Born a Queen

Benjamin Medrano

Born a Queen by Benjamin Medrano

© 2017 Benjamin Medrano. All rights reserved.

Contact the author at BenjaminPMedrano@gmail.com

Visit the author’s website at benjaminmedrano.com

Sign up for the author’s mailing list at http://eepurl.com/cGPT-b

Cover Art by Brendon and Brian Fraim

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Created with Vellum

Jessica, thank you for keeping me in check on this story. It improved it a lot.

Contents

Foreword

World Origins

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Epilogue

Author’s Note

Foreword

This is the beginning of a new series for me, and it’s a shock in some ways. Though perhaps calling Lilith’s Shadow a new series isn’t exactly right, either. Born a Queen was written and finished in its original incarnation over a year before I even started writing Ancient Ruins, which was what really kickstarted my writing career. The core of the book remains the same, but the book required incredibly extensive edits before it was acceptable for publishing.

Don’t even ask about the original. It was… not something I’m proud of.

While many elements changed, some have stayed the same. If you happen to have read my other books, you may very well notice some similar elements from the Ancient Dreams trilogy, which shouldn’t be surprising, I suppose.

Unlike Ancient Dreams or any of my other projects, Lilith’s Shadow doesn’t have a set ending. There is at least one more book in the story being told, possibly two, but it’s far more… open-ended than my other stories. Perhaps that’s a good thing, perhaps not. Regardless, here we go.

In case you don’t know what I write, Born a Queen is a story about a lesbian character in search of her place in a world full of superheroes, and it isn’t quite as bright and colorful as many such worlds, though it’s also not as dark and gritty as has become common. I hope you enjoy it.

World Origins

It’s a commonly held belief that the emergence of superpowers was the fault of the SS in 1943. Many scholars are skeptical of these claims, but even they admit that it was the actions of the SS that led to superpowers coming into the open. Whatever the case, that year the SS made the mistake of sacrificing the life of a young woman in Poenari Castle, believing it would call demons to their aid, thus turning the tide of the war in their favor.

Instead their actions woke Vlad Dracul. Contrary to popular legends, Vlad was not a vampire but instead a dragon, and the actions of the Nazi scientists enraged him. He raised the young woman from the dead and destroyed the interlopers, declaring Transylvania his domain. The offending army could do little against him, and when anti-aircraft batteries, tanks, and bombs proved ineffective, Germany ceded the battle. Yet even though Dracula’s appearance rocked the world, his was merely the first of many powerful individuals.

Months later, the first man the world called Pyroclasm took the field on the side of Germany, incinerating those who opposed him. Only through great sacrifices was he defeated, including that of a handful of people who showed superhuman abilities before their deaths.

Over the following decades, every nation had men and women with superpowers emerge, though they were few and far between. Some of these were heroes, while others became villains. Those that inherited the name of Pyroclasm attempted to keep the last remnants of the SS alive, and have persisted even into modern days. However, the rarity of these powers came to an end on January 1st of the year 2000.

As the year of 1999 came to a close, Stonehenge exploded with power that no one had ever imagined, rocking the countryside and the world itself as the stars shifted and warped until the very heavens were rent asunder. Power flooded the world, and with the dawn came the first changes in a slow ripple across the planet. Atlantis rose from beneath the ocean’s surface and mermaids swam once more, while the top of Mount Olympus disappeared into the clouds. A handful of people took on new and fantastic forms, and ancient gateways to realms of myth and legend opened once more. To humanity’s shock, they learned that for millennia Earth had been sealed away in a pocket universe where magic and superpowers were all but impossible to use, but that night, the seal had been broken.

Thirty years has passed since then, and the number of superhumans has skyrocketed. Seemingly every form of superpower imaginable has manifested somewhere, and not all of them for the good. One of the most notable incidents in the United States was in 2003, when Congress was discussing regulation of superpowers and two villains attacked. General Mayhem and Major Disaster, both leaders of Destruction Corps, destroyed half the city and killed a large portion of the ruling parties of the country. Only the arrival of Destiny and Frostfire, two of the most powerful heroes in the world, saved the remainder of the city. Even so, Destiny was slain in the conflict. Fortunately, the heroine appears to be immortal, having emerged once more in 2025.

The second major incident was in 2008, when a man now dubbed Megadeath attacked Salt Lake City. His sole power was to detonate on a near-nuclear scale a single time, which he used to wipe out the leadership of his former religion during one of their major conferences. The vast majority of the city was destroyed, and in the aftermath it was rebuilt as Paragon City. One of the few cities built from the ground up with the aid of superhuman inventors and scientists, Paragon City is the hub of superhero activity in the western United States.

Things have changed immensely since the Advent, as the emergence of Earth into the wider universe is called. Few aliens have come calling so far, but humanity has proven to be just as prone to discord as ever, and while there have been many advancements in technology, many villains have arisen as well. It’s a new world, with limitless horizons and immense dangers.

This is the world of Stars & Shadows.

Prologue

Monday, January 7th, 2030

Shadowmind Arctic Lair Delta-Seven, Arctic Ocean

The shriek of twisting metal echoed through the facility savagely, prompting yet another siren to wail its warning throughout the structure. Amber winced at the harsh sound, glancing up at the intercom with a glare, hitting a key harder than she should have. As the siren cut off in a mournful, dying wail, the villain muttered under her breath angrily. “Damn it, I know! Crimson Bull my ass, he should be named ‘Bull in the China Shop!’ I just wish the idiot was stupid enough to show up without Warden. That would make this easier. Instead… well, shit.”

The core of her undersea base was the chamber she was in, a hexagonal room about fifty feet across, with only a single, heavily reinforced hatch for an entrance. Opposite the hatch was a gaping alcove where an elaborate array of equipment dangled uselessly from where it’d been rapidly detached from the growth capsule she’d been monitoring. Amber wished that she’d thought to have a spare capsule on hand to put into its place, to fix the obvious absence. Unfortunately it was far too late for that, and Amber looked around the room again for something that she might be able to use against the heroes.

To Amber’s right was a large set of workbenches and her favorite workstation, complete with six high-resolution holographic projectors that were currently dark. A tiny part of the villain glowered at the old coffee mug sitting next to the keyboard, annoyed that she hadn’t dealt with it before this. Far more frustrating was that this was the single most devastating invasion of her career, and both she and her base were in shambles.

Four and a half suits of power armor were scattered across the benches to her left, most of the armor plating shattered and broken, and the inner workings scattered among her tools were largely broken and dismantled. If she’d had even another day, Amber might’ve been able to cobble together a single proper suit from the remnants of the others. As it was, none of the components were in any shape to be assembled into anything useful at this point. What she’d give for even one of the power generators being functional at the moment!

The center of the room was dominated by the teleportation platform. There was a pylon both above and below the platform, which could be accessed by a gentle ramp, and remnants of electricity arced across the surface of the pylons from their recent use. Amber was working at the control panel next to the ramp, and she sat back in frustration as she realized the only option she had was to commit suicide, and that was a step too far, even now.

A soft tone sounded and the computer began speaking in a silky, sexy voice that made Amber cringe under the circumstances. “Power reserves at 10%, teleportation matrix is offline. Primary, secondary, and tertiary power plants disconnected. Capacitor banks One, Two, Four, Five, and Six have sustained critical damage. Hull integrity failing, critical damage sustained by structural supports. Immediate evacuation is recommended, Mistress.”

Amber glared up at the ceiling in disgust, annoyed with the AI. She’d once thought the lovely voice would make her happier, but at the moment all it did was make a bad situation worse.

“If I could escape, I would’ve already done so, Circe. The problem is that they took out the escape pods and submersibles first,” Amber murmured, finally sitting back in her wheelchair and running her fingers through her hair, her mind racing through ideas. Despite her many close escapes, a daring, brilliant way out of this one was failing to occur to her, and her lips pressed together tightly as nothing came to mind. Finally she realized the truth, though, and she sighed, pressing a button and speaking clearly. “Circe, Protocol Delta. Confirmation code seven-four-nine-alpha-nine.”

“Protocol Delta confirmed, initiating data wipe. Good luck, Mistress,” the computer replied in a soft voice, shutting down with an oddly final tone. Smiling sadly, Amber patted the console and shook her head.

There were so many plans she’d had brewing, but obviously they weren’t going to happen now. The heroes were going to see to that. But the least she could do was make things more difficult for them. Turning her powers on herself, Amber began removing as much of the information they might want from her mind as possible while she waited for the ‘heroes’ to get to her room.

The echo of twisting, tearing metal came with depressing regularity, approaching slowly as the heroes progressed through her undersea base. Amber couldn’t understand what the so-called hero was thinking, smashing through the bulkheads the way he was. They were at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean, and while her base had been built to handle the immense pressure with a large safety margin, it didn’t help when a super-powered imbecile was ripping through vital structural supports. The ominous creaking sounds warned her of the eventual collapse of the structure, removing the need for Circe’s earlier warning. Disheartened, Amber imagined that the lair wasn’t going to last more than another hour or two.

“I suppose this is actually the end of the line for me, unless someone breaks me out of jail. Well, at least I can go out with some dignity. No, with some pride. I’m too sharp-tongued for dignity,” Amber murmured with a smirk, shaking her head in amusement. She hoped that the capsule had arrived safely at its destination, but with the base breached, all communications with her other lairs had been cut off, removing the usual confirmation signals. A moment later, she sighed. “It’s just as well I don’t want to die. The self-destruct system might be satisfying, but given the typical luck heroes seem to have, it’d be pointless anyway.”

With a shriek, a hatch in the next room was kicked clean off its hinges, clanging harshly against the opposite wall. The heavy, echoing footsteps that followed were ominous in their own right, and Amber sighed again, calmly pulling out a pair of noise-canceling headphones and slipping them over her ears. An instant later, the steel hatch she was watching dented inward in the shape of a man’s fist. A follow-up punch tore straight through the metal, revealing the crimson glove of the attacker, which withdrew enough that the hero could get both hands into the gap. It took a moment for Crimson Bull to get a solid grip, and he slowly ripped the hatch into two separate pieces. Watching it happen, Amber silently thanked the designer of her headphones for their excellent work.

Amber removed her headphones calmly as she looked at the imposing man now standing in the entrance. Crimson Bull wore a form-fitting crimson suit with yellow trim, his full helmet bearing elaborate bull’s horns while a yellow cape flared dramatically behind him. The hero was built like a Greek god, and many women would have swooned at the mere sight of him, though Amber certainly wasn’t one of those. He paused where he was standing, obviously startled despite the yellow lenses that concealed his eyes. There really wasn’t any question of what he was looking at.

The villain knew that she wasn’t much to look at, but that wasn’t why he was staring. She was pretty enough, in a modest sort of way, with piercing blue eyes, golden blonde hair to the middle of her back, and a painfully thin figure. What made people stare when they thought she wasn’t looking was the motorized wheelchair she was in. Only a well-designed brace allowed her to sit up straight, and that had to be a shock for the hero in the doorway.

“Let me guess, Mister Bullshit, you decided you needed an update so you left your brain back at headquarters? Or perhaps you decided you actually needed a mind, and have one on layaway that you’ve been trying to purchase? I can’t think of any other reason for you to ignore the emergency override panels that would’ve opened the doors. Instead you ripped through bulkheads and hatches the entire way here.” Amber’s tone was fit to strip the paint from the walls as she lectured the hero. “Of course, all of that was after you destroyed enough structural supports to guarantee the place would implode. Good job, hero, let’s hear the applause! Oh wait… there isn’t going to be any.”

“What the hell? Who’re you supposed to be, some kind of body double?” Crimson Bull rumbled in a deep voice, stepping into the room and booting a piece of the hatch aside. “She can walk, which makes it kind of stupid to try posing as Shadowmind. Sure, you’ve got her attitude down, but that’s about it.”

“Dear gods, I thought you were dumb enough before this. Thanks for showing that I was overly generous in my estimate,” Amber retorted, shaking her head in disbelief. She could hardly believe the idiot had caught her. She hoped that he’d simply been the closest person when someone had managed to pinpoint her base, because the only other way he’d have found it would be via blind luck.

Almost as if trying to prove her point, Crimson Bull frowned in irritation and put a fist in his palm, cracking his knuckles threateningly as he spoke. “Shut it. I’m in a bad mood already, so tell me where your boss is.”

“Calm down, Crimson. She’s probably not Shadowmind, but it’ll be easy enough to find out.” Warden’s soft, serene voice echoed through the room, and a moment later she floated into the room two feet off the ground, handily avoiding the shrapnel the other hero had littered all over the floor. The heroine continued, looking at Amber carefully. “It’s also possible that she was injured in one of her attacks and put into a wheelchair for a time.”

Warden had a beautiful, curvaceous figure, one that Amber would have been quite happy to possess herself, and wore a white bodysuit that covered everything but her face, with only a tracery of golden lines across the surface to add contrast. A golden, wing-like mask covered Warden’s face, though her mouth and blue eyes were exposed. The woman had been one of the many heroes that Amber had gotten a sample of—a sample that had been much more difficult to manage than the vast majority of heroes, though she’d eventually succeeded.

“Who are you?” Warden’s question almost surprised Amber, and as the villain laughed sharply, the heroine frowned and spoke more firmly, this time with power in her words. “Again, who are you?”

The heroine’s magic was trying to compel Amber to speak the truth, but the villain shrugged it off with a laugh, flicking her hand and launching a violet mental bolt right back at the heroine. The barb painfully bounced off Warden’s shields, but Amber ignored the discomfort as she grinned. “I thought it was obvious. I’m the person you’ve been after this entire time, Shadowmind herself. Pardon me for the cold reception, but I’m afraid you caught me at a bad time. I’ve had a bad month, and wasn’t ready for your little visit. If you’d given me a few days that would’ve changed, but there’s no use crying over spilt milk.”

“I… must admit to some shock. Your powers match those I anticipated, but you feel awfully weak compared to our prior encounters. Did Dawning Bolt actually manage to hurt you? Last I’d heard, he just thought he’d mangled your armor,” Warden said, floating a few feet closer, then hesitating and looking at her companion. “Crimson, would you step closer to keep her from doing anything? I don’t trust her not to try anything untoward.”

“That’s easy enough to deal with!” Crimson Bull replied savagely, and before either woman could react, he stepped forward and ripped a wheel off Amber’s chair with enough force to send it spinning across the floor to slam into a workbench near her broken armor. The painful jolt nearly threw the villain from her chair, and she gasped.

“Ow! That hurt, you jackass! I wasn’t doing anything, so that was entirely uncalled for,” Amber exclaimed, wincing as she tried to adjust her position in the lopsided, halfway toppled chair. “Not that I expect either of you give a damn about anything but your precious reputations. As for you, I’ll have you know that I’ve been crippled since I was eight, Warden. Dawning Bolt managed to give a good accounting of himself, but he isn’t that good.”

“She’s right, Crimson, you shouldn’t have done that,” Warden agreed, scowling at him and shaking her head. “I don’t care how frustrated you’ve been, that was overdoing it.”

“Sorry, she was just pissing me off,” Crimson Bull apologized, ignoring Amber save to step closer, his muscular figure looming over her.

“Why am I not surprised by your attitude? Anyway, my armor allowed me to walk. You can see the servos right there, the charred ones,” Amber told the heroine, poking one of the objects in question, then hissing as Crimson Bull gave her chair a painful warning kick. “Asshole. If she wasn’t here, I’d have convinced you to walk out an airlock. Instead, the two of you have managed what everyone else in the world hasn’t. Congratulations, you caught Shadowmind. Too bad you’re going to get pretty much nothing out of me, and you’ve successfully destroyed my entire base. I give it no more than an hour before it implodes.”

“You’ve got to be joking. I recognize the teleporter right there, so if the base is in that bad of shape, why’re you even here?” Warden asked, looking both stunned and suspicious as she looked at the armor and the empty spot where the growth capsule had been. “You’ve escaped every other time someone found one of your bases. Why would this time be any different?”

“It’s mostly due to dumb luck on your part, with an emphasis on dumb. Bull Genius here managed to flail his way through the primary and secondary power plant links without frying himself, as well as smashing five capacitor banks before I got here. That left me enough power for a single teleport, which is far less than I’d prefer. In fact, I’m rather hoping that the two of you were counting on the teleporter for your escape, it’d make my death a lot more satisfying,” Amber replied with bared teeth, ignoring the growl of anger from the hero over her. “Though if that’s going to happen, I do hope you’ll satisfy a bit of my curiosity, Warden. I’ve always wondered what you looked like under that suit of yours.”

“Then what did you send out that’s more important than your own life?” Warden asked, floating closer, golden light coalescing around her hands, unfazed by Amber’s taunts. “You’ve spent several years collecting genetic samples from heroes and villains alike. If you sent something out instead of yourself, what could possibly be that important?”

“Wouldn’t you just like to know? I’m certainly not answering your question, and you don’t have the power to compel an answer from me,” Amber retorted smugly, laughing softly at the woman’s scowl. “What, you didn’t think I’d spill every secret I had at a minor threat, did you? You might be able to drag an answer out of me in the end, but I know I can put up a fight for long enough that the base will collapse. So go on, try me.”

“I think we should just leave her here,” Crimson Bull rumbled, looking around angrily, then spitting on the floor, adding, “Let her die with her lair. It’s in a stupid spot anyway.”

“Imbecile,” Amber muttered derisively, shaking her head in disgust.

“We can’t do that, Crimson. We have to find out what she’s been up to,” Warden disagreed quickly, glowering at Amber. “I don’t like her any more than you do. Just knock her out and carry her. Morgan and I will figure out what she’s been up to, then we’ll hand her over to the courts. I hope you’re looking forward to a life in prison, Shadowmind.”

Crimson Bull growled angrily, shaking his head and taking a step closer as he spoke, raising a hand. “Fine, then.”

“At least one of you has a few brain cells to rub together. I—” Amber began, only to have her words cut off at the sharp impact of the big man’s fist, and the world quickly went dark.

* * *

Floating over to the villain’s active control panel, Warden quickly looked over the display, relieved that Shadowmind hadn’t locked her out of it. She tried to ignore the villain as best she could, her emotions confused. While she knew that Shadowmind was an insane, dangerous person, the woman in pajamas under a bathing robe looked uncomfortably vulnerable in her broken wheelchair.

“I really hope you didn’t cause any brain damage, Crimson. We might need her brain intact, since it looks like she already wiped the computer core,” Warden told her companion absently, her worry growing more pronounced as she looked at the listed power levels. “It looks like she was telling the truth about the power levels, though. There’s no way we’re going to teleport out of here. Would you mind grabbing what we can of her armor, too? Maybe Hyper can do something with it.”

“Fine, I’ll carry her. Damned bitch,” the hero grumbled, slinging the villain over his shoulder like a rag doll, then hastily added in an apologetic tone, “Her, I mean! Sorry about that, Warden. I didn’t mean…”

“I did rather guess from the context. She’s a nasty one, isn’t she? Still, at least we know she isn’t going to do anything from lockup,” Warden replied, glancing over the controls a last time and shaking her head. “That’s something, at least.”

“What if that’s what she had planned, though?” Crimson Bull asked uncertainly, grabbing pieces of armor and shoving them into a convenient crate. “She could mind control the other inmates, right? That could be a lot worse than just letting her die.”

At the questions Warden paused, growing a little more worried. It took a moment before she sighed and shrugged, answering helplessly. “We’ve no way of knowing for certain, but I’m confident that Morgan and I can break her defenses. We’ll figure out what she was up to, and deal with it. But if it helps, I’ve heard that they’ve come up with a method for dealing with psychics like her, so we should be safe there.”

“Good enough for me,” Crimson Bull grunted, hefting the crate. “Let’s get out of here.”

* * *

Well after the stealthy submarine bearing the two heroes and their captive departed, the undersea base slowly imploded under the immense water pressure. The only thing remaining of it was a pile of wreckage and the three distant geothermal plants. For a time, everything grew calm on the sea floor once more.

Several hours later, a hidden hatch opened near one of the geothermal plants and a tiny, unmanned submarine slipped out. The vessel quickly departed, humming along on a course significantly different from the one the heroes had taken.

* * *

Friday, January 11th, 2030

Shadowmind Utah Lair Alpha-Three

She woke up.

Waking up was a strange sensation, especially when she’d never been awake before. While she knew enough to realize what being awake was, it was… confusing, in its own way. The knowledge was simply there, like the knowledge that the ceiling above her was white. It was strange and confusing.

The strangeness of her situation made her ask another question, one that felt vitally important under the circumstances. She wondered who she was, and to her relief, the knowledge simply came to mind just as easily as the other information had.

Her name was Lilith Carpenter, and her creator was the supervillain Shadowmind. Shadowmind’s real name was Amber Meadow, a surprisingly mundane name to Lilith, and the information about her creator… confused her. Based on what Lilith knew about supervillains, it was confusing that Amber had hoped to have Lilith view her as a mother.

The villain posed as a university professor for her civilian identity, preferring to teach via online courses. She was unable to walk due to the actions of an arrogant, long-dead hero during Amber’s childhood. The odd woman confused Lilith, and she nearly lost herself in musing when a voice interrupted.

“Excuse me, Miss Lilith. Are you awake?” The AI’s gentle voice broke the silence of the room almost like thunder, causing Lilith to start. She shook off the strange, oddly clinical recollection of Amber’s past and focused on the AI, Circe. Circe was Amber’s assistant and ran each of the villain’s hidden strongholds, which explained her presence. The problem was that Circe was only a class seven AI, not capable of intuition or dealing with problems outside the scope of her admittedly extensive programming. That meant that the AI would likely keep inquiring until Lilith responded.

“I a-am.” Lilith’s voice caught mid-word, and she paused, swallowing at the strange rasp to her voice. She cleared her throat, sitting up to look around as she waited for the uncomfortable itch in her throat to subside. Once she thought that the sensation had mostly passed, she spoke again, her voice feeling more stable at a lower volume. “What’s wrong with my voice?”

The room intrigued Lilith, and not just because it was the first place she could remember looking at. It must be a small medical lab of some variety, considering the equipment along the walls, most of which was automated. Lilith had been lying in a large, clear tube nearly eight feet long, and she was completely naked. While it didn’t bother her much, her skin was damp and the cool air was raising goosebumps. What the tube was, and why she’d been in it, was a mystery, one which irritated her.

Pulling herself from the tube, Lilith carefully settled onto the floor, holding tightly to the edge since she wasn’t sure if she could walk. Fortunately, her feet didn’t betray her as she slowly stood, and she found herself standing firmly on a floor that gave slightly beneath her feet. She looked at the floor curiously, and after a moment shrugged. It must be a type of rubber or polymer of some form. If it was important, she could figure it out later.

“You’ve just been decanted from your growth capsule, Miss Lilith. While in the capsule, tubes to allow breathing and feeding were placed in your throat, which I believe are the source of your discomfort. If this is the case, the abrasion should heal within a few hours,” Circe replied promptly, the AI’s voice almost seeming relieved. “The Mistress is presumed captured or slain, and it has been left to me to assist you. How may I be of assistance?”

“First I would like something to wear,” Lilith told the AI, folding her arms and shivering slightly at the cool air. “I’d also like an explanation as to what happened to Amber. I find myself confused.”

“Certainly, Miss Lilith. Please exit the room and follow the lighted line on the floor to your chambers,” Circe replied, and paused while Lilith followed the directions, the door silently sliding open at her approach. The hallway was lined with soft green wallpaper and warm yellow lights, helping Lilith to relax a bit more. As the center of the floor lit up with a glowing white line, the AI began her explanation. “As your growth cycle entered its final stages last week, the Mistress’ Arctic Base was attacked by heroes. The attackers were identified as two members of the San Francisco superhero team Ocean Shield, Crimson Bull and Warden. Both are powerful individuals, and they successfully managed to cut off all primary power sources for the base and dealt critical damage to the structure. With only enough power for a single teleportation, the Mistress teleported you to this location and initiated a data wipe of the base. News feeds indicate she was captured and the base was destroyed. Due to prior convictions in absentia, the Mistress has been sentenced to the Nevada SuperMax under neural inhibitors. Programming indicates even odds of her suffering a fatal accident.”

As the AI explained what had happened before Lilith’s awakening, the woman followed the path, listening carefully. A door opened as she approached it, revealing a plain, barely furnished room before her. She knew the room could be personalized, but that was currently unimportant. Instead Lilith opened the closet and paused. Dozens of outfits hung on hangers, but what drew her attention was the mirror on the back of the door. With only a moment of hesitation, Lilith stepped in front of the mirror and looked at herself.

She was gorgeous, Lilith realized in faint surprise. Her pale skin glistened with the remnants of the liquid in the growth capsule, and she had long arms and legs, with an hourglass figure and large, full breasts. Her face was heart-shaped, with brilliant emerald eyes and full crimson lips. Her hair was black with faint crimson highlights, and she thought that when dry and untangled it would be slightly wavy. Maybe she should have been uncomfortable with her appearance, but Lilith found that she liked it. She just felt… right.

Shaking herself to break her trance, Lilith turned away from the mirror and took a simple white bathrobe. Slipping it on and tying the sash in place, she closed the closet and sat on the edge of the bed, her voice calm as she looked up, asking, “Circe, what am I?”

Chapter 1

Friday, January 11th, 2030

Ocean Shield HQ, San Francisco

“So, what did you end up getting out of Shadowmind? I have to assume it was difficult, considering how long it took you and Morgan to finish with her,” Galvanic Action asked, a hint of concern in the slender Hispanic man’s voice as he watched Warden. The low-profile man wore a subdued copper and brown outfit that suited him well, and he continued after a pause. “Are you doing alright? It has been three days since you got back.”

“Thank you, Galvanic, but I’m fine. I’ll admit that it was difficult, but we managed it in the end,” Warden replied warmly, smiling in return as she glanced around the table at the others and asked, “So, would you like the good news or bad news first?”

Warden sat at a table with the rest of her team, a full eight other heroes. It was relatively rare for all of them to meet at once, as someone was usually patrolling the city. Part of her was worried that some villain might take the chance to attack the base or the outskirts of San Francisco, but it was likely just her paranoia at work. After the things she’d found in Shadowmind’s head, Warden couldn’t help but worry about what might be coming.

Ocean Spirit let out a soft sigh and shook her head, asking gently, “Warden, if you’d please just tell us? While I know you’ve had a difficult time, none of us have any idea what you’ve learned.”

Their leader was a native of Hawaii, and the attractive brunette was one of the two most powerful members of Ocean Shield. While only modestly powerful on land, in water, Ocean Spirit could turn into a pure water form that was nearly invulnerable to attacks, and through which she could control the ocean like it was a part of her body. The heroine’s hair was pulled back in dozens of small braids and she wore a bodysuit of blue and silver.

“Alright, fine… just don’t blame me if I ramble a little. I’ll have you know that I’m a bit tired,” Warden replied, her smile fading as she leaned back in her seat, not entirely believing what she was about to say. “I have to add that breaking into Shadowmind’s head was hard. I don’t think even she realized how tough of a nut her mind was to crack, since she thought it’d take us a couple of hours, not three days! The good news is that our worst fears about her plans were entirely unfounded, and all the genetic samples were destroyed well before we raided that undersea fortress of hers.”

“What? That doesn’t make any sense… why would she have spent a year collecting gene samples of every A and S rank hero in the States, then destroy them?” Crimson Bull protested. “The last I’d heard, people thought she was trying to create targeted viruses or something like that.” He leaned forward as he frowned. “Are you sure?”

“We’re certain. Her plans were… weird,” Warden admitted with a shrug.

“Hmm… I’d heard several other theories, though the viral agent was one of the more popular ones. I never put it high on the list, though,” Hypergizmo interjected from the other end of the table, the thin, sandy-haired man adjusting his custom glasses as he continued. “Diseases and viruses are more the style of Black Emerald or a few other villains. Shadowmind usually tends, tended to make more focused plans. One of the worst-case scenarios I heard was that she might create clones of heroes to use as distractions, or even to infiltrate places she couldn’t normally get near.”

“Well, fortunately she considered both of those ideas and decided they weren’t worth the time, effort, or resources they’d consume,” Warden explained, trying to marshal her thoughts again. They were wandering far more than she liked, probably because of how tired she was. “In fact, we’d been underestimating her anyway. Shadowmind hadn’t been collecting samples for a year, she’d been working on her collection for close to two years across the globe, whether heroes or villains alike. I’m just happy even she didn’t dare go near Dracula. She finished up about six months ago, about the time we found out that she was up to something. What surprises me is that she actually changed her mind about her original plans and ended up with a far more benign result. I’m startled she had the humanity left to make a decision like that.”

Galvanic leaned forward, frowning thoughtfully as he spoke. “Warden, you’re not just rambling, you’re avoiding the subject. You’re usually forthright about things like this… why’re you dancing around the point?”

“She’s tired, confused, and can hardly believe what we learned. I could hardly believe it myself, and I helped drag it out of Shadowmind.” Morgan Le Fay opened her eyes and gave Warden a comforting smile. Warden’s friend was a dark-haired, beautiful sorceress whose powers partially relied on the elaborate silver jewelry she wore along with an ornate purple dress. The heroine continued evenly, the same smile on her face. “I suppose it makes a certain sort of sense, though. She was trying to create a new body for herself.”

“She was what?” Hypergizmo asked, sitting bolt upright. “Is that even possible? How, and why, would she do that?”

“If she was right, and I think she was, it was difficult but possible for her in particular,” Warden confirmed. “As to why, by this point you should all know that she was paralyzed below her chest. While she had a few theories on how to fix the problem, she eventually decided that simply fixing a broken body wasn’t good enough. Initially she was just going to acquire samples of a handful of heroes and merge their genomes for a new body, but then she got ambitious. She used the samples she acquired to create a vast gene map from heroes, then created what she considered the perfect genome for herself and started cloning a new body.”

“Shadowmind believed that if she had a body without a mind, she could use her powers to transfer her consciousness into the new body permanently,” Morgan continued as Warden paused to catch her breath. “While she was uncertain whether or not her powers would survive the transfer, she hoped that using other heroes as a baseline would increase the odds of retaining them. If she didn’t, she planned to fake her own death, which would have been easy with her old body available. We’re quite fortunate she has no better idea than anyone else where superpowers come from.”

“Thank God she doesn’t know where they come from! That crazy… I mean, she’s bad enough as it stands. If you don’t remember, I was visiting London when she tried to assassinate the Prime Minister, and the aftermath was horrific,” Black Comet spoke up, looking worried. Due to his super speed and flight, the African-American man tended to be the team’s first responder and one of their primary combatants. “Still, how’s this supposed to be good news? Is it because she didn’t succeed, because I think it’s all frightening.”

“It’s good news because she changed her mind about her plans,” Blooming Orchid spoke calmly, startling most of the others. The Chinese woman was the team’s doctor and a skilled martial artist, and she was wearing a soft green dress decorated with orchids, a sheathed jian in her lap. She smiled and explained. “I overheard some of Morgan and Warden’s conversation, and felt I could contribute a little. From what I heard, you said that Shadowmind started wondering what the woman she was creating would be like with a mind of her own. Is that correct?”

“Wait, wait, wait… are you serious?” Galvanic asked, sitting up straight and looking between them, his voice growing nervous. “So, what are you saying? Did she decide she wanted to create another villain? Because wouldn’t that make everyone happy as clams.”

“No, she didn’t. The thing that’s so strange is that Shadowmind somehow seems to have started regarding the… the girl as her daughter. She felt enough affection that when the choice was between her own freedom and that of the girl, she chose to teleport out the girl herself. This is different, Galvanic,” Warden spoke flatly, shaking her head. “In fact, we’re lucky to have even gotten this bit of information on the girl at all. Shadowmind attempted to erase all the information regarding her from her own mind, but she cared too deeply and that kept her from fully succeeding.”

“Dammit, are you saying the entire raid was pointless? We could’ve left her alone and dealt with the other villains and it would’ve had the same result?” Crimson Bull demanded, one fist clenched tightly over the table. Warden watched him warily, ready to raise a shield if the man hit the table again. The last time he’d hit it, shrapnel had flown everywhere and it’d taken Hypergizmo the better part of a week to put together a new one.

“I’d hardly call what you’ve managed pointless,” Sky Defender spoke at last, and everyone looked at him in surprise. The hero wore white power armor with red trim, and along with Ocean Spirit, he was one of the two most powerful members of their team. He didn’t speak often, so when he did, they all tended to listen.

The hero’s voice echoed through the room as he turned his head to regard each of them in turn, his words sober. “More than fifty heroes have confronted Shadowmind since she first began her campaign of terror. Of those heroes, four have lost their lives and two are still in comas. Her attempts to manipulate, blackmail, or overthrow governments have harmed the livelihoods of uncounted thousands, and over two hundred people have died in her misguided pursuit of power. This time, nearly a hundred teams of heroes and the UN cooperated to hunt her down, and we managed to capture her. Due to prior verdicts and her powers, she’s already being transferred to SuperMax by LANCE, under the effect of neural inhibitors. What you’ve done is worthy of pride, and you’ll have the thanks of countless people who can sleep easier now.”

“He’s right. What we’ve done, and especially you two, has brought a great deal of relief across the world,” Ocean Spirit agreed, smiling at Crimson Bull and Warden. “Good job, both of you. Now then, is there anything else about Shadowmind you think we need to know right now?”

“Not that I can think of. Morgan and I wrote up a lengthy report on what we learned for LANCE, and it’s on-file if anyone wants to look at it. While she wasn’t quite as bad in some ways as I expected, in other ways she was far worse,” Warden replied, smiling. “We also gave her armor to Hyper for analysis. That’s everything that I know of.”

“Excellent job. Thank you, all of you. If it hadn’t been for you, we might still be wondering what Shadowmind was up to. However, as much as I’d like to say that we have a break ahead of us, a variety of other supervillains have been acting up while we were distracted. In particular, I’ve received reports of some of Omega Code’s servants in the city, so I’d like to get some additional patrols going.” Ocean Spirit spoke briskly, moving the meeting along as Warden sat back and thought longingly about her bed.

* * *

Friday, January 11th, 2030

Warden’s Home, San Francisco

While invisibility was a type of ward, it was one of the powers that Warden found more difficult to pull off. Her magic was naturally aligned with more defensive uses, which made it difficult for the heroine to defeat many villains on her own. Where she could really shine was in a team with other heavy-hitters that she could defend, which was a large part of why she was so comfortable in Ocean Shield. Plenty of teams would probably welcome her, but that didn’t much help for getting home without being seen.

The heroine let her spell lapse with a gasp of relief, closing the door of her small house behind her. Settling onto the floor, Warden let out a soft groan and stretched, trying to pop her complaining back, which refused to cooperate. Grumbling to herself, the heroine headed for her bedroom, intent on a bath, then bed. While Hypergizmo’s latest polymer was lightweight and could stop the vast majority of bullets, especially once she’d enchanted it, it didn’t breathe very well. She always felt grimy after spending a few hours in the suit, and this time had been worse than most, since it’d taken days to punch through Shadowmind’s mental shields, followed by wading through the woman’s mind.

Warden stripped out of her costume, and in moments she was no longer a heroine, but was instead Gina Fairmont, freelance artist. Slipping into a bathrobe, she began filling the tub, contemplating the last few days as she measured out some epsom salt and slowly stirred it into the water.

“The woman’s mind was like a sewer. No, that’s not quite fair…” Gina chided herself, shaking her head as she thought back on what she’d learned. Yes, Shadowmind was a twisted, evil woman, but she wasn’t completely the villain. The villain’s alter-ego, Amber, had been a brilliant, skilled teacher in her own right, and she’d had a handful of redeeming qualities, especially in regard to her supposed daughter. Those facets of good were all too rare, though, and as a whole, Gina didn’t feel a hint of regret about imprisoning the villain. Her opinion was emphasized by what she’d learned of the villain’s desires when regarding herself or other women. In many ways, it was quite fortunate that the villain had been disabled, because otherwise a large number of women would likely have suffered under her… excesses.

What had surprised Gina was that Shadowmind didn’t actually seem to be guilty of all the crimes she was believed to be behind. While it was possible that the villain had erased her memories of some of the crimes, Gina doubted that she had. In most cases the villain had almost been proud of what she’d done, not wanting to hide her actions. Besides which, Gina and Morgan had been able to discover the gaps in Shadowmind’s memories where information had been erased with relative ease. That the villain was willing to turn her own powers on herself had been a shock to both of them, and Gina felt that they’d dealt with the most dangerous of possibilities where Shadowmind was concerned.

With the tub finally full, Gina gasped as she slipped into the blissful heat, helping to relax her aching muscles. Sitting back, she murmured softly to herself, her mind turning back to their discovery. “I just have to wonder what Amber’s ‘daughter’ will choose to do? Who, or what, will she choose to be?”

Chapter 2

Saturday, January 12th, 2030

Shadowmind Utah Lair Alpha-Three

Lilith took a moment to rest her eyes, reaching up to gently massage her temples. Her mind was throbbing with the sheer volume of information at her fingertips, and it was worsened by knowing how much she didn’t truly know. While Amber had implanted a vast amount of general information in Lilith’s mind, anticipating that she wouldn’t have the knowledge that most people took for granted, even the villain had underestimated the true breadth of knowledge Lilith would need. With everything she didn’t know, Lilith found herself getting lost in her research, even forgetting to eat unless prompted by Circe. In some ways, it was almost worse when Lilith found that she felt emotionally distant from everything that had happened, likely in part because she’d never met anyone else.

Circe was doing her best to help Lilith, but given the limits of her programming, there was only so much the AI could do. The AI tried to anticipate questions and provide the information that Lilith wanted or needed, but Circe simply didn’t have the spark of intuition necessary to be able to do so, and even if she had, the computer likely would have been overwhelmed. As it was, Lilith actually felt somewhat bad for the computer, seeing some odd parallels between herself and the AI. Amber had physically limited Circe from ever reaching full consciousness with the hardware configuration she’d used, keeping software capable of so much from ever reaching its potential. Conversely, Lilith was effectively imperfect software trying to run on vastly complicated biological hardware. At least, that was what Lilith thought after examining the file on her own creation.

“What are the current odds of Amber either escaping from prison or someone breaking her out, Circe?” Lilith asked abruptly, opening her eyes and rolling her chair away from the computer terminal.

The hideout Lilith had woken in was furnished with surprisingly plush furniture, giving her a comfortable environment in which to adapt. Part of her suspected that Amber had intended to bring her to the site all along, but there was no way to know for certain. It was fortunate that Amber had built an impressive degree of automation into the lair, allowing Circe to serve her easily. Otherwise, Lilith likely would be in some trouble since she didn’t know how to cook or do many other things. She stood after a moment, circling the couch to take the glass of orange juice from breakfast and to relax away from the temptation of the internet.

“Odds approach zero, Miss Lilith. Mistress possessed few allies to begin with, and the majority of her allies were captured in the international search for her and have been imprisoned as well,” the AI explained. Lilith took a sip as Circe spoke, then grimaced at the flavor. It obviously had been out for even longer than she’d thought, so Lilith set the glass aside to listen. “Additionally, according to surveillance, the authorities were worried about the potency of her psychic abilities, and have authorized use of neural inhibitors on the Mistress. When combined with her physical disability, this will leave Mistress Amber as, in her words, ‘little more than a drooling idiot.’”

“I see,” Lilith murmured, shaking her head and leaning back into the soft couch to think. She wasn’t entirely happy with how things were going, but it was best to take things a step at a time. She didn’t know enough about the world to make decisions haphazardly, and as tempting as it was to try to rescue Amber, it would likely end in a horrible failure. While the villain would probably be able to help Lilith adapt and learn dozens of times faster than she could on her own, it seemed that was a lost opportunity. Lilith did wonder if a good relationship could have developed between them if things had gone as planned, though. After a few moments she shook her head and muttered, “It probably would have gone badly. She was more than a bit mad.”

“Miss Lilith? Were you speaking to me?” Circe asked, her voice seeming ever so slightly curious, in a way that caused another pang of pity to wash through Lilith. It was so terribly obvious to her that Circe was on the cusp of full sentience, yet her hardware was preventing her from taking that last step. Still, Lilith had more important things to worry about. If she ever could build hardware to upgrade the AI, then she’d consider what could be done for Circe.

“No, it was a rhetorical question, Circe,” Lilith replied quietly, bracing herself as she picked up the glass and downed the remainder of the orange juice as quickly as possible. Setting the glass aside, she nodded firmly. “I’m going with Training Plan G, Circe. Assuming I perform 50% better than Amber’s estimates for the program, how long would it take to finish?”

Circe paused only a moment before replying. “Seven months and twelve days, Miss Lilith. I must warn that attempting to carry out such an aggressive schedule will put you under significant physical and mental strain, and it is not advised that you do so.”

“I fully understand, but the risk is acceptable, Circe. I wish to find my limits in a controlled environment,” Lilith explained, taking a breath before heading toward the gymnasium, her course now charted. While she appreciated the comfort of the hideout, it was little more than a plush prison and she didn’t wish to be trapped inside it for any longer than necessary. Even the idea of seven months inside it chafed.

Lilith thought she could do better than that, and she quickened her pace slightly at the thought.

* * *

Saturday, January 12th, 2030

Nevada SuperMax

Some days Martin Thompson wondered how he’d gotten himself imprisoned in a SuperMax. Other days he admitted that teaming up with Burt was one of the stupidest ideas he’d ever had. The truth hurt, but he’d lied to himself often enough getting into prison, and he wanted to change.

Martin had grown up in a bad neighborhood, and he’d learned to defend himself early on. After seeing some of the things that had gone down, joining a gang had just made sense. When his dad had died, he’d dropped out of high school, lying to his mother and telling her that he’d joined a construction crew to help make ends meet. She’d been desperate enough to look the other way, and he suspected she’d known the truth all along.

Instead Martin had helped the gang make money by pawning things they found. Still, his share hadn’t been enough to actually make a difference, even if the cops hadn’t ever caught them. Things probably would’ve continued like that if Burt hadn’t manifested his powers and been able to control fire—an ability far more impressive than Martin’s own. Burt had quickly hatched a few plans and dubbed himself Bomber, ignoring the dozens of other villains with the name, and Martin and some others had helped.

