It was a nice bright Saturday, the day when Missy was finally going to go on her first ever patrol. Her first ever outing as a Hero. What she had spent the last week preparing herself for. It was exciting and there was an occasional skip in her step as she made her way to the boardwalk. She wasn't going to patrol alone of course. That would be dumb. Thankfully there was a group both ready and willing to have her tag along with one of their regular patrols.

"I'm here!" Missy shouted as she finally arrived at the meeting point. She had come early, by fifteen minutes in fact, but she had still been the last one to arrive.

Several members of New Wave, Brandish, Lady Photon, and Laserdream all turned to greet her.

"Are you ready for your first patrol?" Lady Photon asked.

"Yep!" Missy nodded eagerly as she presented herself.

A dark colored t-shirt with a nice button-down jacket on top. Paired with that was a pair of nice tough pants, despite insistence from Minako who had always been quite determined to get her into a skirt that wasn't part of her school uniform, finished with sensible combat boots and thin but tough gloves. On top of it all were her weapons and Evoker, ready to be drawn at a moment's notice.

It was not her official Hero costume, far from it, but it was the best they could prepare for her on short notice. Apparently, Shinji was trying to find someone that could custom make gear for her size but so far he hadn't been having much luck finding the right person for the job.

"You're… certainly armed," Lady Photon commented.

"Are those real?" Laserdream asked, gesturing towards Missy's blades.

Missy nodded and put her hand on the hilt of her katana. "Yep. For self-defense. I know they're dangerous and I could really hurt people with them. So I need to make sure to only use them when I have to."

"It might not be good for optics to carry around lethal weaponry," Brandish commented.

"I mean Miss Militia uses guns, Dauntless has a lance, and Armsmaster has his halberd. What's the difference?"

"The difference is that they're more experienced than you are."

Brandish's attempt to remain tactful failed against Missy's deadpan stare. "If you want to say that I'm just a kid then say it, but I'm not going to compromise on this. I give these up." She gestured to her holster. "Then suddenly people start thinking I shouldn't use my Evoker."

"They already think that."

"Yea but they won't succeed in taking it away as long as I draw the line here. What about this? If I prove that I can't be trusted with my swords, then you take them away from me, but until then let me prove myself."

What Missy was saying was reasonable even for an eleven-year-old. She could understand the desire not to give kids her age weapons, she shuddered thinking about the dumb things her classmates would do with a sharp katana or a fake gun, but she wasn't a normal kid anymore. She was a Hero and she should at least be given some trust.

"I guess I can give you a chance," Laserdream was the first to speak while the other two remained silent. The members of New Wave present didn't look entirely convinced despite Missy's words, but thankfully they were willing to move on.

"Alright then. So what's with the armband?" Laserdream asked, changing the subject. "Seas?"

"Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad!" Missy chirped and saluted them like she had seen soldiers do on tv. Back straight, elbow out, and hand against the head. Best to look professional after all. "Or SEES for short!"

Laserdream smile might've grown wider and even Brandish smirked a little. Clearly they appreciated the effort that Missy was putting in at being a proper hero.

"Is that the name of your new hero team?" Laserdream asked.

"Yep! Sounds cool right?"

"I like the acronym but should execution really be one the words?" Lady Photon asked.

"Of course!" Missy replied. "Cause we're executing- oh uh… crime?"

Missy put a hand to her mouth in thought. Yea Execution probably wasn't the right word when carrying around a pair of lethal blades. "Special Extracurricular Patrol- no not SEPS- uh… oh! Special Extracurricular ExxxxxtraaaaA? No?" She looked up and then shook her head. "No… Extreme?"

"Maybe you can think of a name after we've patrolled?" Brandish suggested.

"Sure," Missy agreed. "I'm still keeping the armband though."

"Speaking of names, have you decided on your Cape Name?"

"I just thought Missy would be fine. Since you know I'm already an Open Cape." She had also been too busy to think about that much even if it was apparently very important.

"We're Open Capes but we still have Hero Names," Laserdream explained. "It helps to differentiate between us the Heroes and us the people just trying to get groceries on a Saturday."

