I arrived at the warehouse a bit later than I intended. Around twenty-five minutes after the call with Tammi ended, I touched down on the street across from the building, only a few feet away from where Kon was leaning against his vehicle. I looked around, noting the lack of anyone nearby as my wings faded away and Kon noticed me.

"Yosei, glad you could make it." He greeted me, pushing himself off of the van and made his way over, "Though I'll admit, I thought you'd be here sooner. What took you?"

"Hello Kon, and I apologize for the delay. I was having a bit of an issue with my costume." I explained as he reached me. I looked around, noting the absence of a certain blonde, "Where's… our friend?" I asked, unsure of what to call her. She still hadn't chosen a moniker after all.

"She's still scouting around. Should be back in a minute or two." He said as he looked me up and down, "I'd say that wait was definitely worth it. That costume looks badass, boss!"

I smiled, pride welling up within me at his words, "Thank you, I worked hard on it. Though I will admit, I underestimated how long it would take to put on."

Though it was a shame that my previous costume had been destroyed when Bakuda had killed me, it had also given me the perfect reason and opportunity to redesign it into something that would better fit my new position in the ABB. It has taken quite a while to find the time to do it amidst all of my work, but I had somehow managed it and now that I was wearing it, I was quite satisfied with the results of my work.

My old costume had been almost ceremonial in appearance, with the flowing kimono designed to give me an ethereal look to go alongside my moniker. It had been beautiful, but not exactly the most practical or fear-inspiring. Now that I was leader of the ABB, I needed something more functional, leading to what I was wearing right now.

My silk kimono had been replaced with a sturdy yukata of the same red and black as before. The garment itself was made of tough fibers that would do well stopping a knife on the off chance someone got close enough, yet was still breathable enough that I did not sweat wearing it. The hems of my sleeves had been trapped against my wrists with bandages while the same had been done with my pants just above my shoes, allowing movement while preventing them from getting in the way.

Unfortunately, the mythological iconography had been replaced with a rippling wave pattern, mostly due to the fact that it would have simply taken too long to stitch them all into the costume, but I was somewhat okay with that. I had some ideas regarding that anyways.

All in all, my new costume was elegant in its simplicity and if one were to look at it from afar, they would likely believe I had just modified what I already had into what I was now wearing.

That assumption was counteracted by the most important part of the design, my mask. Unlike my previous half-mask, this one covered my entire face, hiding my features underneath the snarling visage of a kitsune. Looking at it head on, it would appear as if the fox spirit was enraged by everything laid before it, teeth bared in rage at whatever stood in its path.

It was extremely reminiscent of my father's own dragon mask, which was why I had chosen it. The design was actually one that I had drafted long before I became Yosei in preparation for the role but had never had a chance to actually use. Now that he was gone, and I was left as his legacy, it felt appropriate to wear it.

Those who would look upon this mask would understand just how serious I was about my position. That I would do my best to take my father's place as the protector of the ABB and its people, even if that meant becoming something to fear.

Adjusting my mask so that it sat more comfortably on my face, I turned my attention back to Kon, "So what is the situation? Has the Case-53 made any demands or anything of that nature?"

Kon shook his head, "Nope, nothing so far. He just wants to meet with you. As far as I can tell, the guy is pretty sincere about what he's saying but I'll admit it's kind of hard to read him because… well, you'll see."

Just then, an odd sound like wind slapping against a door emanated from above us. Both Kon and I looked up, and a smile crossed my face as I was met with Tammi descending to the ground atop the inverted lid of a dumpster, her scarf fluttering in the wind behind her like some sort of cape.

She touched down and stepped off of her platform, jogging over to me, "Hey, you finally made it. About time. What happened to ten minutes?" As she reached me, she blinked, looking me up and down, "Wait, is that a new costume?"

"It is. Which is why it took me so much longer to arrive. I've never worn it before today so there were some adjustments I had to make." I explained, "Did you see anything while scouting?"

Tammi shrugged, "I saw a few people hanging around, but they were all civics so we shouldn't have to worry about them. The buildings around here all look abandoned though, so some people might be hiding in there; I couldn't check."

"That's fine. Given where we are, it's expected that one or two homeless people might be inhabiting the buildings around us. I'm not feeling anything with my power so if there are, they shouldn't be an issue." I looked towards the warehouse, "It seems my hunch was wrong."