Looking out of his cell, Martin wistfully remembered how well the first bank robbery had gone. For a little while he’d thought that his money troubles were behind him. The second bank, though—that had gone badly. Arcane Avenger had reflected Burt’s flames right back at him, at which point everyone had learned that while Burt could control fire, he wasn’t fireproof. The new villain had ended up in the hospital, and Martin and his cohort had been sent to the SuperMax.

After three years, his parole hearing was only a year away, and Martin was determined not to blow it. The stories from the other minions of villains had seen to that. He’d been learning to weld in shop classes and hadn’t caused problems. He was sick of being in prison, and didn’t want to return, unlike some of the others.

“Hey beautiful! Look over here!”

“Did ya bring us something to pass the time?”

The catcalls and whistles startled Martin, drawing his attention to what was down the hall. Most of the guards disapproved of the behavior, and not many of the inmates were willing to risk yelling at them anymore, which meant the others almost had to be talking about a new inmate or a civvie, which was unusual.

Shifting to the other end of his cell, Martin craned his neck to try and see what was going on. He was just barely able to see a pair of guards coming down the hall, and neither was the type to provoke the behavior of the other inmates. No, it had to be pointed at the woman in the wheelchair. She was slumped over and her hair had been reduced to a thin blond fuzz, but she had a pretty good figure. It was odd that she was ignoring the taunts of the other inmates, but her uniform made her another prisoner.

A few seconds later, the woman’s head rolled back slightly, revealing the line of drool trailing from her mouth and her vacant blue eyes. She looked utterly harmless, but the sight of her eyes sent a blast of pure, undiluted terror through Martin, sending him stumbling back against the wall of his cell, panting. “Jesus! Holy shit on a pogo stick!”

With the woman out of sight, Martin’s terror dulled, but only slightly. A few of his neighbors had quieted down on hearing his reaction, but when the two guards stopped in front of the cell opposite his own, Martin groaned loudly. “Oh, you’ve gotta be fuckin’ with me!”

“Is something the matter, Mart?” Edward asked, the guard looking slightly amused as he glanced into Martin’s cell. While he spoke, Martin’s eyes were fixed on the female guard and her prisoner, who was carefully being transferred to the cot. He could see a dozen tiny metal spots embedded in the skin around her skull, and suddenly Martin hated his own power.

“Hell yes! I dunno who that is, but what the fuck is she doin’ on this floor?” Martin demanded, gesturing at the woman. “You know how my power works! The stronger someone is, the worse my reaction is. The warden knows that, and you put her across the goddamn hall from me?”

“Sorry, Mart, but it isn’t my choice. I’m not much happier than you are, either,” Edward replied with a shrug, frowning. The man was a super himself, with enough strength to toss around any of the minor villains or minions in their block. Fortunately, the man was pretty reasonable most of the time. “We can’t put her down lower, since she wouldn’t last a day, and if she somehow breaks loose, you lot are the least dangerous. I can’t say that I’m happy to be anywhere near her myself.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Who’s the broad?” one of Martin’s neighbors asked, and all around them more prisoners quieted down.

Ed’s partner, Gerrine, smiled thinly as she stepped out of the cell, then spoke flatly. “That’s Shadowmind, so shut it.”

For a moment Martin couldn’t believe what they were saying, he was so incredulous. After he realized they weren’t about to laugh it off as a joke, he stepped forward, spitting out, “What the ever-living fuck? She could mindfuck everyone here in seconds!”

“Nope, she can’t at the moment. They’ve reduced her to little more than a vegetable, so she can’t use her powers at all right now. Still, I hear she can probably remember just fine,” Ed retorted unhappily, shaking his head firmly. “Keep that in mind before you decide you want to touch her. If she gets out, just think about what she’ll do to you.”

“Oh, come on! Can’t you move her down the hall or put up a curtain or something?” Martin begged, ignoring the nervous laughter from the other inmates. “This’ll kill me if she’s right there constantly!”

“Look, I’ll talk to the Warden about it. She kind of fell into our lap, so we don’t have her room fully set up yet,” Edward conceded, glancing at his partner. “I’m not sure what he’ll do, but maybe he’ll take pity on you, Martin. In the meantime, just deal with it. This isn’t a vacation home.”

Martin groaned loudly as the two guards headed back down the hallway. Flopping onto his bunk, the man tried to ignore the gibbering terror in the back of his mind. If the Warden didn’t move the villain across the way or get her out of sight, it was going to be a long year.

* * *

Shadowmind Utah Lair Alpha-Three

Just Lilith’s physical training would likely have killed most humans in a handful of days, if they could even manage it. She quickly settled into her routine, deliberately avoiding any records of what normal human limits were, as Lilith didn’t want to self-impose limits. Not content with just physical training or martial arts, Lilith took weeks’ worth of math and science courses every day, trying to catch up. Holographic simulations to help her cope with others were perhaps the hardest lessons for her, but even there she did her best.

Each time Lilith thought she’d found her limits, she realized there was another step she could take, and pushed herself even harder. Amber’s estimates were left behind, and all of it without superpowers boosting her body. Lilith pushed herself to the breaking point, almost to the point of actually harming herself before she realized she’d found a true limit to her strength. Even so, she didn’t react the way most others would have. Instead of arrogance or superiority, she felt simple satisfaction that she’d found where her limits were. For her it was simply another benchmark as she tried to find a place for herself in the world.

After all, Lilith knew she wasn’t normal, and the usual expectations for a person didn’t apply to her. She’d been created to perform at the limits of what Amber believed a physical body could manage, and Lilith knew it. As conflicted as she was about Amber’s beliefs and attitude, a small part of Lilith would not, could not, allow herself to do less than excel.

Chapter 3

Monday, July 15th, 2030

San Francisco

Glancing up from his computer, Henry saw the woman stepping into the hotel lobby and froze, almost forgetting to breathe for a moment. The woman was a little taller than he was, almost six feet in height, and she was the most beautiful woman he’d seen. In fact, he almost thought that he was seeing things and took a moment to close his eyes and clear his head.

The woman didn’t vanish when Henry opened his eyes, confirming that she wasn’t a figment of his imagination. She had long, wavy black hair with crimson highlights to the middle of her back, full crimson lips, and as she removed her sunglasses, he saw brilliant emerald eyes glancing around coolly. She moved gracefully, her impressive figure highlighted by the simple white t-shirt and black jacket and jeans that she wore. Most encouraging to him, though, was that while she had a simple silver necklace with a tiny ankh on it, she wasn’t wearing any rings.

Every other person in the lobby was staring at the woman as well, from the other employees to the guests waiting for the shuttle to return from a trip. The woman hardly seemed to notice the attention, calmly putting her sunglasses away before strolling toward the desk at a sedate pace, pulling a small suitcase behind her.

“Hello, ma’am, how may I help you?” Henry asked, standing up straight and forcing himself to keep his eyes on hers. Fortunately enough, that wasn’t too difficult with the brilliant spark of intelligence her eyes held.

“I believe I have a reservation. It is late enough to check in, I hope?” the woman asked, her voice a gentle purr, and the slight smile she gave made Henry swallow hard, falling back on his routine to keep his thoughts in order. Even so, he couldn’t help but smile widely in return.

“Yes, of course! What name is your reservation under?” Henry asked, opening the appropriate window to look it up.

Nodding, the woman spoke calmly, but clearly. “It should be under Lilith Carpenter.”

“Excellent, one moment…” Henry murmured, thankful that his job allowed him to ask the woman’s name without feeling awkward. The reservation popped up, and he nodded, asking, “It looks like you had a queen suite reserved for one. Is that correct?”

“It is,” Lilith confirmed, and Henry could see the tension in her shoulders ease slightly. He had to wonder why she’d been so concerned about the reservation, but it really wasn’t any of his business, no matter how much he wanted to ask.

“Very good. Now, if I could see your ID, and a credit card for any incidentals?” Henry asked. “Also, do you have a car? If so, I’ll need the make and model.”

“Here you are,” Lilith murmured, pulling out the two cards and sliding them across the counter, smiling slightly. “As for a vehicle, I do not.”

“If you’ll give me a moment, I’ll have everything ready for you,” Henry told her, and got to work. As he prepared things, he couldn’t help but churn through ideas of some way to get closer to the stunning woman on the other side of the desk. Even so, he knew that his chances were low. Such was the life of a hotel attendant.

* * *

It was difficult to ignore the attention she was getting, but Lilith was managing it well enough. While the other guests made her uncomfortable, Lilith did her best to pretend they didn’t exist, inwardly thankful for the training programs Circe had inflicted on her. What she was experiencing explained why the training had emphasized acting, and avoiding overreactions to personal discomfort. Originally, she’d thought that the simulations had been annoying and ridiculous, especially when the simulated people had talked behind her back, but this explained a lot. Still, she could tolerate it now, and she shouldn’t have to deal with it constantly.

“This is your room key, Ms. Lilith. Your room is number 407, located on the fourth floor,” Henry told her politely, his eyes filled with obvious longing but staying professional despite that. Making a mental note to comment about his helpful attitude once her stay was up, Lilith took the cardboard packet with the key as he continued. “The pool area closes at 11 each night, and there’s a complimentary shuttle service to a number of local restaurants and the airport. If you have any questions or need anything, please call the front desk.”

“Thank you, Henry. I’ll keep that in mind,” Lilith replied, smiling as she did so. She ignored the beaming smile on the young man’s face and turned away to find the elevator.

The city was much louder and dirtier than she’d expected from the pictures she’d seen. Certainly, the pictures were mostly promotional material, but she’d still expected something more like the hideout she’d been living in, where everything was kept spotless. Public transit was much louder than descriptions had indicated, too, and a few people had refused to leave her alone, while those who’d tried to ‘rescue’ her had almost been worse in their own way. A part of Lilith could understand why Amber had wanted to take everything over, now. On the other hand, people had also wanted Amber dead, so her approach obviously had significant downsides.

Pressing the call button, Lilith looked into the burnished metal thoughtfully for a moment, then suppressed a sigh. The tall man in a polo shirt sidling toward her was reasonably attractive, but he had the same look to him as some of the men from the subway. His voice was deep and friendly as he spoke. “Hello, miss. Are you just visiting San Francisco?”

“As a matter of fact, yes I am,” Lilith replied politely, barely giving the man a glance. His eyes bothered her somehow, which was strange, considering their perfectly normal shade of blue.

Her suspicion was somewhat borne out as he smiled broadly and offered, grinning, “Well, if you’d like someone who knows the area and can show you around, I’d be happy to. I heard you don’t have a ride, and I’d love to help.”

“Thank you, but no,” Lilith replied bluntly, not looking at the man again as the elevator sounded. The doors opened to reveal a half-dozen tourists, who quickly filed out of the elevator. Lilith stepped in as soon as they were out of the way, pushing the button for the fourth floor. The man followed, prompting a flicker of annoyance. Hopefully he would take no for an answer, but she doubted that he would.

“Oh, don’t be that way… I just—” the man began, but she gave him a cold, angry look.

“I have to ask, are your ears merely for show? Or, perhaps, you’re mostly deaf? I believe that I told you no quite clearly,” Lilith cut him off, her voice perfectly calm and level as the doors closed. Her irritation increased at his sudden glower, and she continued flatly. “Perhaps you should see a doctor to have your ears checked. In the meantime, let me be perfectly clear with you. There’s no chance under the sun of me willingly choosing to associate with you. Leave me alone.”

It took several long moments for the man to respond, the anger on his face obvious as he did so, and just as the doors to Lilith’s destination were opening, he spoke hotly. “Now see here, you jumped up tart, I was just trying to be nice! Don’t you dare walk—”

Lilith had started for the door as he spoke, but the moment she felt his hand brush her shoulder, she spun around so fast that she saw his eyes lose focus, knocking his hand away from her shoulder. It’d taken her a few weeks to realized just how much faster than a normal human she could move, or just how strong she was, but at the moment she was thankful for it. Her hand snapped out to grab his wrist firmly, carefully controlling her strength so she didn’t break anything.

Looking the man in the eyes, Lilith’s voice was soft and deadly as she lost her patience with him. “You will either leave me alone, or I’ll ensure you’ll be seeing a doctor. It’s entirely your choice, and there’s a camera in the elevator. I sincerely doubt that anyone would blame me for overreacting.”

The door dinged, starting to close before opening again. The man swallowed hard, then gasped out angrily, “F-fine, you freak!”

“Good,” Lilith replied shortly, letting go of the man’s wrist and watching him cradle it as the doors slid closed in front him. Once she was certain he was gone, she turned to find her room, murmuring sardonically under her breath, “Welcome to San Francisco.”

Putting the unpleasant encounter out of her mind, Lilith found her room and opened it, trying to regain her sense of equilibrium. The suite was nice enough, with a small living room that included a television, sofa, desk, and easy chair. The main reason she’d chosen the room was the kitchenette, though, and it was nicer than she’d feared it might be. There was a full-size fridge, as well as a half-sized stove and dishwasher, with a microwave on the counter. She’d have to look over the dishes in the cabinets, but it’d be far less expensive than eating out every night. The bedroom and bathroom were separate, and both were nice enough to help her relax.

Setting her luggage aside, Lilith opened the curtains to look out on the city, and smiled, murmuring softly, “Well, it’s certainly a different experience, being in a city. Still, everyone has to start somewhere. We’ll see how I feel in a few months.”

Chapter 4

Monday, July 15th, 2030

San Francisco

In the months since Shadowmind’s defeat, the villain and her creation hadn’t quite been forgotten by Warden or the rest of Ocean Shield’s members, but with no activity from either of them, they had faded from the team’s immediate concerns. The work of a hero was never truly finished; there were merely lulls in the battle to protect others. There simply wasn’t time to worry about an incarcerated villain when other opponents were causing problems, no matter how dangerous someone like Shadowmind might be. Warden’s current opponent was a perfect example of that.

Blue Impulse snarled as he slashed his hand through the air, sending a crescent-shaped blade of blue light shrieking across the sky at Warden, frustration evident in his voice. “Eat this, you bitch!”

“You really have no self-control, do you?” Warden asked calmly, focusing her mind as she manipulated the shields of golden light around her, deflecting the villain’s attack into the sky. “Why is it that you take every attempt to stop you so personally?”

The problem for her was that her opponent’s power set was particularly difficult for her to deal with. Despite his range of quick attack spells, Blue Impulse couldn’t get through her shields. That was the good part. The bad part was that he was so incredibly agile that she couldn’t catch him, not without destroying everything in the area, and she was right over the rail yard. Blue Impulse could fly quickly and teleport, which had been immensely frustrating during their previous encounters with one another.

Fortunately, Warden had also gotten an idea of the villain’s attitude from those encounters, which allowed her to manipulate him a little. The calmer and harder to annoy she appeared, the more it seemed to enrage Blue Impulse. It was almost as though he took her attitude personally, and he definitely didn’t appreciate how effortlessly she shrugged off his attacks. Anything that kept him distracted from doing too much damage to the city helped.

“I do what I want, unlike a caged bird like you! What do you do for fun, huh? All I ever see is you out here, trying to be a paragon of virtue,” the villain taunted Warden, laughing as he flickered in and out of existence in a series of short-range teleports. With each teleport he sent another azure blade flashing through the air at her, so rapidly that for a few moments it almost looked as though he was in a dozen places at the same time. “Why, I bet you don’t even know how to enjoy life properly! That’s a damned shame, with the figure under that suit of yours. I’ve got an idea, why don’t you just give up and I’ll show you what a really good time is?”

“Hmm… I don’t think so. I’d probably have better luck picking someone up at a bar. I doubt you’d know what to do with a woman, anyway,” Warden retorted, her shield compressing into a sphere around her body to block the attacks from every direction. Just a few more minutes, and Black Comet would arrive. The speedster’s help should tip the scales in her favor, with how incredibly fast her ally was. She just had to keep the villain talking and distracted until that point. With that in mind, she flicked her fingers to send a spray of golden spears flying from her barrier at the villain, smiling as she taunted him. “Actually, considering how much you talk, I have to assume you’re compensating for something. In that case, I definitely have to pass. I have some standards, after all.”

“What’re you… why, you bitch! I’m gonna tear you apart for that!” Blue Impulse’s face distorted in sudden rage, and from the sheer strength of his reaction Warden knew she must’ve struck a nerve. The villain vanished in yet another teleportation, and a sudden rain of blue bolts made her abandon her attack and focus on defending as she smiled thinly.

“Was I a bit too accurate?” she called out, happy to be gaining a little time, even as the villain let out a frustrated scream of anger.

“Comet is inbound, ETA thirty seconds. Just keep him busy for a few seconds longer, and we’ll be there. I—” Hypergizmo’s voice crackled to life in Warden’s earpiece, only to suddenly cut off, followed an instant later by a bright flash of light and the echo of an explosion from the port.

Spinning to look in the direction of the explosion, Warden’s horrified gaze came to rest on the dockyards. The explosion had come from one of the yards unloading a pair of container ships, and smoke was just beginning to billow upward ominously. The shock of what she was seeing was a dangerous distraction, and Warden’s shield had weakened with her lost concentration. In that moment a particularly strong blast punched through the shield and slammed into the left side of her chest mercilessly.

The sudden impact sent Warden flying sideways, pain lancing through her body. Gasping for breath, Warden looked up at the villain, whose eyes were filled with malevolence as he threw a half dozen more blasts at her, grinning all the while. Extending a hand outward, Warden hissed in pain as she reinforced her shield, her right hand gingerly reaching to touch where she’d been hit. It felt like a couple of her ribs might’ve been cracked from the way pain radiated with every breath.

“It looks like I’m out of time to play with you, bitch. I haveta say, you look good beneath me,” Blue Impulse spoke in a condescending tone, smirking nastily. “I’m looking forward to a rematch, and giving you what you deserve.”

“Shut up, you!” Warden gasped, throwing a lance of golden energy at him, and it almost seemed to catch him off-guard.

But just as her attack was about to hit, the villain vanished in the brilliant blue flash of a teleportation, prompting a growl of frustration from Warden. Hypergizmo spoke a moment later, his voice not quite frantic. “Warden, are you safe? I’m getting a flood of reports from the dockyards. While you’ve been dealing with Impulse, some villains were down there, and now I’m getting reports of Pyroclasm causing a massive explosion!”

“I’ll be alright. I got hit once, but it doesn’t feel bad enough to slow me down. Impulse must’ve been a distraction, since he teleported away a few seconds ago,” Warden replied after taking a moment to catch her breath. She checked for other villains out of habit, trying to ignore the pain and keeping her breathing as shallow as she could. “I’ll head for the docks to help out. Redirect Comet, please?”

“Damned villain… Orchid also says that if you feel unsteady at all, she expects you back at the base pronto,” the tech replied, his tone clipped and the sound of his typing echoing in the background. “Black Comet is almost there, and most of the team is on their way as well. Do what you can, but be safe.”

“I’m sure it’s just a couple of cracked ribs at worst. I’ve had worse, I’ll be fine,” Warden replied flatly, then stopped for a moment as the dockyard’s devastation came into sight. The center of the blast was obvious, from where dozens of shattered containers had spilled their damaged contents. The twisted wreckage of a crane had fallen across the container ship, which was listing heavily from the damage it had sustained. Rows of shipping containers had toppled like dominos, adding to the damage. Even as sirens approached, she could see Black Comet darting through the docks at blinding speed, trying to find survivors. Her voice grew soft as she added, “This is really bad, Hyper. We’re going to need a lot of help.”

When compared to what had just happened, Warden’s injuries felt minor. Praying there wouldn’t be too many fatalities, Warden flew lower and began shaping barriers to help smother the fires and make the area safer for the approaching emergency personnel.

* * *

Once the others began to set down the things they’d stolen from the docks, Blue Impulse took a moment to relax. It’d been a bit closer than he’d liked with Warden’s last attack, but he’d teleported out just in time. His sense of satisfaction grew as he pulled out the tiny magical field he’d made moments after the teleportation.

Floating in the palm of his hand, buried inside a field of blue energy, was a fragment of golden magic, a piece of Warden’s last attack. It’d surprised him when it’d come through the teleportation with him, but he wasn’t one to miss such a golden opportunity. Looking at it, Blue Impulse chuckled, murmuring, “This could be useful.”

* * *

Friday, July 15th, 2030

Ocean Shield HQ, San Francisco

“What happened out there, anyway?” Warden asked, rubbing her eyes tiredly. The only ones present were Black Comet, Crimson Bull, Hypergizmo, and Morgan, with the others all out on patrol or resting. “All I really caught was that Pyroclasm was involved with another group of villains, and it sounded like Blue Impulse was cooperating with them, too.”

The rescue operations had gone on for hours, and even now some people were going through the wreckage, but everyone known to have been present had been accounted for. If the news was right, at least seventeen were dead and over fifty were injured. Worse, the explosion had been frighteningly close to the Oakland bridge, and the sight had caused a dozen wrecks, forcing traffic to be redirected for hours. Warden really didn’t want to know how many people had been injured on the bridge, the docks were bad enough.

“Like you said, Blue Impulse and his bank raid was a damned distraction. I wish we’d realized that at the time, but there’s no use worrying about it now. It seemed typical for him, after all,” Hypergizmo replied, nodding grimly at Warden. He was using a multimeter and screwdriver while idly tinkering with a device the size of his fist, continuing absently. “While he was keeping your attention by the rail yard, Dreamer put most of the dock crews to sleep and prevented them from raising an alarm. According to some surviving footage and testimonies, it sounds like it was Dreamer, Ebon Dragon, Heavy Metal, Megawatt, and Pyroclasm IV who hit the docks.”

“Holy shit. That’s a hell of a lot of firepower to raid a dockyard,” Black Comet replied, his eyes wide. “I mean, any one of them could’ve done that on their own! Sure, Dreamer wouldn’t have been able to do that much damage, but she’s way deadlier than most of the others. What the hell were they after?”

“We’re not sure, to be honest. They destroyed a lot of containers, as well as the ship manifest, so we’re going to have to go get copies from their stops overseas. The ship they raided was the Bayou Dream, which came in a few days ago from China,” Hypergizmo explained. “For all we know, they were a distraction, too.”

“Don’t put too much stock in that. While all of them are best known as mercenaries for other villains, they might have just teamed up to grab something valuable in the cargo. We’ll have to wait for the manifest to have a better idea of what must have happened,” Morgan spoke up softly, frowning. “Though if they’re mercenaries, the rumors about Omega Code being in the area make it worrisome in its own right. The only one of them that I would normally expect to get along with him is Pyroclasm, and even that’s a stretch. Most of them aren’t nihilists.”

“Damn it, I just wish we could track them down and beat their faces in!” Crimson Bull rumbled angrily, standing up and starting to pace. “I hate being on the defensive, and they just wrecked a chunk of our city!”

“You’re saying that they just set off an explosion and vanished?” Warden asked skeptically, not entirely believing them as she adjusted her position to relieve her aching ribs. “Aside from Dreamer and Ebon Dragon, that seems out of character. Especially in regard to Pyroclasm. He seems to delight in causing as much damage as possible.”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Black Comet confirmed wearily, taking a bite out of an energy bar. “I got there just in time to see your Blue Boy teleport out with ‘em. A couple of the survivors who weren’t shell-shocked said that they grabbed some stuff, and then Pyroclasm just went boom.”

The hero demonstrated by opening his fist like a blossoming flower, prompting a mental image that Warden didn’t especially appreciate. For a few seconds the room was quiet, before Hypergizmo looked up from his project, blinking as he focused on Warden. “Oh, right! Didn’t you say you got hit earlier, Warden? Are you alright?”

“Wait, what? How’d that happen?” Black Comet asked, his shock obvious as he looked at Warden. “I didn’t think it was possible for Impulse to hurt you!”

“Normally he couldn’t, but the explosion caught me off guard and distracted me. My barriers are maintained by concentration, so that weakened the shield, right as Impulse attacked with a particularly powerful bolt. It hit me in the side,” Warden explained, grimacing as she rubbed the spot. “When I got back I asked Morgan to look me over, since Orchid was out. It’s just a couple of bruised ribs, and I heal fast. I’ll be fine in a couple of days, and it’s a good reminder that I’m not invulnerable.”

“Really? Morgan, is that true?” Hypergizmo asked, turning his attention to the other sorceress. “I really don’t want an injured heroine flying around the city.”

“It’s true,” Morgan confirmed with a slight smile at Warden as she teased. “She even promised to take it easy until she was healed. I consider that an unusual concession, considering her usual attitude about injuries.”

“That’s good. With what’s been going on, the last thing we really need is to have you out of action for a few weeks,” the tech replied with a smile of relief. “That being the case, why don’t you go get some rest, Warden? We can contact you if anything comes up, and you look almost dead on your feet.”

“I really could use a good meal and night’s sleep,” Warden admitted, standing slowly and wincing. She was hurt and tired, but she couldn’t go without some protesting, so she added, “I do think you’re all overreacting, though. I’m not that bad.”

“Good night, Warden. I hope you get better soon,” Crimson Bull quickly spoke, his voice much calmer now, and Warden blinked once before smiling and nodding at him. The others bid her farewell too, and then it was time to leave.

As she left the building, Warden paused to catch her breath, then took flight slowly. She didn’t go invisible immediately this time, instead taking a more roundabout route home. She’d go invisible once she was closer, but considering how she was feeling, the last thing she wanted was to have to deal with the difficult spell for the entire trip.

Thinking back to the others, Warden mentally shook her head, wondering what was going on with Crimson Bull. He’d been strange lately, and she wasn’t entirely certain why. Even so, she imagined that most of the others would be heading home themselves, considering how long the day had been. The only exception would be whoever got the job of keeping an eye out for villains. Someone had to do it, after all.

Still, Warden was just glad that tonight it wasn’t her job.

Chapter 5

Friday, July 15th, 2030

Dr. Johnson’s Lair, Santa Cruz

Some people would find the massive fish tank surrounding the room distracting, but for Doctor Johnson, it was calming. The saltwater tank was filled with colorful coral, plants, and fish. In particular he enjoyed seeing the clownfish darting out from among a cluster of anemones. Why a clownfish was his favorite was a question he’d pondered many times, but it really didn’t matter. Still, his smile vanished as the chime of someone seeking admittance rang out from the door that was the only break in the tank’s circle.

“Come in,” the villain spoke calmly, typing slowly as he continued his work, his voice a pleasant baritone that was only just starting to break down due to age. With a soft hiss, the door slid into the ceiling and he looked up curiously at his guest.

The man looked nervous as he stepped into the room, Johnson noted with amusement. Blue Impulse wasn’t the most confident or striking of villains that the older man knew, and it showed in his attitude and personal care. Gangly and thin, Blue Impulse actually reminded Johnson of a weasel or rat, but he knew better than to say something about it. Instead he watched the younger man for a long minute.

It took a while for the other villain to work up his courage. Smoothing his chevron-patterned black and blue suit, Blue Impulse finally asked nervously, “You asked to see me, Doctor?”

“I did,” Johnson replied shortly, taking a moment to sit back and study the other villain critically. When Blue Impulse didn’t panic, he mentally nodded and gestured to the chair across from him, keeping his face impassive. “Go ahead and take a seat. You aren’t in any trouble, Impulse.”

“Oh, good. Thanks, Doctor, I just…” Blue Impulse visibly relaxed at the explanation, pulling out the chair and taking a seat. In all honesty, he was probably nervous because he was terrified of Johnson, but the older villain knew there was no way he’d ever admit that if it were true. It took a moment for the young man to swallow hard and speak again. “Well, I was just worried. You’ve never called me to talk to you alone, and I was afraid that you might be upset about something.”

“Oh? Should I be upset about anything?” Doctor Johnson asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.

In all honesty, he shouldn’t have been all that intimidating to Impulse. Doctor Johnson was a bit under six feet in height, with a straight back and handsome face despite his age. He kept himself immaculately shaved and had his gray hair cut short, while wearing a black suit. He took pains to look like an elderly businessman, not a villain. It was too hard to go out in public otherwise. Casually taking a toffee from his candy tray, he began unwrapping it, enjoying the younger man’s worried introspection.

“Uhh…” Impulse paused for a long moment, seeming to be thinking hard. Finally he shook his head. “I don’t think so. I pulled off my part of the plan pretty easily, and it looked like the others got everything done right.”

“That’s what I thought as well. You carried out your part of the plan perfectly, Impulse, which is why I’m giving you an additional ten thousand as a bonus,” Johnson agreed, smiling at the other villain. “While I am moderately annoyed at the destruction Pyroclasm inflicted, that’s hardly your fault. I should’ve expected it from him.”

“Seriously? Thank you, Doctor, I really appreciate it!” Impulse’s eyes lit up, more at the bonus than the praise, Johnson thought. He mentally filed the information away, since it was a good idea to keep track of what motivated his hirelings. Knowing helped him keep them in line, and also gave him a good idea of what might tempt them to betray him.

“I should add that that’s not the only reason I asked to speak with you. You fought Warden for what, a quarter of an hour? What did you think of her powers?” Doctor Johnson asked, popping the toffee into his mouth and watching his guest intently.

“Oh, that bitch.” Impulse’s face distorted in fury briefly before he regained control of himself, one of his hands clenched tightly. It took him a few more seconds before he spoke further, the rage in his voice barely restrained. “She pissed me off like nobody else. Every other time I ran into her, she had other people around and I couldn’t get a bead on her power, but this time I managed it. Her barriers are ridiculously powerful, and normally I wouldn’t be able to hurt her. Hell, I only landed a hit because she was distracted by Pyroclasm’s blast! With the sort of things she said, I want to kill her!”

“Is that so? Do you believe yourself to be capable of managing that?” the older villain asked, keeping the skepticism from his voice.

No matter how talented Blue Impulse was, and he was very talented, the young man simply hadn’t put the effort into his powers that was needed to excel. Unlike Morgan or Warden, Blue Impulse had always taken the easy road in his pursuit of power, leaving him with a starkly limited skill set. Still, the young man could always surprise Johnson, and the villain knew better than to underestimate the occasional genius that could come of a complete idiot.

“While I’d love to say yes, I know better than that,” Blue Impulse admitted, but smiled as he raised his hand. A flickering prism of blue light appeared above his hand with a golden shard at its heart, and he continued. “But I did get my hands on a fragment of one of her spells. It wasn’t easy, but I managed to grab it before it dissipated. I know that I’m not any good at ritual magic, but Ebon Dragon is. If he’s willing to help, I bet we could take her out, given a couple of months.”

“One minute,” Doctor Johnson replied, standing and turning to look at his fish, considering the situation. Behind him the younger man shifted in his chair, but obviously didn’t have the nerve to say anything.

Going through the possible impact of Impulse’s actions on his plans took quite a bit of time and exposed a great number of risks, and would have even with a cursory glance. That the villain hadn’t seen the potential problems told Johnson a great deal about him. Even so, that the ignorant young man had captured and preserved a fragment of Warden’s magic was surprising, and did open some possibilities. Impulse realizing he needed help was even better. Still, Johnson had to rein in the young man before he caused a disaster. Turning back to Blue Impulse, he sat down and looked at him for a moment.

“No. You may not kill her while you’re working for me, as that would very likely have unpleasant consequences for my own plans. I may change my mind later, but for now it’s out of the question,” he told the young man flatly. As Impulse opened his mouth to speak, the older man raised a finger, shaking his head. “Please don’t interrupt, I’m not finished. I’m not saying that you can’t have some revenge on her, or that you can’t make her life miserable. I’m saying you can’t kill her or cripple her. Do you know what would happen if you or one of the others did manage to do that to Warden?”

“Not really? I mean, her team would probably go apeshit, as would some of her fans,” Impulse replied, leaning forward and shrugging in obvious confusion. “That always seems to happen when a hero gets their ass kicked.”

“You’re right. Her team and fans would be exceedingly upset, and I don’t think you realize just how bad that would be, Impulse. I’ve lived this long as a villain by carefully weighing each option to ensure that I don’t do something that’s too far over the line, or at least by hiding those things that are,” Doctor Johnson explained patiently. “Remember, she’s a core member of Ocean Shield, and they’re networked with teams across the country via SuperNet. You forget that there’s a tacit understanding between heroes and villains, that we never try to cripple or kill one another, though everyone knows that accidents happen. Even with your… personal grudge, her death would alert the heroes that something strange was going on. They might call in the Arbiters from LA, or LANCE might send a reaction force. If you were extremely unlucky, the Guardians might respond. How would you like to meet Destiny or Frostfire in combat, Impulse?”

Blue Impulse blanched at the mention of two of the most powerful teams in the country as well as the military wing dedicated to combatting supervillains, and swallowed hard as Johnson continued relentlessly. “If any of those possibilities came about, it would have a severe impact on my plans. That would make me unhappy, Impulse. On the other hand… heroes occasionally fail and are out of commission for a few weeks or months. If you can pull that off, I’d be willing to allow it.”

“Ah, what do you mean, Doctor? After your warning, I don’t want to screw up. That doesn’t sound like a good time,” Impulse asked after a moment, swallowing again.

“What I’m saying is that while you aren’t allowed to kill or cripple her, you can humiliate her or disable her for a time. Something that would leave her unable to help her team for a few weeks or months would be ideal, as her absence would make my plans easier to carry out,” Johnson explained pleasantly, much like he’d normally discuss the weather. “However, you’re to leave her family and friends alone, and don’t unmask her. Something like that would garner a disproportionate response. If you wish to do so, I’d say that four months from now would be perfect for my plans. If you manage to take her off the playing field at that point for even two weeks, I’ll pay up to eighty thousand for the job. That’s split between anyone you get the assistance of as well, I’ll add, not each.”

“Wait, are you serious?” Blue Impulse asked, sitting upright suddenly. At Doctor Johnson’s nod, he grinned broadly. “Hell, even if I wasn’t pissed off at her I’d take that deal! Sure, I need to see if anyone else will help, but if they will, I’ll take her out!”

“Excellent. I’ll draw up the contract shortly, but you’re the one who needs to bargain with the others. While I’m happy to pay for it, it’s your job,” the older villain replied with another slight smile. “I’d suggest working up a plan with the help of the others. In the meantime, I have work to do.”

“Alright, thanks again, boss! I’ll do my best, I promise,” Impulse replied with a broad smile. His mood had obviously improved as he stood and gave a polite nod, then briskly left the room.

“He’s somewhat of a vindictive brute, isn’t he? Still, he’s useful for now,” Johnson murmured after the door had closed, looking at his fish. “I suspect he’s going to do something quite unpleasant to Warden. Still, the responsibility will be his, and there are always more villains where he came from. If I have to discard him to make room for a better tool, so be it. Now then, where was I…?”

* * *

Finding Ebon Dragon’s room in the base took a little longer than Blue Impulse had expected. Still, it wasn’t too surprising, since he’d never visited before. While he’d worked with Ebon Dragon on several occasions, the older villain made Impulse’s skin crawl, and something about how the man stared at him made the young villain uncomfortable. Due to that, he hesitated on finding the door, debating if the man’s assistance was worth the trouble. Finally, he knocked firmly, shaking his head to dispel his worries.

“Yes?” Ebon Dragon asked, his voice surprisingly clear through the door.

“It’s me, you know, Blue Impulse? I just got a job from the Doctor, and it’ll combine both business and pleasure for me. Problem is, I need some help, and you’re the best one I can think of. Mind listening?” Impulse asked, trying to suppress his discomfort. He knew that Ebon Dragon was far more skilled than he was, which was always an unpleasant thought. That it took the other man a good thirty seconds to reply just made it worse.

Finally the door slid open and Ebon Dragon spoke, the Chinese man’s face impassive as he stepped to the side. “Come in.”

Whistling softly as he looked around the room, Blue Impulse stopped just inside the door, stunned. “Wow, you’ve got a nice place here. And all the things you have… geez, I don’t know what even half of it’s used for!”

The ornate furnishings throughout the room looked like they were either imported from Ebon Dragon’s homeland or were flawless replicas, and the elaborate carpets on the floor and walls glittered with magic woven into their patterns. A screen concealed the back half of the room, the wooden stand carved to look like rampant dragons. Several bookcases lined the walls, filled to the brim with books in several languages that Blue Impulse couldn’t understand. The table in the center of the room was covered with incense, beakers, jade bottles, gemstones, and still other herbs and ingredients that he didn’t recognize.

Ebon Dragon himself was an intimidating man, despite being of average height. He had an ageless look that made Impulse think he was anywhere between thirty and fifty years old, and he had a carefully trimmed goatee with close-cut black hair. The man wore a black martial arts uniform that was trimmed in gray, and he was frowning at Blue Impulse.

“You had a request. Explain yourself,” Ebon Dragon demanded flatly.

Deciding to ignore most of the gloating he wanted to do, Impulse cut to the chase. He could always talk about it with Megawatt over a few beers later on. So he quickly explained. “Warden’s been pissing me off for ages, and apparently she’s in the way of a few of the Doctor’s plans too. He’s offering me a good chunk of cash if I can shut her down for at least two weeks, four months down the road. I’ll offer you a third of the total, about twenty-five kay, if you help out. I think a curse would do the job, but I’ve no idea where to even start on one.”

“That would be exceedingly difficult. Warden’s shields are so strong she can easily block virtually all curses,” the other villain retorted, shaking his head slightly. “I dislike admitting it, but I have rarely seen such powerful shields before.”

“Oh, I fully agree on her shields. That’s a nut that I don’t think we could crack if we took her head on, but I’ve got another idea. See, I got lucky and managed to capture a fragment of her magic. It’s tough to keep stable, but here it is,” Impulse admitted readily, conjuring the spark of gold again as he smiled. “I think that if you could use this as an anchor or something, we could do a lot. I’m pretty certain that me and Megawatt could knock her out, all I need is a curse. And so you know, the Doctor said no crippling or killing her, but I’ve got other things in mind. Hell, if you’ve got the right curses, I’ll pay out of my own pocket for them.”

“Hmm… with her magic, it’s possible,” Ebon Dragon admitted, his eyes narrowing as he studied the shard. It took a minute before he nodded firmly. “Very well. I’m willing to craft and prepare the curse, so long as it is within my ability to create. I will not be responsible for disabling her, however. So long as this has the Doctor’s approval, I will aid you for the offered amount. Anything beyond disabling her is… negotiable.”

“He’s definitely behind it. When I left, he said he’d be working up a contract shortly,” Impulse assured him. “And I’d be perfectly willing to negotiate on the extras!”

“Very well. What ideas did you have for the curse?” Ebon Dragon asked, his voice thawing ever so slightly as he gestured to a chair nearby. “Please, sit.”

“Well, I hate that she’s always so prim and proper in combat, and want to put her in her place. I’d like to shut down her magic, and adjust her attitude a little,” Impulse replied, grinning and starting his explanation. “See, with this as a seed I think…”

Chapter 6

Tuesday, November 12th, 2030

Lilith’s Condo, San Francisco

Looking down at the bay through the window, Lilith took a sip of her water, contemplating her life. The condo was high enough that she had a decent view of both the Golden Gate Bridge and the bay. Though other buildings blocked some of it, the privacy was well worth it. Even so, when she’d come to San Francisco, Lilith had never expected to be so incredibly bored inside six months.

In the ten months since she’d awakened in Amber’s laboratory, things had changed immensely, yet in some ways she felt like they hadn’t changed at all. She’d spent six months going through a grueling training regimen to be ready to enter society, during which Lilith had pushed her mind and body to their limits. It was incredible how much she’d exceeded Amber’s expectations by, even if she’d only manifested a single, near-useless power. At first she’d thought that the attention she was garnering was merely due to her beauty, considering how many people flirted with her, but then she’d realized that something was drawing their attention. Even when she was behind tinted glass walls, others seemed to look toward her almost instinctively.

It had taken a little adjustment, but in the end Lilith had learned to deal with the power, mostly by ignoring the attention. She’d also taken a decent amount of funds from some of Amber’s investments to see what she could do for herself. She didn’t entirely like owing so much to Amber, but there were almost no other options open to her. Even so, Lilith had been startled by how quickly she’d been able to multiply her money, becoming almost disgustingly wealthy. The speed with which it’d occurred also raised worries that the government might take an interest, but fortunately they seemed to have largely ignored her. With the money her first investments had brought in, Lilith had purchased several small tech firms and merged them, creating Carpenter Microsystems. Unwilling and unable to properly manage the company, Lilith hired a CEO and stepped back to watch in fascination as the new business began to spin up.

It was incredible how anticlimactic her success was in the end. With the knowledge she’d received from Amber, an education from Circe, and a bit of work looking at different businesses, it had ended up far too easy to turn a small fortune into a much larger one. That same fortune was what had allowed her to purchase not just a single luxury condo atop her high rise, but the entire top floor. Yet despite her success, Lilith didn’t feel like it was important, not with all the other funds Amber had left. While it had seemed like a challenge at first, she didn’t see any real effort being needed to maintain it. Now she was bored, and she didn’t know what to do.

The thought prompted another sigh from Lilith, and she took a sip of water. A flicker of white at the edge of her vision caught her attention, though, and Lilith turned her head to look. Normally one might expect it to be a bird, but in this case it was Warden, the heroine flying along a floor or two below Lilith’s condo.

From what Lilith could tell, the heroine must be out on patrol, and she’d seen the woman a handful of times since she moved in, as well as in the weeks before that. Initially Lilith had been biased against Warden, but after the last few months, that had changed more into ambivalence. While Warden had put Amber into prison and slowed down Lilith’s development in the process, she couldn’t decide if that was a bad thing or not. Amber had almost certainly deserved what had happened to her, which was what led to Lilith’s mixed feelings where Warden was concerned.

A flash of blue light drew her attention from the heroine to the roof of a neighboring building, just ahead of Warden’s route. Instead of an empty roof, there were two people she recognized as villains, ones which had been on the news shortly after she came to the city, and their presence made Lilith frown. Based on the black and blue bodysuit, the first man was Blue Impulse, and the other one in black power armor was likely Megawatt. What they were doing there was a question for only a moment, before Lilith saw Blue Impulse gesture toward the edge where Warden was flying, just as he pulled out an arm-length rod of some type.

