The Guardian - Season 1

by SpongeGuy

An accident at a field trip leads to Lori Loud having superpowers. With college looming, and her past mistakes rearing their ugly heads, Lori must try and balance her new life, as she tries to be better, and become The Guardian of Royal Woods.

8. Nevermore

Geez, this one took forever. These chapters just keep getting longer XD. But it's finally here! Big chapter too, to be fair! Chapter 9 should hopefully come around November/December, and my plan is that 2023 is far more productive for this story, with the goal to finish this season, and get closer to the end of the story!

---

Smoke floats up into the air, like rain falling backwards.

Hundreds of feet stamp on the ground, scurrying to and fro in panic, the crowd indistinguishable, a blur.

A figure of pained blacks and kind blues gasps and rushes towards the makeshift stage, leaving a confused being of electricity and chain link armor behind.

Sparks fly, almost like lightning bolts, reflecting off the glass of champagne that is falling to the ground, shattered, reflecting off of an ant farm from years and years ago, an ant farm where the ants are standing still.

A giant mass of red, piercing eyes and black fur took the lightning to the back, crying in joy from the pain.

Blood gushes on the stage floor, mixing in with the blue tears of a short man with a face and eyes that are so hardened, yet now so thoroughly broken.

The man stares at the bloodied figure next to him, a shard of glass stabbing the victim's chest, and the hand stares back, a bloody handprint, like red sand from the desert.

He stares away.

'Bertrand?'

He closes his eyes.

'Bertrand?'

The ants are still standing still.

'Bertrand!'

---

Bertrand Tetherby looked away from the window, the lightning still flashing. He closed it with a determined thud, silencing it, and he smiled in uncomfortable jest at his friend. 'Thunderstorm in March, after such a nice day yesterday. Does the guy upstairs have a twisted sense of humor, or did he just leave it on automatic?'

Renaud, tapping their foot in impatience, signaled towards the exit. 'You said you wanted to talk, then you bring me here? Here I thought we had an understanding.'

'And we still do.', Tetherby reassured, sounding strange, off, almost… Small.

Scared.

'Do we? Because what you did today…', Renaurd trailed off, their back to Tetherby. Staring at a child's drawing on one of the cubicle walls.

'That was never meant to escalate. I will talk to 'Hocus Pocus', as he is now insisting I call him. I had it under control. It was them that fucked up, which is why I'm going to give them a talking to.', Tetherby explained, methodically, like he was checking off items on a checklist. He turned around to open the door to the police commissioner's office when Renaud stopped him, hand on shoulder.

'You realize that doesn't take away from what you did, right? What could have happened? You're juggling lives in your attempts to do what is right. Shouldn't you at least think about that?'

Tetherby hated how Renaud's logic was always so sound, even when clearly they couldn't see what he saw. No one could. He sighed, hand on the doorknob.

'The path to hell is paved with good intentions.', Renaud reminded him.

Tetherby took a deep breath, and squeezed. 'Yeah, well, the path to heaven is formed with fire.'

Waiting for Tetherby, admiring a display of the robotic suit that had saved the kidnapped children, was Commissioner Jones. The public servant was about as ancient as the institution, with chalk dust white hair and eyes that always seemed far more jovial than the situation required.

He greeted the genius industrialist with a pleasant nod, not paying much attention to Renaud in their dusty and stringy raincoat. 'Tetherby! How nice of you to make a visit! Congratulations are in order, after all!'

Renaud tried not to throw up. Tetherby saw their dark stare and couldn't help but agree a little. 'At least I regret having to resort to such measures. Deep down. This guy probably doesn't even know their names.'

Tetherby accepted a curt handshake as the commish took out his finest bottle of Schramm's Bramble Mead, and two glasses, before pointing at Renaud.

'Don't drink.', Renaud commented, and Tetherby almost smiled at the lie. Renaud stuck to his values, it had to be said. 'Just for me, Jones.', Tetherby replied, and he took a very tiny sip.

'Come on, drink a little.'

'Partaking in splendor isn't worth much if it costs you.', was all Tetherby said, and he remained standing in front of the sitting Commissioner, giving him a hard stare.

'Oh, don't be such a spoilsport. Drink, be merry, and all that. We've had a VERY successful day!'

Tetherby kept his stare at the drinking commissioner, making him nervous. 'Very successful? Is that your diagnosis, Jones?'

'Yes.', he looked back and forth, a little scared. There was something so… Intent about his stare. So purposeful.

Tetherby turned away, calming Jones a bit, and the rich man began to pace the room, his eyes still burning a hole anywhere they went. 'I'm afraid we don't see eye to eye.'

'...Oh, oh, I get it, this is all about the, er, 'unexpected' guests!', Jones exclaimed, feeling smart. 'Captain Griffin and…'

'The Guardian. Yes.', Tethebry interrupted, and he pointed at the robotic suit. 'The News Crew we anonymously tipped off, the aforementioned unexpected guests and their incessant intuitiveness, any random passerby… What IF they had managed to wrestle a confession out of that magician? What if they had noticed how convenient our arrival was? What then, Jones?'

Jones bit his lip, and removed the bottle. 'Look, I understand what you mean, but it worked out, no?'

'That's NOT good enough!', Tetherby shouted, suddenly furious, and he slammed the desk with his fists. 'You and that magician freak nearly ruined the whole thing, escalating, complacent, blind! I have worked too long for such simple mistakes to derail me! I specifically ASKED you to distract the ONE woman who could suspect us, and she managed to bring along the only OTHER woman who could ruin this!'

Renaud said nothing. They stared away, guilt washing over their eyes as the rain washed over the window.

Jones gulped, trying to stand up. 'H-hey, you don't threaten me! Don't forget who runs this town!'

Tetherby silenced. His eyes glazed over as he thought of all he worked for. All he was sacrificing for the city. He would not be spoken to like this by the scum he so hated. 'I have to keep people like this in place, if I want to save Royal Woods.', he thought, and with some trepidation, reached inside Renaud's pockets, Renaud confused by the motion.

'Ah. Correct. I know too well who runs this town.', Tetherby said, and Jones nodded.

'Which means I know who has to answer to the state of it.'

Tetherby tried to have no emotional reaction as he suddenly raised a knife and stabbed the hand of the commissioner, who was silenced by the other hand of Tetherby as he tried to scream to no avail.

'Tell me, Commissioner, does that hurt?', Tetherby asked, voice trying to be normal, trying to be composed, but shaking at the end of every sentence. His other hand was shaking too, and Renaud glared, shocked but also concerned for his friend.

'Mmm… Mmm..', Jones nodded like crazy. The small spurt of blood that had erupted from the wound was now pooling on a spot on the desk, turning darker and darker with the maroon cloth cover.

Tetherby breathed harder and harder as he thought of everything he had gone through. 'It does? Really? Huh. And to someone I need, too. Someone instrumental to my plans. And here I am, hurting you, without much reason. Would you say that's unnecessary, cruel, empty?', the last word was spat out on the commissioner's face.

'...Mmm.', Jones nodded, whimpering, as the knife didn't move but the pain didn't stop.

'Funny. Because you've done that ALLLL your life. You've spent decades eroding this town, decomposing it, until all that's left is the mold and the holes and the scars. You're who I've been fighting my whole life to stop, and you're only here, not behind bars with the innocent people you've ruined, because I need you.'

The knife slowly left, and Tetherby, trying to remain balanced, harshly whispered 'Pray that I still do when this is all over. Because if there's one thing you can count on with me, Commissioner? I commit to the bitter end. I WILL save Royal Woods. And you're either on the way, or in the way. Choose wisely.'

Going to the mini fridge, Tetherby took out a cheese to accompany the wine, and nodded at Jones. 'Horrible how common accidents are in our familiar surroundings. Safe places aren't made like they used to be, I guess.'

Jones nodded, hell bent not to get in the way. 'You're definitely not like your father, I'll say that.'

Tetherby stared back, a million emotions racing through his eyes.

'...Good.'

Tetherby then walked off, Renaud in tow.

'So now what?', Renaud asked. 'Seeing as you're clearly gonna ignore what happened there?'

'Now we're going to HQ.', Tetherby ignored, walking into the bathroom. His shiny black shoes contrasted like a chessboard on the white tile floor. 'Then, I'll explain everything. I… I promise.'

Renaud knew he meant it. Tetherby spoke in a cold, calculated, disappointed way with everyone. Everyone but them.

Tetherby, now alone, shivered and clutched his stomach. He barely reached the toilet bowl, and the vomit hit his shoes and the floor, a gray liquid stretching all over them.

He looked down, eyes closed, breathing hard, as lightning crashed again, no window to silence it with.

---

'So, you okay?'

In the kitchen, Lori was struggling with sandwiches for quite a few of her sibs: Peanut Butter and Sauerkraut for Lincoln (which when it wasn't making Lori feel like she was in a dumpster full of old people who just put on their perfume, made her feel like she had taken all the rides in Dairyland after eating like.. At least 2 cotton candies. Maybe 3. She didn't have a stomach of steel, besides the bullets thing), Crustless PBN'J for Lisa (which Lincoln handled as he was the one best at making it for her, and he enjoyed the chance to really do something since his injury), a garlic bread sandwich with beef jerky for Leni (which Leni kept forgetting that she had asked for it, and helpfully reminded Lori out of innocent kindness), a sunny side up egg sandwich for Luna (who was batting off Lola and Lana from stealing it with her axe), and a breakfast burrito for Luan (who was singing 'beans beans' far too often and loudly for 7:30 in the morning. Everyone knows it's best at 16:20).

However, this struggle was nothing compared to the emotional anguish of the day before. Lori had undergone a challenge to everything she had learned in the past month, and while in some ways, she did feel a bit stronger, it didn't take away from how hard it all was.

Lincoln, still waiting for an answer, averted his gaze, trying not to pressure her to answer. He knew better than most what a monumental task Lori had. Her failure to gain any concrete info on The Raven only increased the pressure on both of them. 'You were radio silent, is all. I guess it was a bad day?'

Lori, trying to stay focused on the act of making sandwiches, had so many thoughts and feelings swirling around her that it made her slower than she wanted to be, which was impeding the impending field trip. She tried to answer covertly, what with the other siblings in the kitchen. 'Forecast was too hazy, so I couldn't see anything in the storm yesterday.'

Lincoln, understanding her code, nodded, but looked concerned, after what he saw on the news yesterday. 'If he's willing to go this far… What the heck does he want?', he whispered as quietly as he could.

Lori finally looked at him, and Lincoln saw the telltale rings of a sleepless night, and the wounds from yesterday. The crumbs on the cutting board surrounded her scratched palms. The sunlight from the window was unfitting with the complexion on her face. 'I don't know. That's what… Scares me.'

Lincoln's face twisted into one of hushed surprise. 'Wow.', he finally choked out. '...You don't hear that every day.'

'Exactly. And I think we can agree this is ten times bigger than any fight I had with Bobby.', Lori muttered, a thousand yard stare directed at the storm she could see coming, even with the clear blue sky. 'I mean, those were kids. Little kids. Barely older than you.'

The two loud kids sighed, the weight of their proverbial mission more pronounced than ever.

And to make matters worse, there were more problems at home.

'Greetings, siblings.', droned the almost robotic announcement from Lisa, the resident genius of the house. Luna, Luan, Leni and Lincoln all greeted her with nods and waves, while Lori kept her work, humming a hi.

Lisa scurried with her tiny legs towards the table, and with a little help from Luna, sat down with the others. Sort of. She was evidently fixated with some sort of metallic vest.

'Whatcha… Whatcha workin' on, Lis'?', Luna asked, making an eye gesture to Leni, who gasped in slight worry, then composed herself. 'Oh, like, yeah! It looks totally cool!'

Luan giggled a little at the unsubtle display, but the laugh was a little hitched. 'Yeah, why don't you bLAB all about it?'

Lisa looked around, a little suspicious. 'Thisth sudden escalated engrossment in my empirical escapades couldn't possibly have anything to do with my recent istholation, could it?'

'Oh, no, no, no!', everyone but Lori, who was staring back, deep in thought, said.

Lisa rolled her eyes. 'My preschool teacher told me that I should make others feel good, so if buying your bull will do that, then here goesth. If you're all DYING to know, I am working on some kevlar plates.'

'Kevlar? Like in bullet proof vests?', Leni asked, making everyone widen their eyes in surprise at the statement from the blonde. Leni scoffed. 'Guys, WHO'S the fashion genius here?'

'For once, Leni is right.', Lisa affirmed.

'Thank you.', Leni grinned, not spotting the insult.

Lisa then resumed her work, not caring that everyone seemed a little sad at the nature of her project, except for Lori, who was just confused.

Leaning by Luna's ear, she whispered 'Why would she do that?'

Luna turned, a little surprised again. 'Dude, you really don't know?'

Lori shook her head for the negative, feeling a little guilty. 'I'm literally absent again, huh?', she thought, remembering how annoyed, or, well, understandably miffed, her siblings had been just a few weeks ago at her 'busy schedule'. 'I'm sorry. I know something is off with her, I just don't really know what. That's why I invited her on our field trip.'

Luna nodded, but kept her worried stare. 'It's cool, Lori, it's good that you're tryin'. But you're out of sorts yourself. Tread carefully, fam.'

Lori nodded, agreeing with Luna's assessment. She was happy it was only one problem at least. She wasn't missing that much.

Still, she looked at Lisa with almost maternal concern. Lori was the big sister in the house, the one to look for if mom and dad weren't around (and sometimes, even when they were). Lisa was struggling with something, and in the past, Lori could tell quite quickly. But thanks to all the different things she's had to contend with, she felt out of the loop. What could Lisa be thinking about to compel her to deal with weaponry, which wasn't REALLY her style?

As she thought this, Lincoln wheeled himself over to Lisa and gave her her sandwiches in a little baggy. Lisa smiled gratefully and kept looking as he wheeled away, making a small whimper from the pain…

'Oh.'

'OH OF COURSE.'

'It had to be that!', Lori thought, face palming. 'How stupid could you get? Duh!', she face palmed with her powers, though, and so fell on the floor, then through the floor, because of, well, her strength.

'...You okay?', Luna asked, the others all just startled.

'Yeah, I can't miss this field trip, my, um, crippling fear of failure broke my fall?', Lori winced as she tried to lie.

'...No, yeah, that makes sense.', Luna replied.

'TOTALLY relatable, happens to me 5 times a week.', Leni added.

'Can't catch a BREAK except that one.', Luan joked, but in an understanding fashion.

'Mood AF.', Lisa chimed in.

Lincoln just sighed in relief. 'I HAVE to order that 'lying for dumb dumbs' book.'

Lori thanked the probably sus lab that Carol's mom had for the powers that saved her from a wheelchair too, and brought herself up to her feet, spotting a little corner she had hidden away in the cellar with the washing machine: A tiny cork board with tiny selfies she had printed, featuring some of her most treasured moments with her family: Helping Lynn Sr. out in his restaurant, spending some girl time with Rita at the mall, her and Leni at their first sadie hawkins dance, etc. etc. Countless wonderful moments that Lori had saved not just to remember the good, but to remind her of her duties, once she understood her failings as a sister.

She currently found herself circling the Lisa one with her thumb. Lisa wasn't one for pictures, as she found them unnecessary. She knew her family loved her, and she loved her family. Lori found herself impersonating Lisa in her mind. 'Sentimental hogwash is redundant in a familial unit such as ours'. She giggled from her silly act, but then grew affectionate and sad as she kept on staring at the image of her and Lisa at a moment Lisa perhaps never thought she'd cherish as much as all her scientific achievements: Learning how to ride a bike.

Lisa was also not one for physical excretion, at least, when it came to matters most unscientific. But Lori had insisted, and in the end, it had been quite fun, even if Lori had as many scratches as Lisa did. The smile on Lisa's face wasn't her usual resting bitch face almost, but rather a real smile of a little kid struggling to contain the joy of unlocking a new skill, and Lori felt herself nearly cry from how much she loved seeing that smile on her sister's face.

'Where's that Lori?', she asked herself in her mind, in her true Guardian voice. 'That Lori is the one they all need, and she keeps not showing up, cause you STILL aren't balancing like you said you would. Lisa needs a hero now just like the kids yesterday. Can't you help her too?'

Lori sighed, having a conversation with herself. 'I want to, but it's hard enough to get myself to save people without worrying I'll end up failing each one. Failing my siblings is what got me in this whole mess.', she whispered aloud.

'Then maybe saving them is what will help…', the voice in her head responded, and Lori knew that even if that wasn't true, she refused to not at least try.

That was the least she could do, so she'd do that at least.

'Okay. Then let's do that.', she determined, fist clenched, and she walked up the stairs, ready for the field trip.

---

'Yes. Yes, I know, Rip, I know, but I was just doing my job. Are they okay? Wonderful. Did they get my gifts? Are they liking them? Oh, good! Rip. Rip, no, this is basic human behavior, I won't take anything in return. Rip (laugh) you are so insistent, I am telling you… Oh, look at you, making it all awkward. Okay, I'll… Tell you what, let's do dinner tomorrow, say, after the expo, and if you REALLY still want to, you can convince me to return the favor. The real gift was saving them, trust me. Okay. Okay, see ya.'

The call was ended, and a video one started, as Renaud waited for Tetherby to finish sorting all the loose ends.

He made a 'just another minute' sign with his finger, looking a little guilty at keeping them. Renaud wished they could look into his mind, understand what was real and what wasn't.

Where their friend had gone, and if he was still there, or had he too died all those years ago?

On the phone's touchscreen, a scientist with a lab coat, pockets full of pens with kitten faces on them, soot on her face, and black bangs barely covering her inquisitive goggled eyes, appeared from an underground lab with metal work being done.

'Progress report on the barbed wire project?', Tetherby asked, sounding surprisingly patient.

'Oh, it's moving on quite nicely, Mr. Tetherby!', the scientist enthused, gleefully showing off some of that wire on a shifting metal barricade, electricity jumping off. She nodded constantly, a coffee mug inscribed 'Sleep Pawses in the Name of Science'.

'...Doctor, how many cups have you had?', he asked, almost… Affectionately.

'How many cities are called Paris in America?'

Tetherby took on a stern but not angry tone. 'Doctor, take some rest. We have other people on this project, and I promised… I promised you would be safe.'

The doctor nodded again, putting down the project. 'Okay… But it has to be ready for tomorrow!'

'It will. Trust me. And even if it isn't, it wouldn't be your fault. I'll see you tomorrow for the delivery, then you go right back home, understand?'

'Yes, sir, Mr. Tetherby sir! Goodnight!', she bid, waving wildly.

'Goodnight.'

He hung up, and turned around, taking a deep breath, and letting on a small smile at his friend. 'She's a real spark plug, that one.'

Renaud was less than amused. 'I can only listen to your latest potentially horrible plan for so long. I want answers.'

Tetherby sighed and leaned on the wall of his HQ, the place for once deserted. Among the lab equipment, planning room, and giant TV that played his latest appearance on the news, only he, Renaud, and his pet raven were present. Tetherby went to the raven and petted its feathers.

The news broadcast reminded them of earlier that day. 'Mr. Tetherby, just yesterday we spoke of your donations to our boys in blue, and now you've saved the kids of the most famous and rich people in Royal Woods! This has to be a channel 4 record! What could you POSSIBLY have planned tomorrow?', Katherine Mulligan asked Tetherby.

Tetherby smiled and shook his head. 'I hope nothing, I want the expo to go EXACTLY as planned. I have more to give to this city, not just reacting to disasters as they come.'

Tetherby stared at the TV, nodding at himself. 'No more reacting.', he muttered, nearly crushing a glass of water in his hands.

Turning to Renaud, he tried to begin. 'My friend, I… I don't blame you for finding my recent plan… Grotesque. I hadn't meant for it to go so far.'

'Did you? Kidnapping isn't too far?', Renaud asked, dull rage in their tone, stepping forwards with incredulous frustration.

Tetherby stared away in visible shame. 'It…', he looked back, determined. 'Look, it won't happen again! And besides, they were never meant to be hurt! I have things under control, it's just a necessary sacrifice for the greater…'

'The greater good, I know, I've heard variations of that ever since you contacted me again. 'This is the way', 'It's the only path', 'This is the only choice', blah, blah, blah.', Renaud was turned away, disgusted, making Tetherby feel worse. 'I want a real answer now. Why do you have a friggin werewolf running around? What's with all the secrecy, the maniacs you hired, the kidnappings? Why is this the way?'

'It just is! I've done the numbers, I've measured the risks, I've calculated and recalculated and recalculated over and over until I felt like I was losing my mind! You think I wouldn't, when this is what I must do? Why does no one ever just believe me?', Tetherby squeezed the glass hard as he shouted, shattering it. He felt the cuts on his palm now, and quickly fetched a bandage.

'Because this isn't who you are, Bertie!', Renaud yelled, then gasped a little.

Bertrand looked up, shell shocked almost, his eyes and face seemingly shifting in the shadows to the face he once had…

Tears filled his eyes.

'...I haven't heard that name since… Since…'

No one said a word, but they both knew what the word was.

Bertrand composed himself, and turned around, looking not like the all powerful mental mastermind of the city, playing chess with everyone as his pieces, but as a small boy, a broken small boy staring at the one friend he truly had.

'...Renaud… Please. Please… Please listen. Hear me out. Hear the boy you loved so much. The boy who… Who loved you so much. Give me a chance to… To at least explain. I promise, if you… If you don't agree with me, if you still hate me, I will understand, I won't stop you from leaving forever. I… I don't want to be like that. I want control, but I want it to… To save all of you. Not to contain you. Please. For old time's sake?'

Renaud softened a little, but still looked away. '...All right. Let's hear it. ALL of it. And the truth.'

Bertrand nodded, fully meaning it. 'All I have is the truth, Renaud. I am not blind to it. I couldn't possibly be. Because that's all I see anymore. That's all I am anymore.'

Bertrand sat down on a chair, and with a sigh like a key opening a lock, began.

'It all started… When I was happy…'

---

Brown dirt, healthy, pure, almost shining despite its color and texture.

The sheen is enlarged by the glass containing the dirt, almost like a diamond absolute.

'Everything is right, every little detail is just perfect. Every ant is doing its duty, every ant is going back and forth in service of the colony, a perfect union of family and community. Only one ant stands above the others, and she treats them with grace, a startling argument for monarchy. If the monarch is actually good, if the monarch cares, then perhaps it's all right.'

The small, inquisitive eye and the smaller frail hands leave the ant farm, jotting down more notes, sitting at a humble desk underneath a dingy lightbulb that seems to expel dust as much as light. 'Ant #58, Rocky, is doing a great job breaking down the harder rocks in the way of the colony's expansion, the iron mandibles shattering every obstacle. Such strength, so admirable, truly a model to aspire to.'

The boy with almost mousey hair and a hooked nose stared again at the ant farm, observing a whole different corner. 'Ants #73 and #1, Melania and Renfield, are also performing superbly! The former seems to be assembling some sort of tool that will help the latter with the task of blocking this potentially dangerous hole. Ingenuity from such a small insect, it's remarkable what ants can do when given the space, time, chance!'

A proud, loving smile adorned his face as he gazed upon an ant that he really appreciated. 'Ant #296, Doctor Grant, you are doing such a good job protecting the colony! And look at you, sharing what you've found with the others! You're a real example to ants all over the world!'

The 10 year old boy wrote down the date, January 13th, 1979, just as his mother called him for dinner.

'Bertrand! Dinner is served!'

He looked up at the clock. Exactly 19:24. 'Right on time.', Bertrand Tetherby beamed, feeling a wave of calmness rush over him. He made sure everything was safe and secure with the ant farm, then went downstairs one at a time, the familiar chime on the wood playing each and every single time, like a precisely laden symphony.

Sitting down at the table at the moment 19:26 appeared, Bertrand was ready for dinner.

The dining hall was a stark difference to his room. In fact, it was so different, that it would take one a while to even believe it, yet there it was, in front of your eyes. Gone were the modest wooden desks and the dingy lightbulb, instead there was a table made of pure ivory, golden chandeliers above every mahogany chair, golden silverware and plates, and a sort of shining aura to everything, almost like a dark light in a beehive.

Sitting around the table were the rest of the Tetherby family, a relatively small gathering from the practical palace they inhabited: Sitting on the other end of the table, round and astoundingly tall for an 8 year old, was Alan Tetherby, his well groomed blonde swoopy hair and his blue dinner jacket made him seem like a tiny man almost, and he ate his caviar most politely, outside of one cough he quickly apologized for. He was the heir apparent, despite being the younger brother. The reasons for this were not out of a hatred to the eldest son, not out of abuse. Simply, Bertrand had other motivations, and had no interest in the tetherball industry his mother ran.

Speaking of which, Bertrand's mother was on the side opposite him, an overweight woman with brown curls, she didn't really feel like she belonged with the others. Her weight was a mark on her character, as she was usually quite jovial and pleasant to be around. She wasn't greedy, just full of life, and to assume her lifestyle fit her weight was wrong. She was also the one who pushed for Bertrand's wishes for a room that wasn't too 'rich'. Bertrand believed, like she did, that staying connected to the other classes was important, lest one get lost in the clouds.

And who could argue with that, considering Lord Jack Dawson Tetherby, who gave up running the tetherball part of the family to run a whole new industry, one that justified this excess: He spent his time giving back to the city, working with the police, the labs, and the mayoral office to get Royal Woods up to date with the rest of the country. He financed schools, gave jobs to immigrants and the unemployed, and invested in the newest tech. He was a balding man, with crow's feet and a white suit, almost like an egg shell. He sat at the head of the table, and he smiled at his son with pride and joy. 'So, Deonisa tells me you've been helping that Renaud with his science homework?'

Bertrand smiled back, eager to share his exploits with his family, his fork waving in the air. 'Oh, yes, father! He never has the time for some reason, so I decided to help him stay on track! I can afford the time, I already know all of it!'

The parents beamed. 'Such a fine young man. Following in my footsteps! I bet our entire fortune you'll take this city even farther than I have!', Jack crowed, and he then looked at Bertrand like he was sharing a secret. 'In fact, in about two months from now, there's going to be a big expo of all we've been planning! Perhaps you'd like to visit some of my labs here and there, get a peek at what's cooking?'

Bertrand was most excited at this, and nodded enthusiastically.

'Have fun at your nerdy convention.', Alan teased. 'You waste hours like you're on a shopping spree!'

Bertrand scoffed a little, half annoyed half not by his brother's usual mockings of him. 'As if you've got anything better to do than mock me.'

'Mother and I have far more fun things to do!'

'Alan, I mostly attend games. What are you going to do?', Deonisa teased back, and Alan let himself a little laugh at his expense, before coughing again. 'Too much time outside, it's cold out.', Jack concluded.

Bertrand sighed contentedly, even with that little argument, feeling peaceful. He looked up at the golden attic that hosted so many balls and gatherings. 'How I love my home, my family! They aren't like those other snobs, they use what they have for good!' He was so proud that he didn't have to feel ashamed in front of the other kids, who were leading cushy lives anyway thanks to his family's efforts!

