yellow sundress. The luggage had been sent ahead so all she had to carry on was the cooler full of snake eggs. "I am so happy to get to sail a bit, I love the ocean. I bet you¡¯re excited to get behind the helm aren''t you, Penny."


    "I won''t lie, I kind of am. I''m glad she has such a shallow draft too, there shouldn''t be a problem nuzzling her up to the boat dock. Much deeper and that might not be true."


    ¡°Push comes to shove we could have dug the dock out more, but yeah I am glad don¡¯t as well.¡±


    "I checked early on, just in case. Fortunately, with the bulkhead it''s not flush with the shore, technically. And we''ve got all her kit stocked. Sadly, not going to be as luxurious as when we have Anzy on board. That girl is going to have damn near as many kitchens as she has of, well, her."


    ¡°Let me put the eggs in my cabin with their heater and we can go meet our crew."


    "Sounds good."


    Solaris plugged in the temporary incubator making sure the box was secure and wouldn¡¯t be knocked over if they hit any waves. Then went back to Penny, shall we head to the helm?


    "Definitely." They went up the art deco stairs, and through the top deck to the bridge, where several people were waiting.


    "Hello and thank you for coming to crew for us on such short notice." She looked over the new crew, her eyes sticking to her captain, as she failed to fight down a smirk. "I am sure we are going to get along like family."


    "Oh, I don''t doubt." The Captain said, with an identical smirk, setting off alarms in Penny''s head. He looked oddly familiar too.


    ¡°This is Don Dean, our engineer. He''s going to be staying on for a few weeks to teach your own mechanics how to treat this girl¡¯s motors." His accent was the same educated English as Solaris as well.


    "Hello Mr. Dean, the Mechanics at home are Levi and Erica, though our cook Anzi will probably want the go over as well."


    "Of Course, Miss. ¡° Dean replied


    ¡°Let me introduce Faye Jennings, she''ll be our steward and cook for this trip. Garrett Rowland here will be our deck hand. And Ella Chang will be serving as the evening officer of the watch and my xo. I''m sorry, first officer. Navy, don''t you know." The captain said with an ironic tone.


    ¡°A pleasure to meet you all. I hope you find the Serenity a comfortable berth. And what should I call you Captain? I would like to invite you to dine with Penny and I.¡±


    "Oh, how silly of me. Howard Spring, and I appreciate the invitation."


    Penny raised an eyebrow, then made an "Oh" sound as the coin dropped on who she was looking at. Then she rolled her eyes. Only Solaris heard her mutter "Spooks" under her breath.


    ¡°Well Captain Spring. I think I''m going to go to the front deck and enjoy a glass of wine while you cast us off and get going.¡± Her blue eyes were sparkling with suppressed laughter.


    "I''ll get us underway, and then we can discuss if there''s any stops you want to make on the way to New York." He nodded. "Well crew, let''s be about it."


    Solaris stopped at the bar, grabbing a cold bottle of white wine and a pair of glasses then walked out and sat on the plush couch on the bow. She opened the bottle and poured a glass taking a deep breath of the ocean air then sipped the wine. "We are where you wanted us to be Father. Together at sea."


    The bow thrusters pushed the Yacht off the dock, and the main engines kicked in easily, pushing the Serenity forward, into the blue water of the Florida seas. Carefully the long yacht guided through other traffic until it was several miles offshore, only the barest hint of land visible as the sun began to reach the end of its daily trip.


    Solaris let any remaining stress slip into the ocean as the land fell away. She headed back in placing the glasses on the bar and headed back for the bridge. "How is it going, Is the Serenity running smooth as she feels above?"


    "Oh, she''s in good shape. I doubt she''s got more than a hundred hours on her since her overhaul. Plus, she''s old enough to have had the problems chased out of her." he said, "And with the computers and sensors employed on her now, we''ll know when something comes up."


    ¡°Good. Now to other business.¡± She hugged him tightly. "I knew you were not killed in a boating accident. Father would have raised himself from the grave."


    "Bah, anyone who assumed that was true deserved what they got. No, but for numerous reasons, not limited to but including boredom, I needed to go off the grid. I''d have come visit sooner, but the damned Russians are being Russian, so I''ve been busy monitoring some things in the black sea."


    "When are the Russians not being Russian." Solaris said with warm fondness in her tone. "I knew you would show up when you could. God, it feels good to see you."


    "And you, dear sister. Though this trip will be the only time for a while. I wanted to make sure to make contact and get you the dossiers on who you''d want or need to know about, but with everything in Ukraine I want to be there in case someone needs to subtly violate nearly a century of "supers don''t" when some idiot Rusike decides to do something stupider than usual."


    She smiled, "You were always the trouble twin, well we have a few days to get caught up before we get to Islip, just like before.¡± she said fondly. "How have you been?¡±


    "I won''t pretend it''s been constant glory for the last several decades. Coming along the long way has had severe ups and downs. I removed myself from the professional sphere, so to speak, when the cold war started getting particularly stupid. Everyone was so focused on if the Americans and Russians were going to pop off, they didn''t pay attention to the "smaller" issues. As if the different groups of villains and larger threats like the burgeoning cartels weren''t an issue of note. I mean, look up Pablo Escobar sometime."


    "I think I saw something on You Tube about him having hippos." Solaris said shaking her head. "I know things were going stupid, that''s why I was trying to expose McCarthy as working for the Black Hand. I was hoping it would help de-escalate things at least a little. I mean Russa was completely embarrassed by the German air lift. It wasn''t the worst time to try and calm things from our side."


    "Calming was not something either side was good at. Not until the eighties and then the USSR collapsed in the Nineties. you can imagine the flood of spooks who needed a new employer that found interested parties in both the conventional criminal and the motivated cape community."


