A/N: Happy Thanksgiving! Please leave a review if you want to give feedback or suggest a way to make the story even better!

Clutch 3.4

In a dimly-lit room, far away from Tent City and its icy mud and wet, sour smell, the Students and their Teacher were still gathered. Two tables had been pressed together to allow for everyone to sit, with myself at the head.

I held a heavy bag in my hands, full of riches. Our prize.

"Well, here we are!" I exclaimed cheerfully. I bounced the bag in my hands, smiling as the group's eyes followed it hungrily. "I wonder what's in here?"

"C'mon, Teacher!" Jacket hissed, eyes wide. "Enough screwing around!"

"Yeah!" Cal exclaimed, clear-cut excitement cutting through the faux-professional air he'd tried to maintain throughout the night. "Show us!"

"Alrighty," I nodded. Fair enough they wouldn't want to play around, this was long overdue. Our just desserts.

I opened the bag and pulled out… donuts.

"Alright, who got the regular glazed?"

Hoodie's hand whipped up, and I quickly tossed it to him. He snatched it out of the air and without a second's hesitation started tearing into the sweet confection.

I reached back into the bag.

"And the double chocolate one?"

"Here, please." Monopoly put his good hand up. The other hand was still being bandaged by Scout as she kneeled next to him. I passed it down the table, Cal passing it down to Bandana to Biker who finally handed it to Monopoly.

As the food was passed out, I smiled at the faces gathered around me as they eagerly snatched up the bounty.

Eight out of twelve.

Eight Students out of the original "batch" of twelve, counting Cal among them. That's how many were willing to follow me after all was said and done.

And while it didn't exactly earn me any points, my power's Toll actually wasn't the dealbreaker for the majority of those that left. Some had questions about my plans I didn't want to go into detail over without their sworn allegiance, others wanted to negotiate terms of payment that I found unacceptable and refused to budge on.

Apparently, being paid in superpowers wasn't enough for some people.

And while I'd been disappointed to see them go, all in all it was an amicable separation. As we shook hands one last time I refreshed their gifts… And while doing so I'd used my power to make them Promise to never tell a soul we'd worked together.

All in all, not bad considering this was my first real outing as a cape. Our first real outing technically, as I wasn't the only "parahuman" on the team anymore.

Once I'd finished distributing the food, the feasting began.

When you hear the words "victory feast" the first image that springs to mind probably isn't breakfast at a Jim Thornton's at four in the morning. But to a bunch of starving refugees, whose only experience with breakfast the past two weeks had been watery, bland eggs served with bread and water.

I resisted the urge to moan at the first bite. The sugary donuts and greasy fast food tasted like ambrosia.

Except my drink.

When I was back in camp, Cal once jokingly asked if I had heat vision, because I had a habit of glaring at my coffee hard enough it almost looked like I'd rather vaporize it rather than finish it. After the miniature heart attack I had before I realized my friend had been joking, I actually had to agree with the sentiment.

I hated coffee with a passion. It was bitter, acidic, and had an unpleasant smell that always reminded me of boiled shoe leather. People had always said I'd develop a taste for it eventually.

I hadn't.

As everyone dug into their meals with abandon, I restrained myself as best I could as I ate. Even though I wasn't technically wearing a costume, I was still crafting a persona for myself, the lens through which I wanted my Students to view and judge my actions. I was hoping to portray myself as someone somewhat distant but in a warm sort of way. Someone who kept himself at arm's length, but was ultimately a force for good.

The sort of person I wished I could be.

As I chewed my egg and sausage sandwich, trying not to gush over how it was soo good, I watched as Callum practically inhaled his after he finished crossing himself. With how gaunt he'd become since I'd last seen him, I was happy to see his appetite return. It seemed my power had honestly been kind for once, only taking from him the anxiety and doubts that had been weighing him down.

It gave me hope that my power could be a force for great good in this world, where so many otherwise gifted souls were prevented from reaching their full potential by the past traumas that had led to their triggers.

'He's happier now,' I thought. 'He'd been lost, and now he has direction, even if it's merely my own.'

For a moment, I felt a strange sense of… satisfaction.

Discussion while we ate was mostly small talk, which I allowed. If the group was going to work together, it made sense to know who your workmates were. We mostly tried to get to know the other Students without giving too much of our own personal information away.

Most tried, anyway. Freeze Tag and the heavyset woman with the glasses at least answered when asked questions, but it was mostly yes or no answers. They didn't didn't volunteer anything to the discussion, either. Both were still very reserved.

Regardless, we'd all demolished our food, and the group seemed to lean back into their seats with a collective sigh. All except Scout, who'd left her food nearly untouched while she treated Monopoly's twisted wrist.

"...Well," I cleared my throat. "Now that we've finished our meal, I'd like to discuss business, if you're willing."

The mood around the table grew serious again as people collected themselves. They sat up straighter, reigned in their slack.

"Now that you're pledged to my cause, I see no reason to keep my plans from you. My end goal at present is this: to get back to America. Might not be tomorrow, might not even be this week, but it's going to happen."

"What's in America that's so important?" Hoodie asked without thinking, before covering his own mouth.

'Toybox. Blasto. The Slaughterhouse Nine. Accord. Cauldron. Brockton Bay. Eidolon. The Heberts... '

"...My home, for starters," I replied, as casually as I could make myself sound.

Now it was Cal's turn to give the poor kid a Look intense enough to make me wonder if he was trying to vaporize him with a power he didn't have. Right now, every refugee in Sydney understood the desire to return home better than anyone else in the world. Jacket also gave his friend a withering look, looking embarrassed for him. As if it wasn't enough the other member of their trio had already left.

'I'm sorry," Dave had said. 'The trouble we could have gotten into tonight, that fight…. I just don't know if I'm cut out for this.'

