I guess we're all taking turns with being cryptic. Carter's been oddly quiet around us, which is saying something. Always retreating to his room, or the gym, or the library. Sometimes he's not even on Aqua Base, braving the public eye for "space", or whatever BS he gave. I hardly even see him now, other than when we're on patrol together, and Joel's given me shit for "missing him".

The only people I miss are my family back home. Even if my parents aren't speaking to me, even if they disprove of my decision to protect those who can't protect themselves because they think I'm one of the latter.

As you might guess, I can't sleep, so I grab my water bottle and head to the gym. The door slides open when I wave my ID in front of the scanner, and I shrug into my cropped sweater as I head into the space. As everything else in Aqua Base is, it's state-of-the-art. The best machines, the best personal trainers, everything has to be the best.

Not for the first time, I wonder what the fuck I'm doing here, what all if this is for, if I can't even protect the people that mean the most to me. If they won't let me.

The heavy thwack of fists against leather sounds, and I turn the corner to spot Carter, punching at a sandbag. The black tank-top he's in hugs his form, and- oh lord, the gray sweatpants… Okay. I'm better than this. A simple trending outfit won't get past my defenses. "Can't sleep, either?"

He delivers one last kick into the bag, and I realize that I'm standing in front of him in leggings and a black sports bra. Lovely timing. "Nah."

Nah? That's it? After what he'd opened up to me about two weeks ago? "Same here." I plop my stuff down next to one of the treadmills. "Parents cut me off. They don't… approve of my being here."

"What?" At least he seems a little alarmed. "That's not fair. I can… we can-"

"I'm fine. Things will sort themselves out." I squint up at him. "Why're you up this late, grandpa?"

Carter's mouth curves up in a smile, but he doesn't laugh like I'd hoped he would. "Thought I'd do some extra training."

Please. If anyone was gonna fall behind in the physicality department, no way in hell would it be Carter Grayson. "Of course you did." Silence envelops us, save for the ticking of the clock in the corner, and I clear my throat. "Uh, so. Not sure if anyone told you, but we're planning for a movie night. Just a chill thing in the living room tomorrow night." Why am I rambling? " If you're busy, I get it, but-"

"Joel told me." Okay, now I'm starting to get a little irritated.

"So you're gonna be home." Home. What a strange word nowadays.

Carter wipes at the sweat on his forehead. "Maybe."

I scoff. "Can't avoid us forever, Grayson."

The smile he gives as he steps past me is tired. Sad, even. "I know."

That night, I dream. Rather, I have a nightmare. A graphic one. And when I wake up, all I remember is seeing Carter hurt and being unable to help him.

I check his room. Empty. He wouldn't have let anything happen to him, right?

Nah. Our leader's not that stupid or unskilled. At least that's what I tell myself as I get ready for class. I'm not in the mood to cook anything, so I open the fridge and grab our giant tub of vanilla greek yogurt. Just as I'm starting to look through our cabinets for the granola, my phone rings, and I glance at it, almost expecting to see Carter's contact there. No such luck.

"Yo."

"Dude. Mom and dad are not happy with you."

If it took Leon a month to realize my parents weren't speaking to me, I doubt he cares much, either. But that's just an intrusive thought; he cares about me. Took care of me when they didn't. We're fine. "Took you this long to realize that?"

My big brother heaves a sigh. "Look, Ally. They're still our parents, despite our differences. And they deserve-"

"I know I started my career here because I didn't have a choice," I interrupt, something I ordinarily wouldn't do, but at this point, I'm just tired, "But then I realized it was the opposite."

"I'm not trying to say you chose wrong-"

"But you're siding with mom and dad, who would say that." Leon's quiet for a long, long time.

Then, "Maybe… maybe come home, just for a little while?"

So, so tired. "Thanks for the guilt trip, but no thanks."

"Alyssa-"

"What happened to the Leon who'd throw himself at an armed robber to protect the people he cares about? Huh?"

He sighs once more, but it's quieter. Sadder. "He's still here, kiddo."

"I don't get it," Joel mutters around a mouthful of popcorn. I snatch the bowl from him as Kelsey scoffs.

"What do you get?"

Chad gestures at the scrolling credits of Tenet, the movie we'd decided on. "Not this movie, apparently. But I don't, either."

Mr. Sky Cowboy swallows his bite and wipes his mouth. "Speaking of not getting it," he pauses and his eyes find mine, "where's Carter?"

I freeze in dumping the rest of the soy rice crackers- or kakimochi- into the popcorn. If I'd still been snacking, I'd probably have choked. Dana and Kelsey burst into laughter, Chad joining in and clapping Joel on the shoulder. "Dunno. I reminded him about movie night and he said he might be here. He wasn't in his room, right?"

