School hadn't come up until I got home last night. I hadn't even thought about the fact that it had been Monday. Dad had been understandably upset about my skipping school to 'go shopping', and without Victoria around to play her 'I'm a Hero!' card, I couldn't really argue it.

It makes me feel more than a little guilty about skipping out today, too. But after my run this morning, I just...I couldn't bring myself to go. That's not a good thing; every day I skip it's going to be that much harder to drag myself back. 'Today' I promise myself. 'Just today'. And I almost believe it.

I wandered, for awhile, just to be out of the house, but eventually I found my way to the library. That's not too unusual, for me. The lady at the front desk recognizes me, and her expression sours slightly, but she doesn't make a scene about how I should be in school. I ignore her, and drift between the shelves before pulling up a seat at one of the public computers.

If my meetings with Victoria (and the subsequent Cape fight) had taught me anything, it's that I'm woefully lacking in some basic knowledge. I don't know how much I'm going to be able to do to fix that, but I have to try. 'Forewarned is forearmed', after all.

While PHO might not be the most reliableresource for information, it's probably going to be the best I can get.

It doesn't take me long to get to the wiki, even with the spotty internet connection. My first thought is to confirm some of what Victoria told me yesterday, about the local villains. Some I'd recognized easily, the big names that you always heard in the news. Some I only recognized once I was on their pages. Others I'd never even heard of. Which really hammers home the fact that I shouldhave been studying this stuff before, instead of letting myself get distracted picking up petty criminals.

Nothing for it. I'm working on it now.

As far as the big gangs go, Victoria's rant was practically spot-on. Even the bit about the Merchants, who, if anything, seem to be worse than she'd let on. She didmiss a new member of the ABB; Bakuda, a Tinker whose debut involved taking her college hostage with high-tech bombs. I'm sure she and Oni Lee get along just fine.

I'm more interested in the 'Defeats and Captures' section of their page, though. Nothing on Bakuda, yet, but there are a few scattered reports about Oni Lee. Nothing recent, which means he really got away on Sunday...and...according to this, Lung didn't. Ambushed and taken down by Armsmaster, brought in, and likely to be Birdcaged. That...is that a coincidence? It seems a little out there. Lung's goons and one of his Lieutenants getting into a brawl with the Undersiders, only for the big boss himself to get taken in by one local hero? When he'd been dodging whole teams up to this point?

I'm not unhappy about it. But something about it just seems...I don't know. Too convenient, maybe? Or maybe I'm just seeing connections that aren't there. Distracting myself, for that matter.

I move on down my mental checklist. Faultline's Crew. Victoria was a bit more focused on her dislike of their work as villains-for-hire than anything else, but after a glance at their roster, reported history, and all of the comments on their page, it looks like there's some reasonable doubt there. People to watch out for, but they aren't racists, mad bombers, or junkies.

Come to think of it, that might make them more of a problem. So, people to watch carefully.

The Undersiders are more immediately interesting, if only because I'd actually met them. Sort of. Less troubling than the ABB, at least.

Victoria had only gone into a couple of things they had done, mostly focusing on Grue and Hellhound...or 'Rachel Lindt', apparently. I'd been assuming it was a personal bias, but the wiki proves that's not the case. They're the only ones with any history that doesn't start with the formation of their team. The article for Tattletale is little more than a stub. Regent doesn't even have that much.

From what I gather, though, they're small time, and don't have a gang to back them up. After a bit of debate, I file them away in a little mental box next to Faultline's crew. A definite concern, but nothing to get too worked up over.

My stomach growls, and a glance at the clock shows that it's almost noon. Funny how time flies...I back out of the wiki and navigate my way to the message boards for Brockton Bay. A little more research, and then lunch.

First, I look for anything on Oni Lee. There's a thread about the ABB, but I don't have the patience to do more than skim the latest pages. When that doesn't turn anything up, I start poking through the more active discussions...find a few mentions of a disturbance in the right general area, but nothing concrete. Maybe a good thing. No witnesses means nobody was close enough to the fighting to get hurt…

I miss in the first time, but the speculation that fills the rest of the page draws my attention back to it. Posted by 'SpeakEasy', yesterday.

'GG's shadow should check Connections.'

Well then.

The 'Connections' section of the message board wasn't really something I was expecting to make use of. I don't even have a name yet, and the only people I've 'saved' always took the chance to cut and run. When I see 'Interesting Tattoo' amid the rest of the cryptic subject lines? I have to swallow down a sudden attack of butterflies. Not the happy kind.

'Hope you're doing okay.' The message reads. 'Would have liked to thank you in person. Meet?'

It's signed 'Tt'. Doesn't take a genius to put two and two together. I dismissed the 'coincidence' with Lung, but this one's enough to convince me. Being convinced doesn't help me decide what to do about it.

A villain wants to meet me. Why? Two sentences isn't enough to make any real assumptions here. It doesn't seem like an invitation to a fight, but if it's some kind of trap then it wouldn't. I can't think of any other reasoning behind it, so...she wants to talk, or she wants to set me up. One or the other.