Oh… that made sense. Missy had spent so much of the last week away from the public that she had forgotten that would be an issue from now on. School wasn't going to be fun either when she had to get back. But what sort of name would work for her? "I think… I'll just stick with Missy for now. Until I can think of a good name."

"Don't take too long. The names that the PHO or the PRT pick up can really suck sometimes and then it's hard to get people to forget them. You don't want to be another Chubster."

Missy shuddered. No she did not. The last thing she needed was to give the kids at her school anything that they could tease her with.

Eleven-year-olds can be quite merciless.

Walking along the boardwalk with Brandish while Lady Photon and Laserdream flew overhead was fun… Okay it was boring as all hell, but Missy did her best not to voice that or let it show.

"Disappointed?" Brandish asked.

Okay so maybe she wasn't putting that much effort at hiding her boredom. At least she didn't say it out loud. "Is this what usually happens during patrols?"

Brandish nodded. "Yes. It's less likely than not that we'll run into any crime in this area."

"Then… why are we patrolling here… and now?" It was the middle of the afternoon on a weekend. Didn't seem like much chance of anything happening while in the middle of the Boardwalk.

"Deterrence. Crime isn't likely to happen because we're around. And we choose this time of day because these hours are the most important to the city."

"After work, weekend shopping, and all that," Laserdream explained over their coms… which apparently Missy had left open. Oops. "If people are too afraid to go out then the local economy crashes."

"Not to say that there isn't merit to late night or irregular patrols," Brandish continued. "Especially since it is a period that criminals are aware that they can most likely get away with their activities, but Heroes are limited in numbers and the time that each of us has. We have to ration our time, be as efficient as possible, and sometimes just hope for the best."

Missy grimaced. "That seems kinda-"

"It sucks but we have to make do with it," Laserdream replied. "Especially because we all have lives and stuff outside of being Heroes. We can't be trying to save the world all the time."

"I guess."

"Don't you have to go back to school?" Brandish asked.

"Yea this Monday," Missy admitted. The school had given her a few weeks because of her encounter with Hookwolf and that time off was coming to its end.

It's just… she had spent the entirety of last week preparing herself to be a Hero. It seemed weird to just go back to regular life once she was done for the day. Also she wasn't really sure how her classmates and teachers would react once she came back to school. It was probably going to be a big deal and a huge mess. It was already weird having all these people nearby pointing, staring, and whispering about her.

Just as she was thinking about that, a dark skin teen suddenly approached her, "Hey you're that kid that beat up Hookwolf right?"

"Uh…" Missy shifted nervously. After a week of training with Shinji she had conditioned herself not to let people get that close so easily without her Persona around, so to have someone just step into the space where she would be vulnerable to attack didn't make her feel comfortable. "Yea?"

Does hitting him in the gut once really count as beating Hookwolf up? Theia wasn't even that physically imposing or tough compared to other Personas, or even Capes, so he had probably just shrugged it off. She was going to need a lot more firepower if she was going to properly take him down.

"Cool. Could I take a pic with you?"

Missy blinked, processing the request before turning to Brandish. She seemed to be staring at the teen disapprovingly but otherwise left the decision to Missy. "It's up to you."

"… Sure," Missy replied.

The teen moved quickly standing right next to her and holding his phone above the two of them. Missy did her best to smile brightly as the teen took a pic, nodded, thanked her, and then walked away.

"That was… interesting."

"It can be annoying," Brandish replied. "But knowing how to play the crowd is an important part of being a Hero. As much as I disagree with how focused the PRT is on PR, there is a point to it. We protect the public and are examples to those that watch us so that they can be better."

"And here I thought I'd be avoiding that by not joining the Wards."

"We all must deal with PR. Just as independents we're not forced to nearly as much as they are and can do so out of free will. You did decent enough for your first time interacting with the public but show less hesitation and be more decisive with your speech. Your youth is both a blessing and a curse, the public will give you more concessions on any minor mistakes you make but likewise will just as easily write off your successes. You'll have to work twice as hard so that the public see you as a Hero and not as a child playing dress up."

Missy winced. Brandish was blunt, but it was something that Missy needed to hear. And better blunt honesty then the go around her parents did with her anytime they weren't fighting with each other.