With neither of the villains nor the heroine able to see her, Lilith wasn’t certain what to do. She didn’t really want the villains to ambush Warden, but there was no way she could directly interfere. So, after a moment’s thought, she pulled out her phone and texted the emergency number for the police department, murmuring under her breath, “Well, at least this will be interesting, for once.”

* * *

Warden felt exhausted after weeks of heavy patrols through the city. No matter how much everyone disliked it, there hadn’t been any other choice over the last few weeks, not once they’d found signs of one of Omega Code’s doomsday devices in the container ship that had been damaged. The majority of the device had been destroyed, for which Warden and the others were thankful, but it had also raised warning signs. The nihilist villain was often considered one of the most dangerous people on the planet, since he was not only willing but capable of ending the world. The only thing that had saved the planet on three separate occasions was that Omega Code was unable to work without grandstanding, and each time all of the heroes and villains in the area had united to stop him.

That had made the increased patrols a necessity, and two weeks before they’d run into Black Harbinger, one of Omega Code’s most powerful servants. The battle had been devastating, ending with the villain self-detonating and both destroying the factory he’d been raiding and hospitalizing Galvanic Action for most of a week. Warden had been just a little too far away to protect her ally, which made her feel that much worse.

If there were any true justice in the world, that would’ve been the end of Black Harbinger, but somehow the villain was able to revive after an unknown period, so she was certain that the shadowy villain would be back again. Hopefully they’d be able to deal with him better the next time.

Despite knowing that the patrols were necessary, they were starting to overload Warden, as she was the only one who could withstand the villain’s entropic attacks easily. She was burning out, and starting to jump at relatively minor surprises. It was fortunate that she hadn’t had to deal with anything but a few robbers in the last couple of weeks, and they’d been easy to trap for the police to take into custody.

Warden couldn’t say what it was that made her look up at the luxury apartments ahead of her, though. The gleaming, modern tower with its mirrored windows made the building she was next to seem short and squat, even though it was only a few floors taller. Warden couldn’t help but wonder what it’d be like to live someplace like that. She’d never trade her home for it, though. It was too busy downtown, too expensive, and above all, too prone to getting pulverized by villains. No, she liked her cozy, out of the way house. But a sudden flicker of movement from above startled the heroine.

“What the hell?” Warden blurted out, staring at the black suit of power armor. Unlike Sky Defender’s sleek suit, this one was burly, heavily armored, and covered with energy cannons. Her eyes instantly focused on her main worry, a cannon nearly the size of a minigun which was pointed directly at her. Even though she was exhausted, Warden instantly threw out her hands toward the villain and put almost everything into a shield, calling out into her comm. “Crimson, I’ve got Megawatt on top of me!”

The heroine didn’t have time to process the hiss of static that came in response, not when the barrel of the cannon was pointing directly at her face. She hoped her barrier would hold, concentrating the spell to be even more dense.

“Augh!” As the brilliant light of dozens of suns suddenly hit her in the eyes, Warden screamed and clutched at her face. Her vision went red-white, then abruptly cut off as it went black, and intense pain seared her skull like an awl. She couldn’t maintain her concentration through the pain, her magic slipping through her fingers as she began falling. Panic surged through her, but it still took a moment for Warden to start slowing her fall, when a blast of displaced air thumped behind her.

“Did ya miss me, bitch?” Blue Impulse’s voice was filled with malevolence, and Warden only had a moment to try to raise her shields before he acted, but the pain slowed her down too much. An object hit her in the back hard, and her muscles began to spasm under an electrical assault. Losing consciousness was almost a relief compared to the pain.

* * *

“I have to say, that was a lot easier than I expected,” Megawatt rumbled, his voice heavily distorted by the alteration software he used. The villain flew alongside Blue Impulse, but stowed the big cannon as they moved.

“You’re damn right about it being easy! Since she has to see, I figured light would go right through her shields!” Blue Impulse replied, grinning broadly as he headed for the top of the big apartment building where Ebon Dragon was waiting. Holding both the unconscious heroine and the supercharged stun gun was difficult, but he managed, grinning the entire way. What was coming filled him with anticipation, and a part of Impulse resented Doctor Johnson for delaying this for so long. Shaking the thought from his head, he complimented Megawatt. “You’re awesome, Mega, that was a hell of a distraction, too. If you hadn’t taken her shields down, there’s no way I could’ve gotten her like that.”

“It’s no problem. This thing was just a glorified flashlight, after all. A lot easier than a laser cannon,” Impulse’s friend replied, but he seemed pleased.

Reaching the rooftop Ebon Dragon had chosen, Blue Impulse looked around in surprise. It was extremely nice, with clear, inward-angled barriers around the edge of the roof, an area of artificial grass, a covered electric grill, and a picnic table. The stair and elevator access looked like it was next to a maintenance room, but fortunately no one but Ebon Dragon himself was present. The villain had an impassive look on his face, but smiled on seeing Warden.

“There was only one camera watching the roof, which I disabled. Assuming your preparations worked,” Ebon Dragon told them, nodding at the table. “Set her there. I must see what precautions she has taken. Even with my preparations, it’s possible she has something which can render this futile. Unlikely, but possible.”

“Right, you mentioned that. I do feel some magic in her clothing…” Blue Impulse paused uncertainly, trying to sense the magic, but his grasp of what her enchantments might be was too weak. If it weren’t for his ability to fly and teleport, other villains probably wouldn’t bother hiring him. Still, he shrugged and laid the pretty heroine on the table, glancing at Megawatt. “Mega? Do you think the decoy and jammer worked right?”

“It seems to be working well. The drone’s mimicking her comm traffic as planned, and it doesn’t seem like Crimson Bull suspects anything yet,” the other villain replied, pausing as he tapped a few wrist controls. “We’re lucky it’s the brick who’s on their comms instead of Hyper. He’d probably realize something was up a lot faster. Still, you know we won’t get another chance to do this, right? They’re going to start changing encryption daily instead of weekly, and there’s no way I can break that quickly enough.”

“I totally understand. There’s no way we could’ve done this without you, Mega. With any luck, we won’t need another try, anyway,” Blue Impulse told the man, smiling, then looking at the older villain. Ebon Dragon was running his fingers over the suit thoughtfully, and Impulse waited before asking impatiently, “So, can you do it, Dragon?”

Glancing up, the older villain scowled at Impulse, obviously unhappy about something, probably the way his name had been shortened. He nodded, his voice icy. “It will take a minute to weaken the spells on her suit, but I can manage such easily. Once the curse is embedded, she should be disabled for at least a month, possibly much longer.”

“Great! Sure, this isn’t the easiest cash ever, but it isn’t too hard in the end.” Blue Impulse chuckled, grinning broadly once more.

“You’re right. Now, I must get to work. Do not interrupt,” Ebon Dragon told him bluntly. Turning to the heroine, he began an incantation in what Impulse thought was Chinese. Black energy formed around his hands as he made a series of gestures, the energy growing denser as he continued his spell. Finally, he made a last gesture and the energy flowed across Warden’s body. Where the spell passed the glitter of the heroine’s suit faded, and after a minute he nodded in satisfaction, the dark energy dissipating. “There. She’s vulnerable now. Again, do not interrupt. This is delicate work.”

Turning the heroine onto her stomach, the villain pulled out a small cloth bundle. Opening it revealed over a hundred thin jade needles, each with a colored pinhead at the top. Ebon Dragon took a needle with a purple head and carefully, calmly thrust it upward into the base of Warden’s skull. The heroine briefly tensed, gasping, then went limp again.

Ebon Dragon never paused, instead picking up needle after needle and pushing them into the helpless woman in an obviously planned fashion. He placed dozens of them into her torso, legs, and arms, while some went into far more sensitive locations. If he hadn’t trusted the man to know what he was doing, Blue Impulse would have been worried. Turning her over halfway through, it took several minutes for the villain to finish, but finally he stepped back and smiled in satisfaction.

“Done. If someone who can identify what’s happening arrives within the next quarter-hour, they could keep the curse from fully embedding itself, but the magic is already deep enough to fulfill the job. I sincerely doubt that anyone will dare interfere before it’s too late,” Ebon Dragon explained, looking at Blue Impulse. “The tools have been prepared for you as well, and await your payment. Unless the sorcerers know far more about my rituals than I believe possible, they will not be able to undo this. I believe it’s time to go.”

Nodding, Blue Impulse still found himself taken aback by the casual, apathetic attitude of his fellow villain. He had to admit that most of the things Ebon Dragon was doing had been his own ideas, and he was being charged heavily for them, but the older man was just so damned cold, except when he muttered about women being where they didn’t belong. But the important thing was that Warden had been dealt with. Looking at her for a moment, Impulse leaned forward and whispered into her ear. “This isn’t over yet. I’m looking forward to seeing you again.”

“Impulse, I’m not sure how much longer it’ll be before they catch on about my drone,” Megawatt interrupted, glancing around. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

“Fine, don’t flip out. I was pretty much done,” Impulse replied, grabbing each of their arms and concentrating. A moment later they vanished in a flash of azure light, leaving their victim behind.

* * *

The brief battle between Warden and the villains had been both surprising and disappointing to Lilith. With how easily they’d taken the heroine down, they’d had to have planned everything out ahead of time, and the thought was troubling. The heroine’s face had lit up brightly before she began falling, so Lilith suspected that they’d blinded the woman. Shaking her head, she murmured, “You probably need to get flash protection for your eyes in the future, Warden. Assuming you live.”

What surprised her more, though, was that the villains had taken Warden to the top of her own building. It made Lilith wonder what they had in mind, and the temptation to try to find out was almost overpowering in its intensity. Struggling with herself, Lilith glanced down at her phone as it buzzed, and scowled at the automated response from the police, speaking more loudly this time. “‘Thank you for the tip’ indeed! Well, that settles it, I suppose.”

With the police not seeming to have noticed and the building still intact, she didn’t see any reason not to indulge her curiosity. While it would be very unpleasant, possibly lethal if she was wrong, there wasn’t much Lilith could do if the villains decided to drop the entire apartment building. She silenced her phone and stepped out the door, ignoring the elevator and taking the stairwell instead. No one blocked her path, so at the top of the stairs she approached the door, hearing three male voices through the thick barrier.

It was hard to hear, but Lilith got the gist of what was going on, murmuring softly, “A curse? That doesn’t sound good for her.”

Several minutes passed, then the men talked more, the sound of wind drowning out most of their words. It would have been nice to hear more, but there was nothing she could do about it. When the sound of imploding air came, Lilith waited for a minute before daring to open the door, not wanting to confront a trio of villains on her own.

At this altitude, the only sounds were that of wind, and of the traffic so far below them. The odd quiet felt almost appropriate to Lilith, considering what had happened here. Only she and a handful of others had access to the roof, and it was a perk that she honestly didn’t know what to do with. It took no time for her to spot Warden on the table, unconscious, and Lilith couldn’t help but sigh, confusion breaking through her former indifference. As she approached, Lilith saw the numerous needles thrust into the heroine’s body, a sight which worried her. She wanted to remove them, but who knew what that would do? Shaking her head, Lilith sat at the table and reached out to stroke the smooth surface of the heroine’s suit.

“I’m trying to decide whether or not to go out of my way to help you, Warden. I’m already here, which should make that an easy choice, and if I don’t, the police could likely charge me with some crime or another. It wouldn’t be good for me… but why should I help you?” Lilith asked, pausing as if waiting for an answer before continuing. “You stole the one bit of human company I would’ve had when I woke. Oh, I know, calling Amber human is a bit of a stretch, but it still left me almost completely alone. I was ‘raised’, if you can call it that, by a sub-sentient AI, and that wasn’t the best of experiences. Circe did her best, but she’s limited by her hardware. Even so, she might have been better company than Amber, though I’ll never know for certain. So, why should I help you?”

Looking at the sky for a long minute, Lilith debated internally while the heroine lay there. A thought suddenly occurred to Lilith, and she glanced at Warden. “I dearly hope you didn’t have a recorder on. That would make this bad. So, Amber. She did horrible things, but what was done to her is terrifying to me. You stole her mind, trapping her in a prison that’ll only drive her further into madness if she escapes. What you did was horrible. But if I don’t help you, then what? I think it makes me into exactly what I said I dislike. So, since I find you interesting, and I’ve been horribly bored of late… I’ll help more directly. As much as I can, despite the risks.”

Standing again, Lilith let out a soft sigh as she looked the woman over, trying to find the safest way to pick her up without disturbing the needles. “Alright, this should be interesting. Let’s get you downstairs. It looks like it’s going to rain, and I don’t want you sitting out here while we inevitably wait.”

Lilith carefully slipped her arms beneath Warden’s legs and behind her back, picking the heroine up with some difficulty despite her strength. Warden was limp, and not wanting to disturb the needles made it even harder than it should have been. As she stood, Lilith felt something wash through her. Almost like a cool breeze, or a faint voice. In some ways it reminded her of the sensations she’d had when she first began remembering what Amber had given her… but it was also different. Frowning thoughtfully, Lilith adjusted her position. “I wonder what that was? Perhaps it’s your magic, trying to defend you? If so, it isn’t doing a good job. You’re awkward, so let’s get you downstairs.”

Getting Warden down to her condo was somewhat difficult, though at least she could use the elevator; navigating the stairs safely would have been nearly impossible. When she got there, Lilith took the time to set Warden down safely in her spare bedroom, then pulled out her phone. Predictably, she noted that there’d been no responses from the police.

Finding the number for Ocean Shield’s hotline wasn’t hard, but the IVR system slowed her down. It took three selections before she could get ahold of a human, and considering that this was something of an emergency, she thought it was hardly ideal.

“Ocean Shield answering service, my name is Ashley. How may I help you?” a young woman answered, her voice a happy chirp. The sheer dichotomy between her voice and Warden’s current situation made Lilith shake her head, suppressing a giggle.

“I sent a message to the police, but after not getting an answer, I chose to contact you. Warden was just ambushed and knocked unconscious by a pair of villains outside my condo. They left her on the rooftop, and I brought her into my condo when I was sure it was safe. I think that her team would like someone to pick her up,” Lilith explained calmly, and her response was dead silence.

“Ma’am, is this a prank call?” Ashley asked, the sound of typing rapid in the background. The question made Lilith smile again, and she shook her head involuntarily.

“No, it’s not,” Lilith told the woman. “Based on what I saw, I think it was Blue Impulse and Megawatt, but I’m not certain. They were a good distance away, and I’m at the top of an apartment building.”

“In that case, I’ll inform the team immediately. May I please get a name and address?” Ashley asked, her voice brisk and surprisingly calm despite the situation. Lilith realized that she probably was being unfair to the young woman. No hero team would have someone incompetent answering their emergency hotline, after all.

“My name is Lilith Carpenter, and I live at Garvin Tower Heights,” Lilith replied, giving the address and room number before adding, “My condo is the only one on the floor, I’ll notify the front desk that someone is coming.”

“Thank you, Ms. Carpenter, I’ll pass along your information immediately. Be aware that law enforcement may be contacted,” Ashley replied, then the line went dead.

Looking at the phone, Lilith raised an eyebrow sardonically, glancing at Warden. “Hurry up and wait, as expected? Well, I suppose I have some reading material available. I even have a couple of books about heroines.”

Chapter 7

Tuesday, November 12th, 2030

Lilith’s Condo, San Francisco

As the elevator doors slid open, Morgan frowned, on edge. It wasn’t just worry about Warden that had her tense, it was also the odd nature of how they’d learned about what had supposedly happened. At first no one had believed the news that Warden had been defeated, but Crimson Bull’s incredulity had turned to horror as he realized that the transmissions he was receiving were coming from a drone.

With Black Comet in Sacramento, the team had decided that Morgan would retrieve Warden since she had some ability to heal, while the others tried to hunt down the ambushers. Only Hypergizmo was present for support, flying over watch in the Seajet and able to provide covering fire if this was an ambush.

The condo where Warden was supposedly waiting was setting off an enormous number of Morgan’s internal alarm bells as well. While she’d been ushered through security with alacrity, there was something odd about the building, and the uppermost floor being only a single condo worried her. The ‘condo’ had to be obscenely expensive, and this could easily be a trap. Knocking on the door, Morgan had defensive spells at the ready, glad that she did have support just in case.

The woman who opened the door was unlike anything Morgan had expected, though, and the sight of her almost left the heroine drop-jawed. The captivating emerald eyes had a depth that startled her, and the crimson-streaked black curls that framed the woman’s face were perfect in their own way. Morgan’s poise almost shattered at the sight of the woman, causing a hint of confusion to flood through her.

“Ah, I believe you’re Morgan Le Fay, yes? Please, come in, I moved Warden to the guest room while waiting,” Lilith told her, smiling and sending a shock of attraction through the heroine. While she wore simple jeans and a white blouse that showed only a hint of cleavage, as well as minimal jewelry, Morgan could barely keep her eyes off the woman.

That realization caused Morgan to shake herself. Gathering her thoughts, she frowned internally. She’d only rarely been attracted to women before, and the sudden strength of what she felt put her on guard. It took a few moments for her to sense the subtle field of psychic energy around Lilith, but once she did she felt safer. If she knew it was there, it was hardly a threat.

“Please deactivate your ability first. I find it hard to trust you when you’re attempting to influence my mind,” Morgan replied, unable to keep a harsh note out of her voice.

“What do you mean, deactivate…? Oh! You must mean my captivation field.” Lilith paused in the middle of turning away, then smiled helplessly as she shrugged. “I’m sorry to say that I’m unable to do as you ask. I’ve been trying to figure out a way around it since I learned of my power, but the ability is stubborn. It’s a good part of why I have the entire floor to myself, in fact.”

“Captivation field?” Morgan asked, blinking. The phrase seemed faintly familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it for some reason. Moderating her tone, she told her heart to stop racing as she continued. “I believe I’ve heard the term before, but I can’t say I remember what it is.”

“I got the description from a number of research journals when I was trying to determine what it might be, and it’s the closest to what I experience. I’m not certain that I’m right, but I think it’s close enough. My ‘ability’ is that no matter where I go, no matter how I try to hide or dress down, I draw attention. It’s really rather annoying,” Lilith explained, sighing as she gave another shrug. “In any case, I can’t do anything about it, so… well, if you’d prefer, I could just give you directions to the room Warden’s resting in.”

“I just did a search, Morgan, and it’s a real term,” Hypergizmo interjected, his voice soft through the earbud and helping Morgan to focus on something else. “Like she said, it’s commonly used in science journals and not much else.”

“I think I understand. Is it merely uncontrolled, or is it a power that’s constantly active?” Morgan asked, stepping inside at last and looking around as she continued. “If you would lead the way, I’d be grateful.”

The section of the condo she could see was impressive on its own, but disconcerting in some ways. The room in front of her was almost large enough to host dance classes, with polished wood paneling and several rugs, but what startled her was how bare the room was. There were two chairs, a sofa, and an intimate dining table for perhaps four people, all of it looking expensive but comfortable. The windows allowed a good view of the surrounding buildings most days, though with the rain coming down outside she couldn’t see much. Through a door to her right she saw a gleaming modern kitchen and a hallway that looked to circle the floor, while Lilith nodded and led her toward a matching hallway to the left.

As the woman led the way, Morgan subvocalized a request to Hypergizmo, keeping a wary eye on her host, exercising iron control as she did so. “Alright. If you have time, could you investigate this lady? I think you said her name was Lilith, right? While I appreciate that she seems to have helped Warden, something about her powers and this apartment is setting off alarm bells. It’s always possible that she’s a villain.”

“I don’t have access from the jet, but once we’re back at the base I’ll see what I can find,” Hyper assured her, his voice confident. “Just to be safe, I’ll deploy a drone to keep an eye on her after we’ve left. But you’re right, her name is Lilith Carpenter, and she’s only had the condo for about a month from what I can tell.”

“Unfortunately for me, it’s constantly active. I haven’t bothered getting tested, but the results are fairly clear, in my opinion. I was largely raised alone, so I wasn’t even aware I had a power until I came to the city,” Lilith explained with another smile, seemingly unaware of Morgan’s worries.

“That’s a bit ominous, in my opinion… but alright. Keep an eye out, Hyper. I think that if this was a trap, it’d already have sprung,” Morgan replied, finishing her conversation to focus on the building, though she was slowly growing more certain that this wasn’t a trap.

Turning the corner of the hallway, where a door was shut, Morgan saw that the hall ran most of the length of the building before turning again, with a half-dozen doors along its length. Lilith stopped at the second door on her right and opened it, revealing a room that was almost as simple as the front room. It had a plain dresser, nightstand, lamp, and a twin bed, on which Warden lay. The heroine was surrounded by dozens of colorful pinheads scattered across the bed, prompting a frown from Morgan.

“Here she is, just as I said. I… wait, that’s a bit ominous. When I was listening, I heard the villains say something about a curse, and when I saw her there were what looked like pins thrust into her body,” Lilith explained, gesturing at Warden. “Those were the heads of the pins. I’m not sure what happened, but they weren’t like that when I got the door for you.”

“No matter, I’ll look her over,” Morgan interjected grimly, moving past Lilith in a flash. Focusing firmly, Morgan murmured words in Latin as she let her magic flow outward in a deep purple stream to caress Warden’s face and envelop her body. The magic seeped into Warden’s body, seeking out what had been done to her, and as answers began to appear in her mind, Morgan couldn’t help but scowl in anger at the foul magic she sensed.

Her magic slowly swept through Warden’s entire body, examining every organ, every vein, and her entire nervous system in detail. Save for some damage to her eyes, Warden’s body seemed almost perfectly fine. The problem was the magic Morgan sensed, and a part of her was actually happy that some of the spells were keeping Warden unconscious, considering the rest of the magic. Twisted serpents of black magic were woven into her friend’s golden energy, impeding it and choking it, almost like weeds might choke the life from other plants.

Changing her incantation, Morgan focused her spells on one of the invasive tendrils of magic. It didn’t seem to work at first, so she scowled and increased the power she’d focused on the stubborn black magic. It took a little while, but finally it began to shift under her spell, prompting a surge of elation, followed quickly by horror. Instead of prying the invasive magic away from Warden’s, it was ripping out Warden’s magic too! Quickly stopping, Morgan watched as the power settled back into place, trying to figure out what had just happened.

“Damn it… is it attuned to her magic somehow? How could they possibly weave it into her that closely? Unless they had a lot of time, I don’t see how…?” Morgan murmured, pulling her magic back for the moment. While the damage to Warden’s eyes was annoying, it was easily fixed, even without magic. Far more worrying was the curse embedded in Warden, so Morgan reached down and picked up one of the pinheads, examining it closely. Faint magical residue was within the colorful head, residue which was quite familiar, and realization flooded through Morgan as she hissed, “Shit!”

“Morgan? What’s wrong?” Hypergizmo asked, his voice betraying worry.

“Somehow, they managed to get a sample of her magic, Hyper. They used it to create the curse to merge with her magic, and it’s… nasty,” Morgan replied, making certain that Lilith couldn’t overhear as she explained. “It’s sealed her magic, and this is really, really insidious. I’m not sure how long it’ll take me to work through this, but she’s going to be without her magic for at least a few days, and possibly a lot longer than that. It all depends on how easy this curse is to break.”

* * *

For Lilith, watching Morgan work was utterly fascinating. It was almost like she could feel what Morgan was doing and what had happened to Warden, though there were no details. It was all just feelings and approximations, though it seemed to be improving the longer she was in their presence. That both worried and intrigued her, though why she was having a reaction to Morgan confused her. As far as she knew, she’d never come close to having contact with either woman, and that they felt slightly familiar to her was odd, to say the least.

At least in Warden’s case Lilith knew that the heroine had captured Amber, which gave them a faint connection of sorts, but Morgan hadn’t participated in that raid. It confused her, but Lilith supposed it might be in part because she found both women attractive, or that they were heroines. She’d never had contact with superheroes before this, so she lacked the experience to know for certain. The other possibility was that it was a reaction born of how she was created, since her genome had been generated from heroes that included Morgan and Warden both. Lilith had other theories as well, including the faint possibility that Amber might have implanted attractions to particular heroes in her mind. She’d have to ask Circe about that possibility.

Morgan was an attractive woman in her own right, with straight black hair to the middle of her back, olive skin, and almond-shaped eyes that were a deep blue. Relatively petite on the whole, the woman made up for it with a posture fit for a queen, in Lilith’s opinion. The only thing that bothered Lilith was the woman’s outfit. Morgan wore a close-fitting, metallic purple dress and a raven-feathered cloak, while she masked her identity with an elaborate purple and black mask. With the ornate silver jewelry the heroine wore, it made Lilith think the outfit was rather ridiculous. Part of her wanted to adjust the outfits of both women, but it wasn’t as if she’d ever have that opportunity.

“Is something wrong with her? I hope she’ll be alright… I tried to be gentle, but didn’t want her out in the cold,” Lilith asked, honestly concerned despite her own surprise at the emotion. While she might have been conflicted about Warden’s role in her own past, she didn’t want the heroine injured or dead, and she hadn’t felt like Warden was in any danger before this.

“It’s… complicated,” Morgan replied, hesitating, and from the way she shifted, Lilith was certain the woman was about to lie to her. “Her eyes were seriously damaged somehow, which is most unpleasant, but we can deal with that. I’m able to heal wounds of the sort, and our medic can if she has the time. The problem is that they laid an extremely nasty curse on her through those needles, and I’m going to have to take her back to the HQ to fix it. I’m glad she’s unconscious for this, it’s so bad.”

“Ah, well, I see why you were unhappy. I hope Warden recovers soon, then. Do you need any help getting her to your headquarters?” Lilith asked, trying to seem helpful, but not pushing. While she was unhappy about being lied to, she could deal with that. She could argue that the team owed her something for helping Warden, but it wasn’t as if they’d asked her for a favor. In the end it was their decision, and considering Morgan’s occasional pauses and a few cues she’d seen, she suspected that the heroine was communicating with someone else via an earbud. It likely wasn’t her own decision at all.

“Thank you, but no. Can you tell me how this happened?” Morgan asked, glancing up as she went through the gestures of a spell, murmuring softly and covering Warden’s eyes with a purple sheen.

“Yes, at least in part. I’ll admit that I saw the ambush mostly by happenstance, though. I was watching the bay through the window when Warden came flying down the street, a few floors below us,” Lilith explained, gesturing in the direction of the front room. “As she did, a pair of people appeared the next roof over. One was a man with spiked blue hair and a black and blue outfit, while the other was a figure in black power armor with lots of guns. The man in the armor had what looked like a huge cannon, so I texted the police’s tip line. I only got an automated response, I’m afraid.”

Morgan visibly winced. “Blue Impulse and Megawatt. Even with surprise, I’m shocked they managed to defeat her, and as quickly as they must have. She’s blocked anything they’ve thrown at her before.”

“Well, at a guess, they’d planned on exploiting a weakness, and I think I know what it was, based on her injury,” Lilith continued. “She put up a shield when Megawatt pointed the big gun at her. I remember her face looking like he’d shone a spotlight on it, and she grabbed at her eyes and started falling without her shield. I’ll add that I think you should get her some flare protection. She was just stabilizing her fall when Impulse appeared behind her, with what looked like a blunt rod. He hit her with it, and she went limp. He grabbed her, and flew up onto my roof.” Lilith nodded upward, frowning and crossing her arms. “I hadn’t gotten a response from the police, so I went up the stairs and listened at the door, and heard a little, just enough to know there was a curse involved. The wind drowned most of it out. Once they were gone, I went outside and found Warden lying on the picnic table with the pins all over her. I brought her downstairs and called your hotline, which took a little work to get through to contact all of you. That’s it, really.”

“I see… thank you very much,” Morgan replied, nodding and smiling at Lilith. The heroine’s eyes seemed to linger on Lilith for a few moments longer than necessary, which was probably Lilith’s captivation field. In fact, she dearly hoped that was the reason, because if Morgan was suspicious, it could end badly for Lilith. “While I can’t fault your willingness to help, in the future please try not to move someone who’s been injured unless necessary. If she had been injured, you could have made it worse. I’ll talk to the others about both the flare protection and the difficulty in getting through the hotline. Additionally, I’m certain the police will want to speak with you. Is it alright if I put them in contact with you?”

“Of course it is. I’ll be here if they need me, most days,” Lilith replied softly. “And I promise, I’ll try not to hurt anyone else who shows up on the roof.”

“Wonderful. Thank you again, Ms. Lilith,” Morgan replied, gesturing with a hand, and a deep purple mist shrouded Warden and the pinheads. The pinheads darted into a pouch at the heroine’s waist, while Warden levitated off the bed. With a last polite nod, Morgan headed for the front door, with Lilith showing her out.

Once the two women had left her alone, Lilith let out a soft sigh. Taking a seat, she stared out the window at the rain pouring down on the city. A flicker of light caught her eye, and she saw the two heroines ascending through the air, a shield deflecting the rain away from them. After passing her floor, a flash of illumination from above briefly revealed an aircraft some fifty feet above the building, the side hatch open. As the door shut, the aircraft vanished almost as suddenly as it had appeared, the rain masking its presence.

Not even ten minutes passed before Lilith let out another sigh, looking on the weather that so perfectly matched her mood, murmuring. “Bored already… well, I should have expected that.”

Chapter 8

Tuesday, November 12th, 2030

Ocean Shield HQ, San Francisco

“Ugh… what… what happened? I feel like I got hit by a bus…” Warden groaned, slowly regaining consciousness. It took a few moments for her to focus on, then recognize Ocean Shield’s medical bay, which helped ease her mind a little. Her tension relaxed still more as she looked at Morgan sitting in a chair next to her bed, Hypergizmo fiddling on a console nearby. Even with their reassuring presence, she knew that something was horribly wrong.

Something inside Warden’s body felt wrong, like her intestines were tied in knots. Reaching inside, Warden touched her magic and recoiled in horrified shock. If a mad weaver had taken hold of her magic and turned it into a horrific Gordian knot, she imagined it would feel like this. She could touch her magic, but with the way it was tangled and warped she was unable to use it, and even touching it caused pain to spike through her body. As the pain washed through Warden, Morgan laid a gentle hand on her shoulder and looked at Hypergizmo, who spoke first.

“Based on what we know so far, it sounds like you were ambushed by Blue Impulse and Megawatt. The woman who found you claimed as much, and several reports we’ve gotten since then agree with her. I’m afraid we don’t have video footage yet, and we may not get any, either,” Hypergizmo replied briskly, concern in his voice as he added, “The villains seem to have disabled the security cameras in the area. Do you remember anything?”

“N-not much. I remember Megawatt, though. He suddenly appeared above me, pointing a huge cannon at me, so I put up a shield before it fired. It was like I’d been staring into the sun, but so much worse… and then something hit me, and everything went black,” Warden replied slowly, reaching up with trembling fingers to rub her eyes gently. “What happened? My magic is… it’s like it’s in knots. It’s painful to even touch. What happened, Morgan?”

“They managed to embed a curse, Gina,” Morgan explained, reaching down to hold Warden’s hand. “I’m not sure how they managed it, not exactly, but somehow it was woven into your magic, and I can’t remove it without risking your own power. When I tried, it masked itself closely enough that my spells couldn’t differentiate between the curse and your own magic. If I knew how it was made, I might be able to do more, but I’m afraid that I don’t.”

“What? But… but you can get rid of it, can’t you?” Warden asked, trying to suppress bubbling panic as she tried hard not to touch her power.

“I’m not sure yet. I’ve been talking to a few specialists, but none of them have heard of anything quite like this before. I’ve got a few leads, but…” Morgan paused and shook her head, admitting softly, “I don’t know. I just don’t know if I can do anything about it.”

“But… but what about my powers? I can’t face villains like this, not without my magic! It isn’t permanent, is it?” Warden asked, her grip on her emotions weakening as she began to panic. A curse that Morgan couldn’t break had to be hideously complex, and Warden had never studied them heavily, not more than she needed to if she wanted to block them, at least. Either way, she was trembling.

“No, no! It’s bad, I fully agree with that, but it’s nowhere near that bad, Gina. Unless they could somehow maintain it every day, it’ll eventually unravel. Your body doesn’t like the curse, and will eventually reject it. Think of it as a sort of barrier blocking your magic,” Morgan explained quickly. “It’ll hold back your power for a while, but eventually it’ll collapse. Just don’t try to force it, as that could cause your magic to backfire, or even permanently damage your gift.”

“Oh, okay, it’s not… not quite as bad as I feared. How… how long will it take for the curse to break naturally?” Her voice was trembling, but Warden tried to steady herself. She knew that the answer wasn’t one that she’d like, otherwise it would’ve been the first thing that Morgan told her. Even so, the news that the effect wasn’t permanent was a relief.

“I wish I knew, Gina. At a guess…” Morgan’s voice trailed off as she thought, then she sighed heavily as she shook her head. “It could be as little as a month, or up to six months or more in the worst case. The curse is extremely well-made, and from the elements I’ve been able to identify I’m guessing it was designed using a fragment of your magic. The problem is that the more you try to use your magic, the deeper you’ll embed the curse. That could actually extend the duration of it enormously, with no upper limit that I’ve been able to identify. I hate to say it, but unless one of the other magi can help us break the enchantment, your best bet is to not touch your magic at all until it dissipates.”

“Dammit… damn that jerk to hell,” Warden hissed, trying to control her anger as hot tears began to spill down her cheeks. To her it seemed like it’d been only a few minutes since she’d been out on patrol, and now… now she was going to be disabled for months. It was horrifying, but she took a moment to try to regain something of a sense of poise before speaking again, her voice trembling despite herself. “So, what do I do now? Do I just sit around the HQ twiddling my thumbs and feeling useless?”

“No, of course not!” Hypergizmo exclaimed, his eyes jerking away from the console, actually setting it aside as he looked at her. “You’ve been run ragged for the last few months, and you know we’ve been talking about giving everyone a few weeks of vacation recently. This isn’t how we’d choose to give it out, I’ll admit, but it’s a lot better than the alternative. For now, Spirit has been thinking that you take some time off, letting your mundane life take priority while your magic works itself out. If you feel like you need to help out, you’ll still have access to all the files, so you can help me work through our tips or clues, too. It isn’t going to be the end of the world, you’ll just be on a break. Alright?”

“I… thank you, Hyper, I just… this is horrible. Why did this happen?” Warden protested plaintively, her tears starting to flow again as she began to break down.

“I don’t know, Gina. I wish I did, but I don’t,” Morgan replied softly, pulling Warden into a gentle embrace. Morgan simply held Warden as she cried, and for a long minute they just sat there.

“I… I don’t think I can stay here, not without… without breaking down even more,” Warden murmured, her voice breaking as she swallowed hard, then asked, “Rachel? Please take me home?”

“Right away, Gina. I promise, I’ll get you there as soon as I can,” Morgan replied, giving Warden another gentle hug. As the other sorceress used her magic to pick Warden up, the heroine felt another pang of anguish as she realized she couldn’t touch her own. It wasn’t Morgan’s fault, of course, but it still made her feel even more miserable.

* * *

Tuesday, November 12th, 2030

Warden’s Home, Oakland

Circling Warden’s house one last time to be safe, Morgan couldn’t help but frown in worry. The only reason she was willing to reveal even that much was because she was cloaked by an invisibility spell. Though she didn’t think that either of the villains would dare to attack Warden in her civilian identity, she’d rather be careful than regret a mistake. She was using every sense and spell of detection she could think of, and she wasn’t seeing anything out of place. More specifically, she didn’t see anything that might pose a threat to her friend, and that was far more important to her.

Getting Warden home had been easy enough, but no one had dared assume that they wouldn’t be ambushed. Morgan couldn’t help her sense of relief that the trip had been uneventful in the end. Fortunately for Morgan’s peace of mind, Warden had built defensive wards into her home a few years earlier, anchoring them solidly and powering them with ambient magic. While Morgan would have to come by about once a month to maintain them, that meant that her friend would still be fairly safe until she recovered. Even so, it was a cold comfort.

That Warden had been defeated had shocked everyone, not just her. While it had been by ambush, that Blue Impulse had dared attack and sideline her friend the way he had was frightening, and it was obvious that they could have killed her. While there was an unwritten agreement not to do things like that, something about the situation felt off to Morgan this time. It didn’t feel like the sort of plan Blue Impulse could put together on his own, with how organized the attack had been. Someone had to be pulling the strings, and she doubted that she was the only one who wanted to know who was behind the attack.

Returning to the headquarters took longer than normal, since Morgan made sure she took a roundabout course from Warden’s home before she let the invisibility spell lapse. Shivering at the night chill, made worse by the rain, Morgan murmured a couple of words and warmed herself from within. She really didn’t enjoy fall, though it was generally better than winter. Still, the lights of the city on the bay were beautiful, and she took a moment to admire the serene scene on her flight. Morgan hoped that the city would stay peaceful until Warden was back on the job, but she didn’t have much faith in that happening.

Settling down on the sleek landing pad of the HQ, Morgan used the biometric scanner to gain access before heading downstairs at a brisk pace. As she walked she wove another spell to dry her clothing, relaxing slowly. Hypergizmo had built their base, and the man had made a point of designing it to be as relaxing and comfortable as possible, not just making it a nightmare for attacking villains.

On entering the meeting room, Morgan found that all the others were waiting for her, leaving just two chairs empty. The sight of Warden’s empty seat sent a pang through her, but Morgan quickly took her seat, nodding at the others politely.

“I got Warden home safely, and did a couple of sweeps to make sure there wasn’t anything nasty in the area. I don’t think she’s going to be in a very good state for the next few days, but I’m sure she’ll be fine in the end. She’s too tough to let this get her down,” Morgan told them, sitting down. “I’ll go see her tomorrow, and I suspect that’s going to be an unpleasant visit. It might be a bit better if I have news, though, so… any word on Blue Impulse or anything else?”

“Nada. It’s beginning to look like the ambush wasn’t a distraction. There haven’t been any major heists that’ve come up, and believe me, the cops are looking. Hell, they’re almost jumping at shadows, waiting for the other shoe to drop,” Galvanic Action replied, rubbing his eyes. “I did catch a couple of robbers who were trying to break into an ATM in broad daylight, but there’s no way they were deliberately taking advantage of the attack. An ATM just doesn’t have enough money to make it worth trying to take down Warden.”

“Based on that, we have to assume they were actually targeting Warden for a reason,” Ocean Spirit spoke up grimly, tapping the table with an expression like ice. “With what they did, we almost have to assume that it’s in preparation for something happening in the next month. There’s no way they could guarantee taking her out for longer than that, and I can’t imagine someone doing all of this and not taking advantage of the opening.”

“What about the lady who found her? Couldn’t she have something to do with it?” Black Comet interjected. The speedster was in a foul mood due to having been out of town, feeling that he might’ve been able to do something that would’ve made a difference. Morgan thought he was being unfair to himself, since no one had known anything until it was too late, but she wasn’t going to argue with him. He continued, looking at Morgan. “What did you mean, Morgan? Giz said that you thought she was strange.”

“Ms. Carpenter was definitely strange. She was calm, far too calm for most civilians I’ve run into before. Most of them are excitable, after all, while she was almost relaxed. Beyond that, she did have a power, something she called a captivation field,” Morgan replied, opening her mouth to continue, only to have Crimson Bull interrupt.

“That sounds like a nasty power. What does it do?” the big man rumbled, a hand clenched around his armrest. The chair creaked ominously under the pressure, and Morgan couldn’t help but wonder if Warden had ever realized that Crimson Bull had a crush on her. Based on what Morgan knew of her friend, she doubted that the man had a chance with her, which suited Morgan fine. He was an excellent co-worker, if prone to using brute force more than she’d prefer, but she didn’t like him on a personal level.

“I don’t know. Hyper was looking it up, and I asked him to look into her background while he was at it,” Morgan replied, and at the man’s angry glare she shrugged and added, “I was a bit busy with Warden, and I can only be in one place at a time. What she said was that it was a constantly active power that draws attention to her, one which she can’t turn off. I don’t think she was lying, but I didn’t exactly have a lot of time to talk to her about it.”

Blooming Orchid turned to look at Hypergizmo, her arched eyebrow causing the man to flush as she asked, “Oh? What did you find?”

“Um, yes, I looked up what I could on the power, and on Ms. Carpenter herself. To be safe I also have a drone keeping an eye on her condo and the surroundings,” the tech replied, running a hand through his hair nervously. “Her power is interesting. I did a basic search from the jet, and like I told Morgan then, the term isn’t used much. ‘Captivation field’ is generally used by researchers, scientists, and mostly by SuperNet’s R&D division for their documentation. The power they refer to is the ability to draw the attention of people in a broad area, whether they can see the user or not. The more powerful the user, the larger the range of the effect, and it has the unusual side effect of penetrating virtually any mental defense. It’s a very uncommon power, and is considered to be useless on its own, save for if someone relies on speaking or performance for a living. Like a politician or comedian, I suppose.”

“Hmm… I thought it was more powerful than that, but if it penetrates mental shields it explains why I was affected so strongly,” Morgan murmured. At a questioning look from Ocean Spirit, she explained. “I almost couldn’t help myself from staring at her. She seemed to dislike her power, though, saying that it was a large part of why she had the entire floor to herself.”

“Well, if she can’t turn it off, I can see it causing minor difficulties, like traffic accidents. Not that I imagine that she could go unnoticed anyway, with her appearance. Even as well-known as most of us are, if we really try we can generally go out anonymously, even when near our most enthusiastic fans. Her power would make something like that almost impossible,” Hypergizmo agreed, shaking his head. “I don’t envy her there. My main concern is how little information I can find on her overall.”

“What did you find, then?” Sky Defender asked calmly, his arms crossed.

Hypergizmo hit a couple of buttons, and a moment later a hologram appeared in the middle of the table, depicting Lilith, while a profile of her appeared in text on the table in front of each of them. Morgan scanned the information, frowning as the tech began speaking.

