From the Ashes Chapter 16: Backlash - Part 1, an avengers fanfic

Chapter 16: Backlash - Part One

It had to be said that I was in a pretty good mood as I headed home. Sure, it had been a long and tiring day, but I also felt like I'd actually achieved something. It was more than that, actually; for the first time since the Blip, I wasn't dancing at the end of Thera's line or reacting blindly to whatever I was feeling. For once I was being proactive, and I was in charge. It felt good, and if I was being honest with myself I could definitely see how Thera could've gotten hooked on this.

The good feeling faded slightly as the farmstead came into view, and I could feel the faintest stirrings of anxiety deep within. Aside from those dark weeks immediately after the Blip, Clint and I rarely fought. When we had, it had either been about the amount of time he'd been away with the Avengers or because one of us was being a petty, stubborn idiot. For some reason this felt new, somehow, and I really wasn't sure what to expect.

I crept carefully over the threshold, not wanting to wake the kids, and closed the door behind me with a gentle click. The silence in the house was almost oppressive, and I winced at every rustle and thud as I carefully took off my shoes and hung up my coat. I could see light coming from a crack in the dining room door, and paused just outside to take a deep breath.

"Okay," I murmured to myself, "Here we go."

The door creaked noisily as I pushed it open to see Clint sitting at the table, playing idly with his phone. A pair of empty glasses sat close by, next to our crystal decanter which was half-filled with deep red wine. He looked up as I entered, and I found myself anxiously scanning his face for tell-tale signs of anger or tension. There weren't any, but that wasn't necessarily a good sign.

"Hi," he said, evenly, "You're back."

"I am," I said, with a rather forced smile, "You're using the decanter? Haven't seen that thing since our wedding."

"'Spent too much time hanging around with Stark, I guess," he said, "I mean, I reckon it's probably wasted on this stuff... but I thought I'd give it a go. Thirsty?"

"Yeah, actually," I said down heavily in the seat next to him, "Long day."

"Longer than it should've been, sure," he said, as he poured me a glass. I gave it an experimental sip, then sighed and set it down firmly on the table.

"Okay, I suppose we should have it out before either of us gets too tipsy," I said, "I know you're angry at me for going to see Vi, and-"

"I ain't angry about that," he said, quickly, "At least, not anymore."

"You're not? But you said..."

"Oh, I was angry when you rang," he said, "I got mad 'cause I thought we were gonna discuss everything, but when I cooled down I realised that I was actually being kinda controlling. This is your thing, and sometimes what I need to do is shut up and let you do your thing the way you want to do it. You know, support you like you've always supported me."

"Aw, hon," I said, and felt a wave of relief pass over me, "Thanks."

"And sure, Vi got right under my skin," he went on, "But like you said we don't know anyone who knows the Blip Centres better than them. You gotta do what you gotta do to get the job done."

"She really laid into you, though. Even she admitted that."

"Yeah, but when have you ever known me to hold a grudge?" he smiled crookedly, "Remember that scrap we had at the airfield?"

"You mean the one that got you put under house arrest? For two years?" I raised an eyebrow, "Two years where I had to do all the shopping, the school runs, kids clubs, nativity plays, sports days, open evenings...Christ, my life really did revolve around the kids, didn't it?"

"And do I hold a grudge against you for that? No," he chuckled, and ducked out of the way as I swiped at him, "But seriously, hon; I didn't hold anything against Stark, or Nat, or even that Spider-kid. If I can forgive them for actually trying to beat the tar out of me, then I can probably find it in my heart to forgive Vi."

"She'd be happy to hear that; she was really sorry about everything she said. Desperately lonely, too," I added, quietly, "If Thera hadn't recovered I'd probably still be there."

"Oh, he's up?"

"Sorta. She says he is, but who knows with him?" I shrugged, "But there was something…"

"What?"

"Well, maybe it's nothing…" I said, "He said that he saw Vi get Snapped, just before he got Snapped himself. But when we first met him, he said he came under a contract! And Vi said they Blipped right into a cornfield! How does that work? How does any of that work?"

"Who knows?" Clint threw up his hands, "Look, whatever else they are they ain't spies, 'cause if they were their story wouldn't have more holes in it than Swiss cheese. They're here, they're doing...whatever it is they're doing, so we may as well chalk the rest up to divine intervention and move on."

"Yeah, I guess," I said, and added hopefully, "So you're really okay with me going to see them?"

"Why not? You were...mostly okay with me charging off at a moment's notice, so fair's fair," he said, "How'd it go?"

"Okay, I think," I said, "Alvin isn't at their Blip Centre, but she's going to keep looking. She'll ring if she finds anything."

"Great," he said, and poured himself some of the wine, "Is this any good? I ain't got a clue what good wine looks like, so I just grabbed what everyone else seemed to be grabbin'."

"It's strong," I said, and watched as he took a sip and grimaced, "So, y'know, you got that right."

"Lucky me," he paused, "But, uh, there is something else I want to talk to you about."

"Really?" suddenly, the worry was back in full force, "What is it?"

"I...hmm," he took another sip, larger this time, and swilled around in his mouth while he thought about it, "This might sound kinda weird, but I feel...excluded, somehow? You, the kids, hell even Thera and Vi, you Blipped. You've all got this crazy experience in common, and I'm not really sure how I'm meant to connect to that. Does that sound weird?"

"No, Clint, no! But I kinda know what you mean. Listening to Maisie talk about how she found our house completely empty? That's nuts. Part of me still thinks I was there, just kind of haunting those hot dogs…" I stopped as his jaw went tight, "I'm sorry. That was crass."

"Yeah, it was."

"But you've got to look at it from my side too, Clint!" I said, "I didn't just sidestep five years of hell; I died! If you and I can't crack a joke about that now and then, how're we ever meant to face that fact?"

"I know, but sometimes it's just too much, y'know?" he said, and took another sip of wine, "I dunno. This whole situation is just…"

"Messed up? Yeah, tell me about it," I rubbed his shoulder soothingly, "And I'm trying to learn more, but..."

His arm tensed, "Well that's just it. Are you?"

"What do you mean by that?" I asked sharply, "I'm reading those books, looking up stuff online-"

"-but why do that when I'm right here?" he asked, "I lived through it! Every part! When you said 'I need to learn about the Blip' I thought you were gonna talk to me...but then you're reading Bliperature for kids and streamin' videos? Why?"

"I…um..." I floundered.

"Exactly," he stood up suddenly, knocking his chair over, "That's what I mean. When it comes to the Blip...it's me, and then it's all you guys."

"Clint! Wait!" I said, and grabbed his hand before he could stalk off, "I wanted to talk to you about it. I really did, but...I couldn't. I just didn't have the words."

"And you have 'em now?"

"I think so. I've been slowly piecing them together," I stood up and took his other hand, "See, Maisie said something this afternoon which got me thinking. She called Lila 'lucky', and at the time I thought that she'd gone too far. Then later I was reading about all those plane crashes, and I just thought 'God, I'm glad the kids didn't live through this' and I realised she was right. Then I remembered how I yelled at you for even thinking that. I was such an ass."

Clint remained silent, but his gaze softened ever so slightly.