He'd looked to his two friends. 'Sorry guys, this is where I get off.'

I honestly couldn't fault the kid. He'd already had cold feet, and my power effectively bricked his brain, and that certainly didn't endear me to him. But between a free "harmless" superpower and a couple thousand dollars cash, I was sure I'd already done enough to make it up to him. That, and I was secretly thrilled my Students could still choose to refuse me if they wanted badly enough.

"Right now I'm interested in gathering money and resources. I'll do what I have to earn my fortune here, and then I'll return to my country with a blank slate. If we play this smart, the police and the PRT likely won't connect the dots between one American refugee and the actions of an anonymous cape in another country." I kept speaking, pretending the little faux pas never happened. "I'll keep you all employed with powers and a cut of each job we do until then. And, if you're interested, when I finally make my travel arrangements, you can even come with me. A fresh start, for all of us. Questions?"

Monopoly raised his good hand. "No offense intended Teacher, but why couldn't you just tell us all this at the start? Seems like a pretty straightforward deal."

"No offense taken." I smiled. "In all honesty? I wanted to trim the 'disloyal' members of the group before I talked details. I saw no sense explaining the next steps of the plan to someone that was just going to walk away afterwards. What's stopping them from trying to report us and screwing up our plans, then?"

"Well… couldn't one of us still just do that now?"

"True, true." I nodded, as I took another sip of coffee. Scowling at the persistent bitterness, I stirred in more sugar. "But you already had your one chance to leave without consequences. Your soul is mine now. Try to run from me now, and I'll hunt you down as a deserter."

The table got so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The color visibly drained from everyone's faces -except Scout of course- as I took a long, loud, drawn out sip of my coffee, my eyes cold.

I let the moment last for a whole minute…. Before bursting out laughing.

"Ahahaha! Oh, man!" I breathed. "Relax, guys. I'm just kidding!"

I chuckled and gave Hoodie a playful jab in the shoulder. He flinched at the motion before nervously laughing along, the rest of the group following suit.

"…But seriously. I'm going to be upset if anyone tries to cut and run on us."

Rule Three of the Game of Life: Make sure people always remember who holds the power in your relationship.

Another little trick I learned while being in a previous position of power. Be too friendly and casual with your group, and people start thinking of you as a friend rather than someone to respect. Acting friendly and making people comfortable around you were fine, so long as you occasionally reminded them how easily you could make life just as equally uncomfortable for them if you so chose.

Always keep them wanting to be on your "good" side.

I broke my own rule once, and the exception screwed me over. Don't end up like the aspiring supervillain, boys and girls.

"Look, I get it," I said, smiling reassuringly. "I get it if some of you are nervous. The cape scene pays good because it's a high risk, high return field. But I don't want any of you to feel like you're indentured to me now or something. Lieutenant?"

This was a part of the joint pitch we'd practiced together in advance. I nodded to Cal, who took over for me after a moment's hesitation. "S-should any of you feel uncomfortable with the direction this group is heading, or if you at any time feel unsafe and decide you'd like to leave, so be it. We ask only that you come to either myself or Teacher and make arrangements for your withdrawal in advance."

"I want to keep a low profile as possible," I cut back in. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to kill any of you for wanting to leave. Not to offend anyone, but with my power I can't see myself pressed for eager new hires if someone needs to be replaced. I intend to run this organization like a business. All I ask in return for my patronage is professionalism on your parts."

Freeze Tag put his hand up, cutting off all discussion. When a guy that looked like him, like he just left a biker gang spoke, you damn well better give him your undivided attention. "Not a question, but more of a statement..."

He looked me square in the eyes. "I don't like the way you didn't tell us how your power works."

"…I see." I pursed my lips. I rapped my fingers against the table.

Ta-Tap Ta-Tap Ta-Tap

"…Does anyone else share his concern?"

A few hands rose around the table. The big woman's hand went up right away, while Hoodie's went up more sheepishly.

I thought for a moment. "Is… this going to be an issue with our working relationship? I thought we cleared the air when I made the issue known to you and you still agreed to join me?"

"Because it wasn't enough of a big deal to warrant an outright no." He crossed his arms. "Still not sure it's a dealbreaker."

'Outright no. Not sure it's a dealbreaker,' I thought. 'Implying it could still become a dealbreaker if he doesn't like we're heading.'

He didn't waste time confirming my suspicions. "Since you're talking about giving you notice if we feel like leaving, I'm going to be upfront. I'll let you keep your power's price a secret slide for now. But if you're hiding anything else…"

Cal and I shared a brief look. I still hadn't asked him where he'd manage to find this guy. Out of all the Students, this guy was the one I was most concerned about.

This man wasn't someone I could pressure into submission, because he'd just push right back. And backing down and being overly apologetic would only result in lowering my standing in my Student's eyes. This was someone who I needed to make respect me, and that happened slowly.

"…If I were hiding something else, then I could just as easily have a secret power that makes you believe whatever I say is true."

That clearly wasn't something he was comfortable with, nor anyone else. He opened his mouth-

"-Maybe I have the power to make you agree with any opinions I express. Maybe..." I clutch my hands over my heart in an exaggerated romantic gesture. "Maybe I don't have any power at all, and the potential to be heroes was inside you all along~"

I let my face fall into level seriousness. "We could spend all day wondering 'what-ifs', each one utterly impossible for me to disprove. There is no such thing as one hundred percent certainty. You just have to trust that I'm not using some sort of cheat and play the cards you've been dealt."

I looked at the group. "That said, I agree with you. Me not telling you the full details of how my power works was scummy, admittedly. But it was necessary. And the best way I can think to earn your trust is but showing you I'm worth it. From now on, I'm on the up-and-up. I'll show you by acting it every minute of every day."

