To Cesar848: Considering that the story began with Bri getting assaulted and nearly raped, I didn't think that ending the story with a kiss would be appropriate. Though there may be some romance in their future stories/adventures – as it stands, the Heroes of the UK are going to play a major role in the next Event, featuring heavily in two different stories.

To yellow 14: Thanks!

To Lyger 0: That made me laugh! Though I'm not actually familiar with "Flower Power."

To Butterfly: After all of that, a couple of positive chapters to show the new status quo seemed to be in order!

To StarDaPanda225: Technically, none of them are really members of the HOP since they're in London; they're the Heroes of the UK. But that makes them part of the "Heroes of Europe." And Bri as Felix's "plus one" for the wedding is actually something I've been thinking about – maybe even telling it from their POV. Or Emilie's. I'm not sure yet how I'll handle the wedding.


"So be honest: what do you think of this 'more teammates' thing?" It was Halloween night, and Bri had begged out of the flat's party a little early to meet Felix for patrol. Now they were tracing lazy circles around the city, looking for any late-night revellers who might let their Halloween celebration get out of hand – quite the change from all their previous patrols together, when they had been laser-focused on the hunt for the Ripper. The cloud cover was a little higher tonight than it had been for weeks, giving Iron Maiden plenty of altitude to work with, though the clouds and smog still obscured the stars and moon from sight.

"What do you mean?" the Hound asked. Through the communicator she could hear his grunt of exertion, the whipping of his leash through the air as he swung from one building to the next.

"I'm just curious." Iron Maiden put on a burst of speed and flew up to hover above the obelisk in Trafalgar Square, her jetpack holding her suspended in midair as she turned slowly to observe the whole city. It had been on the Square's steps, a little over two months earlier, when she and the Hound had agreed to team up to protect London. She smiled, watching the people wandering around below her. Pinpricks of light showed where the trick-or-treaters were still out going door-to-door. Others were making their way out to the bars and clubs – far more than there had been a week ago. "Considering that Anne's my best friend, I couldn't be happier that she's with us, but you don't know her as well as I do."

The Hound hummed thoughtfully. She could pick him out as a darker shape moving across the rooftops on the east side of the city. "That is true," he admitted. "I am glad to have her on our side, of course," he quickly added, "but her powers are new."

"You weren't that accustomed to your powers when we first met," she pointed out. "Which was my first time out, too, by the way."

"Fair," he agreed. "But I had some training from the Heroes of Paris to fall back on. Anne hasn't had anything like that."

"Are you suggesting we let them train her?" Movement along the river on White Lion Hill drew her attention. Iron Maiden cut out her jetpack and dropped almost to the ground before activating it again and rocketing straight toward the Thames, skimming along just above the traffic.

"I'm sure they would be happy to assist," Amelie noted over their communicators. "Emilie has said they are trying to be as supportive of their 'allies' as they can be."

"Perhaps," the Hound acknowledged. "But I think it's something we should do for ourselves. After all, this is supposed to be our team. And we need to be able to work together."

Iron Maiden hummed in contemplation as she landed on the sidewalk between three children who were fighting over a bag of candy. "Now what seems to be the problem here?" she asked.

The oldest, a boy in a wizard hat, stared at her in surprise but pointed at the girl with fairy wings and said, "She took my candy!"

"Nuh uh!" the fairy retorted, sticking out her tongue at him.

"You did take his Twix," the other boy replied, this one wearing a blue hat with ox horns and carrying a cattle prod.

"Is that really cause for fighting?" asked Iron Maiden, folding her arms and arching an eyebrow at them from behind her helmet.

"Um…"

She rolled her eyes and reached into a pouch on her leg. "Tell you what, I have a bunch of candy here. How about if I give you each a few pieces of candy and you call it good? Okay?"

The wizard nodded, wide-eyed, and she dropped a handful of candy into his hands.

The fairy beamed up at her. "Thank you…"

"'Iron Maiden'," she told them.

"Thank you, Iron Maiden," the three children recited.

She grinned and shot back into the air. "Now you kids stay safe and have a Happy Halloween!" she called, rocketing back around to continue her circuit. By now the Hound had reached the Thames and was making his way back along the river. "I don't think I'll have any trouble working with my best friend," she noted. "The last time we really had an argument was our second month living together, when we couldn't decide what to watch on the telly. But maybe it would be good for the two of you to patrol together more."

"So how about if we split our time," he suggested. "We can each take her out a couple times a week, and then we'll go out together a couple nights."

She snorted. "You think we're going to be 'going out,' Pup?" she asked wryly.

She could almost hear him rolling his eyes. "You know what I mean, cher."

She hummed quietly. Would that be such a terrible idea? Every time she had thought about it before this week, she had instantly dismissed it as absurd. But now? "Patrolling together and having a few days off every week would be nice," she finally told him.

"No matter what you decide, I'll be here to help you," Amelie announced. "I am excited to meet your flatmate, sweetie!"

"Thanks, Amelie," Iron Maiden replied. She had just about reached the end of London's city limits, so she turned to head south. "I'm… I'm glad I can count on you."

"And of course you are always welcome to come by for tea," continued Amelie.

