A Waken 16.10

"Tacky comes to mind," I mused offhandedly.

"He likes them because they're expensive," Theo explained. "He couldn't care less how tacky they are."

I nodded, looking over the bizarre mishmash of artworks and statues arrayed along the wall. They didn't match. They weren't even arranged in any particular way. Someone just slapped them on the wall or stood them up on the floor. Even the picture frames failed to match.

"Guess I can be happy I'm not wasting my money on expensive junk I can't even be bothered to arrange," I muttered. Glancing over the room, I shook my head. "So this is the great nest egg of the mighty Empire."

"Tell me about it."

Theo sat on one of the plush chairs in the room, tense and twitchy.

"You okay?" I asked. People need to stop asking that question. Yeah. Kind of the wrong question. "How are you doing?"

"Well enough," he mumbled. "I've been here before."

My brow rose as I crossed the den or lounge or whatever it was. "Have you?"

"Yeah. It was my grandfather's house. Um, on my mother's side. Not Allfather."

I glanced over my shoulder. "Were they—"

"Nazis? Yeah, they were. Actual Nazis by the way." Theo glanced up at the ceiling, explaining, "They joined the American Fascist Party. George Lincoln Rockwell?" I didn't know the name. "Old money. Old racists. My mom was the only one left when she died."

I made no comment about how he was still alive. Seemed like a pointless technicality. Theo wasn't going to be carrying on the family traditions. Good thing too.

"I don't remember her that way," he murmured suddenly, almost too low to hear. "I don't really remember her at all."

Tell me—My hand hovered over the phone in my pocket. "I can't remember my mother's face." Theo wouldn't think less of me for that, I told myself. "I keep a picture of her in my phone case."

Theo nodded. "Me too. Her face, I mean. When I try to remember her, it's just this"—he raised his hand and waved it over his face—"blank space with blonde hair and blue eyes." He laughed. "And I don't know what that says about me."

"That you remember your mom had blonde hair and blue eyes," I said. "Nothing else."

He nodded slowly. "I don't remember her that way. I can't think of any moment where she was like that. I know she was. She was my aunt's best friend; you know—Iron Rain? They believed in the cause. I know they did. I grew up on stories about them and their fight for the 'white' race." He said the last few words derisively. "It's just not what I..."

I watched him for a moment, and assuring myself again I said, "It's painful, loving someone and knowing you can't trust them."

Theo's lips parted and he nodded again. "Yeah."

The silence drew out and out of curiosity, I asked, "What happened to her?"

"The Teeth," he answered, "back in the 'bad old days.' That's what the Empire called them."

"I'm sorry."

"It was a long time ago."

"Yeah, but she's still your mother."

"...Yeah."

I watched him for a moment, ignoring Green as he rolled into the room from the kitchen. He could be hard to read. He'd lost a lot of weight, and fast. His capacity for boardroom politics was shocking and—

"You sure this is how you want to do this?" I asked.

"I'm sure." The answer was firm and instant.

"'Kay."

Tearing his eyes away from the void in front of him, Theo asked, "How about you? You've missed school for a week now."

"I've been turning in all my work," I explained. "Even the surprise work Sutherland keeps trying to slip by me."

"Busy?"

"Yeah." I checked the time on my phone. "Big—"

"They are here," Veda suddenly announced from Green.

I moved quickly, getting behind Theo's chair and drawing a beam saber from my pocket. I kept it hidden while adopting a relaxed stance. Before me, Theo tried to make himself appear at ease, but I could tell he wasn't.

"We can leave," I proposed. "They won't know we were"—my eyes flicked to Green—"well, they won't know it was us."

Green turned. "What, what?"

"You know what."

"I'm alright," Theo assured me.

I nodded. We'd left the lights dim like we'd found them. It was a waste of power but they were Nazis.

I heard a door open toward the front of the house. We were high in the mountains. Vermont. I had to admit, I wasn't exactly polling Vermont as a place for Nazis to lay low but that's where they were. Kaiser tried to hide the house with some legal tricks, but that doesn't work on Veda.

Voices echoed through the hall, talking about groceries like it was just another day. Fenja I thought. I checked our escape routes and Throne Eins' line of fire. Theo insisted his father wouldn't hurt him—not physically—but I wasn't taking chances.

A foot entered my view, and I snapped my head forward.

"Hello Jess," Theo called.