"So you think he actually wants to join?" Tammi asked, "Seems kind of odd that he just… asked, you know? LIke, that's not how these things usually work."

"Weirder things have happened." I replied with a shrug, "Case-53's are notoriously unpredictable by nature. It isn't often that they appear but when they do, they're often confused and even sometimes hostile thanks to their lack of memories, and most search for some sort of companionship to figure out what has happened to them. It isn't far-fetched to think that one might want to join us."

"And if he does, it'll be a big opportunity for the ABB." Kon chimed in, "With Lung gone, we'll need more capes. With him, we'll have three pretty strong capes and Yosei. Those are some pretty good numbers. It'll make our enemies more scared to mess with us and make our people less scared to join up."

Tammi scoffed, confusing me, "Yeah, for all the good it will do us. What could we even do with a cape who can't leave his house?"

"What do you mean?" I asked her as we began to make our way towards the warehouse.

"Spook's skin apparently can't handle sunlight." Kon explained, "Even the moon is enough to hurt him. Oh, his name is Spook by the way."

"Really? He named himself Spook?" I asked, slightly confused as we crossed the street.

"You'll see why." Was all he said as he opened the warehouse doors and stepped inside. I shared a look with Tammi before stepping in after him into the darkness.

The man I assumed I was here to see was standing in the middle of the room, utterly massive even with his hunched form. The moment that my eyes came upon him, Kon's words rang completely true. Everything about Spook's body seemed designed to unnerve or frighten anybody who happened to lay eyes upon him, from his corpse-like skin to the almost gaunt nature of his body that brought with it a feeling of uncanny valley, as if I were looking at a creatures pretending to be human that couldn't get it quite right.

I could feel a hint of unease creeping along my spine as he turned to look at me, a curtain of hair obscuring his eyes. My shoulders tensed and I could feel my power build inside of me the longer I looked at him, warning me of the danger that laid directly in front of me.

"Oh shit, we forgot to tell her." Tammi cursed off to my side. A hand on my shoulder made me flinch slightly, but I kept my eyes glued to Spook, wary of any sudden movement, "Yosei, don't look directly at him. His power isn't just an aura. It makes anyone who looks at him afraid."

That explained the fear that I was feeling. I looked away from the man and immediately the tension began to go away, my shoulders relaxing gradually as my power settled within me once more. That was something else, his power was certainly potent.

I turned my gaze back towards him, making sure not to look directly at him, "You must be Spook. It is a pleasure to meet you, my name is Yosei, as I'm sure you know."

"I do, it's good to finally meet you, Yosei." Spook bent his body in a vague approximation of a bow, clearly finding the action a bit difficult with his odd proportions, "I'm sorry for any issues I may have been causing inside of your territory. I am unable to shut off my power fully and had no clue that I was affecting people outside of the building."

The apology seemed sincere, as did the rest of the man's mannerisms despite his fear-inducing appearance, and I found myself relaxing at his polite tone. Perhaps I had been worried for nothing.

I returned the bow with one of my own, "I accept your apology, though I do not believe that it is necessary. I understand that your circumstances are out of your control. You need not be held accountable for something that you didn't know you were doing."

Spook gave me a thankful smile, "Thank you."

"Now then, my subordinates informed me that you wish to join the ABB?" Spook nodded and I hummed, "I see. May I ask why? You do understand that we are villains, correct? Though I may treat my own people the best that I can, the gang itself cares little for those who are not members or under our banner."

Spook gave me an amused smile, "Your friends said the same thing. Yes, I know you are all villains, and that is part of the reason that I want to join you."

I was left confused by his words, not understanding why us being villains could possibly be a reason for him to want to join us, "I'm afraid I don't quite understand. Would you mind explaining what you mean by that"

"I've done research on you and the ABB as well. Or at least as much as possible with what little I've got available here." He revealed, "Your gang stands out among the rest of the players in the city thanks to the changes you've been undergoing and by my understanding, it's all because of you."

I nodded, "Yes. Due to the recent loss of our leader, I was forced to step up and take his place."

"You've been doing a good job of it then." He said, "All of the message boards and even a few of the wikis are talking all about you and what you might do with the gang now that you're in charge. Most are worried, but some are hopeful that with you around, the ABB might become less violent."

"Is that so?" On the odd occasions that I even had free time to browse the internet recently, I did my best to stay off of PHO and sites that might give me insight to how the city at large was viewing my reforms. I didn't care or need to know what the greater population of Brockton Bay thought about me. All that mattered was the ABB's prosperity and that of those in my territory.