    ¡°Meaning some of those assets are now in your pocket, since even if you gave up the Family titles, I know Mother and Father would have made sure you were taken care of, not to mention whatever you stole from the Nazi''s and their allies during the war. Apparently guns from that time period are very valuable."


    "I might do a bit of contract work, from time to time, and perhaps have assets to make that very profitable and widespread." he chuckled. "And I may have misused the occasional explosive charge to get into a Kraut safe, yes. I technically live on St. Kitts, under a different name of course."


    Solaris laughed. "I am glad you are well, and you haven''t changed. Still my naughty little brother."


    "One of us has to have a good time, though you''re doing well. I suppose you haven''t found the cause yet. Don''t hurry, cause are a dime a dozen now a days."


    "I''m still acclimating, But I''m finding things to keep myself busy, I am working on getting everything together to take care of the Manor and get it updated. And I¡¯m starting a garage for You Tubers and my staff mechanics.¡±


    "Oh dear, you''ve been back for only weeks and already know about YouTube. You always were a progressive." he chuckled. "And since you went through the Academies, you''re halfway to forming a team, as well. And yes, that''s not your plan, dear sister, but something will happen, and you''ll lead them. Just like with Chimera."


    She chuckled. "Probably. I think it''s more likely they will be their own team once they are used to being out in the world. They just need to learn to use their wings." You know me I can¡¯t help but mentor people."


    "You were always good at it." he nodded. "That being said, I better head back to the bridge and change things over. You did buy a good boat, hell this is a ship in all but name. You''re going to be hard to pin down once you have a full crew of your own for it." he chuckled.


    "Well, both of us have itchy feet. I''ll see you at supper?"


    "Of course, especially since I am sure Penny is going to want to grill me." he chuckled. "For the record, the whole crew are picked by me, and are people who work with me in other ways. The engineer is just that, though he does custom work for covert operations designs. Not quite a toymaker, but a few Tailors use his services."This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Well, that is useful, it¡¯s always handy to know people I¡¯ll make sure to get their numbers. My Fledglings just adopted a baby Toymaker into their group.¡±


    "Oh, useful. Assuming they don''t burn your shop down."


    "My manager made sure the shop has the best insurance." she said with a laugh


    "Good!"


    A few hours later Solaris Penny, and ¡®Howard¡¯ joined at the dinner table. Faye dropping odd the first course, a light Asian inspired fish soup, and fluffy croissants dripping with butter. ¡°Thank you, Faye, this smells delicious.¡±


    "Thank you, please enjoy. The next course will be ready when you are." She slipped back into the galley quietly.


    "So, Penny. How''s working with my much older sister?" Hugh asked, eyes dancing.


    ¡°A bit like being employed by a hurricane. But a lot of fun.¡±


    ¡°I may have taken her shopping; you know the way Mother taught us too, and it is bizarre I am both older and younger than you at the same time.¡±


    "Yes, well, you were frozen, not time traveling so you''re still older. And I''ve not physically aged much. A little bit of crow¡¯s feet." He gestured to the grey at his temples. "I died my hair for this. No one takes a ship captain seriously without some pepper in their hair."


    ¡°It does make me you look more like Father¡­ did they live well? I was frightened to try and look anything up on them.¡±


    "Oh, they made it well into their dotage, though they pushed the house on me early so they could retire to the Virgin Islands. They got a nice condo and both passed in the seventies, about a month apart. Father first, Mother I think simply due to boredom after he was gone. Both in their sleep."


    ¡°That is good to hear,¡± Solaris said, relaxing a bit as a secret worry dropped away. ¡°I don¡¯t remember that in the real estate portfolio, sold that to yourself?¡± she asked, giving a small, delighted gasp at the soup. ¡°Oh, this is perfect for a day at sea!¡±


    "I admit, I did." he chuckled. "But to be fair, I waited till I was sure I''d need safe houses. And to be honest, it wouldn''t really suit your taste. It was very much Mother''s place, and your taste didn''t quite mesh with hers."


    ¡°No, she was a bit fussier than father, I just wanted to make sure it was with the family. Do you know if any of the old retainer families are still with the Manor? I haven¡¯t gotten in direct contact with the village yet.¡±


    "It''s being maintained by Morris''s grandson, Thomas. He''s aware I''m still around, as I check in, and he''s thrilled that people are going to be coming to do the old place up. He followed family tradition, a stint in the Para''s. He did a military stretch in very specialized teams and came home. He also owns the local tavern."


    ¡°I was hoping some of the old families were still around. I remember us filching tarts for Morris from the cook, so he¡¯d let us sneak out and play. Since he owns the Tavern, is he likely to come back on as the Butler?¡±


    "He might not, but his son may. He''s currently in the Army, did a stint in the SAS, did his time in Afghanistan. I know he''d have the talent. I hear you found a chef, and footmen aren''t quite as necessary as they used to be. Technology caught up with a few of the old jobs. The groundskeeper¡¯s family is still around, but they now do gardening all over the village, and even on the mainland thanks to the Ferry. They even still do the old home."


    That¡¯s good, at least it won¡¯t be a total tangled mess. And I would argue that a good cook is completely necessary.¡±


    ¡°She made stew and was banned from the kitchen.¡± Penny said dryly.


    "Our cook tried to teach her to bake. Twice. Fortunately, only father was a casualty, and he recovered a couple of days later."


    "Oh please, as if you never did something to put father to bed. I remember your sixth form report."


    "The teachers were out to get me! Smuggle beer into the dormitory one time, I swear."


    ¡°One time?¡± Solaris said dryly, ¡°more like every weekend and twice on Saturdays.¡±


    "It was not twice on Saturdays. Michelson did the second trip."