The woman froze, dressed in an almost scandalous miniskirt and halter top. "Theo?" Her eyes rose and saw me. I swear she instantly grew an inch.

Green popped a hand up and waved. I kept my mouth shut and my face plain. This was Theo's show, not mine... Kind of a weird experience being on the watching side of things. Veda fed the house's security cameras to my visor, so I saw when Kaiser and Menja noticed 'Jess' and moved toward the den.

"Nessie," Theo greeted. His voice hardened slightly. "Sir."

Kaiser stepped forward. He wore a pale gray suit with a dark blue tie. Fenja and Menja flanked him, both dressed for a night at the club rather than a meeting. Their eyes were on me, but Kaiser's were on Theo.

"Well," the man mused. "This should be good. Hello, Theodore. How is Kayden?"

"Better off without you, sir."

I had a sudden feeling this was going to get uglier than I'd anticipated.

Kaiser barely reacted to the insult. His eyes rose to me, and he said, "Interesting company you're keeping."

"Not particularly, sir. We go to school together. Taylor was worried about me meeting you alone."

At that, I pointed my empty hand up. Veda rotated the security camera above us. Once they'd seen that, I pointed to the tall window beside us. Throne Eins' Tau Drive ignited, spilling red from the next mountain over.

Insurance? Hell yes.

"How generous," Fenja grumbled.

"My father taught me to respect the sensitivities of women," Theo said. If I didn't know the context, I wouldn't realize what an insult that was intended as.

"Well, at least you learned something," Kaiser sneered. "Moral fiber is important."

"Something, sir."

I had a pretty damn strong suspicion that any moral fiber Theo had he gained despite his father.

Fenja and Menja continued to glare at me, their stances defensive. They were the only two of the Empire Kaiser bothered to free. There was something between the three of them. I'd initially assumed it was something sexual, but now I wasn't so sure. They didn't act like a weird threeway or anything. They acted more like close friends, despite Kaiser being at least twenty years older than the twins.

Love is love. Guess everyone had someone. Someones.

Kaiser stepped away from the twins, turning his attention to a minibar along the wall. "What brings you by, Theodore? I know a negotiation when I see one."

"I need your blackmail on Ms. Harker, sir."

Kaiser chuckled while he made himself a drink. "You've been busy."

"It's been a bit of a mess, sir."

How did he not get tired of using 'sir' as punctuation? Is that how his father told him to talk? He'd always been formal and respectful, but not this overbearingly.

"If I remember right"—Kaiser started pouring some concoction together into a glass—"Harker is the only one left out of the original board members. The rest have conveniently sold out, retired, or stepped down from their positions."

"As I said, sir. A mess."

Kaiser set the bottles down and lifted his glass. He turned, one hand in his pocket like he was just some business tycoon negotiating a new deal of the century. Fenja and Menja kind of ruined the image, but Kaiser didn't let that stop him.

"And what's in it for me?" he asked.

"Nothing, sir," Theo answered bluntly.

That surprised him. Kaiser's brow went up and he glared down his nose at Theo, as if he were disappointed. "That's not much incentive, Theodore."

"Either I get Harker off the board, sir, or I sell MedHall to Yashima."

I blinked and Kaiser stared.

"I've already spoken to Mrs. Mirai," Theo continued, "and the lawyers, sir. I have controlling shares. I could propose the sale and with the Feds circling, I think what's left of the board and the shareholders will take the deal."

I couldn't tell if he was bluffing or not, which made it a pretty damn good bluff.

"And after that, sir, I think I'll take all the money and donate it to the Holocaust Museum. In your name, sir."

The Holocaust Museum? I assumed he meant the one in Washington D.C.. Talk about poetic justice, and it would be in Kaiser's name because it was Kaiser's money. Part of me wondered if the man's ego was really that small, but maybe I shouldn't. How small did you have to be to seek power through racist shits? Pretty damn small.

"You've had your fun, Theo," Max spat while the twins watched on with shocked expressions.

"I'm not having fun, sir," Theo replied. "Watching South Park with Weld on Wednesdays. That's fun. Fridays are Jazz night." I noticed an instinctive recoiling on the Nazi's faces at the mention of Jazz. Amazing how far people will go to be white enough. "This isn't fun, sir. It's exhausting. Selling the company and being done with it would be easier."

I glanced at Theo, realizing slowly how subtly brutal this was becoming.

