It was during study hall at school when Missy was suddenly asked a weird question.

"Could we watch a movie together Saturday?"

Well not a weird question per say, but rather it was weird because of who it was coming from.

Missy stared, confused, at the boy who had suddenly approached her and asked this. He was someone that she was only somewhat acquainted with since they were classmates and had spoken to occasionally. At least that was true before she had gotten her Persona, so it was weird that he would suddenly want to hang out with her weeks after that event. "I mean if they're okay with it. You guys got want to watch a movie?" Missy asked Clara and Dinah who were very notably leaving this conversation to her.

"No. Just the two of us. A… date," the boy explained. "I want to go on a date with you," he said with a bit more confidence.

A date… oooh… OOOOOhhhh. That was… huh.

Missy wasn't sure what to think. The other day when her mom and those older women were trying to play matchmaker made her feel icky, especially because she had never met those people they were suggesting. This boy on the other hand was someone she did know in person, approached her himself, and most importantly of all asked her politely. It left the choice up to her in the end so she didn't feel as gross as back there.

Confused. But not gross. It was almost flattering, but well…

"I- uh don't really know you-"

The boy suddenly perked up. "Does that mean you want to try? Get to know each other?"

Missy quickly turned back to Dinah and silently used her eyes to beg for aid.

"Missy's busy with Hero work and stuff right now," Dinah explained. "I don't think she has time to date."

"But Glory Girl is dating," the boy argued.

"And how many times have they broken up?" Dinah asked. A lot. The answer was a lot.

"Oh…" the boy bowed his head in dejection. "Okay. Sorry."

"Wait. Could you just tell me why you asked me out?" Missy asked. "Is it just because I'm a Hero?"

"Uh…"

"So it is because of that," she replied, disappointed.

"No! No! Not just that!" The boy was quick to defend himself. "I mean yea dating a Cape would be cool, but you're also cute."

Missy immediately perked up at the compliment. "Cute?"

"Yea small-"

"Small!?"

"And pretty! Very pretty and confident. You're sorta like the guys almost? You seem cool to be around?"

She could accept that. "Alright, well thanks for calling me pretty."

The boy quickly nodded his head before making a quick retreat.

"Did you really have to torture him like that?" Dinah asked. "And why are you smiling about it?"

"Because it's the first time someone called me pretty!" Missy said excitedly. Granted she wasn't interested in the boy but it was nice to get the compliment. "At least someone that wasn't Minako or my parents."

"You're pretty," Clara said.

"Aw thank you Clara!" Missy was quick to hug her friend and share the joy. "You're pretty too!"

They both reveled in their shared prettiness as Dinah just shook her head at their antics.

"Ahem." Dinah coughed. "If you two are done stroking your egos we have something important to do." She walked to the corner of the building and dragged out a large blackboard on wheels. On it, written in chalk largely in the center, were the words-

"Summer Vacation!" Dinah proclaimed as she brought the blackboard in front of Missy and Clara. "What're our plans next month?"

Missy stared at the blackboard before taking a quick look around and confirming their surroundings. "We're outside. Did you drag that all the way-"

"Irrelevant!" Dinah replied as she smacked the blackboard with a long wooden ruler.

"It kinda is. Did you grab that from the teacher's lou-"

"Clara!" Dinah pointed the ruler at the most excitable of the three of them. "Ideas!"

"Ooh ooh. I know! Waterpark!" Clara replied.

"There are no Waterparks in Brockton Bay," Dinah replied.

"We can go out of state or Missy can use her powers!"

Missy mused over Clara's suggestion. "Weeeell the ocean is right there. And I've been trying some things out with Theia."

"That's a no," Dinah quickly said. "Missy. Any ideas?"

"… We could watch a movie."

"So nothing. Alright then. Good news." Dinah grabbed the blackboard and rotated it. On the other side was a painstakingly drawn picture of a giant rectangular vehicle that Dinah probably put waaaay too much effort into drawing. "My parents are planning to rent an RV. You're both invited to come camping."

"Wait, if things were already planned then why did you ask us for ideas in the first place?" Missy asked.

"Now my parents have it all planned out and apparently the RV is really nice. Just one issue," Dinah pointed the ruler at Missy and Clara. "Have either of you gone camping before?"

"Nope."

"Nooooope."

"Perfect. We all have no clue what we're doing," Dinah replied in a deadpan tone.

"I'm sure your parents know since they suggested it… probably," Missy replied. Dinah's parents were pretty reliable and weren't prone to sabotaging each other like Missy's were. "What's the issue?"