    "Right. Don''t trust him near the silver. Got it."


    ¡°Solaris laughed. He only made silver bullets with the good silver once. He had to work in the stables a month after that.¡±


    "Now, my dear Lady Dreadful, I''ve sent a few items to your Tailor, to redirect to you once you contact him. I know you haven''t finished your suit, and I''m aware of the harder it is to acquire items." He said, looking at her. "I understand you bought a pair of the Gumshoe Mecha-frames that came up for auction when Elitelligence folded?"


    ¡°How the hell did you know that?¡± She said sitting up, both annoyed and painfully curious what wonderful, horribly illegal thing he¡¯d sent to the Tailor.


    "It was a public auction, technically speaking." He said mildly, answering absolutely nothing. "And don''t panic. I didn''t have anything shipped that wasn''t legally transported by the means employed."


    ¡°Right, there are all the loopholes in that sentence.¡± She sighed. ¡°Lemme guess, my bosses Spook brother got a full work up on me?¡±


    "Well, I am sure I don''t know everything." he said, waving a hand airily. "It''s not as though your UNLOC or Coast Guard records list every birthmark or scar." he assured her.


    ¡°Right.¡± Penny rolled her eyes, ¡°well I haven¡¯t disappeared yet so I must have passed muster.¡± she said dryly. So, all these crew mates are yours, right?¡±


    ¡°Hugh, don¡¯t tease Penny, she¡¯s not used to your level of incorrigibility.¡± Solaris said as she summoned the next course. She was beginning to wonder if this was becoming a rather strange flirtation.


    "Yes, though not from the more shadowy parts of my stable of friends. They are more support than true provocateurs."


    "Elizabeth, is it okay that I don''t trust your brother?"


    The blonde hero giggled. ¡°Of course, dear! He is completely untrustworthy until he chooses to be,¡± her voice was full of affection.¡± once he chooses to be, neither Hell nor Heaven will stop him.¡±


    "Oh my, such glowing praise." He preened. "In truth, you seem a good match for my sister, so I have no desire to see you harmed, and every reason to see you armed. Oh my, that rhymed! Still, it''s quite true."


    ¡°He can get you the best toys. He got a lot of my gear, at the beginning of the Cold War.¡±


    ¡°Actually, you would know, do you know where my super gear ended up?¡±


    "Some of it, yes. I''ve arranged for what I can acquire to be delivered. Some of the more obscure or esoteric items went to the Kennecott Mine vault."


    ¡°Meaning I will still need to go to Alaska for my utility belt. Bother. Well, that¡¯s probably going to have to wait for spring.¡±


    "Well, I''m sure Alaska in Winter has its charms... Cruises to see glaciers for example. Going to the Interior next to a glacier does seem a bit ill advised."


    ¡°Yes. That is a bit too fortress of Solitude for my liking.¡± Solaris said.


    "Ironic, since you did it first." Hugh observed, as salad was brought out, a delicate champagne vinaigrette for a dressing on assorted greens. "Well, either way, the least I could do is send a few gifts, now that I''ve made contact. I''d hate for all those birthdays to have passed, and you get to hold it over my head." he winked.


    ¡°Dear lord¡­ she laughed. ¡°Are you still getting deliveries of whiskey and comic books. I remember I set those up for auto delivery to one of your drop boxes. Superman for your birthday and Batman for Christmas¡±


    "A drop box that wasn''t common knowledge, and that I still maintain. I get literal crates of the bloody things. Ask me about some of the odder features of my home, let me tell you." he laughed. "Because of her, I have a specialized library section in my home for comics!"


    ¡°Oh, you love them.¡± Solaris said with a laugh. And I never knew when you were going to get things, so it had to be nonperishable and not too big.¡±


    "If only everyone had such foresight."


    "So, you¡¯re a spy. I get that. But have you been working all this time? Your entire life, ¡°


    "Not as such. Oh, I worked for the Ministry, sorry MI5, for most of it but for a good part it was as a trainer and supervisory officer, nothing in the field or even all that interesting." He said. "It kept me in, but didn''t really satisfy, but left me able to go home at night, and up to the Manor from time to time."


    Solaris nodded. ¡°Thank you for that. I know you never wanted it, but you protected it for me. I assume you faked your death after mother and father passed?¡±


    "Of course. Father would have tracked me down and boxed my ears! And find a way to make it hurt! I''m an idiot, not a fool."


    And as good as you are his contacts were probably better.¡± Solaris teased. ¡°Oh, thinking of odd hobbies, my baseball collection is apparently ¡®museum¡¯ quality. Isn¡¯t that funny.¡±


    "Not really, not knowing how Footie fans are, at any rate. Americans are particularly rabid about sport."


    ¡°The way some things have increased in value is just insane, I can¡¯t even use my old travel trunk because it¡¯s too valuable. And I must divide everything by ten to get an idea of what the cost and value of things means,


    "Except cars that doesn''t work because the spectrum of prices is far wider, and electronics got cheaper." He nodded "And then the addition of computers as a must have item. I am not certain you can order a bloody pizza without a screen now a days."


    ¡°I make Marcus or Penny do that. Though I almost have Siri trained to do it. They got the tv so I can control it with my voice, the remote is more complex than a bloody fighter jet!¡±


    "When did you, oh, yes, I remember now. You were involved in stealing a few of the German''s early jets weren''t you. I hadn''t known you''d flown one. Or did you get to play with a toy after the war?"


    I flew Breakneck¡¯s after he made his own after he flew one, we stole. It was rather fun to go that fast


    "Oh yes, his prototype. I understand you bought a business jet, but it does lack the visceral fun of a fighter. I''ll keep that in mind."