"I have been thinking about you. I think about you all the time, and when I think about all the shit you've been through these past five years, my heart just...breaks," I could feel the tears welling suddenly, "And it hurts even more 'cause I know that you were grieving for me and the kids-"

I choked into silence, and stood there for a moment with a hand over my mouth while I tried to force the tears back down. My husband looked stunned, and then a look of deep chagrin passed over his face.

"Hon, I'm sorry," he said, and stooped to pick up his chair, "I didn't mean that you didn't care. I was just being-"

"No, no, you were right," I said, and sat down with my head in my hands, "I was avoiding you. Your scars, your tattoos, that damn haircut...they all made me so angry, and that was before you even opened your mouth. I thought that it had to be something you were doing that was setting me off, but…"

"It wasn't?" he said, sitting down beside me.

"No. When I asked Vi why she lashed out at us, she said that when Thera collapsed all she could think was 'I should've been there'. I think I've been thinking that since the Blip, but I just wasn't aware of it. Everything about you was a reminder of the fact that I'd died, and every time I thought about it it just hammered home the fact that I wasn't there when you really needed me..." I stopped as realisation dawned, "Oh, my goodness."

"What?" he asked intently.

"It's not anger I've been feeling, Clint, it's guilt!"

"Guilt?" he paused, "But...none of this is your fault! You were dead."

"Well it wasn't Vi's fault that Thera collapsed or your fault that Thanos Snapped us, but you both felt guilty!" I pointed out, "I love you, and I want you to be happy, but somewhere along the line I think I got that snarled up with making you happy. When I realised that I couldn't just wave the Blip away for you the guilt and frustration just grew and grew and..."

"You went full Vi?"

"I think it's fairer to say that Vi went full Laura, but yeah. In a way, it was kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy. I was beating myself up so much over not being there for you when I couldn't, that I wasn't there for you when I could-"

"Laura...just stop talkin' for a second," he said, "Firstly, stop beatin' yourself up at all. You wanna know the truth? I'm happy! I'm happier than I've been in years."

"But the Snap..."

"Forget about the Snap, hon!" he said, "Right now, I'm sitting in our house, drinkin' terrible wine with my wife while our kids're sleepin' safely upstairs. I'm on cloud nine, and the only thing you ever have to do is just be here, bein' you."

"You sure?" I smiled weakly, "I think that might be the booze talking."

"The point is, you ain't got nothin' to be guilty for, babe," he said, "And yeah, we'll have to talk about everythin' that happened at some point, but why's that have to be right now? Let's not spend our new life mopin' about the old one, eh?"

"You're right," I said, "When you're ready to talk, I'll be ready."

"Great," he said, and flashed me a roguish, megawatt smile, "Now we gonna finish this bottle or what? I...might have hedged my bets and gotten more than one."

"Is that so?" I said, "Well, we should definitely try that one too. Maybe you got lucky on your second attempt."

"Don't count on it," he said, and raised his glass to mine, "To two screwups, doin' the best they can with what they've got."

"To two screwups," I said, and there was a gentle clink, "Cheers!"

The rest of the evening passed in an alcohol-soaked haze of merriment. Quite how much got consumed was hard to say; the second wine bottle came and went with yet more clinking of glasses, and then some beer magically appeared in its wake. After that, Clint went rooting around and managed to find a suspiciously unmarked bottle in the back of a cupboard. While he wouldn't say exactly where it'd come from, I was reasonably sure that it was either moonshine or rocket fuel, and in the end the effect was basically the same. Eventually, I staggered upstairs and collapsed gracelessly into bed while the world spun gently around my head.

When morning came it was most unwelcome. The harsh, insistent tones of the alarm thundered through the room like a freight train, and as I opened my eyes to find the damn thing and smash it to pieces the bright Missouri sun came blasting down my optic nerves. For a moment I flailed uselessly against the onslaught of sight and sound, until my questing hand found and slapped the snooze button. As I sat up, I realised that the world was still spinning gently, with the added bonus that my right hip was aching like nothing else. Had I slept on it funny?

"Oh, Christ-" I began, and then fought down a sudden wave of nausea, "That was a bad idea..."

There was a pained groan from beside me and Clint poked his head above the covers. He looked like a mess, and was still dressed in yesterday's rumpled, alcohol-stained clothes. Looking down, I realised that I probably wasn't much better.

"We seem to be full of 'em, don't we," he said, with a strained smile, "I knew I shouldn't have broken out the Thormite."

"The what?"

"It was this drink that Thor used to brew. Asgardians don't get drunk off've our stuff, y'see, so he made that for our get-togethers. Fun fact; if you set it on fire, it actually explodes."

"Are you serious? You gave us Asgardian super-booze?"

"Hey, you drank it!" he pointed out, "Willingly! I think you were sayin' something about how in your college days you could've drunk him clean under the table. Then you fell off your chair."

"Um…" a vague memory floated back, "I suppose that explains why my hip hurts."

"Probably," he said, and then a thought appeared to occur to him, "Hold on, ain't it a school day today?"

"I...oh, no!" my eyes widened in horror, and I staggered unsteadily to my feet, "How could we have been so stupid? Clint, we gotta get ready! You've got to drive Nate to school!"

"Do I have to?" he said wearily, "Can't you?"

"Not without Liv shooting me in the face," I said, "And I'm far too hungover to deal with her damn attitude."

"Oh, damnit," he said, "Fine. I'll drop him off if you go make breakfast. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Oh, and we'd better both have showers. I don't know about you, but I don't reckon that turnin' up to breakfast reeking of booze would be settin' a good example to the kids."

As quickly as I could, I went to have a nice cold shower and got changed into a soft dressing gown. A pair of aviator sunglasses kept the light at a barely tolerable level, and while I was sure I looked every inch the stereotypical alcoholic stay-at-home mom, at least I was upright and stable enough to operate the toaster. I wasn't feeling up to eating anything myself, but I was damned if I was going to let my children starve.

Thankfully, breakfast was a subdued affair. While Lila and Nate seemed confused by my sunglasses and lack of energy, they at least seemed to understand that I didn't want to be disturbed. Coop, however, was under no illusions as to what had happened last night. As he ate, he gave me a look that teetered somewhere between amusement and open enjoyment, and tutted occasionally as he reached across the table for some more toast.

"Do you mind?" I said acidly, after several minutes of gleeful judgement.

"Not as much as your liver," he grinned, "And on a school day, too? For shame, Mom."

"This is because I threatened to track you with those satellites, isn't it," I groaned, and propped my head up with my hand, "Fine. Get it out of your system."

"Nah, I'm actually quite impressed," he said, "I'd never have thought you'd be able to keep up with Dad."

"Your Dad don't drink much, Coop. Alcohol's bad for coordination," Clint said, as he entered the room. A shower and a change of clothes had done wonders for him, although he still looked as tired as I felt, "And your Mom got plenty of...trainin' in during her college years."

"College year," I corrected him, and gave Coop a sharp look, "Let me be a warning to you."

"You always are, Mom," he said, and quickly gathered up the other kids' plates, "C'mon, Lila. School bus'll be here in a sec."