"I don't want your money," he continued. "Sorry, sir. I'm not like you. I'm not so comfortable around blood. I don't want to put that choice on my sister either. Better to give it all away to a good cause."

When he finally added a 'sir' at the end, it sounded more like a threat than punctuation.

The twins shifted their attention from Theo to Kaiser. I kept my saber ready, wondering if Theo had underestimated his dad. The man's face wasn't red or anything, but there was a simmering rage in his eyes. The ice kept clanging against the glass in his hand, barely audible in the silence.

Was this the total of Theo's plan? Threaten his father with some sort of humiliation? Clearly, the man's ego really was that small, but—

Kaiser turned sharply. He left the room without a word and came back not even five minutes later. He tossed a small thumb drive into the air, but it tumbled over the floor and stopped mid-way between him and Theo.

I frowned, ready to tell Green to go get it when Theo rose from the chair.

He crossed the distance to the drive, bent over, and picked it up. "Thank you, sir."

Kaiser said nothing, turning his back to Theo and returning to the minibar.

Fenja and Menja remained guarded, but one at a time, they each stepped forward to hug Theo.

"Take care of yourself, brat," Fenja said.

"Yeah," Menja mumbled. "And rub Aster's nose for me or something. Haven't seen the poop monster in ages."

"Sure," Theo replied meekly.

"And find yourself a girlfriend already." Fenja grimaced and looked at me. "Please tell me you two aren't a thing."

"We're not each other's type," Theo replied for me. Not sure if I should feel thankful he resolved that for me, or insulted that the twins were relieved. Bitches.

"Unless your evening plans include an arrest attempt," Kaiser warned, "you know the way out. I think we have some packing to do."

"Why bother?" I asked. "There's nowhere you can run that Veda can't find you."

The twin scoffed at me and I kept my gaze even and straight, unresponsive. They could always turn themselves in if it suited them. At the moment, I had bigger assholes to fry and they seemed content to keep their bellies on the ground. I'd deal with them if that ever changed.

Besides, we all knew even without saying it that part of Kaiser giving Theo what he needed was that I'd let them go this time. They could have it. There was some kind of poetic justice in the three of them running for freedom that I found appealing.

Theo turned to leave through the back door.

"By the way," I called as I followed. "Green reset all your appliances to factory settings."

"Sorry not sorry, sorry not sorry!"

"Petty bitch," Fenja grumbled.

"Nazis!" I quipped back.

I followed Theo outside and down a sort of nice garden path. The road up to the house weaved over the mountainside and the path cut down the slope. A fair amount of security surrounded the property. Motion sensors and lights, heat detectors, alarms, and a few traps intended to leave signs of passage but not harm.

None of it was a match for Veda.

I glanced at Theo and used it as an excuse to watch our backs from the corner of my eye. "Not your type, huh?"

"Uh, sorry. You're a bit much for me, I think."

I didn't find that particularly insulting. I think. "Call me vain, but I'm pretty sure I want someone taller than me."

"Really?"

Orga was taller than me. By an inch. "I guess I like some of the old-fashioned expectations of masculinity."

"Will that information be sufficient?" Veda asked from Green.

"Yeah," Theo answered. "He wouldn't keep someone like Harker around without a sure way to be rid of her."

"I'm surprised he gave it up," I said.

"He knows he can't get Medhall back. It's done."

My brow rose. "Then why give you anything?"

"I gave him what he's always wanted."

I blinked. "What?"

"He's always wanted me to be strong. He gave up on me because I wasn't." Theo pocketed the thumb drive and scowled. "I just proved him wrong."

I stared at his face and the swirl of emotion in his eyes. "How you doing?"

"Like I said." We reached the end of the drive and turned onto the road. "My father had one good lesson to teach me." He sighed and bowed his head. "And this is goodbye."

"Ah." I glanced away. Truth and honesty. Best policies. Right? Right. "I can get that."

"I know I've said it before," he mumbled, "but it's hard. Especially with Jess and Nessa. There's more to them than what they let themselves be."

I was willing to indulge that. They seemed fond of him, oddly enough. Like big sisters. "That's something they'd have to do for themselves, Theo."

"I know, and I know they probably never will." He stopped and glanced back. "They don't want to change."

That just sounded sad. I tried to humor him. "They seem like they care about you."

"My mom was like a mom to them, before she died. I think that's why my father keeps looking out for them." Theo's face grew long. "They'd probably be better off if he stopped."