I shrugged again. "If there's something I won't elaborate further on, I'll notify you up front, but I'll never outright lie to you. That would, after all, hardly set our business relationship off on the right foot, would it?"

"If I may." Cal jumped in again. "I've known Teacher the longest. He's saved my life, intervened to help people when he's had nothing to gain. I trust him to do the right thing. I Know him, now. Trust him, and he'll do everything he can to be worthy of it."

"Thank you, Lieutenant." I smiled kindly, inclining my head in his direction. I looked back to Freeze Tag. "Satisfied?"

The Biker didn't look satisfied. Not fully, but he wasn't as on edge as he continued sizing me up. We locked gazes for a couple minutes, and I refused to look away.

"…Fair enough," he shrugged finally.

The matter seemingly tabled for now, the tension at the table slowly dissipated.

"This has been a trying evening, hasn't it?" I rubbed my shoulder, the ache finally catching up to me. "Once we finish up here, I think we've all earned a rest."

'And medical attention,' I added mentally as I rubbed some tried blood from my wounded shoulder into a napkin.

The cut hadn't been all that deep and the bleeding may have stopped, but it was a stark reminder that this wasn't a fantasy world for me anymore. It wasn't a fanfiction, it was my reality now, and if I wasn't careful there were potentially lethal consequences to my actions.

I needed a doctor. But outside of the medics in Tent City -which I never wanted to see again- none of us knew any trained physicians that would be willing to help us. That was, not until I'd used my power again.

"Ow!" Monopoly hissed.

"Please stop moving." Scout readjusted the wrappings she'd been tying around the man's wrist.

A quick stop at a gas station for a cheap first aid kit on the way here, and my new "nurse" assured me she felt she had everything she needed to help.

"Just be a bit gentler next time, alright?" he asked, voice gentle as he rubbed his bandaged hand. "That seriously hurt."

"Harming you further was not my intention." Scout's voice was emotionless and even, her expression and posture blank and neutral to the point I briefly mused that if she cleaned up a little and stood still, she could easily pass for a display mannequin.

"Your wrist has suffered a minor sprain," she muttered as she started tying again. "Keep it bandaged and apply ice regularly for thirty-one hours."

"Thirty-one?" Bandana Man blinked as he looked up from his donut. "I thought you were supposed to wait forty-eight hours?"

"A full forty-eight hours rest would be unnecessary." Scout continued working without looking away... or blinking. "My assessment has determined thirty-one hours and ten minutes will be sufficient for the Patient to regain full use of his hand."

Already the most spaced out of all of us, Scout had volunteered to be imbued with the gift of advanced medical knowledge, of the sort one would need a lifetime's worth of education for. A more detailed inspection of the power in the Library revealed the knowledge of medicine and first aid it bestowed could be amplified to gift a tinker-like ability, so that even the more … impractical treatments worked on the level of professional care given by a certified doctor.

"… The Treatment is complete," Scout said aloud as she finished retying the bandage. Monopoly flexed his bandaged hand then nodded, satisfied.

I blanched as her head snapped around to face me, fixing me with that blank stare.

"It's your turn now, Teacher."

I swallowed nervously. I could stare down a thug with a knife, but something in Scout's gaze still gave me the willies. It wasn't human in the slightest.

It was… mechanical.

What I'd said to the Student with the driving ability earlier hadn't quite been a lie. The Toll taken by my power never took anything that impeded a Student's ability to use their newfound gifts. What it did do, however, was take away their ability to use it without direction.

In other words, the "smarter" I made someone the less they could actually do with those "smarts".

A precog could be overwhelmed by visions or be unable to coherently describe what they were seeing beyond one or two words. A tinker with the incredible ability to build electronics from scrap, rendered unable to make anything more complicated than a lightbulb without someone telling them exactly what to do. Needless to say, even without using that last power yet, I could already see how a non-tinker basically talking a tinker through his/her own project would likely produce… lackluster results.

Needless to say, at this stage I wasn't going to be shooting up any homemade miracle drugs or getting gadgets implanted into my body if I could help it. Not until I had quality materials to work with, anyway.

Scout crossed the room with single-minded focus, not seeming to even notice or care as she bumped into the big woman on her way to me.

"Hey!"

The younger Student gave no indication she noticed or cared about the other woman's protest as she knelt next to me and reopened the first aid kit. Wordlessly, she bent over next to me. Wordlessly, her eyes roamed over my body, appraising me a way that reminded me of the way a butcher might examine a cut of meat.

"I'll begin with a physical assessment," she muttered. "To see if there are preexisting conditions or undiscovered injuries that also require Treatment."

"I…see." I grunted as Scout lightly prodded around the cut, before kneading up and down my arm before moving onto the rest of my body.

Switching Scout's Field out for Sawbones Savant might have "cured" her of the listlessness her visions had given her, but in exchange the new power had taken away most of the facets of her identity that didn't have to do with being a medical professional.

How many facets did that entail? I was hesitant to say, "pretty much all of them", but….

"…So, you can basically just pull new powers out on the fly?" Hoodie asked as Scout continued to pinch around my chest. Even after I'd already broken it down for him and the others multiple times, the group still seemed to be having a hard time comprehending the relative "generosity" of my power.

"Pretty much, yeah." I shrugged casually as I could. "As long as it's a thinker power short of mind reading or mind control, or it's a mundane skill you'd need to take classes to learn, I can charge you with it with a touch."

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around that." Bandana rubbed his temples. "The fact that someone can just… hand out powers like candy? It's insane."

The fat woman laughed. "We live in a world where giant monsters and guys in spandex fly around shooting lasers at each other, and this is what surprises you?"

My lip twitched at her snark. She was a touch too abrasive in her approach, but there was something about how she plainly spoke her mind I found myself appreciating. I didn't like it, but I could respect her blunt honesty.