Pushed by the more experienced Hero's words, Missy forced herself to start interacting with the crowd a little. Take some pictures, sign autographs, even stayed professional for a group of old ladies that cooed over her a bit too much. Seriously, the only people that she was fine with letting rub her head were Minako and Shinji! And was the cheek pulling necessary!?

"Maybe don't give them that much permission," Brandish suggested.

"It's kinda hard not to say no to a bunch of old ladies," Missy moaned now that she was free from their grasps. "Didn't want to be a jerk."

"You do have to be more careful around older people and children. Expect your clothes to get messed up with either. But good job," Brandish gave her some rare praise. "Kind yet professional enough. Certainly better than Victoria on her first patrol."

"Glory Girl? Will we be meeting up with her?" Missy asked.

"Victoria… can be a force of nature," Brandish replied bluntly. "A bit too much for you on your first patrol and I don't want you to get any bad habits from. You will meet her soon, but for now I believe she's on a date with her boyfriend."

"Oh. Dean right?" She remembered the boy's name being posted all over PHO when he and Glory Girl had just started dating. The topic then gained traction again when they broke up… and then again when they got back together. Needless to say PHO got a lot of entertainment from their relationship. "Can't be easy dating a Cape."

"It'll be an issue you'll have to deal with in the future. Far into the future I hope."

Missy's face scrunched. "Bleh really don't have time to think about that right now. Besides, are boys and dating really that good? The girls in my school keep talking about it."

Brandish paused, her mouth open, before she shook her head and walked ahead. "You'll… change your mind when you're older."

"That's what all the adults say," Missy whined as she chased after the woman. "And it doesn't answer anything!"

Minako, Shinji, and Brandish had all made sure that Missy was aware that Protectorate would approach her eventually. In a public setting like the Boardwalk, she was begging for them to come, which was the plan. If she was going to be Hero she needed to be able to present herself properly to the biggest group of Heroes in Brockton Bay.

Still despite all her preparation the reality of it all was just so unnerving. How couldn't your heart race facing some of the people you've idolized for years as a little girl?

That wouldn't stop her though. Missy stood straight and confident as she was approached by one of the most well-known duos in the Bay.

"Yo," Assault waved to Missy. "Heard you've been doing good work around here."

"It's nice to meet you Assault. Battery." Missy greeted and bowed her head to each of them as Minako had suggested when addressing her elders. "I look forward to working with you two."

"… Did your… friend teach you that?"

"Minako?" Missy asked. Assault nodded. "Yea. How'd you know?"

"Well she's Japanese-"

"Assault!" Battery shouted.

"Not being racist Puppy," Assault held his hands out. "Just saying they're a very polite society and I don't think she learned it from-" he glanced at Brandish who had crossed her arms.

"Please. Continue," Brandish gestured for him to do so.

"No… I sense I've made a mistake."

"Apparently he can learn," Battery commented. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you too Missy. How's your first patrol?"

"Fine so far, no complaints," Missy lied as easily as she breathed. She had so many complaints. "Just doing what I can to help."

"That's a good way to think about it. But have you thought about how much good you could be doing in the Wards?"

And there was the awkward million-dollar question that Missy had been inevitably dreading. It was also one that she was prepared for. "I have been thinking about it, but I think it's something for later. After I've figured some things out for myself," she replied neutrally.

"It's dangerous to be an Independent," Battery warned her. "Statistics show that most die or are conscripted into a gang in their first year."

"I'm aware." Missy glanced at Brandish who nodded at her approvingly. "But I've got some support already and it seems like an important decision that I shouldn't rush."

"I understand… Just be careful. If you're ever in trouble the PRT will offer support and structure."

"So now that the recruitment pitch has been given, you wanna just meet up with some of the Wards later?" Assault offered. "Don't have to sign up or anything just figured you might relate to working with Heroes closer to your age."

If Missy was remembering correctly she would still be the youngest among them by a few years… but it wasn't entirely objectionable. In fact, she was kind of curious about what the Wards themselves thought about the program that they were in. "That sounds good. Maybe we can schedule a patrol?"

"Sure. I'll bring it up to higher ups once we get-" Assault suddenly paused and put a hang against his earpiece. "Console. Repeat that?"

