The devastation was absolute.

Back in the day, Clint and I had gone through a phase of watching post-apocalyptic movies and the pitiful lives of those unlucky enough to survive 'The End', eeking out a meagre living on scorched, irradiated lands. In the dark hours of the night I'd often wondered what it would've been like to be one of those survivors and now I thought I had a pretty good idea. It would have sucked.

The worst bit had to be the heat. Now no longer tamed by the rich forest canopy, the sun beat down mercilessly from on high, turning the once-green world into a shimmering furnace of indistinct, wavering shapes. Under my tactical vest I could feel my blouse sticking unpleasantly to my skin, and when I wrenched my helmet off I was rewarded with a shower of warm, stagnant sweat. I ached for shade, or anything that could cool me off, but there simply wasn't any to be found.

Even so, the heat might have been bearable if it weren't for the smoke. Thick, acrid clouds poured from flaming stumps and crackling heaps of shattered wood, and tugged at my throat and stung my eyes. There were points that it got so bad that I was reduced to feeling around desperately for something to cling onto and guide my way, even crawling amongst the ashes to avoid breathing the worst of it in.

Still, if I had it bad, I was becoming increasingly concerned about Vi. She trudged stoically along behind me, clutching at her arm and bleeding profusely from the injuries on her head, and at times it seemed like she was only vaguely aware of the world around her. Her face had acquired an unhealthy grey pallor, too, and although she gave me a brave smile whenever she thought I was watching, it didn't take long before it faded back into a pain-laced grimace. From time to time I tried to offer her some assistance, or at the very least a shoulder to lean on, but each time I was irritably rebuffed. Whether it was pride or simple bull-headedness, she was obviously either going to find Thera under her own steam or die in the attempt.

Between my tortured muscles and Vi's obvious wounds, it took us a lot longer than I would've thought to reach the centre. We moved cautiously through the ominously silent ruins of the forest, scrambling carefully over toppled branches and through piles of ash and clouds of glowing motes. With every step, my battered, bruised body screamed and protested, and I was sure that over the coming days I was going to have an absolutely marvellous collection of cuts and bruises. Enough to drive Coop around the bend, for sure.

Eventually we caught a break. As we got closer to our goal, the scattered wood gave way to a shifting field of ash, vanishing into the haze, and then even that gave way to a layer of hard, fired earth that cracked under our feet like cheap pottery.

"Gettin' close," Vi murmured, and gestured to a small, shadowy hillock up ahead, "That's the edge of the crater."
"I'll go and have a look," I replied, and before she could reply I scrambled up to the edge. The crater wasn't enormous; a bowl maybe five meters across, but it was filled with a brightly glowing sea of the same blue and gold motes that were drifting across the blasted earth. They licked and curled at the sides of the crater, constantly shifting in a strangely hypnotic pattern, and as I crouched down to inspect them more closely I could hear a very faint buzzing, right on the end of hearing. The sweat-slicked hair on the back of my neck suddenly stood up on end.

"Careful. Don't want to fall in," Vi said, and I felt a firm grip on my shoulder, "But...that's interesting. Didn't expect to find them here."

"What's 'interesting'?" I said, "What are these things, Vi?"

"Residue. They're a sign that someone hasn't got their head in the game."

"I heard what you said earlier. Do you really think Thera did this?"

"I'd love to say 'no', but who else is there?" she shrugged, "Besides, these things are like fingerprints. They're unique from person to person, and these are definitely Sparky's."

"They're very pretty," I said, "Are they dangerous?"

"No, at least not the ones we've walked through. Those down there might give you a zap, but I'd personally be more worried about breaking your neck from the fall," she stepped around me, closer to the edge, and then suddenly shuddered, "Goddess; there's that feeling again! My whole body's tingling!"

"That device?"

"Must be," she nodded.

"You think it's down there?"

"No idea," she said, "'Can't see through all Sparky's rubbish. He really needs to clean up after himself!"

"What if they were drawn here by it?" I looked down at the motes drifting randomly across the wasteland, and then added, "Is that possible?"

"Um...maybe, actually. Good shout, Laura," she smiled approvingly, "But for it to have survived that blast? It'd have to be made of some seriously tough stuff. In any case-" she scanned the horizon, "-we're not here for that right now. We're here for that."

She pointed, slowly, with her good arm, and through the heatwaves I could just about make out a small, golden dome, half-buried under a pile of baked soil and ash that actually looked like a pretty good makeshift shelter.

"There they are!" she said triumphantly, "See?"

"Oh, thank goodness," I said, and exhaled, "And you're sure Clint's okay?"

"Sparky's shields make mine look like cheap tissue paper," she said, "They'll probably be a little beaten up, maybe a bit deafened, but almost certainly better off than everyone else - including us."

"We'd better get moving, then!" I paused, as a thought hit me, "Actually, where is 'everyone else'? I thought there'd be some corpses, but I haven't seen anyone."

"Oh, you've seen 'em alright," she said, with a grim little chuckle, "You just didn't recognise them when you were breathing them in."

"That's disgusting!" I said, and coughed reflexively, "I...ugh!"

"No different to being Snapped, when you think about it."

"I'd rather not think about it!" I said forcefully, "I thought that by now we'd have finished our chat at the Blip Centre, have grabbed the Master List, and maybe be on our way to find Alvin and get him back to his parents! Instead-"

"-I know," she said, "But that's life for you."

"Your life, maybe, but not mine! All this death and destruction... how do you get used to it?"

"You want my advice?" she gave me a serious look, "Don't, just don't. It's not worth it."

With that Vi abruptly turned and half walked, half-skidded back down from the crater's edge. I gave the sea of buzzing motes a final, wondering look, and then followed suit. She remained silent as we quickly worked our way around the side of the hillock, although whether she was lost in thought or just battling against the pain I had no idea.

The golden dome was a little larger than it had seemed from the top, and it crackled and hummed with barely restrained energy. It looked somewhat the worse for wear, too; there were several bright, sparking cracks, and as we approached a deep blue bolt leapt from one and buried itself in the nearby ground with a loud 'crack' and a puff of smoke.

"I'd stay back if I were you. Those bite," Vi said, and indicated several small pockmarks littering the ground, "I'll get him to turn it off."