"She's afraid of bugs," Clara explained.

Something in the air caused Missy's skin to tingle and it was out of pure instinct that she jerked her head to the side to avoid the projectile that had been aimed at her forehead. The object would slam into the ground behind her, exploding into a cloud of white smoke and a white mark on the ground.

"Did you just throw a piece of chalk at me!?" Missy shouted.

"Dang. You have gotten faster," Dinah muttered.

"Why did you throw it at me? Clara was the one telling your secrets!"

"She's too pretty to get hit."

"Hurray!" Clara cheered.

It was during that same study hall, after their spring vacation plans had been confirmed, that Missy had found someone she had been looking for sitting next to a tree in the school's field.

"Hey Tammi! You busy? Mind if we join you?" Missy rushed over and asked her newfound friend.

Tammi looked at Missy and her two friends behind her. "Brought more brats?"

"My friends. Wanted you guys to meet."

"… Sure. Whatever."

Missy took that as permission to sit next to Tammi along with Dinah and Clara. "Dinah, Clara, this is Tammi. She helped me out."

"You mean when you were naked in the locker room?" Clara asked cheerfully.

Missy was glad she wasn't drinking anything because she would've spit it all out. She was really glad that there had been no one else around to hear that. "Clara!?"

"What?" Clara asked innocently. "Just wanted to say thanks."

Tammi just stared at Clara like she was sort of a freakish alien being, which honestly she kind of was. "There were some brats that cornered her. they wanted to jump her while she was in the showeuuh-aaand that didn't come out right."

Missy tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Dinah patted her shoulder. "You don't need to know Missy."

"But-"

"When you're older."

"I know," Clara replied. "But I probably shouldn't say."

Well that was warning enough not to ask. "So uhhh… watcha doing?" Missy asked instead.

"Relaxing," Tammi replied in a deadpan.

"Cool. Cool," Missy replied eloquently and ignored Dinah who had facepalmed behind her. "So what do you like to do?"

"Read a bit. Party a bunch."

"Like sleepovers?" Missy asked.

"… Yea let's just say that."

"Missy you are a dork," Dinah muttered before approaching Tammi. "Hi this is my friend Missy. She's apparently an awkward mess around new people and I apologize for that. Please be patient with her."

"Which is weird but I think it's because she likes you enough that she's trying but that makes her mess up a bunch," Clara commented. "You seem cool though. Wanna be friends too?"

"And that's Clara," Dinah commented. "She's Clara."

Tammi looked at three of them before her eyes rested on Dinah. "You their Keeper?"

"Hey!" Missy replied.

"Is she?" Clara asked.

"Might as well be," Dinah replied with a sigh.

"Starting to see why the brat gets into so much trouble," Tammi said.

"I know right?" Dinah commiserated with the older girl.

"Did… everyone just decide to fuck with me today?" Missy asked.

"Yes."

"Yes."

"Yeeaap."

"Alright then I won't tell you guys what I did yesterday," Missy crossed her arms.

"Helped catch Circus?" Dinah replied.

"You know that was in the news," Clara informed her.

"Didn't she get away?" Tammi asked.

"Wait what!?" Missy's head swivels toward Tammi.

"Yea got broken out during transport. Something about mercs and Tinkertech weapons?"

"I wh- the fu- so getting my ass kicked yesterday was pointless!?"

"PRT. Incompetent fucks. Should've known better," Tammi replied.

"Alright. You know what? That's fine. Nother chance to kick her ass instead," Missy reasoned to herself. "Use my effin taser gainst me- I'll show you electricity you little-…tch"

"Spiteful little thing isn't she?" Tammi asked Clara.

"Yeeaap. We have fun with her."

"You know what you little weird shit? I like you."

Clara smiled and beamed at her. "Hurray!"

Missy looked at the key in her hands before looking up at the large blue door that was in front of her. A large blue door smack dab in the middle of the Boardwalk

Seriously? How did people not notice this thing?

She walked up to the door, looked behind her, and realized that for once nobody was looking at her. It was like the door had some sort of Stranger effect or something, which honestly? Whatever worked. She inserted the key into the keyhole, turned it, and stepped inside.

Once more she found herself in the Opera on the balcony. Once more she basked in the sights and atmosphere of the Velvet, grand yet comforting. Once more she found herself dressed in her long ball gown, this dress even more natural to her than the clothes she wore before.

"Greetings guest," Igor greeted from his seat. "Is there any service you need? Fusion or a Persona to reacquire?"