"Yeah." Keeping Emma out of my mind probably wasn't possible. "I get that too."

We reached the bottom of the trail and crossed the dark road. Throne Drei and 00 emerged from the woods and knelt, opening for us. I'd door us back to Brockton Bay but I wanted to try and keep Doormaker and Claire as unknown as possible a while longer. It would be pointless soon enough. A number of people had already seen their power.

Nothing stays secret forever. I might be able to squeeze a few more surprises out of them, though.

Theo eyed Throne Drei nervously. I don't think he liked being in a very confined space he couldn't control. "You going to be at school today?"

"No," I answered.

"We are watching the trial today," Veda explained, turning Drei's head to look at Theo.

"Oh." Theo glanced at me. Naturally, he'd seen the news and probably the PHO threads. Like everyone else.

"Not in person," I clarified.

Kati was right.

It was too raw for me. I couldn't sit in that room and maintain myself, no matter how much I wanted to. My masks would collapse again.

And stressful as they may be, masks were important.

We all wore masks. They were as much ourselves as anything. Sometimes pulling them back and looking at the truth was important. Other times, all we wanted was to fit ourselves in someplace. Consciously. Unconsciously. We were who we were, and we were who we made ourselves into. We created our own places in the world one way or another.

Despite everything, I'd found my place.

And I'd been a bit of a philosopher lately.

Beside me, Theo looked Throne Drei over again. "How about—"

"Get in the suit, Theo."

"Yes, ma'am."

I climbed into 00 and took another look at the house on the mountainside. Sucked to be them.

sys.t/ as soon as they stop outside, take them

sys.v/ I figured we'd do that
sys.v/ I'm positioning Zwei and Eins

I smiled at myself.

sys.t/ not us
sys.t/ just you

Veda's response was slow.

"You're sure?" she asked over 00's com line.

"Yeah," I replied. I pulled the suit into the air and checked that Drei was following. "I was content to leave them to the side while we dealt with everything else." Oddly enough, the Nazis weren't the ones threatening the world at the moment. "But we've found them now and come out this way. Might as well wrap it up."

"And you want me to do it alone?"

I blinked, asking, "Would you like me to stay and help? I can."

Again, Veda's response was slow.

"No," she decided. "I can do it."

"I know you can."

Theo and I got back to Brockton Bay before sunrise, thanks to the long winter night. Throne Drei dropped Theo on the roof of his building, and 00 took me straight home.

The air smelled of simple eggs and bacon when I entered.

"Heh Tahlor," Lafter greeted with a mouthful of breakfast.

"Hey."

She garbled something else but I didn't understand it. Rushing herself, she chewed and swallowed. "Your Dad called me out today."

I glanced at Dad.

"She said she wanted to be supportive," he explained.

"Is there any breakfast left, or has she eaten us out already?"

Pink produced a plate promptly. I picked it up and moved to the living room. Veda was there already, watching the news. I sat beside her and settled in. The past few days of the trial had been painful and infuriating to watch but... I think I wanted to watch it. Something about facing your tormentors on your own terms I think.

Just better to do it right here rather than in person.

"Today is the last day of plaintiff testimony," Veda informed me.

I nodded and ate. In the kitchen, Lafter pulled out her phone and sent a quick text. Craning my head around to look out the front window, I saw Akihiro standing sentinel on the front porch. I hadn't asked Lafter how that was going yet.

"Why are Aston, Masahiro, and... Those two I don't know here?"

"Reporters were snooping around earlier," Veda explained. "One almost reached the house."

"And you told Orga and Orga sent extra. Right."

I had a sinking feeling I'd made things weird between us. Us? Not that there was an us. That would be silly. Yup. Yes. Silly.

"Your face is red," Veda observed. It was not. "Are you feeling unwell?"

"Just ready for a quiet rest of the day."

Part of me expected Aisha to pop out and mock me for testing Murphy, but apparently, she wasn't around.

Bright side, no mockery!

Small towns really were the only place to find the real America.

The politicians loved that line. Pleasant in a way that everyone hated politicians. No need to kill those who agreed with him!

And he did agree.

"Can I do it now, Uncle Jack?"

"Not yet poppet."

The street stretched out ahead. Townsend. Such a weird name. Weirder that they kept running into 'Townsend.' There was one in every state.