She picked her way carefully across the landscape, her head cocked as if listening to something beyond my range of hearing. When she reached the shell she knocked out a brief staccato rhythm on the shell, twice, and then beckoned me over as it dissolved into a sparkling mist. As the light finally cleared I saw my husband was lying on the ground, limp and unmoving, and felt a sudden stab of terror. Thera was knelt over him, inspecting his face with a curious look in his eyes, but jumped back suddenly as I came charging in like a bowling ball.

"Clint!" I cried, and knelt down next to him. He was breathing, but didn't stir as I clapped him on the shoulders, "Clint! Oh, Christ!"

"Laura? Vi?" Thera looked quickly at his fiancee and then leapt to his feet, "Goddess, you're hurt!"

"I'm okay-" she protested momentarily, but sagged gratefully into his arms as he helped her to the floor, cradling her head in his lap, "-oooh, that made the world spin..."

"I'm not surprised! Lacerations, burns, shrapnel wounds, a broken arm, and a mild concussion? What in the world were you trying to accomplish?"

"We were trying to save your asses!" I said, coming fiercely to her defence, "And we were doing great until you blew everything up! What the hell have you done to my husband, Thera?"

"Nothing- wait, hold on!" Thera gave us a confused look, "You think I'm responsible for that explosion?"

"Aren't you?"

"No!"

"So who is, then?" I asked hotly, "Because Vi was pretty sure it was you, you know!"

"Really? Oh, come on!" Thera glared at his fiancee, "I'm not my sister!"

"Your fingerprints were kind of all over it, sweetie," she murmured, "Didn't you see the explosion?"

"No! When I realised what was happening I dumped everything I had into keeping us safe. Transparent shielding would've risked flash burns."

"Well, it was spectacular, and there's a ton of residue out there. Your residue." Vi said, "The explosion crater's filled with it."

"You're joking."

"Why does everyone suddenly think I'm a comedian? I'm serious!"

"...fine," Thera ran his fingers over his hat, "That makes absolutely no sense, but fine! I mean, it doesn't leave me with a defence aside from 'I didn't do it', but I didn't!"

"Hey, hey; it's okay," Vi smiled gently as she reached up to touch his face, "If you say you didn't do it, I believe you. Why don't you just tell us what happened, then?"

"And what's going on with Clint?" I said urgently, "Why is he unconscious?"

"Ah, um...well," Thera looked slightly pained, "Let's just say that my attempts to keep him safe weren't... an entirely unqualified success. He's sustained some internal injuries, particularly to his lungs-"

"What?"

"-and since I'm not sure what's in that explosion I'm also checking him out for signs of radiation poisoning and carcinogens. Don't want him getting sick, after all."

"Radiation? Cancer?" I said anxiously, "Thera, I've been out there! I've breathed some of it in!"

"Along with the charred remains of half a dozen mercs," Vi remarked. Thera gave her an arch look and flicked her gently on the forehead.

"We all have, Laura," he said reassuringly, "And I'm sure you'll be fine, too, but I want to be completely certain. I'll bring him 'round once everything's sorted out."

"And how long is that going to take?"

"Hold on," Thera swiped at the air just above his left forearm and squinted at a patch of nothing, "Um...two hours and fourteen minutes."

"That's precise," I said, and sat back against the hardened soil outcropping, "Christ. What a day…"

"That doesn't sound promising. Did something happen at the Blip Centre?"

"Did something happen? Oh, something happened alright," I laughed sardonically, "Vi, you wanna tell him about the Blip Centre? It got kinda exciting."

"Kostas and Summers sold us out," Vi said, "I-"

"Hold on, love," Thera said, and he shifted his weight slightly, "I've got to do something about these injuries of yours. You just keep talking, and I'll work."

I sat there, holding Clint's hand and interjecting occasionally as Vi described our adventures at the Blip Centre. Thera listened intently, his face a picture of tender concern as he carefully attended to his fiancee's wounds. The weeping cuts went first, vanishing under a warm golden light as he drew two fingers lightly over the injuries. From there he moved onto her arm, and after staring hard into the palm of his hand he got a firm grip on either side of her elbow and twisted hard. There was a bright flash and Vi yelped in pain, but a moment later she gave it an experimental flex and smiled appreciatively. The remaining injuries were taken care of by a small cloud of little yellow specks which rolled and danced over her skin, yanking out deeply buried splinters and restoring blistered skin to its original pristine state. By the time the last one winked out there was no sign that she'd ever even been hurt.

"...and that's when everything exploded," she finished, and relaxed with a sigh, "Fun, right?"

"I have to admit, I do love the feeling of being back at square one," Thera said ruefully, "But on the bright side, it explains why Reservist Laura here isn't freaking out as much as I thought she would."

"Just because I live out in the middle of nowhere doesn't mean that I haven't experienced 'weird', I said tartly, "You know I once had the Incredible Hulk sleeping in my spare bedroom, right? He shared it with Thor."

"That must have been...nervous."

"It had its upsides," I sighed wistfully, "That image of Rogers chopping wood has kept me warm on some cold nights."

"You should've sold tickets, Laura," said Vi, "It was very selfish of you to keep that to yourself."

"I think Clint might've had something to say about that," I snorted, "But seriously, I get why Strange was so worried about you. You've seen how they're already deifying Stark, right? If you started randomly healing people in the street, you'd probably get people claiming you were the Second Coming."

"Or try to burn us at the stake," said Thera, "We've been down that road before."

"Lots of times!" added Vi, brightly, "It's basically a coin toss."

"But what about the Blip Centre?" I frowned, "How did nobody cotton on there?"

"I think I might've mentioned it before, but none of them are sick. At least not physically," said Thera, "Two thousand people and not a cold amongst 'em, and that's saying nothing about the ones who Blipped with serious illnesses. Brain cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis…? All gone. No sign."

"Really?"

"You spent five years on a tour of the upper stratosphere and your stumbling block is that someone's pancreas is working again?" Thera grinned, "Banner didn't just bring us back; he brought us back 'safe'. My best guess is that the 'Stones decided to interpret that wish as generously as possible...you know, like a genie that actually does what you bloody want."

"So they fixed us?"

"Fixed us, moved people around-"

"-dumped us in a Missouri cornfield for a laugh-" Vi piped up.

"-and generally tried to get people out of serious harm's way," he said, "I gotta say, it was a good wish."

"Miraculous, yeah," I agreed, "But how far did it go?"

"Who can say?" Thera said, and suddenly pinned me with a penetrating stare, "I guess it depends how much danger they're in."

"And maybe the 'Stones decided we needed a holiday," Vi sighed, and snuggled down a little deeper, "They're not wrong, you know."