"There's thousands of flyers and laser-shooting guys out there, but have you ever heard of someone like this? Imagined we'd see it firsthand?"

I smiled. "To my knowledge, I'm the only one of me that currently exists."

"Should we really be talking so openly about this?" Hoodie asked, peering around.

"Don't worry about it." I waved him off. "We're covered, remember?"

I turned to Bandana Man "We're alone, right?"

"Yep," he nodded. "No one's watching us right now."

I'd already switched his X-Ray Vision out again for one called Sixth Sense. A Student with Sixth Sense could "tag" members of a group, and from that point on they would know if they were being observed by someone outside the group, whether it was by a stranger or some manner of surveillance tech.

The donut shop was practically abandoned this early in the morning. The middle-aged guy manning the counter had retreated to the back shortly after giving us our orders, presumably to do whatever fast food workers did at four in the morning. We had the place entirely to ourselves.

"See?" I shrugged. "Just sit back and relaaachk-!"

Scout grabbed my head in both hands while I was in the middle of talking.

Their motes shining in 'ALARM', Cal and Freeze Tag and both leapt out of their seats and Hoodie's hand was halfway to the silverware before I raised a hand to ward them off.

I stared at my Student as she applied slight pressure to the sides of my jaw to open my mouth, still showing no sign she was aware of the way the rest of the group was reacting to her behavior. The fat woman merely sipped her drink.

"Uhhh.. Sschout?" I ventured.

It was another minute before she spoke again. "…You have fillings in your mouth formerly occupied by cavities, and your wisdom teeth have already been removed. No further Treatment needed for those healed injuries."

"… Right." She released my head, and I rubbed the back of my neck. "Your thoroughness is appreciated, Scout. But please give prior warning before doing that. Better yet, remember to get consent first, okay?

"… Understood." Scout blinked. "In addition to your most recent knife wound, you have a fractured rib that has only partially healed. A cold compress, bedrest and a steady and balanced diet are recommended, given evidence of the early effects of malnutrition on your body."

"….Wait, you've been doing all this on a cracked rib?!"

I blew the question off with a wave of my hand without even looking to see who asked it, the more casual the motion seemed the better. "Some things just need to be done as soon as possible, and sometimes you don't have a choice about getting involved. Wasn't about to let that scum tonight go unpunished."

As murmurs of agreement went around the table, Scout extended her hand. "…. Your right hand, please."

I complied, not certain what she was getting at. My hand was completely fine, all injuries there long healed…

… I only realized my mistake after my Student's grip had already clamped down on my wrist like a vice, tracing her fingers over a scar that stretched over the knuckles of my middle and ring finger.

I winched. Not from any pain, but at unpleasant memories this experience was dredging up.

"Scar tissue is still slightly inflamed. Injury is consistent with that of a 'fight bite', an injury that occurs when one individual strikes another directly in the mouth." Her eyes met mine as she prodded the old scar.

I grit my teeth. "Scout…"

"My… analysis…" She blinked, heedless of my increasing discomfort. "…Indicates the estimated force of the blow was sufficient to tear the skin on impact with the central and lateral incisor. Analysis also indicates the force from such a blow would also likely have knocked out or at least partially dislodged said teeth from the recipient's mouth.

Well… That was scarily accurate.

"Wait, you punched someone's teeth out!?" Hoodie was surprised, but also seemed a bit… excited? Someone had a taste for violence, it seemed.

The rest of the group seemed likewise surprised by the revelation, particularly Callum. I'd probably given the impression I wasn't the sort of person that engaged in physical violence. And ordinarily I wasn't, but the circumstances in that case had been… extraordinary.

I momentarily considered denying everything but realized that would probably make Scout and myself look stupid. There was also the nasty possibility that giving her power false information would skew my doctor's assessments or result in a thinker headache, and neither were something I wanted to subject her to.

"That's… correct," I said, keeping my tone intentionally casual. "Very impressive."

The rest of the faces around the table were surprised, Cal included. I was good, but I wasn't entirely certain my acting skills could totally fool him anymore.

"… Mind if I ask who it was?" he asked. I met his questioning gaze, then looked away.

"Someone who desperately deserved it." I stirred my coffee, suddenly feeling quite morose. "It… was a long time ago."

"But my analysis indicates the injury is only roughly a year to a year and a half old-"

"Scout!" I said, tone clipped. "This isn't relevant. Please limit your assessment to the knife wound on my shoulder."

Scout blinked, releasing my hand. "…. Yes. Of course, Teacher"

Silence reigned for a short while after as Scout cleaned and bandaged my injury. A few attempts at conversation were attempted, but the mood had soured. It was clear a sore subject had been pressed.

"…Treatment complete," Scout finally said as she finished with my shoulder, putting her tools back in the kit.

I experimentally rotated my shoulder, and the bandages held.

"This is nice work," I finally told her. "Thank you."

"…You're welcome." It took her a moment to reply, but there was more emotion in it than anything she'd said since getting Sawbones Savant. With no obvious injuries around for her power to home in on, it seemed she was able to regain a bit more of herself.

My arm… felt good. I wasn't sure if there was some tinker-like shard magic at work making the basic treatment unnaturally effective or if it was just the placebo effect, but now that her work was done the wound was already starting to feel much better. The pain was near-nonexistent, and the supposedly cheap bandages were holding up well to casual stress as I flexed my arm.

There wasn't even a need for stitches. Should I have needed stitches? The cut was shallow for a knife wound I supposed, but I'd never really had experience with that sort of injury until tonight.

"…How are you holding up?" I asked the girl, out of concern for her wellbeing as well as to try to get conversation going again.

"Mmmalright," she mumbled absently as she finished putting her things away.