Missy looked around for Theo but found that he wasn't there.

"Ah, your attendant. If you wish I can inform him that you wish to spend time with him in your world. I imagine he'll be quite happy to pick you up at your assigned time."

Missy nodded and Igor did just that for her.

"Now before you head out, would you like some tea? I have a wonderful brew steeping."

She smiled and sat down across from him as he poured into her teacup. Once filled, they tapped their cups together. "To a wonderful Contract."

Missy repeated his gesture and drank from her cup of tea.

Missy opened her eyes and found herself back on the Boardwalk in her normal clothes. She turned and saw that the door was still there. She took a few steps away from it and people seemed to finally acknowledge her presence once again.

Yep, definitely a Stranger effect.

She waved to a few people that greeted her and even signed a few autographs as she casually walked along the Boardwalk, enjoying the ocean breeze. There were a few Enforcers in the area that immediately noted her presence but otherwise didn't approach her. Just observed her as she walked.

Eventually she heard some noises, a small gathering where people were cheering, and made her way there out of curiosity. The crowd, turned out, was an excited audience filled with kids younger than she was and a few adults. They were all busy watching-… Was that a giant dancing teddy bear!?

"I want thaaaat," Missy whispered to herself as she got closer to the show and took a seat at the back of the audience. She wanted to bring it home, have it take up her entire bed, and then fall asleep on it buried in all that wonderful floofiness.

She watched in wonder, fascination, and childlike jubilation as the giant bear was soon joined by giant googly eyed T-Rex that was now trying to spar using its tiny noodle arms. Missy laughed along with the rest of the kids as the T-Rex gave up on using its arms out of frustration and headbutted the fluffy bear instead. Commanding the giant stuffed animals was a Cape in a doll's mask and one of the prettiest and frilliest dresses that Missy had ever seen.

Parian! There were a few posts about her on PHO. She was even prettier in person.

Together Parian and her animals performed such a wonderful show that by the end of it Missy couldn't help but give her a standing ovation as she clapped.

Parian turned toward the audience, accepting their praise, until she suddenly froze. It was hard to tell with the mask, but Missy was pretty sure that the woman was staring right at her. One of the kids in the audience, a few years younger than Missy, noticed the pause from the Cape and turned around. He gaped at her for a moment before pointing and shouting.

"Mommy it's the Pixie girl!"

As if from some primal instinct most of the audience swiveled their heads at the same time to look at Missy. She froze like a deer facing a pack of ravenous land-based piranhas as they all focused their eyes on her. Ravenous, frenzied eyes.

Her mistake was taking a single step back. That movement was all that they needed to pounce.

"LemmeseethePixie!"

"I wan the Pixie."

Nooooooooo! Missy mentally screamed as she was swarmed.

"Big lady. Wings!"

"What are you doing here?"

Missy struggled to find an answer to any of their questions. "I just wanted to watch the shoooow."

"Are you gonna join her!"

"Parian, is she going to play with you?"

The Cape, Parian, continued to look carefully at Missy who didn't hide the unabashed panic on her face. Whatever the Cape saw it seemed to make her relax. "Hey kids, why don't we give the Pixie Girl some room?"

"Is she going to play with you?" The same kid repeated the question.

"It depends on what she wants."

Missy apparently was quite vulnerable to peer pressure when surrounded by a small army of wide-eyed pleading kids. "Uh. Okay?"

She carefully nudged her way past the crowd of kids and onto the stage where Parian waited.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered to the Cape once she was close enough. "I just wanted to waaatch."

"Pixie now. And I'll forgive you."

Missy nodded but didn't immediately pull out her Evoker once she realized she was in front of a crowd of little kids. Instead she ducked behind the giant teddy bear, that had thankfully lowered itself to cover for her, before she summoned her Persona.

"Pixie!"

Pixie emerged and did a little dance as she joined the stuffed animals in their impromptu play. Things were going well and Parian adapted well to the extra actor on the stage, when suddenly Missy felt something strange in her head. It compelled her to hide behind the dress of the cape so that she could pull out her Evoker again.

"Theia!"

Theia emerged and… began to do a solo waltz in the middle of the performance? It was actually the same dance that Missy and Theo would practice in the Velvet Room. The audience absolutely ate up and even the adults were starting to get entranced. Soon more people from the Boardwalk came to watch and the small audience suddenly became its own concert.

Theia seemed to be even more emboldened by the growing audience and picked up the pace of her dance, using the wings to grab the paws of the giant bear so that they could dance together.