    ¡°I had to buy a plane, have you flown recently, between the invasive security and the cattle like treatment, the future has destroyed the social joy of flying!¡±


    "Dear, I''ve flown Ryanair and Southwest. I''ve ridden more comfortable bicycles."


    ¡°Exactly. I don¡¯t have to do that, and I won¡¯t. Though granny took out a full Bottle of tequila in less than 6 hours.¡±


    "Nervous flyer. I think we can allow her a foible. Lord knows Mother never adapted to the idea of flying."


    ¡°No, father had the yacht redone for her after the war so she wouldn¡¯t have to.¡±


    "Yes. I did have it put into dry dock, but it will need refit if it¡¯s to be used. She is definitely not seaworthy and lacks any of the modern tools that make life so easy on this dear here."


    ¡°I sent that to my project manager to put on the list of things to do. I might be able to use her to charter boat weddings or something once she¡¯s done.¡±


    "A good use, or summer day cruises. Let the old girl do some work, but don''t strain her." He agreed. "I''m sorry some of the outbuildings were let go, but I just had no time to maintain them, and didn''t need them either. I should have torn them down, but they weren''t all that bad when I decided to go off grid."


    "I''ll figure it out, I''ll restore what I can, rebuild what I can''t. I have people out there or that will be out there shortly doing asbestos remediation and laying in new plumbing. My plan right now is to turn most of the outbuildings into vacation rentals. I also am going to research how to use the fields more profitably. Right now I am thinking of heirloom varieties of vegetables and such."


    "Might not be highly profitable but could be enough to keep up the old place. That''s about enough." He smiled. "Oh, I had a question, as your captain. You hadn''t outlined an itinerary other than heading to New York. Far be it for me to argue whimsical stops, but I thought I''d make sure you didn''t have other places to visit.¡±


    "Honestly no, I thought a nice private boat ride sounded relaxing before I see what the kids have gotten up too while I was away and will make the handlers for Pinnacle nervous since they still haven¡¯t been able to reach me."


    ¡°I like it.¡±


    "Ohh, I''ll have to swing wide when we get near Baltimore. Make them work at it, if they''re feeling pushy. Too bad I didn''t bring the equipment to repel boarders."


    The stewardess, who was delivering the meat course of a lovely lemon chicken dish snorted. "You didn''t." she noted. "Enjoy the entree."


    "Thank you, that soup is one of the best I''ve ever had." Solaris said "Yes, He called me down from New York, to basically throw his cock on the desk to remind me I am 70 years out of date and not fit to lead the Guardians as they are now. I managed not to put him in the harbor though it was very tempting.¡±


    "Sounds about right. The Guardians have had a problem with leadership since the Nineties. It''s a prestigious post, so fought for, but it''s also hard as hell so there''s a lot of people getting promoted above their competency. You know how it is, that''s when they stop where they are at."


    "And that''s ignoring politicians making a muddle of everything." Solaris said. Which is probably how someone who can¡¯t talk his way out of a paper bag ended up the Face of the team." She made a face. "Feh. Let¡¯s go back to more pleasant topics.¡±


    "He was politically insignificant while still being powerful. He''s a good man in a storm, unfortunately he''s not very useful outside of one."


    Penny took a sip of wine ¡°What is your codename? I don¡¯t remember seeing it, but I know you must have one"


    Hugh chuckled and smiled at Elizabeth. ¡°My sister is the shining one, Solaris; I am the shadow reflecting her, I am Lune.


    Quilin was frustrated. His daughter vanished from his tracking, a fancy way to describe the parental monitoring app he¡¯s managed to sneak onto her phone when she was distracted by other things in the family apartment, the last time she¡¯d deigned to show up there.


    Likely it was to have her mother do her laundry.


    Either way, he¡¯d been watching for days, when he could spare the focus. The problem is she seemed to insist on coming active when he was patrolling in the evenings, and even then she was all over the middle of Long Island, far enough from his preferred domain of New York City proper to make things awkward. Especially as he rarely used his hero-car on patrol in the city.


    Still, he had noticed an area she seemed to keep returning to and seemed to be near when her phone went back offline. He was eager to go check it out, while dreading what he might find when he did.


    Unfortunately, a small street war had broken out between a few street gangs in the Bronx, and that took precedence over even the car thefts in the short term.


    ¡°Zoya, what foolishness are you caught up in, this time?¡±

 Chapter 46. Knock Knock

    Knock Knock


    ¡°So called superheroes can be extremely jumpy when they go into an unusual situation. To be fair, for experienced heroes the unexpected is their bread and butter but that¡¯s part of the problem.¡±


    ¡°When you work in a job where, at random intervals, you might end up with you and your teammates being tried for capital crimes they didn¡¯t commit, getting ambushed by splicer beast ambush predators, and occasionally sniped at by conventional foes, this leaves them with a bit if shoot first and ask questions later philosophy.


    ¡°Fortunately, they tend to not use lethal attacks that way. That¡¯s more of a grey cape routine.¡±


    Living Avatar, Leader of the St. Louis Sentinels during a television interview.


    Zoya smiled as she took the car keys from Levi, a week with the other young adults saw her happier than she¡¯d been in a while, her black hair was shiny and cut into a sharp bob, and she¡¯d gained two pounds eating Anzy¡¯s food. ¡°Anything special I should be watching for? She was shifting better last night, and I kid you not I think my tips have gone up like 20 percent in her!¡±


    "We did a wheel alignment, but I''m not totally familiar with the set of tools we used, so let me know if she''s pulling at all." Erica said. "Other than that, just let us know if she does anything odd." She said, leading her out to the Maserati they''d found at Copart for shockingly low. It was an older, but not classic, Maserati but still.