'I just hope I can keep up the good work, father. After all, it seems like there never are any problems! I'm not sure how much I WILL do!', Bertrand said, but in a happy way. He was happy that such a possibility existed. 'I'd rather do nothing and everyone would be safe, then do everything to save them.', he would say. A true hero prayed for sun, not rain.

Yet, it WAS a sunny day that revealed that Bertrand, for all his brains, didn't know everything, didn't spot everything.

That there was so much more that meets the eye.

January 14th, the next morning. Driven to school by a taxi instead of a limo so as to not draw a line of elitism, Bertrand arrived at his school, practically rushing towards his friend, Renaud. He wanted to rid him of the problem asap, and the helpful notes he had made for him waved up and down with his hand.

'Renaud! I… Got it… Done…', he gasped for air, as his friend turned around with a wild grin.

'Oh, wow, thanks, Bertie! So fast?', Renaud asked, startled as he leafed through the notes.

'Why leave 'till tomorrow what you can do today?', Bertrand replied, and Renaud shrugged. 'I don't know. I could do a whole lot of nothing today, wonderful, beautiful nothing.'

Bertrand shook his head in good humor. 'I'll have time for that when I'm sure no one needs me.'

Renaud and Bertrand heard the bell, and started walking together to class, Renaud almost putting his arm around Bertrand, before stopping himself, seeing Bertrand's uncomfortable look. 'Buddy, you do remember your dad, like, runs everything? You can take it easy, everyone's basically fine.', he said without looking at him.

Bertrand rolled his eyes. 'Sure, but it's CALLED double checking. You think I just leave my ants alone all willy nilly?'

'Nope, and it's gonna drive you crazy. Can't control everything, and if it's all good, then why do it?'

'I don't know, just… I'd rather be sure, okay? I mean, I have skills. If people need those skills, who am I to withhold them?'

Renaud shrugged again. 'Yeah, but I'm just saying, there are other ways then your 'all over the place' ways.'

'Well, find that way, and say 'I told you so', and maybe I'll listen.', Bertrand teased. Renaud smiled, happy to see Bertrand was seemingly relaxed. He didn't need to know about other problems, there was enough on his shoulders…

'Bertie? Bertie?', Renaud suddenly realized that Bertrand had stopped, and walked back to check on his friend, who was frozen, staring.

The object of his distraction? A fashionable young girl, 11 years old, wearing a stylish pink blouse and skirt, her blonde hair that always pointed left flowing in the AC, was talking to her friends all about what they were going to do in home economics today.

'Groovey, we're going to bake a cake today! Let's all work together, girls! We'll make a real pretty cake, pink and white like a wedding cake!', she tittered and spoke quietly, an unwavering smile on her lips.

She was charming, graceful, every movement like a ballerina's dance almost. When she turned around, she spotted the frozen boy, and smiled politely, making him blush ever so slightly.

'Oh boy.', Renaud raised his eyebrows in sarcasm, waiting for his friend to snap out of it.

The girl giggled, and left with her friends. Bertrand waved, even though she wasn't there.

'Earth to Bertie, earth to Bertie, she's long gone, flew the coop, she's over the field for a homerun.', Renaud teased, and Bertrand pouted back. 'I don't say this about Sheila!'

'Because Sheila and I are cool, and you can't even say a word to her.', Renaud stuck his tongue out. 'Why not ask her out? You could probably give her diamonds to describe the beauty of her eyes!'

Bertrand put on a haughty voice. 'I am not one to flaunt my wealth, old fellow!'

'Then why not?', Renaud asked, genuine.

Bertrand sighed. 'Come on, I have EVERYTHING. I know how lucky I am, and I'm not interested in getting more for myself until I feel like I've at least given back a bit.'

Renaud glanced at Bertrand sympathetically. He wanted to tell him that this mindset was bad, he wanted his friend to stop worrying so much, but there was no solving it, was there? Regardless, he had to go to class, so he kept on walking.

Bertrand did too, looking around at his classmates with satisfaction. Even the ever niggling concern that something might be wrong shrunk under the weight of the evidence right before his eyes: Students were filing in, chipper, with clothes that were totally fine, at least they seemed fine, maybe a tiny fix or two needed, but still, and the school itself was fine too, maybe there was a little decay here and there, some outdated stuff around, but nothing major that wasn't on the waitlist to be fixed.

'Maybe Renaud's right. Maybe I should just relax. Everything will be fine.', Bertrand thought with a content sigh, his tense shoulders and back relaxing for a moment.

Until…

Bertrand suddenly heard a small sob.

It wasn't super noticeable, really, more like a grunt, released with as much anger as sadness. But Bertrand had heard it, and it was like a stab to the heart. 'Are they okay?', Bertrand thought, worried, before remembering class. It was about to begin, and almost everyone had already walked inside.

He NEVER cut class.

And besides, everyone was gonna be fine, right? He didn't need to interfere.

…

'I'll be in and out before anyone notices.', Bertrand decided, creeping towards the source of the noise, the girls' room. Another thing he'd never done before, and he didn't feel very comfortable about it, but he HAD to know what the sob was about.

His sleek black dress shoes echoed through the hall as he tried to be quiet, peeking inside to see if he could catch a tiny glimpse of it.

He caught more than that.

Standing in the bathroom, surrounded by perfectly white porcelain tiles, a girl was standing, muttering loud enough that Bertand could hear. 'That bitch… She'd tell me how to breathe if she could… How I wish I could show her what it feels like. How I wish I could strangle her, then see if she can be all poised too.'

The words kind of scared Bertrand. 'Violence isn't the answer…', he almost wanted to say, but he kept his mouth shut, observing the girl who was wearing an ocean blue jacket and forest green jeans, plus an . She didn't look like any girl he knew, and he blushed a little.

Then she turned around, and she definitely looked like any girl he knew, because it was the girl from the hallway!

Bertrand gasped, and tried to hide, still listening in though.

The girl removed some blueprints from her pink unicorn fur backpack, and looked over them with a direct steeliness that was magnetic to Bertrand. 'Recalibrate the heater… Patch up the holes… I should use my PAM's as air muscles…', she muttered, taking out a robotic leg and tinkering with it, as she left the bathroom covertly, purple hoodie on.

Bertrand knew he had to get out of the way, but he was so curious, and so concerned, what with her tear stricken red face, that he was too late to hide again, and was spotted.

The girl, shocked, aimed her robotic leg as a weapon, and growled in righteous fury. 'WERE YOU SPYING ON ME?'. She looked at him with wild eyes, but to Bertrand, she was only more beautiful now, more…

Natural and true.

Bertrand nervously apologized, quick to beg for forgiveness. 'I'm SO sorry, madam, I… I was just… I…'

'Well? Spit it out!', the girl ordered, her voice so full of authority, command. Bertrand admired her resolve even now.

'I just… Heard you cry, and I got worried. I worry a lot. It's my hobby.', he tried a little joke, smiling sheepishly. 'I didn't mean to pry, or listen to your secrets!'

'Well, you did anyway! Who cares about your intentions if this is the result?', she barked, and he disagreed, internally at least. The intention was everything, no?

Still, he felt bad, so he apologized again. 'I am truly sorry, I mean no harm. I will harm you no further, I promise.'

The girl calmed down a little, seeing the boy's tears, almost feeling pity. With her rage subsiding, she recognized him. 'Wait… You're the Tetherby kid! Bertrand?', she asked, scratching her chin.

Bertrand nodded quickly, happy for the falling tension. 'Oh, yes! That's me!', he sighed in relief. After all, his family was well liked, so perhaps that would…

'Those bastards are why I'm going today. They ruin everything they touch, I swear…', she started, only for a very surprised Bertrand to interrupt. 'What are you talking about? My family are HELPING the city!'

The girl rolled her eyes, blowing a strand of blonde hair out of her eyes. 'Well, even if we pretend they are, they DEFINITELY haven't done anything with the homeless shelter.'

Bertrand blinked, lost. 'Homeless shelter? Like, as in, people with no homes? You must be mistaken, my father solved that years ago!', he beamed proudly.

The girl face palmed. 'How stupid can a supposed genius get?', she thought, before a new idea popped in. 'This is a rare chance to show one of those greedy monsters what for. This one seems more blind than anything anyway. Plus, I know he's pretty smart. This might be a good move. That, and I should keep an eye on him so he won't blurt out my secret.'

The girl began to walk, and motioned for Bertrand to follow her. Bertrand did, timidly. 'Where… Where are we going?'

'To the shelter. I have far more important things to do than go to class and get more for myself. I need to give back a little bit at least.'

Bertrand's eyes gleamed as she said that. 'A kindred spirit…', he thought, joyful to find someone who cared like he did.

The girl then turned sharply, staring into his soul. 'But you're coming not just to see the truth, but to not reveal mine. Say a WORD about this to ANYONE, and my actions will be far from 'graceful', capisce?'

Bertrand nodded, a little afraid, but also attracted. She was… So much stronger than him. Hell bent on good even more.

'Yes, madam!'

She scoffed again, and offered her hand with a mostly cold disposition. 'Oh, cut it with the 'madam' crap. I'm Melanie. Melanie Pingrey.'

Bertrand shook back gladly. 'Bertrand Tetherby.'

And so, the two went on to their destination…

---

The school bus heading to the science expo was as loud and noisy as you'd expect, and with all the ringing phones, yapping teens, and honking cars, Bruce Fenrisulfer was begging for even a tiny bit of quiet. 'I can barely hear myself think!', he, well, thought, as another rousing rendition of '99 bottles of gamer juice on the walls' was recited.

'Then again, do I want to hear those thoughts?'

Eyes darkening, he moved his wrapped fingers around the kitten necklace, the one Pepin had given him all those years ago. It twirled around, the gift meant to protect him. 'I didn't even give it a chance to do that.', he tried not to cry, but he imagined her face, so disappointed from his absence, an absence he had brought upon himself. 'For all my hate for Mr. Tetherby, I can't pretend it was his fault. I chose this, I chose to be secretive, to sacrifice myself to save the family. Now I don't have one. Now I don't even know if it was worth it. He said they were safe, but…'

He grasped the necklace, his wolf claws coming out slightly. '...Is she happy? Could I possibly make her happy?'

He looked around, at the teens around him, so young, so vibrant. Even the ones who were quieter, lonelier, they had what he didn't. They had jokes about silly mistakes they made, they had theories about their favorite shows, they had teases and songs and idiocy to partake in. They were afraid, but they still went out there and lived.

He yearned for it. For a chance to perhaps talk about something, something as mundane as the stupid cartoon atom tie he had on, the 900th episode of a soap opera he didn't care about, even a doctor's appointment. He'd talk about anything right now if he could, he'd do anything to see her eyes as she blabbered about how gears fit in, about steampunk nonsense, about the beauty of a wrench finally clicking something in. Sharing that moment with her. Seeing her live, and living just from that.

'But maybe that's the cross I must bear.'

He felt the monster inside him roar and lash out, hurting his insides with every breath. 'I'd rather she lived without me, than die with me. Then, I'm only a danger to myself. And I can't say that's a sin.'

He grasped so hard, though, thinking of her, that he could see a scratch forming. Feeling even more monstrous, he placed the necklace back in his pocket, trying not to scream in front of everyone.

The necklace laid there, meanwhile.

Unscathed.

Lori, meanwhile, was also struggling. Sitting near the back with Lisa, as she was the youngest and smallest there, she had to figure out how to approach the subject without approaching. Which, of course, wasn't exactly easy.

'Or, well, it used to be easy.', Lori thought, reminiscing of the days where, sure, she wasn't all that great, but at least she knew how to talk to her siblings without getting super angsty ™ about it.

'Maybe that's the plan.', Lori made herself more comfortable (as much as one could on cheap bus seats that were rubbery and yet full of holes), and she looked down at Lisa, who was now working on some circular blue and white devices, and something that seemed kinda shiny and silver? Like a bunch of marbles glued together like brass knuckles?

'Soooo…', Lori started, trying to appeal to Lisa, seem chill but also caring (which the latter was true, to be fair). Basically, be the eldest sister. 'Science, eh? How's that… Periodic table doing?'

Lisa didn't even bother looking. 'It's the same as ever.'

'Good, good. Don't want them periods to fall off the table!', Lori half joked, though truthfully she barely got some of this stuff. 'Then… Then you'd have a lot of… Free periods!'

Everyone but Luan groaned, with the latter laughing, small crease lines on her forehead. 'Good one, Lori!', she then resumed staring at the kids in front of her with intensity.

Lori rubbed the back of her head. 'Luan's puns must be rubbing off on me. I actually thought that was funny too.', she said, being such a mom. Lisa, sadly, was still looking down at her gizmos.

'...I bet I wouldn't understand a thing about these neat whatchamacallits!', Lori tried to compliment Lisa, a glued on pained smile on her face. 'It's… Really impressive.'

Lisa stopped her work, making Lori almost cheer. 'Progress!', she enthused.

'...Is there anything you want me to tell you, eldest sibling unit?', Lisa asked in her dry way, glasses flashing like an anime character.

Lori gulped and found herself suddenly very uncomfortable, and attracted to the wall by the end of her seat. 'Is it hot in here or is it just me?', she whispered, as thunder crashed outside.

Knowing she had to try and be subtle, she shook her head. 'No, no, I… Was just curious.', well, that wasn't a lie, Lori thought.

'It would seem.', Lisa replied. Then, she looked away, but spoke in a wondering tone. 'Do you… Have anything you want to tell ME?'

Lori definitely felt the pressure now. She squirmed and stuttered, seeing Luna give her a funny look, and Leni look oddly relieved, like all the air pressure was taken out of her tires. 'Who, me? What, no, nothing! I…', she took a deep breath, trying to lie like a normal person for once. '...I don't have anything I want to tell you.'

'Then this is a futile conversation, is it not?'

'...I suppose if you put it that way, but don't you like talking about nothing with a good friend who also happens to be your big sister?', Lori offered with a fist pump to the right, nervous, tense.

Lisa gave her a long, hard stare. For a moment, her hands that danced around the gizmos like a ballerina on stage, shook. Ever so slightly. But then they resumed to normal, and Lisa turned away. 'No.'

'...Okay then. I guess we can talk at the expo, which I bet you'll like!', Lori said, practically begging Lisa would like it.

Hands propping her head, Lori sighed. 'This used to be so easy. Or, well, relatively easy. I'd see that Lola needed to fix a mistake, or Lynn needed a pep talk, or Leni needed a distraction, and I'd do it. And there was a careful path, but I could walk it like a tightrope walker, confident in the love I was giving. But now, it's like the path is strewn with booby traps, and every step is a roll of the dice.'. The eldest sister sighed, thinking of how Lisa was hurting one way or the other, and she couldn't save her. 'It's like a game of whack-a-mole. I felt like I could save anyone two days ago, almost no one yesterday, and now I can save people, but not my siblings. Why am I so afraid? Why can't I just…'

But Lori knew. The guilt never truly left her insides, it festered among the remains of her past self, like an arrow left in the wake of a bloody battle. Lori truly wanted to help, but if she wasn't being awkward, she was simply too afraid of making things worse.

After all, yesterday was different. Yesterday, lives were at risk. Yes, they needed more than that. They needed love. She was able to do it. But in a way, it was easy. Lisa's case was different. What if nothing was wrong, and Lori was just prying? What if the problem had nothing to do with her? Did she have the right to interfere with every single issue? What if she made things worse? For every success she had, she felt like another dozen failures awaited.

Worst of all, what if there was a way to solve it, and she'd get too scared or too nervous or too worried, and not even succeed in trying to learn what the heck it was, not even do what was once like breathing air: Show love to her siblings. Even with all her hatred for who she once was, it wasn't like she never showed them any love. She did.

But how to do it right? How to help Lisa, give her what she deserved? Clearly SOMETHING was the matter.

'Maybe what I need to do is a subtler strategy, to help me get back into the groove of things.', Lori pondered, tapping her chin. 'I take things slow, hang out with her, maybe she has some fun… Loosens us both up. Then, I take a stab, ask her if everything is okay. Tell her how much I care. Maybe she tells me. Maybe I can help. I have to try. Maybe it won't work, but It's better than nothing.', Lori decided, now even more resolved. She fell at the first hurdle, but the race was still going on, and she wasn't going to wallow in failure.

Just in time, too, as the bus parked at the expo.

---

The expo was definitely impressive for what was, essentially, a small town science exhibit. A decently large observatory had been repurposed a little, looking like a strange blend of a giant black microscope and a giant white telescope connected together by a cement bridge. The telescope building was pointed at the sky, and was dedicated to space travel and biological improvement, with the idea of more natural improvement of humans, while the microscope was pointed at the ground, dedicated to more grounded, robotic methods of improvement.

While no one lab or tech company owned the place, Pingrey Enterprises would have an exhibit at the Telescope building, and it was known that today, the mysterious Bertrand Tetherby who, in a matter of a couple of days, had taken the town by storm with his charitable inventions for the police, would mostly take residence in the microscope building.

'Single line, kids, we'll group you inside.', Mr. Fenrisulfer barked, but not as loudly as usual, as he took what must have been his 5th aspirin. Lori looked at him with a little concern, but she had no time for that right now, as the doors opened to the telescope building.

Lori and her sibs gasped. They may not have all been science nerds like Lisa, but it was hard to deny how impressive it all looked, especially considering it was Royal Woods: Massive exhibits with towering inventions dwarfed the kids, leaving impossible to escape shadows. Rockets colored green and blue sparkled in the slightly yellow tinted room, engineers working in real time on the fuel capsules next to the kids. An actor in an astronaut suit waved, and it was hard not to wave back at the man with a familiar looking jumpsuit. Lori and Lincoln both nodded at each other in remembrance. It looked like the man's jumpsuit, the man in Mrs. Pingrey's secret lab, the one hidden in the tubes.

'That's gotta mean something, no?', Lincoln whispered, and Lori nodded. 'This will be a good place to continue our investigation. I bet you The Raven will have SOMEONE working for him here.'

The group continued to look around, marveling at the sights. There were big screens showing how stem cell treatment was developing, to a point where blindness and deafness and the like could be potentially cured.

There was a whole ass model of the known stars and systems in the milky way, billed as a edutainment ride, and while the kids rolled their eyes at that a bit, it DID look fun.

One exhibit contained a showcase of inflatable soft robotic arms, goggles, and legs. Perhaps it seemed against Melanie Pingrey's mre naturalistic approach, but the truth was that she wasn't against robotics, but automation. She wanted progress to come from the person more than anything, hence why the machine was only powered by a brain strong enough to wield it.

Lori waved at the man currently wearing it, Dr. Nevio. He waved back, cheerfully. 'We should probably check on him too.', Lori suggested, and Lincoln nodded, as his chair was pushed by Lori.

Finally, the group reached the middle of the large sprawling building, surrounded by lectures from scientists about synthetic wings and synthetic vines.

Mr. Fenrisulfer made a loud whistle sound to grab everyone's attention, noticing how furry his hand was suddenly. Hiding it behind his back, and cursing at the sudden loss of control, he announced 'You'll be split into groups so as to not get lost. Pair up with those you know, and appoint group leaders, who will take these clipboards and take you to all the different exhibits.'

Everyone ran off, making Fenrisulfer mad. 'AND DO THE WORKSHEETS! YOU EXPECT ME TO GO AROUND AND JUST HAND THEM ALL?'

Growling, he stomped his way to the first group he could find.

Meanwhile, Lori, Lincoln, Leni, Luna, Luan and Lisa all went off as a group to the main exhibit, where Melanie Pingrey was currently sitting. Around her were diagrams and videos of synthetic arms and legs being constructed, so that until the stem cell research would be done, there would be a temporary solution.

'So, who's leading our group?', Luna asked, shrugging. Luan said nothing, as she kept looking at a different group, like she was being stalked by a horror monster. Lori meanwhile was whispering with Lincoln while they looked at Mrs. Pingrey, and Leni was suddenly very interested in the ceiling. 'Oh, um, I'd do it, but, like, I didn't have, like, time to prepare, I'm totally not dressed for the occasion…', Leni mumbled, giggling noisily. Luna sighed, and tapped Lori's shoulder.

Lori turned around, eyebrow raised. 'What's up?'

'You in the clouds, apparently, bruh. We need someone to lead the group, remember? Good excuse to tag onto Lisa btw.', Luna whispered, eyes pointing at Lisa, who was still working on her gizmos and not even looking around.

'I tried to talk to her before, but she doesn't seem to… Well, regardless, I'm gonna keep working on her.', Lori explained, trying to sound authoritative, but sounding inexperienced almost.

'Okay, I…', Luna tried to say, but suddenly Lincoln dragged Lori away, and she sighed. 'I hope so, dude. I hope so.'

Lori leaned down to be on level ground with Lincoln, as they pretended to be oh so interested in the video, while Melanie barely paid them attention. 'You got the costume?', Lincoln asked, and Lori slapped her boyz will be boyz backpack, sending it flying right into Melanie's face.

'That's a yes, then.', Lincoln laughed, while Lori ran up to Melanie and apologized profusely. 'I am LITERALLY SO sorry, Mrs. Pingrey! I don't even know…'

'Oh, it's your powers, I know.', Melanie said while brushing herself off, giving Lori a heart attack. She honked loudly, blushing red, and wondered if she could just punch Melanie real hard and convince her it was a dream. She could probably dress up as, like, a big bluebird and be convincing about it.

Melanie, however, began laughing. 'Oh, dear, I am just joking! A little joke about what happened last week, nothing more!'

Lori laughed too, tho far more anxiously. 'Yeah, yeah, that was kinda weird.'

'Apologies, Ms. Loud. I meant no harm. I was simply wondering if perhaps my research was bearing fruit.', Melanie explained, waving all around them, at the exhibits and inventions. 'My company's aim is to bring humanity forward. I'd hoped for a happy accident, but I guess it's back to the drawing board…', she trailed off, and Lori wondered if this was a lie. After all, surely she suspected The Guardian of having the serum's capabilities. What DID she have to hide? The serum HAD helped her, after all, and unlike The Raven, Melanie didn't seem to have a problem with her, or even any criminal operation. SHE was the victim. But why?

'Yes, a shame. I guess I'll simply have to pick up the slack.'

Lori and Melanie both turned around, and before them was none other than Bertrand Tetherby.

'Who's that again?', Lincoln asked, confused. Lori whispered back 'That's the guy who's helping the police, he saved the kids in the end.'

Both Louds found themselves mesmerized by the silent staring contest before them. Melanie and Bertrand peered at each other with a myriad of conflicting emotions. Bertrand more than Melanie, who appeared almost as composed as ever. It was like an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object, time seemed to stand still as not a word was spoken, but everything was felt.

So affected they were by it, that Lori and Lincoln decided to rejoin the group and investigate elsewhere. It was almost scary what was going on there.

Seeing no one was in ear shot, Bertrand shot first.

'So… Still pretending you're some working class hero?', he asked, not moving his gaze, not moving a single eyelid.

Melanie didn't blink. 'Amusing you can't see the irony in that statement coming from your mouth.'

'Takes one to know one. At least I actually WANT to save these people.'

'Do you? Or do you just want to hold the strings, like every puppet in your troupe?', Melanie stung him with that. He got a little red in the face. 'You know it's not like that. I am making sacrifices no one else is ready to make. If they hate me, then, well, so be it. But everything I do, I do for them.'

'And what I do, is it not for them too?', Melanie asked, offended. 'All this time, still blind to the truth, still that idealistic boy smashing his head against a wall. I told you then and I'll tell you now, it's not that simple. It's not a few bad apples. Serious, real change must occur, an example must be made, a symbol is needed, not a minor improvement.', she said, no sass or smugness to be found, but a serious stark look in her fiery orbs.

They were so close now, neck to neck, eye to eye. He felt her breath on his face for the first time in decades. She could swear she felt her heart rise a bit, but she stilled it. No. Never again.

She couldn't do that to HIM.

Melanie calmed herself, and looked at him again, and it was almost endearing. 'Just like old times. Still trying to be that knight in shining armor, eh, Bertie?', Melanie whispered in his ear, chuckling, and she left a kiss he couldn't interpret on his cheek.

The name froze him, and as she left, he stood there, feeling the kiss, remembering the next part of his tale to Renaud, remembering her, Melanie…

Creating her greatest enemy by making him a hero…

---

'So… You like inventions?'

Melanie tried not to have violent thoughts as she and Bertrand tiptoed on stone walls and leapt over fences to reach the industrial district. She wrung her hands and bit her lip and stabbed the air with her invention, imagining his stupid grin as all the blood spilled out. But she would control herself, and her anger. 'All that matters is opening the fucker's eyes. I don't really know if I'll accomplish what I'm hoping for… If that's ever possible… But maybe this small fix will be a good break for me.'

Unfortunately, Bertrand started talking again. 'I like them too. I don't tinker that much, to be honest, I'm more of an ideas guy. But I try to when I can, and besides, it's the thought that counts.'

'God, where did you read that, on a gift card?', Melanie groaned in disgust as she climbed over a police barricade. Bertrand, having never seen one, struggled to get over it, and fell on his butt. 'Oh, no, it's a very common saying!'

Melanie grunted, and helped him up, instinctually, though she then wiped her hands from his 'dirt'. 'Well, that says it all. Tell me, if you're dying, and I say 'Gosh, that sucks, feel better', does that help you?'

Bertrand opened his mouth, but no words came out. He considered the statement in his mind. The logic was sound, but…

'Well, what if you try, and fail? Doesn't that mean anything?'

Melanie muttered darkly, not even bothering to look at him. 'I guess, but that would require trying. That's in short supply in this hellhole.'

Bertrand and Melanie turned silent as they eventually passed from the nicer looking suburbs into the industrial district. Melanie was now tinkering with her invention, trying desperately to gain a measure of control over it all, now that she had another visual reminder of the world she lived in.

Bertrand, however, was as observant as ever, or, well, as he tried to be. He had never been to the industrial district before, or, well, he had but not like this. The Tetherby mansion resided on hills overlooking the place, almost more like an ancient castle too far to even hear the serfs cry out to God for something, for something that was real.

It was like being inside a steel cage, rats on the way to be poisoned. Bertrand looked around and saw things that weren't aesthetically nice, or even modest. Barbed wire and chain link fences barely hid the bags of white dust and pills being handed out to people who weren't shown committing crimes on TV, like moms and teachers and even teens. His pupils shrunk from the silvery shiny posters for re-electing Mayor Volte. He squirmed as his black shoes kept getting wet and stained from the muck on the streets, the stuff that should be collected in sewer grates or gutters. Trash bags laid uncollected, two guys scavenging through them, lashing out curse words for a half eaten sandwich.

'I'm… I'm sure that he didn't know. No, wait, that doesn't make sense… Well, maybe…', Bertrand whispered, and Melanie groaned, swiveling her head towards him. 'Seriously? You're in denial? Look with your eyes and not with your heart, idiot!'

Bertrand scowled, hugging himself protectively. 'I'm not an idiot. I'm smart. I'm the smart one.'