"Hah. Maybe…" he paused, "Oh, Laura - you might know this one. Who're the 'Chitauri'?"

"You don't know who the Chitauri are?" I said, "Really?"

His brow furrowed irritably, "I asked, didn't I?"

"They invaded Manhattan! Don't you remember the Battle of New York?"

Vi coughed, "We were...probably busy that day."

"They opened a massive portal! It was in the news for months!"

"A big, swirly sky-portal?" something seemed to connect in Vi's head, "Oh, wait, I remember now! We call those CADs."

"CADs?"

"Cosmic Arsehole Dispensers," she said, "'Cause everytime one opens, whatever comes through is guaranteed to be an arsehole. Even if it's a choir of actual, literal angels."

"It was raining feathers for days," Thera said, "Yeah, those were all the rage about five years ago. Couldn't bloody move for some harebrained idiot's attempt to punch a hole through to another part of space. Could've been worse, though. Remember the time it was just a CA?"

"Goddess!" Vi shuddered, "I was in the shower for weeks. I thought I'd never be clean again."

"Bumper harvest that year, though. Great headlines too. My sister got the one of you framed."

"She would."

"That's...great," I said, "But why're you asking?"

"Because they were carrying a strange gun that gave me a real case of pins and needles, and Clint said it was called a 'Chitauri Blaster'. Fired a-"

"-purple bolt?"

"Oh, so you saw it?"

"Right before everything exploded. They were calling it the 'Contingency'."

"Good contingency," he said sourly, "It packed a flipping punch, let me tell you. The damage it did to my shields is part of the reason why our Clint here needs his lungs rebuilding."

"I think there's still bits of it in the crater," Vi said, "I wouldn't go too close if I were you."

"I think it'll be fine; it's what was powering it that concerns me," Thera gave me a serious look, "I only thought Stark knew how to compress that much power into such a small form factor."

"You think it was being powered by an Arc Reactor?"

"Or a knockoff. We've seen knockoff Mufflers, so why not knockoff reactors?"

"I don't think an Arc Reactor is something you can just 'knock off', Thera," I said dubiously, "Even if you had the plans you're dealing with something based off the Tesseract; that's an Infinity Stone! If it went sideways-"

"-you might end up blowing a huge hole in the middle of a forest?" Thera looked around, "Just a thought."

"But they'd have safeties, right?"

"The originals did, I'm sure. Did any of Stark's suits go up like this?"

"Of course not!"

"Didn't think so," he said, "Anyway, at the moment it's just a theory, but if someone really is manufacturing off-brand Stark weapons tech... then we might be in a bit more danger than I thought."

Before I could press further, he suddenly frowned and looked sharply out into the shimmering heat.

"That being said, I think we might have a more immediate problem."

"What?" Vi said, and sat up in a single smooth motion, "What's the matter?"

"Well, an enormous explosion goes off in Missouri, only a couple of miles away from the Blip Centre, and apparently bearing my signature? I guess it's ruffled a few cloaks," said Thera, and pointed, "Here comes trouble."

With fear slowly climbing in my throat, I stared hard into the wavering furnace as I tried to see what it was that had gotten Thera's attention. A moment later I spotted it; a small, swirling yellow light in the middle distance, almost invisible against the dust and smoke.

"Wait a second," said Vi, cautiously, "Is that what I think it is?"

"If you think it's Doctor Strange's alternative to public transport, then yes," Thera said, and gave her a worried look, "This is going to be... awkward."

"If it's not your fault, it's not your fault. We just have to make him see reason."

"Yeah, sure, and after that maybe we can turn our attention to solving world hunger?"

The light irised open just as it had back at the Blip Centre and Doctor Strange emerged, blinking, into the sun. He stopped suddenly, clearly stunned by the extent of the devastation, and then turned and beckoned back through the portal. Two more figures emerged, a man and a woman, and as a group they immediately started heading in our direction.

"Ah, nuts," Thera said tensely, "Three of them? This looks serious."

"Yup," Vi agreed, "'Counterthaumic suite?"

"Definitely. I'm warming it up now."

"Great. Where's my rifle? Clint had it, right?"

"Yeah. It's over there," Thera pointed to the long, matte-black weapon lying on the floor. Vi picked it up, gave it a careful once-over, and then slung it across her back.

"Better to have it and not need it..." she said, "C'mon, dear, let's go meet the good doctor."

"I should come-" I began, but Vi cut me off.

"Oh no, Laura," she said, "If this turns ugly I want you here, where it's safe."

"But-"

With a crunch of dirt, the two got to their feet and headed out into the heat. I watched them go, and then looked at my husband. What would he have done? Probably have gone out there and charmed the birds from the trees with that roguish, laid back attitude of his. Those two, though…?

"You know how this is going to end, don't you," said my little voice, "Badly."

"You don't know that," I said, as I carefully brushed back Clint's damn mohawk. Mercifully, it seemed like it was starting to grow out a bit.

"Don't I? Thera and Vi have been wary of Strange since the start, and now I'm pretty sure Strange thinks he's now caught them red handed. One false move from either side and you'll be lucky to end up with a hairstyle like Clint's."

"What do you want me to do about it? They could all squash me like a bug!"

"Yeah, but none of them want to. It's that split-second of hesitation that Vi was talking about earlier. You could do a lot in that time."

"I-"

"You'd be protecting Clint, too," the voice pressed, "Like you wanted to."

"Well...I guess I have come this far," I sighed, and kissed my husband on the forehead, "Don't go anywhere, hon. It's time for me to do something stupid."

As I scrambled out from under the little mound, I realised that the situation was worse than I'd thought. In a strange way, it felt almost like a showdown at high noon; the blistering heat, the gently sighing wind...and the way the air crackled with tension as the two groups surveyed each other from a cautiously respectful distance. With Strange was a shorter, serious-looking man of Chinese descent dressed in a plain brown smock, belted at the waist, and a woman whose face was hidden under a cowl despite the heat. Both were visibly armed with heavy-looking quarterstaves and carried about them an air of cool determination. If they were intimidated by what they'd seen they didn't show it, and despite the outdated clothes and even more outdated weaponry I was pretty sure that these were amongst the most dangerous people I'd ever met.

"What are you doing?" hissed Vi, as I caught up with the pair, "Go back to Clint!"

"I'm staying here," I said firmly, and she gave me a disbelieving stare.

