"Due to the current disorder afflicting the Bay, students may not congregate in front of the school during and after classes. Buses will be diverted to the rear athletic field to pick up. In addition, all off campus lunch permits are suspended until further notice. The principal took a deep breath. "Students who walk or take public transport to school will continue to do so, however, your teachers will inform you as to best safety practices…"

The assembly continued, and Jim tried to get smaller in his seat. There were a lot of glares directed his way.

Evidently, "the guy who took down Lung" was a good thing until it led to off-campus lunches getting banned.

"Don't worry," Claire murmured. "Vicky and I are getting looks at college as well. They closed the student center early, and now you just leave campus after night classes."

Jim frowned at that. He'd thought about going with Claire to her night classes on Tuesday and Thursday (Introduction to Parahuman Affairs and Dramatic Studies). Just in case.

She'd given him a look and then ostentatiously asked Vicky if they needed a strong man to keep them safe from any creepers hiding in the bush.

But right now, the Brockton Games were in full swing. Claire had a minor shiner on one eye, from where an exploding trashcan had hit her, some small-time villain out of Wisconsin. Then they'd all been pulled back, because there was a sighting of the Butcher.

Not because of the E88 forces in the fight—they also fled the scene. No, it was because of all the small timers trying to make big, who might be stupid or insane enough to set up a situation where they, or someone else, killed the Butcher.

Jim, Claire, and the rest of the Wards had already sat through the "So someone died and now you're hearing voices in your head" lecture. It mostly amounted to "get to the PRT so they can lock you up and you can give your final goodbyes to your loved ones, before we seal you in an inescapable pod."

Oh, and assurances that full death benefits would be paid out.

But now, it was time for lunch, and there were many more glares at Jim as people stared at their cafeteria food.

"Ann!" Claire said, shooting up. Jim looked over, to see their friend approaching.

Ann looked… Terrible.

"Have you been eating?" Vicky asked. Dean was staring at the Asian, concern on his face.

"Sort of, maybe… I had some food this morning." Ann shook her head. "Kim's been having nightmares, and she ends up in my bed every night, but she still screams, especially if I'm—if I'm gone."

"Gone?"

"I have to take walks," Ann said. "I can't—I mean, I know it's not the container unit, but I wake up at night…" She closed her eyes. "I take walks."

"You haven't been over for homework or movie nights," Claire said. "If you want, I could just portal you."

"I don't know," Ann said. "Mom's really scared to let any of us out of her sight, I mean, she maxed out the credit card to get another apartment, and now…" the girl sighed. "Kenji's still in pretrial, but even with him talking to people, he's probably going to do some time. But out here…"

"ABB people in prison," Vicky said.

"Yeah. So his lawyer…" Ann sighed. "And that's another thing, he's sort of expensive. But anyway, he's moving to have Kenji serve any sentence on the West Coast in California. Mom's thinking of selling the shop and moving, so we can be close to him, but it's hard to sell when your main claim to fame is 'the Teeth just moved in next door'."

"Ann," Jim said. "I'm so—"

"Don't be sorry!" Ann snapped. "It wasn't your fault. It was just Kenji being an idiot and then having an attack of smarts and Lung… being Lung."

"Well, I—" Vicky broke off as a familiar figure walked into the lunchroom. "Ames! I thought you were going to stay home and talk to Mom."

"I wrote her a letter," Amy said. "I got a little scared."

"About what?" Vicky asked. She took Amy into a gentle headlock. "C'mon, you can tell us. You were talking to Aunt Sara on Friday. Did Mom find your cache of dirty magazines?"

"What? No!"

"The secret boyfriend you've been keeping?"

"I—no!"

"Amy, Vicky's just kidding," Dean said.

"Yeah, you know."

"I… My Dad's the Marquis." Amy said, then her hands flew to her mouth. "Oh God, I did not intend to say it that way."

"Um… So?" Jim asked. Marquis… he was some kind of crook…

"So? So?" Ann's eyes were wide. "Marquis, he was like the guy nobody crossed. I heard stories about him… He's in the Birdcage…"

"Wait," Vicky said, confused. "Mom and Dad never said this."

"No. And I had to get the story out of Aunt Sarah." Amy stared at her meal, then looked up at Claire. "Let me fix that."

Claire blinked and nodded. Amy put her hand up to her cheek and moments later, the bruise faded. Then she turned to Ann. "You. Now."

"I don't want to trouble you, I mean, after Kenji," Ann said, an edge to her voice.

"Kenji was an idiot," Amy snapped. "But… yeah, I was being a bitch when I mouthed off after I healed him. But now, you."