Melanie let out a dark laugh, hurting Bertrand further. 'You're so smart, explain all of THIS to me!', Melanie waved her arms around, pointing at the rotting trees, the clothes lines hanging from window to window, socks and shirts routinely being stolen, at the decaying buildings that looked like they were full of mold.

Bertrand stammered as his eyes kept widening at all of this. 'L-look, I kn-now it looks bad b-but… My dad is literally working with all the top scientists to help improve things! Maybe he just didn't tell me how bad it was because he… I don't know, didn't want me to get into things until he was sure he had a good plan?'

Bertrand knew that sounded lame as all shit, but he couldn't believe that his father wasn't at least trying to solve this.

'...Or maybe he just expected me to notice all this myself.', Bertrand then added, feeling guilt fill up his chest.

Melanie resumed walking, muttering 'On that we agree.'

Bertrand followed her, bracing from the far colder weather. Leaves and newspaper waste flew past them from a harsh gale as they neared the intended location, the homeless shelter.

The kids looked up at the shelter that looked like it was made of cardboard almost. There were water stains and holes every which way, the poster walls were tearing off, the way in coated with wrappers and cans and more.

Growling, Melanie got to work, taking out a prototype set of soft robotic arms and putting them on. Moving her eyes back and forth, the arms lunged forward, picking up the trash and putting it away. Bertrand stared in awe, amazed at the invention… For about a minute, as it malfunctioned and burst into fire.

'God damn it!', Melanie shouted, taking out a mini fire hydrant from her backpack ('How did that fit in there', Bertrand wondered) and putting the fire out. She let out a long sigh, frustrated with everything.

'It… It was still really cool.', Bertrand said, hoping that would help. Melanie almost looked at him, but then hid her face, flushed with anger. 'Don't pity me. Don't patronize me. It isn't good enough yet, and that's that.'

She went down on her knees to get the rest of the trash.

'Sorry. I… I just know that when things don't work out for me, it really makes me sad, and then I struggle to get back on track. I just wanted to soften the blow.'

Melanie opened her mouth, but it took a moment for words to come out. '...I know that's what you meant, okay?'

Bertrand, realizing he was leaving her to all the work, scrambled down to contribute. The two worked in silence for a while, not bothering to look at each other.

'...I don't get it. Where are the garbage men, the policemen, anyone?', Bertrand whispered.

Melanie wanted to yell at him again, but she stopped herself. He really DID sound lost and confused. He really DID seem to see her as, well, as a smart inventor, and not what everyone else saw.

'We don't see them here.', Melanie stated, matter of factly.

Bertrand looked even more confused. 'Why? Isn't the police station around here, or close? And it's not like this is some small cul de sac. I think it adds up to about a third of the town, because of the treaty of 18…'

'Why didn't you notice, hmm?', Melanie asked, cutting his info dump off. Bertrand bit his lip. 'I just… didn't.', he answered, ashamed.

'Then take that, and multiply it by a hundred.'

'...That's not true, though. My dad cares.'

'Well, where is he then?', Melanie asked, pointing at an imaginary wristwatch.

'...I'm sure that he and his people will get to this soon enough.', Bertrand suddenly found the floor very interesting.

Melanie stood up, and looked him in the eyes. He stepped back a bit, blushing. 'Tell me this, Tetherby. You're always droning on about how you plan to make all these amazing things to help the town grow and improve, right?'

'Right.', Bertrand nodded, happy that for once he had a positive answer to one of her questions.

The blonde girl prodded him, nearly making him fall into a puddle full of sludge. 'Do you actually mean it? Do you actually care?'

'Yes!', Bertrand answered, almost insulted.

'Then why do you only talk? I've never seen you do anything but yak yak yak!', Melanie made a 'blah blah blah' sign with her hand. Bertrand huffed. 'That's not true! And don't tell me I talk too much, I don't, I'm not weird!'

Melanie almost tilted her head at that, but put it aside to carry on. 'Whatever. But what I'm asking is, what have you actually done?'

Bertrand tried to answer, but then the gears in his head turned and provided nothing. He twiddled his thumbs. '...The opportunity hasn't presented itself yet.'

Melanie smirked, teasing and mocking. 'Well then, I guess we'll just have to find out what would happen if it did.'

'I guess we will.', Bertrand tried to smirk back, but he was less convincing about it.

'Clearly you know better than me, what with all your wealth of knowledge about your dad and his friends. Clearly I just can't see what a good heart you have. Sure, you're helping me now, but you've done nothing before this, you didn't even know about any of this. And maybe you shouldn't have, because where are the adults? What are they doing while two 11 year olds put away the shit left over by them?'

'...I'm 10.'

Melanie groaned. 'You realize that makes it worse, right? You realize that?'

Bertrand said nothing, and Melanie simply sighed and walked up to the nearly broken door.

'Maybe it's time you stopped having such a good heart, and got a good pair of eyes?', Melanie stated, and she opened the door, revealing an even worse sight for Bertrand.

The homeless shelter wasn't deserving of the title of a shelter, not for lack of trying. Sure, there were a few people working hard despite their own hardships to do whatever they could do, cooking what little food they had, scavenging for blankets and clothes, desperately trying to take care of the sick with little to no medical skills.

But that didn't change the grim reality.

Bertrand looked around, heart pounding faster and faster as he witnessed living conditions out of a nightmare.

The first thing anyone noticed was the bracing cold. It was even worse here than outside, tackling you with the force of a tsunami, then restraining you like a straitjacket. Your lungs shivered, your bones chattered, your heart nearly stopped. And Bertrand felt all of that just now. 'What's it like for the people living here?'

Well, for another thing, the walls were peeling, infested with rat dens, the pests always evading capture from the workers. The floor was wet, and was only not falling apart thanks to some quick handiwork, and the barely functioning inventions of Melanie. Even the roof had its problems, a tile falling here and there, the sharp ceramic scaring the denizens every single time, like bombs in the blitz.

'And if that's not enough for you, the heater doesn't work (as I am sure you've noticed), the electricity rates go up and up even though less and less people reside here, and that's without all the accidents that happens from how fucked the place is.', Melanie explained, eyes closed, giving it as it is.

'I don't understand… It can't be…', Bertrand wished with all his heart for this to be a bad dream, but it wasn't. How was the town ever going to live if it was this close to death?

'Like I said. Thoughts are nice. Not much use when you're freezing your ass off.', Melanie hurled another insult at him. She then got a sadder look of anger on her face. 'God… I doubt this is going to work.'

Bertrand raised an eyebrow. 'Hold on, so trying and failing does mean something? You don't just guess it does?'

'I never said what I do means anything. I haven't managed to do anything so far.', Melanie retorted, as she helped spread more blankets she had found in the morning, and walked over to a sickly patient. 'Thank goodness you're here, we're on a real code red here.', one of the workers said, shaking in the cold, serving out medicine tablets. The sickly patient smiled softly at Melanie. 'Happy to see you, dearie.', he hacked out, and she patted his back slowly, doing what she could to ease his pain.

'I don't know, I'm sure that these people are very grateful for your help.', Bertrand tried to smile encouragingly at her, but she only offered a tired frown. 'You'll see, Tetherby. You'll see.'

Bertrand shook his head. She could be cynical if she wanted to. He was going to be proactive. He really had no idea of any of this, and a part of him wanted to lie down, curl into a ball, and cry. But he wouldn't. He had asked for a chance to do good, here it was, a big one. This problem could be easily solved with his skills, and he'd prove that even if things WERE worse, they could be fixed.

And so, he and Melanie got to work.

First, they had to fill the holes. Melanie whipped out the soft robotic arms again, and with Bertrand piloting the other arm, the two used what they had. That wasn't any proper wall plaster or filling, sadly, but wooden planks one of the workers found in a landfill. Bertrand had no experience in building, or in piloting robot arms, so naturally he struggled.

'Smartest kid in school, doesn't know what nails look like.', Melanie scoffed as she hammered as hard as she could.

'It's not efficient to make them and the screws look the same!', Bertrand tried to defend himself, as he hurt his thumb once again. 'This is stupid. And it doesn't really solve the problem.'

'Trust me, I know.', Melanie, for once, agreed.

'Then why? You didn't really answer me. If this isn't doing anything, why do it?', Bertrand asked, feeling like he'd finally got her where he wanted.

Melanie grumbled. He DID get her where he wanted. 'I guess… It feels right, okay? I guess it doesn't feel right not to do anything. Happy?', she spat out.

'I am, yeah.', Bertrand smiled, which almost exasperated, but also almost made her laugh. 'Stubborn jerk. Not that I have much to say.', she admitted.

Bertrand looked over to her, as he nailed another plank. 'Look, I get where you're coming from. But maybe this WILL help with the rats!'

'They gnaw through wood.'

'Well… What if we made a trap?'

'These people can't afford that. I can't!', Melanie explained, and Bertrand couldn't make any purchases with his money either.

But he had an idea. 'We could make our own glue traps!', he suggested, proud of coming up with it.

'Glue traps? How do you know about that, but not nails or screws?', Melnie had to ask.

'My brother is deeply afraid of rats. He's a bit of a jerk, but he doesn't deserve that.', Bertrand explained, and he quickly gathered some materials from Melanie's seemingly bottomless backpack.

He wasn't much of a worker, but with her guidance, the two managed to construct a decent trap, and right as rain, the rat was dead and disposed of, the workers giving warm congratulations to the duo.

'Smart… A real gadgeteer, that Melanie…', the hacking old man whose face looked like one giant wrinkle whispered from his blanket, the cold seemingly not bothering him. Melanie looked back, used to the praise from him, but happy to hear it nonetheless.

'Huh.', Melanie thought, slightly impressed by the self made trap that had cost nothing. 'I guess… It's worth a shot.'

Bertrand saw her eyes light up just momentarily, and he knew he'd give his life to see that again.

The kids didn't stop there, of course. There was then the matter of the heater. Melanie, already taking out all her tools, was at it in a jiffy. Bertrand stared at her, replacing cogs, refitting wiring, resetting what once was old into new, and he was spellbound. 'You're so good at this…', he trailed off.

Melanie blushed a little bit. Just a teensy bit. 'It's… It's nothing. Anyone can do this, it's not a worthy skill to admire.'

'Oh, come on, no 11 year old does that! So it's not the most important, it's still vital!', Bertrand defended her skills. Melanie had to admit, it touched her just a little bit. 'All right, fine, but you were the one who came up with the glue traps. Maybe you are an idea guy after all.', Melanie complimented.

'After today, I think I'd rather execute the ideas too.'

'I third.', the old man said, and Bertrand and he laughed a little. Melanie stared at this in pleasant surprise.

For the first time, perhaps, there was real harmony between them. This was the first time they worked together, and already things were looking a tiny bit better at the shelter.

And it only increased as they worked on the prosthetic leg. Melanie believed in 'Natural science', which meant that yes, she would use technology, but she wanted the body to improve itself, to use its power, not to be enslaved to machinery. 'My leg IS robotic, but its purpose is to help the body heal itself, to use its strength, and by that, to create blastema, which is what some animals like lobsters or lizards use to regrow limbs. What I am hoping to do with this is to speed up the healing process with these protein and other nutrient supplements being provided to the bone microbiologically with the aid of these tiny vaccines.', she showed the syringes to Bertrand, as he marveled at the complex layers of the biotech. 'So yes, a machine IS being used, but only as an aid. Once the leg heals, it SHOULD regrow. Which I know is mad science and a LOT of hoping, but well I'm the only one who's working on it day and night, so…', she trailed off, as if she didn't understand how big this was if she could succeed.

Bertrand wasn't sure what the big deal was with not using machines in the end, but he just wanted a good result, so he helped tighten bolts, ensure the PAM's were working, all that. He provided insight on how machinery worked thanks to all his reading, and while it wasn't experienced per say, Melanie found it useful in that at least it would ensure the first half of her plan worked.

Not that that pleased her that much, but still.

Eventually, the leg was to be tested. Maisie, the old lady in need of it, was startled at the machine managing to attach itself, without the need for surgery. These two kids were almost scary smart. But would it work miracles?

Getting help from all the workers, she managed to slowly, surely, stand up. There was some slipping, some near falls, but eventually the foot planted itself on the wooden floor.

That was the easy part done.

Holding onto support until the last moment, Maisie closed her eyes and willed herself to stand up on her own. She wobbled and shook, she whimpered, she nearly cried, but, suddenly, the moving stopped, and she had achieved balance.

Everyone in the shelter cheered, and Bertrand made sure Melanie noticed. 'See? We've already made a difference!'

For just a brief, wonderful moment, Melanie offered him and the world a warm, genuine smile. Maybe it was okay, maybe this baby step was good eno…

But then they heard a cough.

And another wheeze.

The old man looked delirious, and cold, despite the blankets. He kept whispering Melanie's name. Melanie went up to him, looking shaken. She shouted for the workers to do something, but they didn't know what, just that his heartbeat was all off.

She held his hand, realizing before everyone.

Shaking her head.

Begging, pleading.

'No… Please… No, it's okay, I can still…', Melanie whispered, tears falling onto his blanket, she was almost wringing his hand from worry.

'It's… Okay.', he tried to say, but she wouldn't listen.

'No it's not. It's not okay. You never did anything wrong, and you could be saved, if they just… If it wasn't so unfair…', she tried to say, but she choked and hiccupped on her words.

'...It's not okay. But you… Are okay. It will be okay. One day.', he kept on whispering, drifting off.

'It should be okay now.', she wanted to shout, but not at him, so she kept her cool. She buried her face in his neck, giving him all her warmth before he would be frozen forever.

'I know you'll… You'll show them all. You'll bring change. I know.', he mumbled, trying to comfort her.

But there was no comforting Melanie.

Bertrand stood there, shocked, heartbroken, tears falling down so slowly he only noticed when they fell on his shoes.

His black, expensive, designer shoes.

While everyone else here was lucky to have socks.

He knew, at that moment…

'It could have been different. It SHOULD have been different.'

A quiet funeral was held. No one even knew his name, as he had forgotten it himself from all his illnesses. Melanie stood in a corner, praying to… Well, to no one. She didn't believe in gods. Only in her failure today.

'I know this is bad…', Bertrand, who had moved next to her, started to say.

'Don't you dare find a silver lining. Who cares if we helped Maisie? This man who did nothing wrong is dead, while his killers are feasting high above the clouds. Since when do the demons run heaven?'

Bertrand sighed, he couldn't help but agree. 'I am not saying this wasn't horrible. It was. But maybe this is a sign for us. A sign that if people like us worked together from the start, maybe he would have been fine.'

Melanie didn't know if she agreed or not. 'I don't think filling holes is enough.'

'So we'll do better than that! With your knowhow we can fix the problems, and I can use my connections to hear what they are and come up with plans, then we'll both apply your tech!'

'Impossible for two people.', Melanie grumbled.

Bertrand didn't lose hope. He grabbed her hand. 'People will see, they admire me… For some reason. Maybe I'll inspire them that way. Isn't it worth trying?'

They both blushed and separated then.

Melanie felt it, in her heart, Her soul screaming for more, for perfection.

But that wasn't attainable yet.

Or maybe… Just maybe… Her soul also screamed to do something, ANYTHING. 'He DOES have connections, funds, if I can get him to use them. He has the skills, and the will, it seems.'

She looked at the blanketed pile that was her friend.

'...For him, at least. I'll try once more. For all those, like me, who want a good, fair world. I'll try.'

She sighed, and gazed at his outstretched hand. His stupid smile. He cared too, but in a different way, a hopeful way. 'I hope you know, I'm not just interested in fixing. I want to break those aggressors' illusions.'

'I was blind too. Maybe some of them can be woken up.'

She didn't really believe that. But a compromise had to be made to ensure people like her friend had a glimmer of hope.

She acquiesced. For the good of the world.

'Deal.', she said, shaking his hand.

'Deal.', he replied, feeling hopeful again, but now, aware, awake, afraid in the right way.

He spent that night staring at his ant farm, the ants real problems surfacing now that he was looking deep. The lack of food, of strength, of room.

'I can see now.'

'I will solve all the problems.'

'ALL of them.'

---

'So… It's ready?'

Bertrand was currently standing on the bridge between the two buildings of the science expo, squinting. The sun was weirdly blinding today despite the time of year, and he tried to block it with a pair of sunglasses he had in his pocket.

The woman before him, the doctor from the underground lab, still wore her goggles, but Bertrand had a suspicion it wasn't because of the sun.

'Yes, indeedy!', the scientist crowed, making a small 'celebratory horn sound' as she took out a suitcase which contained the compressed invention. It was a bulky suit of armor, sort of, made of barbed wire and chain link, and it sparked every second. 'Barbed Wire' is complete!'

Bertrand took it and smiled, but it wasn't a glorious smile. 'Excellent work, doctor.'

She noticed, and offered a comforting hand, making him back off, weirdly. Noticing her reaction, he apologized sheepishly. 'Please, don't misunderstand. I… I am not one for such interactions.'

'Ah, don't lose any sleep over it! You're busy doing all kinds of important shit, I get it, so no time for other pursuits! You kept me and my parents safe, that's good enough!', the doctor responded, offering a 'Good job :D' sticker.

Bertrand took it, but it didn't feel earned. Turning away for a moment, he noticed a nest of ravens, over by a nearby tree branch. A mother raven fed her hatchlings while the father looked around for threats of any kind.

He stared wistfully at it, eyes nearly watering. '...Doctor, you would do anything to keep those you love safe, right?'

The doctor, busy guzzling another thermos full of coffee, nodded explosively. 'UH HUH'

'...Even if it meant… Doing things you weren't proud of? Doing things that were… Not necessarily the best?'

The doctor puzzled over this a bit. 'Well… It depends, I guess. But hey, it's not all black and white, sometimes a wrong CAN make a right, depending on your perspective! My perspective is that I CRAVE MORE COFFEE, and that's probably bad for me, but fuck it, Imma do it anyway!', she guzzled down another cup.

Bertrand allowed a small chuckle, before shaking his head. 'I know, just… What I do is for everyone, for all of us. If it was the wrong thing to do… I don't know what I'd do with myself. No, it has to be right. It must be! I've…'

'Recalculated and recalculated, I've heard it before, snore!', The doctor replied, shaking her hands. 'Gotta get more coffee, can we talk later?'

'Water, no coffee.'

'Compromise? Red Bull.'

'Compromise? Decaf.'

'FINEEEE', the doctor groaned humorously, and went off to the canteen. Bertrand, who had already made sure to remove the canteen's stock of decaf with water just in case, would have rathered she'd leave now, but he guessed a small detour wouldn't matter. Besides, if a problem DID arise, it was easier to solve than this.

He stared at the raven, ever vigilant, warning his family of a hawk. They listened.

'If it were only that simple.', Bertrand sighed, remembering all of it. Every last thing he has had to do, and everything he has yet to do.

It was a lot. Maybe too much. But '...A worthy sacrifice for peace. If I learned one thing from you, Melanie, my lost love, it's that there can be no compromise for justice. Except for one. My compromise.'

He found himself edging closer until he reached the tree, and he pet the ravens carefully, showing them he wasn't a threat. 'They must be taught, ruled. They cannot be allowed to make decisions for themselves. They are flawed, broken creatures. But aren't we all? What we all need is someone willing to make the hard choices, someone willing to weather the storm. I will force a change, hold their hand and take them to paradise, even if it kills me. If some must suffer for it, then so be it. There is no clean path, but in the long term, what is a little suffering compared to a lot? The best of the bad choices.'

He observed the bird capable of both kindness and cruelty, and offered it the former. 'We are all birds of prey. But perhaps this one can quell the hunger with a guiding wing.'

---

'Splitting headache now? Just my luck. I could get into a traffic jam at a bumper car arena.', Mr. Fenrisulfer thought, standing in line for some decaf. He had TRIED to get the kids to take the worksheets, but that had proven a herculean task, even for his powerful sniffer.

'EATKILLHURTEATKILLHURTRAGERAGERAGE', the voice of the wolf inside cried out, suffering from the pain too, but also exhibiting its usual ferocity.

'No. You've been acting out, anyway. Coming out in spurts. You saw the funny look I got for my sudden fang reveal.', Bruce muttered in scolding. 'You only come out when there is a mission or a threat. That was the deal YOU made with Mr. Tetherby.'

'DEAL? YOU MADE DEAL! YOU LOCK ME UP! I MUST TAKE IT OUT, AND YOU BARELY LET ME SCRAPE THAT STUPID COSTUMED GIRL!'

'That girl is my student, a kid by all means.', Bruce reminded, wondering what was taking so long. He tapped his foot impatiently.

'SO WHAT, SHE CAN DEFEND HERSELF!'

'How dare you even say that. I hate you, but you have SOME standards, surely!', Bruce chided.

The wolf growled. 'STANDARDS? MY ASS! YOU WERE PERFECTLY FINE WITH THE MISSION IF IT MEANT YOUR PRECIOUS PEPIN WAS STILL SAFE!'

'...I didn't know she was a kid.'

'OH, AS IF BEING AN ADULT WOULD HAVE MADE IT OH SO BETTER! I BET THE OLDIES AT THE SENIOR HOME THINK YOU'RE SUCH A CHARMER!'

'It's different. Hurting some asshole who works for Pingrey, or a criminal, that's one thing. Innocents weren't a thing. Before.'

Silence reigned for a moment. The two didn't know what to say to each other that hadn't been said before. Bruce just wanted to not hurt anyone, and all Wolf wanted was an outlet for his rage.

Suddenly, it was broken, but not by them.

'Water? I thought they had decaf! Me no likey.', the doctor whined, drinking the water in frustration.

'For real? Crap.', Bruce cussed, and the doctor's large googly eyes blinked in surprise. 'Oh, hello, new person!'

Bruce shrugged and waved at her. 'Hello?'

She suddenly sat on one of the bar stools and spun it around. 'I've never spoken to you before!'

'...Yeah?', Bruce was getting increasingly confused by this conversation. Wolf, meanwhile, was oddly quiet.

'Yeah, it's so new and exciting and terrifying! I could scream! Maybe I will! AAAAA!', she screamed, before slamming down a notebook. 'TELL ME RANDOM FACTS!'

'Oh, um…', Bruce panicked. He too wasn't used to such conversations, but he didn't dare to look too odd. He'd talk if he must. 'I guess… I like science? Or, well, I like teaching science. Sort of. On occasion. Depends on if the kid sucks or not.'

'OMG, SAME! I'M A DOCTOR/PROFESSOR/WHATEVER TERM YOU WANNA USE, I MAKE COOL SHIT THAT USUALLY IS SHINYYYYY', the doctor swooned, spinning again. Bruce couldn't help but smile a bit.

The doctor then took out a strange sort of thing, that looked like it had once been a blanket but also a stim toy. 'For example, I once made this! It's gloves that both weight your hands like a weighted blanket, but also have these rings that can be stim toys! Try it!'

Bruce tried them on. 'It IS quite calming.', he said, feeling a little lighter.

'AND I made this cool cyborg body you could upload your consciousness to, to allow for faster brain processing and aiming! Got missing, somehow. PLUS I'm working on a machine that allows you to communicate with your soul!'

'Wait, souls exist?', Bruce asked, amazed.

'Oh, yes! You'd be surprised at what's real once you start digging! I have heard some crazy shit about monsters and hunters!', The doctor went on, and Bruce stifled a laugh. She tilted her head, confused. 'Am I too strange? Do you find me too strange? I didn't mean to, I just get very excited. Stupid, stupid, why can't I be normal?', she cursed herself, feeling horrible.

'Wait, wait! I was just…', Bruce tried to apologize, putting a very, VERY careful hand on her shoulder. 'I am so sorry, I didn't mean… It was just… Endearing, that's it!'

'Really?', she asked, eyes even larger.

'Yeah, I… Am kind of a grump. I like how you're not, though. Reminds me of someone I… Once knew.', he trailed off, eyes down to the ground.

'Oh, I know what you mean! My brother… Wherever he is, he was a grump too.', she added.

'Oh, wow. Sorry to hear.', he said, sympathetic.

'Yeah, but hey, I know he's somewhere. My boss will find him!'

Bruce tried to be encouraging. 'I'm sure he will, ms… Oh, wow, I don't even know your name!'

The doctor giggled, feeling silly. 'Oh, my, that happens all the time, I just forget that little detail! My name's Pepin!'

Bruce's eyes widened, and his heart nearly stopped. Inside, a storm brewed…

His eyes turned red for a moment.

---

'Have you put it on?', Bertrand asked on one radio channel. The answer was a garbled yes. 'Good, make sure to come out on the signal. Wait for her to show up. How do I know? She's here, I saw her. And even then, she always does.'

A small smile showed up. 'If only she were on our side. The girl reminds me of someone I knew…'

He then shook his head. 'Regardless, make sure to fight only her, and cause as little ruckus as possible. No one gets hurt. We just want a final reminder.'

Bertrand turned off the radio channel, then tuned into a separate, classified one.

'Sermon?'

'Hope Sermon, don't wear it out.', Organized Chaos answered from inside the walls of the building, grinning at the possibilities. 'Ready to come out to position once that Guardian bitch has our new friend out of the bout.'

'Good, make sure you stay ready. We want to get this done as quickly as possible.'

'I'll spook 'em all out of their socks, then they'll know who they should aim at with their rocks. They'll finally hear what we sang, and he'll go out with a bang!'

Bertrand nodded, and closed the radio, feeling his temples throb. 'It's what has to be done. It's not like it's not true, and it's not like I'm hurting anyone. Not really. Long term… It's the right thing to do.'

Out of nowhere, though, he ran into…

'Bertrand? Didn't expect to run into you here! What are you doing all alone on this bridge? All the girls are inside, old chum!', Lord Alan Tetherby, his younger brother, laughed and nudged him, a little try hard with his affectionate gesture. Bertrand saw right through it, and smiled painfully. 'Brother. Fancy seeing you here. You never were much of a man of science.'

'Doesn't run in the family, eh? Apart from you! But I've been meaning to see the old place, and you being here was the perfect excuse to also, well, see you!', Alan explained, suddenly turning a little distant. Bertrand cocked an eyebrow. He hadn't expected this, a rare situation indeed. 'Is something the matter?'

'...Bertrand, I… You know what today is.'

Bertrand slowly nodded. 'Of course. How could I forget?', a tiny bit of resentment cropped up.

Alan began to walk with him into the building, the two absorbed with each other and only each other, two very different kinds of rich men. Alan was so much older than he was, his bad habits catching up to him at marathon speed. He looked 70, and he breathed like one. But despite all that, he seemed slightly different than he was at the mansion party when they reunited. '...Ever since you came back, you've felt the same, but also not. You seem stronger, and I mean that in the best way. Cause you were right. About so much.'

Bertrand was very surprised at this. 'Comes from the guy who called me 'Raven'.'

'A stupid, childish insult. You knew what would happen, and it was… All my fault, my god. All my fault.', Alan admitted, shivering, he could have cried on the spot.