"What's wrong?" Brandish asked.

"… Fire. Big one at a local apartment complex," Assault explained quickly. "Need some Heroes for this one. Already sending a van for pickup if you both want to join."

"Pairing our devices with the PRTs," Brandish announced as she did that and began tapping on her earbud. "Laserdream. Lady Photon. Can you head there first while we wait for pickup?"

"Where's the fire?" Missy asked.

Assault told her the address.

"No I mean," Missy held her arm out and lifted it to the right. "That direction?"

"A bit further than that," Battery replied.

Missy adjusted her arm accordingly. "So there."

Brandish glared. "Is this really the time for-"

Missy pointed her Evoker and pointed it at the side of her head. She noticed but didn't acknowledge the flinching and shouting around her as she pulled the trigger. "Theia! Let's go!"

Her Persona raised its hand and space began to twist itself in the air in front of Missy until suddenly a nearby rooftop was in front of her. She took a few steps onto the rooftop before turning around and wildly gesturing to the other heroes to follow. "Cmon!"

The heroes blinked at her before Assault became the first to step onto the roof with her. "Woah, that's freaky. You got a range on this?"

Missy smirked as Laserdream and Lady Photon flew down to join them. "As far as my eyes can see." Without having to make a single gesture, her Persona acted once more. Suddenly all the rooftops shrank forward, each separated by only a single step until a singular path was created that they could traverse. Even Missy with her… somewhat shorter legs. She'd get taller, eventually.

"This is really cool," Laserdream commented as they quickly began to walk or in her case, float, across the rooftops.

The compliment made Missy beam. "Theia is really cool."

"Are you Manton limited?" Battery asked.

"What's that?"

"Can you affect people or is it just the air and inanimate objects?" Brandish explained.

"Nah can't do anything living, not even a bug. I can do all the space around them though, as close to an inch if I really try."

"So yes Manton Limited," Assault explained. "Lots of powers are limited to either only affecting living things or inanimate objects, not both at the same time."

In a few minutes they would arrive at the fire and Theia would dissipate. As she disappeared, space returned to its original form.

The situation was bad. It was a large multistory apartment as wide as it was tall. Very little of the building had been spared and it honestly seemed that they had been lax on certain safety inspections, which was no surprise considering this was Brockton Bay. There was fire at so many places. It billowed out from entire floors and the cries of victims both within and outside the building. So far only a single fire truck was at the scene with too few firefighters around to help.

"How did it get this bad so quick?" Laserdream asked.

"They'll have to do an investigation after," Battery replied.

"Missy stay away from the fire. Your Projection is fine but you're not a Brute. Don't bring the flames or any smoke anywhere close to your body," Brandish commanded as she and Battery went ahead to help.

Missy would argue that Brandish didn't have much of Brute rating either but that wouldn't really help things. Still even if she couldn't get close to the fire, that didn't mean she couldn't help.

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked when she was left with Assault.

"Can you use your powers on a moving vehicle?" Assault asked.

"Probably. Haven't tried. Sounds fun though." Ooh maybe try riding on the roof of a firetruck? If she did fall off Theia could probably catch her.

"Alright." Assault quickly approached the closest fireman and began asking the location of further backup. "Help bring their trucks over here. We'll stay in contact with you in case we need you for anything."

"Yes Sir!" Missy saluted before doing as was commanded. She pulled out her Evoker again, this time the firemen began shouting only for Assault to calm them down, and pulled the trigger. "Persona!"

Theia appeared once again, and reality became her plaything. It didn't take Missy long to find and bring in a pair of firetrucks. Once that was done, she then followed the firefighters' instructions to redirect streams of water from their hoses to fight the fire better. They made good progress, but Missy could start to feel the strain of it all. Though summoning Theia had become almost effortless the strain of her Persona using its ability still took its toll. Space turns out didn't take kindly to being manipulated and would do its best to correct itself if not for Theia's ability, something that was fueled through Missy's mental strength and willpower.

Still, despite how tiring it was, it felt good to be helping these people. To be a Hero.

Unfortunately with a fire this big, things tended to devolve quickly.