"It is." Spook said, "Though barely anybody agrees on exactly what you might do in the future, the general consensus is that you are a much better ruler than Lung ever was. In the months than you've been active, you've done more for the ABB than he did during his entire leadership. Most believe that if that continues, the ABB will become the predominant force within the city, perhaps even surpassing the heroes themselves. I would like to be a part of that, if you would allow me to."

I was unsure how to take his words. I had no idea that people thought that way about me, "I am just doing what I must to keep my father's legacy alive and do right by our people."

"And that's why you're a better leader." Spook said, "I've only been around for a little while, but everywhere I look online, everyone's talking about you and what you might do next. All eyes are on the ABB, Yosei, and I don't think that's going to change any time soon."

That was… somewhat disconcerting. I didn't really know what to say to that, not having known that my actions were being scrutinized so intently. I cleared my throat, focusing on the topic at hand instead of the concerning words of the man before me, "I see. Back to the matter at hand, I suppose if you truly want to join us, I should probably inform you of another player in the city that might interest you."

Beside me, Tammi looked at me weirdly, "You're really going to tell him about them? What if he joins them instead?"

"Then that's his choice." I responded, "He has a right to know before making a decision."

As Tammi gave a huff, Spook looked confused, "What are you two talking about? Another player"

"A team full of people like yourself." I explained, "Faultline is the leader of a mercenary group set up in a club on the east side of the city. She has either been seeking out or just happened upon several Case-53s who have all joined her crew. If rumors are to be believed, they are looking into their origins, trying to find out exactly who or what is responsible for their transformations. If you'd like, I could contact her and set up a meeting for you."

Spook stared at me silently for a long moment, but with his hair blocking his face as well as the fact that I wasn't looking directly at him, I couldn't really tell what his reaction was to the information I had just espoused.

Eventually, he spoke, his voice slightly confused, "Why would you tell me that? I was fully intent on joining the ABB, so why inform me about a rival organization knowing you might lose a new member."

"Because you would have found out eventually." I replied simply, "They aren't exactly an unknown entity even outside of the Bay if one is actively looking for them. If you joined the ABB without knowing all of your options, then you might as well not have joined at all."

Even with that fact, some might have thought that telling him about Faultline was stupid, that I could simply keep him in line with threats or violence if he ever found out and decided to leave. Those same people likely would have had the ABB fall down around their ears if they were in my position. I wasn't looking for simple manpower or capes. I needed loyal followers who wouldn't betray me at the drop of a hat. Lying was not the way to achieve that.

Spook seemed momentarily stunned by what I had said, before a touched smile appeared on his face "...I see. Thank you for letting me know, I appreciate your honesty, Yosei. But I already knew about Faultline's crew and while meeting them would be something I would love, I have no desire to actually join them."

My eyes widened, surprised by his words "Really? Why is that?"

"Because if they're looking into the origins of Case-53s, then I want nothing to do with them." He said bluntly, making me blink. He looked down at himself, "Whoever was able to do this to me isn't someone I want to meet, much less actively search for."

He shook his head, "No, I'd much rather just accept what has happened to me and move on with my life." He looked at me, "Hopefully alongside you and your comrades, if you'll take me."

I processed what he had said, before nodding slowly and coming to a decision. He seemed harmless enough so letting him join wouldn't be much of an issue and the ABB could use all of the capes it could get right now. I'd have Lee keep an eye on him just in case, but something told me that I was making the right decision.

"Alright then. I suppose if you are truly intent on joining the ABB then I see no reason to deny you." I finally said. Spook smiled at my words whole beside me, Kon let out an almost silent 'yes!'. I gave him an amused look, before turning back to Spook, "You'll be monitored of course, but if you don't have anything to hide, that shouldn't be a problem."

"You're seeing all I've got right now." He replied, holding his arms out, "I'm an open book, Yosei. Don't worry about that."

I chuckled at his words, "That's good to hear. I suppose we can talk at length about your terms once I inform my advisors about the recruitment. If you would like, we can take you to a more comfortable space, though it will be a bit difficult transporting you out of here without putting your skin in contact with the sunlight.

Spook waved off my offer, "It's fine, I'm actually quite happy in this warehouse. I suppose someone who looks like me naturally feels at home in dark and dingy spaces" Spook joked lightheartedly, "But if we're discussing terms of recruitment, can I suggest some more comfortable furniture in here? Or even furniture at all? I may not need to sleep, but sitting on concrete isn't exactly comfortable."