Bertrand immediately softened, and genuinely disagreed. 'No, don't do that to yourself! You know I was angry that day, it was my choice in the end!'

'Yes, but influenced by me.', Alan placed his hands on his brother's shoulders. 'Look, I just wanted to say… I'm sorry. For everything. I am, if permitted, proud of what you are doing. I spent all my life, well, you know. I was brought down to size not too long ago by some white haired kid, and, well, it made me think. I wish I had started sooner. I… I don't know where I'm going with this. I'm just sorry. You're doing what our family was meant to do.'

Bertrand was surprised by this. By his kind eyes, his soft words, his truth. This was… An unforeseen development. 'I thank you, truly. But it's all right.', he offered a warm handshake. 'I know you will soon live the life you deserve. Once I'm done, everything's gonna be alright.'

Alan smirked. 'I'm holding you up on that.', he then laughed, and left, feeling better from the conversation.

Bertrand sighed, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders increase tenfold. 'I hope it all works out. I can't fail him again.'

---

Meanwhile, Lori was still digging for intel. She and Lincoln agreed on splitting up, so while Lincoln listened in to any Pingrey exhibits he could find, and looked around for anything or anyone that sounded sus, she was talking to their only informant who wasn't at a crime bar.

'Oh, dear, Ms. Gua… Ms. Loud, I don't know what to say. I only remember a little thanks to my self induced amnesias.', Dr. Nevio explained, looking a little sheepish. 'I am not fond of having such little information on anything, let alone something so vital and fascinating as this! What COULD that man be after, it all feels so disparate and random!'

'I know, right?', Lori replied, almost gossipy. 'It's LITERALLY the worst! All I can know for sure is he's interested in the serum, but Mrs. Pingrey of course wouldn't just bring it out here! So, no leads.'

'I do apologize for not being of assistance. Might I suggest, however, searching outside for more shady characters?', Nevio offered. 'He DOES seem to have a penchant for mercenaries.'

'True. I just have a lot of stuff to do here too.', Lori explained, looking bushed. She really needed a power nap after this. 'I have some personal family stuff to deal with.'

'I do not envy you. In fact, I am going to pretend I am very small now so as to avoid it.', Nevio said, crouching.

'How come?', Lori asked, looking down, only to get tapped on the shoulder. Turning around, she saw Luna, who was with a slightly jumpy Leni considering her teeth chattering and a still hooked to her phone Luan, swiping down texts like crazy. 'Lori, Lisa is at the stem cell exhibit. Just thought you might like to know, cause, ya know… Talk?'

Lori nodded, feeling bad. 'Sorry, Luna, I just got distracted a little.'

'Is cool. Where's Lincoln?', Luna asked, looking around for the little guy.

'He's, um, helping me with something.', Lori explained. Not a lie, to be fair, so it was way easier.

'Okay, but like, he's still in a wheelchair? I wouldn't leave him alone just yet.', she reminded gently, and Lori face palmed. 'Right, right. I'll work on that.', Lori then ran off, searching for Lincoln like a hawk.

Luna wanted to say something, but she kept her mouth shut.

Finding Lincoln wasn't hard, as he had nothing to report. So, the two walked together to Lisa to tackle her problem.

Lisa was at the stem cell exhibit, as Luna had said. She was still tinkering, but was also listening intently to the lecture, taking notes with her mouth at intense speed. Lori was impressed, and she whistled to show it. 'Nice work, Lis! I couldn't do that!'

'Doubtful.', Lisa barbed back. Lori was confused by this, and Lincoln shrugged at her. 'At least she's encouraging?'

Clearing her throat, Lori tried again. 'So… Why don't you tell me about this?'

'Do you actually want to know?', Lisa asked, sassy, but she noticed Lori's expression. She was at the very least trying. She looked concerned. Lisa couldn't deny it, so she took a deep breath.

'Well, since you ask, the stem cells are being used to orchestrate what they normally accomplish in medicinal research, which is to rebuild tissue and repair damaged organs.'

Lisa then pointed at a diagram showcasing the new technology. 'None of that is too impressive in terms of knowledge, we know this and are very close to reaching it. However, Mrs. Pingrey is trying to use this system to create a sustaining system, one that will become so entrenched that it will pass onto future generations, making the use of tech futile. In essence, Mrs. Pingrey wants to perfect our bodies in a natural way.'

Lori and Lincoln nodded, both quite interested and impressed. 'Sounds literally amazing!', Lori enthused.

'Hmm. Really? To you, is it THAT amazing?', Lisa retorted, and Lori legit didn't know what to say. 'What do you mean?', she asked, dumbfounded.

Lisa groaned and left, though she felt a bit bad. It was rare to see genuine interest from her siblings in her line of work. 'Then again, I have good reason to be angry and squander this rare opportunity.', she thought, and she marched on to a different exhibit.

Lori wanted to go, but feared making things even worse. 'Why is this so hard?', she thought, hugging herself. Lincoln patted her back, comfortingly.

Suddenly, a voice rang through the loudspeaker.

'Attention, the expo is proud to announce its opening speaker to be Bertrand Tetherby! He is at the center stage, awaiting you all!'

Everyone quickly made haste to the area, mostly 'cause it was part of their grade, though. Grownups however were interested in the man who had already done more in two days than most people in power at Royal Woods in decades.

The floor was full of expectant faces and murmurings and mumblings, and as Bertrand stood on the stage, holding the microphone, he felt it: The pressure, the anxiety, the absolute importance of this. It was moments like this that he had been training for all this time. He HAD to be the one to properly teach them, lead them.

Next to him was the exact opposite of that. Mayor Volte, mayor for about 45-50 years now, waved at the crowd jubilantly, his re-election almost guaranteed, as there was barely an opposition. He had graying black hair, small reading glasses that barely stayed on his nose, and he wore a sharp red outfit, and expensive jewelry. He was known for living large, flaunting his wealth like a king. He didn't care what it took to provide it, and Bertrand stared at him, wondering if he remembered him, if he even had a smidgen of life in his soul. Volte's latest assistant, Theresa Davies, fumbled behind him, staring worriedly at all the crap she had been asked to deal with that she was NOT aware of.

Bertrand looked back at the crowd. Far away, two contrasting faces stared at him: His brother, Alan, offering an encouraging thumbs up, and his Lenore, Melanie, still offering that evil smile they would so often give each other when confronting. He hated putting on that act, letting his feelings control him. He felt a burning hatred for what she did, what she planned to do…

But his heart still ached for her all the same. For his friend.

This speech now wasn't the real speech. That would come later, this evening, and next week. But this could be a good prologue, he thought, this could show them all, even those who hated him, that all he wanted was to help and protect.

He cleared his throat a little audibly, earning a small laugh, and then he started talking.

'Citizens of Royal Woods, it is my honor to introduce us to this year's Royal Woods Science Expo!'

A smattering of polite but slightly excited applause followed.

'Thank you. For those of us who are too young to remember, or who don't really care (laughter), the expo was delayed for many years after an event I remember well. I wouldn't want to get into the details. I wouldn't want us to get lost in those moments.', he trailed off softly.

A silence hung, as those who remembered offered sympathetic stares. Even Melanie couldn't help a small one, for old time's sake.

'Thank you. But… This is not about me.', he looked at them, at his flock, how he longed to finally do right by them. '...It never was. This is about us, all of us.'

He moved around, not too familiar and folksy, not too fancy and above it all, a strange mix of high class yet low class too, in his movements and voice. As if he actually understood. 'The science expo is a celebration of what we can achieve, what we can become. Of our hard work. Hard work that, it is right to say, has been missing for a while in our fair town.'

No one said anything, but lots of eyes were directed at Mayor Volte. The citizens didn't have much chance to say it, but those who suffered every day had an inkling on who was to blame.

'Now, I don't want to point fingers. We are better than that. We can spend all day saying 'he did this', 'she did that', 'they are responsible'. But then, what will become of all of us? Those words don't keep the darkness away from our eyes, or the cold from our bones, or the hunger from our tables and children. No, we must act, we must fight to move forwards, to be greater than the sum of our parts, to advance everyone!', Bertrand declared, firing them up a bit. Some cheering followed, and some more rabid applause.

'This is the point of the science expo, and the point of my recent work. Things are crazier than ever, harder than ever. If you're not struggling to make ends meet, keep your house from falling apart, feed your kids, then some crazed lunatic attacks the streets, and a masked vigilante fights them. We must be able to stand up for ourselves, we must be able to soar into the sky after all these years on the ground with our wounded wings.'

'That's why I have been making these inventions, for the police so far, yes, but not just those.'

Revealing a new, hidden exhibit, Bertrand revealed all kinds of other inventions that prompted oohh's and aahh's: Security Robots, who would defend your house and look out for threats, a metallic toolbox that, when turned on, would envelope a house with reinforced steel, robotic nurses who would provide medicinal nanobots to help those too frail to even go to a hospital. There was even an interesting amount of body armors, designed to be worn.

'Now, I know what you are thinking. How can you afford any of these services? First of all, I offer what I have for free! Sadly, due to my separate ventures from my brother, I don't actually have that much money. But that's where the solution comes in! Jobs, security, health, they are all scarce in parts of our town! With my new factory, new hospital, new position on the police force, tons of jobs open up, jobs that unlike so many, will be paid properly, with a TRUE living wage, with health insurance, with hope. This is what I offer to all of us, Royal Woods. Life, finally. Life, truthfully. Life, deservedly, the life all of us deserve, no matter our demons!'

Bertrand had fire in his belly almost, meaning every single word. The crowd went wild for it, and cheered like in a sports stadium. He would SAVE Royal Woods, like he vowed all those years ago.

He would not fail again…

---

Over the next two months, Bertrand and Melanie dedicated every waking second to doing what Royal Woods needed.

To do that required finding out the secret struggles people wouldn't reveal, and locating secluded homes that didn't even have the benefit of the shelter.

'Which is what THESE are for!', Bertrand explained, holding a small drone in front of Melanie's inquisitive eyes. It was a drone, yes, but it had paws and feet, and what looked like titanium drills on the top of the paws. '...And these are?', she asked, as they stood in front of each other from opposite sides of a detention room. School was over but Melanie was being punished for her no show the day before.

Bertrand closed his eyes, a little braggy, as he latched the drone onto a pipe leading into the school ventilation system. 'Why, my dear, this is a M.O.L.E, a 'Mechanized and Obtrusive Labor Establisher'.

'...You really forced that acronym.'

'Yes. Point is, this little guy and his friends will be able to move through the vents, latch onto our classmates and teachers bags and open them with their drills, and then through cameras and microphones, uncover what's really going on with them, or with people around them. That way, we're not just going all willy nilly in every which way!', Bertrand explained, feeling quite pleased with himself.

'And all that in one night? I'll admit, Tetherby, that's impressive.', Melanie whistled in appreciation. 'But that doesn't solve the problem of solving the problems. I don't know if you noticed but I'm kind of grounded for a week. And even after that, I'm going to be watched like a hawk.'

'That's what I'm here for! I'm good at planning but not much at action, sure I can make a drone but I know nothing when it comes to the crazy stuff you make, or more normal regular stuff. So you'll have this mini TV that will broadcast what's going on, and through this radio link, tell me what to do to solve the problem. Once you're free from detention, I'm sure we can find a way to sneak you in!'

Melanie scoffed. 'Bad at inventing? I don't know about that.'

Bertrand smiled shyly.

'But regardless, it's a good plan. Better than nothing at least.', she sighed. 'I still don't know about this, Tetherby. What difference will it make?', her face looked down, mopey.

Bertrand shook his head. 'Like I said, at least if we act earlier, we might have a chance. I can't just stand by, not after yesterday.'

Melanie nodded slowly. 'And neither can I. Fine. Let's give it a whirl.'

They shook hands, and so, it began.

For the next week, Bertrand would use his power, his money, his ability to really just cut school and do whatever he wanted, to do whatever he needed to do.

First, he used his drones to listen in and see what problems the other kids and teachers had while he tried as hard as he could to find supplies for the homeless people, unable to use his money because of his parents tight hold on it.

The M.O. were effective, to say the least: They were small enough to just sneak in and out the vents and hide on backpacks and purses and the like, and to get inside and get information, they could use their tiny drills to open tiny holes and move in. Using eye sensors, the info was immediately broadcast to Melanie, who with the hidden mini TV (fashioned like a wristwatch) could tell Bertrand what was going on as he dumpster dived for blankets with only five holes in them.

'Okay, Mr. Takovic has a whole load of overdue bills here. Specifically electricity bills.', Melanie radioed in, squinting at the screen that kept changing from one place to another. 'Bobbie Fletcher meanwhile has a note directing her to some counseling… Seems like her parents have to work all day to keep the dirty water running, and she's spiraling.'

'I'll go over there as soon as I can.', Bertrand said, feeling the pressure but intent on beating it. He cheered as he located an actually decent bunch of pillows thrown away by accident. 'Anything from the audio mics?'

Melanie tuned in. 'Hmm… Derek Rae is fine, but I can hear his neighbour's car is seemingly dead, and he clearly doesn't have the money for the insurance, what with the colorful language he's using.'

Bertrand sighed. 'A lot to do.'

'Always. But like you said, gotta at least try.'

So the two did just that. Bertrand went to Mr. Takovic and gave him some temporary candle light as he tried to figure out the problem. 'If you can't pay the bills, and I can't, we need to get the electricity another way…', Bertrand tried to think.

'You could try and steal it.', Melanie offered.

'Stealing is wrong?', Bertrand reminded her, as if he was a character in a moral driven saturday morning cartoon.

'And Mr. Takovic having no electricity because he can't pay is okay?', Melanie reminded him.

'I'd pay if I could. But teacher's salaries aren't, well, lucrative. Our protest last summer didn't go to plan, and, well, Takovic doesn't sound very apple pie, now does it?', Jimmy explained, and Bertrand felt the injustice stir a fire in his soul.

'You're right. It's not American to do this. At least… It shouldn't be.', Bertrand put his infer conflict aside, and took out a spare drone.

'Any ideas?', Melanie asked, wracking her head.

'One. My drone here could be reconfigured to take power and transport it to here with the far reaching radio lines. If I can make it seem like nothing has changed to the electric company, Mr. Takovic can get away scot free, as long as he keeps all that on the downlow.'

Melanie grinned with appreciation. 'You're getting good at this.'

Bertrand smiled quietly. 'What matters is that Mr. Takovic has what he needs. Hopefully I can bring attention to this with my father.'

Mr. Takovic was still crying with joy as Bertrand left, his and Melanie's tech so superior, it almost made it a game. People using their gifts for the betterment of mankind was and is a rare thing.

But Bertrand and Melanie were rare people.

'Bobbie, your parents need to work to keep things running. I can try and clean the water supply with my friend, but until then, we have to solve your problem with isolation.', Bertrand said, almost sounding robotic, as the 6 year old brunette cried in the corner of her bedroom. 'How? I want my family. I can't stand being alone all day here.'

Bertrand tapped his chin in thought. 'Well, what if you helped us? If more people helped, the problems would be solved faster, and your parents would be able to work less.'

'I'm not a genius.', Bobbie said, gripping onto a hard hat.

'True… But you seem to have a lot of tools around.', Bertrand pointed at the assortment of wrenches, hammers and screwdrivers.

'With nothing to do, I have to keep myself occupied. Besides, disassembling stuff is easy when it's all crap. Especially cars', Bobbie explained, holding a wheel from her parents car.

'And that's exactly why you can help! Everyone's stuff is not working! Someone who knows how to fix that would be very useful, even, maybe, a good friend.', Bertrand offered, and Bobbie immediately agreed, happy for anything. Bertrand hated that it felt a little manipulative, but he meant everything. Sure, he didn't know the girl, but maybe they could be friends.

'Stop beating yourself up. So you sweetened it a little bit. What matters is getting it done.', Melanie strengthened him, and he carried on the plan.

Arriving with Bobbie at the neighbor's with a dying car proved to be a tremendous plan. Bobbie had an innate understanding of machines but especially cars, as she mentioned, since her dream was to 'be a NASCAR champion'.

'I don't know about NASCAR, kid, but you're a champion in my eyes! I can't afford to pay the insurance on this if I sold all my limbs! Now I can still help at the DMV!', The neighbor said gratefully, shaking the kids hands. 'Come visit me when you're 16, kiddo.'

'That was great! What else can we do?', Bobbie asked, and Bertrand, feeling optimistic, explained. 'There are other kids who are struggling. We gotta help them!'

'And maybe then they'll join us too.', Melanie said. 'The more the merrier if we want to rebuild the homeless shelter.'

'Homeless shelter?', Bobbie asked, hearing the radio from Bertrand's ear. 'How would you do that? That place needs to be totally rebuilt!'

'Well, my drones could help.', Bertrand said, but Bobbie shook her head. 'No, silly! That takes time, even with your sci fi madness! Where will those people live? We'd need a hundred kids!'

'Well, then… We better get to work.', Bertrand stated, and that's what they did.

For the next month, while trying to plug symbolic and figurative holes in the struggling homeless shelter, the kids tackled all the other problems for the classroom.

Tanner Baines had a faulty heater in his house, but he knew how to fix them and keep them fixed, with a little help and motivation of course.

Chrissy Mayre had no parents, and lived with her aunt and uncle, and spent all her time alone, her only friends the numbers in her head. But that helped make her the perfect substitute worker, helping many of the working parents with their paperwork, earning minuscule but relieving promotions.

Horatio Lynx couldn't use a tool to save his life, but he was a master renovator, spending his time learning all about house care thanks to not having one of his own. The orphanage didn't even notice his absence as he helped the kids find a new, better shelter for the homeless.

Heaters were repaired. Blankets were stitched from old blankets. The kids didn't have much, but they gave what little they had to those less fortunate than them. And by doing so, they gained hope, they gained some love, and it made them just a little stronger during the tough times.

And thanks to Bertrand and Melanie, the kids and their families weren't suffering either. It wasn't perfect, but it was getting better.

Once Melanie's detention was over, she centered all her efforts on the new shelter. She and Bertrand painted the place, and sometimes got into silly little paint battles. Melanie laughed as Bertrand was covered in black. She had never really had fun before…

They then set the place up with proper equipment that wouldn't break, and wouldn't cost money as they kept seeping power from the city without it being too noticeable. Bertrand and Melanie would spend their evenings eating together at the empty building, talking about science. Melanie was impressed by his knowledge, but more so, his heart. A heart she wasn't sure she had. He told her about all the birthday presents he had planned for their new friends, he told her of all the help he planned to give to those kids and their secrets.

'I saw Renaud. He… Well, Renaud told me something important. I can't share it, but I know who they are right now, and I am trying to support them as much as possible.', Bertrand accidentally let it slip anyway, as he remembered hugging his friend and telling them that nothing had truly changed. Renaud's tears still coated Bertrand's coat, but they were happy tears, and Bertrand wore them proudly.

'...How do you do it?', Melanie asked, hand shaking. She looked down on the ground, seeing black where there was color.

'Do what?'

'...Love.'

Bertrand held her hand. 'When people like you exist, it's easy.'

Melanie felt like she could kiss him, but she didn't. She still didn't know how. She still struggled to believe in hope.

Even when she and Bertrand finished the house.

And helped most of the neighborhood.

And even went out to have their own fun, figure skating on ice.

She was scared, unbalanced.

He held her, made her composed.

She could direct him, tell him exactly what to do, she could see the dangers, but he could circumvent them, he could make what seemed bad into good, he could fix things better than she did.

For all their plans vs actions thing, Melanie was the one who planned, and Bertrand was the one who acted. Melanie's actions were struggles, she helped, but so often in pain.

She wished she could be him.

She held onto him, trying to feel safe.

Maybe she felt it a little.

Maybe she just did.

But all this wasn't going to be enough.

It never could be.

The new shelter was great, the solutions to all the poor kids problems were working, but for how long? Eventually someone would discover the ruse, and they could plug holes for only so long.

'We need a long term fix.', Melanie said to him, as they were outside his mansion.

'I know. I wish I could just use my riches. But I can't, my parents don't let me! Besides, I still don't know why they don't do anything. Maybe they're being opposed?', Bertrand offered. Melanie groaned. 'You are so blind sometimes.'

She got softer when she saw him look sad. 'Look, we're doing well, even I can admit that. But it won't hold. We HAVE to make a permanent fix, and your money helps. Could you… Could you at least try? For them?'

'...I can try for you too.', Bertrand added.

Their fingers interlaced. She still didn't know if she liked him. She knew he made her laugh, he gave her reasons to live, but she didn't know if she COULD like like that.

Not just in love, but as a friend. As anything.

Was she just destined to be isolated? Not having romantic love didn't matter to her, that was normal as anything.

But not having any friends at all? That worried her a little.

They didn't say how they felt, one way or the other, to each other.

But for a moment, the bond was aglow.

'Even if we fail… I know you'll have tried your hardest. If they say no, we'll just keep working at it.', she smiled, encouragingly, such a rare thing. She was able to let her guard down. She slipped, and fell, and it was funny to her almost, and he smiled back.

She didn't have to be perfect with him. Her mother was wrong.

'I'll… I'll see you…'

She looked back. '...Bertie.'

Bertrand felt his heart nearly sing. He had won her over, at least a little, and he had done good things, truly good things.

Asking would be hard, but he could try!

Whistling as he walked, he caught sight of his brother, Alan, and he came to greet him.

Only to meet with something truly shocking, his eyes widened and his mouth agape.

His brother was with some shady looking person.

Holding onto a bag of pills, ecstasy.

And giving over huge wads of cash.

The echo of a shutting door was the only sound for a good few moments, as Bertrand and Alan stared at each other in the grand hall of the Tetherby mansion. The lights were all aglow, and the splendor shone like a thousand suns, but the atmosphere was far grimmer.

'...I can explain.', Alan started, though he seemed perplexed at the very idea of explaining.

'You better!', Bertrand's voice rose like a gunshot, and he began to gesticulate incredulously. 'I mean, of all the things… You're 8 years old, how can you even take it without overdosing… And this, of all things?'

Alan scoffed, waving him off, and going to the kitchen to request a sandwich from a maid he had already paid off for silence, slipping her another large sum of money.

Bertrand followed him, getting angrier. 'Don't you walk away from me! I can't believe you'd devolve to such… Such… Such chicanery!'

'My brother, the thesaurus.', Alan retorted, biting away at his triple decker sandwich that looked like it cost hundreds of dollars.

'You're eating away at OUR money, money that is meant for better things than… I can't believe I even need to explain it! This is dangerous, and wrong, and…', Bertrand began counting on his fingers all the bad things Alan was doing, but Alan shushed him, clearly impatient to get his high and get Bertrand off his back.

'And what, Bertrand? Naughty? Big whoop. We have all the money in the world, we have the treasure chest open, and you want to count how many blood drops are on our swords? What kinda… I mean, come on!', Alan rolled his eyes.

'You come on!', Bertrand whined like a kid. He looked almost threatening as he edged towards Alan. 'You're hogging out when there are people out there without electricity, clean water, homes! People who've done nothing but good all their lives and die from the cold while we have blankets made out of mink! What have we done?'

'God, who cares? So some poor jerk died. Had it coming, coulda worked harder.', Alan remarked, and resumed eating. Bertrand stared at this display of utter selfishness and coldness with disgust, and… rage? He grabbed Alan by the collar, raising him to the sky, the sandwich falling half eaten on the pristine floor.

'Who cares? WHO CARES? An innocent man DIED and you say he should have worked harder?! You haven't worked a DAY in your life!'

Bertrand's anger at all this injustice took over him, and he tightened his grip. Alan, almost choking, cried out 'Stop… You're hurting… Me… Bertie…'

With the name, Bertrand snapped out of it, and lowered Alan. He looked haunted as he realized what he had just done. 'Alan, I'm…'

'Forget it. You've always been blind to our actions, might as well be blind to yours too.', Alan brushed it off, and Bertrand looked puzzled, blinking in confusion.

'...Oh, are you serious? Wow. And here you are complaining about me stealing money from mom and dad.'

'What do you mean? What are you talking about?', Bertarnd asked, more and more urgent, as the two went out to the hall.

'Bertie, you just told us off for having mink blankets. Who bought those blankets? Who installed all these chandeliers and candelabras? Who gave us this nearly golden wall, these designer suits, this mansion?', Alan asked, pointing all around him. 'You can guess how much it cost.'

Bertrand looked down. '...Well, it's indulgent, yeah, but… Dad IS working on…'

Alan laughed, mockingly, spit flying on Bertrand's face. 'Oh, that's rich! Dude, he's got you played like a fiddle! Or, well, a triangle, because even blind people know that dad is sucking money OUT of the city!'

'...What?', Bertrand suddenly sounded very small and alone. 'Yeah, man. He, the mayor, the police, you name it. I'm just following in their footsteps, I guess.'

'No… No, it can't be true!', Bertrand shouted, though he sounded less and less sure.

'Go ahead, don't believe me. Just a word of advice: Don't tell mom and dad. Then I might tell them what you've REALLY been up to after school with your girlfriend. And maybe dad, he ain't so nice as you think.'

'Stop saying that! He's not like that! We… We shouldn't be acting like this, like how you are acting! You think this is okay? The people will slowly lose everything, they will dwindle and perish, and we'll be left with nothing but our sins!', Bertrand preached, fiery in his passion.

'And I care why?'

'Oh, you want to think like that? How's about this? You'll have no true friends, true loves. You'll take and take and take until you run out of money, and then you'll be left alone, hated and forgotten, until someone finally does what should be done, and makes you suffer a fraction of the pain you've caused to others!', Bertrand shouted in outrage, but Alan simply laughed at him. 'Listen to you! Warning me, like there's some prophecy? You're just a… A raven, that's it! The Raven, cawing me all about how it's going to go to hell! Nice one, Bertie, but everyone knows that for all your efforts, you can't do anything right. You can't even save those stupid poor bastards. Just give in and enjoy life like we do.'

Alan then left him to his thoughts, the lights turning off, Bertrand shrouded in darkness all around him.

'Oh my god.', Melanie exclaimed the next day, on the way to school. Bertrand had told her all that had happened the night before, and he was clearly torn apart from it.

So she took a moment before saying '...Well, then, you going to take some cash too?'

'What? That's your takeaway? My brother is a drug addict and an embezzler and my dad might be the reason everything is in the dumps and THAT'S your takeaway? That I do it too?', Bertrand exclaimed in shock and a little annoyance. Every step he took was a stomp almost, shattering tiny sticks and leaves.

Melanie rolled her eyes. 'Duh, I knew about your dad.'

Bertrand raised an eyebrow.

'Fine, I suspected it. I mean, most rich people, ya know? But I'm sorry to hear about your near sociopathic brother, boo hoo. Now let's think how much money we need, I bet they won't even notice.', Melanie took out a sketch pad and calculated sums.

'Melanie, we can't!'

'Correction, you can't. I most certainly can, especially if it means people stop dying and living in the trash while your parents get to laze around on clouds.', Melanie replied, not looking up from her sums.