"You're kidding, right? Or have we accidentally awoken an adrenaline junkie?"

"You need me."

"As what, a human shield?" her words were harsh, but I could see the worry in her eyes, "Please, Laura."

Before I could reply Strange stepped forward and fixed Thera with a penetrating stare, and I felt a sudden chill as their gazes met.

"Good afternoon, Strange," Thera said evenly, "Didn't expect to see you again so soon."

"I didn't expect to have to be back here so soon," replied Strange, "I'd thought I'd made it pretty clear that your continued presence was only welcome on the basis that that you kept your head down, exercised some self-control and stopped affecting-"

"-local weather patterns. I remember, yeah."

"Good. I was worried you might've missed the subtext of our conversation."

"Hold on," I said, "So when you were asking Thera to track down that 'entity', you were asking him to track down himself?"

"Kind of hard to blackmail me if he gives you the whole story, right?" Thera said, and gave me an apologetic look, "Bet it seems kind of obvious in hindsight."

"That storm was your fault? Do you have any idea how much mud I got coated in?"

"It wasn't deliberate!" he protested, "I was having a bloody nervous breakdown!"

"Ah, Laura," Strange said, apparently spotting me for the first time, "Yet again, you've somehow managed to end up in the centre of events. Quite a talent you have there."

"Tell me about it," growled Vi.

"And Six, of course," said the doctor, "Clint mentioned your fiancee, Thera, but I didn't realise that it was you two who were engaged. I suppose I should offer my belated congratulations."

"Six?" I said.

"It's an old callsign," Vi said, dismissively, "'Went out the window a decade ago, along with the man who coined it."

"He didn't bounce," Thera added, "You, uh, could say he reached his 'ground state'."

"So let's go with 'Viola', shall we Strange?" she pointed at his two companions, "And these guys are…?"

"Of course. Where are my manners?" Strange smiled and turned to introduce the serious- looking man, "This is Master Wong, and this is Master Minoru, of the Hong Kong Sanctum."

"Wotcha, guys," Thera held up a hand in greeting, "So now we're all caught up, what can we do for you?"

Minoru stepped forward to join Strange, and threw back her cowl as she did so. Her expression was determined, but not immediately aggressive, "We'd like to talk."

"Okay, great," said Vi curtly, "Put down the weapons, and we'll talk."

Minoru and Wong gave each other a quick look, and then as one threw their quarterstaves to the side. The wooden weapons clattered on the hard ground, but the echo was quickly swallowed up by the almost oppressive silence.

"Satisfied?"

"Blissfully."

"Very well," Minoru said, "Having met with Strange and discussed his visions, we believe that you two have enormous potential. However…"

"This has to stop," said Wong, simply, "We cannot allow further...events like this."

"Like this?" Thera said, "This wasn't our fault."

"We were attacked!" added Vi.

"It's true," I said, and Strange's gaze flicked over to me for just a second, "There were a good thirty mercenaries, Strange. Where do you think I got this bulletproof vest from?"

"So...this was a defensive measure?" he said, "It seems a bit extreme for thirty mercenaries. Even for you two."

"It wasn't an anything measure!" Vi said, "We didn't cause the explosion!"

"Oh? Perhaps it was the one-armed man, instead?" Strange smiled, "We detected a large mystical spike, matching the signature of the storm over the Blip Centre, and when we arrived here we found...this-" he gestured at the shimmering wasteland, "-and you expect us to believe they aren't related?"

"Admittedly...no," Thera smiled weakly, "It's a bit of a hard sell."

"That's what I thought," Strange gave his colleagues a triumphant smile, "Sparky? Six? I'm afraid to say that unless you can give me an exceptionally good reason why you're not to blame for this...devastation, then we would have to consider you a mystical threat. To do any less would be negligence."

"Hold on," said Vi, "The attackers brought some kind of energy weapon with them. A Chitauri energy weapon."

"I was at the Battle of New York, Six. There were a lot of Chitauri weapons there," Strange said, "And the fact that there's still a New York at all suggests that one of those weapons wasn't responsible for this destruction."

"Really? Because that weapon had an awful lot of energy tied up in it."

"It really did," Thera nodded, "I haven't taken a hit like that in years."

"And maybe the Chitauri are just better at handling their own guns. Or it could be a security measure."

"That seems...tenuous," said Strange, "And it doesn't explain why Sparky's signature was tied up in the explosion."

"Yeah, that's a mystery. Can't help you there."

"Maybe Clint could, though?" I said, "When he recovers consciousness, that is."

"Is he injured?" Strange looked suddenly concerned, "We could portal him to-"

"I have him under observation," Thera said, and looked down for just a moment, "He's fine. Just a slight wobble on blood oxygen levels."

"Well, this brings us back to why we want to talk to you," said Minoru, "As I said before, we recognise that you're talented, powerful individuals who have a great deal of potential-"

"-at least someone recognises that-" Vi muttered.

"-but you are also a chaotic, highly destabilising influence. Strange was concerned about the effect that your presence might have on Missouri and beyond, and having seen this I have no real reason to doubt him."

"This may not be your fault," added Wong, "But your enemies are clearly escalating."

"So take it up with them!" Vi retorted, "Go pay Keame a little visit and tell him to keep the noise down!"

"Do you have proof that it was him?"

"It's anecdotal, but-"

"-then there's nothing we can do. We do not meddle in worldly affairs."

"Wong is right, Six," said Strange, "Our remit is strictly limited to confronting mystical threats to the planet."

"Of course it is," she said, with a glassy smile, "And given your recent performance in that arena, I suppose we should be grateful that you're unwilling to diversify."

"So where does this leave us?" said Thera, "I'm guessing nowhere good."

"I assure you that we don't want a fight, Sparky," Minoru said, and Thera rolled his eyes, "However, we would like you to come with us while we resolve this matter. For your protection, as much as anything else."

"Wait," I said, quickly, "Hold on-"

"You think we need protection?" Vi said challengingly, and I felt the tension climb another notch.

"You were attacked today, Six. Twice," said Wong, "We also detected activity at the Blip Centre. This could happen again. What happens if it happens in a city?"

"The casualties would be... incalculable," Strange added, quite seriously, "And that's saying nothing of the fallout. Missouri really would go up in flames."

"Wait a second!" I said, "I need their help! There are children in the Blip Centres-"

"Who'd suffer horrendously if events deteriorated," Strange over smoothly, "Your intentions are very noble, Laura, but we can't risk further upset."