Do I ignore it? I don't have any particular reason to spring a trap, orto set up a meeting with a known criminal. Especially one that I know next to nothing about.

...but then, meeting her would be a good way to fix that. Maybe.

I could ask...I can't even finish the thought. Victoria would probably punch me for even thinking of agreeing to a meeting. And she'd find a way to convince my dad to lock me up, somehow. Not something I want to happen, even if it wouldn't actually stop me…

Overthinking it. Either I brush this off, and nothing changes. Or, I take it as an opportunity, and make the most of it.

Worst comes to worse, I can just run. I doubt any of them could keep up with me effectively.

Before I waste any more time debating things, I sign in as a guest and open a private message to 'Tt'.

'I had a little help. You sure we should meet? We didn't part on the best of terms.'

I send it off and leave the page up, settling back in my seat. I know it's ridiculous to expect an immediate response, but I don't really feel like trawling through pages of discussion anymore. It's nerve-wracking, just staring at the page. Ten minutes of that has me ready to walk out.

And then the response comes in.

'We didn't. Think we can get along just a little longer? G HH and me will meet you across from where we crossed paths. We'll be dressing up but not expecting anything formal.'

'We can meet at 3. Should give you enough time to get your things and get there from the Library. If not, let me know.'

I don't immediately teleport away, or start looking around for watchers. If they're close enough to see me, then it wouldn't matter if I spotted them now. But how the hell...?

No, it's not important. In the end, I'm sure that there are a dozen ways someone could pinpoint a public computer like that. That's why I'm using it, after all. It doesn't change anything. It's just a power-game. 'I know where you are', but that information is useless to her.

In the future I'll be more careful. For now, I've got a meeting to get ready for.

'I'll see you at three.'

Oh, I'm going to wind up regretting this.

xxxxxxxxxx

There are a few buildings that could be 'across' from the warehouse where I'd fought Oni Lee the other night. That being the case, I decide to take the high-ground; the tallest building in the area is only a couple of blocks away, and gives a decent view of everything. Not a great view, but...good enough.

Note to self; acquire binoculars. I'm not sure what I'd wind up using them for, but they'd probably come in handy.

I didn't arrive too early, so I don't have to wait very long for the Undersiders' arrival. That's kind of hard to miss, considering the massive dog-monsters they're riding; watching them jump from rooftop to rooftop is disconcerting, but I think I've still got them beat in terms of maneuverability. Three figures dismount, so they kept to their word as far as that goes...I stiffen, as one of them turns to waveat me. What the hell...it must be Tattletale. Which would make that twice now that she knew where I was.

Part of her power? If so, it isn't something I could effectively negate. Does it change my stance on this meeting? Initial thought is 'no', and given that I still don't know anything for sure, I can't particularly give myself a reason to bail.

Guess that's answer enough. I stand, plot my path, and step forward-

-moving around a rooftop vent as I continue forward, counting off the seconds until I've recovered enough to put myself-

-in the alleyway behind the building they've settled on. The wait, this time, gives me a chance to ensure that my hood is secure and my mask properly in place. I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Eyes closed, a deep breath in-

-and when I open them again, I'm facing the trio and their mounts from less than twenty feet away.

"Nice entrance." The girl who must be Tattletale grins at me, apparently unconcerned by my sudden appearance; her friends are less enthusiastic. Hellhound looks ready to sicc her dogs on me, and Grue is growing increasingly indistinct as darkness pours off of him. "Understated, but effective."

Seeing them in the daylight like this is strange. I vaguely remember them standing together in the warehouse, once the fight had ended, but I hadn't been in the best state of mind. Out here, it's hard not to pick out the little details that make them real. Disconcerting…

Also, I'm fairly certain that Tattletale's arm hadn't been broken, before. I've got a niggling feeling that that's important.

And I'm just standing here like an idiot. Why do I keep doing this? And in front of villains, this time. "...thanks." Pulling myself together. Now. "Looks like you didn't get away clean from that fight, either."

"Oh, this?" She smirks, lifting the purple cast up, for a moment; I almost miss her wince. "No, this was a parting gift from Lung."

"Lung." I frown...they'd been fighting the ABB, yes, but it hadn't exactly been the centerof their territory. Had they just been that unlucky? Had he been on his way to meet the group in the warehouse, for some reason? And for that matter, "Lung was captured by Armsmaster." On Sunday...I knew that hadn't been a coincidence!

"Considering Bitch's dogs did most of the work, I'd say we really should have earned an assist on that one." Grue speaks up, his voice echoing from behind his fog. "Not surprised the Protectorate wouldn't publicize that, though...Lung was out looking for us. Thanks to you, we managed to break up Oni Lee and his soldiers before they could meet up with their boss; I doubt we would have done as well if they'd had the chance to put up a united front."

Gang on gang violence. I'd like to be surprised, but I'm really not. "So is that what this is? 'Thanks for helping us out'?" I look to Tattletale, again, then the silent Hellhound...Bitch? Had her name been changed at some point? "You probably could have just done this online."