I smiled, "That can certainly be arranged. Tell me what you would like and I'll do my best to see that you get it. I would hate to have one of my future Enforcers live in discomfort."

After a little bit more discussion about what exactly Spook needed, as well as a promise to get it to him in a timely fashion, Kon, Tammi and I made our way out of the warehouse. I had a satisfied smile on my face, happy that this encounter had gone by so easily. Spook's power was incredibly potent and he would doubtlessly be a boon to the ABB. Not to mention, he seemed rather polite despite his less than ideal circumstances. I was looking forward to working with him.

Unfortunately, my good mood didn't last very long as the moment that I stepped out of the warehouse, I found my smile sliding right off my face at the sight I was met with.

It appears that someone had either caught wind of my presence or someone had tipped off the heroes, because Battery and Assault were standing next to Kon's van talking to one another in hushed tones that even my enhanced hearing couldn't make out from so far away.

Battery herself was looking through the window as if she was trying to find something inside, while Assault was leaning against the van, an amused hunch to his shoulders as he watched his partner search for contraband. Neither of the heroes had noticed us yet, but it would only take the smallest turn of the head for Assault to do so.

Before I could retreat back inside the warehouse to deliberate on what to do about this sudden development, Tammi and Kon emerged after me, confused about why I had suddenly frozen.

"What's going on? Why'd you stop-oh. Oh shit." Tammi cursed as she saw them and as the door closed loudly behind her, the noise rang out in the empty street, catching the heroes' attention.

The pair turned in surprise, and Assault's easy-going posture immediately disappeared as he caught sight of me standing at the front of our group. It seemed that he was just as unhappy to see me as I was to see them.

We eyed one another from across the street, and I immediately came to the conclusion that this confrontation was inevitable. There wasn't a chance the heroes were going to let us go without one and even if they did, they might discover Spook. Having one of my Enforcers captured mere moments after recruiting him wouldn't exactly inspire loyalty within him or anyone who found out.

Perhaps the biggest factor however, was the realization that this was my territory that the heroes were currently intruding upon. With my father, seeing a hero in this part of the city would be a rare sight unless they were called. The fact that they were suddenly present now that he was gone was an obvious attempt to regain some of the control that they had lost with his arrival.

It was truly unfortunate for them that I was here then, and even more unfortunate that I would stand their presence just as much as he had. I was the leader of the ABB and as long as that fact remained true, heroes were not welcome within my territory without my permission.

The fact that these people were part of the reason that my father was lost to me also played a significant part in the actions I was about to take, but I would do my best to not let any of my anger towards them show in my posture or actions. There was a time and place for that rage and this was not it.

With that thought in mind, I straightened my shoulders and began striding forward, heading directly for the heroes at an even pace. Tammi and Kon were half a step behind me, falling into line on my left and right respectively. In my peripheral vision, I could see Tammi reach into the pockets of her jacket while Kon's hand came down to rest near the pistol at his side, both of them ready for a confrontation should one happen.

Though hopefully it wouldn't come to that. I wasn't exactly worried about my chances, not against these two alone, but I would still rather avoid a fight if I could help it.

As we approached of course, both heroes tensed almost immediately. After sharing a look, Assault stepped forward and in front of his partner while Battery fell back a small bit and brought a hand up to the side of her helmet. I could see her lips moving but she was speaking too quietly for me to make out any words. Even so, it didn't take a genius to guess that she was likely calling for backup.

And probably charging her power while she was at it. Battery's power required for her to stay still or perform simple movements in order to charge it and judging by her rigid posture and the way she kept her face turned towards us even as she spoke to the person in her helmet, it was clear that she was expecting a fight.

Moving a bit faster before things escalated too far, I raised my voice to address the two of them, "Good afternoon, heroes. May I ask what you are doing in my territory?"

"Your territory?" Assault's demeanor was a far cry from what it had been that day in the alley. His face was a stony mask of anger and his shoulders were rigid with tension, "This is just another street in the city. You have no authority over it."

"Perhaps not officially." I agreed, "But we both know how much that matters. I am the leader of the ABB and just like my father, I will not tolerate heroes interfering in my operations. Please leave. I don't want any issues."

Assault's scowl grew even greater, "You hurt a lot of good people with your stunt on the rig two weeks ago. Those aren't the actions of someone who doesn't want trouble."