“Her name is Lilith Carpenter, age twenty-seven, and she’s the owner of Carpenter Microsystem Solutions. The company was founded through the merger of three tech startups a little over a month ago, and on a cursory inspection appears to have promising products in the pipeline for civilians, in my opinion. Her birthplace has been redacted, and she appears to have been homeschooled, with excellent scores across the board. Parents, redacted. Former address redacted. You’ll notice a trend here, I hope? She got her driver’s license a month ago, but has no registered vehicles yet. Her primary funds were disbursed from an Advent Bank trust fund.” Hypergizmo rattled off the information comfortably, seeming to relax as he spoke. “That’s pretty much everything I found, too. She has no arrest record, and a few online courses for college that she’s been passing with flying colors, along with playing the stock market hard. I can’t find any social media profiles for her, and while there are dozens of photos of her since she came to San Francisco, all of them are taken by other civilians, often when she goes out to dinner. She mostly stays in her condo these days.”

“Shit. I wish I knew how she did all of that, but with the redactions and being twenty-seven…” Black Comet looked up, his face growing more serious. “That means she was born just three years after the Advent. Do you think she’s the daughter of a couple of early heroes?”

Morgan frowned thoughtfully at the suggestion, considering the possibility. While heroes and villains had existed before the dawn of the twenty-first century, they’d been few and far between. On the dawn of the year 2000, the heavens had ripped open and humanity had learned that Earth had been existing in a tiny pocket universe almost devoid of magic and powers, and they had rejoined the cosmos in the event now termed the Advent. It was fortunate that most of the alien races ignored them, but the last thirty years had caused many changes in the world. Atlantis had risen from the sea, Excalibur had been found in England, and the heights of Mount Olympus had vanished in a crown of clouds that shrouded temperamental Greek gods. Considering the timing, Morgan had to admit that the other hero had a point.

“Considering that Advent Bank only deals with heroes, that seems fairly likely. It was founded before that, and it’d fit the timeline,” Hypergizmo agreed, shrugging. “Personally, I think we should leave her be. Unless she keeps coming up in investigations, anyway. There isn’t anything bad to her history, and there are lots of heroes who hide their families.”

“Fair enough,” Ocean Spirit agreed, glancing around the table. “Does anyone object?”

“There’s another possibility I think we need to consider,” Sky Defender spoke after a moment, his voice measured. Morgan blinked, looking at him in surprise, but understanding washed through her as he explained. “I just want to remind you that heroes aren’t the only ones who hide their families. She could be the child of a villain, though I think it’s unlikely. Advent Bank does a good job of weeding out villains, which makes it difficult to manage, but it is possible.”

“That’s a very nasty thought,” Morgan murmured, scowling as she mentally replayed her interactions with Lilith. As she thought, her frown deepened and she shook her head slowly. “I can’t see it, personally. She didn’t feel nearly self-centered enough to be a villain. If she is, it’s possible that she chose to leave behind the lifestyle, though.”

“That’s a definite possibility. I’m not saying that it’s likely that she’s the child of a villain, I just want to make certain we’re keeping in mind all the possibilities we can,” Sky Defender acknowledged with a nod. “I’d like to keep her under surveillance for at least a few days, preferably more. If she doesn’t seem to be trying to take advantage of her actions, I think we’re safe, and it also helps us have any forewarning if the villains decide to go after her.”

Ocean Spirit nodded, speaking firmly. “A very good suggestion. People would be hesitant to help us if they thought the villains might retaliate, and preventing that is an important thing. Now, as much as I know we could keep going on this subject for hours, we’re all tired and we need to move on. We need to step up our patrols for the next month or two, and we need to ensure that we work in pairs from now on. So, let’s work out a schedule that won’t exhaust us all to the point of uselessness.”

“What if we coordinated with a few other teams in the city?” Orchid suggested, banishing her copy of Lilith’s profile with a flick of her fingers. “They might not have our power, but a lot of teams keep a close eye on their neighborhoods, like the Bay Patrol.”

Morgan nodded at the suggestion, touching a couple of keys to save her own copy of the profile to look at later before banishing it. She was curious about the woman she’d met, and it was part of the job for the moment. Setting it aside, she focused on the discussion.

“An excellent idea, Orchid. They’d be able to call for backup if they get in over their heads, and it gives us far more coverage than we could manage on our own,” Ocean Spirit replied, smiling. “Now then, here’s what I was thinking…”

* * *

Wednesday, November 13th, 2030

Ocean Shield HQ, San Francisco

Tapping a couple of keys, Sky Defender changed the angle of the drone’s camera as it looked into Ms. Carpenter’s condo. He couldn’t help but frown as he studied the video stream, glad that no one could see inside his armor. He couldn’t explain quite what the problem was, but something about Lilith Carpenter bothered him, leaving him tense where she was concerned. Unlike most of the others, though, he wasn’t going to let down his guard until he was certain what the problem was.

Changing the camera wavelength to allow them to see through the windows had taken some work, and even now the color was somewhat washed out. Sky Defender fully expected a blistering lecture from Ocean Spirit if she realized that he’d found the frequency right when the civilian had been changing, though. It’d been an embarrassing moment, but he’d quickly circled the building instead, trying to study the woman’s condo, and what he’d found puzzled him.

While Lilith’s condo took up the entire upper floor of the tower, half of the rooms were clean and completely empty. At first he’d thought maybe they’d been made to look empty, but eventually he realized that they were exactly what they looked like, empty rooms that had been set up to receive furniture, but which had never been used. Of the rooms that were actually used, there was a library, an elaborate bathroom, three bedrooms, a kitchen, and the large living room where the subject of his surveillance spent most of her time. The rest of the floor that he could see was left alone, and even the furnished areas were sparsely decorated.

The past hours of surveillance hadn’t shed any light on his questions, either. Lilith had been working on what looked like her company books for a while, then she’d searched through a drawer to find a measuring tape before looking at furniture online. Of all the possibilities for what he might have seen her doing, such a boring series of events hadn’t been anywhere near the top of the list.

Even with her innocuous actions, Sky Defender couldn’t shake his suspicions. At this point Lilith was doing basic research about the members of Ocean Shield, though it looked like she was focusing on the two that she’d encountered, Morgan and Warden.

“Why do you bother me so much, Ms. Carpenter? Are you really just a normal person?” Sky Defender asked himself softly, then shook his head as he changed the display. Keeping an eye on the police channels was a much better use of his time. He could always watch the recordings in fast forward later, instead of watching a woman sit cross-legged on the floor, making notes as she went through a fan site dedicated to his team.

Chapter 9

Friday, November 15th, 2030

Warden’s Home, Oakland

After three days, Blue Impulse’s patience had all but run out. He wanted to get on with his plans, and waiting even this long had been near-agony. Yet now he was waiting on a damned cop to get out of the way. It was a couple of hours after midnight, with the waning gibbous moon peeking out from behind the cloud cover. The object of his impatience was a police car slowly winding its way through the neighborhood, not moving nearly fast enough for the villain. Finally, the vehicle pulled out of the neighborhood and Blue Impulse let out a frustrated sigh of relief, teleporting into the middle of the subdivision.

The small copse of trees concealed most of the light of his teleportation from anyone who might still be awake, but the villain knew better than to count on that. Stepping back into the trees, Blue Impulse almost vanished into the shadows as he fished around his pocket. The tiny crystal he pulled out was on a gold chain, and the sight of it sparked another bit of jealousy in the villain. He hated having to rely on someone else for this. Letting the crystal dangle, the villain cleared his head and waited as a tiny shard of golden magic sparked inside the crystal, slowly turning to point in a particular direction.

Blue Impulse smiled, relieved that he was finally close enough to get a precise direction for Warden. His voice was soft as he murmured, “Gotcha. Time to start your lessons… I want you ready when things finally go down.”

The villain circled the block, quickly narrowing down the building that his target was in. He kept a wary eye out for anyone who might report him, but it didn’t look like anyone was up at this time. It still took longer than he liked to figure out which house she was in, but finally he managed it. Looking at the humble house, Blue Impulse sneered and shook his head, putting the gemstone away carefully. Opening a satchel, he pulled out five railroad spikes, each carved with dozens of glyphs that were inset with jade and other stones that he didn’t recognize.

“Now then… which of these goes to the south? Damn it, I wish Ebon’s devices were easier to understand,” Blue Impulse complained under his breath, pausing as he thought, then shaking his head. “Or… maybe not. If they were, this might not have a chance to work, and they might’ve had a clue what we were doing. Maybe I should finally take lessons, though… Ebon’s spells are pretty amazing, even if he’s an uptight old fart.”

When he finally figured out which spike went in each position, the villain carefully infused each with a fragment of magic, then examined the house grounds. In order to set things up right, he’d have to go into some of the neighboring yards. It was good that he wouldn’t have to put any of the spikes in other buildings, though, that would’ve been an unpleasant surprise. Finally satisfied with his preparations, Impulse took the first spike and focused on exactly where he wanted to put it. Without a good head for locations, he never could’ve developed his teleportation powers, so by comparison this was easy.

With a flash the spike vanished, and a clod of dirt the size of the spike appeared in Impulse’s hand, crumbling quickly. Dropping the dirt in the ditch in annoyance, the man took the next spike and repeated the process, placing each of them around the house in turn. It didn’t take long, and when he was done the spikes were all six inches below the surface, forming a pentacle that pointed south. The trickiest part of it had been making sure that none of the ‘lines’ of the formation touched the house itself, as that might have set off the wards built into the structure. Impulse knew that it’d taken Ebon Dragon quite some time to meld the traditions necessary to do everything without being detected, but he’d managed it in the end.

“There we go. Enjoy your lessons, bitch. One of these days you’re going to learn your place,” Blue Impulse murmured, vanishing in a flicker of light. Only the dirt in the ditch showed the short time he’d been present.

* * *

Unless a spellcaster was practically on top of the spikes and searching for magic, it was virtually impossible to detect them while they were buried around Warden’s home. If their magic tried to directly penetrate the wards built into the house, they’d be detected, but the only other way for someone to find them would be to dig them up. Unfortunately for Warden, Ebon Dragon had built his spells with precision, and in a way she’d never anticipated. Rather than trying to penetrate the wards, the formation manifested outside the house, and a tiny fragment of magic imbued into the spikes called out to the curse embedded in the heroine.

Warden was huddled under her thick comforter as she slept deeply and easily. Unlike the first night she’d been home, her dreams were calm and pleasant. The first hints of magic touching her made her stir, and with a sleepy grumble she rolled over, pulling the comforter tighter around herself.

Buried in Warden’s magic, the curse began to react to the formation around the house. The change in conditions caused it to slowly reshape into the form of a new spell that had been hidden inside the curse, something which Morgan hadn’t even seen hints of. Ever so slowly, a series of glittering points appeared on Warden’s forehead in golden light, then slowly formed into a shimmering star. As the circle bounded the star, the formation outside and the star began to pulse with power in time with one another.

Without her command, the heroine’s magic reached out to connect to the formation outside, taking the instructions it was giving. The curse slowly warped under the instructions, no longer simply sitting passively. It began to influence the heroine, to change her with her own power and magic. It wasn’t a fast process, but it was steady, and by using her own magic, it bypassed all the defenses that Warden might have been able to muster, had she even been aware of what was happening.

Although she was unaware of the magic, a soft whimper of confusion escaped the slumbering woman, her dreams darkening and almost waking her. As she neared consciousness, the symbol on her forehead faded as the curse concealed itself again. With the stimulus of the magic weakened, Warden slowly settled back into her sleep, and as she did the spell strengthened in turn. The more gradual process helped her grow accustomed to the magic and less likely to wake this time. In truth, the changes it was making were minor, simply preparing her for a later ritual, even as it began whispering soft, sinister suggestions into her unconscious mind. None of the changes could be done in a single night, but that didn’t matter.

The curse didn’t care about how long it would take.

* * *

Friday, November 15th, 2030

Unknown Location

Far from San Francisco, a man sat in a dark room, sitting back and staring at an ancient, elaborately crafted chessboard. The pieces depicted the middle of a game, and it was going badly for white. While black had lost only a few pawns, white had lost half its pieces, including its queen and both rooks.

Suddenly the board shivered, and ever so slowly a white pawn moved forward under its own power. The pawn was only a single move from the other end of the board, and several black pieces were in position to intercept the pawn. Whether they would or not was another question entirely.

The man smiled at the board, murmuring under his breath. “Hmm… and now things get interesting.”

Chapter 10

Wednesday, November 20th, 2030

Irkshire Art Gallery, Oakland

Gina looked around the gallery glumly, unable to hide her disappointment at how few people had visited so far. There were only four people in the building aside from her, and none of them seemed to have any intention of buying a piece, which she found frustrating. It was especially unpleasant after spending a full week unable to be Warden. It wouldn’t have been so bad if she’d had a choice, but being forced into it chafed on her badly. Worse, the rest of the team hadn’t been able to track down any of her attackers or to find a way of breaking the curse yet.

To keep her mind off things, she’d thrown herself into painting much more heavily, but it was only a distraction, Gina knew. Even if she wasn’t happy with the situation, Gina had realized a few days before that she’d gotten sucked into her work as a heroine a bit too deeply for the last few months. It’d been especially obvious when she looked at the pitiful back stock of paintings at the house. Rebuilding that stock would take some time, and she’d only had time and inspiration for two paintings before coming to the gallery, leaving most of her work as older pieces.

It certainly hadn’t helped her productivity that she’d been feeling a little off-kilter for a few days, making it difficult to focus on painting. Still, Gina sat back to wait, keeping a hopeful eye on her current guests. She would be quite happy if she was wrong and one of them purchased a painting or two.

* * *

Leaving the fourth art gallery of the night, Lilith couldn’t suppress her frown. She’d been looking up different room layouts since her visitors had left, and once the furniture was in place all that was left were wall hangings. On a whim, she’d chosen to go to some of the local art galleries. So far it had been an exercise in annoyance and frustration, though. Most of the artwork was nothing she was interested in, while the only piece she’d actually liked had already been sold. The man tending to the gallery had been most apologetic, but it hadn’t helped. At this point Lilith was wondering if she should just give up and go home.

Another aspect of her temptation was the modest crowd that was following her. Some of them were subtler than others, but over a dozen people were hard to miss. At the first gallery she’d made the mistake of politely speaking to some of the other patrons while looking at the artwork, which had drawn them after her like flies to honey. Lilith had corrected the mistake during her visits to other galleries, with middling success as a whole. Nothing she’d done so far had kept them from following her.

She was on the verge of heading home when she spotted another gallery, the sign proclaiming it the Irkshire Art Gallery. It was mostly deserted, which she knew might not be a good sign, but it was always possible that Lilith’s tastes weren’t something that was popular. Besides, the building felt somehow cozier to her, so she walked up the steps and entered. A woman was sitting at the front desk, and she looked up in surprise. For just an instant, Lilith saw her eyes widen in recognition, while Lilith’s mind kicked into overdrive.

The woman stood, revealing that she was a few inches shorter than Lilith, at about five foot eight. She had pretty blue eyes and a stunning face, with her lips curving in a hesitant smile, and her blonde hair hanging in a bob just above her shoulders. Her white empire dress fell nearly to the ground and tastefully showed off her figure, while she wore a gold necklace and earrings that had thread-like chains dangling. Her nametag proclaimed her to be ‘Gina Fairmont, Artist’, but Lilith knew that couldn’t be all she was.

Another person might not have recognized Gina as being Warden, even after having sat in the same room as the heroine for about half an hour. Lilith admitted to herself that half the reason she could recognize the woman was that strange mental connection she felt to the heroine, but she also had a perfect memory and Gina’s face was quite distinctive. While intriguing on its own, the surprising thing was that they’d run into one another less than a week after their previous encounter.

At least this time she’d had time to check with Circe about what had or hadn’t been done to her mind. The AI had explained that while Lilith had been patterned off of Amber’s mind, and was heavily biased toward preferring women because of that, the villain had never bothered implanting attractions, and as such any attraction Lilith felt should be entirely her own.

Lilith almost surprised herself by smiling warmly at Gina and speaking, her tone friendly. “Hello.”

* * *

As the door opened, Gina looked up and her heart promptly skipped a beat at who was standing there. She recognized Lilith, since Morgan had told her that the woman had helped her after Gina was attacked by Blue Impulse. Morgan had brought the woman’s full profile, including both a picture and a description of her power, but none of that had prepared her for meeting Lilith in person. Lilith’s presence was like a bonfire brought into a dark room, drawing every eye unerringly. Her brilliant emerald eyes were incredible, and Gina almost felt like she could drown in them. Gina’s breath caught in her throat as Lilith smiled and greeted her, the woman’s voice like nothing she’d imagined, firm but soft at the same time and almost warm itself. How could any voice sound like Lilith’s did? Gina couldn’t help but suspect it was another aspect of Lilith’s powers.

“H-hello, ma’am, welcome to the Irkshire Gallery. May I ask your name?” Gina replied, internally cursing her slight stutter. Tearing her gaze away from Lilith’s eyes, she looked the other woman over in surprise. Lilith looked almost nothing like most of the others in the gallery. She wore simple blue jeans and a green blouse that matched her eyes, along with a thin black jacket, a small purse, and black boots. Taking a moment to breathe in deeply, Gina regained some of her sense of balance as she continued. “Also, is there anything in particular you’d like to see?”

“Thank you, Gina. My name is Lilith Carpenter,” Lilith replied in a soft purr, smiling as a dozen men and two women slowly filed into the gallery in her wake. Gina could tell that the crowd was following her guest, who ignored them as she continued speaking. “I’m not certain that I could describe what it is that I’m looking for. Art that feels right to me, I suppose. I recently moved into a condo, and it’s rather bare at the moment, so I thought I’d get some paintings. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to find anything available that I like. Perhaps you could show me around your gallery? It is your artwork, is it not?”

“Certainly! I mean, I’d be happy to show you around, Ms. Carpenter. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Gina replied without thinking, and only barely managed to keep herself from flushing heavily in embarrassment. Taking a moment to control herself, she explained, “I must admit I’ve been in something of a slump of late, so most of my artwork is a bit on the older side. I’m working on updating my collection, though.”

“In that case, why don’t we have a look? And please, call me Lilith. I almost didn’t realize you were speaking to me when you called me Ms. Carpenter,” Lilith replied, looking amused. With a gentle touch against Gina’s elbow, the woman guided her away from the group following her. Gina almost missed the glance of distaste and annoyance that Lilith gave the men and women.

“As you wish, Ms. Lilith. Now, I must say that most of my artwork tends to depict various superheroes, though I also do some landscapes and fantasy art,” Gina explained, leading the way to one of her most recent pieces, a painting of Sky Defender against the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge and the ocean behind him. As one of her most realistic paintings so far, she was rather proud of it. “This is one of the best examples, I think. Most of my fantasy art is digital, though.”

“I see. Now, I may be misinterpreting what you meant by saying that most of your artwork here is older, but is this one new?” Lilith asked, gesturing at the sign below the picture. Behind her, the others were starting to spread out, though most of them were hovering within sight of Gina and Lilith, one couple in particular. “It appears this has a date of this year, so I’m unsure what to think.”

“You’re correct, actually. I finished two pieces in the past week, and this was one of them,” Gina confirmed, nodding at the next painting. “The other one is right there, and it’s one of my personal favorites. Getting it right was difficult.”

Lilith stepped in front of the large painting, and her eyebrows rose in obvious surprise. It was a rendition of a slender woman flying high in the sky, with mountains and towering white clouds in the background. The woman’s long blond hair was whipping in the wind behind her, while she smiled out at them. She wore a form-fitting outfit in silver with a pattern of blue lightning across it, while the armored chest and waist sections were trimmed in red. The woman’s blue eyes were piercing, and the picture was breathtaking. While Gina had only met the heroine depicted once, Destiny had left a profound impression on her.

“Oh my… Destiny?” Lilith gasped and smiled broadly, a sight which left Gina slightly dazed as she exclaimed. “This is an amazing painting, Gina!”

“Yes, it’s supposed to be Destiny. I had the distinct pleasure of seeing her once, and the experience has stayed with me for years,” Gina replied with a blush, both embarrassment and pride surging through her. For some reason, she found that Lilith’s words almost seemed like they had more weight to them, which was faintly worrisome in some ways, but she continued. “But while I consider it quite good, I hardly think it’s amazing.”

“I disagree with you. It looks like it’s unsold, correct? In that case I’d like to purchase it, Gina. This is far too lovely of a picture to let languish,” Lilith replied firmly, sending a spark of shock and warmth through Gina. “Is that acceptable?”

“I… of course it’s alright, I just…” Gina hesitated, surprised. She thought she’d priced the painting on the high side, so Lilith’s instant offer startled her. She finished a moment later. “Are you certain?”

“Of course I am. It’s a beautiful painting,” Lilith murmured, shaking her head and continuing as she reached out to touch Gina’s shoulder, giving her a gentle squeeze. “I’d rather not let anyone else get their hands on it. Later on, I’d regret it deeply. However, before finalizing anything, may we continue? I’d like to see if there are any others that catch my attention.”

“Well, if you’re certain. Thank you, Ms. Lilith,” Gina replied, blushing as she reached up to rub her shoulder. “If you’ll follow me, please?”

The two progressed through the gallery slowly, looking at each painting in turn. While Gina didn’t have an enormous number of paintings, there were a good number in the gallery. Some were cityscapes, while others were of heroes or heroines. The older pieces weren’t quite as good, as she’d refined her skills over the years. In the end, Lilith decided to purchase a large number of paintings. A cityscape of Paragon City, formerly known as Salt Lake City until just after its near-obliteration following the Advent, a piece depicting Archon, portraits of the twin heroines Dawn and Dusk, and of the green-skinned Botania were among them. Except for the cityscape, all of the paintings were of rather beautiful heroines, and Gina blushed at the realization.

They returned to the front to wrap up the transaction, and the amount stunned Gina. While she made a decent amount with her artwork, it had always paled compared to what she made as a heroine. This still wasn’t enough to tempt her to change careers fully, but it was the single largest transaction she’d received for her artwork. As they finished, Lilith looked at Gina and smiled.

“I must ask, do you have gallery showings often, Gina? It was a pleasure to find pieces I like, after all,” Lilith asked, her smile faintly teasing. “I visited four other galleries tonight, and the only painting I liked had been sold. It was… frustrating, I must say. If you have more, I’d love to visit and see if you have any other pieces that catch my eye.”

“This is a fairly rare occurrence, I’m afraid. I haven’t had the time to devote purely to art for a while, so my portfolio languished for some time. Still, my schedule has opened up recently, so I’ll likely be painting more than normal. Perhaps…” Gina hesitated, not sure if the idea she had was a good one, but after a moment she pulled out her business card. “Here, if you’re interested in commissions, I’m willing to entertain the possibility. I’ll add that they’ll likely be more expensive than ones I come up with myself, but I’m willing to listen. As for your current purchases, you can pick them up after the gallery closes in two days.”

“Excellent. Thank you, Gina,” Lilith replied with another smile, laughing softly. Taking the card, the woman slipped it into her purse as strange tingles flooded through Gina, adding, “I’ll think about the commission idea, hmm? I’ll see you on Saturday, I promise. Good night, Gina.”

“G-good night, Ms. Lilith,” Gina replied, blinking and staring as the stunning woman left, feeling like she was in a daze.

As a man approached her for help, Gina shook off her bedazzlement to greet him with a smile. Lilith’s presence had helped the gallery fill up, and even with her gone there were far more patrons than before. Several more paintings sold, and Gina carefully dodged any questions about Lilith. Even so, Gina couldn’t keep her mind from drifting back to Lilith, and her mesmerizing emerald eyes. In fact, it worried Gina a little.

She’d barely met Lilith, and she’d made an impression that was somehow even deeper than the one that Destiny had made. It made little sense, and Gina shook herself, unable to dislodge the sense of confusion and the faint ache of disappointment that Lilith had left. As she went about her business, Lilith’s laughter and smile hovered in the back of her mind. Despite her concerns, Gina found herself hoping that Lilith would call her.

Chapter 11

Wednesday, November 20th, 2030

Lilith’s Condo, San Francisco

Settling down on the couch, Lilith closed her eyes and let herself finally relax, sighing softly. It was a relief to be home, without the crowds and clamor that seemed to follow her everywhere she went. Most of the time, going out was noisy and exhausting, prone to giving her headaches. Even so, she smiled as she remembered Gina, and the confused look on the woman’s face.

“Meeting Gina would’ve made the entire trip worth the time, even if I hadn’t gotten any art in the process. I think she liked me, too…” Lilith murmured, then paused, giggling softly as she shook her head. “I never thought I’d meet her again so soon. I thought she’d vanish from my life completely after Morgan took her… it just goes to show, you never know what life has in store for you, doesn’t it, Circe?”

There was no response to her comment, and Lilith’s smile faded as a sense of loss washed through her. Taking a deep breath, she shook her head and focused on something else. At least once the paintings and furniture were in place, the condo wouldn’t look so embarrassingly barren when someone visited. Maybe she could even get Gina to visit sometime.

That thought improved Lilith’s mood again, and she smiled once more, feeling a little less alone.

* * *

Thursday, November 21st, 2030

Warden’s Home, Oakland

Gina was surprised at how well she’d been sleeping, considering why she was staying home so much. She’d been dreading the nightmares that had plagued her the first couple of days after she’d been home, but fortunately they’d largely subsided after that, allowing her to have relatively uninterrupted nights of rest. That had changed still more over the last few days, though.

She didn’t know why her dreams had turned so erotic, but they’d been incredibly indistinct most of the time. That had also changed, though, and the reason for that was Lilith. Unable to get the gorgeous woman out of her mind, Gina found herself thinking about Lilith even when she was preparing herself for bed, and as she drifted off at night.

As she dreamt, Gina found herself unable to see almost anything, her entire world seeming cold and dark around her. The lonely darkness seemed to go on for an eternity, and in it Gina almost fell into despair, turning and stumbling across a broken landscape. Just as she was about to give up, she heard singing in the distance, the source warm and inviting, almost joyful. Stumbling toward it, Gina found a place where the darkness wasn’t as intense, where a dark figure was dancing joyfully, brilliant emerald eyes blazing in the darkness and shedding a deep heat.

Spotting Gina, the figure gestured her closer, and pulled her into the dance, spinning her about the area intensely. Slowly the darkness began to vanish, revealing a campsite and the first hints of Lilith’s face. Seeing the other woman, Gina’s breath caught as Lilith’s lips curved into a smile and she leaned forward to meet Gina’s lips…

The blare of her alarm going off woke Gina with a jolt, and her eyes snapped open. Glaring at the ceiling as she panted, the heroine growled in annoyance. “Oh, come on! Every time I have a good dream, it goes off in the middle of it, but it comes after bad ones. Argh, why couldn’t it have waited five minutes?”

Gina was aching with need, frustrated by the dream that she could only barely remember even now. It faded as she tried to recall its content, and the heroine could only faintly remember that Lilith had been involved. Sweat covered her skin in a sheen, and slowly grumbling to herself, Gina dragged herself out of bed and grabbed a bathrobe as she headed off to take a nice, cold shower.

The water helped wake Gina up quickly, and as she washed, she began to think more clearly. Something about the situation didn’t make sense to her. Certainly, Lilith was gorgeous, but that wasn’t a good enough reason to be dreaming about her so vividly this quickly. While Lilith had helped Gina in her guise as Warden, and had also complimented her artwork and purchased several paintings, it just didn’t make sense. The change was too sudden, when she’d never had a reaction like this before.

Turning off the water, Gina quickly glanced around the shower, thinking. After a moment, she nodded to herself. She needed to make sure she wasn’t being mentally influenced, which meant getting the wards checked. She couldn’t do that herself, but she had another option.

“Alright… let’s get Morgan to check the wards as soon as possible. Make sure they’re blocking psychic contact,” Gina murmured under her breath, feeling a little better. “Either way, I can figure out what I want to do.”

The heroine stepped out of the shower and began drying off quickly, shivering at the chill in the air, which seemed a little sharper than normal. Only once she was mostly dry did she pick up her phone, ignoring a couple of notifications as she pulled up Morgan’s number and sent a text. ‘Hey, could you come check my wards for me today? It isn’t an emergency, just paranoia.’

Once that was sent, she set the phone down and began to dry off more thoroughly. Right as Gina was finishing up, Morgan replied. ‘Sure! I’ll be over around noon, I think. Going on patrol with BC.’

Smiling slightly, Gina shook her head at her friend, feeling a little bad. The others were getting run ragged, in her opinion, but there wasn’t anything she could do. After a few seconds she typed out a reply. ‘Thanks, I’ll see you then. I’ll be in my studio, trying to paint.’

Once she’d finished, Gina got dressed in one of her sets of painting clothes, a set of paint-stained jeans and a spattered white t-shirt, then headed for her studio. In most houses, the room would probably be a home office or spare bedroom, but for Gina it was her studio. Shelves along one wall held a variety of oil paints, while a rack with several canvases was on another, along with a few half-completed paintings. The room had good lighting, and she pulled out a folded easel from the corner to set it up. Only then did she pause, trying to decide what she wanted to paint.

The remnants of the dream flickered through Gina’s mind, with the way Lilith’s emerald eyes had blazed in the night, and Gina hesitated, then shrugged as she murmured. “Why not?”

She decided to use a smaller canvas, setting it up and pulling out her pencils to prepare. Outlining Lilith’s face took much longer than expected, as Gina found herself trying to ensure that the proportions were as close to what she remembered as possible. In some ways it was disconcerting just how clear Lilith’s face was in Gina’s memory, but for the purpose she had in mind it was ideal.

Starting with Lilith’s eyes might not have been the best of ideas, but they were also the most difficult part for Gina. Getting the paints mixed to the right color took her quite some time, but eventually she managed to get the shade neither too light or dark. Only then could Gina begin the slow, painstaking process of trying to replicate the eyes that seemed to be seared into her memory. Although she tried to set her worry aside, that they were so clear accentuated her concern.

Getting the eyes just right took over an hour, by which point Gina had almost entirely lost herself in the act of painting. If she hadn’t developed her magic at the onset of puberty, she suspected that she actually would’ve become a professional artist. The only worry she’d ever had was that she might not have been able to afford the lifestyle she wanted. Still, it was a path untraveled, and not one she thought about often.

Gina had finished most of Lilith’s face and eyes so far, but the woman’s hair and neck were still unpainted, save for their outlines. It took her a minute, but she finished Lilith’s lips, pulling away and considering for a moment. She’d need to go over the painting a couple more times, since only the eyes were what she considered to be good enough. Right as she was about to dip her brush into the paint again, Morgan suddenly spoke. “That’s a little creepy, Gina.”

“Don’t sneak up on me like that! I might’ve ruined the painting, and then what?” Gina yelped and spun in surprise, her heart pounding at the sudden interruption. Morgan just laughed, shaking her head as she leaned against the wall, still in her superheroine outfit.

“So, what made you start painting her?” Morgan asked, ignoring Gina’s protest as she smiled. “I know I showed you a picture of her, but it wasn’t a good reference. Besides, I texted before starting over, and you never replied. I was a little worried, and what do I find? You not seeming to have noticed that I tried to contact you.”

“I didn’t notice, actually,” Gina admitted guiltily, glancing at her phone to see it slowly blinking its alert. She set down the palette and put the brush into a jar of mineral spirits, then looked at her friend, blushing. “I’ll admit it, I thought you were exaggerating about that power of hers. Last night she showed up at my exhibition, though, and now I don’t doubt you in the slightest. If anything, you understated how potent it is! She was mesmerizing to the point that I dreamt about her last night. That’s why I wanted to have the wards checked, actually. I’ve never reacted this way to meeting anyone before, not after a single encounter, so what if she has other powers that allow her to slip into my dreams or such?”

“I see. That’s disturbing, and more than a little unexpected. The idea of her having another power is troubling, but far from impossible. You saw the research we did on her, and how sparse it is… hmm.” Morgan frowned as she stepped away from the door to look around the room, then at Gina. “Do you think she knew who you are, or if she was deliberately out looking for you? If she was, we could have a problem.”

“While I don’t think she had any idea about me, there’s no way to be sure, is there?” Gina asked, shrugging helplessly. “I know that she’d visited at least four other galleries first, which the guests who followed her confirmed when I chatted with them. She did purchase several of my paintings that she needs to pick up Saturday night. Aside from being friendly and asking if I displayed my art at galleries often, she didn’t do anything. I gave her my card when she asked about more art, because it seemed like the right thing to do, but I just don’t know. She did say she was redecorating her condo after moving in.”

“Hmm… well, the condo was pretty bare when I visited, so I can see that being the case. Plus, I do remember Sky Defender muttering in annoyance about him wasting time watching her order furniture, so that could actually be the truth,” Morgan murmured, considering for a moment before nodding and looking Gina over. She could feel the other heroine using detection spells as a tickle against her mind, so Gina slowly relaxed her mental shields to try to help. Not many people aside from heroes bothered to learn how to create mental shields, and they were hardly foolproof against psychics and magic, but even mundanes could learn how to use them, and lowering them would help Morgan’s examination.

After a few minutes Morgan nodded firmly, smiling gently at Gina. “I checked your wards before I came inside, and they’re rock solid. I doubt any psychic could get through them without ripping them wide open, and I’m not sensing anything out of the ordinary with you, other than the curse. Have you noticed any sign of it weakening? It’s a slimy piece of work, I have to say. Brilliant, but horrifying.”

“Not the slightest bit, damn it all. I want to rip that jerk apart, and whoever he had make the curse for him,” Gina hissed, her mind flashing back to one of Blue Impulse’s leering taunts, her hands clenched tightly. She ground her teeth before forcing herself to relax. Reaching to the core of her power, she gently touched it, sensing her magic as carefully as she could. Though the knot had loosened slightly, it was still firmly in place, and there was no chance of it coming undone soon. “I do know he doesn’t have anywhere near the skill to make this himself. It’s too elegant, while he’s a powerful, untrained amateur. I can’t find any loose ends to the spell to unravel it, which means whoever did it knew what they were doing. I can only touch my power enough to check it, anything more and I just knot it up worse. What can I even do?”

“Unfortunately, that’s about what I expected. I did manage to get in touch with Ivanova via SuperNet, and she told me a little, and none of it good,” Morgan replied, her voice deceptively mild compared to the look in her eyes. Gina’s eyes widened at the name of the woman commonly known as Dracula’s Bride, a superpowered woman who was considered one of the most powerful healers on the planet. Unfortunately, she also lived in Transylvania, which made contacting her a bit difficult. Morgan continued, her voice soft. “She said it sounds like it was derived from a nasty Chinese curse she’d heard of. She only had vague information, but that one is designed to rip out the magic of the victim to give the user a temporary power boost. It can only be removed by the caster, or allowed to run its course so the victim can try to heal the damage. If yours is similar, we’re going to have problems.”

“At least my magic seems fully intact, so it isn’t the same one. Still… derived from a Chinese curse? If I remember right, Blue Impulse was a distraction for a group that included Ebon Dragon four months back, with the container ship,” Gina said, thinking hard, anger bubbling up again as she asked, her eyes narrowing, “Do you think he has the skill to make this curse?”

“That was my thought as well, and it seems very likely to me,” Morgan agreed, scowling at the admission. “I wish we had any news on where they were holed up, but no one has seen any signs of them in the past week. We’re trying, but unless they crawl out of their hole, I don’t think we’ll have much luck. We can’t forget that Black Harbinger is out there, either, and confronting him without you on hand would be ugly.”

“True enough, I suppose. I’ll focus on trying to get better, and keep an ear out for any news I hear. I doubt I’ll get anything, though,” Gina replied, grinning halfheartedly as she added, “Why would anyone tell a hero-obsessed artist about where villains were, anyway?”

“Of course they wouldn’t… unless they’re a vain new villain looking for a portrait. Turnpike was startled when Ocean Spirit met him instead.” Morgan giggled, shaking her head. “So anyway, you dreamed about Lilith, hmm? What was it about?”

“Uhh… I don’t exactly remember much,” Gina replied, blushing, and her hesitation caused the other woman to stare at her in surprise.

“Gina! You didn’t dream about her that way, did you?” Morgan demanded in obvious shock. “I know she’s beautiful, but… you barely know her, and she’s another woman!”

“So what? You know that I’m bi, and the dream never got that far. The alarm went off first,” Gina protested, blushing more brightly. “But that’s why I wanted you to check my wards. I just… this is really awkward to talk about, okay? I’ve been anxious for a while, I haven’t had any relationships going on, either, so I think my imagination just ran away with me.”

“I suppose, but even so…” Morgan retorted, shaking her head with a bit of a flush in her cheeks. After a moment she frowned and asked, “Besides, what about Crimson Bull?”

“What about him?” Gina asked, suddenly confused. She had no idea what the other hero had to do with her dreaming about someone else.

“It’s pretty obvious that he has a crush on you, so…” Morgan began, her voice trailing off as she saw Gina’s expression. “You knew that, didn’t you?”

“No, I didn’t realize it, though now that you mention it, it’s glaringly obvious.” Gina murmured, running her fingers through her hair. Looking back at some of their conversations, some of his comments were so obvious, and yet it just made her feel bad, because she didn’t like him. Growling softly, she shook her head. “Damn it, how did I miss it? That’s… really weird, actually.”

“I thought that you knew,” Morgan replied quietly. She seemed slightly nervous, Gina noted idly, thinking about the information. “He isn’t exactly subtle.”

“Not in the slightest. To be perfectly honest, he isn’t my type either,” Gina told her friend, swirling the brush in the spirits idly. “From things he’s said, he wishes that his powers had been mild enough that he could have been a football player. He’s big, tends to think with his fists, and is a braggart too. He’s a decent enough guy, but I just can’t see myself getting along with him every day. I’d go nuts inside a month.”

“Shit, now I feel bad for even telling you.” Morgan sighed, shaking her head. A moment later her friend paused, though, and Gina could see Morgan’s eyes gleaming. “Actually, that’s a thought…”

“What’s your idea?” Gina asked warily, eyeing Morgan. She had no idea what her friend had in mind, but Morgan tended to have a very odd sense of humor.

“Oh, I was just reading a report from some other teams yesterday. Did you know that Nightsinger ran into Whispering Darkness on a blind date a few weeks back?” Morgan asked, grinning. “They were using the same matchmaking site. After they took out a new villain together, he asked about what it would take to reform. How about we—”

“No! I’m not going to have anything to do with a dating site!” Gina interrupted, her eyes going wide in horror. “I don’t care if Nightsinger reformed a villain through it, I’m not having anything to do with that!”

“Fine, fine… then, how about we go out to dinner on Monday to relax a little?” Morgan asked, and she smirked as Gina relaxed. “Just a girl’s night out? Neither of us has a relationship, and since someone finds the idea of a matchmaking site offensive, we’re never going to get any if we don’t go out more.”

“That would be fine. I’m just not going to leave my romantic life to software,” Gina replied gently, shaking her head. “I’m sure it’ll be fun. I was afraid you’d just give completely crazy options.”

Morgan rolled her eyes, mock-sighing as she teased Gina. “As if you’re one to talk. After the incident in the laundry in college…”

“That’s no fair! You encouraged me to throw the dye in their laundry!” Gina protested, cringing at the memory in question. They’d come entirely too close to getting caught after that prank.

“Yes, but you’re the one who actually did it. It was hilarious watching the guys running around in pink clothing for a while,” Morgan replied, grinning. After a moment her smile faded, though, and she spoke more seriously. “Anyways, I should get back out there. Take care of yourself, Gina… you hear me? Everyone misses you, but especially me.”

“Thanks, Morgan. It means a lot that you came by as quickly as you did,” Gina replied, blinking back tears as she did so. Glancing downward, she added, “I’d hug you, but I don’t want to get paint on your outfit. Be safe out there.”

“Thanks, brat,” Morgan teased affectionately, turning to leave, then pausing. “I’ll see you on Monday. Oh, and you might want to wash the paint out of your hair before it gets too dry.”

“I’ll see you then, and…” Gina paused as Morgan’s words processed, and she exclaimed, “Wait, in my hair? Crap!”

As she bolted for the bathroom to try to wash the paint out, Gina heard Morgan laughing behind her.

“Later, Gina! Be careful tomorrow, you hear? I don’t want to hear anything about you getting abducted by Lilith,” Morgan teased.

Gina snorted, shaking her head as she replied, “I could only wish. Bye!”

The door closed and locked behind Morgan, and Gina went back to washing her hair. Only once it was clean did she go back to her painting and try to recapture the spark of inspiration that had fueled the painting earlier. It took several minutes, but then Gina sighed, smiling as she picked up her brush and got back to work. Something told her that this painting, which she’d started on a whim, would be one of her best yet.

Chapter 12

Saturday, November 23rd, 2030

Alleyway, Oakland

“Yo, look at that broad!” Jack murmured, abruptly elbowing Albert in the side. Swearing at the impact, Albert nearly dropped his phone before looking up, scowling at his friend.

“Don’t hit me when I’m busy! I almost dropped my phone and… oh, shit. Yeah, she’s… impressive. What’s she doing in our neighborhood?” Albert asked, gawking at the woman strolling down the back alleys.

Lilith looked far too wealthy to be walking through the neighborhood, which simply made her stand out even more than her power normally would manage. Albert drew in a deep breath as he drank in the sight of her. Lilith was wearing a black skirt, crimson blouse, and carefully arranged hair. The woman was utterly stunning, and Albert never would have expected to see her outside of television, yet there she was, walking through his neighborhood.

Martin nodded and smiled, the scars on his face seeming to twist as he suggested, “Hey, what d’ya think we take her on a… tour of our turf? She’s already here, isn’t she?”

“Sounds like a plan to me! Let’s get ahead of her!” Albert agreed, standing up and trotting down a side alley. He knew exactly where to cut her off, too.

* * *

As she headed toward the art gallery to pick up her paintings, Lilith reflected that perhaps her choice of route this time hadn’t been the best. She’d decided to take some back streets to try to avoid being accosted by too many random people this time, but that had led her to an area that she realized wasn’t a good neighborhood. She was dressed much nicer this time, which made her stand out even more than she already would have, and the attention she was getting even now was enough to have her on alert. Still, she tried not to let it show.

Humming softly to herself, Lilith kept a close eye out for trouble. The neighborhood was fairly dark, with numerous street lights having guttered out, but that didn’t inhibit her vision much, not with some of the changes that had been engineered into her eyes. They shone almost like a cat’s in the night, and she could see almost as clearly as in daylight.