"Well, we couldn't very well give you this without meeting." Tattletale turns around to pick something up from behind her...I teleport several feet to the side as she tosses it, wince at the hollow, plastic clatter as it lands. Stupid…

"Seriously, Tattletale? Are you trying to piss her off?" Grue sounds upset. Tattletale doesn't look particularly bothered by it.

"My bad?"

"We're going to have a long talk about this, later…"

It's a lunch-box. I'm surprised it took me this long to recognize it; I used to have one just like it. "Alexandria?" Villains, throwing lunch-boxes at me, and they choose one of the most notable heroes in the country. "What, is it collectable? Because I kind of doubt it could be considered 'mint' anymore."

Tattletale rolls her eyes. "Look inside."

Okay...it's probably not a trap, but I still open it carefully. Pause, as what I'm seeing actually registers. Money. Stacks of it, wrapped in paper bands marked with their value. Two-fifty apiece. I'm probably holding more money than I've ever seen in one place.

"That's two-thousand." I look up to see Grue nodding at me. "You may not have meant to help us, but you did. So it's yours. No strings attached."

I can't take this money. I'm a hero, and they're villains. They can't actually expect me to accept this...Tattletale. The way she's smiling reminds me of the girls at school, when they know they're working me into a corner.

"What do you want?"

I direct the question at her, because as much as Grue may seem the leader here, she's the one that contacted me. She's the one that arranged this meeting.

Her smile grows. I don't appreciate being right. "Well, honestly, to thank you. But also, to have a chance to talk."

"Talk?"

"About the future." She shrugs. "I think we'd all do better, knowing exactly where everything stands."

That didn't answer anything. "You want to clarify?"

A moment of silence, and she tilts her head. "You've been pretty active, you know? That doesn't make people very happy."

"I don't really care what the gangs think."

"Oh, not just the gangs." Teeth flash. I feel my stomach drop almost immediately. "The police. The PRT, too. They really don't appreciate vigilantes on their turf."

"I'm not-"

"Five concussions." She cuts me off. "Numerous broken bones. Not to mention all the complaints the police-department is having to field. There are also a ton of groups that would loveto add you to their lists of examples why the government needs to crack down on independent capes."

It...can't possibly have been that bad. It's only been a month. And this is Brockton Bay. Even if I had been a little...a little rough...it's not like it would stand out that much.

"Honestly, it's like Shadow Stalker all over again." I stiffen. Her smile takes on a new edge. "You know, rumor is she was pressganged into the Wards because she nearly killed someone. Doing exactly what you've been doing."

I'd read some of those rumors. Considering what the Outsider had said about her, it wouldn't surprise me if it were true. But I wasn't…

I wasn't. I wasn't about to go out and kill someone. A few accidents aside, I was...I was still doing good. And any rough edges can be smoothed over, now that I've got Victoria to help me out.

"Is this going somewhere?"

Her smile slips, just a bit. I take it as a personal victory. "Well, the way I see it, you've got enough enemies. You could do to make a few more friends."

It takes me a second, but when I realize what she's saying I can't help but laugh. "You're villains."

"Well, yeah." She shrugs. "But we're not the E88. Or the ABB. We don't hold territory, or charge protection. We don't push drugs, or arrange dog-fights-" Hellhound growls. Guess that would hit close to home, for her? "-or jump people in dark alleys. And we definitely don't kill people."

"So you're the lesser of two evils?"

She pouts. "If you have to put it that way."

Grue clears his throat, finally stepping back into the 'conversation'. "I think what Tattletale is driving at is that you have bigger things to worry about than a group of thieves." He gestures my way, but I can't read much from it, thanks to that helmet of his, and the darkness still clinging to him. "You're a hero, we get that. We're going to cross paths again, at some point, and you'll be trying to put us in jail. That's just the way of the world."

"But we can at least work out some rules of engagement." Tattletale chimes in. "Or sort of a 'non-aggression' thing. We don't go looking to make trouble for you, you don't go out of your way to track us down. Maybe convince your high-flying friend not to break us in half, while you're at it."

I feel a spike of indignation, on Victoria's behalf. "She wouldn't do that…"

"Not on purpose. But she's got a healer on tap. You really think she hasn't covered up a few mistakes?"

That's not a pleasant thought...and it's entirely too plausible. I really don't like that. We've been talking for a few minutes, and already I just want to leave. "I'll give it a little thought." A nice, non-committal answer. "If that's all?"

Grue nods, taking a step back. "It should be-"

"Actually?" I grit my teeth, as Tattletale cuts in. "I've got a question, if you don't mind?"

I do mind, actually. I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that she knows a lot more than she should, and giving her more information just seems like shooting myself in the foot. But curiosity is a terrible temptation. "What?"

She looks me in the eyes, far too smug. "That tattoo on your hand. Did you know that you can't see it, unless you're not trying to look at it?"

...I look down, just for a moment. Her expression lights up. "I...don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, I think you do. Nice try, though."

I watch her for another few seconds...and disappear without a word.

The lunchbox feels heavy in my hands, as I slump down in a dark corner of the warehouse across the street. And the Mark on the back of the left is starting to itch.

There's the regret. Right on schedule.

I hate being right.