"You should eat." I pressed. "Even if you're not feeling hungry or if your power is telling you there's something more pressing, I don't want you to neglect yourself. Keeping your strength up is important to me."

Now she looked up at me, eyes wide.

"Eat. Please."

"…Alright." Her motions were still restrained and vaguely-mechanical looking as she stood up and took her seat, but once she started eating her food it was with the same desperation of the rest of us.

I waited until she was finished to speak again. I pinched the bridge of my nose and took a deep breath. "…Forgive me, for snapping at you."

She looked up at me.

I rubbed my hands together, covering the scar. "The story that scar tells… isn't a very happy one. It doesn't have anything to do with my powers or anything. It's just… not something I prefer to dwell on. Lashing out at you for doing your job was uncalled for, forgive me."

With another sigh, I drank another mouthful of coffee. With all the sugar I'd put in it in an attempt to make the taste bearable, it tasted like how I felt. Bittersweet.

"…Thank you."

The whisper was so faint, I might have thought I'd imagined it. I blinked. I turned back towards Scout, but by then her face was as blank as ever.

I honestly didn't expect her to respond to me at all. How... aware my Students actually were, especially while using the "advanced" abilities, was debatable. But what wasn't debatable was the fact they were all still human beings, deserving of being treated with basic decency and respect at all times.

Cal seemed to share the sentiment, or at least understood what I was trying to do. "… How are you feeling? Do you think your power will inhibit your ability to get…" I could see him falter for a moment. "…Back to camp?"

He almost asked her if she would be alright getting "home". There were a lot of things you could probably call Tent City, and "home" certainly wasn't one of them.

"Ahhmmalright," she muttered again, before chewing and swallowing another mouthful of cheese Danish. "…Ish not so bad. I know what I need to do to get my job done. Everything else just feels… hazy? Unimportant? 'Sss no big deal."

"At the risk of crossing a line into your privacy," I steepled my fingers on the table. "Are you staying with someone? I don't think any of us would mind dropping you off if you need help getting back. At the very least we could drop you in an area close to your tent, to let you keep your privacy."

This scenario was something I'd dreaded from the start of this gambit: A Student returning to camp and their loved ones recognizing there was something wrong with them. More importantly: if they'd even be able to take care of themselves.

She blinked and shook her head. "I'm not staying with anyone. My family is dead."

"Oh."

She said it so matter-of-factly, it actually left me speechless for a moment.

"B-!… Be that as it may," Callum coughed. "If you're uncertain your power will pose a problem for you later, I could keep an eye out for you. Make sure you don't have any trouble."

"Lieutenant?" I blinked, surprised. "Are you certain?"

"It's no problem." He shrugged. "It's simply the right thing to do if Scout needs help. This group is a chance for all of us to better ourselves. We will all help each other here."

"Quite so." I nodded, approving of his initiative before looking to Scout. "I'd readjust your power again, but at this point I'm concerned what further effects it might have on you. Don't attempt to randomly Treat any strangers you see, not unless it's life or death. Do that, be patient, and you should be otherwise fine."

Jacket cleared his throat from his side of the table. "And what about the…?" Jacket pointed at the side of his head, tapping a finger against his temple.

I glanced into Scout, squinting at the brightness of her power mote. "…In a couple of days, the potency of my... enhancements should decrease to unnoticeable levels. Your powers will decline, but you should still have some degree of medical training. When you're feeling more yourself, we can see about swapping it out for something else you might like.

It was a few seconds before Scout answered us. She blinked, then smiled slightly at both myself and Callum. This time her voice was clear. "…Thank you."

Cal smiled warmly back. "It's truly our pleasure, Scout-"

"K-Kate…." She smiled dimly. "My name is Kate."

And the smile fell right off Cal's face.

'Man, we haven't really been all that good when it comes to keeping our names secret, have we?'

I already knew Dave's name, and unless it had been forgotten in all the confusion Cal had mistakenly shouted my alias during the fight with Snakeface. I'd avoided drawing attention to it, but I could see Cal wince as if struck every time I mused on his slip-up.

Another thing I could use to guilt him back under my thumb, if I needed to.

"Is this the part where we're supposed to share our names?" the big woman adjusted her glasses as she chewed another donut from the bag. "I'll pass, if it's all the same."

"That's fine," I shrugged. "As long as you all agree to keep the group's secrets, I have no problem with you keeping your personal business to yourselves."

'…Well, if you're going to do something, do it all the way.'

I looked at a puzzled Kate, who didn't seem to realize she'd said anything wrong.

"My name's Benjamin." I smiled, then looked around the table at the gobsmacked faces. "Benjamin Terrell. Kate, everyone, it's very nice to meet you."

I breathed on my hands to warm them as I looked up at the early morning sky. Dawn's light was just starting to trickle over the horizon, painting the eastern corner of the sky bright orange and the rest dark blue. I sighed contentedly. Sometimes you simply needed to stop and appreciate the little things.

It was a lovely sight, and it lined up perfectly with the dawning of my cape career.

There was some muted laughter within the restaurant after someone presumably told a joke. The group was still getting on, at least on the surface level. But as the rest of Sydney woke up it would only be a matter of time before the coffee shop was full of regulars looking for their morning caffeine fix.

Before that happened we'll all have to say our goodbyes for the night. Hey, I might have employees now, but that didn't mean I wanted them practically fused to my hip all the time. The day was still young, and there were a few things I wanted to handle on my own before I had to deal with the headaches of establishing a temporary headquarters.

'Namely, I want a change of clothes, a shower, a real goddamn bed, and a proper hearty dinner. Maybe something nice, grilled and smoky, like whatever smells so good…'

I paused that train of thought as I took another whiff of the air. No, wait. That's just smoke.

'Could someone just be cooking outdoors? Homeless?'