    ¡°Will do I¡¯ll find some straight ways to see how solid she is.¡± She tossed her insulated bag in the front and took off. Anzy who¡¯d ridden in with the younger girl. ¡°So, what are we working on tonight?


    "I got the door and panels for the bug. They''re not the same color, but she''s a good car to do the first paint on when we set up a booth, so I say we change those out and get rid of that gash.''


    Anzy nodded. "I was going to break away from the actual car fun for a bit, and do some calling about kitchen stuff. I''ve got the first batch of things delivered, but I wanted to talk to some vendors about some nice service I''ve been eying. I figure the boss is going to do a big dinner party at some point with that twenty person table she has, so I want to get all the stuff lined up to serve it that I can, instead of relying on delivery on a time limit."


    Makes sense to me. Levi said, has Mercades found the right evergreen for the front yet? I know she needs to get it in before she gets the Gazebo installed.


    "She found a Frazier Fur that she is coaxing into being its best self. It''s a little small at the moment but she has high hopes for it."


    ¡°Cool, I know boss is really looking forward to Christmas. Levi went over to the bug to help Erica pull the door off; this is going to be adorable once it¡¯s done. He said carrying the door to the recycling bin near the door.


    "Hell, yeah it is, and I''ve ordered all the parts to upgrade it too." Erica said happily.


    Did you See Mercades sketch, baby blue with sunflowers and hummingbirds. I think she kinda wants this one.¡± But that would ruin getting her a real Mercades. He tipped his head as a slick looking black and gold custom car roared into the lot.


    "I mean, if she really wants it, we could just not do it.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?" Levi asked, seeing a car pull in front of the shop.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s a little late for most drop offs but our lights are on, so he probably thinks we¡¯re open. Erica said. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s someone who knows the boss?¡± Levi began walking out, wrench in hand to see what the potential customer needed Frowning as she saw the costume and mask. She began to follow her boyfriend.


    Qilin got out of car, a frown on his masked face, the chop shop was a rundown Lamborghini shop. He saw several grubby looking young adults tearing apart a car, he could see other high-end cars sitting in the lot waiting to be broken down. One of the young troublemakers was heading straight for him. He ran forward and punched the fellow in the face following it up with a kick to the boy¡¯s midsection.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Levi took the shot to the face completely flatfooted and went down gasping, clutching his face and gasping for breath. The kick had been powerful, blowing through his limited enhanced durability and knocking the wind from his lungs with savage efficiency.


    "The fuck!" Erica yelled, unimpressed with the bastard who just hit her boyfriend¡¯s attempt at an intimidating glare, throwing a screwdriver from her bibs pocket with laser accuracy, only for it to be caught in midair.


    Before the strange man could advance and press his attack, however, three Anzy''s came out of the garage and dove for him, one going high, one going low, and the third swinging a two by four like a bat right at his midsection.


    Qilin cursed to himself, of course his delinquent daughter actually had fallen in with super thieves with actual training. The trio of blondes were far more skilled than he¡¯d expect from someone their age, and they all had different styles. He was trying to push them back towards the building, while seeking holes in their defenses to disable them. He needed to see if Zoya was there.


    Two Iteration''s of Anzy fell back, leaving a well-timed opening for Erica who had grabbed a pair of ball pean hammers from Levi¡¯s tool chest. She came in swinging, thrusting with one heavy hammer, knowing it wouldn''t be expected by most people who think of hammers as something you swung.


    Unfortunately, the costumed man wasn¡¯t most people, and twisted out of the way of the hammer enhanced punch, bringing his fist around in a spinning backfist. Erica, using the other hammer like a short tonfa blocked the blow, but her slight form was light enough that she staggered back from the strength of his blow. Her technique was far from as polished as Anzy''s.


    However, Erica cheated. Tachyon''s were a very energetic particle, and gave her a few moments warning, and an tenth of a second meant a lot to someone with her reflexes. His next two blows were too fast for her to counter, but easy enough to dodge.


    The martial artist cursed as he took a punch to the ribs from one of the triplets, sending a short rabbit punch at the brunette with the odd eyes as he head butted one of the blonds. Another man, this one with longish brown hair peeked out of the garage.


    He was followed, bizarrely, but a Roomba that seemed to have extra arms.


    ¡°Chuck no! Stop!¡± He shouted as the tiny assistant bot popped a switchblade out of nowhere, and a small torch as it raced towards the intruder.


    Qilin snapped a kick into the bizarre charging killbot, sending it bouncing off of a double arm block another triplet threw up as he sent the robot flying at her, the white disk spinning into the wall with a crash of plastic and metal.


    The hero heard more voices, and what sounded like tigers roaring and realized he had come into a situation without enough information, and no backup. He swept both girl¡¯s still engaged directly with him feet and dove into a roll, managing to get into his car and spin around in a reversing turn, getting out of the parking lot with what looked like two winged sabertoothed tigers barely missing the tail end of his supercar.


    ¡°Chuck!¡± Badger yelled, running over to his bot, seeing if his programming core was alright. ¡°Who the fuck was that? ¡° He asked, cradling the bot¡¯s black box. ¡°Levi you okay man? He said as Erica ran to her boyfriend¡¯s side.


    Five minutes ago:


    Penny and Solaris were watching a small airplane fly around them. "Think they''re just taking a look at the boat?" Penny asked absently. It was a little plane, so not exactly threatening. Just kind of odd to see this far out.


    ¡°No idea. Maybe it¡¯s a media person?¡± Solaris sipped her drink, she was in a royal blue one piece bathing suit, with a wide brimmed hat and a robin¡¯s blue indigo dyed silk hip wrap. ¡°If they came all the way out here, I have to commend their dedication.¡±


    "Makes you wonder how they even found us. We''re even in international waters, so not like they saw us from shore."