"You're not the boss of me!" Lila bristled, "Tell him, Mom!"

"Just do as he says, Lila," I said, "Please? For Mommy?"

My daughter pouted, but finally relented and rushed upstairs to get her book bag. Coop returned from the kitchen with two large glasses of water, which he silently set before us before disappearing himself with another grin and a wink.

"We've raised a monster, haven't we," I stated, but gratefully downed the glass of water, "If I'd realised I was going to be this morning's entertainment, I'd have passed on the Thormite."

"Ah, c'mon," said Clint, "How often're you going to get the chance to try alien alcohol?"

"I can't even remember what it tasted of," I said, and then yet another memory surfaced, "It just burned. I still have all my teeth, right?"

"Cleaner than ever," he said, "I think he said they used it to clean their guns."

"'Course they did. You feel up to getting Nate to school?"

"I feel better than you look," he said, "I'll be fine. I-"

We both jumped as my phone buzzed loudly on the table, and when I flipped it over I saw a familiar looking local number.

"Who's that?" Clint asked, "Spam?"

"No, I think it's Vi," I blinked, "Hold on. You don't think she's already found something, do you?"

"I dunno," he shrugged, "Answer it! I'll see the kids off to school."

"Okay," I said, and gave him a quick kiss, "Bye, hon."

"Bye."

Clint left, taking Nate with him. With a deep breath I pressed the 'accept' button, and from the earpiece there came an immediate barrage of English delivered in Vi's curiously lilting accent.

"Vi," I said, and grimaced, "Vi! Can you slow down, please? I've got a splitting headache."

"-and so then I...wait, what? You've got a headache? I'm sorry to hear that. You're not ill, are you? I can ask Thera-"

"Vi!" I grimaced again, "It's fine. It's...self-inflicted, anyway."

"Oh?" there was a pause, and then I could feel the penny dropping on the other end, "Ooooh, right. Did somebody have a little bit too much to drink last night?"

"Maybe," I said, "I can't really remember."

She laughed, "Well, it sounds like it either went really well or really badly with Clint, then."

"It went well," I said quickly, "We had a good heart-to-heart, and then…"

"Right. Gotcha," she said, "Wasn't it a school night, though? I'm sure I saw a school bus go by this morning."

"You're not the first person to notice that," I said irritably, "And if it's all the same to you, can we just forego the judgement? I got enough of that from Coop."

"Sure- wait, hold on," she said, and it sounded as if she'd turned her head away from the receiver, "No, Sparky. She says she's hungover….yeah, apparently it was a school night...stop laughing! No, stoppit!"

"Tell him I liked him better when he was in a coma," I said tartly.

"Hah," she snorted, "Well, shake it off and get your collective arses down here. I've got a lead, and you've got work to do."

"I've got...what?"

"You said you wanted to help, right?" she said, "Well, it might have slipped my mind, but there's a counselling session that gets held at the Blip Centre every Friday. Normally Saint Chuckles here would do it, but until he recovers fully I'm not letting him within a mile of that place."

"What do you want me to do?" I said, "I'm not a counsellor!"

"Turn up and help me out instead!" she said cheerfully, "It's easy! You just sit there while a bunch of people tell you how much their lives stink since they've lost everything in the blink of an eye, and then you tell them they're wrong. You'd be a natural!"

"Thanks... I think," I said, "And this lead?"

"That's just it! According to Kostas there's a master list of the, um, residents of the Missouri Blip Centres. He was a little cagey about getting us access, but- no, Sparky, I did not use my 'puppy dog eyes'! I swear-"

"He sounds like he's getting better."

"Yeah, he's full of beans," she said wryly, "But he's still fragile. I don't want to risk leaving him here alone, so I was thinking that maaayybe Clint could..."

"Babysit him?"

"I was going to say 'play bodyguard'."

"Oh yeah? What's the difference?"

"The pay? I mean, we wouldn't be in a position to compensate him immediately, but our employer has pretty generous subcontractor rates. I can authorise it when I get back."

"Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack. Laura, I want someone I trust to protect Sparky, and I'm pretty sure I'm not going to find anyone better round here than Hawkeye."

"Oh, really?" I said, "I'm gonna quote you on that."

"If you like. The point is he's a professional, and professionals get paid for their services," she paused, and added more softly, "Besides...I know that saving the universe doesn't pay as well as people think."

"Well...okay," I said, "I'll talk to him. 'Not making any promises, though."

"Great! See you in an hour."

"But-" there was a click, and then the line went dead, "...fine!"

Everyone seemed to have snuck out of the house while I'd been on the phone to Vi, and I guessed that Clint had probably seen Coop and Lila off on the bus before heading out himself. That was fine. as far as I was concerned, as it meant that I could go stand under an icy cold shower for the next half hour while I waited for my headache to subside.

It had to be said, the initial euphoria that I had over being 'proactive and in control' was starting to lose its shine. I was pretty sure I was being railroaded. In fact, I was certain I was being railroaded. Up to this point, I'd kinda assumed that Thera had been the mastermind behind...whatever they'd been up to, but now I wasn'tso sure. While Vi seemed to be doing me an enormous favour, at the same time there was this niggling little feeling at the back of my head that I was just doing exactly what she wanted…

Eventually, I grew bored of freezing myself half to death, and went to get changed into something halfway presentable. If I was going to listen to a bunch of people complaining about their post-Blip existence, I should probably look like I'd made a bit of an effort. Not too much, though; my small collection of jewelry might just be cubic zirconia, but it would probably be in poor taste for me to meet a group who had lost everything while sparkling like a chandelier.

I'd just finished brushing out my hair when the crunch of tyres on gravel heralded Clint's return, and I rushed downstairs to give him an update before he could kick off his shoes.

"Hey," he said, and then his eyes widened, "Lookin' good, hon! Wait, what's going on?"

"Grab your gear," I said briskly, and snatched my coat down from its hook, "I'll explain on the way."

While my husband wasn't entirely happy about being dragged out of the house while he was still nursing an Asgardian-strength hangover, the promise of paid work definitely got his attention. Within a couple of minutes, he'd changed out of that horrible string vest and into his infinitely more appealing commando leathers, and we were hurtling down the country lanes towards the now-familiar warehouse.

"So...did she say how much she was going to pay me?" Clint asked, once we'd reached the interstate.

"No, but she did say that it was 'generous'," I replied, "And enough of this 'me' stuff! I got you this job; I think I deserve a cut!"

"Hah," he snorted, "I'm just wonderin' if I should bring the good arrows."

"Honestly? I think it's just Vi being overprotective," I said, "I mean, have you ever seen anyone else here? We staked out that warehouse for an entire week and all we saw was a couple of trucks."

"True."

"So I'm pretty sure that all you'll need to do is spend the afternoon not shooting Thera in the face," I said, "Think of it as an exercise in self-control."

"Huh!"

Thera and Vi were peacefully against the side of the warehouse, presumably enjoying the bright Missouri morning. Vi seemed to be idly doodling something on a piece of paper, while her fiance dozed gently on her shoulder. At the sound of the car, she looked up, waved cheerfully, and nudged Thera to wakefulness as she got to her feet.