"An unfortunate result of your own actions." I replied, "I did what I had to to save my father and even in the heat of battle and under the influence of my power, I made sure not to kill anyone."

"Yeah, you just maimed seven and crippled two for life." Battery retorted angrily. As I processed her words, she subtly looked towards Assault and shook her head. Backup was likely not coming or if it was, it wasn't going to arrive in time to help them in a fight, "Andrews is paralyzed from the waist down and Davenport's pacemaker stopped working thanks to your emp. He went into cardiac arrest and nearly died."

I didn't know that, though I suppose I should have expected that there would be unintended consequences from my actions.

I kept my face placid even in light of the new information, "And while that is regrettable, they knew the risks of their profession when they joined. Injuries such as that are common in this line of work."

"Davenport was a secretary!" Battery snarled and I tensed as she moved forward a step, stopped by a hand on her shoulder from her partner.

"Yeah. A secretary on the biggest target in the entire city for anyone who wants to take a shot at you heroes." Tammi shot back before I could say anything, "You don't hear us complaining when you guys put one of us in the hospital and that's because we know that shit just happens. No use pissing and moaning over it."

I put my hand up, silencing Tammi before she could say anything else, but the damage was already done. Battery turned towards her, narrowing her eyes and for a moment, I worried that she had recognized Tammi's voice and figured out her true identity. While it wasn't exactly paramount to keep it a secret, it would be a useful one to have.

Luckily, that worry was eliminated by Battery's next words.

"You aren't Asian." The woman said, a small amount of confusion leaking through her blatant hostility. That hostility returned in full force as she turned back to me, an angry frown on her face, "I thought the ABB didn't recruit whites."

"One of the many changes that have been implemented since my father's incarceration." I replied easily, "Without the safety caused by his presence, the ABB has been forced to undergo a rather drastic transformation. We no longer recruit strictly from the Asian population of my territory."

A lie. While yes, my father being gone did somewhat factor into our new recruitment policy, it wasn't the biggest factor. The heroes didn't know that though, and there was no reason to tell them.

Especially with the reaction that the information had caused within the two heroes. Both of them looked taken aback by my words, before the frowns on both of their faces grew even deeper.

"It's been pretty successful." Kon chimed in, seeing what I was doing, "Recruitment is up by like, forty percent. Turns out that most non-Asian people aren't nazis or drug-addicts. Go figure."

He was exaggerating the numbers quite a bit but what he had said was mostly the truth. Recruitment was up by forty percent. What he didn't say was around twenty-five percent of that was from people who had abandoned the gang in my absence and had merely returned.

Both of the heroes scowled at that, but before they were able to say anything in response, everyone present, including myself, was struck frozen by a sudden wave of fear. It settled down upon our shoulders, holding us in place with its unseen presence, and my train of thought was immediately derailed as I was forced to deal with the sudden change.

It wasn't hard to understand what had happened. It seemed that Spook had stopped holding back his power or had simply let his concentration slip. Whether or not he knew that we were still here or even that the heroes were here along with us, I wasn't sure. What I did know was that it would be remiss to let such an opportunity go to waste.

With some difficulty, I moved past the fear, forcing my shoulders to relax as I regained my usual prose and addressed the even more tense heroes once more.

"As I said before, there is no reason that this has to come to blows." I said with as much composure as I could muster, "We can simply go our separate ways and pretend this never happened in the first place."

"And why would we do that?" Assault challenged, and I frowned lightly at his words. Was he being stubborn on purpose, trying to see how serious I was about this? Surely they must see that there was no way they would be able to win a battle between us with just the two of them. Even without Tammi and Kon, I was more than enough to take care of them by myself.

"Well, you don't have to. I was just being kind and giving you an… out? Yes, an out to the situation." I let a bit of my power loose, mist seeping from my skin and into the air as I stared directly into the man's visor, "If you'd like, I can retract that kindness, but truthfully, I don't fancy your chances should we come to blows. You are two heroes. That is three less than last time and unlike last time, I am not alone."

As if on cue, the fear aura surrounding us increased slightly, causing all of us to tense once more. I managed to keep my composure, staring into their eyes to make sure they knew exactly how serious I was about my threat. They met my gaze just as strongly, but eventually that strength wavered

Finally, Assault turned away, frowning deeply, "Come on, let's go." He said, shocking his partner.