"Wow. She is such a Diva," Missy whispered.

"You're not controlling her?" Parian asked.

"Not Theia. She does her own thing," Missy replied as she had Pixie cast Dia, using the green glittering light as a background effect for the performance.

Theia and the bear would dance and twirl, her power allowing them movements that normally wouldn't be possible. It was erratic, yet somehow graceful, and complete and utter fun. Everyone just ate it up.

The performance continued as such with a growing audience until Theia gave the audience a bow and finally disappeared. The show ended after that with a large portion of the audience swarming toward the giant teddy bear that now carried a basket to collect money from. It took a while for the kids to go away after playing some more with the stuffed animals and the sun had only just begun to set when Parian and Missy could finally regroup.

Together they looked at the giant pile of cash that had been put into the basket.

"That's the most cash I've gotten on a performance," Parian commented.

"What's that? Like a couple hundred?"

"Closer to a grand."

Wow that was a lot. "You can have it," Missy replied. "I kinda interrupted your show…"

"It wouldn't be fair since most of this was because of you."

"No. Your show was awesome, just people get more excited when more Capes are involved."

"Your Projections were incredible though. I couldn't do some of those dances with my Powers."

"To be honest that was all Theia…" Missy grabbed the cash and shoved it into Parian's arms. "Please I'd be super guilty if I just took this money from you."

"Alright… um my store is over there. Do you want to come in for a cup of tea?"

Missy actually had enough tea with Igor, but well… "Sure"

Parian's store was… well what'd you expect from someone with her Powers that made clothes for a living. Just reams upon reams of cloth hanging on the walls of the store, suits and dresses placed on mannequins to be displayed by the windows, and a distinct and cluttered counter where the Doll Cape sat to greet her customers.

Missy sat on a stool and took a sip of the tea she had been offered. It was good, though not as good as the tea Igor had.

"So, what's it like owning a store as a Cape?" Missy asked.

"Stressful. An opportunity but a stressful one," Parian admitted. "To be honest… I don't have many opportunities to interact with other Capes, apart from the occasional recruiter."

"Empire?" Missy asked.

"Empire," Parian confirmed.

"You're all about being neutral, right? You don't fight, not that that's a uh-… bad thing."

"Yes, I prefer to leave the fighting and conflict to other Capes. I find that they're too violent- n-n-not that I'm calling you violent. I'm sure you're a very sweet girl with how much you helped at that fire and the hospitals."

"Imma be honest I got into a fight with Circus recently and got my as- butt absolutely kicked in," Missy replied somberly. "I don't judge you for the whole no fighting thing. You've got a nice place here."

"It was expensive to set it all up. But it's a step closer to my dream of being a famous designer."

"You get a lot of clients?" Missy asked.

"Some. Mostly people that want the novelty of a Cape made outfit. It does allow me to charge a premium, but I wish more people focused on the merits of my designs."

"Well, they're pretty. Super pretty actually. I'd be happy to get a dress made if I could afford it."

"Do… you want a dress?"

Missy's eyes lit up. "Really? You'll make one?"

"You helped out at my show and I could use a younger model to test designs I had for children. In exchange I could have one made for you."

"… You want to play dress up with me?"

"If you don't mind. Just a few outfits."

"Uh…" Minako, Dinah, Clara, and Vicky could never be allowed to learn about this. "F-fine."

Missy could swear that she could see Parian smile behind that mask. "So do you have anything you want about your new dress?"

"I actually have an idea in mind." The image of the dress she wore anytime she stepped into the Velvet Room flashed into her mind. It was probably the one dress that she could wear with no complaints. "Could you help me sketch it out?"

"Sure. Let's get your measurements in the back first. There're also a few things I want you to try out before I give them to a client."

"Their kid?"

"Dwarfism actually…. He's taller than most people with his condition. You two match, I think ignoring chest size."

"Wait so I'm trying out a suit for a midg- h-h-eight challenged person?"

"Is that going to be an issue?"

Missy shook her head. "N… no… not at all."

Parian led her to the back and showed her the dark navy suit and pants she wanted her to try. She then led Missy to a changing where she could switch outfits in privacy.

As Missy changed she couldn't help but be enamored by the feeling of the clothes. She was no expert but it felt surprisingly soft for a suit and yea it was pretty comfortable once she put it on. Pants fit fine but it was actually a bit loose in the shoulder area.

"Top doesn't quite fit," Missy replied as she stepped out of the fitting area.