"So you would rather let people languish in a de facto refugee camp than rock the boat?" Thera flared, "Do you have any idea how dangerous refugee camps are for kids? Really, bloody dangerous!"

"As dangerous as a breakdown in law and order?" Strange countered, "You've gotten too emotionally involved."

"And your problem is that you're not emotionally involved enough! I'm sure it's very easy to sit in Kamar-Taj and talk serenely about 'risk management' and how we must all be patient when you don't know anyone involved, but you don't have to comfort these kids when their parents don't turn up day after day after flipping day!"

"Then might I advise you to stop acting like a first year medic and set some professional boundaries?"

"Professional boundaries?You mean like the kind of boundaries you established when you tossed 'uninteresting' cases out on the scrapheap?"

"This isn't helpful," Minoru said, and then she leaned over and whispered something in Strange's ear. The doctor frowned for a moment and then turned back to Thera.

"She's right. We aren't gaining anything from this."

"No, I suppose not," Thera conceded, "But you know I'm right."

"How about a compromise, then?" offered Strange, "If you agree to come quietly, then I promise that I will personally attend to any and all problems that you have encountered during your time here. If Keame is up to something I assure you I will use every bit of influence I can bring to bear to ensure he's stopped, and assist Laura in her goal of reuniting families broken by Thanos."

"And why would you do all that?" I said, sharply, "You pulled out all the stops to help the Bulgakovs, and now this? What's in it for you?"

There was a momentary, uncomfortable silence.

"You're right. There is another factor," Minoru admitted, "The year before the Snap, a dissident faction destroyed one of our Sanctums. It weakened the protective barrier around the Earth, and since then we've had a number of... attempted breaches."

"Some have succeeded," added Wong, "The cost of driving them back was high."

Minoru inclined her head towards her fellow Master, "Exactly. The Snap only made matters worse by halving our number, and with the Sorcerer Supreme dead as well we were driven almost to destruction. We're training replacements now, but..."

"I think I see where this is going," said Vi, "My goodness, we've been groomed more today than a prize showpony."

"Six, while you and your fiance may lack finesse, you have the raw power necessary to confront and defeat entities that could kill half a dozen Masters," Minoru went on, "With our oversight and guidance, you could give us the breathing space necessary to rebuild the London Sanctum and our numbers-"

"-while we assist Laura with her project," said Strange, "You and I both trained as medics, Sparky, but I realised that there are other ways to save lives. They might be harder, or weirder, but-"

"Okay, okay, I get it," Thera held up a hand, "And...what would we do when we're not up to our arses in angry, soul-stealing tentacles?"

"You would stay in Kamar-Taj," said Strange, "You'd be given everything you needed; equipment, entertainment…"

"But we'd be allowed out, right?" Vi said urgently, "We could leave if we wanted?"

"Not until things have cooled down, no," said Strange, "Regardless of your potential, you are still a chaotic influence. We just want to...channel that to where it can do the most good."

"So it's a cage," she said, and for the first time I heard a genuine note of fear in her voice, "You're caging us."

"Hardly, Six-"

"Okay, let's just get something straight, shall we?" she said, in a voice that was suddenly both fearful and furious, "That nickname that you're so fond of using? It was given to me when I was twelve, by a group of evil, evil bastards who took me away from everyone I loved and imprisoned me in a dark, culty training facility. To them? I wasn't a young girl, I was just number 'six' of fifty guinea pigs, and over the next six years I watched my 'classmates' get picked off one by one while they tried to channel our potential! Never again, Strange! I am never letting that happen to me again-"

She fell silent, suddenly, and Thera moved quickly to put a comforting arm around her shoulders. Our gazes met for just a moment, and in his eyes I saw a haunting mix of compassion and helplessness before he turned back to his fiancee. I took a long, deep breath, and to my surprise saw Strange doing much the same.

"I assure you...Viola. Kamar-Taj is not a 'dark, culty training facility'," he said in a soft, almost gentle voice, "You would be our guests, not our prisoners."

"A gilded cage is still a cage, Strange!" she shouted tearfully, and my heart went out to her, "I am not going to be locked away just to be used as a scarecrow for unpronounceable horrors!"

"I won't let that happen, Ell, I promise," Thera whispered soothingly, almost too quietly for me to hear. He turned back to Strange, "Sorry, mate, but...no. It'd be inhumane."

"Yeah," Strange nodded slowly, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"You didn't know. How could you have known?"

"But as you said before, where does this leave us? We can't back down, you realise. Not considering what's at stake."

"Then it was absolutely lovely knowing you," said Vi. In a flash, she'd unslung her rifle from her back and operated the bolt with a dangerous 'cla-click', "I do hope you're not counting on your magic protecting you; I basically wrote the book on counterthaumic combat."

"Hold on, Vi!" I said urgently, "Don't do anything rash-"

"I'm not!" she snarled, "I'm not going back."

"You aren't going back!" I said, "Please! Thera, tell her-"

"What options do we have left, Laura?" Thera said, "You got any good ones? I can't let them take Vi, and unless Strange is willing to leave us alone we're kind of stuck. Unless…"

He trailed off, but I felt his gaze lingering on me.

"Well, I-" I paused, "This is insane!"

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry," said Strange, and raised his arms into a threatening position. The other Masters did likewise, and a dangerous thrum filled the air, "If we can't cooperate, then you are a threat."

"Is the CTS ready, Sparky?" Vi said, "Guess we're gonna need it after all."

"This is it, Laura. I told you it was going to end badly," said the voice, "What're you going to do?"

"Ready to go," he said, "Not sure how long I can jam out these three, but if nothing else it'll be a fun surprise."

"Okay, Strange first, then Minoru. I want that cowl."

"Really? After all those complaints about my hats?"

"Your hats are terrible. That cowl is cool."

"I guess this is it, then," said Strange, and his eyes flicked briefly in my direction, "It's a pity; I had high hopes for you."
"And in your next life, I hope you learn to let sleeping dragons lie," said Vi, "Laura? Get back!"

"I-" I started.

"Now!"

"Last chance!"

"But-"

"Laura!" Vi said, her voice rising to a bark, "You'd better move-"

"STOP!"

Both sides recoiled in shock as my scream echoed across the desert sands, and for a fleeting moment I got a deep feeling of satisfaction as uncertainty flickered through the air. It wasn't going to last, though; I only had a half-second in which to act, and if I wasted it I wouldn't get another.