"Someone help!" A woman shouted from a nearby window that smoke was also billowing out of. She was way too high up to safely jump but that fire behind her was way too close for comfort.

"Someone get the trampoline there!" A fire woman shouted. It would take too long and they needed it to help other people. Thankfully Missy had the solution.

"Just jump!" Missy shouted.

"What!?"

"What!?"

"The fuck!?"

Missy ignored the confused screaming around her. "Just jump! Theia will catch you!"

"Are you sure that's-"

The firewoman was interrupted by something in the room exploding, causing the woman to shriek and throw herself out of the window. Theia immediately acted, funneling space into a tunnel so that the woman's fall was extended without ever touching the ground. She was angled upwards, slowing her momentum to the point that Missy's Persona was able to gently catch her in her wings.

"Told ya," Missy replied smugly.

"Huh," the woman gasped as she was held in Theia's arms. "That was… something."

"Anything wrong?" A fireman asked as Theia handed the woman to him.

"No it's… it was kinda like flying. Have you done that before?" the woman asked Missy.

"No actually," Missy replied... Flying or rather freefalling through manipulated Space. Now wasn't that an idea? "I haven't actually considered that… yet."

"Alright, before we start adding another thing to the list of bad ideas you have, could we see if you can start helping out the rest of the people trapped inside?" The firewoman suggested.

"Oh right," Missy replied as she got closer to the building, but not quite close enough to risk anything from the fire. Though the range of Theia's ability was insanely long she actually had to be quite close to Missy to retain her physical existence. It meant that anything that got close to Theia was also close to Missy, such as this fire which produced a heat that caused her to sweat.

She didn't step inside as her powers didn't work as well indoors, but she had learned some tricks during her time training with Shinji. While looking through one window that was clear she was able to have Theia create a sort of lens or mirror that reflected at an angle and let her see down a hallway. Repeat the process multiple times and she could get vision and some limited control over the area inside the flaming building without actually having to be in it. The fire was bright, hurting her eyes when she looked at it directly, but she was able to search for the people still trapped inside.

She did find a few people and got them out. One person was underneath some rubble that she directed Battery toward. However, the rest of what she found… well, there were a lot of bodies. Too many people that didn't make it out, leaving nothing behind but a charred black husk. Burnt corpses… that smelled way too much like roasted pork.

Oh god.

Eventually it was a bit too much and Missy had to step away to throw up and catch her breath. Thankfully by then the fire had been brought under control and they had gotten most of the people out, she wasn't too sure how long she could keep going.

The building was not in good shape. They would likely have to condemn it, which meant a lot of people were now homeless and Brockton Bay didn't have much in terms of Shelters.

"Rough, isn't it?"

Missy jumped a little as she felt a blanket being wrapped around her. It was a bit of a surprise but nothing to worry about as long as her Persona was out, Theia would never let a threat approach that closely if she was aware of it. "Yea…"

"Honestly, kids like you should be going to school hanging out with your friends." The fire woman that had given Missy a blanket gestured to the smoldering remains of the apartment. "Not deal with that."

"I'm not just a kid," Missy muttered but wrapped the blanket around herself anyway. "And if I don't help, then who will?"

"No one in this city could do what you did. That's the issue with Heroes," the fire woman replied and then left without saying anything else.

Missy rested there for a bit before taking off the blanket and moving on. Before she could get much distance though a woman in a suit suddenly made their way towards her. There was a practice way in which she moved and maneuvered past the crowd with a man carrying a camera trailing behind her.

"Kaylee Stranton, Channel Five."

Missy tried to keep herself composed. She had watched Channel Five before and she was aware of who the reporter in front of her was.

"Hello," Missy greeted as she glanced around the area. Everyone was busy including Brandish, who had noticed Missy getting approached but was stuck dealing with her own news group. Channel Five certainly had good timing for their part.

"Could we take a few minutes of your time? Just a few questions for the newest Hero in the Bay?"

A live interview. Minako had warned her about them, and even practiced them with her. It was still something that Missy wasn't quite sure she was prepared for and definitely not planned for this early. But…

"Sure," Missy stepped forward and replied.

It didn't take long for things to get set up and for the interview to begin.