Parian put a hand on the suit and suddenly the loose areas firmed up. There was now a small bit of open air between Missy's body and the outfit, but from outside it looked like it fit her perfectly. It was actually a good representation of what Missy would look like if she had one of these made for her.

"Wow. I look good," Missy praised herself as she twisted and turned in front of a mirror. "Should get a suit made."

"I can help with that too," Parian replied as she furiously began writing in a sketchbook.

"… Do you also think you can make me some stuff for Hero work? Shinji, a friend of mine, has been trying to find someone to make proper gear for me and you could probably do it with your Power."

Parian had a thoughtful look on her face. "It would be a challenge; I assume you're not going for a traditional costume?"

Missy shook her head.

"I'll come up with some ideas and bounce them off with your friend. You've already given me a lot of inspiration already," Parian replied.

Missy walked out of the store after Parian had made a surprisingly accurate sketch of her Velvet Room dress. The Cape was very good at what she did and pretty good company even if she was a bit skittish and shy. They should hang out sometime, it'd be fun.

There was a faint beating in Missy's heart and-

She paused mid step. Huh. Makami. Maybe stop by the Velvet Room real quick to see what they could do.

Missy turned toward the ocean.

Actually there was an empty beach right there…

She ran for and leaped over the railing of the Boardwalk, deftly landing on the sand below. She then made her way past all the litter and junk until she was close to the water. A deep breath and then her Evoker was pulled out.

"Makami!"

A long thin wolf shaped scroll emerged and floated in the air to Miss's from her side. Huh Asian mythology this time. Nice.

"Alright do your thing!"

The wolf began flying twirling around itself midair, gathering energy and releasing-

A small patch of ocean exploded, water flying high into the air and bubbling before it settled. The unsettling part though was the tiny mushroom cloud that the explosion had created with the water vapor before it had dissipated.

Was that a fucking mini nuke!?

Holy crap… best not to use that unless it was an absolute emergency. Especially want to avoid using that around the Asian neighborhood. Probably some historically bad feelings about that there. Hopefully nobody saw that right?

Missy turned and saw that there were several people with their phones out on the Boardwalk.

Oh craaaaap.

"It's fine. Just testing out a new Persona. Small explosion no, heh heh, aftereffects on the environment," Missy reassured the crowd. She looked back briefly and saw a floating dead fish on the water. It was then carried on the waves before it was deposited on a patch of the beach right next to her. The dead fish stared at her with cold and empty eyes.

After that Missy quickly made her exit.

Was it kinda ironic and messed up that the first Asian Persona she got was capable of using Nuclear spells?

After Missy made her uh… tactical retreat she found herself in front of the Shelter that Shinji had told her about. It was actually pretty conveniently placed between her house and the Boardwalk so it wasn't much a hassle to get there.

A teen, honestly close to an adult, was quick to approach her with a bat held casually in his hands. "What's a Cape doin here?"

"I want to see Jack," Missy told him.

His body tensed and he looked ready to swing at a moment's notice. "You here to hurt im?"

"No! I just thought I'd come to help out. I know a uh- friend of his that knows about this place."

"Really?"

"Yea."

He relaxed and stepped to the side. "Don't try nuthin. Climb the stairs. Second floor. Office in the back."

"Wasn't planning to," Missy replied as she walked into the building and followed his directions. As she walked, she noticed a wide range of people, kids, teens, young adults, all watching her with a mixture of caution and curiosity. All of them looked worn with frayed clothes, but otherwise looked fed. Honestly, even the building was old but at least it looked like it had been better taken care of then the majority of Shelters in Brockton Bay. And she had seen some real clunkers of Shelters in her home.

She knocked on the office door.

"Who is it?" Jack's voice asked from behind it.

"Missy. From Shinji's restaurant," Missu replied.

"… you need a bed?"

"No!" Missy replied, annoyed. "Just wanted to see if I could help."

"Come in."

Missy opened the door and stepped into the… well it wasn't an office. More like a storage closet with a desk stuffed in. She took a seat on a small old stool.

Jack from behind the desk looked a bit imposing with how he towered over her, but the bags under his eyes made him look very tired. He looked more grumpy than he was intimidating to be honest.

"What's your angle here?"

"Huh?"

"You don't need a bed and no one helps around here, middle of nowhere in the City, especially Capes."

"Uh… Shinji suggested I could come here? Said I should check it out, see if I can help?" Missy asked. "I just wasn't to help people…"

"… Can you heal diseases?" Jack asked, apparently accepting her answer. "We got some sick kids here."