    "Oh, they''re coming around for a landing?" Wearing a modest mono-kini, Penny had to pull a pair of pocket binoculars from her bag, looking up. "Oh, that''s an amphibious plane, I think it''s like the ones we saw at Guardian Atoll."


    Garret ran up to her with her. ¡°Lady Summers, we just got a call from your manager, Eleanore. Someone attacked your employees at the garage. They have retreated to the house.


    ¡°Penny I have to go, have the ship continue on to Islip. Someone attacked the fledglings.¡± She dropped her wrap and hat on the lounger and took off like a shot her golden light a dim star in the daylight.


    Penny watched as Solaris took off straight up, then turned a right angle and shot northward at maximum acceleration, disappearing quickly as she broke 400 miles per hour. Then she looked over the rail at the small plane, a man looking up in confusion and concern. "So, you came to talk to Solaris, right?" She called down.


    "Yes. Did she leave to avoid me? I''m from the Public Relations department with the Guardians, and was hoping to patch up relations after whatever Pinnacle did."


    "No, someone attacked her employees. Tell you what, I''ll come down and we can chase her." She hurried to the bridge. "Keep heading for Long Island. I''m going to go with the Guadian''s guy to chase your sister.


    "Of course. It''ll likely take us until tomorrow morning to get to the island, and then a bit longer to navigate the sound to the house. See you there."

 Chapter 47, Classic Conversation

    Classic Conversation


    ¡°Why is it that the capes never report other capes for jumping them? I mean, yeah, both groups were heroes but that one group just outright bum rushed the others without trying to figure out who they are. That¡¯s pretty clearly assault.¡±


    ¡°Naw, to the capes that¡¯s just how they say hello.¡±


    ¡°Are they idiots?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    LAPD Rookie and his training officer, after watching two groups of heroes fighting.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any concussions,¡± Erica said as Anzy set Levi¡¯s nose with a wet sounding crunch, and manly whimper.


    ¡°Seriously who the fuck was that?¡± Elenore was searching for pics of local villains trying to figure it out.


    Badger, along with Amzy''s clones were finishing up locking down the building, as well as loading important things like the beetle and some gear onto the "Flatbed Royale", setting the custom limo turned car hauler up to tow Z¡¯s Banana, the brain knew how much the girl loved her car, and it was on it¡¯s way to being a functional vehicle not just a heap of junk with pretentions.


    "He''s not coming up on anything. Did we get jumped by a new asshole? Fuck it, we''ll figure it out later. Lets get out of here." Erica


    Badger nodded ¡°Don¡¯t forget to call Z, so she doesn¡¯t come back here.¡±


    "I texted already. Sent one to Marcus and Nahoa too. Didn''t give details, just said there was trouble here so go to the house."


    Badger was in the hulk he said he was going to renovate, messing with a tablet for a few minutes before  nodding to himself and hopping up into the Royale ¡°My stuff is fine, they mess with it they get what they deserve, Kayr1n will mess them up. She can¡¯t leave her designated area or she would have destroyed that asshole.¡±


    "Right. Find out what or who that is later." Erica said, piling into the old Ford Econoline pickup that was her and Levi''s daily driver, Levi getting behind the wheel of the Royale. Anzy was driving the Lincoln that day. The other project cars were under tarps and not driving so they figured it was safe to leave them behind.


    Elenore sent a group text that they were heading to the boss¡¯s house for safety to everyone concerned, as the team hit the road.


    Nahoa opened the gate to let the convoy in twenty minutes later. ¡°Granny said you were attacked. Is everyone okay?¡±


    ¡°The bastard got a couple sucker punches in on Levi, and he trashed Chuck, but nothing irreparable.¡± Badger said. ¡°I don¡¯t think he made any serious connections with Anzy. And damn girl that was wild!¡±


    "Oh, he broke three''s rib, but it''s just achy on me now that I¡¯m all one person." Anzy shrugged. "Advantage of extra rib cages, I guess. That guy knew what he was doing. He completely outclassed me in hand to hand."


    "Considering you were the best in our year, that means something." Erica frowned. She''d only really done the Judo requirement, where Levi did Brazilian Jujitsu as an advanced lesson. Anzy, being her, took all four martial arts offered at the school. And a fencing course at her college.


    Nahoa pulled out his phone and checked his tracking app for the boss. ¡°Looks like the boss is about five minutes out, let¡¯s head to the media room to wait for her. We don¡¯t


    have all the house defenses on-line yet.¡± He locked up the gate making sure the no trespassing sign was good and visible. Before following the team back to the main house.


    "Man, I need to get some weapons or something." Erica muttered, Anzy nodding. While both had significant advantages in a fight, neither were exactly damage dealers. The other five kids all out classed them on that front.


    They piled into the home theater, Nahoa putting up the video of the fight on the screen as Marcus walked in. "We''re locked down and, wait, that''s the guy who jumped you?"


    ¡°Yeah, he didn¡¯t even introduce himself, just walked up and started beating Levi.¡± Erica was putting a pack of peas over her boyfriend¡¯s black eyes. ¡°Any idea who he is? El checked the local supervillain wiki and didn¡¯t see him¡±


    "Yeah, I know who he is." Marcus muttered. "Qilin. He''s a hero type in the City. Not sure what he''s doing out here, though. I have a few guesses." His frown deepened. He had taken to following crime news in the area. "Someplace called Motorcar Traditionale got hit by a gang of car thieves last night. Stole something like one and a half million in high end cars."