"Someone's happy," remarked Clint.

"Oh, be nice," I said, and elbowed him gently in the ribs, "Remember, she's your employer."

"True, I guess," he said, "An' she can't be worse than Fury-oh, damnit."

"What?"

"I meant to tell you, I talked to Fury about the Blip Centres and-" he stopped. Thera and Vi were headed towards the car, "-I'll tell you tonight. Don't let me forget!"

"I won't," I said, and hopped out of the car, "Mornin', guys."

"Good morning!" Vi said brightly, "Very smart. Love the sunglasses. Definitely can't tell you're hungover."

"Thanks," I said dryly.

"And Hawkeye," Vi said, and turned to regard my husband with an appraising look, "You...almost look professional!"

"More so'n you," he retorted, "You goin' paintballin' later?"

She laughed and gave her cargo pants a comforting pat, "Leave the trousers alone, mate. They're comfy and they have pockets. Do you know how hard it is to find women's trousers with pockets?"

"Actually, yeah," he said, and as Vi's eyebrow went up he added quickly, "You ain't never gone shoppin' with Laura. 'Takes forever to find anything."

"Anyway, moving on," I said, "It's good to see you up and about, Thera."

"Thanks. I have this one to thank for that," he said, and gave Vi's hand an affectionate squeeze, "And you guys too, for dragging me back here. I guess I should've expected nothing less from the pancake waitress who was 'Employee of the Month' four times in one year!"

"You told him about that?" I gave Vi a flat look.

"No!" she said vigorously, "You'd be amazed what he picked up on."

"Hey, there's nothing to be ashamed about!" said Thera, "When we get back, I think we'll have to put something like that in place."

"You mean another award you'll never win?" Vi said playfully.

"They'll have to pick me for something eventually!" he said, "Besides, you know what they say; batter late than never!"

"Is that so?" Vi said, carefully. It was subtle, but as she turned to face Clint I was pretty sure she kicked Thera gently on the ankle, "Sorry, Clint, but as much as I love it you're going to have to lose the bow. I left my rifle for you in the office."

"And ammunition," Thera added helpfully, "Stacks of ammunition."

"Hold on, Vi," Clint said, "You do know who you're hirin', don't you? The bow's kinda my thing."

"Oh?" she said cooly, "I thought you were an expert marksman with any weapon."

"'Course I am, but-"

"Well then, let's put it like this. If someone were to come calling, and you were to fill them full of arrows, don't you think it'd be pretty obvious to everyone who was responsible? Going on a rampage is fine if you're buggering around Sokovia or some other far-flung armpit, but don't you think we're a bit close to home? Your home?" she gave him a worried look, "The last thing I want is for your family to face reprisals because of us, Clint. Please."

There was a pause while my husband considered this, and then he nodded grimly, "Yeah, okay. I'll use your rifle, but I'm keepin' the bow. You never know."

"Fine," Vi said, although she didn't look entirely happy, "Just so long as you keep it out of sight. Aside from that? Just keep an eye on him, keep an eye on the perimeter...look, I'm sure you know what you're doing, but-"

"Vi?" said Thera, "You're waffling."

"I know, I know! I'm worried!" she said irritably, "And stop it with the pancake puns! I swear, sweetie, if I hear one more I'm going to-"

"-flip?" he laughed, and quickly danced to the side. Vi closed her eyes, and with a sigh pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Okay, I walked into that one," she said, and gave him a sharp look as if daring him to come up with something else, "Hawkeye? If you do end up shooting him in the head, I'll understand. I'll even testify on your behalf."

"What, you reckon I can't handle some bad jokes?" said Clint, "I'm a Dad. I'm a walkin' repository of bad jokes."

"It's true," I said, "It's so, so true. He has this one about an award-winning scarecrow…"

"It was outstandin' in its field!" he said, and Vi winced, "Get it?"

"I was mistaken; you two deserve one another," she said, "I'm sure you'll have a whale of a time."

"It'll be fine," said Thera, "Seriously. Nothing's going to happen!"

"Do you remember what happened the last time you said that?" she said sharply, "They're still rebuilding that spire, you know."

"That was a coincidence!"

"And that's not reassuring!" she stopped, and exhaled long and hard, "I'm sorry. I'm getting worked up over nothing, aren't I?"
"Maybe slightly, but it's okay," Thera said gently, "Besides, what can go wrong? You hired the best protection you could…y'know, given the location and short notice period."

"You know what?" muttered Clint, "I really might end up shooting him in the head."

"Just listen to your heart, hon," I said, "But keep me posted. If we need to go underground to escape her wrath then I'd like at least twenty minutes' warning."

"Will do, hon," he said, "Okay...this is gonna be a long afternoon."

We made our goodbyes and clambered back into the car while Clint and Thera vanished into the warehouse. VI watched them go in silence, and when they finally disappeared around the corner she sighed and shook her head.

"I'm sorry I snapped," she said, "I swear I'm not normally this on edge. It's just…"

"He seemed a lot better, though," I said reassuringly, "You both do. We could always do this on another day."

"No. Let's just get this over with."

The atmosphere in the car remained tense as we headed towards the Blip Centre. Vi stared out the window, apparently lost in thought, while I played with the onboard system and tried not to seem too uncomfortable. Eventually, though, the silence got too much for me and I turned on the radio, even if only to hear someone else's voice.

"...and welcome back to St. Louis Public Broadcast Radio! Coming up: the fifth instalment of our increasingly popular 'Blip Dreams' programme, where we share and discuss the dreams of the Vanished following their revival! If you Blipped and have a dream to share, please dial in on...'

"Oh? This is on?" Vi perked up suddenly, "I didn't realise the time."

"'Blip Dreams'?" I said, "What an odd idea."

"...yeah," she said eventually, "Some people're saying they're visions of the afterlife."

"You like heaven and hell, right?"

"Mmm. Most of 'em are pretty generic; you know, a bright light, angels, that kind of thing, but there's been a couple that... haven't been so nice," she said, "There was this guy who said he remembered being chased endlessly through this dark forest by this awful thing. He never really saw what it was, but it was always right at his heels. Apparently he got resurrected just before it caught him."

"That just sounds like a ghost story to me," I said dubiously, "I mean, I'd guess they'd be ghost stories by definition, but…"

"Oh, I reckon most of them are just a bunch of people either having a laugh or leaping on the bandwagon," she said, "But I can see why it's popular. It's trash, but it's comforting trash."

"Yeah," I said. For a while we drove on while the radio chattered in the background, and then I said, "So what do you think?"

"Me? Well..." she looked a bit embarrassed, "I think I may have had one myself, so-"

"Really?" I said eagerly, and then toned it down a little, "What did you see?"

"Nothing, really," she said, "It was more what I felt. Have you ever been awake enough to know that you were asleep?"

"Yeah, once or twice."

"It was like that. It felt warm, and safe, and I knew that everyone I loved was there. Sparky, my parents, my friends...everyone. It was peaceful, too, more peaceful than anything I've ever known..." she stopped, and stared off into the distance, "That's it. No bright lights or angels, but not so bad as far as eternities go. Better than being chased through a forest."