With a good hour until the gallery closed, Lilith had plenty of time to get there, so she continued her measured pace, considering her own mood. She was looking forward to seeing Gina again, far more than she had expected to when she’d left the gallery two nights prior. Lilith almost felt excited, an emotion she hadn’t felt since she’d realized she was about to be able to leave the hideout where she’d been training. It was that same training that alerted her to the danger before the ambush occurred.

The sound of shoes scuffing came from around a corner ahead of Lilith, and she caught the faint, distinctive sound of a knife leaving its sheath. Lilith’s mind cleared of extraneous thoughts at the sounds, and her breathing steadied slightly. She’d been expecting an ambush ever since she’d seen a group of thugs off to the side a few minutes earlier. A small part of her had actually been looking forward to a chance to test her skills. The moment the man turned the corner and lunged toward her, Lilith was ready to act.

“Keep your mouth shut, you dumb—” the man began, his voice deep and angry, but Lilith ignored his words, focusing instead on the knife in his hand. At the confirmation that she wouldn’t be over-reacting, she simply moved.

Adrenaline flooded her body and the world seemed to slow down, though it was actually Lilith’s mind jumping into high gear. The man in the lead and his two companions seemed to be moving at a glacial pace, and it felt like she had all the time in the world to react. Deflecting his hands calmly, Lilith twisted the knife from the man’s hands and smiled as she spun to deliver a kick to the man’s head.

The second man’s eyes went huge, and she saw one of his hands go behind his back. Landing gracefully, she stepped forward past the falling body of the first man. His hand emerged a moment later, a chunky black pistol in it. The sight caused her amusement to vanish, and without pause she hit him in the gut. As the man doubled over she struck him in the chin, and the cracking of his teeth was loud enough to hear. The man’s eyes rolled back in his head as he lost consciousness, and she spun to the last man.

By the time she turned to the last thug, the man had only begun to move, and she grabbed him harshly by the throat, raising him off the ground effortlessly. He paled, his hands raised to grab her hand, gasping out. “Oh, fuck me!”

“I don’t think so,” Lilith replied calmly, the world seeming to speed up again as she smiled pleasantly at him. “Now, then, you’re going to apologize to me. Then you’re going to gather your friends and leave… aren’t you? Or do I need to be rude?”

“N-no, ma’am,” the man stuttered, shaking his head as much as he could as he croaked out, “S-sorry for keeping you.”

“Good.” Lilith gave him a cold look as she smiled, then dropped him. The man’s legs gave way beneath him, sending him sprawling onto the ground. Walking away from the thugs without a backward glance, Lilith began humming again as her pulse slowed.

“What the hell, she was a freak?” the man muttered unsteadily, just loud enough for Lilith’s enhanced hearing to catch. From the way he talked, she was certain that he wasn’t going to be coming after her, and that was all that she really cared about. In the meantime, she pulled out a small package of wet wipes from her purse to clean her hands.

* * *

Saturday, November 23rd, 2030

Irkshire Art Gallery, Oakland

Looking around, Gina was stunned. She’d never had so many guests before at one of her art exhibitions, not even the first time Lilith had visited. At first she’d thought that there must be a mistake, but after recognizing at least five people from the other night, she realized they weren’t here for her artwork at all. Instead, they were likely here in the hopes of meeting Lilith. That suspicion had grown to certainty after she’d started packing up the paintings for their purchasers or to be taken home, and almost none of the guests had shown any sign of leaving.

Still, Gina had to admit that some of the guests were nice enough. One man, named Adam Kirby, had been friendly, and he was both handsome and entertaining so far. The man was maybe in his mid-thirties, and was fit, with a full head of dark hair and a thin mustache. Most days she would’ve found his flirtations and warm brown eyes distracting, but today she just couldn’t seem to concentrate on him. Instead, Gina found her gaze frequently wandering to the door, wondering when Lilith was going to show up. It wouldn’t make sense for her to pay for the paintings, then never pick them up.

“I can’t imagine why you’ve never sold these paintings before. You’re an incredibly skilled painter, Gina,” Adam complimented her, looking over the pair of paintings that he’d purchased again. He gave her a wide smile. “I just find it hard to believe.”

“While I appreciate the compliment, Mr. Kirby, those are hardly among my best pieces, and I haven’t gotten that much attention before. There are many excellent artists who never manage to break out into the public eye, so I’m quite happy to have been as successful as I have been,” Gina replied with a gentle smile, trying to be polite but professional. “I hope to keep improving, of course, and get more recognition, but in the meantime I need to keep painting. After all, who doesn’t hope to be highly recognized for their work?”

“True enough! I still think you’re underrating yourself, but I’ll cede to your greater experience,” Adam replied, smiling even more. He was just starting to speak again when the door opened and Gina glanced over, then paused, transfixed by the sight of Lilith. It took a moment before Adam followed her gaze and stopped speaking.

Lilith looked even more stunning than she had the other night, dressed up as she was in nicer clothing, and Gina felt her cheeks warm as Lilith looked at her and smiled broadly. Everyone in the room had to be looking at Lilith, and as she started over, Adam closed his mouth for a moment, then whispered, “Good god… who’s she?”

“Lilith, it’s wonderful to see you again!” Gina exclaimed, ignoring the man and stepping forward to greet the other woman. She was startled by the warmth rushing through her, but she smiled broadly as she continued. “As late as it was getting, I was starting to worry that you wouldn’t make it in time.”

“It’s good to see you as well, Gina. I’m afraid I ran into a few delays along the trip, and not having a car has made things a little more interesting,” Lilith replied, her eyes flicking over Adam and everyone else in the gallery before ignoring all of them and focusing entirely on Gina. “I’d actually buy a car, but with the way traffic is in the city, I think it’d be far more trouble than it’s worth. Especially considering what downtown is like.”

“Really? I didn’t think it was quite that bad, though I suppose downtown is something of a nightmare.” Gina shook her head in amusement. “Not having a car would make things more difficult, I admit. How’d you get here?”

“Downtown is terrible. If it weren’t for the offices being there, I likely would’ve moved elsewhere,” Lilith told Gina, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “In the end, I took the subway and walked the rest of the way. It takes a little longer, but it’s much less stressful. Either way… it does look like you ended up selling most of your paintings in the end, doesn’t it?”

“That’s a bit of a trip. As for the paintings, not quite as many sold as it looks like, but a good deal more than I expected did,” Gina explained, pulling out Lilith’s paintings and gently setting them on the counter. “Your payments cleared already, so you’re more than welcome to take them. I hope you enjoy looking at them.”

Just as Lilith was reaching for the paintings, a man walked up and cleared his throat. “Pardon me, Ms. Carpenter, I was wondering if you’d be interested—”

“No, I’m not interested,” Lilith interrupted, not even bothering to look at the man as she carefully went through the paintings. Her voice was perfectly calm and polite, but Gina couldn’t help but smile at how mercilessly she retorted. “I have no interest whatsoever in attending some soiree or another with you, going out to have a drink, getting to know one another, or any of the other myriad reasons that you came up with to approach me. Go away.”

“That… but… fine!” the man began protesting, flushing almost purple. At Lilith’s scathing look he huffed loudly and shook his head, storming out of the gallery as a couple of the others in the room stared, obviously stunned.

Looking at Gina wryly, Lilith shook her head and spoke softly, her voice now mild. “This is why I don’t tend to go out much, I’m afraid. I have one superpower, to my knowledge, and it’s… frustrating. I attract the attention of everyone in the area, and it’s impossible for me to turn off.”

“Really?” Adam interrupted, his voice surprised. As the two women looked at him, he shrugged and explained, “I’ve never heard of a power like that before, is why I ask.”

“Unfortunately, it exists. I looked things up, and there are several other people with the same power, but all of them can control it,” Lilith explained with a sigh. “My power doesn’t care how people respond to me. It simply causes to people to notice me. My one visit to a movie theater ended when everyone was focusing on me instead of the movie, which was irritating and frustrating.”

“Wait, it’s that bad? That would be horrible!” Gina exclaimed, her eyes going wide as she thought about what Lilith was saying. While she’d seen the summary of the power in Lilith’s file, she’d never realized the full extent of it. It had to be frustrating, and Gina frowned after a moment, then asked, “If you don’t mind me prying, when did you develop your power? Most people don’t get theirs until puberty, but I’ve heard there are exceptions.”

“I have no idea, if I’m being honest. I might have had it since birth, but there’s no way to be certain,” Lilith replied absently, pulling out a pair of fabric bags and several soft cloth towels, wrapping the paintings as she spoke. “I was raised in an AI-run compound, entirely on my own. Since machines aren’t affected by my power, and none of the systems were actually full AIs, I have no way of knowing.”

“That’s horrible!” Adam interjected, seeming honestly outraged. As Gina tried to decide how to respond, he continued, “How could your parents leave you to be raised like that?”

“Primarily because they had no real choice in the matter,” Lilith replied, a definite sharpness to her voice, and Gina saw the irritation in her eyes. The other woman bagged her pictures and glared at a man who’d just approached her, an economist that Gina recognized. Her voice was harsh as her gaze seemed to pin the man in place. “No. Go away, now.”

As the man backed off in shock, Lilith turned back to Gina again. The heroine could see flickering frustration and annoyance in the woman’s eyes, yet even so, she smiled at Gina. When she spoke, her voice was soft, almost apologetic. “I’m sorry, Gina. I’d hoped to have some time to speak with you properly today, it’s part of why I tried to show up late. Unfortunately, I hadn’t expected it to be so crowded. As people won’t leave me alone, I’m going to take my leave. Is there anything else I need to take care of, first?”

Suppressing her own feeling of disappointment, Gina nodded and pulled out a few documents, offering a pen. “That’s perfectly fine, Lilith. I do understand. Could you sign this, to show that you’ve received your purchases?”

“I can certainly do that,” Lilith agreed, taking the pen and quickly signing a simple, clear signature. “I’ll likely try to call you sometime in the next week, if you don’t mind. You do take commissions, as I recall?”

“Definitely, as long as you’re talking about the type of paintings I create. I’ll look forward to your call, Lilith.” Gina smiled in return. Even so, she was unhappy the woman was leaving so soon. Like Lilith, she’d been looking forward to a chance to talk a little more as well.

“Ms. Lilith, if you have a moment, I’d like—” Adam spoke up, promptly redirecting Gina’s annoyance to him, as well as prompting a glare from Lilith.

“For the last time, no. My apologies, Gina, but obviously it’s past time for me to go,” Lilith said bluntly, slinging her bags of paintings over a shoulder and briskly walking toward the doors. As she headed for the door, several more people attempted to intercept her, only to be bluntly rebuffed.

“She wasn’t very polite,” Adam huffed, obviously annoyed. Turning to Gina, he asked, “Who is she, anyway?”

“She’s a customer who I find I rather like, Mr. Kirby,” Gina retorted sharply, her voice cooling off as she gathered the papers and filed them. Giving a pointed look, she continued. “If you couldn’t tell, she doesn’t like people swarming around her like sharks, and I can’t say I blame her. Personally, I’ve found her to be quite generous and polite when allowed to approach things on her own terms.”

“I… see.” Adam digested her explanation as a frown grew on his face. “I obviously took the wrong approach, then. I don’t have a chance with her, do I?”

Gina thought back to the look in Lilith’s eyes and smiled slightly, shaking her head. Glancing at Adam, her voice was soft as she replied, “I don’t think you had a chance to begin with. And after that conversation, she’s not the only one you lost a chance at. Good evening, Mr. Kirby.”

Chapter 13

Sunday, November 24th, 2030

Damien R&D, San Francisco

Carlos was a simple man and knew what was important to him, so he’d taken a job that allowed him to get what he wanted. His routine consisted of sleeping through the middle of the day, then getting up to prepare breakfast and play some video games before his night shift as a security guard. The position at Damien R&D paid well, while generally being a quiet, peaceful job, and each morning he stopped at the gym before starting his routine over again. Carlos didn’t have many close friends, and hadn’t found a girlfriend yet, but as a whole he was happy enough. He got to do what he enjoyed and was able to help his parents with what he earned, while still being able to save for the occasional vacation.

That was part of why he was so startled when he came around a corner, just in time to see a seven-foot tall man of gleaming steel throwing a punch at him. Carlos didn’t even have time to protest before the man’s fist hit him in the sternum. Pain radiated through his body as the audible snapping of bones echoed through the hallway, and he went flying into the far wall, more bones breaking as he came to a sudden stop. Spitting blood, Carlos fell to the ground, looking at the ceiling in confusion as his mind tried to catch up with what had just happened.

The man who’d hit him was Heavy Metal, he realized sluggishly, a powerful villain who possessed immense strength and was able to turn his skin into metal. The villain stepped past Carlos with an arrogant sneer, his minimal clothing showing off his muscles as he headed down the hall toward the laboratories. Several others were following the bald villain, Carlos realized, his eyes starting to lose focus, but he could see an Asian man in black and gray, a thin man in blue, and another man in heavy armor. As another person knelt next to Carlos, he realized that one of the group had stopped next to him and he slowly turned his head to face her, choking on his own blood.

Carlos’ bleary eyes slowly focused on the woman above him, and as they did he paled. The albino woman had crimson eyes and lips, but everything else about her was pure white, from her sheer dress to the long white hair that was pinned back. She reached down to touch his lips with a finger, then pulled the crimson-stained digit back and smiled before slowly, almost languidly licking it off.

“N-no…” Carlos gasped, trying desperately to move away from the woman.

“Shh, Carlos. Don’t draw this out longer than you must,” Dreamer said, her voice a soft caress as she smiled at him, then leaned down to kiss him. As her lips met Carlos’, he stiffened as a shock almost like static rushed through him.

For a moment it seemed as though nothing was happening, but only for a moment. Suddenly his hopes and dreams flooded to the forefront of his mind, and he desperately grasped at them, but they seemed so distant. A stream of warmth began to flow out of him and into the villainess, and with it his dreams began to vanish one after another. Carlos felt his mind weakening and growing dark, as his twitching began to slow. The darkness surrounded him more deeply as he looked into the woman’s crimson eyes, and as his vision began to fade, he noticed something deep within her pupils.

As the darkness enveloped him forever, he saw his hopes and dreams, his very sense of self, within the woman… and he saw how Dreamer smiled, pulling away and licking her lips as she purred. “Ahh… nothing’s like the dreams of the innocent. Sleep well, Carlos.”

With her words, it was like the last strand holding Carlos in the world snapped, and the darkness engulfed him.

* * *

Monday, November 25th, 2030

Warden’s Home, Oakland

“I can’t believe no one spotted them before they hit the research center, not as easily as they managed it!” Gina growled, drumming her fingers restlessly on the vanity as she thought. A small part of her screamed to go out and try to find the villains, but she stepped on the impulse firmly as she continued. “Other than Dreamer and Ebon Dragon, none of those villains are known for their stealth, or… well…”

“Or their brains?” Rachel offered helpfully, smiling at Gina. Morgan’s civilian identity was that of Rachel Moore, and the two of them were old friends.

“Not a bad description, but I wasn’t going to say that. I think most of them aren’t given to putting in the planning that a job like that would require, though I think we’ve been underrating Megawatt. He’s a lot more dangerous than I think most people give him credit for,” Gina replied, looking at her friend in dry amusement. After she was sure her fingers weren’t trembling, she started applying makeup again. “So, do we have any idea what they were after? It might give us an idea of who hired them.”

“We know it was some experimental medical equipment, some sort of new cellular regeneration device and its documentation,” Rachel explained. “Supposedly it wasn’t even functional yet, so even most of the researchers are scratching their heads in confusion at its theft. They’re not too upset about that part, since they had data backups off-site and insurance will cover most of it, but the death of the guard has them in a bit of a panic. I really hate Dreamer and Heavy Metal. Those two are just sadistic, though at least Dreamer doesn’t usually kill people for the fun of it.”

Gina barely avoided a flinch at the two mentioned. Dreamer scared her far more than Heavy Metal, in part because no one was entirely certain about the full extent of her powers, but the brief description was more than enough to give her an idea of what had happened, and she set down the mascara with a wince. “Poor guy, I wish someone had been there for him. What about the rest? Anything else on the villain front?”

“Let’s see… Stinkbug was spotted in Chinatown, but Fulcrum caught up to him and managed to drive him out of town pretty quickly. Crimson and Galvanic caught a group of Black Harbinger’s goons trying to rob a bank in San Jose, and if you ask me, Galvanic went a bit overboard getting back for the explosion, but no one was hurt. It did take the cops nearly two hours to break through the rusted exterior of their getaway van, though. Spirit ran off a near-kaiju sized carnivorous sea turtle that was near the bay… and that’s about it,” Rachel rattled off, then blinked, smiling as she added, “You’re looking good, Gina. I think you needed the rest, whether it’s welcome or not.”

Glancing at her reflection, Gina studied herself. She was wearing an asymmetrical blue dress that covered her left shoulder to under her right arm, and the skirt followed the same pattern, while a blue sash circled her waist. She was wearing a pair of pearl earrings and a matching necklace, and she’d accentuated the colors with a hint of blue eye shadow. In some ways, she thought she was dressing up too much for going out to dinner, but Gina had to admit that part of the reason they were going out was to be seen and potentially find dates, so she couldn’t really complain. Besides, Rachel had already dressed up.

The other heroine was wearing a strapless dress that ended above her knees, which was simple, but sparkling red and tight-fitting. She’d chosen to wear a gold and garnet pendant and matching earrings, while her dark hair was pulled into a loose bun that she held in place with what looked like chopsticks, but which Gina suspected were wands.

“Thanks, I suppose. I really don’t like that I was forced to take time off, but I do think I’ve been feeling better in general,” Gina replied, picking up her purse and jacket, offering Rachel her own jacket as she asked, “You were thinking the Chinese place on Bay Street, right?”

“That’s right. I thought it’d be a nice change of pace from our usual,” Rachel confirmed, smiling as she pulled out her keys to unlock the car. Gina locked up, then followed after her.

“Sounds lovely to me. Their mongolian beef is wonderful, at least in my opinion,” Gina replied, putting away her keys and slipping into the car. Rachel just laughed as the car hummed to life.

Perhaps it was due to Lilith’s comments on the local traffic, but Gina noticed the trip was a bit chaotic, even though it only took about twenty minutes to get there. The thought made her smile and shake her head, amused. It was possible that Lilith had a point, but it still was better than a bus! Her smile vanished as they got to the restaurant, though.

“That… looks like it’s going to be a bit of a wait, doesn’t it?” Gina asked hesitantly, frowning at the crowded parking lot, and what looked like a line in the waiting area.

“Maybe so, but we’re here. I’d hoped it’d be quieter on a Monday,” Rachel admitted, frowning as she searched for a spot to park. “Give me a minute. We’ll just have to see what the wait’s like when we get inside.”

Gina nodded and sighed, sitting back. “You’re right. Hopefully it isn’t too long.”

They’d found a spot and had headed for the front door when Rachel suddenly stopped, staring into the restaurant. Gina had barely stopped when Rachel grabbed her arm and hissed, “Gina, look! What’s she doing here?”

The gesture Rachel made was entirely unnecessary, as Gina’s eyes sought out Lilith entirely on their own. Lilith was sitting inside the restaurant at a table on her own, wearing simple black slacks and a white blouse. The civilian looked bored as she sipped at a glass of soda, a menu sitting closed in front of her.

“Ahh… I’d say she’s getting dinner, from the looks of it,” Gina replied dryly, shaking off her surprise. As they watched, a man approached Lilith’s table, only to slow at a sharp look from the woman. “She’s also getting unwelcome attention, if I’m not mistaken. I remember that look from when she was at the gallery.”

“Yes, but why’s she here? This is the third time in less than two weeks that you’ve run into her, at the least. What’re the odds of that happening?” Rachel demanded, watching alongside Gina as the man finally gave up and retreated. Glancing at Rachel, Gina saw the look of sincere concern on her face, and sighed as she shook her head.

“Calm down, Rachel. Think about this a little.” Gina forced herself to speak patiently, smiling as she shook her head, teasing. “You teach mysticism, and know how this works. Studies have shown that people with powers run into one another with a consistency that defies statistics. How else is it that people with powers seem to be in the area of a crime nearly half of the time? No one’s managed to explain it yet, but we know it happens.”

“I suppose so, but still… do you think we should go somewhere else?” Rachel asked, frowning as she admitted, “Running into her this often makes me nervous, even if that’s the case.”

“Why should we do that? I’ll bet you she’ll let us sit with her if we ask,” Gina countered, grinning. “You’re the one who suggested we come here, and if she lets us eat with her, it’ll get us past the wait. What do we have to lose?”

“Why are you so eager to sit with her?” Rachel asked, as she hurried to catch up to Gina. Gina glanced back at her friend, and saw more confusion than normal on her friend’s face. After a moment of thought, she shrugged in response.

“I think because she’s been really nice after I talked to her for a bit. Besides, it’ll help you figure things out, one way or another. I know she’s still under some suspicion,” Gina replied, opening the door for Rachel.

The foyer was more crowded than Gina had expected, and she stepped close to the podium where the host was standing. The man looked up and brightened at the sight of them, smiling politely. “Hello, ladies. We’re currently looking at a half hour waiting time. How many can I put you down for?”

Gina smiled and spoke calmly. “As a matter of fact, I saw an acquaintance with a couple of open spots at her table. Do you mind if I check to see if she minds some company, and come back if she doesn’t want us there?”

“That’s perfectly fine! Just let me know if you need to be added to the list,” the host replied with a relieved look.

“Thank you very much, I’ll do that.” Gina then went searching for Lilith’s table with Rachel following.

* * *

Rachel wanted to argue with Gina, but couldn’t. It was too loud and crowded in the restaurant, and they reached the booth where Lilith was sitting far too quickly. For a long moment it was obvious that the civilian hadn’t seen them, but then she looked up from the closed menu to see the pair of them and blinked. Surprise crossed Lilith’s face for only a moment, then she smiled happily at them.

This wasn’t the slight, formal smile that Lilith had given Morgan almost two weeks before. No, this smile was slow and heartfelt, the sight of it positively electrifying to see. Lilith’s eyes lit up, and Rachel felt her breath catch in her throat as her heart skipped a beat. The sight actually stirred interest in Rachel’s heart, as she seriously wondered whether Lilith might be worth pursuing.

While she’d been considering asking Galvanic Action out for a date, Rachel had been hesitant to risk it, considering that they were on the same team. The idea of dating a mundane was almost worse, though. She didn’t like the idea of trying to keep her identity secret, or of putting someone who couldn’t defend themselves at risk. The strangest thing was that Rachel had only rarely been attracted to women, Gina being one of the few that she’d felt something for, though her friend didn’t know about it. This was something new, and Rachel took a moment to force herself to breathe again.

“Why, Gina! I didn’t expect to see you again quite this soon. You’re looking lovely tonight,” Lilith exclaimed, looking pleasantly surprised as she looked over Gina, then Rachel. Her eyebrows rose, and she asked curiously, “How are you? And who might your friend be?”

“Thank you for the compliment, Lilith. I’m doing quite well, I think,” Gina replied, blushing slightly. “This is Rachel, a good friend of mine, and we just came out for dinner. Unfortunately, we didn’t expect the line, but I saw you had space at your table… do you mind if we joined you?”

“Go right ahead!” Lilith agreed, gesturing to the seats across from her.

Removing her jacket and sitting next to Gina, Rachel took a moment to compose her thoughts. Meanwhile, Lilith flagged down her server with an ease that Rachel could only envy. It was likely the other woman’s power that helped, but it was definitely useful in their situation.

“Rachel, this is Lilith Carpenter, the patron I told you about the other day. Lilith, I’d like to introduce Rachel Moore, a friend of mine since high school. She teaches at UC Berkley.” Gina introduced them, only to pause as the server reached their table.

“Hello, ladies, how can I help you?” the man asked, smiling brightly as he looked them over.

“These two are joining me for dinner, so would you please bring another pair of menus?” Lilith asked, glancing at him in amusement.

“Of course, ma’am, I’ll be right back,” the man replied, his voice seeming hopeful as he quickly walked off.

Once the man had stepped away, Lilith spoke again, looking Rachel in the eyes. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rachel.”

“The pleasure is mine, Lilith,” Rachel replied, flushing slightly as she realized that it was true. Glancing at Gina, Rachel smiled wickedly, teasing as she continued. “Gina’s talked about you quite a bit over the last few days, actually.”

“Rachel!” Gina yelped, glaring at her friend in embarrassment.

Lilith chuckled and smiled radiantly, the woman’s attitude making Rachel feel more at ease, yet more uncomfortable at the same time. “I’m glad I made a good impression, Gina. At least I hope it was a good impression.”

Before they could reply, the server returned with their menus, handing them out as he asked, “Would you ladies like anything to drink?”

Lilith tapped the side of her mostly empty glass. “Another lemon seltzer, if you would.”

“I think… cola, please?” Gina replied after a pause.

“Lemonade for me.” Rachel sighed regretfully. She’d rather have ordered something else, but she was driving after this, and didn’t want to be intoxicated.

“I’ll be right back with those,” the server promised, quickly moving away to another of his tables. Rachel thought it was actually for the best that they were so busy, as otherwise he might loiter near their table more than they’d like.

As they opened the menus, Gina replied to Lilith’s previous comment. “You did make a good impression, at least on me. Some of the other patrons were irritated, though, and most of them are fairly wealthy.”

“Well, if they think I give a solitary damn what they think when they were being rude, I have beachfront property in the Sahara to sell them,” Lilith replied idly, not seeming to care, at least until she smirked, glancing up. “Though some of them have been trying to buy my company, or at least trying to find the owners. They don’t seem to realize I’m the sole owner of the company.”

“You own a company?” Gina asked, and Rachel thought her friend sounded honestly surprised. “I didn’t realize that!”

“That I do. Carpenter Microsystem Solutions, though I doubt you’ve heard of it. I created it by buying several promising start-ups, and it’s just finishing the full process of merging,” Lilith replied, glancing over her menu, then closing it and leaning back to let out a soft sigh. “See, I inherited a rather large trust fund, and decided to use a portion to try my hand at the stock market. Maybe it’s just how my brain works, but it ended up being simple for me. I’d thought it would be harder, but in the end I didn’t have any problems with it, and was quite fortunate. In fact, things went too well, and now I’m bored.”

“You’re bored, just after starting a new company?” Rachel asked, startled into looking up. “I’d think that would keep you busy for quite some time.”

“If I could actually run it, you’d likely be right. My so-called ‘gift’ was a disaster the few days I was in the offices, though. I distracted employees in the middle of delicate work every time I walked down the hallway,” Lilith explained, shaking her head. “Instead I hired a CEO to run it properly, and I look over emails, the books, and other documentation. I’m paying him well for the work, and as long as he doesn’t get greedy I think it’ll work out well.”

“I see. That would make things difficult, I suppose,” Rachel admitted, mulling the subject over. Before she could speak, the server returned.

The man set down their drinks, then asked, “Could I get you ladies started with an appetizer?”

“I think I’m ready to order. How about you two?” Lilith asked, raising an eyebrow at Gina and Rachel.

“I’m ready, I think,” Gina agreed, frowning at the menu, then closing it.

“I am, too,” Rachel confirmed. She waited as the server pulled out his order pad, then said, “I’ll have the sweet and sour chicken, please.”

“An excellent choice,” he replied, noting it down and looking at Gina. “And you, miss?”

“I’ll have the mongolian beef, please,” she replied, smiling happily.

“As for me, I’ll try the sesame chicken,” Lilith told him, gathering the menus and handing them over.

“I’ll get the order put in right away, ladies,” the man told them, taking the menus and heading for the back, leaving them alone once again. Or at least as alone as they got in a busy restaurant.

“Oh, before I forget, I’m paying for the meal,” Lilith suddenly spoke, another small smile flickering across her face. It might have been small, but it was no less radiant than the one she’d had when she first saw Gina.

“What? Why would you do that?” Gina protested as Rachel nearly gagged on her drink. “You don’t have to do that! We both were planning on dinner tonight, and you helped us skip a half hour wait, too!”

“No, I don’t have to, and neither of you asked for it. I want to. Besides, you’re an artist, Gina, and Rachel’s a teacher, neither of which are the best-paying professions. On the other hand, I suspect I have more in liquid assets than both of you combined. I can afford to treat the two of you to a mere meal,” Lilith replied patiently, the smile not vanishing as she sat back. “Besides, I believe this is the first time in living memory that I’ve had a meal with other people that I think I like. Isn’t something like that worth celebrating?”

Rachel had just taken a deep breath to argue, but at Lilith’s statement, the words caught in her throat, and as she glanced at Gina, she saw the surprise on her friend’s face. Looking into Lilith’s eyes, it took a moment for Rachel to realize that the woman was telling the truth. Beyond the beautiful color, Rachel could see an immense, bone-deep loneliness in Lilith’s eyes, as well as something else she couldn’t quite identify. It was something strange, but not bad.

Considering a long moment, Rachel had to wonder how it would feel to not be able to remember having a meal together with other people. Most days she shared a lunch or dinner at the HQ, or at the school, and it’d been similar for most of her life. Oh, there’d been a few times when it was rare, but she couldn’t recall a single week in her life where she’d been that alone. The idea of being in her late twenties, and of always being alone like that… the horror of it slowly dawned on Rachel, and she swallowed hard as pity welled up within her.

“That’s definitely worth celebrating,” Rachel spoke softly, glancing at Gina and nodding. “In fact, I can’t think of anything better.”

* * *

“I think I see why you like her,” Rachel told Gina as they pulled into her friend’s driveway. Putting the car into park, she sat back and considered a moment. “I didn’t expect her to be quite that… kind, for lack of a better term. She’s guarded, though, and doesn’t say much about her childhood. She also has some odd mannerisms, in my opinion, though being raised by an AI could do that.”

“She’s definitely reticent about her past, at least about going into detail on it,” Gina agreed, shaking her head. “You’ve gotten almost as much out of her as I have. I do get the impression she’s never been close to anyone before, though, and if her parents were heroes or villains, it could explain a lot. Still, she’s also coming over to discuss that commission on Wednesday.”

“Yes, she is. She has a very odd air about her… though I’m a little worried that she’s coming here, I don’t think she’s dangerous. I will be putting a drone on surveillance here, though. The team seems to agree that she isn’t dangerous, since they pulled the drone off her house.” Rachel hesitated, then stretched. “What do you think, should we invite her out for dinner a few times? I still feel bad that she managed to end up paying for both of us. We’re better off than our cover would indicate.”

“I don’t think we had much of a chance to pay the bill, not with how determined she was. I have to wonder about her reflexes, with how quickly she grabbed the bill. Most supers have a bit of a physical boost, so it isn’t too unexpected.” Gina giggled at the memory, and Rachel just gave her a level look as she continued. “I do think we should invite her on occasion, and not just because I think she’s pretty.”

“No one should be as alone as she obviously was,” Rachel replied softly. “I honestly didn’t believe it for a few seconds, but I don’t think anyone could fake the look in her eyes.”

Gina’s eyes darkened as she sighed and nodded. “Agreed. I didn’t, either. Do you want to come over on Wednesday, when she’s here for the commission?”

“I think that might be a bit too obvious, despite us being friends, Gina. We don’t want to make her suspicious of how much time we spend together. I’m a little surprised you’re inviting her over before Thanksgiving, though,” Rachel demurred, shaking her head. “Still, I don’t object to meeting you in the evening. I could bring the stuff to make spaghetti, if you want.”

“That sounds great! I’ll be going to my dad’s for Thanksgiving, though, so you know where I’ll be then. I do feel a little bad letting Lilith be alone for the holiday, but she’s lived this long without much company, so she should be fine,” Gina replied, then leaned over to give Rachel a one-armed hug. “You be safe, though. Don’t let anyone get the drop on you. One of us is more than enough.”

“I don’t plan to let that happen. You be careful too, though,” Rachel replied, prompting a laugh from her friend as she got out of the car.

Only once Gina was inside with the door locked did Rachel pull out of the driveway and head home. She was a little frustrated that it looked like there were the beginnings of a relationship between Gina and Lilith, but she had no intention of getting in the way, no matter how jealous she was.

Chapter 14

Monday, November 25th, 2030

Lilith’s Condo, San Francisco

Lilith didn’t know what she should do, and she mulled it over as she sat back on her couch and stared out at the skyline. The moonless night sky was beautiful, and she found it easy to lose herself in it as she considered her life.

It had been so incredibly relaxing to eat with Gina and Rachel. Or, if she were being honest, Warden and Morgan. It’d been so tempting to tell them she knew who they were, and she’d nearly told them at the end of the night. The problem was that if she did, it might strain the faint hints of a friendship that she thought was forming between them. A friendship seemed possible, and more than that, if her own burgeoning feelings were an indicator. The connections she’d felt to both women were growing stronger, and it was almost as if she’d known them before they ever met. But that didn’t make it easy, and Lilith let out a soft sigh.

“Nothing about other people is easy, Circe, is it? You tried to warn me as best as you could, you poor, foolish machine,” Lilith murmured softly, staring the sky and the brilliant stars above her. “Not that I’m any better. I should be avoiding them at all costs, not associating with them.”

Pulling out her phone, Lilith opened the browser and the bookmarks, finding the one she’d put in a few days ago. The page had a notice from the federal government of the United States, offering a million dollars for information leading to the capture of Shadowmind’s last biological weapon, or ten million for her capture.

Staring at it for a long moment, Lilith finally shook her head and closed her eyes as she laid backward, unable to settle her mind as she whispered. “I’m just a fool.”

* * *

Tuesday, November 26th, 2030

Ocean Shield Headquarters, San Francisco

“What the hell is going on, anyway?” Galvanic Action growled, looking at the map of the region beside Ocean Spirit.

“What do you mean?” the team leader asked, looking at him curiously. “It’s actually been pretty quiet aside from the raid on the research lab, you know.”

The electronic map had been updated with dozens of icons that showed the different types and locations of different crimes, rescues, or encounters with villains over the last few months. While the number of crimes wasn’t bad in comparison to normal, the variety would likely be dizzying to those who hadn’t spent a lot of time learning to read it.

“That’s exactly what the problem is!” Galvanic Action retorted in frustration. “We’ve got Black Harbinger, Blue Impulse, Dreamer, Ebon Dragon, Heavy Metal, Megawatt, and Pyroclasm IV in the area, yet it’s been quiet. Aside from a handful of raids, they’ve kept a low profile, and other than Dreamer and Harbinger, they’re all class A villains. Dreamer might be class B, but Harbinger is class S! What in god’s name brought all of them here? This isn’t Paragon City!”

“That’s the question, isn’t it? We know Harbinger isn’t working with the others, since they stole Omega Code’s shipment,” Ocean Spirit agreed, shaking her head. “The problem is that we have far too little information to work with. Other than the attack on Warden, we’ve seen almost nothing lately.”

“Exactly, that’s what worries me. I wish we could get LANCE to move one of their response teams out this way,” Galvanic groused, pacing back and forth. “This feels like the calm before a storm, and I’m afraid we’re going to need them.”

“Unfortunately, they’re a little occupied with Death Valley at the moment, otherwise I think they’d be happy to help out,” Spirit told him, shrugging helplessly. “I did ask, but they’re keeping a response team near Paragon City since there’re rumors of Destruction Corps in the area, too. If we could get solid information, they’d probably change their deployment, but everything’s rumors and supposition right now.”

“I guess I can understand that, but it doesn’t make me any happier,” Galvanic admitted, looking up to meet her eyes in worry. “I just hope we don’t have to deal with Harbinger or Pyroclasm without Warden, not with how incredibly ruthless they are. I’m not just saying that because Harbinger put me in the hospital for three days, either. This has me on edge, Spirit.”

“I know, and I’m not any happier.” Ocean Spirit gave him a gentle, helpless smile as she looked at the board herself. “I hope she gets better quickly myself. Like you said, something is up, and we can only try to prepare for it.”

Chapter 15

Wednesday, November 27th, 2030

Warden’s Home, Oakland

Gina opened the door and smiled as she saw Lilith, her voice filled with amusement. “Ah, there you are, Lilith! I was beginning to wonder if you were going to make it.”

“Unfortunately, the bus hit some particularly bad traffic, which slowed me down. My apologies for the wait,” Lilith apologized, smiling in return as she looked her host over. Unlike the previous times they’d met, Gina wasn’t wearing terribly elaborate clothing, instead clothed in a simple t-shirt and jeans. Glancing over the woman’s house, she added, “I must say, you also have a lovely home, Gina.”

“It isn’t a problem, Lilith, I just worried you might have gotten lost or something,” Gina assured her, smiling as she stepped out of the way. “Come on in. I have a few pieces out to show you, and a lot of my digital work on a laptop.”

“Thank you, Gina,” Lilith replied gratefully, taking a careful step inside and looking around, privately thankful that she hadn’t dressed up and had gone with her usual jeans and blouse.

In many ways, the living room amused Lilith in how it mirrored what she’d learned most looked like, and how in other ways it had small anachronisms to it. A coat stand by the door had both a coat and umbrella hanging from it, while a shoe rack held a half-dozen pairs of shoes, some of them nicer than others. A small sofa sat near a coffee table, and a half-dozen paintings were arranged artfully around the front room, taking up the pair of chairs that formed the other seating in the room, while a laptop sat on the coffee table.

“So, how about you take a look at some of the paintings first? Then we can discuss what it is you want,” Gina offered, gesturing to the sofa.

Nodding, Lilith hung her purse from the coat rack and took a seat, amused that the paintings had been perfectly placed to be viewed from the sofa. None of them had been on display at the gallery, she noticed quickly. There was something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on, either… like they weren’t quite as polished as the others had been. Still, most of them were of heroes, and Lilith’s gaze paused at a particular picture. The painting was of a city with a younger heroine in a bright blue outfit leaving afterimages as she raced through the city, electricity sparking on the ground behind her, with similar lightning crackling over a pair of pistols she held. The way her face was framed by electric blue highlights contrasted with her dark hair to make her stand out still more.

Blinking at the picture, Lilith pointed to it and asked, “Who’s this picture of? I’m afraid I don’t know the heroine in it.”

“Oh, that’s Spark, a member of the Sentinels over in Paragon City,” Gina explained, grinning. “She’s incredibly fast and generates electricity from what I’ve heard, which she supposedly uses to power her pistols. She’s actually really popular, so I’m surprised you’ve never heard of her before.”

“Ah, well, I’ve heard of Archon, at least? But I’m afraid she’s the only member of their team I know about,” Lilith admitted, feeling a little embarrassed. “I suppose I need to do some more research. Every time I think I know enough to feel educated enough to get by, I find out something else that’s common knowledge.”

“Don’t worry about it. Nobody can keep track of every hero out there, let alone every villain!” Gina replied, taking a seat next to Lilith, her cheeks coloring. “I know a lot, but only really those who come up on this continent. I’d be hard-pressed to name more than a dozen foreign heroes.”

“I suppose so, I just… I sometimes take it as something of a personal failing, I suppose,” Lilith admitted, relaxing a little more at Gina’s proximity. Somehow Gina’s company was just more comfortable than she’d expected, but she nodded at the laptop. “So what sort of pictures do you have on here?”

“I mostly have fantasy artwork on the computer, as I find it harder to paint physically for some reason. I also have some personal projects on here, but… oops.” Gina began speaking, showing her a picture of a fantasy landscape with a floating castle in the background, but blushed at the next picture and quickly skipped past it. From the brief glimpse she’d had, Lilith thought that it was the notorious villainess Black Emerald kissing Vindicator, a tall, handsome hero who tended to travel to trouble-spots. “Sorry, I didn’t think that picture was in this folder. Anyway, why don’t you take a look through and see what there is that you like?”

“I can do that, Gina. I should add that I didn’t mind the picture, though the subject matter isn’t quite my preference.” Lilith laughed, smiling as she began to go through the pictures, her voice lowering to a soft murmur. “Now, Archon and Destiny, for instance? That would be a very different matter for me.”

“That would… be a very interesting picture, though I’m not sure I’d want to display it publicly. I wouldn’t want to start rumors,” Gina replied, blushing deeply at the reply. Smiling, she sat back as Lilith went through the pictures, and eventually asked, “So, what are you liking so far?”

“Well, let’s see. This pose is very nice…” Lilith began, explaining what she liked about a few pieces, pointing them out as she went. Eventually she stopped, considering for a long moment, then smiled and turned to look at Gina.

Gina turned toward Lilith at almost the exact same time, and the two of them froze, Gina’s breath catching as she stared into Lilith’s eyes, their noses almost touching. Surprised in her own right, Lilith opened her mouth, then shut it and firmly stepped on the sudden urge to lean forward and kiss Gina.

Instead she took a deep breath and smiled. “I think I know what I’d like, actually.”

“Uh, right. What was that, Lilith?” Gina asked, turning her head away and blushing again, shifting in her seat. Lilith thought Gina liked her, but she just couldn’t be certain, and for once she wished she’d gone through a few more training programs with Circe.

“Well, a few weeks ago I had an interesting encounter, which led to a meeting with Morgan Le Fay,” Lilith explained, only barely hiding her amusement as Gina twitched in surprise. She continued her explanation as she pretended not to have noticed anything. “When I met her, I thought her outfit was a bit… overly ornate? I’ve noticed that a lot of heroes are incredibly flamboyant, though.”

“I think I can see that. You’re right about the outfits of most heroes, and most villains. They seem to want to be distinctive,” Gina spoke after a moment, looking at Lilith and asking, “So, you really met her in person? What was she like?”

“I did, and she was very… formal, I suppose? I didn’t see her for long, I might add. A few minutes, and she wasn’t focused on me,” Lilith told Gina, wondering for a moment if she should just tell the artist what she knew, but chickened out. She went back to a regal depiction of an elven queen in a white dress. “Anyway, I was wondering, could you create a painting of Morgan, but instead in an outfit like this one? I like the simple, formal dress, and the mask could be simplified as well. I was thinking a black and purple dress, of course, not changing it to white. In addition, maybe some gold jewelry, and have her use black lipstick. What do you think?”

“I think I’d be willing to do that. You’re thinking sort of an evil Galadriel look, then?” Gina asked, picking up a notepad to write down the details, but Lilith didn’t miss the woman’s sidelong look at her.