Bertrand stopped, looking angry, dejected, doubtful, broken. 'I… No. No it can't be. I refuse! My dad… There has to be a reason!'

Melanie wanted to offer another biting remark, something along the lines of 'The reason is that your dad's genes passed perfectly onto your brother', but she chose not to. She saw how upset he was, and offered a comforting hand on his shoulder.

'I… Look, real talk, I AM sorry to hear that. I enjoy this as much as I enjoy hating my mom. I don't wanna say 'I told you so'. I just think if we CAN take the money they won't even notice, we should!'

Bertrand stared at her, her angelic face in the sun, so tired from all the evil in the world, yet still going strong. How he wished he could say yes.

'...It's wrong. Why should we go down to such a level?'

Melanie sighed and turned away. 'Stealing from the rich to give to the poor is normally a celebrated thing.'

'I still need confirmation.'

Melanie stared back, at his determined face, his welling tears.

'...You really are a foolish hero, huh?'

She cupped his cheek, blushing. She had to give him something, just a little something for all he had done. '...Whatever happens, please just know this. You were the first person who made me question.'

'Question what?'

'...Everything.'

She left a kiss on his cheek, a short but sweet kiss, and then she ran off, too shy to carry on. She didn't know if she could love like that. Love in any way. It scared her.

But it was just a little less scary with him.

Empowered, and also blushing hard, Bertrand chose to cut school and go to the observatory where the science expo would be held to find out what was going on once and for all.

Bertrand practically whooshed inside the telescope building, and ran like his life depended on it, passing builders and scientists and soon to be presenters, all startled by the kid who moved in a flash from one station to the next. His breathing was labored and his legs screamed in pain, as he wasn't a very fit boy, but he didn't care.

The only scream he cared about was the one in his soul.

'Dad wouldn't… Couldn't… Shouldn't… He's not like that, it's a lie, a trick to get me to be quiet… Alan and Melanie are wrong, it's not true, my dad is a hero, my dad is good, I'm like my dad…', Bertrand kept on repeating like a mad mantra, war drums crashing in his heart. He crossed the bridge connecting the two buildings and began descending into the microscope building, searching for any sort of revelation, until he finally spotted a conference room door.

Through the window pane, shadows could be seen, their voices almost like radio static, just barely readable. A 'Schedule' this, a 'Fund tap' there. It was hard to understand.

'Luckily, I came with allies.', Bertrand whispered, taking out one of his moles, and letting it drill a small hole in the door, from which it could report to him.

Putting his ear to the M.O.L.E, Bertrand could hear the words that would change his life.

'And the fund will cover for me? Because there's a small sum that's been disappearing…', his dad could be heard, sounding calm. Too calm.

'Of course! We're swimming with cash after all!', Mayor Volte replied, sounding jovial, popping a bottle of champagne. 'Once we install the 'new' improvements, everyone will be too blinded by metaphorical fresh coats of paint to notice, and will keep working those long hours, having their places repossessed, all that jazz.'

'And we take the houses, the profits, the fund money. Can't complain because clearly the money was spent. We can cover for you in a jiffy.', Commissioner Jones stated, coughing a little from the smoke.

Bertrand gasped. 'No… No, please say this isn't true…'

'Excellent. I've done my part in pretending to be all noble long enough, my reward is due. I do expect this to extend to my son, however. He's a genius, I bet he could come up with ways to lie to them that none of us could. He's an ace in the hole, and I expect him to be treated as such.', Mr. Tetherby said, like he was delivering some grand speech. 'This city must never leave our grasp. The moment they realize what they could have, there'd be riots, outrage. The country will never have seen a corruption scam like this, and we'll be in jail the rest of our lives. That's why I propose my son. Later today, when the expo opens, he's going to be here, and we need to convince him as much as we can, so prepare for that.'

The door was opening, and Bertrand rushed off to hide, just barely avoiding his father's detection. Trying to hug himself, he felt only colder. 'How… How could he? My own father… People are dying, and he's doing it for what, more money? We have enough… We could easily part with it, he said a small sum… My god. Melanie was right.'

Bertrand hung his head low, only to suddenly hear the voices again from his M.O.L.E 'Can you believe that man? He's swimming in cash and he wants more because he can't control his son?', The Commissioner spat.

'His son?', Mayor Volte asked, though he sounded disinterested, more like he was talking to someone about their dream last night.

'Yeah, 8 year old drug addict. Eric told me when I got his 'bail'. Best cut of the profit I've ever had.'

'Well, you better get used to not having it.', The congressman representative of Royal Woods, Archie Danza, muttered. 'Once today is done, we're removing that problem permanently.'

'Him and his wife?', Mayor Volte asked, more interested. 'I still don't know, he's an important cog.'

'The money goes to his son, and he'll do anything you tell him if you indulge his sorry ass. Lord Jack here is getting too big for his britches, and not subtle enough. We need people to settle into this, not get fooled with bright inventions.', Archie explained.

Bertrand's ever widening eyes nearly turned black as he heard the Commissioner say 'Sniper just called, he's in position. Just gotta wait for the big presentation.'

Bertrand didn't open his mouth, or even really think.

He just ran home as fast as he could.

'Mom, Dad, I HAVE to tell you something!', Bertrand was tired, terrified, and traumatized as he searched around the house for his parents. He ran across the halls until he reached the grand hall, where his mother and father were already well dressed for the occasion, Lord Tetherby with a dashing and classy tuxedo, a rose sticking out of his breast pocket, and Deonisa with a bright white evening dress.

'Yes, son? What is it?', Deonisa asked, intrigued, as Lord Jack took notice of his golden pocket watch. 'We're going to be late like this. Come, Bertrand, the grand unveiling is today, and you'll finally get to see what we've been working on!'

Bertrand saw Alan sitting in the corner, giving him a death stare.

Bertrand didn't care. 'I… Someone is going to kill you!'

Deonisa was doubtful, but she saw Bertrand's quivering mouth, and leaned closer to her son, stroking his head. 'What do you mean, Bertie?'

Lord Jack was still looking at his watch. 'Where did you get such a ridiculous notion, Bertrand? We're the darlings of Royal Woods! We're about as likely to die as a trout in freshwater.'

Bertrand was almost crying, wishing his father would just listen. 'No, I'm serious! I overheard… Someone from the observatory is trying to get you!'

Now his father paid attention. 'What were you doing there?'

Bertrand shook his head. 'It doesn't matter, what matters is…'

'Don't you tell me what doesn't matter! I asked you what were you doing there?', Lord Jack asked, sounding almost angry. Deonisa stood up to calm him down. 'Now, dear, I'm sure he meant no harm…'

Bertrand's words stammered and stumbled. 'I… I was… I was just, um…', he wanted to lie, but he was struggling to, and it only made his father angrier.

'You must have misheard some things, son. Because I am in no danger. Unless this is something to do with the missing money…', his father suddenly assumed, making Bertrand's eyes nearly pop out. 'Wait… What are you talking about?'

'You would, wouldn't you? First you would not tell me, you question my knowledge, my authority. Of course, you money grubbing little monster! You're trying to deflect from what you did!', Lord Jack growled, grabbing Bertrand, who struggled.

'That's not true!', Bertrand shouted. 'I…'

'DON'T YOU DARE SHOUT AT ME! I'M IN CHARGE HERE! ME! DON'T YOU FORGET THAT!', Lord Jack pushed him up to a wall, Deonisa following.

'DON'T YOU HURT HIM…', Deoniosa started, only to be struck onto the floor by Jack's hand. Blood trickled down from her cheek. Alan stared in shock, but he couldn't move or speak.

'YOU TOOK THE MONEY, DIDN'T YOU? THAT'S HOW YOU'VE BEEN DOING ALL YOUR SNEAKY LITTLE SHIT, HELPING THOSE PEOPLE? Well, tough luck!', Jack laughed. 'Your initiative is to be admired, if you could just direct it the right way! Those people had their chance, we beat them, now we enjoy the spoils! And I'm sure you will too, once you start stealing from them!'

'But I…', Bertrand started, only to get slammed onto the wall himself.

'Don't lie to me. Don't ever steal from me again.', Jack said quietly, as he straightened his coat and lifted his wife, who shivered next to him.

Bertrand, bleeding himself, stared at Alan. Alan had stolen from him. But if he told on him, Alan would be hurt too…

'Father. Hate me all you want. But it's true. They want to kill you.', Bertrand coughed out, as he was picked up and taken to the car with them.

'You know what's your problem, Bertrand? You're like a raven. You cry out in fear, instead of being a man! A man takes what he must take, does what he must do! You must act for your family! And your family needs you to keep an iron grip on this city, no matter what! You understand?'

Bertrand nodded, even though he didn't want to. There was nothing he could do. His father would not listen. He knew what was going to happen, knew he could stop if it just given the chance…

But he didn't.

There was no chance.

Standing with them on the stage, as his father presented the supposed 'solutions', feeling sick in the stomach seeing all the people he cared about getting lied to, he suddenly spotted him. The sniper, staring right at him, winking, then aiming.

He tried to say something, anything, but his father tightened his grip, silencing his call. All that was heard was a whistle, not a warning. A glint of silver metal pierced his father's flesh.

Blood splattered Bertrand's face. 'Blood I could have stopped.'

His father looked down at him with shock. 'So easily avoidable. If people would just listen to the one who cares, who knows what's best for them.'

His mother screamed, and then a round struck her from the back of the neck, silencing her forever, the echo playing on loop in his mind's eye.

'It didn't have to be this way.'

The power to save them, his family, the people of Royal Woods, it was ripped out of his hands.

Given to those who shot his parents, right in front of his eyes.

'He was bad. I know that now. She was a victim. I know that now. If I just had the power, I'd have saved them.'

Bertrand stared off into the distance as police and hysteria surrounded him, two bodies gushing blood onto his hands.

His hands that COULD fix.

'I have to fix the world. I have to fix everything. I have to stop them from acting out on their worst urges.', Bertrand whispered, as he saw himself reflected in the blood pool.

'I have to make them listen.'

---

Back in the present, Bertrand was finishing up his speech, his voice still steady and strong, reassuring the room's inhabitants.

He straightened his cufflinks, pressing on a hidden button, which set off a signal no one but who he sent it to could see. Crackles of electricity could be heard across the room, causing some confusion. Heads swiveled around, observing the phenomena by backing off a bit, worried looks in some eyes.

Lori instinctually placed a hand to protect Lisa, Lisa however looked up at Lori and frowned. The unshielded eldest Loud felt her superhero brain snap into action. 'Look around for anything suspicious…', she thought, catching what looked like a strange figure in the glass. She squinted, but could only see electricity and barbed wire.

Despite all this, Bertrand was still focused on his speech. He looked up, at where the sniper had been all those years ago, the window now occupied once more.

Bertrand felt his heart pound, but he drowned out the noise with the words that kept him afloat. 'So, in conclusion, let's use this expo as a chance to start again, to be reborn, as a city and as a people. Whatever happens, I'll… We'll face it head on….

He then paused, for a second or two, looking away, at his brother, at Alan, now closer to the stage, looking apologetic, though retaining pride for what Bertrand had done.

'...And do what is best for this town. No matter what.'

CRASH!

The glass shattering had no sound, just like when the sniper bullet had happened all that time ago. Coming in from the left, the outline of an imposing figure was barely perceptible through normal signs. They wore chain link and barbed wire, coiled and wrapped around them so much that no ounce of skin or clothes or life was visible, outside of the silhouette, the basic outline of a human body, and two eyes, looking more regretful than inclined. 'But he's right. What needs to be done needs to be done to stop the likes of her.', Renaud thought, and with a grimace, lifted their hands, tiny sparkles of electricity shooting out like firecrackers on the fourth of July.

The crowd, shocked and stunned into silence, backed away slowly, as Lori simply stared in apprehension and determination at the stranger, feeling the responsibility curse through her veins.

'Take Lisa somewhere safe!', Luna suddenly whispered loudly, steering Lincoln's wheelchair. Lori snapped out of it, and ran off with Lisa to the exit.

'What do you want?', one crowd member, Melanie Pingrey, finally asked. Her voice held no hint of surprise, and her eyes held no sign of fear. Simply put, she was tired.

Tired of the nightmare that is being awake.

'I… Want… The Guardian…', Renaud's voice crackled, flamed up, and staticked as they spoke, before blasting two unoccupied corners, hurting no one but causing a real scare, as the crowd began to panic, scream, and run.

Mayor Volte acted similarly, running into the men's room to hide. 'Aim it in the seat next time, pal!', he shouted as his fine shoes squelched on something unpleasant.

---

Lori, meanwhile, was racing outside the building and through into the street next to the building, where Lisa's best friend, Darcy Helmandolar, lived. It was a cutesy little home, with a giraffe themed slide and cute rainbow-colored plastic chairs on the lawn, and pinwheels among the dandelions.

Lori, who had carried Lisa almost like one carries a cat, gently placed her on the grass, and knocked on the door like a madwoman, accidentally knocking out Darcy's father when he opened the door.

'Oh my god I am LITERALLY so sorry…', Lori apologized, startled and embarrassed that this was the second time she had made a mistake like this today.

'Oh, don't worry, happens all the time! He has a very light head!', Darcy's mother explained, offering a 5-course meal. 'Little snack?'

'That means I'm dumb.', Darcy's dad replied.

'It does, dear.', the mother responded.

Lori tried to ignore how tasty the food looked and simply held up Lisa, who was annoyed at her size being used like this. 'Can Lisa play with Darcy until I come back?'

'Sur…', Darcy's mom started, only to have Lisa hung up on her nose like a door knocker. 'Okay!', Lori answered, turning around.

'Lori.'

Lori turned around, to see Lisa's face. Was it anger, disappointment, sadness… Fear?

'Stay here, please. You need to be safe.', Lori said, her eyes and voice pleading and begging for Lisa to listen. Her hands were shaking, desperate to go and help all the others.

'And what about you?', Lisa asked, but Lori's answer wasn't what the genius wanted to hear.

'I'm going to make everyone else safe.'

Lisa sighed as Lori ran off, an aura of light emitting off her eldest sister's back.

'...And what about you?'

---

'Fascinating, your eyes just turned red!', Pepin pointed out, magnifying her goggles to observe better. 'I don't recall that being a thing! Wonder what this means, are you perhaps GASP THE KOOL AID MAN?'

'No… Please… Get away from ME…', Bruce growled and squirmed in pain, his back hunching grotesquely, the different shapes and molds on it shifting, growing, his skeleton enlarging inside him.

'Oh… That's not aesthetically pleasing…', Pepin muttered fearfully as Bruce fell onto the floor, his claws stopping him from hitting face first. A large tail then shot out, bushy and brown. 'Oh, I do like that though! VERY neato! I tried making my own but it kept falling, and then I realized the glue I was using was actually a toaster, I was VERY sweepy and…', Pepin started to rant, as Bruce's whole body screamed in pain.

Each part of him was heating up as his skin turned into fur and his nose turned into a snout, as if every part had to break itself to gain a new form. His feet changed, horrifyingly solid and hard, like a caveman's foot almost, and his teeth turned sharper and sharper, cutting his gums, blood now coating his ivory whites. Clothes fell off him, until all was left was a hulking, misshapen, bruting mass of instinct and rage.

'Oh… My… Gosh…', Pepin exclaimed, hiding behind the bar chair.

The wolf didn't say almost anything at first. He just breathed heavily, his eyes barely visible

Finally, he did speak. One word full of tragedy.

'Pepin…'

---

As Renaud shot more bolts of electricity, roars could be heard from the other building. No one knew what was happening, but they didn't have much time to think, as the doors swung wide open. Cape floating like crazy, fists at the ready, The Guardian wasted no time, and flew right at Renaud.

'LEAVE THEM ALONE!', she cried, one punch sending them right into one of the walls. The electricity merely jumped off of her fist, and as she floated, she looked awe inspiring, the tiny bolts lighting up her soft blue eyes.

The crowd cheered, only for the figure to get up, making them flinch in fear.

'What do you want?', Guardian asked, anger spiking her words. 'There are nothing but innocent people here!'

'I'm Barbed Wire… And I want you!', Renaud announced, firing at her, the volts bruising her, but not much. She was resistant, as she knew, and she smirked a little. 'Been there, done that.', she barbed.

'Once. I have a lot more where this came from.', Renaud retorted verbally, then physically, as they shot another bolt. The Guardian blocked it, but the other blot just about missed her, then the third she swerved from instinctually.

Those last two were mistakes, as a gigantic screen was falling behind them onto a group of students, Melanie Pingrey, and Alan Tetherby.

Bertrand and Guardian gasped at the same time, the former quickly pressing a button to send one of his robot suits to hold up the screen, the latter swooping in to save the students. Melanie walked out of the danger and looked Bertrand in the eyes as he struggled to hold up the screen. 'What is your plan?'

'I am saving your life! What do you think it is?', Bertrand shouted at her, before seeing another stray bolt nearly hit some of Luan's theater friends. Using his suit, he threw the screen back, hurting no one, and immediately blocked the bolt, staring at the terrified, shellshocked kids with regret. No, this wasn't supposed to go like this. It was supposed to go better…

Why…

Why couldn't it just have been a different way…

---

It was seven hours past the end of the funeral. Rain drops still cascaded on the twin caskets like the judgment of a god. They didn't deserve silence, but a constant reminder of what they had done.

Bertrand was more than eager to accept his reminder. The reminder of his duty.

He clenched his fist, the tuxedo he wore still stained with the blood from yesterday, but also the falling water. It swirled together, creating a dark crimson, like a hole Bertrand could not escape from, the hole of his destiny.

'Someone has to do something.', he whispered, Alan still standing next to him, the 8 year old not looking that bothered. 'Oh, they're flying in a distant relative. So old he'll probably die by the time I can use the money without supervision.'

Bertrand side eyed him. 'Not that it stopped you before.'

Alan rolled his eyes, and turned his back on Bertrand. 'Oh, please, you're still going on with that? What happened happened. It's not my fault.'

'If they knew YOU were the embezzler, maybe they would have believed me, maybe they would…', Bertrand started, only for Alan to strike him down with one punch.

'Don't you DARE say that! No one listened to you, 'Raven', because you're crazy! You think you're better than me, than them? Ha! You're pathetic!'

Alan spat on his brother's fallen body. He tightened his top hat and darkened his eyes, not a hint of humanity in him. 'This is life, Bertrand. Get with the program, or die trying to be all noble. Fine by me. Less fortune to share.'

Alan then left him, writhing on the mud. Bertrand coughed and wheezed, before feeling a hand lift him up, only to back away immediately. He caught her golden hair in the mist, like a lighthouse in his stormy shores. 'Melanie!'

She turned, but seemed distant, uncomfortable. Like she was reading from a script. 'I am sorry for your loss.'

Bertrand shook his head. 'Show me a little respect.'

Melanie sighed. 'Even I know it's not right to say that at a funeral. We've been to too many by now.'

'We've been at two.'

'Exactly.'

The two stared at each other a long time, a small stream forming between them. Bertrand's face was muddy and bloody, and his tears added to the pooling water. '...I know they were bad. You were right all along. But it still hurts.'

'You know who's to blame. They are. Like always. The bastards who run this city are seeing us all drown in flames, and they laugh and stoke the fire more. They care for no one, not even their allies.', Melanie remarked, sounding almost like a general, a leader. Her voice took on an ethereal tone. 'All this time we've been running around in circles, plugging round holes with square pegs. It was never going to last.'

Bertrand put his hands in his pockets, sighing. 'Then what do we do?'

Melanie looked away. '...You won't like it.'

'Just say it.', Bertrand ordered her. He looked up at her, desperate. 'We're friends. We're… We're more than friends.'

He held her hand, making her gasp. 'We can do this.'

She moved away, hurting him. He stared at her like a hurt puppy. She felt bad, a rare feeling. She looked away, ashamed almost. 'I wish you were right. I wish with all my heart.'

Melanie's voice got dark and distant. 'But you're not. Your brother is a jerk, but he's right. This is life, the bad win. The only way we can change it is by force. Enough of this… This playing nice, this peaceful opposition! People are DYING, and we can do something about it!'

Now she offered her hand, pleading almost. 'Come with me. We'll figure out how to attack them, make them pay! Someone has to pay!'

Bertrand stared at her hand. How he longed to hold it. How he longed for her…

He stopped himself. 'I'm sorry. But I won't stop death with more of it. I can't. There must be a better way. I would rather heal the system than burn it to the ground. I've seen enough fire.'

Melanie looked almost enraged, but then, her face shifted into a forlorn expression, tears actually tracing down her cheeks. '...Then I guess this is where our paths separate. I'm sorry. I really am. But I can't wait any longer. I've suffered, my friends have suffered, the few good people on this forsaken earth have suffered. Why should we have to wait?'

'Just give me time… Listen to me. I… I can do it, honest!', Bertrand sounded his age for once, begging for someone to heed his call. 'What if… What if you lose? What if… I lose you too?'

'...Then it would be an honorable death.', Melanie finished. 'Goodbye, Bertrand. For what it's worth… You almost changed my mind.'

She left, holding his hand for a second, not letting go of his fingers for a second. But eventually she did, and Bertrand stood in the rain, seeing her leave his life.

'I took out my ant farm that day from the mansion. The one thing I wanted from that place. I wouldn't allow myself to see it until I was successful.', Bertrand narrated to Renaud as he remembered his 10 year old self grabbing the farm, staring at it fondly. The ants were all doing better thanks to his changes, but it wasn't enough. No, more was needed.

But what?

'I was lost. All I knew was that I had to be better for Royal Woods. That I should have been better. If I hadn't been so blind, if I hadn't allowed myself to protect Alan… Maybe none of this would have happened. Melanie was right, more had to be done.'

'So more I did.'

As Bertrand spoke, flashes of moments, like sunlight on the leaves of the trees in a shadowy forest, appeared. He went to the national university of Singapore, and thanks to his name and tech, was able to get admitted in.

'I traveled around the world to hone my skills and train. True, I was already pretty good at inventing by now, and a good planner, but I needed to be perfect.'

Bertrand graduated a year later, but there was no pomp and circumstance. The next step had to be taken, and that was majoring in politics, which he did in Berkley. That too took a year.

'At 12 years old, I was seen as the greatest prodigy the world had seen. But I didn't care for that. I had other things to do. To fight those I hated, I had to make compromises, and do something I really didn't want to do. Break the law.'

Bertrand was slinking around with a group of homeless criminals, stealing from corrupt bureaucrats, taking the food and supplies needed from their glistening mansions.

'I wasn't proud of it, but I could never understand those I wanted to help and those I wanted to fight if I couldn't feel desperate. I had given my share of the fortune to a group that needed it more than I, but that was it. I could only help that much, sadly.''

Lying in the street, shivering from the cold, Bertrand learned what hunger and pain were. He would drink his own tears to distract himself, and he frequently had visions, visions of a better world, and Melanie by his side, finally happy.

'Yet, I also learned the kindness others had. Kindness that existed, that coexisted with the cap[acity for evil.'

Bertrand suddenly found a slice of bread in his mouth. A thin old woman smiled at him, but her insides were practically visible. He shared with her the bread. They ate in silence.

'I spent as much time as I could with criminals like that, until I knew it was time. Promising to help my other group the moment I could, I hitched rides on boats and trains until I reached Royal Woods, with only a few measly dollars to my name. But I was back, back home.'

Bertrand looked around, frowning.

'Nothing had changed in those 8 years.'

It was now 1987, and all around Bertrand were the same homeless people, the same decaying buildings, the same corrupt overlords. The illusion of slow progress was floated in front of everyone's eyes.

'But I was no longer blind.'

Using his diplomas and new found knowledge, Bertrand (under the pseudonym of 'Robert Swayne') took an intern position with Mayor Volte. The sneering man with silver rings was glad to accept more help, and Bertrand spent most of his days making Coffees, cleaning toilets, and listening.

Always listening.

'A city council position was available from the age of 18. I knew that I could win people over with my promises, and once I got a feel for the place, campaigning would be easy.'

The listening however was full of disappointments for Bertrand. It seemed like every single member of Volte's circle was selfish, disgusting, greedy.

'I would sit there, at meetings, writing down notes and pretending to be all innocent, as they laughed over the roads being broken, the faulty lights and water systems, the high rents. Those who couldn't keep up died, but no one cared, for one part of the city was just getting by, and that alone was distracting enough. It was like listening in to a group of super villains, it was so ridiculously sociopathic. But I would not despair. Democracy would lead to my election, and slowly but surely I'd enact some changes.'

'But I was wrong.'

Bertrand had announced his candidacy for city council. He worked tirelessly to print posters, make speeches, and spread the word, all along giving people who needed it jobs to help him. It wasn't much, but at least some of the strugglers had something that gave them a decent income.

'But the plan was to help everyone, and that wasn't their plan.'

Bertrand found odd things happening. First his posters were vandalized. Then he was locked out of meetings with Mayor Volte and his circle. Then his employees got death threats.

The message was clear. I was not welcome here. Or, well, my heart wasn't.

'I don't understand you, Robert.', Volte said, leaning back on the mayor's chair, looking like he sat on a throne. The office was as nice as one could be, with paintings and gold trimmings. Someone would have thought he was the god damn president, or at least the governor.

Bertrand sat down on the opposite chair, which was smaller, and made the desk and Volte seem elevated. It made Bertrand feel weak.

'I assure you, dear boy, that this is absolutely okay. This is how the system works, people make money, and if you make the most, you win. They just have to try harder.', Volte let out a puff of smoke and offered it to Bertrand. 'Cuban?'

Bertrand tried to swallow his rage. 'I don't smoke. And I don't see your point. It's one thing to have a system like this, but these people don't even get a small chance. How is it remotely fair?'

'Careful now. Talk like that could raise questions. Would be a shame if you disappeared.', he smiled at Bertrand. Bertrand wanted to throw up.

'Threatening me is one thing. But you threatened my people! This is a democracy, my, our voice, it means something! The waves of misfortune should be turned away, not spurred on by the tide of your villany…', Bertrand tried, only to find a gun to his chest.

Volte now wore a far more leering sneer. 'Boy, you don't bring a pen to a gunfight. You don't get how it works, now do you? At least, in Royal Woods.'

He turned away from Bertrand, and the falling sun painted the scene a blaring orange and blue. 'Small towns like this, no one gives a single thought for. THOSE are the gold mine. This is where we can get away with it, because we're not on magazines or news channels, we have no real celebrities. Just one rich family that got what it had coming.'

He turned around, still pointing the gun, but also offering his hand. Bertrand looked at it, at all the blood it had shed. He could never be like him, no, he'd be better, people could be better. He wouldn't have it coming, he'd do good. 'You see, son, if, say, there was a bomb in New York, or a crime spree in Chicago, the world watches, listens, mourns. But if some sad old hag dies of dirty tap water in a backwards one horse town like this, it doesn't make the local paper's back pages. No one cares.'

'...I care.', was all Bertrand could muster.

'Then you'll die or fade into obscurity. Things don't change, and the sooner you learn that, the better.', Volte finished, and Bertrand exited the office, seeing the man sit in his chair, the town in his grasp like a giant holding an ant. What hope did the ant have?