"It sounds lovely," I said, "But...really everyone? Shouldn't it be half of everyone? I mean-"

"It's just a dream, Laura," she said, with just a hint of an edge, "Don't read too much into it."

"You're right," I said, "I suppose that the whole thing does feel a bit far-fetched."

"Yeah, but any more far-fetched than anything else that's happened to us?" said Vi, with surprising earnestness, "I mean, we were murdered by a crazed alien overlord who assembled six gems of infinite power forged at the creation of the universe, which he plugged into a gauntlet that he had forged by giant space dwarves using the heart of a dying star! Of course, he only got to Snap us because the actual, literal god who appeared right at the last second through a wormhole missed the kill shot with his god-killing axe. Five years later, your husband and his buddies invented time travel over coffee, reassembled those gems, resurrected us, and fought Thanos' alternative dimension stunt double at odds of 14-million-to-1 against! If any of that had played out any differently, we wouldn't be here, and yet..." she trailed off, but then added, "I'm just saying that compared to all of that, the existence of an afterlife is pretty small potatoes."

"I suppose. I just thought that when I died I'd get to see Dad, reconcile with Mom...and yet it all passed in the blink of an eye," I said, "Do you think I got to do all that?"

"I'm sure you did," she said, and gave me a kind smile, "And I'm sure they loved your kids, too."

"But how can you be sure?"

"I'm not. Of course I'm not, Laura!" Vi chuckled, "I'm just remembering something that my shrink told me years ago. We don't know what happened when we were Blipped. We could have all gone to our various paradises or we could have just been dust. In the absence of any evidence, why not go with the story that makes you happy?"

"I suppose," I said, "And you know what? I probably did need that five year holiday in my idyllic beachfront palace..."

"Exactly," she said, and nodded towards the collection of containers coming into view on the horizon, shining in the sun, "Game face, Laura. You'll need that optimism to deal with this jolly bunch."

This time, we didn't even need to buzz in on the intercom. At our approach the gates ground open ominously, and we drove smoothly through the airlock into the reception area.

"That's...odd," Vi remarked, "Maybe they remembered your number plate."

"I hope not," I said darkly.

As we were pulling up my phone suddenly went off several times, and Vi gave me a quick, curious look.

"News from the lads?" she asked anxiously. It was Clint, and from the looks of it he'd sent several texts over the past twenty minutes, "Is Thera okay?"

"Give me a chance, Vi!" I said, "Guess we must have been passing through a dead spot. Hold on…"

Hi hon. Thera made tea. Quite good. Said he was going to 'crash' and then fell asleep on mats. Tell Vi everything fine.

"He said everything's fine. Thera made him tea," I reported, "And then...crashed?"

"Yeah, he probably would," she said, but looked relieved nonetheless, "He's still recovering, after all."

"Okay, let's just see what else he said..." I said, and scrolled through the remainder.

She really went to town on these mannequins, didn't she? Precision strikes w/ very sharp blade. Style familiar.

All fine. Will send 30 minute updates. Let Vi know.

"He'll keep you posted every half hour," I said, "And he's impressed with what you did to those mannequins."

"Yeah, that's a pretty normal reaction," she said flippantly, "Anyway, let's go get you signed in!"

The reception area was unchanged, although Kostas had been replaced by a middle-aged, severe looking woman wearing horn-rimmed glasses. She was leant back in her chair wearing a pair of thick, black headphones and reading a large sci-fi novel, and although her eyes flickered towards us she made no attempt to move as we approached.

"Mornin', Summers! Odd to see you working the desk," Vi said. The atmosphere immediately cooled a couple of degrees, and Summers made a point of slowly and carefully turning the page before she took off the 'phones and gave Vi a withering stare.

"You're late, Miss Doe. The meeting started five minutes ago."

"I had to make a couple of arrangements first," Vi said casually, "Anyway, I'm just signing in my friend here."

"Go right ahead," said Summers irritably, and slapped the sign-in book down on the desk for me to fill in, "Please be sure to indicate if you Blipped or not, ma'am."

"Hold on," I said, "Why is that a relevant question?"

"Following the incident with Mr. Bulkagov on Tuesday, the higher ups have decided to increase security and reduce the number of non-Lost coming on site," said Summers, "I'm afraid you will have to wear a badge."

"I haven't heard anything about this!" protested Vi.

"Kostas said he called you. Unfortunately, he was unable to get through," the woman said, with a rather disingenuous smile, "We can't be held responsible if residents fail to keep abreast of changes in Blip Centre policy. Perhaps next time you'll be here, instead of gallivanting off wherever you please."

"Ah, I see," Vi said, "You're sore you've been stuck with desk duty 'cause there aren't enough saps to do it, right? You'd better get comfortable, sweetie. We're busy."

"Is that so?" said Summers, as she picked up her book and placed her headphones firmly back on her head, "Well then, please be busy somewhere else."

"Sure," Vi leaned over the counter and snatched up a visitor lanyard which she handed to me. It said 'Lost' in large blue letters on the card, and I felt a slight chill as I put it on, "C'mon, Laura. We'd better go see to these poor dears."

I followed Vi through to the conference room, and she closed and carefully locked the door behind us. It was devoid of people, but someone had arranged some chairs in a roughly circular pattern on a rug in the centre, and on a small corner table a coffee maker burbled and bubbled away next to a box of donuts. Vi surveyed it with a critical eye, and sighed.

"I hate this room," she said, "I know they built this place in a hurry, but why wouldn't you give the damn meeting room windows? Would some natural light really go amiss?"

"I'll admit, I thought it was odd that there was a conference room here in the first place," I said, "What's it meant to be used for?"

"When we first turned up, we were told that this was where people would meet their loved ones when they were matched," Vi said, "Of course, nobody's been matched yet, so we just used it for group sessions. I see they remember a trick that Sparky taught them, though," she indicated the box, "Remember the doughnuts. People don't bloody turn up unless you bring doughnuts."

"Yeah, but... they haven't," I pointed out.

"They'll be along. It's not like anyone's got anything better to do," she said, "Lose the badge, though. It gives me the creeps."

"Me too," I said, and gratefully took it off, "'Sounds like someone's been listening too much to Keame."

"They will, 'round here."

"Yeah, but I dunno," I said, "Something else stinks, doesn't it...'Miss Doe'?"

Vi laughed, "Yeah. I may have left the surname field blank on the form they gave me. Next thing I know I'm Miss Viola Doe, F23."

"But it does stink, right?"

"To high heaven," she agreed, "But we'll deal with that later. Right now...coffee?"

As she turned away to deal with the coffee pot, the door at the far end of the room opened and a small group of men and women filed in in complete silence. One or two of them caught my eye as they went to take their seats, but looked away immediately in favour of the floor, ceiling, or one of the apparently extremely interesting light fixtures on the wall. Their expressions were grim, determined, and I got the distinct impression that they really didn't want to be here.

"Um, hi?" I said, and gave them a small wave and a smile. Nobody responded, "I'm...Laura, and...I'm here to…"

"Hey Laura," Vi called, apparently oblivious to the dead atmosphere, "Come here and tell me how much milk you want!"