"I said stop!" I repeated, and before anyone could make a move I strode forward and planted myself firmly between the two groups, "This is madness!"

"Sweetie?" Vi said, a little unwisely, "When I said to move, I didn't mean into my line of fire-"

"Be quiet, Vi!" I snapped, and was amazed when she actually quailed under my gaze, "I have had enough of all of you talking over my head as if I don't exist! Sure, I might not be-" I pointed at Vi and Thera, "-whatever the hell it is you are, and I definitely don't have your-" I gave Strange and his colleagues a sharp look, "-arcane knowledge, dual degrees and amazing cheekbones, but that doesn't actually seem to matter because despite all of that all of you are missing the goddamn point!"

There was a long silence, and then Strange said, "...which is what, Laura?"

"That you're both right!" I shouted, and spun back around to face Thera and Vi, "I mean, I am so sorry for what happened, but the truth is I never knew chaos until I met you! Since then, I've had a fight with a torturer, a knife fight with a Blip Supremacist, and now Clint's hurt and I'm...-" I slapped the front of my tactical vest, and Vi winced, "-I'm wearing a bulletproof vest and standing in a landscape that looks like it's come straight from one of Coop's video games! If that damn crater started spewing aliens or radioactive scorpions I don't think I'd even bat a damn eyelid!"

Vi stared at me silently, and I felt a wrench as I saw the mixture of pain and guilt in her eyes.

"I think you mean 'radscorpion'," Strange smiled slightly, "But I'm glad that you agree with us-"

"But I don't! Which part of 'you're both right' was causing you problems, Strange?" I said, and was rewarded with a look of faint surprise, "Look; after the Blip my rage rage and denial fuelled this... self-destructive spiral. If these two hadn't come along and kicked me out of it I don't know what would have happened!"

"Well-"

"And it's not just that! Before the Blip I was just sleepwalking through life. I was happy, sure, but I was in a rut so deep I didn't even realise there was anything more out there for me! But now…"

"You're wearing a bulletproof vest and imagining being eaten by radscorpions?"

"I'm doing something! Something meaningful! Look, Clint and the kids thought I was happy, and because they loved me they didn't want to rock the boat. I thought I was happy, too, but these two just kept kicking my ass until I realised just how much I was missing out on! Do you think you could have accomplished that from Kamar-Taj? Would you even be aware it was going on?"

He gave me a flat look, "No, of course not."

"And would you have cared? Or would you rather have not 'rocked the boat'?"

"Now hold on, Laura," he said abruptly, "That's not fair-"

"Isn't it?" I said, "How am I different from one of the kids at the Blip Centre? These two might be a bit chaotic, but at least they care. They care a hell of a lot, even for people who they barely know!"

"If you'll recall, Laura, I've always thought that they meant well. I even stated that Thera had 'benign intentions' the first time I met him. That doesn't mean that we can ignore the consequences of their actions."

"'The road to hell is paved with good intentions'?"

"Indeed."

"But maybe it's not their intentions that lead there. Maybe it's yours."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You're trying to control everything, Strange. Believe me-" I smiled wryly, "-I know that need. But what if you're trying to control something that's just too big to you to handle? Your attempts to keep a lid on this situation could be what causes Missouri to go up in flames."

"'A person often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it'," said Wong. Strange gave him a sharp look, "What? I was the librarian."

"So...what are you thinking, Wong? We should let these two run amok?"

"Maybe not 'amok'," Wong inclined his head and lowered his voice, "But you know my opinion, Strange. We don't want to fight them."

"Not if it can be avoided," agreed Minoru, "I genuinely believe we can find a way to work together."

"That's the point!" I said, with some exasperation, "You need each other!"

"Hang on a tick, Laura," Thera said quickly, "Before you start pimping us out to creepy ancient organisations, can you at least consult us first?"

"Yeah," said Vi, "I'm allergic to beard wax, and that guy's a walking candle."

"You know I'm right, guys!" I said, "You've lost everything to the Blip! Your friends, your family, your support network? Strange has that!"

"Yes, but he also has an ego that eclipses entire suns," she retorted, and I heard Wong snort quietly.

"That's true," I said, and the doctor gave me an unfriendly look, "Butbeing at each other's throats isn't helping anyone! If you get turned into a frog, how are you helping Poppy or Alvin?"

"Seriously, you have to lose this frog obsession," Vi said darkly.

"Okay, Laura, let's say you're right," said Strange, "How do you propose we stop everything falling apart?"

"We don't," Thera cut in, "We can't. Not if it means turning a blind eye to Keame's victims and everyone who's suffering thanks to the Blip. We have to do right by them. All of them."

"Fīat jūstitia ruat cælum," intoned Wong.

"Hey, you'd better not be-"

"It's Latin, not magic!" Strange said quickly, "'Let justice be done, though the heavens may fall'. Do what's right, no matter the consequences. Just how many of those books did you read, Wong?"

"All of them," said Wong.

"He's right, Strange. We need to let go," said Minoru, "Isn't that what the Ancient One taught us? We can't control this. We can't control them."

"Not even the great Doctor Stephen Strange."

"Throwing her words back at me, Wong?" Strange said sourly.

"She was wiser than all of us. You should be paying attention."

"Okay," Strange turned back to me, "Can you excuse us, Laura? I need a second to think. Just...a second."

The three Masters turned away and walked a short distance out into the shimmering heat to confer. I watched them go, and slowly exhaled a breath that I hadn't even realised I'd been holding.

"You're both right…" I muttered to myself. For some reason, that seemed significant, "You need each other…"

From behind me there came a short, disbelieving laugh, and I turned to see Thera running his hand over his hat.

"Phew!" he chuckled, "That got a bit hairy, didn't it?"

"A bit hairy?" I said, "You guys were at each other's throats! If I hadn't intervened then-"

"They would've called our bluff. I have to say, Laura, you really took it down to the wire!"

"Our bluff? We were bluffing?" I paused, and then corrected myself, "You were bluffing?"

"You think we really wanted to fight three Masters?"

"But- I- Vi!" I stopped, collected myself, and tried again, "It was an act?"

"An am-dram tour de force, I'd say."

"All right, all right," Vi said irritably, "Strange gave me everything I needed to work with."

"But it...you!" I said, and then felt a sudden pulse of anger, "I felt sorry for you!"