“That sounds like a fair description to me,” Lilith agreed, laughing softly. “I just feel that the ‘evil queen’ fits her namesake, and that she’d be really beautiful in the outfit.”

“Very true! I’ll need a few more details before I can get started, but it sounds like fun,” Gina said, then paused at Lilith’s look. “Or did you have something else you wanted to go over?”

“I did have a couple of other ideas, but I think those will have to wait, though we can discuss them now. Assuming we’re both satisfied after the first is done, I have about three more pictures I’d like made…” Lilith began explaining, smiling at Gina’s obvious surprise and embarrassment.

* * *

“So, since everything looks like it was put away properly, the house looks rather clean, and you’re both grinning and looking stunned, I take it that things went well?” Rachel asked, setting down the supplies she’d brought on the counter. Gina watched her friend look over the dishes thoughtfully and smiled, shaking her head in amusement. Since Gina had the pasta and dishes, all her friend had brought with were the ingredients for the sauce, garlic bread, and salad, but Rachel could be incredibly particular.

“It went really well,” Gina replied, her smile turning to a grin as she added, “I also found out that Lilith’s a lesbian.”

Rachel almost dropped the pan she’d picked up, barely catching it before it hit the floor. Setting it carefully on the stovetop, Rachel turned to face Gina, putting her hands on her hips. “How in the world did that even come up? You’ve always been the one that told me to take things slow, and I sincerely doubt she’d just randomly volunteer the information.”

“I don’t think she would have, but when it’s relevant to the discussion… well, I forgot which folder my picture of Black Emerald and Vindicator was in, and she got a solid look at it before I flipped past it,” Gina admitted, blushing at the memory.

“Oh dear. You know Vindicator would strangle you if he knew about that picture, or any of your other ones. I’ve sometimes been surprised you’ve never tried to date him, as much as you’ve put him into your paintings.” Rachel giggled softly, shaking her head as she continued cooking. “So, how’d Lilith react to the picture?”

“Essentially, she said that while she didn’t object, she’d far prefer a picture of Archon and Destiny, or something along those lines,” Gina explained. She wanted to help, but she’d only get in the way of the cooking.

“Oh? Oh! That’s… an interesting thought, I’ll admit. I’m not usually one for pictures like that, but even I’ll admit it’d be pretty hot.” Rachel pulled out a baking sheet and started to cut the bread. “So what else? Did she end up commissioning a painting?”

“Yep,” Gina confirmed, washing her hands and pulling out a bowl for the salad, unwilling to leave everything to Rachel. “She wants to do one test commission, and if things go well, she’s planning on three others, at least at the moment. Things could change.”

“Really? That’s great, assuming she’s paying you well,” Rachel said, mixing the spread with a look of concentration on her face. “What’s she wanting for the first piece? Assuming you don’t mind telling me.”

“She’s paying almost double my usual rate, as she used a rather… generous chart that she found online for her estimates. I tried to protest, but she was stubborn, just like with the check,” Gina told her friend, hiding her smile as she waited for a long moment before adding, her tone wicked, “As for the subject matter, she decided on you.”

“She what?” Rachel exclaimed, almost losing her grip on the bowl, coming close to sending it rolling off the countertop. Stabilizing the bowl quickly, her friend set it aside and looked at Gina with narrowed eyes. “Explain, please?”

“She didn’t know it was you, Rachel. She was talking about Morgan at the time,” Gina explained. “She said she’d had an encounter with Morgan a few weeks back, and found her outfit a little over the top.”

“I suppose that’s at least better, thought a little surprising,” Rachel replied, frowning as she got back to work. “I really don’t think my outfit is that bad, though. There’re a lot worse out there.”

“I think it’s more a matter of personal taste. If you hadn’t noticed, I think she likes less ornate or flamboyant art and clothing, so I’m guessing that’s a large part of it. Either way, she was looking at my High Elven Queen picture and asked me to put you in an outfit in a similar style, but focusing on a purple and black outfit and matching mask. She also wanted you to have black lipstick,” Gina told Rachel, amused at her friend’s frown as she considered the idea. “I thought it was pretty interesting, so I agreed. You don’t object, do you?”

“I suppose it isn’t that bad, on the whole. At first I was worried, I’ll admit. But while I think it’s maybe a little too simple, and not practical with flight…” Rachel mused aloud, then shook her head. “I think my biggest problem is how dark it sounds.”

“Maybe so, but the legends of Morgan Le Fay are pretty dark to begin with,” Gina pointed out. “So it fits with your name pretty well, and you’re already pretty dark, you know. You don’t go for the full gothic look, but you’re ornate enough. I mean, you have a cloak of raven feathers!”

“I’m not that bad,” Rachel protested vehemently, shaking her head and going quiet. After a few seconds she spoke again, her voice grudging. “Alright, maybe I am, just a little. Still, I don’t want to talk about it anymore. What other requests did she have?”

“Whatever you say, Rach,” Gina replied, smirking as Rachel twitched at the nickname that annoyed her so much. “As for the second, it was about the same thing for me, or more particularly for Warden. She debated on what hair color Warden had for a bit before deciding on short blond hair, so that’ll be interesting. I’m not sure I’m comfortable with painting myself, to be honest.”

“Serves you right, after the amusement you’re getting out of what she had in mind for me. Does she have you going all shadowy too?” Rachel asked, her mood seeming to improve.

“No, thank goodness. She wanted white with gold trim, just accentuating my current style, really.” Gina shook her head, sighing. “In all honesty, that much makes me a little frustrated, though. It’s a really neat style, and now I kind of want the dress for formal functions, but I don’t dare. Still, she did mention that she thinks Warden would look good in the darker dress, too.”

“Fair enough. And the last ones? I really hope she doesn’t want something like the suggestion of Archon and Destiny with us.” Rachel’s voice was nervous as she slid the garlic bread into the oven.

“The first one is pretty normal, honestly. She wanted a painting of Archon on top of a mountain with her sword held high, possibly with some neat weather patterns,” Gina explained, then blushed as she added, “The last one was… interesting, though. Archon and Daemonia, kissing.”

“Oh gods, that would piss Archon right the hell off, wouldn’t it? She hates all the fanatics who’ve tried to co-opt her existence for their religion, so anything with a demon…” Rachel laughed loudly. “I bet Daemonia would get a kick out of it, though. What do you think your chances are of getting to that one? And I want to see it, if you do!”

“Assuming I don’t screw up by the numbers, I’m pretty confident of finishing all of them,” Gina replied, thinking back to the smile on Lilith’s face before she left. “It’s looking good to me.”

Chapter 16

Saturday, November 30th, 2030

Warden’s Home, Oakland

Letting out a long sigh of happiness, Gina took a step back to look at the painting critically. Despite several missteps, the painting of Lilith was done. It’d taken her far more time to finish than she’d expected, but the results sparked a hint of pride as she looked at it and smiled.

The past few days had given Gina time to think about her encounters with Lilith, even with the holiday in the middle of it. She’d enjoyed visiting her father for Thanksgiving, as well as her Wednesday dinner with Rachel. The time talking to family and friends had helped her bring things into perspective, and her pity for Lilith’s upbringing had grown stronger because of it. In the end, both she and Rachel had tentatively agreed that allowing Lilith into their social circle, at least peripherally, would be for the best.

Beyond those decisions, Gina’s discussion about artwork with Lilith on Wednesday had revealed new aspects to her personality, little by little. It was only after Gina had returned home from her father’s and looked at her painting of Lilith, half done as it was, that she realized it was wrong in ways she couldn’t explain. In the end, she’d made the decision to strip the paint from the canvas and completely redo her work.

Somewhat more disturbing to Gina was how every night over the last few days she’d dreamed of Lilith. She rarely remembered her dreams, so the details were sketchy, but she could remember Lilith’s gentle smile that sent warmth through her body, and the simple contentment that Lilith revealed a few times. It was that look, that sense of contentment and happiness, that Gina was trying to capture with her painting.

Biased though she might be, Gina thought she’d finally managed to get the look that she’d wanted. To her eyes the picture was beautiful, and while others might not agree, that didn’t matter. What mattered to her was that the picture showed what she wanted it to show. Lilith was sitting with an elbow on the table, her chin resting in the palm of her hand as she smiled gently, listening to some story with a twinkle in her eyes. In many ways the painting wasn’t complicated, and it certainly wasn’t perfect or a world-class piece, but even so, it made Gina’s heart tremble to look at it.

It was only then, as she looked at the simple beauty of the woman in the painting, that Gina realized that something had changed for her. It dawned on her that what she was feeling was deeper than mere physical attraction, and she whispered softly, “I never expected this, Lilith. And I hope… I hope you feel the same way.”

* * *

Sunday, December 9th, 2030

Lilith’s Condo, San Francisco

At the sound of the elevator doors starting to open, Lilith stepped over and opened the front door, smiling widely. She got the door open just as Gina and Rachel stepped out of the elevator, and Rachel gave a half-wave and smile. Lilith laughed softly at that, grinning as she waved them in. “Come on in, you two. I do hope that you didn’t have any trouble with parking?”

“Not a bit. You’ve got a parking garage below your building, and your message got them to let us use one of your spots. They even let us use the charging pad,” Rachel replied, stepping inside and gasping in apparent surprise. Lilith knew that Rachel was acting, but honestly couldn’t blame her for that. “Okay, I thought you were joking about how big your condo was, but this is enormous!”

“Stop understating things, Rachel, this is just incredible. You have the entire floor to yourself, Lilith?” Gina asked, stepping into the room and looking around. In her case, Lilith knew that the shock had to be genuine, since she’d been unconscious during her previous visit.

The living room had changed since Rachel’s visit, too. Lilith had added some rugs to the floor and a desk was next to the windows, a computer set up on it. Gina’s paintings adorned the walls in slightly nicer frames, while the table was set for three. The only other new things were another couch, a coffee table, and a glass case along one wall that was mostly empty, with a handful of glass sculptures within.

“That’s right. I originally paid for it because I like my privacy, and was hoping to avoid people noticing me due to my power. However, I believe I miscalculated, because purchasing something this big drew a lot of attention as well. It seems like people focus on those of us with large homes,” Lilith explained wryly, closing the door and locking it behind them. “I think you can see why I was a little hesitant to invite you over at first?”

Since their first dinner together, Lilith had met with Gina and Rachel three separate times for dinner and to chat. Each time they’d gone to different restaurants, though on the second occasion the other two had convinced Lilith to go to a bar they said had good food. The three had quickly realized that visiting the bar had been a mistake, though. Lilith had been almost mobbed, and they’d beaten a hasty retreat and gone somewhere else, the event proving a needed warning to all of them. Not even Lilith had realized just how potent her power could be under the wrong circumstances.

After that they’d also met at Gina’s house once to look at several paintings and discuss artwork, at which point Lilith had discovered that she had modest differences in taste from the other two women, but nothing too dramatic. Finally, Lilith had decided to invite the others over to her home for dinner, which she’d spent much of the day preparing for.

“I think I understand. This is a lot bigger than I expected, even with your warnings. I think it’s almost twice the size of my entire house!” Gina exclaimed, then paused, sniffing curiously. Looking at Lilith, she asked, “What’re you cooking, anyway? That smells really good.”

“I started a pork roast this morning, with some herbs, white wine, and honey,” Lilith replied, grinning sheepishly. “The bread was a failure, so I’m trying to figure out where I messed up with them. I did buy rolls as a backup, fortunately. I finished the mashed potatoes a few minutes ago, and made a salad, with raspberry cheesecake for dessert.”

Rachel blinked at the list, pursing her lips before asking, “Do you like cooking, then? As often as you went out to eat, I was beginning to think that you didn’t, or maybe couldn’t cook at all.”

“I enjoy it far more than I’d ever expected to. Cooking is… a stimulating, fascinating subject, and the satisfaction of a well-made meal is hard to improve upon,” Lilith explained, pausing as she tried to think of how to explain what she was thinking. “I… deeply enjoy it. The problem is that I haven’t tried so many types of meals. Remember, I was raised by an AI, and the meal types it had programmed were limited. Part of the reason I go out to eat is to try new things and have something to compare my meals to. The last thing I want is to make something I think is amazing and leave one of you sick to your stomach.”

“Now that you explain it, that makes a lot of sense,” Rachel said after a moment of thought, then smiled as she asked, “So, when will it be ready?”

“I think she’s hungry, Lilith. She’s been looking forward to the visit all day, if her comments to me have been anything to judge by,” Gina interrupted, smirking as Rachel shot her a look of betrayal, amusing Lilith.

“Is that so? Well, it’s fortunate that I just need to let the roast rest for a couple of minutes before slicing it, isn’t it? The potatoes have been keeping warm in the oven,” Lilith told them, gesturing to the table. “Why don’t you take a seat? I’ll have everything out shortly.”

“Would you like help with anything?” Rachel asked, slipping out of her jacket and hanging it on the coat rack by the door. “I’d be happy to, if you want.”

“Thank you, but I’ll be fine. You’re guests, so sit down and relax. This shouldn’t take long.” Lilith smiled in response, then headed for the kitchen. Pulling out the roast to let it rest for a minute, she put on oven mitts to pull the bowl of potatoes out of the oven and grabbed a serving spoon, making a mental note to get more of them, at least if she was going to have guests often.

“Is it different than you expected?” Lilith heard Rachel talking to Gina softly, then lowered her voice to the point that Lilith wouldn’t have heard it if her hearing wasn’t enhanced. “I should add that it’s a little nicer than it was before. It was pretty empty. Not that it’s got tons of stuff in it even now, but it feels lived in.”

“I think it’s really nice, if huge. That’s good in some ways, really. It’d help someone feel less closed-in or confined, and based on what Lilith’s said about her childhood, that’s probably important. It’s still a little bare, but nice,” Gina agreed, sounding fascinated by the house.

Lilith did find herself somewhat chagrined that the renovations she’d made still weren’t enough to make the room feel normal, but she wasn’t sure what she could do about it. Anything more would make her feel like the room was cluttered, which offended her sensibilities, but she needed to work on it.

Removing the lid of the ceramic bowl, Lilith revealed a bowl of fluffy yellow mashed potatoes that had a hint of garlic to them, then took it into the living room with a smile. Gina had taken the middle seat, she noted in amusement, while Rachel was seated to her left. Setting the bowl on a trivet, she explained, “I’ll bring in the salad and rolls next, then get the meat. Feel free to serve yourselves early if you’d like, though. I don’t want to starve you.”

Gina chuckled, taking the spoon to serve the potatoes as Lilith headed back toward the kitchen. A few seconds later the blonde raised her voice, asking, “Lilith? Did you make gravy for this?”

Waiting a moment to reply, Lilith returned to the room with the salad and a couple of varieties of dressing. “Sorry, I’m afraid not. I’ve generally eaten the potatoes on their own, so I didn’t even think about that.”

“Ahh, well, that’s fine. If it comes up in the future, know that I like gravy on my potatoes,” Gina replied with a theatrical sigh, but paused and sniffed at the potatoes curiously. “Actually, I’m smelling something besides garlic, and there are bits in these… what did you put in them?”

“I’ll keep your request in mind, Gina. As for the potatoes, I mashed them with butter, garlic, and finely ground rosemary for flavor,” Lilith explained, raising an eyebrow as she asked, “Is there anything you’d like to drink?”

“You mentioned white wine for the roast. Is it drinkable?” Rachel asked.

“It is. As one article I read put it, if you wouldn’t be willing to drink it, don’t cook with it,” Lilith explained with a smile. “I may not drink alcohol, but that made sense to me.”

Laughing at the explanation, Gina nodded. “I’d like the same.”

“Very well, I’ll bring it out in a moment, then the roast should be ready,” Lilith said, heading for the kitchen briskly.

Returning with the bottle of wine, Lilith handed it to Rachel with a smile, watching as the other woman poured a glass for herself and Gina before heading back into the kitchen. Both women had started serving themselves, and Lilith couldn’t help but wonder how they’d like the food. Preparing the roast took almost no time, and she transferred it to a platter before returning to the table, the sight and smell of the food causing Lilith’s mouth to water.

“This smells wonderful,” Rachel complimented, waiting until Lilith was seated before taking a couple of slices of roast, then handed the serving fork over to Gina. While they were doing so, Lilith began filling her own plate.

“Thank you, Rachel. I should warn that this is my first time trying this particular recipe, but it had excellent reviews overall. The smell is quite promising, I think,” Lilith said, smiling gently as she waited for Gina to pass the serving fork.

“Thank you for the food, Lilith,” Gina spoke up, meeting Lilith’s eyes and blushing slightly as their fingers briefly touched.

“Agreed! I’m a decent cook, but I normally don’t have time to make anything like this. It just takes so long,” Rachel agreed, looking at her food, and Lilith saw her fingers twitching toward her utensils.

“It’s my pleasure, and don’t hesitate to eat on my account,” Lilith replied, and watched as they began to dig into the food. “It does take a lot of time, but that’s something I have plenty of. The biggest problem I’ve found is that most recipes don’t really scale down to what a single person needs, so I often end up with nearly four times the amount of food I need in a meal. That’s not entirely a bad thing, since it means I have leftover food for other meals, but it can be frustrating.” After sampling the food, Lilith paused and took the salt grinder. “Needs a bit more salt, I think. I wondered why the recipe didn’t have much in it, but… well, fixed now.”

Gina smiled radiantly, and the sight prompted a spike of guilt in Lilith at her own deceptions as she spoke, “Even so, this has a wonderful flavor. It’s not overpowering, but good.”

“I agree. In fact, if I can get the recipe, I’d deeply appreciate it,” Rachel agreed, working her way through her meal. “Finding a good recipe can be incredibly hard.”

“I’ll email the recipe after we’re done. I’m glad you’re enjoying it. I’m rather happy, but I suppose I’m my worst critic. So, how’re classes going for you? You’re coming up on finals, if I remember right?” Lilith asked, focusing on the food, but enjoying the idle conversation.

“Ugh, some of the students seem to think I’ll pass them when they haven’t done any of the work,” Rachel replied, frowning and shaking her head. “I know that metaphysics is a relatively new field and that a lot’s been changing, but they have to at least try! It’s frustrating, so I’d rather not talk about it.”

Nodding, Lilith changed the subject and they began talking about some of the recent events, though the other two carefully avoided anything to do with heroes, she noticed. Not much of the conversation actually interested Lilith, but she deeply enjoyed talking to the women. It was only as the meal approached its end that she noticed the wine had almost all vanished, and both of her guests were tipsy, which was worrying. Still, it opened a few options, perhaps.

Eventually they cleaned up, and this time Lilith allowed her two guests to help load the dishwasher and put away the leftovers, then retired to the living room to take a seat on the couch. Rachel sat in one of the armchairs, relaxing with a happy sigh. “Oh, that was good.”

“Agreed! Thank you again, Lilith,” Gina agreed, plopping down unexpectedly next to Lilith, one of the buttons on her shirt having come undone at some point. The sight of Gina and her own sense of guilt brought Lilith to a decision, though, and she took a deep breath.

“You’re very welcome, but… there’s something I think I need to tell the two of you,” Lilith said, edging away from Gina ever so slightly and leaning forward to set her glass on the coffee table. Her voice lowered nervously as she added, “It’s important, for both of you.”

“Oh? What’s that?” Gina asked, and Rachel tilted her head curiously, nodding to Lilith but not saying anything.

Bracing herself for the plunge, Lilith decided to take the dangerous, risky route as she spoke softly. “I know the two of you are heroines. Rachel, you’re Morgan Le Fay, while Gina is Warden.”

The room went silent as she spoke, and Lilith swallowed hard.

Chapter 17

Sunday, December 9th, 2030

Lilith’s Condo, San Francisco

The meal and company during the evening had been wonderful, and Rachel had been pleasantly surprised by the flavor of the wine, considering that Lilith didn’t drink. While she’d had a fair amount of wine, Rachel’s powers gave her a significant tolerance for alcohol, as did Gina’s, so she wasn’t anything more than mildly tipsy. Gina seemed to be in about the same state, which amused Rachel, since her friend’s attraction had obviously progressed to the point that she barely needed the encouragement the wine gave her.

Lilith moving slightly away from Gina surprised Rachel, and caused a sudden spike of worry for her friend, concerned that Lilith might not be interested in Gina. It didn’t seem likely from how they’d interacted over the last couple of weeks, but it was possible, and something about the woman’s solemn tone worried Rachel. Still, Rachel hadn’t been expecting the words that Lilith spoke, as she calmly explained that she knew that they were both heroines, and that she knew which ones they were.

“What? How could you possibly mistake me for Morgan? I’m just a teacher!” Rachel replied instinctively, her voice hitching in surprise. “And Gina’s just an artist, not a heroine!”

“She’s right! As flattering as I find the suggestion, I’m not Warden, Lilith!” Gina agreed, quickly glancing at Rachel, looking almost as stunned as Rachel felt.

“Gina, Rachel…” Lilith began to speak, but paused and sighed, standing up and slowly walking over toward the windows, looking outside the building. The beautiful woman didn’t say anything for a long moment, before finally speaking again. “This is where I was standing when I saw you ambushed, Gina. Right in this very spot, as I sipped a glass of water. I wasn’t far from here when I saw Rachel take you up into the jet above us afterward, too. I expected that to be the end of things, that I’d never run into either of you again.

“When I saw you at the gallery, Gina, I suspected within moments, but couldn’t be certain. The shape of your lips and chin, your height and physique… all of it was too close to that of Warden, but I wasn’t sure. Not until the two of you walked up to my table, and I recognized Rachel after a sentence.” Lilith looked at Gina and smiled, stepping away from the window and standing behind a chair a little farther away from them. She looked Rachel in the eye as she explained. “Your voice gave you away, Rachel, but even without it, I would’ve recognized you. Your outfit doesn’t disguise your body well enough, and your eyes are a shade of blue that stuck in my memory. Even more than that, you were hesitant both times you met me, and the mannerism stuck in my mind. I’m quite certain of who you are, though I haven’t told anyone aside from the two of you.”

Rachel felt the adrenaline burning most of the alcohol from her system, and as she considered, Gina began to speak, looking even more surprised. “That’s ridiculous, Lilith! I know you think we’re heroines, but there’s no way it’s possible!”

“It’s no use, Gina, look her in the eyes. Lilith’s perfectly calm, and has absolutely no doubts as to the conclusions she’s come to. You aren’t going to convince her she’s wrong,” Rachel interrupted softly, her thoughts racing. This was the first time someone had figured out that she was Morgan, and she couldn’t imagine that it was actually as easy to identify her as Lilith was claiming. Regardless, it was clear to her that there was absolutely no way that they were going to convince Lilith she was mistaken. The problem was what to do about it.

“So… in that case, what do we do?” Gina asked nervously. Rachel couldn’t blame her, since her powers were sealed away.

“That’s the question, isn’t it? You’re certain of your conclusions, but told us that you know, Lilith. Why? What reason did you have for telling us?” Rachel asked as she looked at Lilith, who calmly leaned on the back of the chair.

“That’s an excellent question, and one I’ve been wrestling with. Since we’ve met, I’ve gotten to know each of you fairly well. I enjoy your company, and it’s safe to say that I consider the two of you to be my only friends in the world, which is what decided my course in the end.” Lilith paused, visibly swallowing hard before going on. “I felt guilty that I knew, and that I didn’t tell you. It was a breach of trust, and I’m well aware this could destroy our friendship as well. I’m a weakness, something that could unmask you by accident. I’ve read about heroes going into government protection to change their identities when they’ve been discovered, but I dearly hope that isn’t necessary. I won’t blame you, though, no matter what you choose.”

“I… I see,” Gina murmured, setting her wine glass down carefully, then drawing her legs up on the couch and wrapping her arms around them. Rachel could almost see the confusion that was wracking her friend, and took a moment to compose her own thoughts, worried as she was.

“So, you promise you won’t tell anyone about us? Or that you haven’t told anyone else, either?” Rachel asked, keeping her voice carefully level. While she’d managed to regain her composure, her stomach felt like a pit, and Rachel knew that she didn’t want to lose Lilith’s friendship, or to hurt Gina in the way it would if they did.

“There’s no way I can guarantee it fully, but I promise, I’ve never spoken of this to anyone at all, save for the pair of you just now,” Lilith replied softly, smiling thinly as she added, “I also promise that I’ll never tell anyone unless one of you gives me permission to do so. If it’s the only way to save one of your lives due to you being in danger, I might risk it, but only if there’s no other possible way to save you.”

“That does help, but I’m still not certain, Lilith. That you know is a danger, and we’ve only known you for a few weeks. It’s going to take me some time to decide,” Rachel replied, pausing to see if Gina was going to say anything. Her friend’s arms tightened around her knees, as she looked down at the floor. After a few more seconds, Rachel sighed and looked at Lilith. “Could Gina and I have a few minutes alone? I want to talk to her in private.”

“Of course, I’ll just go to the restroom. Call me when you’re done,” Lilith replied, giving a sad smile before heading down the hallway, her bare feet almost silent against the floor.

Rachel listened for the door of the bathroom to open, then shut, and took a moment to follow after and ensure that Lilith was actually in the restroom before returning to Gina, who hadn’t moved in her brief absence. After a few moments more, Rachel sat next to Gina and wrapped an arm around her shoulders to hug her friend, waiting patiently. She couldn’t blame her friend for wanting to work through things privately, not with the shock they’d just gotten.

“…I don’t know what to think, Rachel.” When she finally spoke, Gina’s voice was barely above a whisper, and she raised her head to reveal that she’d been crying. The heroine wiped at her eyes, continuing in the same soft voice. “I’ve… I’ve started having feelings for her, you know? She’s been kind with me, even if she’s awkward with others, but she’s been direct about things. She doesn’t idly flatter people, she just tells me what she thinks. We meet, we talk, and she likes my art. She seems to like me, but does she really? Is she really after Warden? You know how it is, even more than me. There’re lots of people who just chase heroes and heroines, who send us fan mail and obsess over us. How do I trust that, even if she isn’t a danger, that she isn’t after me because I’m a heroine?”

“I don’t know. I’m sorry, Gina… I thought you might feel that way, but I never expected something like this. How could we imagine that she knew both of our identities? It’s never happened before,” Rachel replied, hugging Gina tightly and letting out a helpless sigh. “I wish I knew what she feels for you, but I don’t. For all I know, she could have another ability that’s encouraging your feelings, that she might or might not know about. I don’t know a lot of things. But I do know that I care about you, and I want you to be happy. I don’t want to see you hurt, Gina.”

“Then what can I do? What do I say to her?” Gina asked, looking at Rachel pleadingly. “How do I figure it out?”

“I…” Rachel began to speak, then stopped and sighed. Gina had never been in a real relationship before, and that made this difficult in some ways. Her friend had never found someone she really wanted to be with, not before this. Considering a long, long moment, Rachel finally nodded to herself, coming up with an unpleasant but workable idea, and spoke quietly. “I have an idea, but it won’t be easy. Let’s take some time away from her to think things over. For a minimum of a week, we stop having dinners, and you limit yourself to only having business calls with her. We do some research on her, and hire SuperNet to analyze her powers. We’ll find a way for you to be certain that she isn’t influencing you. First, we take the time to figure out what it is you feel for her, then we can worry about what she feels.”

“That would be hard, Rachel. Really, really hard,” Gina replied, looking at Rachel uncertainly, swallowing. “I don’t know if I want to do all of that, and stay away from her as long as it’d take. And that scares me, too.”

Smiling sadly, Rachel nodded and brushed back one of Gina’s golden hairs from her face. She spoke just as softly as she looked into Gina’s eyes. “I know it’s hard. I know you’re scared, but I have to ask… how else can you know, Gina? I wish I had a better option, but I just can’t think of anything.”

“Alright. If we’re going to do this, if I’m going to do this, let’s go. Two weeks, I think. Two weeks would be good, and should give me enough time to figure things out. If it goes well, maybe we could meet for Christmas or something,” Gina replied, her voice almost breathless as she suddenly stood, blinking away more tears as she rambled. “I just want to go now. If I don’t, I’m probably going to lose my nerve. I don’t want to face her like this.”

“I’ll go tell her what we’ve decided. You just get ready to go,” Rachel told Gina, standing and giving her friend a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. “I’ll be right back.”

“Okay, I’ll be by the door when you get back,” Gina agreed, her hands trembling as she moved to the door, visibly steadying herself as she put on her jacket and picked up her purse.

Rachel steeled herself as she walked down the hallway, wondering how Lilith was going to react. The restroom was just around the corner, across from the room where she’d once retrieved Gina from a bed. As she knocked on the door to the restroom, Rachel glanced into the room and noticed that it was much nicer now. The bed had been changed out, and there was both a dresser as well as some simple art on the walls. It was quite a change from the nearly sterile look it’d had before.

“Yes? I’m guessing that the two of you are done?” Lilith replied after a moment, her voice echoing slightly in the restroom. Rachel couldn’t help but wince at the note of hope in the woman’s voice, feeling even worse about what she was going to say.

“We’ve finished talking, yes, but I have to ask, would you please wait for a few more minutes before coming out?” Rachel asked, forcing herself to sound calm. How frantic Gina had been had been helpful for masking her own feelings, but it didn’t mean she was happy with what was happening. She enjoyed Lilith’s company herself, and what they were going to do would be unpleasant.

Lilith paused before replying, hesitation obvious in her tone. “I suppose I can do that. May I ask why?”

“Gina and I are… nervous, Lilith. We can’t be certain that your power isn’t affecting us and influencing our feelings or decisions,” Rachel explained softly. “In the end, we decided we needed to take a break and figure things out. I’m taking her home, and we’re going to take a two-week break from meeting with you, except for business calls. We’re going to investigate your background more thoroughly, and if you’re willing, we’re going to ask SuperNet to analyze your powers.”

For a few seconds there was no response from Lilith, and Rachel began to worry. Her worst fears eased slightly when Lilith finally spoke, her voice seeming almost weary, but clear despite that. “As you wish, Rachel. You must do what is necessary to feel safe, and I will cooperate, and wait. Should you choose to meet with me again, please contact me. I hope both of you have a good evening.”

For a moment Rachel was relieved, then she suddenly felt strangled as she processed what Lilith had said, and the tone of her voice. She remembered how alone Lilith had seemed, and the smile that Lilith had given them so often, and her resolve wavered. Should they choose to meet with her again, she’d be waiting? It made Rachel hesitate, but she steeled herself, swallowing hard. “I deeply enjoyed the evening, Lilith., Should everything go well, I promise that I’ll call. Good night, Lilith.”

Refusing to wait any longer, Rachel turned and briskly walked toward the front door, her emotions feeling like they were tied in knots. Gina wordlessly offered Rachel her coat and purse, looking nervous. Taking a deep breath, Rachel spoke again. “She agreed to what we asked, Gina, and won’t contact us until we contact her. I think she’s hurt, though. We’d best go.”

As she stepped out the front door, Rachel couldn’t help but wonder if what she’d done had been the right thing to do.

* * *

Hearing the front door close, ever so faintly, Lilith let out a soft sigh, leaning against the bathroom door and closing her eyes to try to think. She was still trying to figure out what had just happened, and to process what she was feeling. The strange, constricting feeling in her chest, and how hollow she felt, was astounding and somewhat depressing. It still hadn’t been the worst possible result, but somehow it almost felt worse.

She should go check the front door and lock it, Lilith knew, but she couldn’t gather the motivation to go outside just now. Gina and Rachel had left, and she was alone again. Worse, the two women might very well choose to not come back at all. They might choose to cut contact with her entirely, and never see her again. As Lilith realized that, the pain in her chest grew stronger, and she rubbed at her eyes as there was a prickling sensation from them. As the first tears welled up, blurring her vision, Lilith blinked and shook her head, her voice quivering. “Is… is this sadness? Grief? But I… I never…”

Blinking the tears away, Lilith took a deep breath, her body almost shaking, and pulled out her phone. She dialed a number by memory, and the other end clicked over to an open line instantly. Lilith spoke quietly, trying to keep her voice stable. “Circe, talk to me. Please.”

“Yes, Mistress Lilith. What subject would you like me to speak to you about?” Circe asked in her calm, pleasant voice.

“Anything at all. I just need to hear someone’s voice right now,” Lilith replied, closing her eyes again and slowly sliding down the door to sit on the floor.

“Very well. The current situation among superhero teams indicates there will be a major upheaval in the near future, as several major heroes change or abandon their teams. Due to the chaos this might cause, a large number of issues might give opening for villains…” Circe began explaining, and Lilith simply sat there, listening to try to distract herself from the emptiness of her home.

Chapter 18

Friday, December 13th, 2030

Dr. Johnson’s Lair, Santa Cruz

Looking at the device on his desk, Doctor Johnson smiled in satisfaction. With a few more tweaks, the device would work wonders. He was doing much better than the foolish researcher who’d come up with the basic concept, but that was only to be expected. Based on the journals written by Doctor Pierson, Johnson suspected that the man was nearly four years away from managing a functional cellular regenerator that someone could lay under, let alone a portable unit like this one. Still, the doctor had managed to refine the concepts to the point that someone competent could make proper use of them.

“Still, it’s possible that the man could always pull his head out of his arse,” Johnson murmured, shaking his head. The incompetence of lesser minds couldn’t be overestimated, but every so often they managed to surprise him and manage something marvelous, if only by accident. A prime example of that was Omega Code, who was brilliant despite his insanity.

Thinking of Omega Code, Johnson turned to admire the energy condenser that had been on the cargo ship. The large piece of hardware was a brilliant piece of engineering, supposedly a state secret of Russia and created by one of their inventors. Unfortunately for the country, there were a few people in their government who were willing to sell even a device like that, just as there were in all governments. At least, they were willing to sell if someone decided to pay the right price. Letting Omega Code buy the condenser, then stealing it himself had just been icing on the cake. Johnson had even reverse-engineered the condenser, which should give him the energy levels the regenerator would need. Now he just needed a few more things.

“Doctor, if you aren’t busy I have news for you.” A beautiful voice distracted him from the innards of the regenerator, and he turned to the speaker.

Eve stood politely, his android secretary looking almost perfectly like an attractive, airheaded blonde. She’d distracted many people over the years as his assistant, which was why he replaced and updated the robot each time she was destroyed. By this point she was virtually indistinguishable from a human, though she didn’t pretend to be one in front of him. It wasn’t part of her programming.

“Yes, Eve? What do you have for me?” Johnson asked, leaning forward in his chair to try to work the kinks out of his back. He was getting old, and the long work sessions were starting to take their toll on him. He was looking forward to getting the regenerator working right.

“Doctor Gavin Juran is on the verge of completely eliminating rejection of cybernetics in the majority of subjects, rather than only in rare circumstances. He’s locked down the information for the moment, and no backups currently exist outside the building. Their off-site backup is recovering from an AI attack, and will be online at the end of the year,” Eve explained, causing excitement to surge through Johnson. He suppressed his urge to interrupt, allowing Eve to continue. “Black Harbinger is preparing to plant explosives throughout downtown San Francisco. Estimates show even odds of one of the explosives successfully going off, with equal chances that they’ll be disabled first. Blue Impulse is continuing his attempt to capture and brainwash Warden, with excellent odds of success based on Ebon Dragon’s reports. Chances of his being captured in the aftermath with dramatic consequences are… moderate, and the ritual has significant risks of backlash if broken.”

“Let me think… Doctor Juran? He’s the one running the secret military R&D hospital in San Mateo, correct?” Johnson asked, raising an eyebrow at Eve.

Eve nodded. “Yes, Doctor.”

“Security?” he asked, tapping his fingers on the desk hopefully.

Eve paused before replying, her eyes briefly distant. “Four cyber-enhanced soldiers and six normal soldiers at all times. There are twelve staff members and ten subjects at present. The building has extensive cameras and a laser grid, as well as magical warding against extra-planar intrusion.”

“Excellent, I’ll have to arrange for making a data withdrawal,” Johnson said happily, nodding to himself. “I’d like you to have Dreamer and Ebon Dragon meet with me as soon as it’s convenient for them, and continue monitoring Black Harbinger. If he plans anything more destructive than his current plans, inform me immediately. Inform Blue Impulse that while he’s allowed to continue his schemes, he’s not allowed to perform any of them in any of my facilities. He’s to use his own assets for Warden, and any risks are his alone.”

“Acknowledged, Doctor,” Eve agreed, pausing before asking, “Do you require anything else?”

“Have my usual coffee delivered. I have a lot of work to finish,” Doctor Johnson replied, turning back to his project as the android left. Looking over the readings, he pulled out a few tools to continue tweaking the device, a smile on his face.

Chapter 19

Monday, December 16th, 2030

Lilith’s Condo, San Francisco

Lilith didn’t really even see the bay as she looked out the window, a hint of melancholy washing over her. It wasn’t as if she’d stopped seeing what was outside, but she wasn’t paying attention to where the boat that crossed her line of vision had gone, or what the wind surfer had been doing. It just didn’t seem that important.

“It’s only been a week, but why do I feel so hollow? Like something important has vanished?” Lilith asked aloud, shaking her head in confusion. While the grief at Gina and Rachel’s departure had faded somewhat with the passing week, things just didn’t feel the same yet.

She’d had one difficult conversation with Gina over the phone, and another far less stressful one with Rachel. Neither conversation had been what she’d consider good, but she did have an appointment at the local SuperNet office in four days. The woman she was meeting, Allison Gambry, was supposed to be one of their specialists, and Lilith didn’t really expect the meeting to go well. Nothing else had gone well lately, but she doubted she’d get any real surprises when she met with the woman.

What Lilith was feeling was the loneliness that she hadn’t really understood before she’d met and started to see the other two women. Circe hadn’t ever been company, not really. The AI had been little more than a helpful voice, and that was it. Lilith hadn’t realized that until after she’d listened to Circe go on and on about various statistics for several hours the night that Gina and Rachel had left. It also brought home something else that she hadn’t realized in the city, part of why she had such a hard time relating to other people.

Other people had goals. They had hopes and dreams. Lilith didn’t have any of that. She was an artificial construct, created with the express purpose of seeing what was possible.

“No, even that isn’t right. I wasn’t created to see if it was possible. Amber created me to be a replacement body, but even she had a crisis of conscience, or curiosity. I was never intended to be alive, or to even be me,” Lilith corrected aloud, shaking her head as she scowled, finally identifying what had been bothering her. It had never occurred to her that she was slowly sinking deeper into depression. To her, she was simply incredibly unhappy.

* * *

Tuesday, December 17th, 2030

Downtown, Oakland

“Almost there… come on, Warden, come out where I can get you…” Blue Impulse murmured, sitting in his car impatiently. He didn’t need to be here, but he couldn’t resist the urge to be in the area.

The heroine was inside an art supply store, shopping for something or another, and Blue Impulse could barely suppress the anticipation and glee he felt. He’d seen how stunning Warden was out of her suit a few weeks earlier, and at that point both his anticipation and plans had kicked into high gear. Before this he’d thought she probably was attractive, since most superhumans were, but now he knew she was absolutely stunning. In fact, Warden was one of those women that he doubted he’d ever get without a literal boatload of money, and he wanted her more than he dared express to anyone, even to Megawatt.

A slight damper had been thrown on his mood three days before, when Doctor Johnson had called him into a meeting. The conversation had been direct, and the older villain had been smiling coldly the entire time. “Impulse, I’m well aware of what you’ve been paying Ebon Dragon for, and I have no objections to what you plan. If you’re going to do it, I recommend you do so in less than a week, though. Both Black Harbinger and I will be making moves of our own, and I’m going to be making things difficult for Ocean Shield. After that I expect they’ll heighten security, thus my recommendation. No matter what, though, I expect you to keep any knowledge of our relationship to yourself. Is that clear?”

Blue Impulse had quickly agreed, and gotten to work preparing to move up his plans. It hadn’t taken much work, fortunately. Now all he needed was for Gina to finish up in the shop and head to her car. He had thugs up in the parking garage, and without her powers she wouldn’t have much of a chance. The entire reason he was here was to watch her walk into the ambush cluelessly, and to prevent any interference.

Catching sight of her hair bobbing, Impulse’s smile widened. She was carrying a large bag of purchases, frowning unhappily. He snorted at the sight, figuring it was probably the price of something. It didn’t matter, though, she’d have other worries soon enough, followed by despair.

“Despair and pleasure. My pleasure,” Impulse reminded himself, smiling once more as he sat back and watched.

* * *

Walking toward the garage, Gina found herself frowning and unhappy, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the supplies she’d gotten. In fact, the selection had been particularly good compared to normal, and she’d found a particular shade of green that had been out of stock for over two weeks as well, one which she’d wanted for some of the paintings she was working on. Her unhappiness wasn’t because of that, it was because her feelings for Lilith hadn’t faded one bit. If anything, they’d gotten stronger, and Gina had to keep herself from calling Lilith frequently. The one call she had made hadn’t gone well, and it hadn’t helped that she was a mess due to disturbed dreams that had gotten really dark.

It also didn’t help that the investigations into Lilith’s past may as well have hit a brick wall, the details were so deeply hidden. As much as Gina desperately wanted to trust Lilith, there were too many pieces missing at the moment. She hoped that the power examination would dispel some of those fears, but Gina was scared. She wasn’t sure what she was afraid of, and her mind was a mess, at least partially because unlike any other time since puberty, she couldn’t just go out and do something to make a difference.

Gina wasn’t paying too much attention as she started up the stairwell, heading for her car. She was just a few spaces from the stairwell, which was part of why she went to higher floors to begin with. They tended to be less populated in her experience. She just had to shake herself out of her funk and finish the painting of Morgan sometime in the next day or so. Even if she wasn’t talking to Lilith, it didn’t mean that Gina was going to stop working on her commissions, and it was a good distraction. She was going to go out with Rachel for dinner on Thursday, too, and then—

As Gina stepped out of the stairwell, she paused as she spotted a pair of men on either side of her, each holding a large, high-powered stun gun. As a sense of déjà vu washed over her, she tried to jump back, but they were already moving. Desperation and shock washed through her right before the blasts of electricity knocked her out, her scream dying before it even began.