Though this one ranked pretty high on the scenery scale. Beautiful vista nestled in the rolling hills of a valley between peaks. Quaint houses set apart with only a small build-up along the main street. Petty people living tiny petty lives convinced of their own moral certainty and suspicious of everything that doesn't fit in their pews or their gun cases.

It wasn't that much different in the big city, but the people there liked to pretend so hard that they were so much different when they weren't. Also less garbage smell.

"I've been very patient," Riley pointed out.

"Yes, you have." Jacob caught the blade mid-spin and pointed the tip at the sky. "And good art takes patience!"

And patience was the virtue of choice at the moment.

Bonesaw huffed, but she knew he was right. Uncle Jack was always right. "I want to talk to Panacea." Riley had some theories about her power and was very curious if they were right. "I want to meet her! I think we'll get along great!"

"All in due time, poppet. We need to maintain our priorities. This egg will take perfect timing to crack!"

"Aunt Birdie says we need to recruit," Riley revealed. Apparently, the little bird still hadn't learned when to keep her mouth shut. She was lucky she was useful.

"We did recruit," Jacob pointed out.

"She says we need to recruit." She glanced around, then leaned up and whispered, "I don't think she likes Maymay."

Of course she didn't. Not that it mattered. The dear rabbit wasn't likely to survive the week. Shatterbird never could think ahead. She was far too blunt for that.

"I like her," Riley announced. "No one else listens to all my research!" She hummed to herself and swung her arms wide. "I wonder if Newtype wants to talk about my research."

Ah yes, 'research.' Not very artistic, but all children needed time to grow up.

"We'll find ourselves some fresh family." Spotting the numbers they wanted on a mailbox, Jacob turned on his heel and strolled up the stone path. "First we have to introduce ourselves, arrange our debut, get the whole show in order!"

"You're right Uncle Jack."

Naturally.

It's the three-act structure. One doesn't argue with the classics! Setup. Confrontation. Resolution. There's infinite variation in simplicity.

One doesn't just stroll into Brockton Bay. Little robots patrolled the skies, a big robot watched the cameras and a fortune-teller told them all where to be. Fort Knox would be easier to get in and out of, but what is a good time if it doesn't come with a challenge or two?

Never fix what wasn't broken.

Newtype could take a lesson.

Approaching the steps leading onto the porch, Jacob examined the door. Townsend Vermont wasn't very impressive but one should never underestimate people with too much money. It would be such a shame to have to clean up some dead cops and dashcam videos.

It would ruin the surprise.

Knowing Bonesaw to be a wanderer if left to her own devices too long, Jacob decided to think aloud. "Panacea isn't a bad pick." Anyone who looked that miserable all the time had some demons just begging to be let out. "Though, we are a bit at a dearth for options."

"I think Crawler wants Mouse Protector," Riley revealed.

"Really?" Jacob asked in mock surprise. She couldn't possibly hurt him and Ned could be such a masochist.

She leaned in, whispering, "We watch her cartoon every Saturday."

Moving to the left, Jacob looked into the window. "I never realized Ned could be such a nerd."

"I was surprised too but I get it! She's like a performer!"

Jacob chuckled at that. She had the most curious ideas. "Like a performance artist?"

"Yeah, that!"

"I can see that." Jacob stepped back from the door and motioned toward it. "It's always so hard to get Ned interested, but this might be an interesting opportunity!"

"Yeah. Like, Ned is so excitable and likes to roughhouse!" The backpack on Bonesaw's shoulders unfurled and the metal spider lunged at the door. "Mouse Protector likes to roughhouse too, but she doesn't take it very seriously."

"Opposites attract," Jacob mused. "He can go with Mimi. I'm sure she's very eager to see that friend of hers."

Riley's eyes went wide. "Oh yeah, she's a Ward!"

The spider shifted, projecting a series of tools from one leg that began working at the door lock.

Honestly, though.

Jacob doubted that either Mouse Protector or Labyrinth were realistic recruits. Mimi probably wouldn't even nominate the shaker. She'd simply use the excuse to go and visit. Ned would just want a fight. He'd get bored afterward, but Ned was more easily directed when bored.

And May was the opposite. When she got bored, she would start wondering. When she started wondering, she started pointing knives at backs. She'd have fulfilled her use by then, though. Shatterbird could be presumptuous, but she was right.