"Oh, sure," grateful for the distraction, I hurried over to her and whispered, "What's going on? You didn't say it would be like this!"

"I didn't know it would be like this!" she hissed back, "I'm really sorry! I didn't expect this!"

"Okay, but-"

The door creaked once again, and then someone said 'Hello, Vi!'. We turned, as one, to see the young man who had been on desk duty the last time I'd come here. While he'd looked bored and somewhat downtrodden last time, now he seemed cheerful and energetic.

"Ah, Kostas," Vi said, "You're joining us today?"

"Of course, I didn't want to miss... this," he said, and then inclined his head in my direction, "Hello again, ma'am."

"You're welcome," I smiled. At least somebody was being receptive. Maybe he'd make a good icebreaker… "Coffee?"

"No thanks," he said, and sat down on an empty seat at the far side of the circle, "Are we waiting for Thera?"

"There isn't coming," Vi said, and as she handed me my coffee she muttered, "Just follow my lead, okay? It'll be fine."

"Okay…" I said, and together we went to sit down on the last two remaining seats. The other attendees looked up as we did so, and we were suddenly frying in their collective gazes. I found myself revising my earlier thought, it was that they didn't want to be here, but rather that they didn't want me to be here. As in town, I felt like I was out of place, intruding on a world that wasn't mine.

"So...you don't feel at home with the Lost, but you don't feel at home in town. Where does that leave you?" asked my inner voice, "Is there anyone left in the centre ground?"

"I'm sorry, did you say Thera's not coming?" Kostas cut across my musings.

"That's right," said Vi.

Kostas' expression darkened slightly, and when he spoke he sounded frustrated, "You didn't mention this on the phone."

"It didn't seem relevant," said Vi, "My friend Laura here very kindly offered to step in instead. She's very good. I've been talking at her almost non-stop since we met."

"Hi!" I smiled brightly, and got basically the same response as before.

"But this won't work without- you know what? Never mind," he sighed, "Vi, the entire Blip Centre community is grateful to you and Thera for holding these meetings. There's a lot of people here who're going through some real rough times, and...just knowing that there's someone who cares means a lot to all of us."

"Mmm-hmm," Vi raised her eyebrows, "I sense a 'but' heading this way."

"Hah, you know me too well," he said, with an easy smile, "Yeah, it means a lot to all of us, but we don't need these things anymore. You ever heard of Dr. Keame?"

Part of me had almost been expecting that, but my fingers still tightened reflexively around my coffee mug. Vi's face remained carefully bland.

"The refinery guy, right?" she said calmly, "The 'Voice of the Lost'?"

"Yeah!" he said enthusiastically, "I knew you would've heard of him. You've always got your ear to the ground! You see, where you and your fiance're trying to help us accept this shit hand we've been dealt, he's going to fix it for us!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah! The rest of the world? They've all moved on, Vi. They lost, they grieved, and they came to terms with it! We need to do the same; we need to move on and carve out a patch for the Lost."

"We don't need the left behind anymore!" said another attendee, a rather heavyset man, and there was a rumble of agreement from the others.

"You're wrong!" I said, surprising myself with my own forcefulness, "My husband spent five years grieving for me. I've seen families desperately searching for the people they lost! They haven't moved on, and if we hadn't come back, some of them never would!"

Once again I found myself staring down a bunch of angry gazes. This wasn't going well. This wasn't going well at all. Vi, however, gave me a small smile and a nod of encouragement before adding, "She's right, Jack. Of course, you guys wouldn't know that if you just sit around here all day gnawing on your livers, and excluding everyone who didn't Blip. A couple more policies like that badge one and one might almost think you are running an internment camp. Why?"

"To keep ourselves safe!" declared Jack, "You've seen what Keame's been saying, right? They call us 'refugees', 'homewreckers', even 'ghosts'! You open those doors to them and they'll be more than willing to take a crack at us. Look what happened to Bulkagov!"

The other attendees nodded once again, and I could feel the atmosphere in the room turn that little bit more ugly.

"That's-" I began.

"-interesting," Vi interrupted me smoothly, "So you don't need us anymore? That's fine. Gives me more time to organise my sock drawer."

"Oh, I didn't say we didn't need you," said Kostas, "Just that we didn't need you running these little meetings. Why would we want you doing that when you're clearly capable of so much more?"

"And... what do you mean by that, Kostas?"

"C'mon, don't be coy," he said, and leaned in, "Bulkagov's survival was nothing short of a miracle. I've been hearing that some people've Blipped back...changed, too. It ain't difficult to put two and two together."

"Maybe not," she said, "Have you told anyone else yet?"

"Not all the details, but I told my bosses enough to get them interested. Possibly even interested enough to forgive you for your interference."

"Interference?"

"Let's just say that they weren't happy to hear that you were looking for the master list. They feel like you are getting too curious for your own good."

"You sold me out? That figures," Vi sounded more irritated than surprised, "And...by your 'bosses' you mean Keame, right?"

"Eventually," he said, "They wanted me to discourage you from further involvement, but I managed to convince them to let me talk to you first."

"How very considerate of you."

"I've always been good at seeing potential," Kostas said, without any hint of modesty, "Think about it; you're like the rest of us, a nobody in a world that's forgotten you! You'd get back everything you lost and more; never mind a broken down warehouse, you could be living in a mansion!"

"Wow. That's quite an offer," Vi turned to me, "Laura, could you get me another coffee, please? I need to think this over."

"Um, sure," I said, and took her cup over to the machine, "White?"

"No thanks, black. Nice and hot. So, Kostas," she said, and turned back to the eager looking young man, "Let me get this straight. You and your pals here think that Keame would be willing to give us money and fame if we just stand up and wave the flag?"

"That's right!" he said, and some of the others nodded eagerly, "Just think; with your fiance the... way he is, you could become a symbol for the Lost!"

"The...way he is?" Vi said, and suddenly burst out laughing, "Mate, there's no such thing as 'super-Lost'! All that's telling me is that you listen to the same rubbish as I do."

"But-"

"My Sparky has always been, well, sparky, Kostas. It's just who he is. I'll tell you what he isn't, though; he's not a case for Lost supremacy. If you want to swan around claiming that your deaths had some greater purpose then that's great, but don't bring him into it."

The eager looks from the men and women in the room suddenly darkened, and I could see them glancing between one another, almost as if they were willing one another to respond first. As I returned with the cup of hot, steaming coffee, I saw a couple gaze meaningfully at me out of the corner of my eye, and I felt a distinct prickle go up my spine. Apparently immune to the worsening atmosphere, Vi accepted the coffee with a bright smile and took an experimental sip.

"That's perfect. It'll really hit the spot," she said, although she grimaced slightly, "Oh, I'm sorry Laura; would you mind getting me a doughnut while you're up? Take your time."

There was something strangely intent about her gaze, and I felt the prickle grow stronger. With a weak smile and a 'sure', I returned to the corner table as she carefully got to her feet and stepped deliberately into the centre of the circle.

"So you at least admit that Thera's...unusual," Kostas said.

"Sure, why not?" shrugged Vi, "It's not like that information's going to be leaving this room."

"Why, Vi, that almost sounds like a threat."