"Disease is an issue for me," Missy admitted. "Physical wounds I'm getting at doing but right now I can only help the symptoms if they have something like the flu."

The man sighed. "Alright. Will have to do. Do you need anything to set it up?"

"Could you gather all the sick and injured into one room?" Missy asked. "I'm getting better at healing a bunch of people at once."

Jack looked at the open door. "Viv."

A girl suddenly popped her head out. She had short messy hair and looked to be around Missy's age. "Yea?"

"You heard Menina. Get the kids together. Also make sure to tell everyone not to stab our guest, at least before she heals them."

"Yessir."

Missy very much noticed the knife Viv had behind her back as she turned around and did as she was told. "They're uh very protective," Missy commented. Knives, bats, she's also pretty sure she saw a pair of knuckle dusters lying around.

"We have dangerous people coming by here," Jack informed her. "If you can show up once in a while to scare them off, we'd appreciate it."

"You haven't called the Police for help?"

Jack snorted. "How many kids here aren't white?"

Only a small percentage and with a good chunk of the Police knowingly influenced by the Empire… yea stupid question. "And no one else comes by to help?" Missy asked.

"PRT? Why would they care? No money, no votes, no PR for them. Everyone here's had to survive on their own."

"You're helping them."

He shook his head. "Give them a place to sleep? Bare minimum. These kids don't have room for all of them and they know it. Some go out on their own, rob a store, join one of the Gangs, sell drugs. No other options for them and they know it."

"You're still trying."

"Trying isn't enough. Even a kid like you has to come help."

Viv popped her head back in the doorway. "They're ready."

"Help them out Missy… and thanks." Jack waved her off and Missy took that as permission to leave the room.

"Jack's a good guy," Viv commented as she led Missy down a hallway. The girl wasn't even trying to hide the knife anymore and was casually holding it in her hand. "If you hurt him, we'll hurt you."

"Wasn't planning to," Missy replied as she was brought to a makeshift clinic. It wasn't pretty. Lots of kids with bandages on their bodies, bruises, cut up feet, and others that were varying degrees of coughing and ill.

She pulled out her Evoker and held its barrel to her head. It said something that none of the kids reacted while watching her. "Pixie. Media."

Waves of green light filled the room and provided some level to the kids there. Even though some of them had been healed, there was no light in their eyes. Just a weary resignation, one Missy often saw from the homeless and poor and out in the streets.

"You're lucky to have powers," Viv commented from the side. "Makes ya real important, don't it?"

"I got my powers to protect someone I cared about," Missy argued. "I have to work hard to use them."

Viv shrugged. "We care about each other too. We work hard to keep things going. So many snap trying to not be poor. Still no Powers."

"How'd you get here?" Missy asked. It was easy to see by comparison where Missy had been blessed in life, even if she hated her parents. These kids really did have nothing.

"In a trash can."

"… What?"

"Baby in a trash can. Jack found me. He found most of us. He's a good guy."

"You told me that."

"You need to know." Viv walked to a nearby window and gestured to Missy. "Come."

Missy did so and looked out the window. From there she watched as a car pulled over and two people came out of it. Asian with very prominent tattoos on their bodies. Her eyes went wide and she went for her Evoker only for her arm to suddenly stop. She turned and saw that Viv had grabbed it.

"Stop," Viv told her.

"But they're ABB!" Missy whispered.

"Not them. They're fine."

Jack walked out of the building toward the ABB members, young adults the both of them, without a single ounce of fear. They spoke a bit before the Gangsters handed something off to him, bowed their heads, and quickly left the property. Jack simply stood there and watched as they left, satchel in his hands.

"Was that… a drug deal?" Missy asked.

"Nah, straight cash."

"Why would the ABB give him cash? Don't they kidnap girls off the street?"

Viv nodded. "They do, but those two came from here. Bring cash sometimes to help."

"They joined a Gang…"

Viv shrugged. "What else can they do? Asian, no education, nothing else here. Either die poor or die a criminal. Least criminals have money for stuff."

Missy just stood there in silence, trying to contemplate everything.

"Jack's a good guy. He tries hard, but he can't do everything. We do bad things sometimes so we can help him and he knows it." Viv's grip on Missy's arm tightened and she forced her to look her in the eye. "You bring Heroes or Cops here we all get arrested. Jack too. Then he goes to jail and there's no shelter to help anyone."

Missy had no answer to that. There was no easy answer to all this. All she could do was nod.

"Jack's a good guy. Don't hurt him or we hurt you."