"Assault! She-"

"I know, but there's nothing we can do." He sighed, "Let's go back to base and call this in. Even if we wanted to, you remember what Piggot said. We can't fight her unless we want an earful."

Oh? What was this? Had the Director given them orders about not engaging me? I knew that my father had something similar in place unless he went on one of his famous rampages but I had only recently shown the full extent of my power. Were they that scared of what I was capable of?

Battery looked like she wanted to argue with her partner, but instead she just sighed angrily, "Won't even let us do our fucking job. Fine. Let's go."

"Ready when you are."

Curiously, instead of just turning to leave, Battery froze in place, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared directly at me. It took me a moment to realize that she was charging up, readying her power inside of her body. As she did so, she spoke to me one last time.

"You may be powerful, Yosei, but even your father didn't try to fight the entire protectorate at once. There was a reason that Lung stayed to himself most of the time." Battery said, making my eyes narrow, "The gangs in Brockton Bay, the ABB and the Empire too, you think you run the city but we all know that isn't true. The only reason you're even still around is because Director Piggot hasn't been able to convince the Chief Director to send us more capes. The moment that she does, you're done and the citizens in your territory will be free."

"We shall see." Was all I said. Battery gave me another glare before turning towards Assault who kept his eyes on us. Her costume lit up a bright blue as she slammed a fist into her partner's stomach with a thud. At the impact, Assault shot off like a rocket though in the wrong direction, disappearing down the road at an extreme pace. Moments later, Battery was gone as well, zooming off down the street close behind her partner as they both raced away from us and I was left a little surprised at just how fast the two of them were moving, crossing meters worth of distance in the fraction of a second.

They truly were an incredibly effective duo, weren't they? The person who had decided to put them on the same team deserved a raise.

The moment that they were out of sight, the aura of fear surrounding us disappeared completely, proving to me that Spook had indeed been watching what was occurring from inside the warehouse. I cast a thankful glance back towards the warehouse, before letting out a small sigh as I turned back to my compatriots, "Well that went better than I expected."

Kon nodded in agreement, "Yeah, I actually thought they might have tried to fight us there for a second. Was not looking forward to getting my ribs broken today."

"They would have lost." Tammi said, staring down the street where the heroes had gone, "Assault and Battery are good at blitzing people and both of them can hit like a two-ton truck, but they regularly have trouble with Hookwolf and Yosei tore him apart. Literally. They didn't stand a chance and they knew it."

"And I am glad that they did." I said, looking around at the buildings around us, "I would rather not damage our newly acquired territory in an avoidable conflict. We might actually be able to get some use out of these buildings once the undesirables are cleared out."

"Eh, you probably could have taken them out fast enough to minimize the damage." Kon said, "You've got like a million forms to choose from. One of em's got to be fast enough to deal with them without actually fighting."

After that little display of speed by the duo, I wasn't sure about that. I certainly had physically stronger forms than them, but I wasn't sure I'd be able to output that same strength while still keeping up with that incredible speed. At least not while only fighting the two of them.

"Perhaps." I said instead of letting my thoughts be known, "But even so, a fight avoided is a fight won. I don't want to become the type of cape who engages in conflict at the drop of a hat. That would draw unwanted attention from the heroes that we cannot afford.'

I turned to give them both a smile, "Anyway, apart from that small hiccup, this mission was an astounding success. You figured out the issue with the warehouse and secured us a new recruit in the process. well done, the both of you."

"We really didn't do anything though." Tammi said, "It wasn't like it was that hard to talk to the guy and set up a meeting with you."

"That may be so, but you still did it, braving that potent fear aura while doing so. That deserves praise." I said, before turning to Kon's van, "Now come. I must meet with a few people to take care of our new recruit's needs and inform certain people about his new position. You are free to join me or take the day to yourselves."

"Do you ever stop working?" Tammi asked in a joking tone as they followed after me, "It's like you're always on one hundred."

I chuckled at her words, my smile a bit forced, "Sometimes I wonder…"

Tammi's words made mine and Hiashi's earlier conversation ring in my head. I wished I could take his advice and take a step away from everything for a day or two. It would be wonderful to finally relax after all of my hard work and actually deal with everything that had happened.

But alas, I still had much more work to do, especially now that we had a new member of our growing cape roster. I would simply have to bear with it for now and hope I didn't crash or have a nervous breakdown or something similar.

Though with all the work keeping me occupied, I doubted I even had the time for that.