"Hello Brockton Bay. This is Kaylee Stranton on Channel Five news here to give you a live interview of Brockton Bay's newest hero, Missy Biron! How are you Missy? This is your first patrol, correct?"

Missy nodded. "It is. New Wave and my family made sure that I was prepared."

"They certainly kept you… well-armed. Is it proper for a child as young as you to carry around a gun?"

"It's not a real gun and it's a requirement for my powers," Missy replied. "I can give you a demonstration if you want."

"No. You've certainly demonstrated enough today."

"There were a lot of people that needed help. I couldn't worry so much about optics when there's a fire going on."

"You did save quite a lot of people today. I can honestly say that Brockton appreciates what you're done for us today," Kaylee admitted. "But… are swords really necessary when your Projection is enough?"

"It does strain me a bit to use my Persona constantly, so they're there for backup. I won't use my blades unless I have to though."

"Persona? Your Projection?"

"Yes."

"Why do you call her Persona or even Theia? The name of a Greek God for something you control?"

"She's a part of me and her name is not something that I decided."

"Is your Projection sentient?"

"She has her own feelings and opinions about certain matters but leaves most decisions up to me."

"A lot of responsibility for a young girl."

"Sometimes we don't have a choice. If not me then who else will help?"

"There are other Heroes who could help too. There are many that would argue a child shouldn't be out on streets like this."

"That's the same argument they have about the Wards."

"Which you aren't a part of," Kaylee replied.

Missy shrugged. "Through no one's fault, except the Empire's, I do not have a secret identity. I do not have the luxury of a mask to hide behind when I'm not being a Hero. I wouldn't be safer at home or school because of that. The Wards go on patrol to learn how to control their powers and to be future Heroes. I think I'm doing something similar by patrolling with New Wave."

"A team of unmasked capes?"

"I can learn a lot from them. They have plenty of experience and plenty to teach me about being an Open cape."

"Are you planning to join them?"

"That's something to think about…"

"Even though they've already lost one of their members to the Gangs?"

Missy narrowed her eyes. "Fleur was a mistake on many levels. It was a hard lesson that everyone had to learn and one that the Capes of Brockton Bay are not going to repeat."

"Well. That's enough for today then," Kaylee said as Brandish finally began stomping her way towards them. "Thank you for your time, Missy it was great meeting you. I'm Kaylee Stranton and this has been channel five news!"

The cameras shut off just as Brandish arrived. "It's illegal to approach a minor with a guardian present."

"Those laws get a bit muddy when it applies to Capes," Kaylee replied casually. "I'm sure we can refer you to our company's lawyer."

It took a bit more grilling from Brandish before the newswoman walked away.

"Sorry… had a feeling I couldn't say no," Missy said.

"No it's not your fault." Brandish shook her head. "Shouldn't have left you alone. Did she say anything that made you feel uncomfortable?"

"No, it was fine. Nothing too crazy."

"Channel five is one of more reputable news sources," Brandish admitted. "As long as you were careful, they shouldn't burn you too badly in an interview. Channel Eleven on the other hand would've likely demonized you for your age."

"Well glad it wasn't channel eleven then," Missy commented as the rest of the Heroes finally made their way towards them. When they did, well it wasn't hard for Missy to realize that she was probably the most unscathed among them. Laserdream and Lady Photon were covered in soot from all the smoke, Brandish and Assault shared their fair share of minor burns, and Brandish seemed to look the most worn among all of them sharing her share of cuts, bruises, and burns. It was incredible to see how the woman could still be walking around like it was nothing despite her injuries.

"Are you guys okay?" Missy couldn't help but ask.

"Oh these? It's fine I've been through a lot worse," Assault reassured her. "Just need some time to heal up."

"But… how long will that take?" Especially when there were so few Heroes in the Bay. When the Empire had Othala healing their people and getting them back onto the streets again.

"It's fine Missy. A little pain… it's a part of being a Hero," Battery explained gently. "Heroes protect and we have to make these sorts of sacrifices. You did a good job though. You saved a lot of people with your powers."

"Yep. You're a great Hero," Assault commented.