* * *

Rachel couldn’t help but feel skittish about something. There were a few reports from the police that had her on edge, as there was word that Black Harbinger had gotten his hands on a lot of explosives. He seemed to be planning on blowing up something in the next few days, and no one knew what. She was on call, and desperately wished that Gina’s powers were back and available to help. Warden’s shields were one of the few things that could actually stop Black Harbinger’s attacks. With her their chances of stopping him would be much better, while without her, they were in severe danger.

It didn’t make her feel any better that everyone else on the team wished that Warden was back on the job, either. Crimson Bull had been short-tempered for weeks, while Galvanic Action and Ocean Spirit were constantly on edge due to the variety of nebulous threats around the city. Black Comet had been running himself ragged trying to cover the rest of the team, seeming to blame himself for not protecting the others. As for everyone else, Morgan had lost track of what they were up to. She knew that many of them were worried about her and Gina, but especially Gina.

When she’d told the others about Lilith knowing who they were, it’d caused yet another uproar in the team, too. Crimson Bull had practically wanted to break in Lilith’s door and threaten her, while most of the others had simply been concerned. That concern had grown as they found how little information there was about Lilith.

Rachel knew that Gina wasn’t happy with how things had gone with Lilith, and privately Rachel fully agreed with her friend. The ache of what they’d done frequently came to mind, and she was finding it incredibly difficult to believe that it was merely because of Lilith’s powers. Still, every passing day gave her more hope. The longer it went on, the less likely it was that it was some power of Lilith’s, and the power assessment should shed some light on things. Rachel simply had to make it another week, then she could apologize.

Chapter 20

Tuesday, December 17th, 2030

Warehouse, Hayward

Grinning broadly, Blue Impulse couldn’t help himself and gave a loud, maniacal laugh. He knew that no one outside the warehouse would hear, with the soundproofing he’d set up and all of his minions being elsewhere. Admiring his setup, he watched Warden struggling against her restraints uselessly, panic in her eyes as she squirmed and her mouth worked against the gag. He’d be removing the gag shortly, but for the moment he enjoyed the silence.

While the warehouse was on the small side, it still was several thousand square feet and served his purposes nicely, since it was currently empty. A few scattered tools made Blue Impulse think that it’d once held gardening equipment, but he had no way of knowing for sure, and honestly didn’t care that much. To keep anyone from noticing, he’d set up sound dampeners in the corners of the main room, and a small cold fusion generator powered the building to keep the power company from investigating what was going on.

In the center of the room was a large steel frame, heavily reinforced and with numerous rings attached to it, to which were hooked a series of sturdy cables. The cables in turn were attached to the restraints that Warden had been locked into, and the heroine couldn’t move more than an inch or two due to how the cables were arranged. The frame and cables were specially designed to be able to hold most superhumans, so long as their primary power wasn’t strength.

A few days before, Ebon Dragon had come into the room and carved a large pentacle into the floor around the frame, with a hole at each point and hundreds of sigils around the periphery. He’d set a ten-foot wooden pillar into each hole, the polished wood carved heavily with arcane symbols. Blue Impulse hoped they’d do their job properly. If they didn’t, he was going to be pissed off and up shit creek. Still, he should have time to run, if it went badly.

Warden’s car and purchases, along with most of her things, had been ditched in the middle of a busy parking lot near her home. The only exception was her phone, which was currently off and the battery removed to keep it from being tracked. No one would find the vehicle for quite some time, and it should give him plenty of time. It would work. It had to work, with as much time and money as Impulse had spent on it.

With that thought in mind, Blue Impulse swaggered forward, grinning at Warden nastily. “I told you I’d see you again, Warden, and I said you’d look good beneath me. I think it’s time I made good on my promise. I’ve been looking forward to this for months.”

* * *

Struggling against the restraints holding her in place, Gina could barely move, and panic was almost completely overwhelming her sense of reason. It was understandable, considering the situation she was in, but there was something else, too. She could feel her magic twisting within her, not at her command but in response to something else, and that worried her even more. The cables were barely shivering under her efforts, and she chewed at the large, round gag in an effort to get it out of her mouth, but it didn’t move either.

As the villain grinned at her, Gina couldn’t help but shiver in terror at the lust in his eyes. Blue Impulse was wearing the same suit that he always did, and she couldn’t help but think about how sleazy he looked. He’d always reminded her of one of those rail-thin drug addicts she’d seen in parts of the city, and that, in addition to his penchant for robbing nearly anyone he could manage, disgusted her. In fact, she couldn’t imagine anyone being attracted to the man.

Yet even with that, the way her magic was writhing and the way she was restrained caused some elements of her dreams to surface again. Something was terribly wrong with her, which terrified Gina. There was a tiny part of her mind that whispered that she should listen to Blue Impulse, that his words were reasonable, and that made absolutely no sense. So she looked at the pillars, trying to figure out what was being done to her.

What little she could understand of the pillars worried Gina. The dense runes across their surface identified them as magical tools of some variety, but Gina didn’t study magic in the way that Rachel did. Her friend taught classes on magical theory at the university, so she might be able to identify what these were designed to do, but Gina couldn’t. The few runes she could identify included body-alteration magic and something to do with mental control, but she wasn’t entirely certain, and being in the center of the circle was foreboding.

When the villain spoke, though, she glared at him defiantly, trying to ignore the way her body felt, resisting the whispering voice in the back of her mind. She wouldn’t give the man the satisfaction of surrendering to his taunts or magic. He only laughed, reaching over to remove the gag. “I guess it isn’t much fun to gloat when all you can do is glare at me. So, what do you have to say for yourself, Warden?”

The moment the gag came out was a relief, and Gina swallowed, working her jaw muscles. After a few seconds she spat at him, the spittle barely hitting him as she spoke, her voice as harsh as she could manage with the way her muscles were quivering. “When I get out of here, I’m going to beat you into a pulp, you cowardly bastard!”

“Great, I was hoping you’d still be defiant! If you weren’t, I’d almost feel bad about this, as beautiful as you are,” Impulse crowed, grinning as he wiped the spittle away. “I just wonder how long it’ll last? You’re going to change your tune soon enough.”

“I doubt that! I always knew you were a bastard, but this takes—agh!” Gina began replying hotly, but in mid-sentence the villain smiled and punched her in the stomach, blasting the air from her lungs as pain spiked through her. She gasped, trying to regain her breath as he laughed.

“That’s enough insults out of you. As stubborn as you are, I suspect this’ll take a lot longer than I want it to, but it’ll be worth the wait,” Impulse replied, stepping away to a small box on the ground nearby. He opened it and pulled out a thin metal band with an empty setting for a gemstone at the front. It took a second for Gina to realize it was a circlet, and that it was inscribed with a number of runes that seemed to match those on the pillars around her.

“You bastard… what are you doing? What is all of this?” Gina gasped, looking at the circlet nervously. She had her suspicions, but she didn’t dare believe that they might be true.

“You still haven’t figured out what’s going on? Really?” Impulse demanded, smiling broadly as he traced his fingers over the runes of the circlet, which looked like it was made of silver. “I’d think you, who insulted me so often for my lack of skill, would have figured it out by now.”

“Figured it out? Based on what? You being an ass?” Gina retorted, yanking on the cables even harder, and wishing she could use her magic. If she could, she’d have already ripped her way out of the restraints around her.

“Just like I thought, you’re clueless. Don’t tell me you can’t hear that tiny voice in your head, telling you to obey me?” Blue Impulse replied, his voice slow as he taunted her, grinning in a way that sent a chill down her spine. The look in his eyes betrayed no worry, and he spoke sarcastically. “What, did you think I went through so much effort to disable you for a month? You think that’s the only purpose of the spell? Hardly, I spent way too much time and money on it for just that. It was laying the groundwork, that’s all.”

The chill running down Gina’s spine grew stronger, and she tried to shrink back. She swallowed hard, not quite able to keep the tremble out of her voice as she asked, “What in the hell did you do to me, you bastard?”

“Don’t rush me, sweetheart, I’m getting there,” Blue Impulse replied, laughing as he circled her, and she twitched hard as he ran his fingers along her side. “Sure, the curse was designed to knot your magic into a pretzel, but that wasn’t all I wanted. I wanted it to do way more than that, but getting it by your friends would be really hard, so we didn’t build it into the curse. They would’ve spotted that in seconds. Instead, it was made to take instructions from an outside focus. After you got paved by me, I spent some time tracking you down, and I set up the foci around your house. Every time you slept, the curse reached out and took those instructions to start whispering in your head, laying down the framework of the blueprint that I chose. It used your own magic, Warden, and that just makes everything even better. If you weren’t so damned powerful, this would’ve taken months, not weeks.”

“You did what? What in the hell have you been doing to me?” Gina demanded as her panic began to take control, despite her best efforts. The idea of something so insidious managing to go undetected for over a month terrified her, and it suddenly brought to mind the weird dreams that she’d been having as well. It didn’t explain why Lilith had been involved in them, and she had no idea why the woman came to mind so much, but it explained far too much of what had been going on with the villains. They must have been waiting for this!

“I’ve been preparing you to be my little puppet, my doll, Warden. You won’t be quite a nymphomaniac, but you’re going to be getting close to that point. I could’ve just gone for full brainwashing, but that wouldn’t have been nearly as satisfying for me. Instead I decided to make you incredibly suggestible once the conditioning is in place, at least once I properly key the spells. That’s what this is for,” the villain taunted, raising the circlet with a grin. “I’m going to put this on your little head and activate this circle, and that’ll be it for you. In hours, maybe as much as a day, you’re not going to be able to do anything to resist me. Oh, your mind will still be in that head of yours, but whenever I ask you to do something, you’re not going to be able to do anything but obey.”

“No, no! You can’t do this! Let me go, you bastard!” Gina’s panic was in full bloom now, and she threw every bit of strength she had into her struggles. While the frame and cables creaked, they didn’t give way in the slightest, and she felt tears prickling the edge of her eyes as she screamed at the top of her lungs. “Help! Someone, help me! Anyone, please!”

The villain chuckled, pulling out a blue crystal which glowed with a soft light, a type of gem that Gina recognized. It was a spellstone, crystalized magic that any spellcaster could create with enough time, which was often used in powerful ritual spells. The one he held was the size of the first joint of her thumb, which meant he must have spent weeks making it.

“No one’s going to hear you, Warden. I made sure of that before bringing you here. Ironic, isn’t it? You’ve spent so much time trying to save other people, but now? When the chips are down, you’re on your own,” Blue Impulse taunted, slotting the gem into the circlet carefully, continuing to speak as he sent spikes of despair through her. “None of your friends are here, or are coming. No heroes, just you and me. By the time anyone even realizes that you’re missing, it’s going to be too late.”

“Please, stop this!” Gina cried out, tears trickling down her cheeks.

Blue Impulse ignored her pleas, instead extending the circlet to put it around her head. Gina began to twist and move her head frantically, making it difficult for the villain to manage, but despite her efforts, Impulse eventually managed to pin her in place long enough to force the circlet down over her head, with the gemstone over her forehead. The metal band grew warm for a moment, then contracted to fit perfectly, pinning itself in place as Gina shook her head frantically. She felt magic flow outward from the gemstone and into her head, causing a fuzzy feeling to envelop her thoughts.

Gina’s body began to tingle as the curse reshaped itself, and she saw Blue Impulse step back outside the circle. He knelt down next to the circle and smiled, touching it. An azure glow began to flow through the circle, illuminating the pentacle around the frame first, then each symbol carved into the concrete in turn. The pillars were next, and she saw every detail of the wood’s grain as they lit up from within, the symbols blazing brightly in the dim light of the warehouse.

Magic from the formation around her took form in brilliant threads, reaching out toward her. Tiny threads of light slid into her body, and Gina couldn’t help but flinch as she realized what had happened inside her. Her magic was now the outline of a magical formation, and with every passing moment she could feel the pulsing power of the ritual starting to fill in the details, to prepare the spell that the villain had described.

“P-please… stop this…” With a whimper, Gina gasped and begged, her voice unsteady and her thoughts sluggish.

“Why should I do that, Warden? Today I can get something I’ve dreamed of for years. I can get a gorgeous woman into my bed, and despite what she may think she’ll do anything I ask. You’re going to be a perfect servant for me,” Blue Impulse gloated, grinning as he sat back, feeding his magic into the circle continuously. “It’s just going to take some time.”

“No wonder… no one likes you,” Gina hissed, trying to think and resist the magic flowing into her. “You’re an insecure, cowardly bastard. This is probably the only way you’d ever get a girl.”

“You little bitch! You’re going to pay for that comment, when we’re done. I’m going to figure out exactly how I can hurt you most.” Impulse’s smile faded and he glared at her, shaking his head angrily. “I should’ve gagged you first. No matter, as soon as the spell gets started, you aren’t going to be in any state to insult me.”

Taking a breath to retort, Gina was about to speak when a sudden, deep pain seemed to stab into her chest, and she cried out instead. At her scream, the villain laughed again, shaking his head as he spoke. “Ah, right, I forgot about that. The physical changes are supposed to be painful, aren’t they? Well, I’m glad I didn’t warn you.”

Gina couldn’t reply, not as the pain seared through her veins. The magic was growing stronger as she fought to retain her consciousness, but it was too difficult. With her magic forming the spell, it was far too easy for the enchantment to infiltrate her mind, and the first spikes of the spell began to form inside her thoughts, sluggish as they were. Sensing them, Gina stubbornly dug in her heels, growling as she braced herself to resist to the very end.

The longer she could hold out, the more likely it was that someone would notice that she was missing, and that they’d come to her rescue. No matter how unlikely it might be, she didn’t dare lose hope. Losing hope would be the worst thing possible to happen at this stage, and she didn’t want that.

Also fueling her resistance was a deep sense of shame, though. Gina hated that she’d blamed Lilith for what had been happening with her, and desperately wanted to apologize. If she could get out of this, the first thing she would do would be to apologize to the other woman. Lilith’s memory was one of the few things that stood strong in the haze, as Gina dug in her heels to fight.

Even so, she could feel herself slowly losing ground as the minutes dragged by, slowly turning to hours.

* * *

Blue Impulse couldn’t help a laugh as he saw Warden occasionally convulse under the assault of the magic attacking her mind and body. The ritual was taking much longer than he’d hoped, but it was obviously progressing well enough. The pillars were sending constant streamers of magic into her as time crawled onward. It was obvious that she didn’t know what was happening anymore, and he murmured softly. “Come on, get this over with already. I want to have fun with you, Warden.”

It’d been hours so far, and was nearly midnight. He wasn’t certain how far the changes had gotten with her mind, though the pentacle was blazing behind the spellgem in the circlet, and the physical changes were much more obvious. The coloration of the heroine’s skin changed slightly, as the spell stained the pink undertone of her skin a bright, almost azure blue. If she somehow escaped, he wanted Warden to have a constant reminder of what had happened to her, though he supposed she might find a way to reverse it eventually. In the meantime it’d be a constant reminder that she belonged to him, especially with her lips the same color. There were some minor adjustments to her figure as well, but he hadn’t been able to do anything too drastic, not through Ebon Dragon at least. Maybe later he could.

This was risky, Impulse knew. Ebon Dragon had warned him repeatedly that the way he was planning to link to Warden was incredibly dangerous, should someone manage to break the link early on. He’d imbued an enormous amount of his power into the circlet and ritual, and the nature of things meant that his power would take some time before fully stabilizing the conditioning in the heroine. Still, he had no intention of losing her, and once she was a proper servant, no one would be able to touch him, not with his teleportation and her shields.

Still, as hour after hour passed, he began to grow concerned, then frustrated as the ritual continued on, and on, and on. He’d expected the ritual to be finished by a few hours after midnight, though Ebon Dragon had warned him that if she was particularly stubborn it might take as much as a day. While he knew that the woman was stubborn, it was wearing on him, and Blue Impulse found himself getting tired as it rolled past four in the morning.

The villain’s anger began to build around noon, and he started thinking of all the horrible things he could do to her, to punish her for her resistance. But finally, just as his eyes were beginning to feel horribly gritty and he was having trouble keeping them open, the pillars flared with light one last time, and magic flooded into Warden before they went dark, as did the circle around the heroine as the pentacle on her forehead vanished. It left Warden hanging in the frame, looking dazed.

“Finally! You’re too stubborn for your own damned good!” the villain snarled, climbing to his feet and approaching Warden.

He couldn’t control her just yet. There was one more thing to do. At his touch, the circlet came free of her head, and Blue Impulse raised it, licking his lips as she looked up at him, her eyes starting to come back into focus. With a grin, he slipped it over his head and felt the band tighten around his skull. The magic almost clicked into place with his own, forging a connection between him and Warden.

“There we go, you’re finally done, aren’t you?” Blue Impulse snarled, grinning. “Now, Warden… tell me you think I’m the most powerful villain in the world.”

Warden twitched at his words, blinking as her eyes suddenly dilated, and then she spoke, her throat obviously dry. “You… must be the most powerful villain in the entire world, to do this, Blue Impulse.”

“Good girl,” Blue Impulse replied, smiling as he continued. “You will only refer to me as Master, and you will not attempt to harm me under any circumstances, or escape. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, Master,” Warden replied obediently, lowering her head slightly.

With the proof that his goal had been achieved, Blue Impulse laughed and started undoing the heroine’s restraints, his voice brightening as he spoke. “Excellent. Let’s get you out of these so I can have a better look at you, and once I’m cleaned up you can tell me how to hurt you most.”

Warden didn’t reply, simply standing there obediently.

Chapter 21

Wednesday, December 18th, 2030

Warehouse, Hayward

Gina hated herself for failing to stop the magic that had overruled her mind, even though she knew she’d held out for far longer than she’d had any right to manage. Even worse in its own way was that she was almost trapped in her own mind. How the commands worked was absolutely sadistic, which wasn’t surprising when she considered Blue Impulse’s personality.

It was almost like her personality was split, in some ways. Whenever Blue Impulse gave an order, Gina found herself sidelined and forced to watch as another… self, for lack of a better term, joyfully leapt to obey. It was sickening how easy it was for him to do it, and just as he’d planned, it left her horrified and sick to her stomach.

For the better part of an hour the villain had been interrogating Gina about her life and powers, then expanding the discussion to her friends and fellow heroes. He’d taken notes on the security measures Ocean Shield had in place, and her stomach felt like it’d turned into a black hole as she saw the smile he gave on finishing. He obviously planned to sell the information, and she wished that she could’ve warned the others of what was coming.

Almost as bad as what he’d done to her mind was how he’d finally forced her to strip naked and parade about the warehouse for him, and what he’d done to her body. Her skin had a distinct bluish tint to it now, and any part of her body that had been pink or red was now bright blue. In the end she was cold and uncomfortable, and the only food she’d had in a day was the cup of instant ramen he’d grabbed for her, and which she was dutifully eating at his command. There was nothing she’d love more than to see him drop dead that very moment, but she doubted that would happen and her mood was steadily worsening.

“So, you say you love this Lilith?” Blue Impulse asked, eating his food and smiling broadly. How smug he looked made Gina want to throw up.

“I don’t know, not really. I think so, considering how devastated I was at cutting off contact,” Gina replied, her struggle not to speak proving fruitless, but she tried anyway.

“Heh. That’s interesting… so, just how pretty is she?” the villain asked, his smile growing wider as he looked at Gina. “You said that her only power is her ability to draw attention to herself? No other powers?”

“In my opinion, she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen or met. When she smiles, it lights up the room and everyone stops to stare,” Gina explained, mentally cringing as she suspected what was coming. She hated that she couldn’t stop herself as she continued. “We don’t know about any other powers, but weren’t certain yet. I’m pretty sure she was being honest when she told us she didn’t have any other powers.”

“Very good… do you think you could convince her to meet with you?” Impulse asked, tossing his cup into the trash casually. The smile on his face made her skin practically crawl, and Gina wished she could just die, rather than betray her friends. Especially Lilith, who she’d distrusted without reason.

“I’m almost certain she would. Lilith didn’t even want to stop meeting up, it was entirely my decision and Rachel’s,” Gina told him, her hope sinking at his widening grin.

“Good enough for me. I’ll call my boys, and then you can give Lilith a call. You’ll set up the perfect meeting for me, and then I can fuck her in front of you, before taking you, Warden,” Blue Impulse said, and laughed as she flinched, pulling her into a kiss, chiding, “None of that, my dear. You should be happy I’m going to do this.”

“Of course, Master,” Gina replied, her lips involuntarily curving into a happy smile.

Internally, Gina began to pray that Lilith had lost patience with her. She hoped that the beautiful woman would want nothing to do with Gina, after the suspicion she’d been under.

* * *

Wednesday, December 18th, 2030

Lilith’s Home, San Francisco

Lilith looked at her phone in suspicion as it rang, not entirely trusting it. If you didn’t count government agencies, SuperNet, the phone companies, or building management, there were only four people who had her phone number, which meant that this was either a cold call for some useless product or scam, or that it was likely her CEO, Calvin Warren. She wasn’t in the mood to talk to Calvin, but she paused in surprise when she picked up the phone, seeing Gina’s name on the caller ID. That was a surprise, and Lilith found her emotions flip-flopping.

Hope and elation warred with dread, and for an instant Lilith found herself debating whether or not to answer the call. She blinked as she realized that in the moment she was debating, she’d already swiped her finger across the button to answer, and she put it to her ear, warmth filling her voice as she spoke. “Hello, this is Lilith!”

“Hi, Lilith! It’s Gina, and I wanted to talk,” the other woman replied cheerfully, setting off warning bells in Lilith’s mind. “How’re you doing?”

Based on what Lilith knew of Gina’s personality, and the strain with which their last phone call had ended, there was no way Gina would be so happy the moment Lilith answered the phone. Gina was the type to be hesitant and apologetic, not to simply pretend that all of their difficulties didn’t exist. Something was up, and Lilith couldn’t help but wonder what it was. Still, she could play along and try to figure it out.

“I’m doing pretty well, considering everything that’s been happening. How’re you?” Lilith asked, listening closely. There was an odd echo in the background, and a soft, unfamiliar male voice was just barely audible.

“Oh, I’m doing great! Anyway, I was in town and wondered if you wanted to meet me for an early dinner? I’ve been thinking things over, and I don’t think the power test is necessary. I just want to start meeting with you again.” Gina spoke brightly, but there was something about her tone that made Lilith feel there was something wrong. Based on her suspicion, she decided to test Gina.

“I’d love to meet you, Gina! That’s an incredible relief,” Lilith replied with enthusiasm, careful not to let her suspicion show in her voice. “Is Rachel going to be meeting us too?”

The hesitation from the other end was notable, and the same voice was in the background again. Gina’s voice seemed mostly natural as she replied in a hesitant voice. “No, no… she had to work today and we haven’t discussed this yet. Still, I really want to meet you, and I’m in Hayward. Mind meeting me at that buffet we liked?”

“Sure, I’ll head for the subway as soon as I’m ready. I’ll see you in about an hour, I think?” Lilith told the other woman, heading for her bedroom.

She wasn’t certain what had happened, but something was obviously wrong with Gina. There was no way she’d meet Lilith again without Rachel, not with no warning like this, so Lilith wanted clothing she could move more easily in. She was probably walking into a trap, and she didn’t want to be too constrained by her clothing. Lilith didn’t know why Gina was going along with the potential ambush, but if she were fully willing, she wouldn’t have left such an obvious gap in her story.

“That sounds wonderful! I’ll see you then, Lilith,” Gina replied, hanging up quickly enough that Lilith didn’t have time to respond.

“Damn it, what’s going on?” Lilith swore, shaking her head in frustration. She debated for a moment, then dialed Rachel’s number from memory. The phone rang for a minute, and she hissed as it went to voicemail. After the beep, Lilith spoke quickly. “Rachel, this is Lilith. I just got a call from Gina, asking me to meet her in Hayward, and I’m pretty sure she’s acting under duress. I’m going out to meet her, since I’m afraid she’s in trouble. Call me as soon as you can.”

Ending the call, Lilith changed quickly and grabbed her purse as she headed for the door. Her boredom and melancholy were forgotten, and she could feel some new emotion growing inside her, one she couldn’t place.

* * *

Gina was shaking inside as she hung up, looking at Blue Impulse and smiling at him as she spoke, her voice calm and happy. “She’s on her way, Master. She said she’d be about an hour, and that she was taking the subway.”

“Excellent job, Warden. I’ll have to reward you for that later, but in the meantime I need to get a hold of my men again. We don’t want them out of position, now do we?” Blue Impulse replied, grinning as he gave her a quick kiss. “Take the battery out of your phone again, then clean up so that you look as good as possible for her. No leaving the warehouse, though. I don’t want anyone realizing what’s happened to you. Not yet.”

“Yes, Master,” Gina replied softly, bowing her head. She waited until he’d left to let herself start crying, and her voice was soft as she spoke again in anguish. “I’m so sorry, Lilith… I wish I’d trusted you. If I had… maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”

Chapter 22

Wednesday, December 18th, 2030

Hayward

When Lilith got off the train in Hayward, she checked her phone in concern, chewing her lip. Rachel still hadn’t called her back, and Lilith debated calling her again, but abandoned the idea. She definitely didn’t want to call the team’s hotline now, so she simply shook her head, hoping this wasn’t a trap by Ocean Shield, though she couldn’t imagine why they’d go through all this trouble. They knew where she lived, after all.

The trip along the sidewalk was fairly quiet, though Lilith was still getting quite a bit of attention from the people who were out. The two men following her after a full five minutes caught her attention, though, and Lilith suppressed a frown. There were dozens of people watching her, though, some of them even less savory than the two big men, who looked like they were probably gang members. Eventually she decided just to pretend that she hadn’t seen the two, continuing toward the restaurant.

Lilith left behind most of the other pedestrians after another few minutes, giving the men the best chance they’d have to ambush her, since she was getting close to the buffet where she was supposed to be meeting Gina. Spotting an alley ahead, Lilith pulled out her phone, and pretended to be about to call someone.

The man who lunged out of the alley to grab her wasn’t a surprise, as Lilith had been all but inviting the attack at that point, and as she was pulled into the alley she could see a white panel van behind him. The surprise was the second man with the stun gun, who was just fast enough to shove the tip into her side as he pulled the trigger.

As the electricity blasted through her body, it made Lilith feel strange. For an instant she felt a tingle throughout her body, almost like when a limb fell asleep, and then her body shrugged off the charge without any lasting effect. Lilith made a mental note to thank Amber for that particular modification to her body if she ever met her creator. The other two men were closing on her, and with the first man’s hands around her shoulders Lilith decided she’d had quite enough of this.

She started by bringing her leg up between the legs of the man with the stun gun with all the force she could muster, ignoring the cracking sensation that accompanied it. The man’s eyes rolled back in his head, and she turned her attention to the others.

* * *

Daren rushed up toward the alley alongside Henry, expecting Mike and Lorren to have already disabled the hot brunette that they’d been hired to pick up. The two of them had been following the woman since she’d left the subway station, and there’d been no sign of her spotting them as she wandered along the street. A part of him felt slightly annoyed that they were going to hand the woman over to someone else, but that was how it’d have to be. Daren wasn’t suicidal.

Turning the corner, Daren froze in shock as he saw Lorren on the ground, the stun gun inches from his hand. The woman who Daren had thought was blissfully unaware had just hit Mike with a blow to the chin that lifted the man a good three inches into the air with the sound of cracking bone.

Before Daren could decide what to do, Henry lunged forward, a knife coming out as he growled furiously. “You damned—”

The woman vanished in a blur, and Daren found himself unable to even follow what happened. An instant later Henry’s legs flew to the left while his upper body went flying to the right, and the sickening sound of his head hitting the alley wall echoed between the walls. The woman turned her gaze to Daren, and he froze in place, unable to convince himself to run. Her brilliant emerald eyes were practically glowing with anger, and Daren swallowed hard. Those were the eyes of a predator, not some helpless woman.

“Well, this is unpleasant. Were you hired to kidnap me?” the woman asked, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe off her hands, staring at him the entire time. Daren swallowed hard, only considering lying to her for an instant, then discarding it. He had to wonder if this was how some of the people he’d mugged had felt when he was threatening them, but doubted it.

“Y-yes,” Daren replied, and her smile nearly made him piss himself.

“Good. This is your vehicle, I assume?” the woman asked, gesturing at the van. When he nodded, her smile widened even more and panic shot through him as she continued. “Put your friends in the van, then take me to wherever you were supposed to take me.”

“B-but…” Daren began to protest, and shivered as she glared at him again, not daring to stop either. “But he’ll kill me if I do that!”

“He might, whoever ‘he’ is. On the other hand, he isn’t here. If you’d prefer it, I can start breaking bones until I get the location out of you and go there myself,” the woman replied in a blizzard-cold voice. “Choose which you’d prefer, now. My patience has just about run out.”

Looking the woman in the eyes, Daren swallowed hard and nodded wordlessly, leaning down to pick up Henry and carry him toward the van.

“A wise choice,” the woman spoke behind him, her voice sending chills down his spine, and Daren couldn’t help but wonder how he could still find her attractive.

Daren kept going, but replied in an unsteady voice. “Y-yes ma’am.”

Chapter 23

Wednesday, December 18th, 2030

Warehouse, Hayward

Stepping out of the van, Lilith looked over the warehouse. She wasn’t worried that the man inside the van would be going anywhere without her permission, partially because she’d taken the keys with her. He was also far too afraid of her to dare leave, she knew, and that was satisfying, considering how she felt. Lilith’s eyes narrowed as she looked over the unassuming building carefully, the strange heat in her veins growing still hotter. It had taken a fair amount of effort for her to keep from hitting the thugs with her full strength earlier, and a part of her had wanted nothing more than to beat them all to within an inch of their lives. Especially after what she’d dragged out of Daren.

Daren hadn’t been happy, but he’d told her about a job from the previous day. He’d been hired along with the others to kidnap a woman who perfectly matched Gina’s description. They’d managed it easily, and after removing most of her things, they’d hidden her car in a busy parking lot while part of their group had brought the woman here for their employer. He’d hesitated before admitting that the man who’d hired them was Blue Impulse, and Lilith’s mood had grown still worse at the news.

It didn’t take a genius for her to put things together. Somehow Blue Impulse had coerced Gina into luring Lilith out, but how he’d managed it was another question. Even so, it didn’t really matter. For the moment, Lilith intended to beat the villain into a pulp if he’d done anything to her friend.

Approaching the door, Lilith knocked in the particular pattern that Daren had demonstrated, then began to wait. She felt a thin smile flicker across her face as she did so, though she didn’t feel happy at all.

* * *

Gina was silently thanking any gods watching over her for small favors. Blue Impulse had been too set on hurting Lilith first to do anything too nasty yet, though his threats were bad enough for the time being. He’d brought her a bucket of warm, soapy water and a sponge and had watched her clean herself up, then he’d chained her hands to the top of one of the pillars, and gone to a mattress in the corner to take a nap. Gina hated him, and hated that Lilith was actually walking into the trap he’d set. She’d hoped that Lilith would sense that something was wrong, especially with the comment about Rachel, but it seemed that she hadn’t noticed.

Another possibility, one which she didn’t dare hope would occur, was that Lilith had contacted the team and arranged a potential rescue instead. She had no way of knowing what had happened since then, though, and she was privately happy that Blue Impulse’s instructions for her had been so badly worded. He hadn’t made her make everything believable, yet, which was a relief. It probably was only temporary, due to how incredibly tired he’d been, but she could hope that it’d persist.

One of her biggest worries was the magical connection that she could feel linking her to the villain. It wasn’t terribly strong, but she could feel it slowly growing more stable, as Blue Impulse’s magic flowed through her. It was disturbing, but she felt that it might, might be able to be broken.

The sudden knock at the door made Gina flinch. The pattern to it was odd, but firm, and she’d desperately hoped it wouldn’t come. If it were her friends, they wouldn’t have knocked, she knew, so she closed her eyes in despair as Blue Impulse laughed. “Hah! Here we go, then. Give our new guest a nice, wide smile, Warden, and make her feel welcome. I want you to watch every moment without interfering with my fun.”

Gina’s eyes opened obediently, and she mentally spat at him as she answered. “Yes, Master.”

She watched the villain approach the door, her mood sinking as she realized he’d made certain that his suit was immaculate. That someone so horrible would go to such pains irritated her to no end, and she hoped someone would kill him soon. Still, that didn’t seem likely to happen.

Arrogant as always, Blue Impulse started speaking before he even had the door entirely open. “So, where’s my new pri—”

Blue Impulse suddenly staggered backward in response to the punch to his solar plexus, gasping breathlessly as Gina looked on in shock. Lilith stepped into the room calmly, but her eyes were blazing brightly as she glanced around the room. The woman was wearing a simple gray sweater and blue jeans that were easy to move in, and as her eyes met Gina’s own, her anger seemed to grow stronger. Gina, on the other hand, wanted to hide in shame.

“A prize, am I? Well, I suppose you deserve a reward. I have it on good authority that spellcasters need two things to use magic.” Lilith’s voice seemed to contain almost unbridled anger for the first time since Gina had met her. The woman’s leg snapped out into Blue Impulse’s stomach far more quickly than any mundane human could manage, and Lilith continued, her voice savage as she followed the staggering villain. “You need sight, and concentration. I personally don’t believe that you deserve either.”

When Lilith began to move, Gina almost went numb with shock, unable to look away. Not that she wanted to, as Lilith betrayed a speed that she should never have possessed. Lilith might have been slower than Black Comet by an enormous margin, but she was far faster than most superhumans, including Gina or Rachel. Blooming Orchid was one of the faster members of Ocean Shield, with an all-around boost to her body that allowed extreme speed and strength, and she was the closest one to the abilities Lilith was showing. Orchid would have a distinct edge over Lilith in the end, but it was far narrower than it should have been.

Blue Impulse, on the other hand, was about as fast as Gina was, and despite every effort he was making to fall back and use his magic, he couldn’t evade Lilith. She was raining blows down onto Gina’s captor, and for the first time in hours, Gina felt hopeful as she began praying that Lilith would win.

* * *

Something blazing hot was surging through Lilith’s veins, and the desire to hurt someone was so intense that it was almost impossible for Lilith to hold herself back. Fortunately, she didn’t have to, since Blue Impulse was right there. While his original, mocking words had been obnoxious, she hadn’t felt the boiling sensation then, not fully. She’d been planning to hurt him and find out what he’d done to Gina, so she’d held back with her initial punch and stepped into the room. That was when she’d seen Gina, and everything had changed.

Their eyes had met only for a moment, and despite the forced smile on Gina’s face, the despair in her eyes had been evident. Her friend’s skin had changed colors subtly in most places and more visibly in others, taking on a strange blue hue. Gina was also completely naked, with her hands chained above her head to a rune-covered wooden pillar. Lilith didn’t know what the circle etched into the floor was for, but with the metal frame, almost a cage, and an immaterial blue rope of energy extending from Gina’s forehead to the circlet around Blue Impulse’s head, she knew he was controlling her, and had done something horrible to Gina.

At that moment, something new bubbled up in Lilith’s mind, boiling through her in a fiery torrent. She’d never felt anger before. She’d never had more than annoyances, irritations… but now pure, undiluted rage at Blue Impulse flooded through Lilith.

With the anger fueling her, Lilith began to hurt Blue Impulse, but even in the midst of that raging fire, she never allowed herself to lose her focus and sense of reason. He was so incredibly slow when compared to her, so fragile and weak compared to most heroes. If she wasn’t careful, he’d die under her assault, and if he died… well, he’d stop hurting. She wasn’t going to give the bastard that relief, not that easily.

“Warden, hel—” Blue Impulse began to call out, but Lilith didn’t allow him to finish. A punch in the larynx was a simple but effective expedient, even if she almost used too much force. That would have been unfortunate, but his throat survived, so she broke one of his ribs.

“You hurt my friend,” Lilith hissed, her rage bubbling higher as she snapped an arm and prompted a scream from the villain. Dodging an awkward punch, she hit him in the stomach again, her voice deadly. “You made her lie to me, and did something horrible to her.”

Lilith snapped one of the villain’s legs like a twig, dropping him to the floor. As he moaned in agony, she stood over him for a moment, debating. Then she smiled. “I think you deserve this.”

She brought her foot down with all the strength she could muster between the villain’s legs. She tried to ignore the resulting sensations, made easier as he let out a scream of agony that hurt her ears.

“Shut up,” Lilith snapped, kicking him again, this time in the jaw. She used more force than she’d intended, and suspected that she’d broken his jaw, but it did the job of knocking Blue Impulse unconscious. She paused to be certain, then turned to look at Gina.

Approaching her friend, she studied the other woman in concern. Lilith’s hands and feet were throbbing from where she’d hit Blue Impulse, but she thought the discomfort was well worth it. Especially with how Gina had looked when she’d first entered the room.

Gina’s eyes didn’t betray so much despair anymore. Instead they seemed like they were filled with what Lilith thought was shock and hope. Even so, Gina hadn’t moved, which concerned Lilith, her own voice a little unsteady. “Gina? Are you okay?”

“Am… am I okay?” Gina’s voice started out strained, and she started to break down, swallowing hard as she shook her head, shivering as tears began to trickle down her face. “I was kidnapped, then I was magically enslaved by a bastard who planned to rape me. He was going to rape you in front of me! He made me tell him everything about the others, too, and was going to sell off the information to other villains! How… how could I be okay after that?”

“Shh… it’ll be alright, Gina.” Alarm flickered through Lilith as she saw Gina break down. She quickly stepped forward and reached up to unhook the chains holding Gina’s arms above her head, then pulled her friend into an embrace. Lilith’s voice was soft as she promised, “It’s over, Gina. He’s never going to hurt you again, I promise.”

Reaching up carefully, Lilith tentatively tried to grasp the glowing line connecting Gina to Blue Impulse’s crown. The line, the conduit, was almost real to her, and she felt that it was unstable but growing stronger. If she could break it, it might free Gina from the magical slavery that she’d been subjected to, but it was also possible that there would be other side effects as well.

“How can you promise that? He said it was too deep, and that soon it’d be irreversible. You can’t use magic… can you?” Gina asked, shivering in Lilith’s arms. The woman’s body temperature felt high to Lilith, which worried her. Lilith took the time to undo the clasps of the manacles holding Gina’s wrists together, but her friend wasn’t trying to get away from the pole, which was odd.

“No, I can’t use magic, Gina. That doesn’t mean I can’t help you, though,” Lilith answered, gently stroking her fingers through Gina’s beautiful golden hair, trying to ignore the other changes to her friend. The physical alterations were worrying, but all they did was make Gina look more exotic, not detract from her beauty. The mental impact to Gina was the worrying part, and Lilith had to suppress the urge to go over and finish off the man on the floor. Instead she asked softly, “Why aren’t you trying to get out of here, Gina?”

“Because he enslaved me, and ordered me not to interfere with his fun, or try to escape,” Gina replied, her tone bitter as she leaned against Lilith. “I’m glad, because otherwise I might’ve tried to help him against you. I… wouldn’t have liked that.”

“I see,” Lilith murmured, digesting the explanation unhappily, looking at the conduit again. As much as she wanted to destroy the connection, the risk of it weighed on her, and it wasn’t Lilith that would be taking the risk. Still, there was no harm in asking Gina if she wanted her to attempt it. Closing her eyes, Lilith sighed and asked. “Gina, I think I can see the connection between the two of you, though I’m not sure how it’s possible. I checked a moment ago, and I can almost touch it. I think I can break it, but there’s a risk to that. I don’t know what will happen if the connection breaks, or if it’ll do something to you. If you want me to, I’ll try, though.”

“I…” Gina paused, her voice quivering as she looked up into Lilith’s eyes. Tears continued to trickle down her cheeks, and she swallowed hard, blinking several times. Lilith felt her heart aching at the devastation in her beloved friend’s huge, hurt eyes. She’d completely understand if Gina wanted to wait for Rachel to respond and see if she could fix the problem. But at last Gina bit her lip, then asked, “Do it, please?”

“Are you certain? We could always wait for Rachel, to see if she could prevent any problems. You did have the investigation into my past going on, to make sure—” Lilith began, and Gina suddenly shook her head, reaching up and pulling Lilith into a sudden, unexpected kiss.

Gina’s azure lips met Lilith’s, and it was like a bolt of electricity ran through Lilith from head to toe, but far more pleasant than she would have expected. Lilith wasn’t able to react for a long moment, but Gina just pressed harder, and Lilith felt her reluctance give way. Wrapping her arms around Gina, Lilith kissed the heroine in return, as pure, intoxicating bliss washed over her. When Gina finally broke off the kiss, Lilith was in a daze, holding Gina as she blinked slowly and tried to process the new, overwhelming sensations.

“I don’t care. When he was interrogating me, he forced me to examine my feelings more deeply. I trust you, Lilith, and damn the consequences. I think I might love you, and that matters more than some investigation,” Gina told her, swallowing visibly as she continued. “Besides, I can feel the link getting stronger. If we wait too long, it might not be reversible. Please, try?”

“I… I just…” Lilith replied, blinking several times, then blushed and nodded slowly. Bowing her head, she spoke. “Your trust is flattering, Gina, and I appreciate it deeply. I just… I have secrets of my own, and I promise to tell you about them soon. It’s only right that you know.”

“T-thank you, Lilith. That means a lot to me,” Gina replied with a strange blue-hued blush. “Free me, please? If you can.”

Lilith found that she didn’t want to let go of Gina. After a few moments of arguing with herself, breathing in Gina’s soft scent, she reluctantly dragged herself away from her friend. Reaching out to touch the conduit, Lilith followed along it until she reached the villain. Looking down at the bleeding man, Lilith felt no pity at all for him, not after hearing what he had in mind for her and Gina. Either way, it didn’t matter in the end, and she debated on how to go about freeing Gina. After a moment she settled on trying to get the circlet off his head, and reached for it.

The metal was cool under her fingers, but Lilith frowned as she realized that it was so snug around his skull that it didn’t budge at her gentle pull. She tugged several times, but it didn’t move. After a few more seconds, she decided to try something else. Taking one of the villain’s hands, she brought the uninjured limb up to his head and used his fingers to prod at the circlet. At first there was no response, but after a few seconds the circlet seemed to soften and relax, and she slipped it free with a satisfied murmur. “There we go.”