I looked in the direction of the camp. Smoke was rising in the distance, and the sounds of sirens were slowly becoming more and more audible. No, definitely not someone cooking outdoors.

"What in the hell…?"

The electronic chime of the store's door opening alerted me to the fact I wasn't alone anymore.

"Everything all right out here?" Cal asked as he stepped outside.

I smiled and shook my head. "Everything's fine, just thought I'd take a breather. I can only really handle people in small doses before I need a break."

"Really? You seemed to handle yourself really well from where I'm standing."

"I'm good at hiding my nerves," I confided. "Thanks for your vote of confidence, though."

And then he caught sight of the smoke on the horizon. "What the…?"

"Yeah, that was my thought."

The sirens were clearly audible now. Like a shooting star, an orange glimmer of light was visible in the distance as it soared through the sky, before disappearing below the skyline.

'Lightrail,' I thought with a brief spike of alarm. 'Or some other flying cape, coming to investigate.'

"What… what happened?" Cal gaped with his eyes wide. The way his pupils were rapidly darting around in his sockets made me think he might be trying to piece it together with his power.

"Whatever kept the police so busy they took forever to respond to that break-in. Someone else must have made a play."

"Should we…?" Cal motioned towards the inside of the building where the rest of the group was waiting.

I shook my head. "If the heroes and the police are on-site, whoever did whatever is long gone. And if there is a cape fight still ongoing, it will long be over by the time we get there."

Cal, good lad that he was, didn't seem thrilled about not being able to help out. But still, he couldn't fault my logic.

'If it's cape related, you can bet we're going to hear about it later anyway.'

I leaned up against the wall. "So, what's your opinion? What the group's read on my offer? They going for it?"

Cal put his hands in his pockets as he turned back to me, and I could practically see the gears turning as his social thinker power started chugging along again towards a new task. "All of them are on board, to some extent."

"Biggest naysayers?"

"The fat lady and the biker."

I shrugged. I could have seen that coming a mile away. "Not Bandana Guy? He was one of the most outspoken critics at the start of the night."

Cal shook his head. "He stopped doubting right when you proved your powers were real."

"And the ones that left?"

He blinked. "What do you mean? They… left, didn't they?"

I rolled my eyes. "What are the chances one of them tells on us?"

"O-oh! None, as far as I could tell. They're either too scared of what they think you might do or they're… grateful?" He rubbed the side of his head. "Sorry… The emotion I picked up is a little fuzzy, can't make it out clearly… There's something else… What's-?"

"-Understandable," I said quickly. "Each of the powers I control are only of limited usefulness on their own. Don't stress yourself too much over a missed detail here or there."

"Alright," Cal took his hand away from his head. I could See the moment he mentally dismissed his power from the moment its "light" dimmed over his head.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Cal still wasn't ready to be told the full extent of my ability. He might never be ready to know, but I was going to be fair with him while he was still here.

I still had no way of knowing how long my power's master effect lasted. Supposedly it could last for weeks or months on its own, but I was seeing it in terms of "bright" or "dim", with little detail. The amount of data I was getting back from the power motes I sent out were… less detailed than I thought it would be.

From what I'd read of Worm and Ward, I'd thought the Other Guy had more… fine control over his powers.

'Passenger.' I looked at my hand, clenched it into a fist. 'I feel… Like I should be able to do… more with this.'

A foreign stab of emotion I knew wasn't mine washed over me for a split second as I looked up again. It lasted for perhaps half a second, and like a slight breeze on the skin it was so faint and fleeting I'd probably have even forgotten it was ever there if I hadn't been paying attention, but I had been.

...Disappointment...

"How am I a…?" I closed then opened my mouth again. I'd forgotten what I was going to say.

"…How's… How's Kate doing?"

Cal's face softened. "She's alright. I'm going to keep an eye on her until we all meet back up tomorrow night. She seems to appreciate it."

"I thought so, too." I nodded, then paused. "...Cal, when you and she get a moment away from the others, ask her if she wants to leave."

"W-what?!" Whatever words Cal expected me to say next, it certainly hadn't been that.

"I would have asked myself, but I didn't want to seem like I was putting her on the spot in front of the rest of the group," I explained. "And if I were asking, I'm sure she'd feel pressured to say yes to anything I told her. I want to be sure she's really okay with going forward once she's feeling more herself. Just ask her to think it over while she recovers. If she's not interested in working with us anymore, she can go with the same offer we gave the others: her pay and a refreshed power superpower."

"Got it." He nodded as I explained it to him, expression softening from shock to understanding. "Most people wouldn't have that concern. I'm glad a power like yours ended up in good hands."

It's nice that he thinks that.

My smile took on a rueful edge for a moment before I suppressed it, hopefully too quick for Cal to see.

"I appreciate you having my back tonight," I told him sincerely. "I know you probably have questions of your own, but you didn't ask them while the group was looking. I appreciate that."

There was something to be said of having a sense of discretion. To know not just what to say in a tense situation, but when it was best to say nothing at all.

He shrugged. "It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. I thought… My power thought if I'd asked my questions in front of the others, you would have looked weak. Like you were keeping me in the dark…."

His eyes glazed over. "...Like you're afraid to really let anyone in."

Cal's face was curiously blank for several moments. I stood there waiting for a response, only to finally realize I wasn't going to get one.

I snapped my fingers in front of his face. "Hey. Hey! Earth to Cal, you good?"

"…Hmm?" He blinked. "Ah!"

He shook his head. "Sorry, Ben. I'm just tired, not feeling all here right now."

I nodded understandingly, but my gaze turned inward, to the power that was still broadcasting.

I gave him a once over. "Are you… feeling alright?"

He looked himself over, as if he were expecting to see my power physically growing on him like some sort of parasite. "Yeah… mostly."