Not enough, Missy felt. There was so much that she wished she could do, so much that she wished she had done. But despite the guilt there was also… a feeling of pride. In the people she had saved. The people that acknowledged her as one of them.

Missy felt it. A beating in her heart, a resounding pulse deep within herself. Surrounded by people she could rely on and others that relied on her for help, Missy knew what she had to do.

Theia simply nodded to her and encouraged her to act.

Missy put her Evoker against her head and pulled the Trigger once more. "Pixie!"

A small, diminutive fairy appeared. It flapped its wings and began to fly around the group of Heroes.

"Dia!"

Sparkling green light fell from Pixie's wing as it flew above them, enveloping them in small waves. The light would sink into their skin, gently slowly closing their cuts and cooling their burns.

"A Healer too?" Battery asked.

"Trump?" Assault asked.

Brandish simply went wide eyed for a moment before shaking her head, apparently a bit more used to Missy's antics.

"Does anyone else need healing?" Missy shouted to everyone around her once she had finished healing the Heroes. The news broadcasts had their cameras up again and several people had their phones recording.

"Could you heal my grandpa?" One voice asked.

It was a request that Missy, through Pixie as an extension, was more than willing to oblige as she made her way to the old man.

"Dia!"

Missy regretted everything. Being a Hero sucked, and no it wasn't because of that pounding headache she was suffering right now. Said headache that definitely wasn't her fault!

"She pushed herself too far didn't she?" Shinji asked with little sympathy in his voice as he stared at her while she was laid out on his couch.

"Yep," Laserdream, the traitor, replied.

"Well now you get to experience your first hangover without even touching your first drink," Shinji replied as he dangled a needed pack of frozen peas above her head. "Having fun there."

"Fuck off," Missy groaned. It only took her seconds to realize the depth of her mistake when the room went silent.

Shinji raised an eye. "Gonna give you one chance to apologize to me." His voice brokered no mercy.

"I'm sorry," Missy quickly apologized despite the pain.

"For?"

"Using disrespectful language."

"Will you ever use it in this house again?"

"No…."

"No dessert for a week. Agreed?"

"Yea…"

"And what else do you want to say?"

"Can you please give me the bag of peas?"

Shinji finally smirked as he put the bag against Missy's head, giving her effective and immediate relief. "Good girl."

"I see you have her well-disciplined," Brandish replied approvingly.

"Wife's a proponent of tough love," Shinji explained. "Or at least her definition of it."

Lady Photon raised an eye. "Her definition?"

"Everyone deserves love. They also deserve to be aware of the consequences of their own actions."

Brandish nodded. "A valid principle."

The front door of the house suddenly opened and Minako walked inside.

"Oh, you guys are here. How was the first patrol with Missy?"

"Take a look," Shinji replied.

Minako took one look at Missy before sitting next to her and carefully rubbing her back. "Productive day then?"

Missy moaned.

"Apart from the end when she overused her healing, she performed well enough," Brandish admitted. "As professional as you can ask someone of her age and certainly carried herself better than the vast majority of Independents in Brockton."

Minako nodded. "Sounds like you did pretty good Missy. Could be better, but now you've got room to improve."

Missy gave her a very unenthusiastic thumbs-up. "Yay…."

"How was your day?" Lady Photon asked Minako.

Minako held her hand flat. "So-so. Busy with meetings. Apparently, some people on the education board were arguing about my fitness to be principal since I'm apparently a very violent individual."

"They're really using the fact that you punched Hookwolf against you?" Laserdream asked.

"They tried. Didn't work. At the very least I got some increased funding for the school. Anyway, now that Missy's home you three wanna stick around for dinner?" Minako asked the members of New Wave. "Shinji's an excellent chef."

"I actually have plans tonight," Laserdream informed her.

"No problem. You two?" Minako asked the Matriarchs of New Wave.

"Neil and Eric are on a boy's night tonight. You Carol?" Sarah asked her sister.

"I believe Victoria dragged Amy out on another double date," Carol replied thoughtfully. "As for Mark… he'll be fine."

"Wonderful," Minako clapped her hands. "Just relax and dinner will be ready soon and also Missy make sure to watch your language in this house."

"How did you knoooow…." Missy moaned.

"Because I said a lot worse when I was your age."