    Elenore was pacing. Her territory had been attacked and she was pissed. ¡°So he just sees a bunch of young adults working on cars and decides to beat them up without looking for evidence? What kind of hero is that!¡±


    "Yeah. He''s kind of an asshole, or so the rumor goes in some circles." Marcus said, glaring at the screen. "I''ve got to run out for something. I''ll get back as quick as I can. But I have some thoughts on how to follow up on this." He turned and left the room, the group heard his bike revving and leaving the property.


    Elenore pulled up the Hero wiki and pulled up Qilin, wanting to see what they were up against.


    Above them, Solaris landed, her hair windblown. She saw the kid¡¯s cars, and headed inside, ¡°Nahoa? Elenore? Is everyone all right? She walked downstairs the heels of her sandals clicking


    "We''re fine, but Marcus just left, pissed as hell." Nahoa said. "Apparently Levi and the others  got jumped by some City hero. Marcus thought it might have been over some Exotic car thefts in the area."


    "I''m not fine. My eye hurts and he busted my nose. I''m going to fucking melt the hood of his fucking Hyundai into a god damned lawn ornament. Fucking sucker punching asshole."


    Solaris walked over to Levi, ¡°Damn. he did hit you good.¡± She went to a cabinet and pulled out a first aid kit, then pulled out a small flashlight. She checked his responses with a bit more detail than the quick check the kids had already done. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re concussed, and it looks like someone has already set your nose. Keep the cold pack on so your eyes don¡¯t swell. And I am fully behind you killing his car.¡± She checked her other fledglings. ¡°I¡¯m going to go change, then we will figure this out.¡± There was an iron resolve and a maternal protectiveness in her voice, her skin literally glittering with her rage.


    "Marcus said he had an idea, and said he''d be back shortly. We might want to wait for him, since he seems to know something about this guy." Elenore said, frowning. "He was very angry. And it wasn''t the same as us. It was almost personal" She hesitated.


    "My father would have said he intends to show someone where to find crayfish in winter." Anzy said.


    ¡°Uh. What does that mean?¡± Nahoa asked, confused.


    "You generally aren''t coming back from being shown the location, and there tend to be more crawfish come summer."


    Solaris nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen him that mad.¡± Nahoa said.


    Less than five minutes later Solaris was back downstairs geared up in her new union suit, her circlet in her head. And looking like the leader of the Guardians once again. ¡°How long till we hear back from Marcus?¡±


    Nahoa checked his phone. "Not long, he''s already heading back from wherever he went." For the world, it had looked like the other teen had driven to a random place and turned around. "Call it five more minutes?"


    "While he''s coming, we''ll show you the video of what happened. It¡¯s pretty egregious for literally just rolling up on us out of the blue." Elenore said, queuing the video and hitting play.


    Solaris watched the video, ¡°Thank goodness, you are enhanced Levi, that would have put anyone else in the hospital.¡± She looked over at Badger when the video was done, ¡°You must be the new Toymaker Elenore told me about, please make a list of what you need to fix your Chuck and we will get it for you.¡±


    "Yeah, hi. No problem. He wasn''t exactly expensive. And the Raspberry PI is probably fine, it was in a shockproof case in his core."


    Marcus roared back up to the house and came trooping back down. "Hey boss, welcome back." He said softly, his grandmother frowning at the tone. She looked at the paused video with a tilted head. "Marcus, when did you meet Qilin. You obviously know him."


    "In the old Neighborhood Grandma. He''s a dick."


    Solaris nodded. ¡°Do you know where I can converse with this individual?¡±


    "Well, In the next hour or so I suspect he''ll turn up at a classic car dealer near us. At least if my hunch is correct."


    ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯m going to go look at classic cars, irritating as it is to realize many will be younger than me. Can you please send Penny my way when she arrives, she is probably not far behind me.¡± The British woman grabbed a long trench coat, pulling it on over her costume, grabbing her purse.


    No one touched her people without a reckoning. No matter how much time passed that fact did not change.


    Solaris was glad the lot was open in the evenings instead of closing at five like she remembered and  was debating a lovely red Austin Healey when she saw Penny. ¡°Over here, dear.¡± She waved.


    "Hi." Penny had put on own costume for the first time, her hair now a luxurious length. She looked lovely and lethal and like she wanted to shoot someone, but also at the same time amused. "Seeing some things you like?"


    ¡°Yes, I am thinking of picking this one up. I think it would be a good car to take to the Mechanics to have it custom painted and upgraded ¡°


    "She''s a beauty, isn''t she. And completely restored by her previous owner. She''s here on Consignment." the dealership¡¯s  representative who had been talking with Solaris said, smiling. "If you want to look in, please open the door, but we ask you don''t sit unless you seriously might buy.¡±


    Look at the passenger side dear, she slid in the car, mmm. Yes. I can reach the pedals without the steering being in my lap.


    Penny laughed ¡°It is funny how easy it is to forget how short you are Elizabeth. Then i remember you trying to drive my truck.¡± The brunette looked over the Healy. ¡°It is a sexy little number, and trust me sir, she''s a serious buyer."


    ¡°Mm. Yes. I think I¡¯ll take her, fetch the paperwork.¡± Her blue eyes settled on a newly familiar form on the other side of the lot. ¡°Take your time, I''m still looking around.¡±


    "Well, tell you what. I am taking it you''re buying by sticker price, take your time while I get everything for you to sign. I''ll be in that office over there." He noticed the look. "And please keep in mind, our insurance is very forgiving on doors, not so much the cars." He saluted as he hurried away.


    Solaris got out of the car. Pulling her coat off and draping it over the seat. She pulled her circlet out of the purse. Placing it onto her brow, she walked towards the blue dressed man digging under a classic mustang. ¡°You have two minutes to explain why you assaulted my employee.¡± She said in a chilly voice, letting her light shine.