"Nah, it's an observation," she said casually, and took another sip of her coffee, "I wasn't born yesterday, mate. I know that this conversation is going to go one of two ways. One, I sell out my fiance to a blackmailing, torturing monster, or two, your goons take those weapons they've so very badly concealed about their persons and make sure we're adequately 'discouraged' like your bosses want. Rough us up? Kill us? Not sure, but I'm sure you'll make an example of us nonetheless."

I looked up sharply from the donut box and stared at Vi as the prickling in my spine crystallised into ice-cold fear. How long had she known? Had she known from the start? Why hadn't she said anything?

Kostas laughed as he stood up, "Blackmail? Torture? C'mon, Vi; you've got a very active imagination."

"Don't insult my intelligence," she replied scornfully, "Laura picked up on it too. Don't you think it's odd that you and Summers are so sure that Bulkagov was attacked in his room, by an outsider no less, when even he doesn't know what happened? Care to explain?"

"Well-"

"Listen, I know you both know exactly what happened," her gaze scythed around the room, "I'd bet you've even seen those lovely pics Caleb took!"

"But you agree, don't you," Kostas said, "It was an attack by an outsider, wasn't it!"

"Sure. On Keame's orders, let into the camp by Keame's supporters," her gaze scythed around the room, and was met with angry glares in response, "Which I guess would be you fine lads and lasses. You all comfortable with being party to this?"

There was another deadly silence, and then it was Kostas' turn to laugh, "You see, this is why I wanted to bring you over to our side, Vi! You're smart, confident, and you've got that supercharged fiance! Why are you wasting time with people like Laura-" his tone turned contemptuous, "-when you could be playing in the big leagues?"

"The big leagues? Don't make me laugh, sweetie," she retorted, "Besides, I like Laura. She was there for me when I needed someone, which is more than I can say for any of you."

"How very sweet," said Kostas, "So which is it gonna be, Vi? The easy or the hard way?"

"Take a wild guess," she smiled brightly and hurled her cup of boiling coffee in his face. As he screamed and staggered backwards she struck him hard across the cheek with the cup. Shards of bloodstained china flew in every direction, and in a single, fluid motion she twisted inside his grasp and flung him to the floor with a brutal hip throw. There was a horrible crunch and then dead silence, broken only by Kostas' soft whimpering as he curled up on the floor.

"Just in case I wasn't clear," said Vi, as the other attendees scrambled to their feet, "I'm taking the easy way."

"You bitch!" Jack snarled, and with a rustle of clothing Vi was suddenly in a circle of flashing knives and other assorted weaponry, "You'll pay for that!"

"Not the most original line, but alright. Let's get a few things sorted first, shall we?" she said casually, "Firstly, I have to congratulate you guys on being one of the most egalitarian would-be murder posses I've ever encountered. Honestly, you guys look like you've been handpicked by a committee. Wouldn't you agree, Kostas?"

The man said nothing, and she gave him a rough prod with her boot.

"What's the matter? You were so talkative a minute ago!" she sighed and looked around at her strangely reticent attackers, "Right. Ground rules. Firstly, no hitting in the face; Sparky and I are having some quality time tonight for the first time in ages and I don't want any black eyes spoiling the occasion. No hitting below the belt either, for related reasons. Secondly, no going after my friend-" she waved in my direction, "-I saw a couple of you looking and I'm sure you're now thinking that she's the easier option. She isn't. If you come after me I'll only kick your arse; you attack her, and I will spread you so thinly across the walls that people won't know if you're a corpse or modern art installation. Thirdly-"

A man behind her suddenly lunged forward and stabbed at her neck with a cruelly serrated blade. Vi swayed almost idly out of the way, and as the blade sailed past she stepped back, got a good grip on his wrist and pulled his elbow down viciously over her shoulder with a wet snap of bone. His eye-watering scream of pain stopped suddenly as she jerked her head backwards and caught him hard on the nose; there was a brief spurt of blood, a blur of movement, and suddenly Vi was behind him holding the bread knife against his throat. Everyone froze.

"Oh, this guy I like!" Vi declared, "He doesn't worry about the moral turpitude of stabbing an outnumbered woman in the back, he just gets stuck in and gives it a go! You guys could learn something from his can-do attitude! You got a name, mate? Don't think we've met!"

The man went pale and stared desperately at his friends, clearly trying very hard not to swallow.

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you!" she said, with a wild smile, "And see, I have this rare condition where my arm makes these wild sawing motions if people don't answer my questions-"

"Mike," he choked out, "My name's Mike."

"Hmm," she mused for a moment, and then shrugged, "Nope, wrong answer! I guess you die."

"No, wait-!" he began.

"Oh, you have a problem with that?" she said, and he choked as she drew the blade against his windpipe, "That's odd; I didn't see any hesitation when it was your knife and my throat, but if you just insist on living…hey, Becky! Catch!"

Vi kicked him hard towards a woman who was brandishing a chair like a shield. His broken arm flailed uselessly as they went down in a tangled heap of limbs and furniture, effectively pinning them both against the ground. Her remaining attackers spread out into a rough semi-circle, and their knives glinted menacingly in the light as they slowly closed her down. Judging from her expression, she didn't seem very impressed.

"And then there were four," she said, idly twirling the bread knife around her hand, "It must be so frustrating for you. All you thought you needed to do was rough up a couple of women, right? Well, I've got news for you," she gave them a nasty grin, "This particular woman once took down something whose name was mostly apostrophes. In her dressing gown. What do you think I'm going to do to you?"

"We gotta split up," said Jack, and nudged the rangy man next to him, "Cody? We'll take this bitch. Erin, Juan?" he said, indicating a woman with short black hair and her stocky partner, "Take the other one!"

"Oh, shit," I gulped, and backed away into the corner as they advanced menacingly. I wasn't Vi, and from their grim expressions they clearly knew it. Behind me I felt the edge of the table, and my hands skittered desperately across its surface as I looked for anything that could keep them at bay. My mind flashed back to that terrible moment fighting Caleb in the rain, but there weren't any arrows to save me this time, "Vi! Help!"

"Hold on, Laura!" she cried, but the two larger men moved to block her path. With a quick glance over his shoulder Juan pounced, his knife glowing lethally in the light, and my fingers tightened around something warm and soft just I threw myself gracelessly to the side. Pain exploded down my left side as I slammed into the wall and then in a flash Erin was on me, both hands behind the knife as she tried to drive it through my throat. Somehow, I managed to get a grip on her wrist, just enough to deflect the blade into the wall, and as she growled in frustration I drove the donut into her face in an explosion of cream and jam.

"Oh, sod this!" a voice bellowed from across the room and reverberated painfully inside my head. A moment later the lights exploded spectacularly, showering the room with sparks and shards of glass as we were plunged into darkness. The room suddenly filled with cries of alarm, and my would-be murderer shrieked as she was whipped out of sight by an unseen force. I fell to the floor, gasping for breath, and scrambled under the table as the room was lit up by a sudden blaze of pure white light from the far aside of the room.