'There was only me. And I had come short once again. I had no idea what to do now. I refused to use underhanded tactics, and while I wasn't against leaking the secrets to the media, I knew that these people weren't so stupid as to leave vital documents and evidence just lying around. No, that was not a possibility. But what could I do?'

'And that's when, walking out into the street, seeing all those I was destined to protect lie in the shit and the rain, knowing I was failing them when they only had me, that I reunited with the other one.'

BANG!

Rubbing his aching head, Bertrand got up and saw none other than…

'Melanie?', Bertrand whispered in surprise as the blonde placed a black ski mask back on.

'Quiet!', she hissed, before recognizing him. 'Oh. Bertrand.'

An uncomfortable silence passed as the two souls crying out for justice were alone together again.

'How… How have you been?', Bertrand tried, but Melanie was already shutting her heart again. 'I don't have time for a teary get together.' She brushed past him, as if he wasn't there, as if it never happened at all.

Bertrand would have let her go. He would have rather seen her go than hurt her in any way.

But then he saw that a device had fallen from her bag. Lifting it, he whispered 'You dropped some…'

Melanie rushed back and snatched the circular pod, which emitted a faint reddish hue. 'Give me that!'

Bertrand felt a small sting on his palm from the contact. How he welcomed it into his being.

Melanie was walking away again, but Bertrand was too curious and drawn now to part. At the very least, he had to know if she was okay. 'Melanie, it's been years.'

'I know. Don't make it worse. I have work to do.', Melanie darkly muttered, and her shadowy self departed. Bertrand, still unable to separate again, was hot on her tail.

'What do you want?', Melanie asked in demand, passing into an alleyway that seemed familiar to Bertrand. 'I want to know if you're okay!'

'I'm okay.'

'Oh, great!'

'Of course I'm not! What do you think? Look around us!', Melanie shouted, waving all around her, but Bertrand didn't. 'I don't have to. I know. I've been…'

'Yeah, 'Robert Swayne', I know.', Melanie rolled her eyes. Bertrand gaped. 'How did you…'

'Give me some credit, as if I could forget your face.', Melanie chided, but her cheeks were a noticeable pink in the dark orange and blue alley. Bertrand observed her. Even now, with all her anger and tragedy, she was as beautiful as ever.

'...I missed you.', Bertrand mustered. He felt strange. Like he hadn't felt in a long time. What was it again?

Happy?

Melanie didn't answer for a bit, before sighing and moving deeper into the alley, where two figures could be spotted, their shadows gangly and misshapen. 'I haven't had time for that. I've been figuring out how to make things better the RIGHT way. You've been trying to repair the system, but I would rather just break into it.'

The two shadows moved closer to the neon lights, revealing a man and a woman. The first, with sunken wrinkly eyes, shook hands with Bertrand, revealing the dirtiest beard he had ever seen, as if it were made of a thousand dust bunnies. 'Carnelian Carrick, at your service!'. He smiled a toothless smile, and Bertrand cringed at how poor his dental health was.

The woman then tapped him on the back, making him turn around in surprise. She shook his hand with the tapping hand, as the other was busy holding onto a baby that was nearly as dusty and sickly as her. Her hair looked like it had been dipped in a deep fryer and then burned to a crisp, and her cough was wheezy and bouncy. 'Lorelai Carrick, ready to do what needs to be done!'

'And don't forget our little Clive!', Carnelian reminded, and Lorelai nodded, eyes still on Bertrand. He looked back at Melanie, who fiddled with another podular device. 'Oh, yes, I've heard all about you, just one thing, who are you, why are you here, what's going on?'

'That's three things.', Melanie replied, and just for a moment, Bertrand thought he caught a tiny bit of snarky humor in her eyes. But he had to press on. Following the trio as they kept on walking down the street, Bertrand noticed they were headed where he had been. 'Melanie, you going to the city council with a bunch of gadgets and gizmos worries me. Should I be worried?'

'Let's see. I'm going with my friends here to steal all the money those pigs have hogged. What's your diagnosis, doctor?', Melanie replied, as she took out the first pod from her bag. The couple looked around, meanwhile, searching for any guards or intruders, though Lorelai was far more lethargic.

Bertrand's eyes widened and his teeth chattered. 'What do you think? This is a horrible idea! Not to mention illegal…'

'And when we stole electricity and water from them, it was okay. How is this not?', Melanie snapped quietly. She almost bit the air between them.

Bertrand looked away in shame. 'We can't stoop down to their level. Why can't you find a better way?'

'Why can't you just pick a realistic way?', Melanie asked, almost more worried than angry. 'Look at your campaign! If you lose, you lose, and if you win, they'll surely kill you like…'

She didn't finish. 'Sorry. I didn't mean to bring up…'

'It's not what hurts me.', Bertrand responded, as they both stared at the guarding couple, their torn and tattered rags and mismatched blankets barely functioning as clothes, their hands ridiculously, impossibly, yet all too truthfully boney.

'...That baby will die without help. All those babies out there will. How is it fair?', Melanie asked, a tired flame in her words. She offered her hand. 'Give this a chance, if you persist to stay. Maybe we can at least get a little bit. Better than nothing.'

Bertrand stared at the baby. At the poor little thing, staring at him for saving. Pleading. What had he done to deserve any of this?

Bertrand stared back. '...I thought you didn't like plugging holes.', he smiled.

She smirked back. 'Don't be cheeky.'

Holding the pod together, they placed it on the door, and Melanie pushed the button. 'Now, I would advise you to step back.'

Bertrand did, bumping into the couple. 'You're warm, I like it!', Carnelian commented. Lorelai fished out a cracker Bertrand had forgotten to eat, and quickly downed it.

'How come…', Bertrand started…

BOOM!

It was a silent boom, admittedly, but it opened the door, starting an alarm. Melanie waved them on. 'Move, move, move!'

Everyone rushed in, Bertrand just a little confused and panicked. 'I don't get any of this, what's the plan?'

Melanie, attaching the second pod onto the wall, explained. 'This will kill the alarm…', she did the deed, shutting off all electricity. The city hall building was now dark as the night outside. 'And the power. I've been scouting the place for a while now, and there's a safe with a code I've determined through that.'

Bertrand nodded, impressed. 'You really did your work!'

'I learned from the best.', she complimented, before clapping her hands. 'Now hurry, the police will STILL come eventually, and Commissioner Jones is no friend of ours.'

Bertrand's face twisted. 'Trust me, I know.'

The group hurried along, Carnelian blocking them from falling every once in a while. 'I'm used to seeing out in the dark for threats.', he explained, as another desk was narrowly avoided. Lorelai waved around. 'I think it's that way!'

'Looks like you DID pay attention to our patrols!', Melanie said proudly, and Bertrand tried to adjust to all of this, it was so fast, so crazy. 'Won't they notice it's gone?'

'My pod also deleted all the footage. All they will know is that SOMEONE was here, and if we keep on the downlow, we can strike multiple times. Who knows, maybe we'll take it all!', Melanie explained, as they all cut a corner. Bertrand nodded. 'It's been so long since…'

'You did something meaningful? Likewise.'

The two stepped closer to each other while running. 'I mean, I DID get some people jobs with my campaign, but that was shut down quickly. Guess I really am just blind.'

Melanie looked sympathetic. 'You try, I know you do. But you can try in better ways. Don't you get tired of hitting your head on a wall?'

Bertrand had no answer. He didn't know what to say. Instead, he looked over at Lorelai and Clive. Clive leaned over and cooed at his father.

'Must be wonderful.', Bertrand commented.

'Kids.', Cornellian shook his head with a warm grin. 'Son, you have no idea how terrifying it all is. Imagine being responsible for a whole life, every single minute of every single day.'

'...I try to.', Bertrand replied, but the thought was still scary.

'Yeah, but I'm talking close up! You still get to go to sleep not wondering if he stopped breathing.', Cornellian looked down, eyes closed.

'I'm sorry.', Bertrand replied, to everything.

'Hey, settle down. Ms. Pingrey told me all about you.'

Bertrand could tell Melanie was looking anyway but at him.

'You're a good 'un. It's not failure that bothers me, but complacency. It takes a village, Mr. Tetherby.', Cornellian stated, and Bertrand felt a bit better. Here he was, doing something, something that could really truly help.

Oh how he longed for it.

The group finally managed to find the room, and Lorelai zipped straight to the safe inside the panic room of Mayor Volte. It was a padded room, with far too many indulgences. A hot tub stood steaming on the side, a winery was at the back, and there was a king sized bed that, well… Clearly was being used for most un sleepy activities.

'I'll crack the…', Melanie started, but Lorelai shook her head. 'I can do it, ma'am!'

Melanie nodded, turning to Bertrand, who was impressed. 'Never been much of a team player, even with me!'

'Guess even the impossible can change.', Melanie remarked, and she offered Bertrand one of her devices. Bertrand instinctively knew what to do to fix it, and did so. 'What's this one?'

'Our escape. My robot arms have upgraded since, but I figured you'd have more of a brain for it. I would rather improve bodies with natural ways anyway.', Melanie commented, and Bertrand nodded. 'Nothing wrong with a little help.'

'I don't know. If you can't improve like that, can you truly?', she looked off to the distance.

'Philosophy with Melanie Pingrey. Just like old times.', Bertrand joked, and she smiled. 'I guess so.'

Melanie found herself edging closer. 'Look at us. This was so easy.', Bertrand stated. Their hands nearly touched. 'Maybe you're right, you know? Hard to argue with results.'

'And maybe you're right. I mean, maybe I could use more help like this…', Melanie stated, their fingers brushing.

But then, suddenly, the police could be heard from the entrance of the building. 'THIS IS THE POLICE, WE HAVE YOUR SURROUNDED!'

'Okay, okay, quickly, put the money in the bags and we can get out of here!', Melanie ordered, and a decent amount of the insane gold mine was taken. The bags bouncing up and down, the group raced to the main office, the police's ever growing march getting louder and louder.

Putting her arms on herself, Melanie managed to break open the barricades and the wall, leaving a hole in the building. Lorelai took out a crossbow from Melanie's bag and shot it at the other building, then tied the bags to the wire, safely depositing it at an abandoned building.

'Okay, let's get you up!', Cornellian lifted the two teens up to the wires, then took his son, as his wife went down too. The group slid down the wire while holding onto it, the police just missing them, staring at the broken wall in confusion, the arrow and wire now gone.

'Oh well. We'll get all that money back by tomorrow anyway, once I meet with the representative. Plus, Volte probably has some plan.', Commissioner Jones shrugged, and the men all retreated.

The group waited with bated breath for the police to leave, and when the coast was clear, they quietly cheered. 'We did it! We did it!', Cornellian said, making Clive bounce, the baby clapping and burbling.

Melanie embraced Bertrand, before backing off. 'I…'

'I understand.', Bertrand replied, and they glanced at each other, feeling actually peaceful. 'Your happiness is what matters to me.'

Melanie took a deep breath. 'I just might be, Bertie. I just might…'

BANG!

The sudden gun shot startled them, and they jumped.

Turning around, the two gasped, silence that could have been broken by a pin drop reigning.

On the ground, dead before he hit the ground, was Cornellian.

Still holding onto his now crying son.

Looking up, the two saw…

Lorelai.

'Excellent!', Lorelai exclaimed, pointing the gun at Melanie. 'Now, to get rid of the problem child.'

'W…What?', Melanie could barely even muster it. Her eyes welled up and her stomach ate itself.

'Once Mayor Volte hears what happened, he'll reward me greatly! It's a no brainer, really.', Lorelai explained, the smoke from the gun now coating Melanie's eyes. Bertrand still couldn't even move.

'...He loved you. He protected you in this hell. What about all the other Lorelai's?', Melanie asked, outraged.

'I've waited long enough. I'll take what I deserve, thank you very much.'

Clive continued to cry on the bloody floor. Melanie looked at Lorelai, and growled. 'I'll give you what you deserve all right.'

It was gruesome and horrifying, like a demon from below lashing at a wild animal. Melanie used her hands to tear apart at the face of the selfish beast, and she cried like a banshee all the while.

'HOW COULD YOU?! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?!'

Bertrand, lifting the baby, froze in shock at the sight. He tried to choke his thoughts through. 'Melanie, no! Do… Don't! This isn't you…'

'I'M SICK AND TIRED OF HEARING THAT! YOU WANT PERFECT, MOTHER? HERE'S PERFECT!', Melanie screamed, biting Lorelai's nose off, the blood spurting all over.

'MELANIE, PLEASE!', Bertrand screamed back, Clive crying harder and harder.

Melanie lashed and lashed, punching away like a storm. 'I'VE BEEN DOING EVERYTHING TO HELP PEOPLE LIKE YOU, AND YOU'D RATHER EAT EACH OTHER?! YOU'D RATHER DROWN IN THE DARKNESS TOO?!'

Lorelai had no chance. Melanie grabbed her throat and choked her, seeing her empty cold eyes turn a little colder.

She breathed heavily.

Then she collapsed, crying.

'I'm a monster. I'm an ugly, flawed, wrong monster. I'm sorry, mother. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I can't be good enough.', Melanie whimpered, shaking like a baby abandoned to the cold. Bertrand slowly approached her.

'I can't be what she wanted and what I wanted. What good am I? What good is this world? We're all just… Horrible. We'll never find the garden.'

'Garden?', Bertrand asked.

Mealnie's eyes lit up for a moment. 'The garden. The perfect little garden. Where we all just… Live. Where it's okay. It's all I want. And they reject it. They'll let them win.'

'Melanie… It's not…', Bertrand tried, but Melanie backed away, seeing the blood on her hands, the blood on his hands, from his outstretched hand.

The crying baby.

'...Stay away from me. Before I hurt you too.'

Her eyes begged him to leave.

'...I don't want to.', Bertrand insisted.

'Then you are more foolish than I thought.', Melanie breathed, and she ran away, a broken spirit.

Bertrand held the crying baby, covered in blood and dust. He tried to make him relax. 'It's not impossible, It's not impossible, It's not impossible…', he kept on chanting, trying to help the child.

But he was losing faith in that too…

---

'SHOULD I BE EXCITED OR NOT?!', Pepin shouted out, as Agent Wolf jumped from one wall to the next, climbing up to the windows, debris falling every which way. People screamed in terror and fled as the monster carried the girl in his gigantic paws.

Inside the beast's eyes, inside its body, Bruce found himself floating in, well, some sort of dimensional space. It was hard to explain, but it was like floating inside his own thoughts and feelings. When Agent Wolf was on, Bruce usually tried to ignore everything (unless he had to rein it in) but now, he was desperate to get out.

'THIS WASN'T THE DEAL!', Bruce roared, as Agent Wolf roared too, scratching at the window while Pepin screamed. 'LET HER GO! LET HER GO RIGHT NOW!', he bellowed again, banging at the space around him, causing the brownish red sky to shake and flash.

A voice rang out, making Bruce hold onto his ears in pain. 'Silence, human! I will be denied no longer!'

'WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO HER?', Bruce's panic echoed across the mind space. Flashes of a young Pepin showed up, alongside the kitten necklace. 'SHE'S MY SISTER! ALL THIS IS FOR HER!'

Agent Wolf simply ignored, continuing to scratch at the window, finally shattering it. Pepin was just narrowly shielded by the glass thanks to the large paws of Agent Wolf, who howled, then climbed to the top of the observatory.

'I CAN'T… I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS!', Bruce screamed again, and he wracked his brain for ideas. There had to be something he could do.

Looking around, he thought of the times he would rein Wolf in. It took a lot of concentration, and the lack of cooperation did not help…

'BUT IT'S WORTH IT.', Bruce's voice rang out too as he centered himself, entering a meditative cycle. He thought of all he had gone through. All he had to do to keep his family safe. All the sacrifices, the hard choices, the people hurt for this.

For Pepin.

It wasn't that hard, truly.

When it was for her, he could hold up the heavens.

Agent Wolf, laughing hysterically, dangled Pepin dangerously in the air. 'Yes! Finally!'

Only for his free paw to slash at his face, then grab the falling Pepin.

'Ow!', Wolf cried, feeling trickles of red from his snout. 'What are you doing?!'

'WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE A LONG TIME AGO.', Bruce replied, and using a paw to place Pepin gently on the bridge, resumed fighting himself. A kick to his own leg, and a punch to his own gut sent Agent Wolf reeling, before he growled in rage.

'Oh, two can play that game, human!', Wolf retaliated, the mindscape suddenly pulsating with flashes of bright light.

'WHAT…', Bruce muttered, blinded.

'Maybe it's time you remembered the real monster!'

The images were like strikes to the face, memories Bruce did all he could to repress. Crying, broken down men, terrified children, blood, broken bones. People who hadn't done that much wrong begging, pleading, crying for mercy.

And getting none.

Bruce screamed and screamed in pain, as he tried to scratch his own face again, but Wolf was holding the paw back, laughing.

Pepin, still shocked, scrambled to her feet. 'I've got to do something!', she thought, and she raced downstairs to find her car.

She then walked back for a moment, taking notes. 'My werewolf AU ICarly fanfic is gonna fuck so hard now!'

Then she remembered what she was doing.

'Don't move too much! I need to know how gay this feels later!', Pepin asked, then ran downstairs again.

---

Meanwhile, Guardian and Barbed Wire continued to battle, the former flying around, darting from place to place, making the latter, who was slower, struggle to reach her, even with their bolts.

'Come here!', they cried, wanting to get this over and done with. Enough people were in danger. Why couldn't she see?

'Sorry, I just don't feel that SPARK we used to have!', Guardian quipped, just about deflecting a bolt with her left elbow. She winced as the static singed her slightly, leaving a tiny bruise. 'I can only take so much. I have to find a way to get whoever this is out of here! But how?'

Frustrating someone usually helped in distracting them. Perhaps she could annoy him with some of her jokes? 'Not that they're bad, just, you know, not everyone has taste.', Lori thought, waving off the notion.

She smirked as she flew over to behind Barbed Wire, and slapped them on the back of the head, sending them reeling, and her seering from the armor's hardness. 'Hey, sparky, did you leave your glasses at home? Do I look like a lightning rod to you?'

Flying back over to the other side, she posed and made a kissy face, as if she were taking a selfie. 'Then again, I can't blame you. I'm the CURRENT hot topic!', Guardian then flew back and forth as fast as she could, winking each time, until Barbed Wire was a little dizzy. 'Damn, my guy, how are you gonna watch 'Love is Blind' and 'Masked Singer' now? I'd catch you up, but I have other things to do, like kick your butt, and literally never see you again.'

Looking around for anything to help her, Guardian spotted a pair of silver gloves and boots, and quickly fetched them. 'I'LLBRINGTHESEBACKHERE'SSOMETHINGFORYOURTROUBLESBYE!', she quickly shouted.

The woman operating the stand looked down at what she got, a piece of paper with a stick figure drawing of The Guardian and the woman operating the stand smiling and dancing. 'I.O.U' was written across it, a 'G' the signature next to it.

'Thanks!', she replied genuinely.

Returning to the fight, The Guardian went over to the dizzy Barbed Wire, and she began lifting them up. 'Time for me to CONDUCT this LIGHT SHOW!'

'Boo…', Barbed Wire weakly called out.

'Hey, come on, that was really original!, Guardian cried out. Even Luan didn't laugh though, which Guardian didn't notice, on account of her trying to lift Barbed Wire.

The antagonist tried to shoot at her, but missed, the bolt aiming instead at…

'Mr. Tetherby!', The Guardian cried out. Bertrand turned to see the bolt, and felt his heart stop and his body freeze. For a moment he considered… But no, he had to save the city. He tried to avoid it, but his robot was in the way. He pushed it, but that gave him almost no time.

Snapping into action, The Guardian flew as fast as she could and landed in front of Bertrand, taking the bolt to the chest without hesitation. She screamed in effort and determination as the electricity surged through her, far harder than the last time she did. Bertrand stared at her in near awe, the aura coming off her mesmerizing. The crowd applauded as she fell slightly to the ground, shaking. Her hair was a little singed and on end, and her costume barely absorbed it thanks to her powers.

'...Are you…', Bertrand started, but Guardian forced herself up, and despite her pain, quickly checked on him. 'You okay? That must have been quite a scare! I wouldn't wanna be in your place.'

Bertrand wondered if she noticed the lack of awareness. If she realized what pure heroism and decency she had just displayed.

She simply smiled at him softly, trying to reassure him as well as she could. He nodded, showing he was okay.

'Wonderful! Wouldn't wanna see you take on one of these.', she saw his hair was all messed up, and like to a child, she licked her hand a bit and straightened it up, then fixed his suit, dusting it off. 'There we go, good as new! Sharp look, Mr. Tetherby!'

'...Thanks.', he replied, not sure what to say.

'Just doing my job. You keep up your end, your robots helping the city are literally appreciated!', Guardian saluted with a wink, legit happy to see more help for the city. 'Anything that can make sure there will be no more Lincoln's is good in my book.', she thought, and she flew off to Barbed Wire, lifting them up through the roof, making sure to open the window so as to not crash through it.

Bertrand stared at her, and a melancholy nostalgia took place on him. '...Oh, Ms. Loud. How I wish you could see. You're too good for this world. You remind me… Of a younger me. But more than that… Far more than that…'

Bertrand fought back a tear. A tear of a better way that had been lost.

'You remind me of a friend…'

---

2003.

18 years ago.

Bertrand walked around Royal Woods, as he had been doing for the past 16 years. He groveled the streets, most of his money lost, all his will and hope decimated.

He was but a lone wolf now, a wandering traveler with nothing to give but musings of regret. The past painted on his face, whitered and pained.

'I'm drowning, about as much as those I tried to save.', he thought, staring at one of the alleyways, finding another group of homeless people gathered around a self made dumpster fire. He joined them to get warm, his ratty coat matching his disheveled hair and dark ringed eyes. The other guys nodded at him, but he knew he had no right to nod back. 'Good.', he replied to his previous thought.

There was no use denying it, or clinging to hope, like he used to. Ever since that fateful night, he had come up with nothing. Perhaps it was the manor of that night, of seeing the woman he cared for so much fall into her personal hell. Perhaps it was the raising of his adopted son, Clive Carrick, which had proven hard and all encompassing. Despite his past and present, Clive was always excited for the future, always trusting, loving, hopeful. Like Bertrand was. The new father tried his hardest to sway the boy from such thinking, by training him in hand to hand combat, showing him how the world would treat him so that he would instinctively fight back. He hoped he wasn't hurting him. No, of course he wasn't. He was helping him. Besides, Clive's new friends, who had gotten to calling him 'Mr. Stone', weren't exactly helping, making him think that it was manageable. Manageable wasn't good enough.

Maybe, really, then, it was the failure. The failure to do what he has dedicated himself to do.

'I have failed Melanie, my son, my family, and all these people. I said I would do the right thing, and yet I haven't. I have only made things worse.', Bertrand thought, broken thoughts scratching up to the shards of what was left of his heart. He looked around, spotting more reelection posters for Mayor Volte.

He wanted to cry.

'What use are tears, though? What would they add, but more problems? What use is feeling blue, if you can't repaint?'

He shivered from the cold, and stared into the flames. Staring back was what must have been a hallucination: A black bird, a raven. It cawed 'Nevermore'.

Bertrand stared harder. 'What do you mean?'

Quoth the raven, 'Nevermore'.

Bertrand saw the anger, the tired eyes, the flames didn't even compare to the gaze of the bird.

'No. No I can't. I can't take that kind of option. If I even slightly go down to their level, what would I be?', Bertrand stated, but the bird would not leave.

'Nevermore.'

Bertrand gritted his teeth. 'I have calculated, I know what you refer to. Once, when I was truly desperate, truly mad at this supposed sanity, I came up with a solution. I would use their methods, their evil, to slowly but surely take power, and then I would keep them in check, keep everyone in check, forever, until someone I could trust to do the same would succeed me.'

Bertrand averted his gaze, feeling shame. 'But that would be dictatorship, at the very least. Without even counting all the other crimes I'd have to commit. It would be wrong.'

The raven said nothing for a while, but then it opened its mouth, and spoke something new. 'But it would save them.'

Bertrand's eyes widened, and he felt it in his heart. He had tried and tried to think of other ways, but each route was blocked, blocked by them. 'By the common, vulgar, weak, licentious crowd.', he spat out venom at the imagined forms of the police, the government, the institutions deemed to give protection but only took and took.

He looked around. Around at all these good people, people who had done nothing wrong, and even then. People who had been born into hell.

At the ant farm he still kept after all this time.

Every attempt he had made had failed them too. They were still suffering, begging him for respite.

People and ants alike all asking for something, anything, just to make the pain cease.

How could he stand around and let this go on?

No.

No.

This had to stop.

He…

He had to stop it.

Regardless of his personal feelings on the matter.

'...There is no other way… Is there?', he asked no one, and sighed. 'Of course not. It's that, or waiting for a miracle.'

With a heavy heart, he nearly made the decision there and then.

Only suddenly…

A miracle did arrive.

CRASH!

Bertrand's ears perked up and his eyes darted around in search of the sound's source. What could that have been? The people around him didn't even seem to notice. No matter. He'd search alone.

Sneaking through the shadowy allies, expecting the worst, lifting his heavy, boney arms in defense, Bertrand was met not with danger, but with…

A man.

Or, well, it looked like a man.

Whoever it was, it laid there, practically embedded into the now broken stone floor, emitting a glowing yellow light.

Bertrand took a few timid steps forwards, his eyes getting used to the blinding aura. Kneeling down, he checked the thing for a pulse, but found none in the usual places, only in the area reserved for guts. On closer inspection, the thing had a red jumpsuit, and light blue skin, like the clearest sky. A green jewfro of sorts decorated his head, and despite the manner of the crash, there was a soft, almost too soft facial expression. Bertrand felt almost immediately reassured at this creature's appearance, and, magnetically drawn, extended his hand towards it.

WHOOSH!

Like a flash, the figure rose up from the landing and held the arm in worry, before seeing the person before it. Bertrand backed away, scared now, but the figure raised a hand in peace, the other calibrating some sort of ear piece. 'Excuse me, Terran! At least, I believe that's the name of your planet. My plant didn't have much information on you, I'm afraid to say.'

A sheepish rub of the elbow was followed with an extended handshake. Seemingly that was a custom other planets had. 'Greetings, I, um, come in peace!'

Bertrand, still struggling to take any of this in, hesitantly shook back, noting the insane grip of the figure. 'Hello, um…'

'25-5-18-21-3-8-1-13', the figure tried to translate, before facepalming. 'Oh, my bad, I glitched into your numerical channel! While obviously a different linguistic sound and design, I believe that, roughly, my name translates to Yerucham in one of your Terran languages.'

'Yeah, that would be Hebrew, we are speaking English though…', Bertrand informed, still totally confused. Was this a…

'Alien, I'm sure you're thinking. Always thought that term was a teeny bit problematic, though. Carries a negative connotation, ya know?', Yerucham informed, before closing its eyes in concentration. 'I do see you also use the term extraterrestrial! I do prefer that, technical, but accurate! I also identify as a he/him, just so you know!'