"That's because you're a good person," said Vi, "And so is Strange, once you get past all his arrogance and puffed-up sense of self-worth. I just needed to remind him of that fact."

"Of course you did," I said, acidly, "So how much of that little display was real, Vi?"

"All of it," she said, calmly, "I'm Six, the sole survivor of a program that kidnapped fifty kids about your daughter's age and tried to turn them into supersoldiers. The rest died, either through accident, punishment, or by being murdered by the other children. It was...well, to call what happened 'inhumane' would be a colossal understatement."

"The thought of someone kidnapping Lila, and-" I stopped, "Why? Why did they do it?"

"Because Strange isn't always wrong," Thera gave his fiancee a regretful look, "Sometimes people can cause others to escalate just by existing. They got scared."

"That's not an excuse!"

"I didn't say it was!" he snapped back, "You think I want to excuse them? I'll never-"

"Sparky? It's okay," Vi said firmly, and he fell silent, "I'm over it now, Laura, but that doesn't mean that I can't dig those feelings if I need to. That display? Five years ago I really would have torn Strange's head off."

"So... you're not afraid of being locked up in Kamar-Taj?"

"It wouldn't be my first choice, but c'mon," she gestured off into the distance, "It's gotta be a step up from a collapsing warehouse. I bet they even have wiffy."

"Wiffy?" I frowned, and then my Vi-to English translator kicked in, "Oh, you mean 'WiFi'."

"That too."

"Okay. That just leaves the question of 'why'?" I said, "Perhaps you'd like to let me in on the secret?"

"Well, we knew that Strange would be back," said Thera, "Even if this hadn't happened, he would've found some reason to come visit. LIke he said, anything less would be…negligence."

"And we know his sort," Vi continued, "He wants to control things that scare him, and he's scared by things he doesn't understand. Ergo, he wants to control us. We figured that he'd probably present it to his mates as 'inviting' us into his Mystical Defence Force-"

"-registered trademark-"

"-and then whip us off to Kamar-Taj for an extended spa-type holiday, punctuated by the occasional grudge match with some bugger with a billion eyes and mouths instead of arses."

"Which we aren't against, conceptually speaking, but our contract requires that we stay in Missouri," said Thera, "And it's hard for us to fulfil it if we've got Mister Doctor Sorcerer Supreme Ph.D breathing down our necks."

"I get it," I said, "You think that they'll ditch the request for you to go to Kamar-Taj in exchange for your help?"

"Yup."

"And you're okay with fighting demons?"

"Wouldn't be the first time," he said, "And besides... this is our home, Laura. We want to keep it safe too, and sometimes that means taking a sanctified chainsaw to a fifty foot baby crying tears of flame called something like 'He Who Walks Amongst The Ashes'."

"Exactly," Vi agreed, "And speaking of big babies, how's Clint doing?"

"Hey!" I said, and she gave me a sly grin.

"He's fine," Thera said, "Still, we should get over there. 'Connection's still good, but I'd rather be close."

As one we walked back towards the shelter and its tiny scrap of shade where my husband lay, breathing steadily. Thera went on ahead, staring inquisitively at the spot just above his forearm. When he reached Clint he knelt down beside him and spent a moment checking him over before giving me a thumbs up. I smiled in relief.

"You know you've proved Strange's point, don't you?" I said quietly, "You two play way too fast and loose for your own good."

"Don't mistake playing quickly for not thinking things through," Vi said, "If we didn't, we'd be dead by now. And besides, Strange proved our point."

"Oh yeah?"

"You saw how quickly he changed tack when I broke down?" she said, "I think he thought that 'Six' was just a childish nickname, like 'Sparky'-" she gave her fiance an affectionate smile, "-but when he realised what it actually meant, he stopped on the spot. Like I said, he's a good person, but it's just difficult to care about people who are far away."

"I know what you mean," I said, "But...are you really okay now?"

"Yeah," her smile became distinctly crooked, "You know I almost forgot my real name, but I realised that if I did then they would've won. They never broke me, you know, and I take a lot of delight in knowing that everything I do now is just a big 'up yours' to their memories."

"I...suppose," I said. I didn't really understand, but I probably didn't have to, "And you got justice in the end."

"No, I got revenge. It's very different."

"You said you threw the guy who named you 'Six' out of a window!"

"Exactly. That's not justice," she hesitated, "Also, when I threw him out of that window there may have... accidentally been a woodchipper underneath it. Odd thing to find outside a chocolate factory, but there you go."

"What?" I said, and shuddered, "That's…"

"By my standards, that was pretty merciful. I got inventive in my mid twenties," she said distastefully, "I was consumed with rage, Laura. You can't imagine what it's like to have that self-righteous, white hot flame burning in you all the time. It cleanses you of everything, including your humanity. You become a monster."

"Like…"

"Like...yeah," she said, clearly catching on, "It's why I can't judge him, Laura. Out of all of us, I think I'm probably the only one who will ever truly know what he was feeling, and I have all the sympathy in the world for him. I really do. But..."

"...but?"

"But I also know how far-reaching the consequences can be. The debt always comes due, I'm afraid."

"Well…" it had to be said, I really didn't like the implications of that, "Maybe I can help him pay it off?"

"Who knows?" she said, with a faint smile, "Maybe you already are."

Without further comment, Vi sat down and snuggled up close to her fiance. Thera gave her a warm look, and leaned his head against hers before turning to me.

"Clint's looking good," he said.

"I know. But what about his injuries?" I said. Vi tittered.

"Goddess, I'm surrounded by comedians," he sighed piously, and went back to staring at his forearm, "I've released control of gas exchange back to his lungs, and the rest of his vitals look good. I just want to double check the function of his left kidney and then I'll get to work on the NRBC stuff. Give me two hours and he'll be right as rain."

"Thanks, Thera."

"Don't thank me," he said briefly, "I should be thanking Clint. This really is the least I can do."

"I guess that means I'll be having to do the school run," I laughed, "That seems like a weird thing to say right now."

"If it feels weird, that's a good sign," said Vi, and she sighed, "This 'double-life' stuff is exhausting, even if you don't have a secret identity."

"Yeah, but I'm not sure you'd be able to have it any other way," Thera said, "If you just curated all the time you'd be a twitchy adrenaline-deprived mess, but if you spent your life kicking people in the face you'd fall back into depression."

"Yeah, I know, I know," she said, "The shrink was right. How many different ways do you want me to say it?"

"None? I was just saying that you're kinda stuck living in two worlds."