"What the fu-" Jack's cry was cut off with a choke. With mounting fear I watched as his silhouette was lifted off the floor and fired down the full length of the conference room, hitting the wall nearby with a sickening crash. He collapsed limply to the floor, and I screamed and scrambled further into the corner as his head lolled around to face me with dead, unseeing eyes.

"I warned you," the voice echoed powerfully, "I bloody warned you."

Slowly, carefully, I peeked through my fingers towards the source of the light and felt suddenly lightheaded. Vi was... glowing! Her body was surrounded by a brilliant corona that threw everything into sharp relief or reduced them to mere silhouettes, and she stood now in a low combat stance with an icy expression on her face. The casual, almost playful attitude had gone; she was a woman on the warpath, and though I wasn't the focus of her wrath my blood still ran cold as I stared.

Cody shrank away from the glow, but as she stepped towards him he screamed and took a wild, panicked swing at her with his knife. Almost scornfully, she slapped it aside with a glowing hand and countered with a hard blow to the face. There was a blinding flash, an ear-splitting crack, and the stench of burning human flesh filled the air as he slumped lifelessly to the ground.

"Honestly, guys," she said grimly, as she picked her way across the carnage towards me, "I kick the crap out of three of you without breaking a sweat and the rest of you still fancy your chances? Did you Blip back without your brains?"

A weak sob floated out of the darkness, and as Vi drew closer her glow illuminated the couple who had tried to knife me. They were huddled together fearfully, tears streaming down their faces as she strode meaningfully towards them. With a flick of her wrist two shards of blinding light appeared threateningly between her fingers, and Erin shrieked and buried her head in Juan's shoulder. In that moment, I thought I saw a faint flicker of empathy pass across Vi's face, but if I did it was gone as soon as it arrived.

"Ah yeah, you two," she said eventually, "Don't think I'd forgotten about you, yeah? I made it pretty clear that attempting to hurt Laura would have...consequences."

Almost idly, she tossed one of the shards up in the air, and then caught and threw it at the couple in a single motion. It blazed through the air like a comet and hammered into the wall just inches from Juan's ear, where it started to smoke. The man jerked away and pulled Erin close, shielding her body with his own.

"Oops, missed!" Vi said, with a predatory smile, "Let me just try that again."

"Pleas-!" Erin pleaded, and screamed as another shard blasted a small crater in the floor next to her foot.

"Goddess! What is up with my aim today?" the glowing woman exhaled melodramatically and called another pair of shards into existence, "Right. I think I've got it this time. Hold on-"

"We're sorry! We didn't want to be here. Summers..."

"Summers?" Vi stopped mid-throw, "Summers what?"

"She said we had a choice of either being here or they'd...they'd..." she babbled, "I swear we didn't want any part of this, but they've…"

"They're blackmailing you?" Vi asked, and the woman nodded mutely, "Are they blackmailing all of you? Is that why you're here?"

"I d-don't know. I don't think so," she said, and huddled back against Juan, "We just wanted to get out of here! Nobody's coming to help except Keame…"

"Mmm…" Vi thought about this, and then dismissed the two shards with a wave of her hand, "When I leave, you're going to call the police and tell them that there was a massive argument here that led to...all this. Do not mention myself or Laura. None of this happened. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she nodded quickly, "I understand. But you're...letting us go?"

"Against my better judgement...yes," Vi pointed to the far side of the room, "Go. Now. Don't let me change my mind."

There was a pause while the couple stared at her disbelievingly, and then they clambered quickly to their feet and raced off into the darkness. A moment later there came a crash of furniture and a yelp of pain. Vi regarded them with a weary shake of her head, and then dropped to all fours and crawled under the table.

"Hey, Laura," she whispered gently, and I shied away as she extended a hand, "Hey, c'mon. It's me. I'm not going to hurt you."

"You...you killed-" I began.

"I know," she said calmly, and sat down at a respectful distance, "I'm sorry. This must all be very scary for you."

"And you're glowing! Actually glowing!"

"Am I?" she said dryly, "Goddess, I hadn't noticed."

"Does it hurt?"

"Only if I want it to," she said, "Oh, wait, you mean for me? No."

"Hah," I snorted, "I guess I was right, then. About you not being normal."

"I am normal!" she protested, "I even have a certificate saying I'm normal! That being said, I accept the point that if you need a certificate for that, then..."

She trailed off into silence, and then scooched a little bit closer.

"Laura, I'm so sorry I put you in danger," she said sincerely, "By the time I'd clocked what was happening there wasn't any way of getting you out of here safely. If I'd known, I'd never had exposed you to-"

"It's okay," I said, and gave her a reassuring smile, "I mean, you went all...glowy for me."

"I kind of had to," she said, and her lips quirked slightly, "You were trying to defend yourself against a knife with a bloody doughnut! Were you hoping she had a wheat intolerance?"

"Hey! That affects something like six percent of the population!" I said, and when she raised a glowing eyebrow I added, "I...read that on the Internet."

"That's great, but one hundred percent of people are intolerant of half a litre of near-boiling coffee to the face," she said, "The coffee pot was right there!"

"I guess I'll have to remember that for next time," I agreed, "You planned all that, didn't you? The coffee, keeping me out of the way...?"

"I did the best I could with what I had," she said, "I didn't want to go all, um, 'glowy', and I really thought I wouldn't have to, but then I saw you at knifepoint and I-"

She stopped suddenly, and I patted her gently on the hand, "Thank you, Vi. Like I said before, I won't say anything."

"Not even to Clint?" she gave me a disbelieving look.

"Okay, maybe to Clint," I admitted, "But nobody else. I mean that."

"Just so long as you don't tell Strange," she said, "It kind of sounds like he's got it in for us as it is."

"Maybe it's why he's got it in for you," I said, "I kinda see now why you might have stood out at the Battle of Earth."

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that. My alternate reality selves really gave the game away, didn't they?" she sighed, "Selfish gits."

"Well, nothing you can do about that," I said, "And I guess getting access to that master list's out, too."

"Not yet, it isn't," she said grimly, "From the sounds of it we still have one loose end to tie up. I'll just grab a knife, and we'll go see about putting a spring in Summers' step."

"Why do we need a knife?" I said, and waved indistinctly at her, "Can't you just glow her into submission?"

"You want me to walk around burning like a sun?" said Vi, "No thanks. People tend to remember that. Besides, I don't need that to make someone like Summers sing. Just give me five minutes and I'll have her inside leg measurement and complete medical history, including the really embarrassing bits."

"Okay…" I looked at the man with the broken neck, and shuddered once again, "And what're we going to do about these people?"

"Nothing. We're going to let those two sort it out. If they're smart, they'll recognise that their lives depend on not dragging us into it. Besides-" she smiled slightly, "-what officer is going to believe that two women, one of whom is you-"

"Thanks for that."

"-managed to do this kind of damage? There were seven of them, Laura, most of 'em with knives. Are they really going to claim that I turned out to be some kind of superpowered martial artist who took them to pieces? That's pretty much a one-way ticket to a mental institution."

"You seem awfully confident about that," I said, and gave her a sharp look, "Why do I get the feeling that this has happened before?"

"No comment," she said, and looked out over the carnage, "But at least I kept my promise."

"Oh yeah?"

"You have to admit...this was spectacular."