Bertrand's head was spinning, and he leaned on a wall. 'I… You… Oh.'

'Fascinating.', Yerucham was already looking around, spotting the colors of the gray sky and buildings. 'We live in a, well, community garden I guess. I'm not familiar with this sort of… Shed like architecture. Are these rectangle farms perhaps made with the night sky?'

Bertrand tried to answer, but was still totally shell shocked. 'Look… Can we slow down…'

Yerucham, who was busy appreciating a fly, noticed Bertrand's discomfort, and came to his aid, giving him a shoulder to lean on. 'Oi va voi, I got too excited, didn't I? Where does it hurt?'

His eyes flashing yellow, he nodded calmly. 'I see. Your heart.'

'What? Oh, no, my medical condition is… Adequate, I guess.', Bertrand reassured, but Yerucham shook his head. 'I didn't mean physically.'

Frozen for a moment, Bertrand sighed, and slumped down to the floor. Yerucham sat next to him. 'Tell me what it is. If that's okay, of course. I don't want to pry.'

Bertrand shook his head. 'No, no… I can't… This isn't real. I'm hallucinating, surely, or…'

'Hand the wallet, man.'

Bertrand immediately raised his arms in fright as an armed robber appeared out of nowhere, the gun's sheen flashing his eyes too.

But the original flash was too fast.

'Now, now, let's not get too hasty.', Yerucham smiled as he stood between the gun and Bertrand.

'Hey, no funny moves… Whatever the hell you are!', the robber shouted out in fright.

'Elevated heartbeat. That's no good. Why don't we all calm down and talk this out? I'm sure I could whip up some snacks, if any of you gentlemen have a kitchen in the area!', Yerucham offered, his words so soft, so soothing, Bertrand almost felt like he could nod off to sleep.

The robber, however, was not moved, and he panickingly took the shot, Bertrand gasping in fright, sure that yet another person would die because of him. 'YERUCHAM, GET OUT OF THE…'

Plink.

But the bullet simply bounced off of Yerucham's chest, like it was nothing. Yerucham giggled as the robber stood there, slack jawed.

'Heh… Tickles!'

Yerucham then took the gun, his eyes again glowing bright from contact with the robber, and, with a concentrated squint, unleashed a solar flare from his eyes that melted the gun into rubber. Using his super fast hands, he assembled…

'A little statue for you, sir. I think you'll find it far more pleasing than the death you could have commited.', Yerucham nodded his head, holding up a statue of a pug.

'How did you… My pug died yesterday. She was my… Only friend, really. I felt so angry I just wanted to… Do something.', the robber confessed, holding the statue, shedding tears. Yerucham patted the robber's shoulders. 'I feel your loss.'

For the first time, a sad sort of look formed on the extraterrestrial's face. He shook it away though, despite Bertrand's interest. 'But I think we can both agree, she wouldn't have wanted you to do that, right?'

'...Yeah.', The robber nodded slowly, feeling horrible. 'But what do I do now?'

'Well, I don't know too much about your culture here, sadly. But if you need someone to talk to, track me down! I'll be happy to help as long as you need me!', Yerucham offered his hand, and the robber gingerly shook it.

'Wow… Thanks… Alien?'

'Extraterrestrial. You seem quite unshaken.', Yerucham smiled, and the robber nodded. 'Conspiracy theorist. Always assumed I'd meet an ali… Extraterrestrial. Never thought it would be like this.'

Bertrand, still utterly lost, waved his arms around. 'Wait… Wait… We need to talk about this.'

'Oh, right! I should apologize, no?', the robber stated, and Yerucham nodded. 'I'm here if you need backup.'

The robber flashed a thumbs up, and went to Bertrand with shameful eyes. 'Sir, I am… So so so sorry. For everything I did, I… I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. I panicked, I just wanted your wallet… I am sorry for the harm I caused you.'

'It's… Okay… I think. Don't do it again?', Bertrand asked, horribly confused. The robber backed off, sheepish now. 'I'll… I think I'll go think things over now. Um… Bye?'

Yerucham chuckled at the awkward exchange, and waved goodbye with what looked like the Jewish priestly blessing. 'Good fellow, just stumbling. Happens to all of us.'

Bertrand was still absolutely mind boggled, but clearly this was… 'This is real, isn't it?'

Yerucham nodded, slowly. 'Yeah. I'm sure for a non space faring planet it's a little harder to swallow, but yes, this is real.'

Bertrand shook his head, grasping the man's shoulders, staring at him like he was some sort of biblical angel. 'No, I mean… You are kind.'

'Oh. Well, that's just what is needed, no?'

Yerucham walked past Bertrand, staring at the one lonely patch of light peeking from the stormy sky, a small, wistful smile on his sky blue face. 'I heard that your world is having some hard times. I figured I might as well help if I'm in the neighborhood, so to speak. So, I guess what I'm saying is… Anything I can do?'

He was so genuine, it was simply flabbergasting.

But Bertrand felt a cry from inside.

'A final shred of hope.', he whispered, and instantly, he knew what he had to do.

'Yes. First, though… I must introduce you to a friend of mine…'

In the border of the industrial district and the rest of Royal Woods, therein laid an abandoned laboratory, an abandoned bastion of science, research, and renewal, replaced instead with peeling wallpaper and molding floors and darkness for all the eye could see.

Seated at the very bottom of this small lab was a lonely chair, and on it, a lonelier woman. Her skin decayed, the cracks so long present in her soul now visible to all; Her back hunched, hurting herself further and further with the act; Her whole existence a torrid carnival of shame and humiliation and self loathing.

'You were right mother.', she spoke to no one, the incessant beeping of machinery the only company she had. The screens were dusty and grimey and the light was banished after all. 'I chose to be imperfect…', she spat, some of the dirt washing away to reveal her crazed eyes. 'Now look at me. I can't even save myself.'

She looked down, forlorn, eyes closed. 'Perhaps today, you finally have the mercy to finish me. I am in no rush, as you can see.'

'Melanie?'

Her head spun around, struggling to believe she had actually heard something, someone. The thick fog and billowing ashen smoke made it even harder to see. '...This is it. I've finally gone mad.', she whispered, only for a figure to part past the smoke.

'...Bertrand.', she acknowledged, but it was anyone's guess rather she loved it or loathed it.

'Melanie…', he whispered, in near disbelief. Was that really her? He eyes her up and down, knowing he was in no spring chicken condition, but her…

The large lab coat swung around her frail body. 'The one thing Mother would be proud of, I suppose. At least I finally have the right figure.', she cut a dry joke, then walked away, up a rickety metal staircase, each step throwing dust and caution into the wind.

'...Melanie, wait. We need to talk.', Bertrand tried to say, following her up the stairs, far more slowly and trepidatiously, though. He held onto the railing for dear life, though it too seemed dangerously unstable.

She looked back, for just a moment, but she turned away before she could cry. 'What on earth could we talk about, Tetherby?'

Bertrand put his hands in his pockets, knowing what she meant. 'I know. I know what happened. I know what has happened every single time. But you see…'

'Ha!', Melanie let out a sharp laugh, before devolving into a coughing fit. Bertrand ran up to her, ignoring his own safety, as they reached the top part of the lab, revealing one tiny telescope observing the stars, and a small hallway of sorts.

Bertrand tried to comfort her, tried to place his hands around her, give her a tissue, but she backed away, growling almost. 'Did you forget? I'm a monster.'

He didn't flinch. He never flinched. '...Not to me.'

'Nice try. Maybe once, I would have fooled myself into following another one of your hopeless crusades. But not again. Never again.', she lectured darkly, standing up, brushing herself off, and turning her back on him, trying desperately to hold herself, despite her frail disposition.

Bertrand stared around. Dozens of broken gears, steaming machines, soot filled gadgets, strewed the area like a junkyard. '...You know, you always say that it's pointless. Then I find you doing something that has the same trajectory as mine. Why do you deny trying to help?'

She didn't look. 'Because I know it's a lie. The most beautiful lie.'

'Which is?'

'...That there's hope.'

Melanie turned around, giving him one more look. 'Whatever it is you have… Go ahead. Knock yourself out. I'm not buying.'

'I'm not selling. I'm offering my hand. A better path. I… I can't go down the other one.'

Bertrand's hand stood there, waiting.

Melanie gazed at it with disgust. 'So… Still perpetrating that better way bullshit, huh? I should have known… But I don't have the energy to fight it.'

'I doubt that's what you were working on, or else you'd have done something by now. Don't deny it, Melanie, you still believe.', Bertrand pressed on, desperate for her to listen to him.

She snapped, the area shaking now, especially the railing. 'Listen, Tetherby! I don't CARE what you say, I don't CARE what harebrained, mad science mumbo jumbo SHIT you came up with that coughs out rainbows and sneezes hugs! I tried to help, and look what it did to ME!'

Bertrand barely managed to retain his balance, the whole thing jumping around like an earthquake. 'Melanie, be careful!'

'THAT'S WHAT I TRIED TO BE! AND THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO TRY TO BE, OR I'LL LOSE YOU TOO!', She cried out in fearful rage, and stamped her foot, and that was the final straw. The place that was already falling apart finally gave way, and the railing collapsed, causing a part of the staircase to fall.

Melanie's part.

Bertrand dove to reach her, but missed, and stared down at her with abject terror, his soulmate descending to the ground in record speed. 'YERUCHAM!', he screamed in fright, his heart bashing against his lungs.

To Melanie, it all went in slow motion. Finally, here it was, her demise. She had dreamed of it for so long. Rest. Her hands slowly stopped reaching up, her eyes looked down, her body stopped flailing.

'Finally. Justice.', she thought, closing her eyes, welcoming it.

But no sound came.

She opened her eyes, feeling around. She was clearly still alive, but she was up in the air. What could possibly be causing that?

Looking up again, she noticed that she was being held. Impossible.

Or was it?

Looking down at her, after all, was a man with light blue skin and green hair.

'Sorry to come in without an invitation, ma'am, but I heard a scream, and well… Here I am.'

She stared at him, his glowing golden aura that was on any time he really exerted his powers, with alarm, with shock, with utter dismay. It was as if they were in slow motion, his hair slightly flowing up, the falling part of the staircase kept far apart from her, safe despite her dangerous position. Safe in his arms. 'He smiles, as if he isn't breaking all the rules of physics.', she thought, as he slowly began to land.

Noticing her expression, he reassured her. 'Now, don't worry, I've got you!'

'You've got me? Who's got you?', she couldn't help but mutter, still struggling to accept it. But there he was, flying, floating.

Then, the other part of the stair railing came down, Bertrand on it.

'Oh no! Just a second, miss!', Yerucham bid, dropping her gently on her chair, then he bolted through the air to catch the falling staircase, Bertrand on top, holding on like a terrified cat. 'You all right, new friend Bertrand?', Yerusham asked.

'...No.', Bertrand said, and he was soon on the ground, barely composing himself.

Yerucham landed, and after his eyes flashed from checking on Melanie, his golden aura grew. 'What's that?', Melanie muttered, still in utter shock, as the man raced back and forth in super speed with fresh bags of food, paid with permission by Bertrand, then used some telepathy, force fields, and solar flare vision to reconstruct the staircase, THEN used a freeze breath and the solar flares to make some fresh glasses of water for the three of them.

Bertrand smiled.

'Hope.'

Over the next three months, the new trio got to work. There was MUCH to do, after all: Fix the entire fabric of humanity itself, dispose of the trash, ensure this never happens again.

But they decided that fixing the lab Melanie was in would be a decent opening act.

What normally would have taken months, maybe even more than a year, took about a week, really. With Yerucham's powers, Bertrand and Melanie just needed to plan out and direct their powered friend, who was used to erecting farms on his home planet. 'Maybe we could even have a, what do you call it, hootenanny here when we're done! Ooh, I like that word, it makes my tongue feel funny!', Yerucham commented as he juggled construction beams.

Melanie had been a bit of a struggle, though. Even with the eye opening arrival of Yerucham, she was still riddled with doubt and uncertainty. 'It's better if I supervise. Here, I'll… Make us lemonade, I guess.', Melanie tried to back off, looking displeased despite her tone.

Yerucham, remembering what he had seen with his glowing eyes, flew up to her and shook his head. 'Wait, wait, ms…'

'Pingrey.', Melanie stated directly.

'Ms. Pingrey, I might be a horsework, but…'

'Workhorse, Yerucham! How many times?', she stifled a laugh, and he gave her a charming smile back. 'Well, whatever kind of horse it is, I don't get all of this! This is YOUR lab, right?'

'I… I suppose…', Melanie shrugged, feeling small and insignificant, hugging herself.

Yerucham cupped her chin, staring into her eyes. 'Well, I'm sure a woman of your clear intelligence could help me! Be a haver (friend)!'

Melanie felt her cheeks sting a little, but in a warm and comforting way. She sighed, acquiescing. 'All.. All right, I guess. I wouldn't want any of you to… Mess it up.'

Bertrand overhead this, and let himself a small smile. 'She's trying again.', he thought, almost giddily.

They worked and worked and worked that week, designing different kinds of labs, long sprawling halls and staircases that WOULDN'T fall (Yerucham was adamant that his friends would be safe, and gave them double hard hats), and a gigantic observatory opening that looked up at the stars of the night sky.

'Which one is yours?', Bertrand asked, as he and Yerucham stared into it, moving it to and fro, almost having… Fun.

Yerucham shrugged, nearly sending Bertrand flying into a wall. 'No idea, it's really far away, I guess. Um, by the way, what are the ones in your solar system? I didn't have the time to research them, regretfully.'

Bertrand scratched his head. 'I know the names, but not much else.'

Melanie stepped in, pushing herself up next to Yerucham. 'Well, with the power of this telescope, we can see the whole thing! The fiery bright star is of course, our sun.'

'Oh! We call it a, well, a shemesh, I guess.', Yerucham replied. 'It's so warm, and shiny! Our sun was a lot dimmer, sadly.'

'Oh, well… That's a shame.', Melanie remarked, sounding monotone.

Yerucham looked at her, and matter of factly asked 'What else do you know?'

'...I mean… I don't know that much either, really, I…'

'Oh, you asked for the telescope for a reason, Ms. Scientist! Clearly you have mounds of knowledge!'

Melanie tried to suppress her smile. 'All right, fine, but only because you won't stop insisting, you pest!'

She leaned a little more into him, and he placed his arm around her. She began to describe all the workings of the sun to him, in a manner Bertrand hadn't heard from her in a long, long time. He was overjoyed to hear it.

'And it shoots out these searing hot flares, these sort of bright warm explosions, not dissimilar to the rays from your eyes.'

'Not dissimilar to your eyes.', Yerucham found himself saying, staring at her 'excited to talk about science' eyes.

She stared back, and a small smile formed. '...Yeah… Well, takes one to know one, I guess.'

Bertrand could see what they couldn't see.

But he didn't mind, not one bit.

He loved Melanie.

And if her happiness meant Yerucham…

'Then I love that more than anything.', he thought, enjoying the sight.

Soon, the lab was finished, and the jobs it created meant that a significant chunk of the unemployed problem was solved. As Melanie and Bertrand worked on inventions together, they sent Yerucham on secret missions. Secret, because 'The world isn't ready yet for, by all accounts, the first ever superhero.', Melanie explained, and Bertrand agreed. They'd wade out their time.

Yerucham didn't really mind, as long as he got to help. He would whisk around the city, a blur, pushing people away from car crashes, catching falling construction workers, saving cats from trees. He wished he could greet all the new friends he was helping, but seeing them still alive was good enough.

With help from Melanie and Bertrand, he also honed his powers, and tested them. 'Whatever he has…', Melanie reported, as Yerucham ran around in a giant hamster wheel, laughing as he watched a tv screen. 'The yellow sponge fellow is really pleased to be walking on this beach thing!'

Melanie caught herself staring again, and returned to Bertrand. 'Anyway…', she coughed. 'His power level is at 100% capacity. He's stacked. It's crazy. Did you see him fix that AC unit with his ice breath? How is that even possible?'

'I know. It's like what you always wanted, a biological solution!', Bertrand said happily, throwing his arms out wide. 'I mean, I'm not a fan of that much power in one guy, but, well…'

Yerucham happily waved. 'Could we go to the beach thing, guys? I think it would be fun!'

'...This is THE guy.', Bertrand finished, pleased, while Melanie waved, hiding her face with a clipboard.

Thanks to all the successes, including a small robbery of Mayor Volte that actually went off without a hitch, Melanie was actually able to allow herself and her friends a small break. 'We can take one, no? We're doing well.', she said to Bertrand, as they went to the beach, Yerucham practically bouncing to get there, giving every kid he saw a self made snow cone (that thankfully no one noticed how he made them).

Bertrand smirked. 'And this has nothing to do with our new friend?'

Yerucham, who wasn't very muscular, ran up to Melanie excitedly, offering his hand. 'I haven't been to a swimming hole in ages! Oh, do come, Ms. Pingrey! I promise I'm a good swimmer, honest!'

Melanie shook her head unconvincingly at Bertrand. 'You… Don't know what you're talking about.'

The laughs of joy they had as they swam was more than enough proof to the contrary.

He held her aloft, as she felt the waves strike her arms. She almost fell, but he held her.

She showed him to museums, answering all his curious questions. He was often confused, but she always understood.

He showed her his skill, farming, or specifically, gardening, and they planted a tiny garden together on the roof of the lab, planting Myrtles.

'On my planet, this was the only flower, sadly. But it's a beautiful one.', Yerucham explained, offering one to Melanie's hair, her placing one in his. 'It symbolizes love, pure and simple.'

'...I've never known it.', Melanie confessed.

Yerucham, eyes glowing again, held her hand. 'Ms. Pingrey, I won't pry. But my glowing eyes, they glow when my Empathy vision works.'

'I know.'

'...Can I show you what the flower means? Maybe it will help?'

Melanie ignored her single tear. 'I don't know what it will do…'

But she took his outstretched hand. 'But maybe… I'll take a chance.'

They slowly got up, and flew across the sky. Holding each other's hands, he told her she would not fall, and she believed him. She put one arm out wide, and it felt like she was flying too. She laughed, a real, healthy, overjoyed laugh, as she saw kindness all over her. Children helping each other up after falls, teenagers sharing first kisses, grown ups offering silent comfort, and old couples leaning on each other in tired satisfaction.

She stared at him, at his love, his belief.

And she felt it return to her, ever so slightly.

Enough to stare into his eyes.

Enough to let him hold her.

Enough to kiss him, surprising him, but making him smile deeply.

'I guess this means I can tell you that you are, um, kol kach yafa, Ms…'

'Call me Melanie.', she put her finger on his lips, then kissed him again.

Staring up, walking with his son for some bonding time, Bertrand smiled at his friends.

Finally…

Hope.

---

'Well, isn't this a fine kettle of fish!', Wolf hollered with laughter as Bruce slowly wore himself out, trying to stop him, the walls around him a blinding reminder of how much he hated himself. 'It would seem that I am finally in control by MY choice!'

'NO… PLEASE… no…', Bruce whispered, begged, pleaded, reaching forwards but feeling incredibly dizzy, a hammering in his chest and ears. Maybe… If he just lied down for a moment…

'WHAT'S THAT?', Wolf put his hand up to his ear in mock curiosity. 'SPEAK UP!'

'No… Just… If I could…', Bruce mumbled, eyes dropping, muscles turning heavy. The idea of departing felt so comforting, like a mother's embrace…

'ONCE MORE? MY EARS AREN'T THAT BIG, RED RIDING HOOD!', Wolf crowed, chortling again.

'I… Pepin… Please… Just be safe…', Bruce muttered, hoping the fire he saw was the entrance to his punishment.

'I CAN'T HEARRRRR YOUUUUUUU!', Wolf kept on laughing, pounding his chest like a gorilla, which was unfitting, admittedly, but he didn't care.

'AYE AYE CAPTAIN!', Suddenly a scream came from the distance. Wolf turned around, startled, spotting Pepin on the bridge, holding up a mirror with Ouija symbols drawn across it. Connected to it were two helmets, one already glued onto the mirror, and a generator that powered up the pseudoscience. Pepin tried to look brave, even if she was terribly scared of the power on display from Wolf.

'WHAT DO YOU WANT? YOU THINK I'LL JUST GO DOWN THERE AND PUT ON YOUR STUPID HELMET?'

'...Pwease?'

Wolf laughed again, making Pepin feel a little foolish. 'DID YOU REALLY THINK THIS WOULD WORK?! YOU MIGHT BE ADORABLE, BUT YOU'RE AN IDIOT!'

The word echoed in the mindscape, hard enough to stirr Bruce awake, his fists clenching, bleeding from rage. 'How… DARE YOU…'

'...Uh oh.'

'NO ONE…', Bruce rose up to his feet.

'...TALKS LIKE THAT…', the blinding lights and images dispersed, revealing the screen with Wolf on it.

'...ABOUT MY LITTLE SISTER!'

With a roar far louder than any Wolf had ever made, Bruce threw himself at the screen, his fist landing a huge crack on it, making Wolf struggle to see. Screaming in pain, Wolf was now dizzy, which was perfect because…

WHOOSH!

The Guardian was flying up from the other roof with Barbed Wire's body lying on her hands. The armor was no longer hurting her thanks to the gloves, but it didn't make the figure any less heavy, and she grunted in exertion. 'I see you've been… Eating your greens…', she sputtered, feeling worn out.

'No… Must… Get back… Down there…', Barbed Wire tried to exhale. They were struggling to do anything, though.

'No way!', Guardian barked, trying to put on her more authoritative voice, like when she was left in charge of her other siblings. 'You're only at ease when we find a nice place full of no one for you to hurt! Or, well, that would be full of nothing, so it's empty… Oh, you know what I mean!'

Looking around, she saw Wolf, and gasped a little. 'Him again! I mean, pfft, scared, me? Never.' Suddenly, he howled in pain, and she let out a little scream of fright. 'Okay, fine, maybe just a teensy bit.'

She adopted a serious, concerned stare. 'Still, if he's here… That's another danger to all the people here. Not to mention his smell, pyoo! Take a shower in… A lake or something, I don't know. Not to mention, I'm pretty sure he mentioned working for someone, so that's just another possible obstacle. Oooh, if only I could deal with both of these before more people get hurt…'

Suddenly, a light bulb went up in her mind. '#blessed with a big, sexy brain!', Guardian smirked, flying straight at Wolf.

'TIMBERRR WOLF!', she quipped, hitting Wolf with Barbed Wire's body, shocking him enough to make him fall down faint next to Pepin, who thanked her lucky stars he wasn't so heavy as to break the bridge.

Guardian, seeing Barbed Wire was knocked out too, whooped in delight. 'Hell yes!'. She almost wanted to victory dance.

But then she noticed Pepin, and realizing she could have been hurt, landed apologetically. 'OMG, I am LITERALLY accident prone today! I totally didn't notice you! Which sounds insulting, you're noticeable, NOT LIKE THAT, I mean, not that you're ugly of course, OH WAIT…'

Pepin giggled from the awkward hero, while she placed the helmet on Wolf. 'Oh, I like you! You're funny! No worries, you just helped me out big time!'

'I did?', Guardian asked, dropping Barbed Wire onto the bridge.

'Yeah! Now I can settle this Wolf's nerves and revert him to his human form! And don't feel too bad, I don't notice people around me too sometimes!'

Guardian looked introspective as she considered what Pepin had just said, the scientist lightly tapping on the helmet like a drum as she fit it on Wolf's noggin. 'Yeah… I seem to do that a lot. Not that my noticing is worth much either.'

Pepin noticed the melancholy expression on the hero's face, and tried to offer some consoling.

But before she could, Barbed Wire woke up, grasped The Guardian instantaneously, and leaped back into the building, like a wrestling move almost. Pepin, gasping, ran after them, hoping to do something, Wolf's knocked out body trailing behind like a humongous dolly.

---

The initial electric shock had drowned out all noise for Guardian, and her vision was blurry as she felt herself falling to the ground. The smashing sound of a now cracked floor barely registered, but she had this notion that she was in great pain. 'Ugh… What… What happened…', she mumbled out, out of it. Flashing phones were everywhere, recording her battered form. Then, Barbed Wire finally landed, and started pummeling her, each punch charged with simmering electricity that was like being bathed in fire.

'SOMEONE DO SOMETHING!', one woman shrieked.

'THAT THING'S GOING TO KILL HER!', A man shouted in concern.

The students all gathered in fear at the back, distracted from their own problems by this showing of brutality.

Seeing the livestreams on her phone, Lisa's eyes didn't seem phased, but her hands shook.

Bertrand looked on, an unreadable expression on his face, one hand in his pocket. The glow of the electric punches failing to illuminate his dark eyes.

The Guardian looked around, barely able to think coherently. She felt like coughing up blood. She was getting a burn mark like this. But still, she looked around her and thought of what everyone else was going through.

'This is what your kind brings! No one can be trusted with this much power!', Barbed Wire declared, aiming their bolts at the civilians. 'Give up, or I'll hurt them!'

'...You already have, asshole.', Guardian sputtered, slowly getting up to her feet, visibly shaking.

'What are you talking about?', Barbed Wire shouted, but Guardian didn't waver, waving her hands at the terrified civilians, at the haunted expressions, at the debris. 'What do you call this?'

Trudging towards him, she grunted in effort. 'If you really want me… Then here I am.'

Grabbing Barbed Wire by the arms, she braced herself, teeth grating, screaming in determination as she got shocked over and over again.

Bertrand tried not to think of it.

But he remembered everything…

---

'So, you ready?'

Bertrand, dressed in his Sunday best, smiled at Yerucham, who held some Myrtles in his hand, and wore a yarmulke with a heart stitched onto it. The alien was visibly nervous, constantly adjusting his bowtie. 'Can't we wait a little bit more? Like, another thousand years more?'

'Yerucham, we don't live that long.'

'Did you try?'

Bertrand chuckled as he walked with him down the street, towards the lab where Melanie worked. The birds were singing and the trees were in bloom, yet still Yerucham seemed tense and nervous. 'Worry not, my friend! I've known Melanie for a long, long time, and these past four months are the only times she's ever been truly happy!'

'Yeah… That's what worries me.'

Yerucham's words trailed off, and he stopped, in front of a screen showing lottery numbers. Bertrand stared at the screen and then at him, confused.

'...It's funny, right? I can run faster than anyone, lift more than anyone. I can fly, I can shoot fire from my eyes and ice from my mouth. I can even tell what other people are hurting from, and help them with that. I can do all that, yet…'

He shed a tear. 'I wouldn't be able to predict those numbers… Or change them.'

Bertrand put the pieces together in his mind. He silently placed a comforting hand on Yerucham's shoulders. '...What caused it?'

'Flood. When they called for help, it was too late. And those who tried managed to blow it up.'