"Mostly." I repeated, crossing my arms. "What's mostly?"

"This power. It makes me feel… good. But it's a different sort of good than with the other power."

He looked incredibly… lost for a moment before he could get his bearings and speak again.

"I feel like there's a weight on my brain, Ben. Like someone draped a cold, wet towel over my head to help me cool down. At first it was… refreshing, I guess? But now it's like the excess wetness is soaking through my scalp and down into the rest of my thoughts. Makes things feel… a little heavier, like my mind's got to work harder to work around it, even though I know the power's only there to help."

I… wasn't sure what to make of that.

Cal looked at me, more himself now but simultaneously seeming indescribably… vulnerable somehow.

"This power… It's not dangerous, right? Of course it isn't, I feel like I'd know if it was, but-"

"-It's nothing to worry about," I confirmed, facing forward again to hide my expression. "The weirdness is just the result of me adjusting your power too much without giving it a chance to 'cool down'," I lied smoothly. A half-lie, but a lie, nonetheless. "You'll feel normal again later. When you're feeling more yourself, we can talk about changing it back or trading it in for another ability, if you feel like it."

Cal blinked, then nodded. "…Right." He smiled. "Thanks, Ben. Thanks for doing the right thing back there at the store. For a moment there, I thought you were planning on walking away."

I blinked, nonplussed. Was it really surprising that I'd stopped to help? Yeah, I was trying to be pragmatic, but there were some clear moral exceptions to the rule. It was the difference between standing around on an empty street corner waiting for someone to get jumped as opposed to seeing someone already being mugged and intervening. The latter example was compassionate, the former was stupid.

Just like how I was planning on getting the heck out of dodge before the real villains inevitably showed up.

"No problem," I shrugged. "Couldn't just sit back and let you guys fight while I stood on the sidelines. I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself."

And you guys likely wouldn't have forgotten it if I had.

"So, you're going back to America?"

"Someday soon, yeah." I gave Cal a look. "Want to come along?"

Might as well just ask straight up. From what I gathered it didn't much seem like Cal had much waiting for him here in Canada. He seemed to know it as well. His face turned thoughtful as he milled over his options.

"I dunno, Ben. Moving from one country to another is a big step." His face darkened as he spoke, but then brightened again. "Why don't you just set up shop here? With your powers, you could probably be one of the strongest capes in the province if you stayed."

"A…Fair point." I bobbed my head in acknowledgement.

I'd be lying if I said I hadn't considered it. Even now I could feel the temptation. The pull.

The lure of power, money, and influence. Like the exultation I'd experienced at the casino, watching the money flow in. The desperation of the thieves at the boutique, their terror as they realized far too late just how outmatched they really were.

The unspoken promise: "If you go all in, you could have all that and more. This whole town could be yours."

"…But no." I shook my head. "It's just… too out of my comfort zone. I have a better understanding of the cape scene in America than I do in Canada. Besides, I'm just not the sort of guy that's interested in being some sort of king. That's just not how I operate."

That was indeed mostly true. Like most of the decisions I made, it was a matter of weighing the pros and cons. Becoming either "The Don" or the "Defender of Sydney" sounded cool on paper, but ultimately weren't worth the effort. On top of painting a target on my back I'd be putting down roots too far away from the places I'd need to actually, physically be present to change the timeline for the better.

And like gambling, the more times I went out overtly caping, the more likely it would be that my luck would run out and I'd get caught, or people would figure out my power's trick and I'd be exposed.

Cal blinked at my answer, then shook his head, chuckling. "You're a hard guy to get, you know that?"

I smiled. "Aww, that's part of my charm. Keeps things exciting. Would you like me as much if you just got me and that was the end of it? You like the mystery, don't you?"

'And no doubt that's why you're using your thinker power on me right now, aren't you?'

He laughed, and I just kept smiling.

I didn't mind. Really, I didn't. If I had the ability to low-key cold read people like Tattletale, I'd probably use it constantly, too.

I was forcing myself to seem as casual as possible. Body language, tone, posture. All the little acting tricks I'd learned in and out of school were being subtly being put to the test right now. It wasn't a primary objective of mine, but I honestly wanted to see if I could fool Cal's power's read on me.

'Better to try it with a thinker that actually likes me, fail, and learn from the failure and try again later rather than go up against Tattletale straight up and have her hand me my own ass on a platter with a smile.'

I kept smiling as I looked up into the early morning sky. Tonight could have been better, but it could've been worse too. All in all, I was feeling pretty good about things.

…. And then an all-too-familiar smell crossed my nose. Something burning, and I didn't mean the smoke from the fire.

I turned to look, gut clenching.

"…Huh."

Cal took a drag of his cigarette, holding it in for a moment before exhaling loudly. He sighed contentedly, before he glanced at me and the smile fell clean off his face.

"…What?" he asked, voice nervous.

"Nothing," I lied consummately. "Nothing at all."

I didn't say anything for several minutes, just waiting for Cal to notice something off and say something. When that failed to work, I changed tactics. "I… didn't know you smoked, Cal."

"Oh, this?" he said after a moment, giving the cigarette in his own hand a curious look.

'Please don't tell me my power did that. Please don't tell me my power did that. Please don't tell me my power makes literal addicts out of people.'

"I never used to," he said after another inhale. "Some guys in Tent City introduced me to it. Helps calm my nerves."

"Oh yeah?" I said, eyebrow quirking slightly as I resisted the urge to sigh with relief.

"Want one?" he asked, proffering the pack. 'The half-empty pack,' I noted with no small measure of distaste.

'Well, that's just not going to fly.'

"Don't mind if I…. do!" I said as I made as if I was taking a smoke, and then snatched the entire pack out of his hands.