Ann paused and held out her hand. Amy stared at it, touched it, then looked up at her. "Go get more food. Now. Jesus, you've been filling your stomach with crap, no wonder you look bad." She stared at her. "You've…" Her eyes widened, then she nodded. "More food. Meat, vegetables, now."

Ann stared at her, eyes wide, then got up and headed to the front of the cafeteria.

"Ames, what the…"

"I left a letter for Carol," Amy said, as she dug into her food. "I didn't want to be alone with her and dad when they found out what I'd learned."

"What did you learn?" Vicky said, and now she looked concerned. "Ames, it's okay, you're my sister."

"You know how they beat the Marquis? They beat him because they attacked him in my bedroom. He was defending me and that's how the Brigade won. I bet that would put what happened to Fleur in a different light." She took a deep breath. "And then, they decided to raise me because of what might happen."

A few kids were watching them. Jim glanced around at them. "Maybe…" he paused. "Maybe we should go outside for this?"

"What? No. Fuck that!" Amy actually scrambled up onto the table. She looked at the students, including Ann who was staring at her in disbelief, a platter of food in her hands. "HEY EVERYONE! I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT! MY REAL NAME IS NOT AMY DALLON. MY BIRTH NAME IS AMELIA CLAIRE LAVERE AND MY FATHER IS THE MARQUIS, CURRENT RESIDENCE, CELL BLOCK W OF THE BIRDCAGE!"

"AMY DALLON!"

Jim looked around, and saw her mother standing in the entryway to the lunchroom, eyes snapping with fury.

Not just her eyes, either, her power was flickering around her.

Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck… One thing Jim and Claire had learned on the long trip to New Jersey, was if you thought Gunmar was bad, you'd never tried to break up a Trollish family quarrel.

"Maybe we should go to the office," Gallant said, glancing between Carol and Amy.

"Oh no, Carol's here," Amy said. "Why don't we talk about it here!"

"I've spoken to your Aunt and Uncle and they had no right to break that confidence," Carol said.

"What, you mean, who I was?" Amy asked. "He was my father."

"He was a murderer and a criminal!"

Oh God, Jim thought. Can this get any…aaaaannnddd there are all the cell phone cameras. Five minutes after they were out of school and beyond the Faraday cage, PHO would see this.

"I really think this should go somewhere else," Dean said.

"That's none of your business!" Amy snapped.

"Hey! Ames, Dean is just trying to help!" Vicky said, and now Jim could feel her aura.

Which was bad. Contrary to stories on PHO, it usually wasn't that noticeable, not unless she was really upset or happy…

Jim saw Claire, her hand on her cell phone, hitting the red button that had something to do with Armsmaster magic, and didn't care about Faraday cages. So was Dean, and he was looking desperately worried as he stared at Amy.

"It was that Merlin wasn't it. Neil and Sarah told me, when I called them, about this. He's been making you stop healing, and turning you against the family."

"Merlin didn't do anything of the sort! He told me what I needed to hear, and that's not spending my life being afraid!" She stared at Carol. "I'm not just a healer, I can do so much more!"

"And this is why I took you in, because that was just what the Marquis did! Can't you hear it? Merlin's mastering you!"

"What?" Jim got between them. "Look, no, Merlin's an asshole, but he's not a master. Trust me, that would be beneath him. But we need to calm down, and—"

"Out of my way!" Carol said. "She's leaving with me."

"Bullshit!" There was Amy, helping the situation.

For once, Vicky didn't look like Hurricane Victory, staring from Carol to Amy, making little fluttering gestures with her hands. "Mom, Sis…"

"Last warning, get out of my way!" Carol said.

"You're not taking your daughter anywhere but the principal's office. Not right now, not in the mood you—" Jim said.

BAM! The sound came with a blinding flash of light and sudden blow.

Jim went flying across the room, landing on the salad bar, with the sound of shattering glass and screams as Jessica Wilson dodged out of his way, her tray going one way, and her going the other. He hadn't even had a chance to call his armor, not that he'd expected to need it against Vicky's mom!

High heels, not good for dodging, Jim thought, staring at the girl he'd almost squashed. He shook his head. Carol was glaring at him, energy flaring from a hammer to a sword.

"Mom, stop it!" Vicky shrieked and was moving to get between Carol and Jim, while Claire was standing, the chair flying back and purple light rising around her form. She had a murderous expression on her face and things were going—

There was a rush of air.

"EVERYBODY STAND THE FUCK DOWN, NOW!"

Everyone froze, staring at the newest figure in the room. A very, very, angry Velocity.

You know, I didn't expect I'd be talking to Director Piggot today, Jim thought. But he probably was going to be doing that now.

And with that, a mass of coleslaw dripped off the upper rack and landed on his face.

Just a perfect ending to the day.