    He banged his head on the car, startled by the voice, then pulled his head out, looking up in confusion. His expression turned to recognition, but he didn''t seem sure what she meant. "I''m sorry, what employees would I have assaulted?" he asked, picking up a cheap smartphone he''d found under the car.


    Solaris held up her own phone, playing the security video of his attack. ¡°Does that spark your memory?¡±


    "Yes, but you are Solaris, a hero. Why would you be involved in an underground vehicle operation?"


    ¡°I am not involved in underground vehicle operations. That business is my private machine shop and YouTube studio for hire. What in God¡¯s good name made you think, walking up and punching my lead mechanic hard enough to cripple a person was a clever idea?¡± She stepped closer to him. Her light not a soft glow, but tight angry sparks around her,


    "Our information had communications tied to a criminal car theft ring being used in that shop." He said, frowning. "Is it possible someone is manipulating your young friends?"


    ¡°No.¡± Solaris said the cold of the north sea in her clipped voice. ¡° They only moved into the shop about two weeks ago, they are all graduates of the ESAS academy in Las Vegas and have only been in New York for three weeks.¡±


    "Hm. I apologize. I followed what I thought was a reliable lead to a rather sketchy looking auto shop and jumped to conclusions. I hope the young man I struck wasn''t too injured. He was approaching with a wrench, and with what I thought was happening I assumed a threat that may not have existed."


    ¡°You were parked in front of their business, of course they came out to see what you wanted! Wouldn¡¯t you? And what evidence did you have that was strong enough for an ENHANCED person to swing first without asking any questions.


    "I was chasing down a lead on exotic car thefts, there were multiple partially disassembled muscle cars in the lot, they were removing the door from a Volkswagen, and the communications of a known criminal ring led us to their location. Also, the boy was also enhanced, or are you planning to deny that? His strength was apparent for one who knows how to look."


    "Considering the phone, and why it¡¯s here, we both know you''re wrong about her involvement Kye." Penny said softly, stepping closer to the man.


    ¡°I don¡¯t deny it. As I said, they are EASA graduates, but did you know that before you broke his nose?¡± Her eyes shifted to Penny, then back to the man.


    "As stated, you could see his strength." He sighed. "However, I shouldn''t have jumped to conclusions. Realizing who you are, interesting new hairstyle by the way, lieutenant, I am a bit more emotionally... invested and admit to reacting hastily."


    "Damn it Kye, do you always have to be an asshole when your daughter is involved?"


    The English woman¡¯s eyes sharpened. ¡°Ahh that puts the rest of the puzzle pieces in place. When did this theft take place?¡±


    "There have been four, over the last month. The last was last night, around one AM. My daughter was rather pointedly not home, and her phone was detected at the location in question during the attack and was active along with several other phones identified in the chase. I, fortunately and unfortunately, can track one of those phones without needing more legal proof than we can provide so I followed the lead."


    ¡°Well, I know where your daughter was at one in the morning, yesterday and it wasn¡¯t out stealing cars. She was asleep, at a friend¡¯s house after a long day of delivering food. And if this is how you treat her, I don¡¯t blame her for wanting out.¡±


    "You saw her there with your own eyes?"


    "No, but we did communicate with people who did." Penny said. "Including Ruan Xuan Linh." Penny growled.


    "Well fuck."


    ¡°And the lightbulb turns on. ¡°Solaris said coldly. ¡°Or are you going to accuse Ms. Ruan of crimes and lying.¡±


    "I suspect if she were going to commit crimes, Madam Ruan would have made damn sure I never was going to find out about them." He muttered darkly. "And no, I wouldn''t dare suggest she''d lie. She''d be insulted I suggest she would, and that she would be so bad at it as I would catch her. No, I believe what you said to be true. Which means we are dealing with cloned cellular phones. That is irritating."


    ¡°Do you always assume the worst of your daughter with no real evidence? My understanding of the American legal system is ¡®Innocent until proven guilty.¡¯¡± Solaris growled. You assaulted my people on evidence a Chicago cop would have trouble selling to a judge. Now what are you going to do? All I have heard is lame excuses and apologies with the depth of a politician''s promises.¡±


    He sighed. "What is it you wish me to do to make it right? I acknowledge my error regarding your people and am willing to make amends. I am regretful that I have injured an innocent person in such a way."


    ¡°I think the people you need to apologize to are not here. And those people include your daughter for assuming the worst of her.¡±


    "I understand what you mean well, but my daughter and my own relationship is not your concern, though in this case I do seem to have erred. She has made more than a few mistakes previously which caused the suspicion so I can''t completely blame myself."


    ¡°It sounds like you don¡¯t blame yourself at all. Solaris said with a hint of rage in her voice. ¡°And she¡¯s not the one who assaulted an innocent person, and she became my concern when my fledglings adopted her into their team,


    He shook his head. "Regarding me and my daughter, I''ll thank you to understand that it is our relationship, good or ill." He spoke. "I will however happily apologize to your younglings, and as you insist, I am willing to acknowledge my error to my daughter and apologize for making assumptions against her in this case."


    Solaris looked at the man, shaking her head in disappointment and anger. She¡¯d met so many men like him. Positive that they knew the best, never willing to listen. More than one private in the war had cried on her shoulder, not all her Kamikaze girls¡¯ families had been happy to know their daughters survived, and then the red scare. She remembered the families that had been destroyed, the fractured trusts, the suicides. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow at the shop. I hope you understand what you lost before it¡¯s too late. I¡¯m going to sign the papers for the car I¡¯m buying.¡±


    He blinked, looking at Penny. "She bought a car while she waited for me to turn up?"


    "Yeah. You''re not that important, dumbass."