"Hey!" he protested. He actually dropped the lit smoke in his hands as he reached forward to snatch the pack back from me.

"Ah ah!" I chided, stepping back out of reach. I was never particularly strong, but I could be rather agile when I wanted to be.

"Those are mine!" he protested as he took another step forward.

I grinned and stuck out my tongue as I dodged another swipe. "Not anymore they aren't."

"Ben, this isn't funny. You've had your joke, now hand them over or-!"

"Or what?" I growled, letting my voice fall to the low, dull tone I'd used when delivering my "joke" threat to the group.

That stopped him cold, his reaching hand frozen halfway extended in front of him as we stared at each other. Cal towered over me, literally and figuratively, but the weight in my voice carried the promise of retaliation better than any spoken words could.

I sighed.

"These things will kill you, you know that?" I rattled the pack of smokes before slipping them into my coat. "And I'm not talking in a couple of decades, either. Look at where we are. How did you get these? How did you even start?"

"A nice guy loaned me one. He was being nice, Ben. Why do-?"

"-He loaned you one. And I'm guessing he wasn't just handing out packs, was he?"

"No…" his nose crinkled as he struggled to figure out where this was going.

"You bought this pack before tonight, didn't you?" I accused.

"Y-yeah?"

"And how much money did you have on you before tonight?" I narrowed my eyes. "How much of the last money in your pocket did you spend on cigarettes, when you could have gotten food, a change of clothes, or just not spent any money and just taken a half-decent shower?"

I gave him a pointed once-over, drawing attention to his noticeably… haggard appearance for the first time since we'd been reunited.

He caught my meaning and had the decency to look embarrassed. "That's… that's not fair Ben," he protested lamely.

"I think it's plenty fair." I shrugged, then looked him square in the eye. "Do you think, now, of all times, is a good time to get addicted to something?"

He had nothing to say, because of course he didn't. I quickly switched tracks again before he could organize a defense.

"I'm sorry about what happened to your uncles, Cal."

I reiterated. He blinked, stunned by the sudden change in topic. I pressed the advantage. "I'm not going to pretend to know what happened between you and your parents that made you want to never go home, but I'm going to be honest with you and say I don't care."

I kept talking before he stopped being gobsmacked enough to retort.

"I don't care. Whether you cheated on a test or you went out and killed someone, I don't care. Everything you've done since the day I've met you has shown me how good a guy you are."

I squeezed the pack of cigarettes. "But I'm not going to let you give up on yourself!"

"I'm not giving up on myself…" He mumbled. On the contrary, I found the way he was avoiding my gaze to be quite… telling. "I was just… letting go for a bit. Just until I could figure things out."

"In my time, I've seen waaay too many good people destroy themselves, and it all started with one dumb mistake." I exhaled. "Either they had some tough times, or they were doing so well in life they just started thinking they were invincible."

I wasn't just spinning a tall tale, I had seen it before. A trio of eager young faces flashed before my eyes. The old gang. Tommy.

...Me.

"They let themselves go, and it started with making one bad choice they thought it 'didn't matter'. And then they made another that 'didn't matter', and then another, and another and another until their lives were in shambles. And by the time it was over, you wouldn't be able to recognize any of them anymore."

I took a sip of my coffee, letting the silence linger for a moment for effect. "Fuck that. Not this time. Not this life. You saved my life tonight, so I'm going to return the favor and save yours."

I grabbed his shoulder. We both felt the Connection form, Cal's eyes snapping back to my own… And I released it without making a change, having gotten his full attention. "Next time we see each other, I want you to be showered, shaved, and to have gotten a good night's sleep. No more dumb shit, or I promise I'll cut you off. Think you can follow those orders, Lieutenant?"

He searched my expression for a long moment. Not sure what he was looking for. I didn't think my terms were that unreasonable, maybe he was expecting more? Maybe he was surprised I cared that much.

"…Yes sir, I think I can do that."

"Good."

We stood there for several minutes, just quietly taking in the morning. I wasn't sure if Cal was mad at me or not, but I knew ragging on him endlessly wasn't going to help drive the message home. We watched the distant specks of orange, green and yellow light as they streaked through the sky, the flying heroes at this distance seeming no larger than fireflies. I was certain whatever new disaster was in the making that was would be all over the news in a couple hours. But that was a problem for "future me", the me of now was busy with my… my friend.

It had taken me this long for it to fully sink in. This was real. That the world I'd known was really gone, and that Bet had become my home more or less.

Soon I'd be leaving my new city behind too for the next part of my plan. A few days, maybe another week of ripping off the gambling circuit and some tinkertech Fun, and once I had enough money to hire a super-smuggler to get me over the border I'd be in the clear.

'Couldn't say I'll miss this town… But I think I'll miss moments like this if you don't follow me.'

"…Thanks for looking out for me," he finally said.

I exhaled as softly as I could, hoping Cal couldn't hear it, relieved.

"Don't mention it." I looked over at him. "Can you do what I ask? All of it?"

A moment later, he nodded. I sighed.

"I'm not trying to be a jerk here, Cal." I explained. "I'm not exactly a saint myself, and I'm not asking you to be one either. Just try to understand why I want some basic-!"

Saint.

The word rattled around in my head for a moment, and I froze.

"…Ben?"

Cal was saying something, but I wasn't paying attention. A cold, empty dread was welling up inside of me.

"…Uh, Ben? What's up?"

Saint.

Then a crashing, horrible realization. The last time I'd had such a feeling, I'd actually almost forgotten a final exam in college. But now, my stupid mistake might cost me a lot more than a stupid grade.

Saint. Saint.

Cal shouted something at me, but I wasn't listening.

Saint. Saint. Saint.

'I forgot about Goddamn Saint.'

The coffee cup slipped from my hands and splattered its contents onto the ground.