When Chad shakes his head, I sigh and pull out my phone. Knew asking for everyone's locations was the right call… and of course, Carter's location is off. Joel frowns down at my screen, snatches the device right out of my hands and does some quick tinkering before giving it back. "'Scuse me?"

He reaches forward and shoves my forehead with the palm of his hand, such a similar thing to what Leon used to do that my heart aches. "Miss F taught me some techie stuff. Only some of it was useful."

Dana narrows her eyes. "Wow, Joel. Way to compliment a woman."

"That is not what I meant, and you know it!" An argument starts up yet again, and I can't help but laugh as I stand up.

"I'll go get Red," I announce, if anyone is listening to me over the ensuing discussion, and glance down at my phone as I start out of the dorms. Carter's location is in an oddly unfamiliar spot of Aqua Base, one I don't think I've been to before, so I'm careful to keep an eye on the map as I walk.

The closer I get to his pin, though, the more crowded the hallways get, which- combined with the odd location- is weird for this time of night. "What's going on?" The employee I talk to, a new lab assistant whose name I think might also be Alyssa, frowns at me. Not meanly, though. Confused?

"You mean you don't know?" When I don't reply, she glances back the way I came, like she was expecting at least one of my teammates to be following behind. "Do any of you?"

"Um… don't think so." Her eyes grow shadowed, and she gestures towards a nondescript door near the end of the hallway. It opens once she waves her ID in front of the scanner, and she holds it open for me as I slip in-

Light flares around Carter, or at least the silhouette that I think is Carter. His teeth are gritted against the shock waves that pulse into his skin, and readings flash onto the various devices in the room. Miss Fairweather sits in front of one of them, and I rush over to her. "What the hell's happening?"

She's just as shocked as my name twin was; her brown eyes widening behind her glasses is a sure sign of it. "Carter told us he had informed-" A gut-wrenching scream echoes from the testing area that the Red Ranger is in, and Miss F slams her hand down onto a bright red button. The lights stop flashing, the readings slow, and I'm shoving open the testing room door, catching Carter before he can collapse.

"You're a fucking idiot, you know that?"

His chest heaves, and for a moment, I'm afraid he's about to vomit. Instead, though, the fucker starts laughing. "I know lots of things."

He passes out, and it's all I can do to support his dead weight.

Despite all the monsters we've killed, I think this is the scariest I've seen my team get. Joel, for once, has his hat off and is leaning against the kitchen counter. It looks like he's watching the late night soap opera that we've muted, but he hates those.

Dana's usually frenetic energy is gone, her tapping foot now silent. Kelsey's brow is scrunched, arms crossed and muscles on full display. I have no doubt in my ig mind she'd like to solve this whole thing with a few punches.

Chad sits so silently and still, I'd almost think he'd fallen asleep if not for the penetrating gaze he's fixed onto Carter.

And me? I've parked myself directly across from our leader, forehead in my hands for the second time tonight.

"And tell us why, again, you'd think hiding this whole secret project from us was a good idea?" I'm not sure whether Dana's furious because of Carter's stupidity, or because even she hadn't been read into what he'd called Project Titanium.

And the fact I can't tell makes me sick to my stomach.

He sighs, draws his hands through his hair again. "Because we already have to worry about living past tomorrow. Why add another concern?"

"Why?" Kelsey mutters. "Why? Because you're our teammate, our leader and our friend!" When she gets to her feet, the room seems to lighten, the tension warming ever so slightly. At least one of us is recognizable.

Carter raises his hands, palms forward. "Okay. Okay, I screwed up. And I'm sorry. But Lightspeed needs this morpher to work. It's been in beta testing for… I don't know how long, and-"

"Why you?" The words leave my mouth hardly before I can even think of them, which is saying something. "Why not another recruit?" Why not one of us? is what I want to add, but that would also defeat the purpose of this entire meeting.

Dana shakes her head. "Because there isn't another recruit." She gestures around. "We're it." The words hold more weight than I think she realizes. But that's a talk for another time. If ever.

Chad sighs, and Kelsey jumps, which makes sense. The guy hasn't so much as moved this entire time. "Look. Carter, you already did the thing. It's in the past. Just…" he scratches the back of his neck. "Tell us before the next time you do something stupid?"

Joel scoffs. "If he tells us, it can't be that stupid."

With that, the tension melts away, and we laugh, each of us saying good night and returning to our routines. I try to do the same, but now, without my usual text to Leon… I'm out of sorts.

"You okay?" Dana's peeking her head out of her room, hair already in her sock-curls.

"Yeah." I give her the best smile I can manage, and thankfully, even if she doesn't buy it, she doesn't push. "'Night, D."

"Sleep well, Ally."

Her door closes, and I'm left on the couch, staring down the hallway. Someone's running the shower. There's soft music floating from Joel's room.

I still have this family, but the fact still stands: I had to lose my biological one to gain this one.