Panacea maybe. There was something miserable about the way that girl watched the world, and people who looked miserable on the outside were usually far more so on the inside. They were often fun to play with, though they never lasted long in the Nine.

If Jacob were to guess, Siberian would shop around. There wasn't anyone in the city who was quite her type but she'd find a playmate somewhere. A little nudge might push her toward someone who wouldn't last long but wouldn't upset the dynamic. Parian, or maybe Vista. She had a fondness for lost children.

Shatterbird would go for the obvious and boring in her vain attempts to be more clever than she was. Bakuda. It wouldn't work. Bakuda was far too volatile and low-brow. She might fill a spot for a brief bit before getting herself killed. That was someone trying far harder to be something she wasn't than anyone should. Some fun might be had there.

The spider finally got the door open and it gave a little fist pump as it drew back.

Pushing the door open, Jacob began twirling his knife again and proceeded into the foyer.

Lovely hardwood floors. Authentic cherry. Beautiful color. Kim had taste. Now, where was she?

"Who are you looking forward to nominating?" Bonesaw asked aloud. Loud enough to be heard and draw a curious ear. "Newtype?"

"Oh, that would be exciting." She'd never join, even if she broke. "But there are so many options." Not really. The city had become so dull since Newtype started 'fixing' it. She'd completely spoiled the flavor. "I think I'll shop around a bit. Explore our options!"

No one had appeared yet. Curious. She should be home. Where did a retiree go at midnight? Completing a circuit of the first floor, there was nothing out of place or the ordinary. Very curious.

"Do you think I could talk to her first?" Riley asked. "I want to talk to her about her suits and how they —"

"Patience. All in good time." Jacob started up the stairs. "Chariot is interesting."

Bonesaw's little feet followed behind him. "He is?"

"Oh yes. So timid, yet"—Jacob thought back to all the broken bones and brutal violence the boy had unleashed not that long ago—"so excitable. It's such an interesting juxtaposition, don't you think, poppet?"

There was a pause, naturally. "If you say so Uncle Jack."

Jacob sighed and went down the hall at the top of the steps. Bonesaw was still a work in progress. True art does take patience.

How to explain it to her.

"It's like architecture," Jacob proposed. "It's all about the keystones, the ones that kept the entire arch from tumbling down. The weak points."

And the heroes called him chaotic. Some people just can't figure it out. What some called chaos was just the ugly truth. Everything falls, and Jacob had a feeling Newtype had a very long way to fall. One merely needed to hit her keystones just right.

Reaching the top of the stairs, Jacob strolled along. Either Kim was a very heavy sleeper, or she wasn't here.

The bedroom was empty, though someone had slept in it at some point. Turning, Jacob focused on the open door. It led out to the balcony over the porch. Had she slipped out?

No. That wasn't it.

Jacob raised his brow, leaned forward, and tapped his chin. "Curious."

"Oh." Riley tapped her foot. "Um, maybe I should have mentioned." She pointed both hands over her shoulder. "Mr. Spider says the front door was unlocked when we got here."

It was. "Very curious." He'd instruct Riley on promptly saying important details later.

Bonesaw rose on her toes and hummed. "Maybe they forgot to lock up, Uncle Jack."

"That's just bad home security."

Suddenly, a knock echoed through the quaint colonial.

Jacob and Riley turned, looking back the way they came.

A small smile overcame Jacob's features. "Very curious, indeed."

"That this is the opposite of what was supposed to happen?" Riley asked.

"No." Someone wants to play. "Although, now that you mention it, yes."

Walking down the stairs, Jacob came to a stop at the front door.

The knocks came again. Jacob decided to wait, wondering if he could puzzle it out before opening the door for dramatic effect. Sweet Kim was gone and in the middle of the night. Forewarned or ferried away by someone who knew more than anyone should.

Yes.

Yes, that was it.

Which meant—

At the start of the third knock, Jacob pulled the door back. The hand didn't knock air. It had already fallen at its owner's side. The little party-pooping heroine dressed up in all her finery.

In the distance, an explosion ripped through the night sky, spitting colorful smoke and fire in an upward column.

"Was that the hideout?" Riley asked.

"I believe it was," Jacob answered.

Shatterbird flew free of the cloud and drifted, just in time for the sound of a very big gun to ignite and knock her back.

Before them, Forecast asked, "May we come in?"

White hung from her shoulder, dangling a tall thermos.

"We brought tea."