He shivered, and tried to hug himself, but he couldn't feel warm. 'My planet. My people. Every song, every story, every joke, every color, every toy and plow and house and flower and tree and animal and person. Good and bad, big and small, every single voice… Gone. Forever. As if they never existed. As if they didn't matter in the end.'

Yerucham suppressed a sob. '...And I couldn't do anything about it. Not a single thing.'

'It wasn't your fault.', Bertrand looked up, sympathetic.

'Maybe. But what if this place gets destroyed too? How many planets can I fail? I can't fail them, you, her…', Yerucham was getting dizzy. Bertrand composed him. 'Look, maybe it's the fact we're not hiding you for once that's doing this. Maybe we should just hurry up inside?'

'I… I just need a moment…', Yerucham murmured, but as soon as Bertrand turned, he flew off. Visions of Melanie dying in a fiery explosion haunted his head, and he desperately searched for a place where the noise would end.

But the noise grew, further and further, and it was getting hot too…

'A fire!', Yerucham realized, as he crash landed inside a burning building.

Coughing from the smog, feeling actual pain from the crash, Yerucham's ears perked up as he heard a scream. A baby, lying inside, crying, wrapped up in blankets. It had been locked inside, the parents screaming for it to be saved outside.

With no hesitation, Yerucham walked into the fire, even though it hurt, the flames licking his skin and burning him. He didn't care. He had to get that baby.

Moving away wood and debris, his lungs burning from the ash, Yerucham found the bundle and lifted it up. The baby calmed down a little from his soft hands. 'It's okay. You're going to be okay.', Yerucham reassured, letting the baby hold his finger. 'It's okay.'

Walking slowly out, the baby was back with their parents, the couple at first grateful…

Until they saw Yerucham.

'What is that?!', the mother cried out, hiding the baby, that began crying again. The father looked dumbstruck, as did the police and firefighters. 'It's got blue skin!'

'Oh, I'm sorry, I'm just…', Yerucham tried to calm them down, but his arm was gripped by one of the cops, twisting it. As he cried out in pain, his eyes glowed from the empathy vision, making everyone back off scared even more.

'What was that glow?!', the father exclaimed, hiding behind one of the cops. 'Whatever it is, it's clearly dangerous!'

'What? No, I'm… I just want to help, I promise…', Yerucham explained, but he was panicking now, feeling even more and more self resentful and afraid. He wanted to fly away, but felt like he couldn't.

'I saw it fly! It flew into that building!', a nearby old lady cried, pointing at Yerucham in fear.

'No! I mean, yes, but that doesn't mean…', Yerucham waved his arms in worry, increasing the others' agitation. Melanie, who had already been told by Bertrand about Yerucham flying away in terror, was approaching, hoping to help.

'Yerucham!', Melanie cried, and Yerucham, seeing her, hoped to run to her and get out of this. 'Please, she'll explain, I'm from another world and I came to help…'

'It's an alien!', the cop cried out, aiming his gun at Yerucham.

'Don't you DARE!', Melanie screamed, grabbing the officer, who tried to elbow her out of the way.

Yerucham was the only one who noticed the gun was aimed at the baby, though. It could fire at them, at the parents, at the firefighters, at Melanie.

And, as ever, he stayed truly selfless.

To the bitter end.

BANG!

The gun had been fired, but it struck Yerucham instead, blocking the bullet's path from Melanie and the baby.

Collapsing to the ground, Yerucham felt Melanie's hands around him. The parents, now worried for different reasons, also crowded him. 'Is he okay? Oh my god, why did I panic?', The mother cried out, while the father called the hospital.

'It's… Okay… You didn't mean anything…', Yerucham reassured, the blood gushing from his jumpsuit, mixing in with his red outfit. Melanie, trying desperately not to cry, held his hand. 'No, don't speak like that! You are okay, you have powers, you…'

'My powers fluctuate when I'm… Not confident. Self hating. Don't worry, I'm sure it will be okay.', Yercuahm choked out, smiling, holding her cheek with one hand. The cop didn't seem to care too much, and Melanie screamed at him. 'LOOK AT HIM, HE'S DYING!'

She tried to stay brave, stay strong, poised, like her mother wanted her to. 'It will be okay. They will fix you, I will fix you. I'm sure we can work this out… Why, why did you do this, why would you do that for me? I'm not worth that, not even a little bit! There's so much you could still do, please, please don't…'

Suddenly, Yerucham kissed her cheek. '...I couldn't lose my world again, now could I?'

He kept on staring into her eyes, talking to her, reassuring her. 'Be strong. Persevere. We can make this world a perfect garden, I know we can.'

Melanie shook her head. 'No… No, we're… We're supposed to be together. Start a family. She's…', she pointed at her noticeably pregnant stomach now. 'She hasn't seen you yet.'

Bertrand, finally arriving, gasped as he saw what was happening to Yerucham. Ambulance sirens blared.

'It's okay, Melanie… I'm sure I'll be okay. I've got you. Everyone does. That's why I know we'll all be safe. Me, them… Little Carol.'

He patted her stomach, and smiled through the pain. 'Thank you, Melanie. Thank you for saving me.'

He was carried into the ambulance, and soon he was on a surgery table. Melanie directed them, having learned how to heal others over the years. For hours they worked, doing all they could.

Bertrand sat outside, waiting, pacing, the hours stretched out and out. He kept his chin up, his hope up. Yerucham had powers, Melanie had brains and grit. This would be fine. It had to be. Hope wouldn't die, no, the world still had hope, there was still a chance, they didn't have to settle for him, Yerucham was the help, he would save everyone, finally…

The doors opened.

Bertrand swiveled his head, staring at Melanie, desperate for her smile.

But she had no expression.

She just walked up to Bertrand, and, slowly, almost robotically, threw her arms around him.

He got it.

And he hugged her back.

In that moment, it wasn't just Yerucham's heart that stopped.

At that moment, three lights blew out, and all there was left…

Was darkness.

---

Another blast, and another blast, and yet another. The hall was bathed with blue light, sparkling and simmering and flaring on The Guardian, who was ever increasingly losing her energy. Blood trickled from her nose, leaving a tiny trail on her upper lip, and she had a burn mark forming on the connective skin of her fingers. 'How much longer can I take this?', she thought, so worn out that she could see blue light around her. 'Eventually, I could set on fire, or maybe even get a heart attack, or a massive electric shock that makes me look like I was blown up by dynamite like in a cartoon!'

For a moment, she considered just flying away. She was hurting, and sad, and could use a good cry. Anything to stop this feeling.

But then she thought of all the other people in the building who could be getting this treatment, and had no powers. She thought of Lincoln. And she stayed resolute. 'Then again… This is the least I deserve.'

The Guardian smiled through the pain, deciding to soften the blow with a pun Luan would be proud of. 'This will do the elec-trick.'

Bertrand, meanwhile, kept on staring at the scene, an indiscernible expression painted on his face, illuminated with a dark blue from the shocks, contrasting with the light blues on Guardian's face. 'Outside of Melanie, she's the only true obstacle to peace. Removing her… Would help the cause.'

His fingers twitched on the remote in his pocket, the lump in his neck not going. 'It's for the best… It's the only way… It's…'

But even now, even with all he's willed himself to do, to ignore, to feel…

Seeing this, seeing her…

For a moment, he doesn't see Lori Loud.

But Yerucham.

Two extraordinary people in a world full of very, very disappointing people.

And he just can't.

BZZT!

Slowly placing the remote back in his pocket, Bertrand is quietly satisfied when Barbed Wire runs out of juice and collapses from exhaustion, The Guardian squinting in acceptance, narrowly avoiding further injury.

As she breathed heavily, she looked around at the civilians, glad they were safe at least. But they looked back with trepidation, even a little fear. 'That thing… Came for her.', one woman whispered, holding her children back, who still stared in awe.

'Isn't this her fault in a way?', Rex, from Luan's drama club, pointed out, and Shannon rolled her eyes in disagreement.

But not many felt the same way. There was a small, but not unnoticeable wondering of whether this was The Guardian's fault, despite her attempts to help. She couldn't help but notice this, and sighed, feeling cold, lonely, and small. 'But it's what I deserve for being selfish and failing.', she thought, closing her eyes, fighting back tears.

As everyone slowly breathed, silently, just trying to calm down, Pepin stood in the entrance, deciding not to go in with the gigantic wolf she had in tow. Instead, she was operating the machine, which would allow for Bruce to properly talk to Wolf.

---

Inside the mindscape, Wolf found himself floating with the helmet on. He tried to snarl at Bruce, but gave up, and turned away.

'What do you want?', Wolf barked, letting the red color around them envelope him.

'I want to understand what the HELL were you doing! We have a deal!', Bruce reminded him, scolding like a furious parent. He grabbed Wolf and looked him in the eye. 'And you broke it!'

'I broke it for a good reason! Maybe you could ask, you could consider that!', Wolf roared, pushing Bruce.

Bruce, scowling, pushed back. 'Oh, yeah? Like what? You wanted to finally eat someone, and chose my sister?!'

'NO! BUT YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND! ALL YOU THINK I THINK ABOUT IS VIOLENCE!', Wolf screamed, lashing out with a scratch, before backing off, realizing what he had done.

Turning away again, he whispered '...You think you're the only one that misses her.'

Bruce's eyes widened, but he shook his head. 'You're lying. You never even met her.'

'I did. In your memories. I've seen you replay each one over and over again.'

For a moment, there was silence.

'...I just wanted to finally be with her.', Wolf choked out.

Bruce, trying to step down from his angry pedestal, sighed, and floated towards Wolf, placing, for the first time, a comforting hand on his shoulder.

'...You know I… We can't.'

'...I know.'

They stood there like that, mourning the loss of their sister. Knowing that they had to go, before she could find out.

As Wolf shook awake in reality, Pepin excitedly jumped in surprise. 'Oh! You're up, wonderful! Now, seeing as you are a werewolf, and seemingly in a bit of a shared body type situation, I think going back to my lab would be MOST useful…'

Wolf and Bruce, for once, were in sync. Running off instantly into the now stormy sky, they only looked back once, with tearful regret, but knowing it was what was best for Pepin.

'Wait! Come back, I can help you!', she cried, genuine, staring out the broken wall.

'...No one can.', Wolf growled quietly, before leaping almost majestically into the night sky, rain splashes on every bound from one rooftop to the next. Racing through the sky, a thunderbolt crashed on his skin, and they howled, embracing the pain.

At least it was feeling SOMETHING.

---

Meanwhile, back inside, Bertrand called for attention with a loud whistle.

'Everyone, please, calm down!'

He adopted a softer expression, looking down at the audience, then up at the central window. 'I know that we just went through a VERY terrifying scenario, but we must be strong! This vigilante, like us, is just trying to stop the relentless oppression we all face in this city!'

As he said this, a spotlight lit up, showing Mayor Volte emerging from the men's room. He sheepishly waved, pretending it meant nothing. But the crowd didn't agree, and some boos were heard.

The Guardian, meanwhile, looked up at Bertrand with appreciation, but also a little non- resentful envy. 'I wish I could be that good.'

'Now, now, please! Not everyone can handle it!', Bertrand said, deliberately reminding the crowd of his heroics earlier. 'It's going to be okay!'

Looking now at his brother, Alan, who held a champagne glass, Bertrand motioned for him to join him. Alan gladly put his arm around Bertrand, who moved a little.

A sad stare was replaced with a strong, determined, caring stare. '...It's going to be okay.'

And then, just like that…

BANG!

Smoke floated up into the air, like rain falling backwards.

Hundreds of feet stamped on the ground, scurrying to and fro in panic, the crowd indistinguishable, a blur.

A figure of pained blacks and kind blues, The Guardian, gasped, and rushed towards the makeshift stage, leaving a confused being of electricity and chain link armor, Barbed Wire, behind.

Sparks flew, almost like lightning bolts, reflecting off the glass of champagne that fell onto the ground, shattered, reflecting off an ant farm from years and years ago, an ant farm where the ants are standing still.

A giant mass of red, piercing eyes and black fur took the lightning to the back, crying in joy from the pain.

Blood gushed on the stage floor, mixing in with the blue tears of a short man with a face and eyes that are so hardened, yet now so thoroughly broken. Bertrand.

Bertrand stares at the bloodied figure next to him, Alan, a shard of glass stabbing the victim's chest, and the hand stares back, a bloody handprint, like red sand from the desert.

As The Guardian finds a first aid kit and tries to help, as ambulance sirens and police sirens finally ring out, Bertrand stared away.

He closed his eyes.

The ants are standing still.

---

As the ambulance with Bertrand and Alan left, and the police made a lethargic examination of the area, placing Barbed Wire in the back of one of their vans, the students (all getting wrapped in blankets and taken home by their parents) silently digested what had happened. Sure, no one had been hurt physically, but mentally, everyone had just been under a needless, terrifying attack.

Lori herself wasn't doing too hot. Her injuries actually hurt for once, and seeing how people observed The Guardian worried her. Could she really leave a positive impact if people thought she was dangerous? Was she dangerous?

And just to make matters worse, while Lincoln tried to make her more comfortable, Luna reminded her of the other problems.

'So… You talk to Lisa?'

Lori sighed. 'I tried, Luna. Really. I didn't expect this to happen.', she defended herself out of habit, before regretting her indignance.

Luna sighed too, trying to stay warm by blowing on her hands. 'I know you are, Lori. No one thinks you mean badly. But you could just ask Lisa. I know she needs you, like everyone else does. She's not the only one struggling.'

Lori's silence spoke volumes. '...Leni's not looking forward to you leaving, brah. She's gonna need to take your role as the big sister. You can picture the pressure.'

'Literally.', Lori agreed, staring at her marked hands.

'And Luan, well, lots of, um, 'drama' at her drama club. She's worried about her friends.'

Lori looked sympathetically at Luna. 'And I've been leaving you hanging to deal with this. I'm sorry, Luna. I just… Everything is so…'

'Messy?', Luna asked, and Lori almost smiled in response. 'Read me like a book.'

'Dude, I get it, honest. You're almost college bound. I can't imagine how hard that is. And everything with Lincoln, and life in general, all this crazy stuff… I guess I'm just saying, we need you, but if you need us, you can say. We're all here to help each other, no?', Luna asked, holding Lori's hand. Lori squeezed back, nodding, grinning a little. 'Say, you're not bad at this.'

'Eh, broken clocks and all that, mate. Just keep trying, okay? You'll figure it out. You're a good person, after all.'

Luna had said it with truth, but Lori still felt that pang of doubt in her heart. 'Can I figure it out? And even then…'

'Is it not too late?'

Going off to Darcy's house to fetch Lisa so they could all get into Vanzilla, Lori let the rain drops cascade on her face, hoping it would heal her wounds a bit. 'I hope I'll see a rainbow again. I like rainbows.', she thought, hopeful, but the rain just seemed ceaseless.

When she opened the door and Lisa stepped out, Lori knew what she had to do, though. Taking a deep breath, she took the girl's hand, covered her up to protect her from the rain, leaving herself completely defenseless to it, then said '...I think we need to talk.'

'Indeed.'

Lori noticed the cold, blunt tone, but she readied herself to it. 'Whatever Lisa needs. I'm here for her.', Lori nodded, then cleared her throat.

For a whole minute.

'...Any time now?', Lisa said, raising an impatient eyebrow.

'Of course.', Lori sheepishly smiled, then shook her nerves out, visibly. Her hair got all fuzzy because of it, making her look a little silly, like a dog after rain. Lisa stifled the tiniest chuckle, and Lori grinned at it. 'Yeah, I'm a real silly bitch, huh?', Lori joked, but Lisa soon got serious again.

'Right. Okay, so… God, why is this so hard?', Lori massaged her temples. 'I know why. I'm afraid of letting you down. But… I am if I don't try. I know, it's just… Easier to say.'

She knelt down to stare into Lisa's eyes, committed entirely to the girl. 'Please. Whatever it is that is bothering you, that's getting you to make all these… Things. Tell me. I'll do anything, ANYTHING for you.'

'...Anything?', Lisa asked, almost too quietly.

Lori nodded sharply. 'Anything.'

'...Then tell me, how can The Guardian save anyone if she can't save herself?'

Lisa began walking away. Lori, confused, ran aside her. 'What do you mean?', she asked, scratching her head.

'Don't play dumb, IF that's what you're doing. I know your secret.'

Lisa pointed right at Lori's heart. 'You're The Guardian.'

Lori's shocked expression didn't cover half her surprise. She gaped, and then shook her head. 'What? No! I'm… I'm…'

'You said anything.'

Lori saw Lisa's odd, almost worried? Expression. And she sighed, defeated, hanging her head low. She pulled her shirt up, revealing her hoodie, and the 'G' insignia.

'The truth. Thank you.'

Lori then shrugged. 'But why the inventions? I have powers!'

'Yes, and you get hurt all the time! You keep putting yourself at risk! Look at your hands, woman!', Lisa lectured, and Lori stared at her marks. 'They'll go away.'

'So? Does that make it okay to get hurt? This is dangerous thinking, elder sister unit! And if you keep this up, how will you protect the city, or the family, me? Lincoln?'

That last one struck Lori like a slap to the face. She held her heart in pain.

Lisa turned away. 'The doctor's called recently. Tomorrow, Lincoln starts a period off his wheelchair, slowly learning to walk again. I would suggest that The Guardian do better at protecting herself and others if she wants to be good enough.'

Lori didn't care that this was another wakeup call. She was used to still not being good enough.

But this…

She had to get this right.

'No matter what…', she muttered, clenching her fist.

Yet, still, she didn't cover herself from the rain.

---

The door creaked as Bertrand entered, revealing a white room with a ceaseless beeping. Inside the bed, recovering from the surgery, was Alan, who made no movements or sounds.

Slowly taking a seat, Bertrand let out a deep breath, and gazed at his brother through tear filled eyes. There he was, lying motionless, surrounded by ice cold tools and equipment, not a sign of life inside that room.

'...Hey.'

Bertrand chuckled at his odd introduction, then carried on.

'I'm… I missed you.'

He twiddled his thumbs, looking away. 'I know that might sound false. We left off badly. But, well… I really did. Despite all our disagreements, despite your vapid selfishness, I… I missed you, little brother.'

Taking another deep breath, he drew closer, stroking the man's face. 'You're so… Vulnerable. So weak. I should have been faster, I should have chosen this path sooner. I have to protect you, protect all of them!'

Bertrand calmed down, and sat again. 'Sorry. I'm excited, I know. To be frank, I'm terrified, I could throw up. Tonight, finally, I can really start to make things better. It's not easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is.'

Thinking back to his conversation with Renaud the day before, Bertrand remembered how this path truly got started…

---

Standing outside the lab, Bertrand readied himself, as much as he could. He carried a bouquet of flowers, the myrtles she so loved, and his best reassuring smile.

Truthfully, the rain only added to his streaming tears.

'For her, Bertrand. For her.', he repeated for the seventh time, and he began to walk into the lab.

The place had been greatly expanded upon, refurbished since the death of Yerucham five months earlier. The pristine white halls, the employees all working away in nearly disconcerting efficiency, the ever growing stories of the building, with large letters proclaiming that this, Pingrey Enterprises, was where change would finally be produced. Bertrand whistled in appreciation, as he looked around in awe.

The elevator dinged at floor 50, and Bertrand entered a lonely office room. The place wasn't cheap by any means, but it was hollow, an air of abject nothingness surrounding it. There was no laughter or joy or even cries being uttered.

Just Melanie Pingrey, holding her week old baby in her arms, sitting at a deserted desk.

'...She's beautiful.', Bertrand stated, holding the flowers in his hands, feeling almost lame.

'She doesn't have any of his powers, you know? It's like he never existed…', Melanie replied, barely looking at little Carol, a small wisp of blonde hair barely covering her wondrous eyes. She tried to hold her mother's finger, but Melanie kept her attention on Bertrand. Her purely business ocean blue jacket and forest green jeans were pressed to perfection, and her expression never wavered. Bertrand observed it. It wasn't broken, it was… Something else.

Something totally different.

'I… I came to…'

'To what, Tetherby? Tell me of your feelings? I know them well.'

Bertrand shook his head immediately. 'I would never dare. Never. My love for you is… Is platonic. Is whatever you need it to be. I came here for you, not me.'

'Of course. What is it?', she asked, not changing her tone once.

Bertrand shimmied his feet nervously. 'I just… Wanted to know if you are okay. If you need my help.'

'The question isn't if I need your help. The question is if you are strong enough to give it.'

Bertrand looked up, startled. He walked up to her, until he was right in front of the desk. 'What do you mean?'

Melanie didn't reply, simply lifting up a vial with a strange color, floating viscously.

'...I don't know what this is.', Bertrand rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward.

'It's his blood.', Melanie answered, as if it was a matter of fact.

'His… What?', Bertrand asked, even more confused.

Melanie didn't waver from her seat, just kept on talking. 'You see, Tetherby, I have finally understood all of it. I am awake, so to speak.'

She waved around to the glass window, showing the rainy, smoggy city. 'For so long I wondered what was the way. My mother's way, your way, the criminal way, Yerucham's way. Even my old way. None of them were right. None of them worked.'

She turned back to look at Bertrand, the tiniest relieved smile on her face. 'But now I finally understand. There is only one way, and it's selfish to try and compromise, be nice. The world isn't nice. It doesn't learn… Until you force it too.'

Bertrand gulped. Somehow, this felt… Off. 'What… What do you mean?'

'Simple.', Melanie opened up a binder with two simple pages showcasing what she planned.

'I'm going to save the world.'

Bertrand read it, his eyes growing ever wider, ever more scared. When he looked up, he shook his head in disbelief. 'No… No, this… This is wrong. This is…'

'What, Tetherby? Mean? Cruel? Vengeful? No. THIS is justice. They had their chance, they had a savior who cared for them more than anyone had ever cared for someone in the entire goddamn universe, and they MURDERED him!', Melanie shouted, her face twisting into pure rage and pain. 'They TOOK him from me! There are no good people in this world, just bad people in waiting! The few true victims, they deserve better! A perfect world, a perfect garden, like we were going to have!'

She regained her composure. 'Alas. I will have to do it myself, without him. And, it seems, without you. As ever, strong enough to fight, too weak to commit.'

Bertrand stamped his foot, incredulous. 'I AM NOT WEAK, I AM TRYING!'

Carol began crying, but Melanie didn't console her. 'Are you? Or are you still searching for the right way, when there is one, you know there is?'

Bertrand scowled. 'Not like this. I would…'

'What, Tetherby? What would you do?', Melanie asked, full of disgust.

Bertrand nearly growled, his frustration finally spilling out. 'I'd take over! I'd make sure every part of this city, the corrupt and the clean, was under my control, and then I'd… I'd keep it in check. Unlike you, I would create!'

'Create? Ha! You amuse me. You'd just create a buffer, a momentary distraction. This won't change anything.' Melanie waved him off, waved his ever growing mania off.

Bertrand, letting his inner anger out, retorted. 'Yes it will! All this time I've tried to get you people to follow my ideas, but no one listens! They make these mistakes because they don't listen to me!'

'Oh, poor little Raven. Your warnings mean nothing if they're just that. Warnings. People need dramatic examples.'

Bertrand slowly nodded. 'But not like this. No. This time you won't shut me down, like all the rest. I will save the city, like I've been trying to all this time! This time, they will heed my call!'

Bertrand turned around, before swiveling his head. '...And no one will stop me. Not even you.'

'We'll see.', Melanie stated, not bothering to look at him.

Bertrand began to leave, but froze.

'...What is it, Tetherby?'

He stood there, back turned, broken. '...You realize this is… The end? We can't go back from this. You don't even see how… How insane your plan is! And we both know that if we're resproting to this, then…'

He looked back, tears in his eyes. 'Then this is it. We will never budge now. They've broken us. We're… We're finished.'

It was more of a question, really. His hand ever so subtly raised, giving her one last chance. How he longed to see the Melanie he loved in her eyes, the one that still had hope in her heart, still had love.

But her eyes were extinguished of all that. Maybe his were too.

She didn't even bother to meet his eyes.

'...I suppose we are, Tetherby.'

Bertrand nodded slowly, closing the door.

'...Farewell… My love.', Bertrand whispered, leaving his flowers and broken heart at the elevator door.

That day, Bertrand Tetherby was asleep.

The Raven would, begrudgingly, do what had to be done.

---

Bertrand smiled softly at Alan. 'In a way… I guess you were right, calling me Raven. I was just stuck warning everyone that the sky was falling, but now I'm holding it up. No one will be hurt. Not even you!'

Almost excited, Bertrand explained the plan. 'I'll admit, I wish I didn't have to get you shot for it. But see, all the recent disasters weren't enough. I had to show just how horrible everything was, and win over the police, the celebrities, the people. Now they see how much I care! Now they see how much they need me!'

He stood up, looking back with care. 'It was either this, or… Or worse. They would have killed you, or you would have killed yourself with your bad habits. You're just like the people. You need me to guide you.'

Bertrand nodded, like a doting father almost. 'But don't worry, you're safe now. Once you're up, you'll live in a Royal Woods under my power. And then… I'll make everyone safe.'

He sighed, rousing his strength. 'It's the only way. It took me a while, but I'm finally on that path. No need to thank me. I'm just happy to help.', the gleam in his eyes didn't falter. He was that convinced.

(Black - Danger Mouse)

Outside the hospital, wind and rain surrounding him and Katherine Mulligan, Bertrand stared into the camera, knowing this was the moment his life had prepared him for. All that tragedy was necessary for this. For this moment, where finally, everyone would be saved.

'This is the way.', he affirmed to himself once more, as he reassuringly spoke to the viewers, like he was reading a bedtime story.

'We have survived another tragedy. But I, for one, am tired of surviving. Why survive, when we can live, prosper, grow? For too long, I have stood by the sidelines, settling for second best. No more. The time for hope has passed. Now… Is the time… For action.'

Bertrand gripped the mic, speaking with pure determination and belief. To him, he was finally comforting everyone with the promise of his brilliant plan. He was helping them so much now. How proud he was to do good.

'Now is the time for a new, steady hand, a new kind of guardian. That's why I, Bertrand Tetherby, announce my candidacy for Mayor of Royal Woods!'

The small smattering of a crowd present cheered wildly, and Bertrand bowed, a humble servant to those he loved.

They would be safe under him.

Just like his ants.

That stood still in the farm.

So controlled they were in every aspect, so protected they were by what sacrifices Bertrand made for the greater good, so loved by him.

That he hadn't even noticed they died years ago.

This is the way.

'This is the way.', Bertrand waved at the crowd, thinking of all they had gone through, all he had gone through, and how he would make there be peace. By force, if he must. Tragedy, heartbreak, injustice...

'Nevermore.', he whispered, smiling, reassured that his methods would save the people.

And the ants stand still.

And the ants stand still.

And the ants stand still.

---

Next Time: While Lori has to deal with Lincoln being out of his wheelchair and her struggles to be attentive enough to her siblings AND fight the constant stream of villains in the city, Lyberti is tasked by The Guardian to find out, finally, who is The Raven, and what are his plans. But is it too late already for the heroes?