"I may take you up on that!" agreed Iron Maiden. "Tomorrow afternoon?"

"I will see you then!"

Iron Maiden smiled as she continued her patrol circuit. Even after everything that had happened, she had her friends. She still had yet to tell her mother about the attack, though she had called to talk to her that afternoon before the Halloween party began. But despite not feeling safe talking about everything with her own mother, she had someone who could listen to her. A glance at her HUD showed it to be nearly two in the morning; her battery only had enough power left to return to her workshop. The streets below were largely empty as the trick-or-treaters had retired hours ago and even the bar crowds had started to disperse. "Ready to call it a night, Pup?"

"Ready whenever you are," he agreed.

Turning back toward her workshop, she saw the Hound jogging along the street below her in the same direction. With a smirk, she dropped down until she was skimming along only a bit more than a meter above Southward Street. His miraculous ears perked up, his head started to turn, and he let out a surprised yelp as she scooped him up in her arms. "Just call me the dogcatcher!" she teased, and he immediately went still.

"You know, normally I'm the one picking up the girl, not the other way around," he observed, grinning.

She rolled her eyes. "Really?" she deadpanned. "You've managed to pick up a girl?"

"It can happen!" he insisted.

"No, I believe you," she replied. She giggled. "I can't help other girls' low standards!"

"Yowch," he grumbled. "How re-pug-nant!"

Moments later she landed in front of the workshop doors, which opened automatically, and strode inside, the Hound beside her. At a command the doors shut and her suit back unsealed and opened. By the time she has slipped out of the suit, Felix had already detransformed, and Barkk was sitting on the workbench in front of a bag of beef jerky. Immediately Bri started examining her suit for signs of wear. The weather tonight hadn't been too bad, though there was still a thin layer of condensation clinging to the metal.

Felix grabbed a clean rag off of the workbench. "How can I help?"

She gave him a look of surprise. "Well, if you don't mind, could you start by wiping off my back?"

Felix nodded and moved around her to stop behind the suit. Bri knelt to check her legs, and tensed when she felt a cloth rubbing across her shoulder blades. She glanced up at Felix, who smirked.

"You said to wipe your back?" he pointed out cheekily, raising an eyebrow at her.

She rolled her eyes. "You knew what I meant."

He stepped back and started running the cloth along the back of the suit, wiping away the water that had collected on the cold metal. "Still, the offer stands," he told her.

They worked quietly for a few minutes, Felix wiping the suit off while Bri ran a diagnostic check and cleaned out the exhaust vents on her jetpack. Once she finished her snack, Barkk flitted around the workshop, picking up the pieces of scrap metal that had accumulated on the floor over the past week, some of which were larger than the Kwami herself. After he had finished drying the suit, Felix found another cloth and applied a layer of oil to the joints. Finally satisfied, Bri straightened up and nodded as Barkk alit on her head, curling up in her hair. "Thanks," she told them, smiling. "That went so much faster with help. See you tomorrow?"

"Actually…" Felix began, turning away and running a hand through his hair awkwardly, "I was thinking I'd walk you back? I mean, the last time I didn't…"

She tensed. A wild mane of windblown hair swam through her mind. She clenched her eyes shut and forced herself to breathe. But she could smell his breath! Suddenly a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders gently.

"Mon Fer?" Her eyes shot open to find Felix looking at her with a worried expression on his face. "Are you okay?"

She nodded curtly and leaned the slightest bit into his shoulder. He immediately put one of his arms around her in a loose embrace. "That… that would be nice," she finally agreed.

Quietly they walked along the well-worn path down the alley from her workshop to the Strand. Bri shrugged Felix's arm off her shoulder and instead took his hand, clinging to it as a lifeline against the thoughts that threatened to return when they walked past the spot where she had almost died. Yes, she had almost died her, but she had survived. She had stopped the man who had tried to kill her. And she'd had help from her friend and partner, the guy standing next to her, who'd been there during some of the darkest nights of her life in the last week. She squeezed his hand, and he smiled at her before squeezing back.

"So how are you really, mon Fer?" he asked as they turned onto the Strand. "You don't have to hide."

She sighed, her lips turning down into a frown. So much had happened. So much could have happened that hadn't. "I'm not all the way there," she admitted, "but I think I'm okay. At least for now."

He nodded. "If you ever need anything – anything at all – I'm here," he promised. "With the portals, you can stop in my room any time you want."

She smirked and raised an eyebrow at him. "What? No comment about making sure none of your other girlfriends see me?"

"The only other girl who's ever in my room is Barkk, and she doesn't mind." They stopped on the building's steps. He took both her hands in his, and his face took on a serious expression. "I mean it: any time you need me, I'm here for you. Any time you call, I'll answer."

Looking into his eyes, Bri smiled. She leaned forward and threw her arms around him in a quick hug. As he wrapped his own arms around her, she sighed and whispered, "Thanks, Pup."


AN: That's the end of "The Darkest Nights"! Tomorrow will be a "Life and Times" one-shot, followed by an "SLD Case Report" and another "Life and Times" one-shot (that one with Bri and Felix). The next story will be "Group Therapy," where Bri and Anne will both be appearing (for obvious reasons).