"Pot. Kettle. Black," she nudged him, "Anyway, Laura, if you want any moral support...or for someone to punch Val in the face for you, just let me know. I know how to hit her so she'll wake up in ICU three weeks later convinced she's a nun."

"It's tempting…" I said, "She is quite annoying, but…"

"But what?"

"I dunno…" I said, "I was thinking something just a minute ago, and I'm sure it was important, but...it's gone."

"It'll be back."

There was a crunch of sand from behind, and a moment later a trio of shadows fell over us. Vi tensed ever so slightly, but when I caught her gaze she gave me a look that positively screamed 'just you watch', before nodding congenially at the Masters.

"What'll be back?" Strange's voice came from on high.

"Oh, just a thought I was having," I said evenly.

"You guys had a good chat?" Thera asked, without looking up.

"We've reached a decision," said Wong.

"That's amazing. What is your decision?"

"We...are prepared to allow you to remain here in Missouri," said Minoru, "And where appropriate, we are prepared to provide an element of...assistance."

"'Assistance'?" Vi asked. She was clearly trying very hard to keep a smile off her face, but the tips of her lips crinkled ever so slightly.

"Logistical. Financial, to a modest degree-"

"Oh, that's good, because it turns out we owe the Bartons a lot of money. Combat pay, injury pay...it all adds up," Vi said, "And I'm really not looking forward to explaining that to my superior."

"It'd be worse than the time with the elephant," Thera said idly, "Turns out 'it seemed like a good idea at the time' wasn't the career-making defence she thought it'd be."

"I'm sure we can accommodate some of that," Strange sighed, "And we will...work to minimise what happened here. Hopefully, we'll be able to ensure that you're left alone."

"You can do that?" I said with some surprise.

"We've been protecting this world against mystical intrusions for millenia, Laura. Undetected. Legends have sprung up around the times we've failed; dragons, elves, the Loch Ness Monster…"

"That one's real?"

"She was," said Wong, with grim finality.

"...but we won't help you directly confront Keame, understand?" said Strange, "We can't be seen to be interfering directly with world affairs."

"That's fine; you'd only cramp our style," said Vi, "And in return for your generosity, you want us to be your mystical shocktroopers? Your...oh, what was it...Ghostblasters?"

"Close enough."

"I'm sure we can accommodate some of that," she said, with a dry grin, "If nothing else, it'll give Sparky here a chance to really cut loose. He gets...antsy, otherwise."

"As I am well aware," said Strange, "So...do we have an agreement?"

"Just one more thing," Vi said, and nodded at Minoru, "I want that cowl."

"Trade you for his hat," Minoru said, with lightning quickness.

"Deal," Vi said, and in a single quick movement yanked her fiance's hat clean off his head and threw it over to Minoru. With a sudden jolt of surprise, I stared eagerly and was...slightly disappointed to see nothing more than a shock of wavy platinum blonde hair, badly tangled and matted with sweat.

"Hey!" Thera cried.

"In fact, you can have all his hats," Vi said, as Minoru tossed her cowl back the other way, "They're horrible."

"That's it?" I said, incredulously, "You're a blonde?"

"...yeah," said Thera, still clearly annoyed by Vi's theft, "What were you expecting?"

"I...don't know," I admitted, "Horns?"

"Why would I have horns?"

"I don't know! You're the one these guys have been hunting!"

"It is a bit of a let down," agreed Strange, "I thought it'd be an unnatural colour, at the very least."

There was a gentle murmur from on high. It was too quiet to catch but it sounded like Wong.

"Or maybe I just like wearing hats?" Thera said, exasperatedly, "If I'd known you were all fascinated by my hairstyle choices I'd have stopped wearing them ages ago!"

"Oh, stop complaining," said Vi, "At least now you can run your fingers through your hair when you're feeling frustrated, right? Although maybe you should run a brush through it first."

"As fascinating as all this is," said Minoru, "I'm glad that we've been able to reach a mutually beneficial position. However, I have to get back to my Sanctum; I have other matters to attend to. I'm sure Masters Strange and Wong can assist you from here on out."

"What? Oh, sure. Let me just turn off the CTS," Thera said, and prodded at something invisible, "There. You're free to go. Damn thing was giving me a headache, anyway."

Minoru gave him a sharp glance, but then turned briskly on her heel and walked off into the wasteland, waving her arm in a vaguely circular motion. A moment later there was a glow of orange flame and a low, crackling noise, and then she vanished from sight. The instant her portal snapped shut, Strange clapped his hands together and rubbed them furiously.

"Okay. I suppose that we had better get started here," he said abruptly, "Wong? Head back and wake up the cleanup crew. We'll need their help if we're going to get this under control."

"You know that they don't like being called that."

"Sorry; the Mystical Event Reinstatement Corps," he said, and gave me an amused grin, "Nothing quite like an ancient order for ridiculously overblown titles."

"Says the Sorcerer Supreme, Master of the Mystic Arts Dr. Stephen Strange, M.D. PhD."

"Okay, yes...point taken."

"And in the meantime, what will you be doing?"

"I'll hammer out the fine details of our agreement with these two. After all, now that we've finished both being right at each other-" he gave me another askance glance, "-we should probably work out where we're both being wrong at each other-"

"That's it! That's what I was thinking about," I exclaimed, "You're both right! They're both right! That's where we've been going wrong!"

"I...yes?"

"Christ! I've got it!" I scrambled to my feet, "Vi, can I borrow you again?"

"For what?" she frowned.

"I feel the need for some moral support," I said, "And I'm sure it will be...spectacular."

"Spectacular, eh? You know how much I like 'spectacular'," she said, and then gave Strange a long look, "But it all depends on whether I can trust Strange here not to abscond with my fiance."

"You say that like I can't handle him," Thera said, with a faintly hurt expression, "Or them."

"I'm doing my job, dear," said Vi, "Well, Strange?"

"I've seen the kind of destruction you're capable of," said Strange, "And I fail to see what benefit I could possibly gain from kidnapping someone I'd rather keep on the front lines."

"Good answer," said Vi, and her eyes narrowed, "Just remember that line of thought, yeah? The future of your order is depending on it."

"Duly noted," said Strange, "We'll try our very hardest not to kidnap Thera while you're away."

"Grand," Vi said, and scrambled to her feet, "So, Laura, where're we going?"

"To do the school run," I said, and she gave me a curious look, "It's about time I faced up to some unpleasant truths."