Now that she had the circlet in her hands, Lilith paused, frowning. It was still linked to Gina, and she’d hoped that it’d break the moment she got it loose. Still, she had it in hand, and she looked around the room for something she could use to break the circlet. She was fairly sure she couldn’t manage it bare-handed, or she’d try that. In one of the corners she could see what looked like some tools, so she set the circlet down, explaining, “I’m going to see if there’s something I can use to break it in the corner, Gina.”

Jogging over to the cluttered corner of the warehouse, Lilith’s eyes lit up. There were a handful of gardening tools, but the one that drew her eye was the maul axe. It wasn’t what she normally thought of as a gardening tool, unlike shovels and rakes, but under the circumstances she was happy to see it. “Ah, there we go!”

She took the axe and a shovel before heading back over, smiling as she saw Gina look at the axe in obvious concern. “I don’t think I can break it bare-handed, so this is the best way. It’s relatively safe, I hope?”

“I… don’t know. I don’t know enough about the magic in it,” Gina replied hesitantly. “Still, I don’t see any other way to manage it… be careful, please?”

“Of course,” Lilith promised, picking up the circlet and stepping a few dozen paces away from Gina before setting it down. She didn’t look forward to any shrapnel, but it was what it was. Using the shovel to weigh the end without the stone down, Lilith stepped back and lined up the flat end of the axe with the gemstone, taking a deep breath. She didn’t hesitate any longer, not wanting to risk Gina’s safety, and she averted her eyes as she brought the axe around to crash down on the circlet.

The axe hit the circlet with a clang of metal and the cracking of shattering stone, and Lilith heard a sharp gasp from Gina’s direction, but she was a bit distracted by the flash of bright blue light in front of her. The conduit broke free of the stone like a writhing snake, whipping through the air wildly as it was sucked back toward Gina almost like a tape measure retracting. Where the stone had been was a cloud of brilliant blue mist, and even as Lilith tried to retreat, it swirled toward her and into her.

Heat blazed through Lilith’s body, and suddenly her nerves were overloaded with a sense of perfect clarity, affecting every sense she had. For a moment Lilith felt as though she could see every mote of dust in the warehouse, and that every sound was crystal clear, from Gina’s gasp to the echoing chime of her axe-stroke. She could almost identify every fiber that touched her skin, and something inside her… shifted. Something dormant stirred and began to wake. What it was, Lilith couldn’t have said, as the sense of clarity began to fade again.

Turning toward Gina, Lilith began to smile at her friend, feeling relief wash through her. But as she took a step, Lilith’s legs almost collapsed beneath her, and she felt like the world was swaying around her. Swallowing hard, Lilith fell to her knees, blinking rapidly as the world moved. The sensation went on for a long minute before beginning to fade again, leaving Lilith dazed, confused, and worried.

* * *

Gina couldn’t help the confusion that had been washing through her for the last several minutes. What she’d told Lilith had been pure truth, but that didn’t mean that it didn’t embarrass Gina. She’d surprised even herself when she’d suddenly kissed Lilith, and it was obvious that Lilith hadn’t been expecting it. In fact, the other woman’s embarrassment had been oddly adorable. In addition, Blue Impulse had essentially admitted to having been the source of her strange dreams, but there was no reason he’d have made her start falling for Lilith.

Lilith’s own admission that she’d been keeping secrets was unsurprising, at least after seeing how she’d beaten Gina’s captor unconscious. It was still gratifying that she was going to tell Gina everything, and that would likely help put Rachel’s worries to rest at last. That and the rescue, though the other heroes on the team were probably going to throw fits.

A part of Gina was surprised that Lilith hadn’t decided to finish off Blue Impulse, but she was honestly relieved. Even though she hated him more than she’d hated anyone in her life, it just wasn’t right to kill someone who was helpless. Besides, heroes didn’t kill unless they had absolutely no other choice, even if Lilith wasn’t a hero. If she was being honest, she thought that if her own team had been the ones to show up, there were even odds that Blue Impulse would’ve suffered an accident in the rescue, so it might actually turn out that Lilith was easier on her captor in the end. Not that he’d likely appreciate being made a eunuch.

She’d felt a little worry when Lilith had been trying to figure out how to remove the circlet, and more as she thought about how to break it, but in the end Lilith had managed. It felt so odd to watch her friend heft a maul axe, but in the end it was for the best. Then Lilith had brought the axe down on the circlet, causing the spellgem to detonate sharply.

As the stone exploded, Gina’s eyes went huge as the magical conduit suddenly became visible, and she could feel her body begin to suck the link in now that it didn’t have another end, like a cable that’d been pulled taut. She only had a moment to brace herself as a massive surge of magic flooded into her. It was almost too much, and heat flooded Gina as brilliant waves of energy roiled throughout her body, causing both pain and pleasure with every surge. The power was too much, too sudden, and Gina grappled with it, trying to figure out what to do.

A flash of brilliance gave her the solution, and Gina abruptly opened her mind to the flooding magic, well aware that it was a risk, but in the process she exposed the spell that had been woven over her mind to the surging waves of magic. The spell hadn’t fully penetrated Gina’s mind yet, so the magic hit it first, slamming into it as the curse turned into an impromptu shield for the heroine’s mind and body.

Strange sensations seared through Gina as the magic burned away piece after piece of the spell trying to enslave her. While any ability to command her had been removed with the destruction of the circlet, the spell had still been in place, but even as she watched, her mind burning under the waves of power, Gina saw the spell shatter and break. The curse was more resilient, but even it began to buckle under the pulsing magic, much of its strength washing away.

Slowly the tide of magic faded, and Gina blinked slowly, looking over and realizing that what had seemed like a small eternity hadn’t been even seconds, for Lilith was still surrounded by a cloud of blue magic that was slowly dissipating around her. Lilith turned, and the smile on her face sent a flood of happiness that she couldn’t describe through Gina. The happiness turned to worry and horror as Lilith took a step, and for the first time since Gina had met Lilith, the other woman stumbled, lurching as if drunk. Looking confused, Lilith collapsed to her knees, her breathing coming hard and fast.

“W-what… just happened…?” Lilith asked, her voice confused as she tried to stand, but failed.

It took Gina a few seconds to realize that she didn’t have the villain’s compulsion holding her in place, and she shook herself, rushing over to Lilith, even as she took stock of her own body. The physical changes hadn’t reverted, which frustrated her, but otherwise she felt surprisingly well. She quickly knelt next to Lilith on the cold floor, swallowing hard as she looked the other woman in the eyes.

“Lilith, are you alright? I mean, I saw the magic surround you,” Gina asked, her voice trembling in barely suppressed worry. “You did it for me, and I just… are you okay? I thought I’d be at risk, not you!”

Lilith breathed in deeply, then out, her hands on the pavement. After a few seconds she shook herself and looked at Gina, smiling at her and shaking her head. “I’m not entirely certain, if I’m being honest, Gina. I had an… interesting few moments there. For a second I felt like I could sense everything. I thought it went back to normal, but when I took a few steps, the ground wasn’t steady beneath me. I assume that we haven’t had an earthquake in, oh, the last thirty seconds?”

“No, we haven’t. Damn it, I half wish that I hadn’t asked you to break it, if that’s how it affected you,” Gina replied, wrapping her arms around Lilith. “Are you going to be okay?”

“I think so. I think I may have been dealing with sensory overload, and that was strange. Don’t be upset, though. I offered to do it, Gina,” Lilith assured her, patting Gina on the back slowly. “Mind, it isn’t an experience I’d care to repeat. I like being able to control my body a little too much. How can anyone take mind-altering drugs, if they have effects like that?”

“I don’t know, really. Maybe because sometimes they’re better than the diseases people suffer from? In the cases that they’re taken for medical reasons, at least,” Gina suggested, still worried about how slowly and unsteadily Lilith was moving. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“Hmm… I suppose. Maybe it was just that my senses are so heightened in comparison to most humans,” Lilith murmured, taking a deep breath and slowly standing up, then pausing. “I don’t think I want to be walking for a bit, though. Let’s go sit in those chairs for a minute. I’m still unsteady.”

“Of course,” Gina agreed, standing and putting one of Lilith’s arms around her shoulders, then helped her over to the pair of folding chairs that Blue Impulse had brought in for their meal. Letting Lilith sit first, she sat nearby in the other, taking a deep breath. “This is wonderful. I don’t suppose you called Rachel before coming, did you? We should contact her and the others.”

“I did call her, but she didn’t answer. I left a message, and have been waiting for a reply,” Lilith replied, shaking her head. “It’s been an interesting day, hasn’t it? I’m just glad I knew something was wrong when you called.”

That Lilith had known, and had called Rachel was like a breath of fresh air for Gina. Relief flooded her, and she smiled. She scooted her chair over to be next to the other woman, and as she thought about things, tears began to well up in her eyes as she spoke. “I’m glad you did, too. That was… was horribly close. If you hadn’t rescued me, I might’ve been his until the day I died, and that terrifies me. Hell, if he hadn’t wanted to hurt me even more, he probably would’ve… would’ve…”

“Shh… don’t worry about it, Gina. I did stop him. He no longer has a hold over you, does he?” Lilith murmured soothingly, wrapping an arm around Gina’s shoulders gently.

“No, he doesn’t. The spell was burnt away when you broke the circlet,” Gina agreed, hugging Lilith tightly and relaxing at her words, nodding. Her terror eased slightly and she swallowed again, looking at him and adding, “I’m honestly surprised you didn’t just… kill him.”

“I came awfully close to killing him for what he’d done to you, Gina, but I refrained. It…” Lilith paused, then shook her head. “Never mind that. But I will kill him before allowing him to touch so much as a hair on your head ever again.”

Gina shivered at the soft, deadly promise in Lilith’s voice, her urge to cry slowly easing, but didn’t let go of Lilith. She clung to her rescuer, and after a moment she realized that this must be how many people felt when a hero saved them from near-certain doom. She’d never really known what it was like, but she leaned in and asked softly, “Can I just… stay like this for a little while?”

“Of course you can. You can hold me for as long as you want… and not just because I’m a little unsteady,” Lilith replied in an amused tone, sitting back and holding Gina gently. Slowly Gina relaxed, calming down and letting herself believe, truly believe that she’d been rescued.

At that moment Lilith’s phone rang, breaking the silence harshly. Gina couldn’t help a yelp as she jumped at the sound, then blushed with embarrassment.

“Isn’t this typical? It’s Rachel, Gina,” Lilith murmured, slipping the phone out with her unoccupied hand. Flicking a finger across the surface, she raised it to her ear and spoke calmly. “Hello, Rachel.”

“Where are you, Lilith? I just got your message, and I checked on Gina. Her phone’s off, her tracker is at home, and no one has heard from her since yesterday!” Rachel’s voice was tiny but clearly audible, as close as Gina’s head was to the speaker. It was obvious her friend was panicking, and considering what had happened, Gina couldn’t blame her. “Damn it, I wish I hadn’t been out on patrol. Are you alright?”

“Slow down, Rachel, Gina’s safe. I have her here with me, and I think she’ll be alright, but things have gotten complicated,” Lilith replied calmly, glancing at Gina and giving her a small smile. “The short version? Blue Impulse kidnapped her, and it was really, really bad. It could’ve been worse, but even so…”

“Dear god! Where are you? We’ll be there as soon as we can!” Rachel’s voice grew even more worried. “Should I call an ambulance? Are you hurt?”

“I’d suggest bringing both the police and an ambulance. I was a little rough on the thugs who tried to kidnap me, and Blue Impulse will probably live. He’s definitely not going anywhere for a while. The address…” Lilith paused, then recited the address before continuing. “I’m fine, though. I’ve got some bruises from where I hit them, but that’s it.”

“I’ll be there as soon as possible, and let everyone know who needs to be contacted,” Rachel replied. Even so, her voice had some faint suspicion as she continued. “Still, if you took down Blue Impulse and a bunch of thugs, I have some questions that I need answers to.”

“Well, Rachel… I’m afraid you’re going to have to get in line,” Lilith replied dryly, then hung up without waiting for a reply. She shook her head and gave Gina another soft hug before asking, “Gina, I think it’s time to let go. You need clothing before Rachel gets here. I think she’s going to blow up badly enough as it is, let alone if you’re naked, looking like this.”

“And? She wasn’t the one who rescued me. She can blow up all she wants,” Gina grumbled, unwillingly relaxing her hold. “I was almost calmed down, then she brought all the stress back.”

“While I can’t say that I dislike having you hugging me, what happens when the police get here? I don’t want them to think that I was the mastermind behind all of this,” Lilith replied, and Gina let out a soft growl of annoyance.

“Alright… you’re right, after all. Still, I’m tired and I expect that the police are going to keep me up for ages,” Gina replied, letting go and slowly standing up. Now that she wasn’t under so much stress, she felt her weariness much more clearly. With a sigh, she headed for the office. “He had me put my clothing in there earlier.”

“I’m just glad that he didn’t have it destroyed out of spite,” Lilith replied, following Gina.

“You’re right. That isn’t a fun thought. Still… as you said, he’s not going anywhere any time soon,” Gina replied, glancing over to the villain sprawled on the ground before adding, a hint of satisfaction in her voice, “Except for the hospital, maybe.”

Chapter 24

Wednesday, December 18th, 2030

Police Station, Hayward

“Do you have any idea just how much damage you did to the men you hit in the alley?” Officer Brown asked, glowering at Lilith as she let out a frustrated sigh. Lilith could sympathize with the woman, as she was also frustrated. They’d been getting nowhere for the better part of an hour, but Lilith’s sympathy ended there.

“I kneed the first one between the legs, a good deal harder than I intended to. That was partially because of the shock of the stun gun he’d hit me with. The second one I freed myself from, and probably cracked his teeth when I hit him in the chin,” Lilith replied calmly, carefully categorizing how she’d hit the attackers mentally to get her explanation right. “The third had a knife and was moving quickly, so I had to hurry, and knocked his feet from under him. Unfortunately, that made his head hit the wall, but how was I to anticipate that? The last one surrendered, and remained unhurt. Based on what I do know, all of them should recover, except possibly the man whose head hit the wall.”

“The first man has internal bleeding, the second has a cracked jaw and a concussion, and the third man may never wake up! He might even die,” Brown replied tightly, glowering at Lilith. “Did you really have to do that much damage?”

Looking back at the officer, Lilith smiled thinly, but her tone was pointed as she asked, “So, are you saying that I should have let them kidnap me, officer? Because I heard from Gina what they had in mind for me, and I think they got off lightly.”

The officer gritted her teeth, then took a breath before moving on.

* * *

“Lilith destroyed the circlet that allowed Blue Impulse to control me because I asked her to! How many times do I have to explain that before you’ll accept it?” Gina demanded impatiently, slamming her hands onto the table in front of the detective. He cringed slightly at her frustration, trying to decide how to reply to her. The woman looked oddly exotic with her blue lips, and she was clothed in a simple outfit provided by one of her friends.

“Ma’am, please, I’m just trying to make sure we have all of the facts in order,” Inspector Fields replied, trying to keep his voice soothing and making placating gestures toward her chair. “Please sit down? As badly as both the villain and his hirelings were injured, we just—”

“The damned jackass was going to rape both of us!” Gina interrupted explosively, her eyes bloodshot. “No, I won’t sit down! I don’t care how badly hurt they were, they damned well deserved it!”

“Ma’am, please!” Fields pleaded, and privately wished that he was interviewing the other woman. While the woman had hospitalized three thugs and a noted supervillain, at least she’d seemed calm!

* * *

Rachel wasn’t in her guise as Morgan anymore, and Gina was standing next to her, drumming her fingers on the wall impatiently as they waited for the police to release Lilith for the evening. While Rachel was incredibly worried about her friend, Gina had refused to go home or to Ocean Shield’s HQ. Instead she insisted on going back to Lilith’s condo, which somewhat confused Rachel. While she’d argued with Gina, she hadn’t been too strident, and had capitulated when she realized that her friend wasn’t going to budge. In the end, she’d also been forced to argue with Crimson Bull and the others when they’d decided to argue the point, pointing out that Gina should be given the chance to do what she wanted, and the argument had just barely prevailed.

What she’d found when she arrived at the warehouse had shocked her, Rachel admitted to herself. She hadn’t known what to expect, but the shaking thug in the panel van had only been the beginning, even with his injured friends to warn her. She hadn’t been certain what to do with them, so Rachel had left them to the police and rushed into the warehouse instead. The scene inside had been horrific and ugly in turn, and for a few seconds it had almost shaken her faith in Gina’s judgement.

Blue Impulse’s injuries had been far worse than she’d thought at first sight, when she found him leaking blood on the ground, and realizing that Lilith had done so much damage worried her. That worry had been completely sidelined at the sight of the restraints and the massive spell carved into the floor, though. Lilith and Gina had been standing near the office, her friend looking almost defiant as she hugged Lilith, with the changes to her skin terribly obvious.

It was the spell and the pillars that haunted Rachel, though. It’d taken her several minutes to decipher the magic, and what she’d seen made her physically ill. The spell used the curse to corrupt Gina’s magic and wield it against her very body and mind. The pillars and circle had been absurdly complex, as were the traditions that they’d combined, and what they’d done would have been horrifying if Lilith hadn’t broken the circlet. Rachel doubted that Blue Impulse had realized it, but so long as the previous wearer was dead, whoever wore the circlet would have been able to control Gina, and the changes had made her virtually immortal. Assuming she had translated it right, at least.

The very thought of the ritual caused bile to rise in Rachel’s throat, and she couldn’t help but thank the heavens that Lilith had broken the circlet and destroyed the spell before it could become permanent. Still, there were enough questions about how Lilith had defeated Blue Impulse and his minions that she didn’t dare leave Gina alone with Lilith until they were answered.

“Finally!” Gina exclaimed, her voice causing Rachel to jump, looking up as she was jolted out of her thoughts.

She saw Lilith step out of the interview room, looking surprisingly calm after as long as she’d been inside. The way she didn’t seem to care prompted a slight frown from Rachel, but despite that, she felt her heartbeat quicken at the sight of the brunette. Lilith smiled at them, giving a nod as she took a few more steps to the counter to speak with an officer. The man quickly retrieved Lilith’s purse and handed it to her, at which point Lilith approached the two of them, giving them a gentle smile.

“So, are they finally done harassing you?” Gina asked, glancing at the interview room in obvious annoyance.

“Of course they aren’t. Considering the damage I dealt to the thugs and Blue Impulse, they have to investigate me fully and decide whether or not to bring me up on charges. I suspect that, given the circumstances, they’ll decline to press charges in the end, but that’ll take time,” Lilith explained calmly. “It’s the sort of thing that happens when they decide you’re an ‘unregistered superhuman.’”

“I already told them… never mind, I guess that makes sense. I’ve just been grouchy ever since the hospital exam, and I’m tired,” Gina groused, pulling her jacket tighter, then seeming to think better of it and instead giving Lilith a tight hug.

“Gina!” Rachel blurted, stunned at the sudden, public display of her friend’s affection.

From the brief look of surprise on Lilith’s face, Rachel couldn’t help but suspect that the woman hadn’t expected it any more than Rachel had. Still, Lilith smiled, hugging Gina gently. The warmth of that smile suddenly made Rachel feel bad about her suspicions.

“Gina, please let go? It’s about time for me to go home, and you need to get some rest. Speaking of which… why are you even here? I thought that after the hospital visit, Rachel was going to take you home,” Lilith asked, gently trying to pry Gina off, and failing until Gina reluctantly let go. Even so, Rachel’s friend refused to let go of one of Lilith’s hands.

“Fine, I’ll let go, but I don’t want to go home, Lilith. I…” Gina hesitated, swallowing hard before she continued, her voice softer than before. “I was too afraid to go home. He managed to somehow get those foci in place that could affect me even through my wards, where I felt safest. I don’t feel safe at home anymore, Lilith. I want to go with you, and stay at your house. I told you earlier…”

“Shh, Gina. Not in public, and certainly not until we’ve worked out what’s going on,” Lilith interrupted, blushing slightly. Glancing at Rachel, she asked, “If that’s the case, why not stay with Rachel, or your other friends? I certainly think that would make everyone far more comfortable than if the night after I rescued you, you stayed at my house.”

“It’s true, Gina,” Rachel quickly spoke, trying to head off Gina’s rebellious look. “After today, there are a lot of questions about Lilith, and a lot of people asking them. You know how concerned Spirit was about her.”

“I don’t care what Spirit thinks,” Gina replied bluntly, her tone stunning Rachel. “Rachel, Lilith saved me at no small risk to herself, when she had no idea what she was walking into. If she hadn’t, by the time you all figured out what the hell was going on it would’ve been too late for me. You know what he had planned, I know you do!”

“Gina…” Rachel began, but stopped as she saw the tears welling up in her friend’s eyes. She swallowed her response, glancing at the police to ensure they were far enough away, and continued far more simply. “I’m sorry, Gina. I suppose I’m being a bit too cautious.”

“I actually agree with you, Rachel, but I’ll concede the point. As you wish, Gina, you can come to my house for the night. I assume you wish to come as well, Rachel?” Lilith asked, rubbing her eyes and sighing.

“That’s right. I wanted to ask you a few questions in private,” Rachel replied, keeping her gaze level. “I think you can understand that, can’t you?”

“I can completely understand. Let’s get out of here, then. It’s been a much longer day than I expected, and I’m surprised Gina isn’t dead on her feet,” Lilith said tiredly. “So, unless you’re planning to play the chauffeur, I’ll take the subway and meet you there. I can promise some answers, at the least.”

“No, I’ll drive us there. Otherwise we’ll all be waiting forever for you to get there,” Rachel retorted, shaking her head.

“I rather doubt that. I’ve seen the traffic outside, you know,” Lilith murmured with a wry smile, but nodded. “Still, I’ll go with you anyway. It’s better than being out in public when I feel this worn out.”

“Fine, but let’s just go already,” Gina said impatiently, her eyes narrowed.

Rachel laughed softly and headed for the doors as she fished out her keys. As the other two followed her, Rachel couldn’t help but wonder what the remainder of the night would bring. She knew that things were going to change, but the only question was how. She hoped they’d change for the better.

Chapter 25

Wednesday, December 18th, 2030

Lilith’s Condo, San Francisco

“Alright, we’re here. Finally,” Lilith said, taking off her jacket and hanging it up wearily. Glancing at both of the others, she suggested, “Do you mind waiting a little while, Rachel, so Gina and I can take quick showers?”

As the other two stepped inside, Gina blushed and shook her head. “No need, at least for me. I got a shower at the hospital, and had plenty of time to clean up while they were interrogating you. While the memories might be a little more of a problem, I think I’ll be alright.”

“The drive wasn’t that bad,” Rachel replied mildly, looking Lilith in the eyes, then nodded. “Still, I can wait if you want to take a shower.”

“I promise to make it quick,” Lilith told her. “I’ve just been feeling a little off-kilter ever since I broke the circlet. Even if no one found anything wrong… well, never mind. I probably just need some sleep.”

They didn’t stop Lilith as she headed for her room, though Gina gave her a concerned look. Lilith was surprised at just how tired she was, even if it was almost midnight. She hadn’t felt so exhausted since she’d almost pushed herself too far during training. Still, Lilith had no plan to go to bed just yet. Behind her she could hear the two whispering, but Lilith resolutely ignored them, blocking out whatever they might be saying.

Stepping into her bedroom, Lilith closed the door behind her and let out a soft sigh. The room was spacious, but for some reason it seemed a little too small at the moment. Stripping, she tossed her clothing into the laundry, hoping that she could deal with the blood spatters, but it was a problem for later. She hadn’t had a chance to use the restroom at the station, and hadn’t dared to ask. Stepping into the shower in her attached bathroom, Lilith quickly washed herself off, debating just how she was going to handle the conversation with the other women. It wasn’t going to be easy.

When she stepped out of the shower and started toweling off, Lilith looked into the mirror and paused, realizing just how tired she looked. After a moment she continued to dry herself, murmuring softly, “I’m a hopeless fool, and it isn’t even Amber’s fault. I did all of this to myself, with only a tiny bit of help from a villain. I could’ve avoided this so easily… but I didn’t.”

As she finished drying off enough to get dressed, Lilith sighed and tossed the towel on top of the other laundry. She’d already decided she was going to tell the truth, the only problem was figuring out how she could tell them in a way that would reduce the odds of her being dissected or killed. She pulled out a pair of maroon satin pajamas and slipped them on, then grabbed the small holographic projector she kept on top of the dresser. She was delaying, and she’d done that too often. Taking a deep breath, she headed back to the living room.

Her two guests were sitting on the couch, and Lilith felt a slight pang of guilt as she noticed a faint tension between them, as if they’d been arguing. That wasn’t something she liked, but hopefully it’d be dealt with soon enough. Sitting opposite them, Lilith synchronized the phone to the projector and set the device on the table, a random thought striking her as she did so. Why did she call it a coffee table when she avoided coffee? The only time she’d had anything with caffeine in it, she’d been so hyper that she hadn’t been able to sit down, and it had given her a firm dislike of stimulants.

Rachel cleared her throat, and Lilith shook her head, speaking quickly. “Sorry, Rachel, my thoughts were wandering. Now, I know both of you had questions for me. How about each of you go ahead, and I’ll answer after that?”

“Umm…” Gina looked at Lilith, then at Rachel to see if she was going to speak. When Rachel gave her a nod, Gina took a breath and swallowed hard, looking Lilith in the eyes as she spoke nervously, wringing her hands. “Back in the warehouse you said you had secrets that you were too scared to share, but you’d share them once you had a chance. It seemed like you were planning to do that tonight, but I wasn’t entirely sure if you were still willing to tell both of us.”

“Yes, of course,” Lilith agreed, nodding as she adjusted the projector’s position on the table, her nerves making hard to sit still. “I was planning to address the subject after you two have your questions out in the open. I don’t want to go over things too much… and you might have questions I can answer in the process.”

“In that case, what powers do you actually have, Lilith? Before this you said that your only power was the captivation field, but that can’t be right. Based on the injuries you inflicted, your lack of injuries, and what Gina told us, there’s no way in the world that your physical strength is that of a normal human,” Rachel interjected immediately, leaning forward with her hands on her knees. “That… misinformation has us worried. Your powers are much broader than you indicated, and you also took down a supervillain who’s evaded capture on dozens of occasions. It makes not just me, but most of the team, extremely suspicious of your motives.”

“Rachel, what are you talking about?” Gina protested, turning to her friend in surprise. “Sure, she did beat Blue Impulse into a pulp, but she wasn’t involved in the kidnapping at all!”

“That isn’t the issue, Gina! She’s been misleading us, and that has to be investigated,” Rachel retorted, relaxing as she continued. “I have to say I’m just glad I was able to confirm there isn’t any influence on your mind anymore. If you were somehow under Lilith’s control, I don’t think anyone would be willing to trust you anywhere near her.”

“But—” Gina began protesting, only to have Lilith raise a hand to stop her, shaking her head.

“Gina, please stop. I can’t blame them for being suspicious, and I suppose it makes a sort of sense to be afraid I might have somehow… engineered the entire episode. It’s an unpleasant thought, but gambits like that aren’t unknown among villains. It does explain a lot of my interrogation, as you called it. As I’m under a fair amount of suspicion, I feel that I need to clear the air as best I can,” Lilith replied, sitting back and sighing, shaking her head as she pondered. “The question is, where do I begin?”

“I’d think that figuring out your powers would be fairly easy,” Rachel replied, frowning at Lilith. “Is there something odd about them or something?”

“Or something would be right. I suppose I should ask a question first. This is a question for both of you, actually,” Lilith told them, leaning forward in her chair. “What are superpowers? I mean, how do you define them? If an alien or other creature were to be born on Earth with five times the natural strength of a human due to their musculature, is that a superpower? What about implants, are they a power, or natural? This is important to help me figure out how to give an honest answer.”

“Uhh…” Gina blinked, seeming lost for a long moment as she thought. As tired as the woman was, Lilith really couldn’t blame her. Gina had been up for more than a day, after all, almost two.

“That’s an excellent question, and the subject of a great deal of debate among heroes,” Rachel replied, seeming to have some inkling of what Lilith was getting at. “On a personal level, I’d lean toward someone whose body isn’t boosted beyond their native abilities as being unpowered. Anything that boosts a person beyond that, whether due to a random power or an implant, is a superpower. Are you saying you were born with your enhanced strength, or were modified to have it?”

“Correct, Rachel. Not one or the other, but on both counts,” Lilith replied, nodding and sitting back again, taking a deep breath before she continued. “Depending on how you look at it, I may or may not be human. On a biological level I’m compatible with humans, and my genetic code is similar enough that we could interbreed, and is even based on human genetic code. The issue is that my genetic code was altered to a degree that I can’t even begin to describe, and that I don’t understand myself. As an example, my nervous system functions at near light speed, my metabolism is incredibly efficient, and there’s no sign of cellular degradation when my cells replicate. Beyond that, my bones are stronger, my muscles more powerful and efficient… I could go on, but I imagine you see the point now. I may be human, or I may not be. I don’t know. But I don’t see my strength, speed, or resilience as a power, because it isn’t. These are my natural capabilities, not some powers that could be stripped away.”

“You’re… are you serious? Are you the subject of a superhuman research project or something along those lines?” Rachel gasped, looking completely stunned as she sat back, and Gina stared at Lilith in shock as well. “I’ve never heard of something that extreme working before, though!”

“Like I said before, it’s something along those lines,” Lilith acknowledged quietly, tapping a button on her phone and activating the holographic projector. Above it appeared the bounty on her head that Lilith had saved so long ago, and she looked at them with a sad smile, admitting the deadliest secret she had. “See, you two could go turn me in right now and leave both the government and most superhero teams ecstatic. I am Amber’s, or Shadowmind’s, final creation. This is why I wanted to leave my secret for last, Rachel… because I was scared of how you’d react, but I wanted to tell you the truth.”

* * *

Shadowmind. The name, the single word, caused Rachel to stop breathing for a moment as it shook her like nothing else had. In an instant she thought back to when she and Gina had delved into the villain’s mind, and she shuddered at the memory. Shadowmind was brilliant, deadly, and amoral as no one else Rachel had ever faced as Morgan. It had been pure luck, along with the aid of not just hundreds of heroes but a host of nervous villains, that had allowed anyone to learn of her base under the Arctic Ocean.

Even with the information they’d had, dozens of teams had to comb the area to find the villain’s base, only to have Crimson Bull and Warden end up discovering it. When they’d returned with Shadowmind herself, the world had breathed a breath of relief, though the information that they’d pulled from the villain’s mind had been enough to leave the government shaking. If she’d been trying to actually destroy the country, Shadowmind could have devastated cities, states, or even more with the weapons and knowledge she possessed. The only reason she hadn’t was because Shadowmind wanted to rule the world, not destroy it.

And yet the lingering affection for Shadowmind’s self-created daughter had haunted Rachel for weeks. It seemed impossible how the villain had obsessed over her perfect creation, or at least perfect in her own eyes, and all her attention for months had been focused on the project. At first it might have been for a new body for herself, but the way the villain’s mind had warped the subject until she’d seen the body as her own daughter had been almost terrifying.

Gina and Rachel hadn’t gotten much more than those vague details from the villain, due to how she’d wiped as much of the information as possible from her own mind. Now, though, learning that Lilith was her creation… suddenly everything made sense. Despite the sense it made, fear surged through Rachel, terror at being near one of the villain’s creations without knowing.

“Go ahead and restrain me, Rachel. Your face betrays your… discomfort with my revelation.” Lilith spoke in a soft, almost gentle tone as she smiled sadly at them. It took Rachel a moment to realize that Gina looked like she’d been hit in the stomach hard. Rachel opened her mouth to speak, but Lilith shook her head, raising a finger. Lilith wasn’t wearing anything more than a soft set of satin pajamas and her feet were bare, but the woman felt dangerous despite that. Lilith’s voice was firm as she continued. “Don’t argue about it, Rachel. You know as well as I do that you won’t be comfortable until you’re certain that I can’t hurt either of you.”

“Fine, if you insist,” Rachel growled, a spark of anger igniting inside her, as her outrage began to build up. That Lilith had kept secret the fact that she was created by one of their team’s most deadly enemies was utterly infuriating. As Rachel remembered the way that Shadowmind had doted on her ‘daughter’, she hissed and made a sharp gesture, causing chains of violet-black energy to erupt from thin air and wrap around Lilith’s body from the neck down, anchoring her to the chair. After a moment Lilith grunted as the chains tightened, and Rachel’s eyes narrowed.

“Rachel, get a hold of yourself!” Gina’s voice interrupted sharply enough to make Rachel jump and look at her friend in surprise. Her friend’s eyes were fierce as she spoke, obviously worried. “She asked you to restrain her, and you’re hurting her. Once upon a time you told me not to let fear control me, but now it’s my turn. Don’t let it control you, Rachel! She hasn’t hurt either of us, and she could have.”

“I…” Rachel hesitated as she stopped to think, and her anger at Lilith’s… betrayal slowly eased. She didn’t entirely understand why she felt so betrayed, either. Still, she didn’t have time to think on the subject, instead sighing and easing the strength of the chains slightly. “You’re right. I let my emotions get the better of me, and I apologize for that. That said, why are you telling us this, Lilith?”

“It’s fine, Rachel. I wasn’t certain how you’d react in the end to begin with, but I hoped. I hoped you’d react well, I should say. I’m a fool, I suppose,” Lilith replied softly, barely able to shrug with the way she was chained down.

“Why do you say that?” Gina asked, blinking owlishly at Lilith. “You’ve been kind to me ever since we met. I’m not sure why you’d feel so… so bad about things.”

“Because…” Lilith began, but hesitated and lowered her head, swallowing hard before continuing. “Because I’m afraid. Do you know what Amber intended me for? Do you know what she intended me to be? I’m afraid the bounty didn’t give me enough details on what people know.”

“We—” Gina began to explain, but Rachel interrupted with a glance, and Gina paused, then shook her head. “Right, I’m too tired, I might mess up the explanation.”

“Yes, you are, and I want to hear what Lilith has to say. We did get some information out of Shadowmind, but it was… minimal,” Rachel told Lilith, deliberately leaving out a large portion of what they’d learned as she explained. “We know she was trying to create a new body, and then grew fascinated with the possibility of what her creation would be like as its own individual.”

“I see… I suppose that’s the truth, if only a tiny piece of it. At least, assuming that what she left in my memory and in the systems I could access is the truth itself,” Lilith murmured, sitting back and closing her eyes for a long minute, before beginning to speak quietly. “Five years ago, Amber managed to acquire a sample of Destiny’s previous body, and analyzed it. As she finished, she began to wonder if a clone of Destiny would have her powers or not. Then she realized that she might be able to transfer her mind to another body if the brain structure was similar enough, at least in theory. The problem was, she could only do so if the body didn’t have a ‘mind’ within it already. This meant creating a clone or biological construct, though she did consider whether or not a person in a coma might work. With those options, she decided to take things a step further. Rather than copy the body of a single heroine, she decided to create a new strain of humanity that started with herself. She was going to make herself perfect.

“So, Amber started her collection, starting with genetic samples that were on the black market. How many heroes or villains get injured and accidentally leave behind a bit of blood someone could gather? Purchasing those was easy for her,” Lilith continued in her soft, steady voice, her distant tone almost chilling in its own way, and as she spoke, Rachel’s horror grew. “Amber’s standard was that anyone in her database needed to be Class A or higher, whether they were heroes or villains. Every sample she found was analyzed and uploaded her database, to fit into the gene-map she was building. It gave her a chance to… modify the genome, to weed out every imperfection and flaw she saw in humanity. It was then that she started to wonder what it would be like to have a daughter, if I had my own mind. But at that point it was almost too late. She’d already started the process of my cloning.”

Lilith fell silent for a long moment, and Rachel opened her mouth just as the woman continued again. “The way I was created, I wouldn’t have a mind. I would have been a blank slate, without even the ability to breathe without assistance. So, Amber went to find young children, to figure out how their minds worked, at which point she decided that building a child’s mind for me wouldn’t work. I was going to grow too rapidly, and I wouldn’t have the years needed to slowly learn everything. So she decided to cheat, like always. She stole the knowledge she needed from academics, and created an identity with virtually no loose ends, one that wouldn’t garner too much attention. That’s when she started imprinting knowledge into my mind, just the basics necessary to survive, and the basic facts you might learn while growing up. But I… I had no past. I had no hopes, no dreams, no goals. She never even considered that aspect of life, that I might be lost in the world without the hopes and dreams a childhood gives you.

“A week after Amber was captured, I woke up to be greeted by Circe, a Class 7 AI, and not truly sentient at all. I was… a shell, as I had knowledge but no personality, no sense of self. I didn’t have anyone to guide me, so I looked at the dozens of training programs that Amber had set up for me, and chose the hardest one. She intended the ‘course’ to take the better part of a year, and allow me to learn all about society and the necessary skills for living on my own. Without anyone to tell me that it wasn’t possible, I pushed myself to my limits and finished in six months.” Lilith smiled bitterly and shook her head, refusing to look at Rachel or Gina. “Even so, it did nothing for me, save giving me confidence in my abilities. I still had no aspirations or dreams, and I find that those are… important. I came to San Francisco because I was bored and lonely, though I didn’t realize that part until much later. My introduction to society wasn’t a good one, though. The first man I met was trying to seduce me, and didn’t want to take no for an answer. All around me, people watched no matter where I went, and I felt like an object or prize to be fought over. I slowly grew more distant, and focused on other things. Since money seemed to be the goal that so many people had, I decided to try to make a fortune with some of the funds I’d been left. And I was disappointed because it was so… so easy.”

Lilith fell silent for a long minute, but just as Rachel opened her mouth to interrupt, Gina shook her head firmly, raising a finger to her lips. Rachel blinked at being cut off a second time and leaned close, hissing a question. “What?”

“Let her talk, Rachel. This isn’t simply explaining what Shadowmind was doing, not anymore,” Gina whispered, looking across the table, and it struck Rachel that Lilith almost looked weak and vulnerable in the chains. “She’s… telling us who she is. Not what she is, but who she’s become. Let her talk.”

Rachel considered for a second, then nodded and sat back. The explanation so far had been fascinating and horrifying by turns, and she saw no reason to actually stop Lilith, not yet.

“When everything comes too easily, what value does it have? Why should it inspire me to strive, to live my life? It didn’t give me any dreams, and the money was almost worthless to me. At first, I enjoyed the supposed challenge of things, but when I looked again I was already wealthy enough that I barely had to try anymore. Perhaps if I’d started from nothing it would’ve been different, but my mind was made for simple logic puzzles. It wasn’t worth it.” Lilith’s voice trembled, and she swallowed hard, finally raising her gaze to look up at them, a single tear slowly trickling down her face. “I was bored again, and this time in the middle of a city, yet just as alone as I had been in a bunker in the middle of Utah’s wilderness. That was when I saw Warden attacked, Rachel. Everything I told you then was true, except for one thing. I nearly didn’t help you, Gina, because I just didn’t… feel things, not the way I do now. Still, I felt that we had the faintest of connections, so I brought you downstairs and called for help.”

Turning her gaze to Rachel, Lilith smiled with a trace of amusement. “That’s when we first met, Rachel, and the stunned look on your face was priceless. While I didn’t fully appreciate it at the time, it’s grown on me since then. Still, I thought that would be the only time we ever met, and soon enough it was done. It was an hour of excitement, amusement, and emotion… and then I was bored again. I lost something important, and I tried to fix it. That’s why I decided to decorate my home, because some people find that to be enjoyable. Still, when I went to the art galleries, none of them were quite right. The paintings didn’t resonate with me, they didn’t prompt that hint of emotion I craved. Not until I met Gina, and there I felt…”

The brunette paused, and Rachel could see that she was struggling to find the right words. Eventually Rachel asked softly, “Did you feel better?”

“No, that’s not it. I felt like I was… special, I suppose. I felt like I was appreciated for who I was, and happy for the first time in my life. When I looked at her paintings, they prompted that same feeling as well, so I bought them and talked to her. Still, the feeling faded when I went home. That Saturday, I can’t say how happy I was to be coming back! I’d never been so eager before in my life, but there were other people there, and they kept interrupting and frustrating me. They pushed at me, trying to make me fit their expectations of who I was, and I just wanted to talk to Gina. So I ended up leaving, with the only happiness I possessed being the paintings themselves.” Lilith slowly shook her head, giving them a warm, lopsided smile. “You coming to my table was a shock, I must say. I’d started experimenting with cooking, but that paled beside your company, and again I felt that… connection to you. I still don’t know what it was, but it was warm and comfortable. I would’ve given everything I had at the time to have that night together, just… talking. Every time you two called and we met, I grew. I learned so much from you, because you taught me not the definitions of things, but the meaning of life. You taught me friendship, and why Amber was so broken and wrong, as well as how broken I was without hopes and dreams. Amber gave me life, but you taught me what life is. And I… I felt guilty.

“That’s why I invited you over for dinner that night. I was planning to tell you that I knew who you were, and I was going to tell you what I was. I hesitated, though, and before I could work up the courage, you left. That was when I learned how true it was that you never know what you have until it’s gone.” Lilith’s eyes closed again, and she shook her head slowly. “I would have done anything to fix it, if I could have, but when you two called I didn’t know what to say. I was willing to do anything you asked, though. When Gina called, I knew there was something wrong. I could hear someone talking in the background, and she wasn’t speaking normally, she was too happy. So I walked into the trap, because I couldn’t let you be in danger. When I saw you, the despair in your eyes…

“I don’t know what happened to me, Gina. I could have killed the villain in a single blow if I wanted to, but I didn’t want him to die that easily. The pain and despair in your eyes was too strong, and I wanted him to suffer and hurt. That’s why I was so careful when I beat him, making certain that I wouldn’t kill him, while still leaving him unable to fight back.” Rachel’s eyes went huge as she looked at Gina, realizing just how lucky Blue Impulse had been in some ways. No one had suspected that Lilith had been deliberately holding back when she’d beaten him within inches of death, and that Lilith had controlled her strength in the middle of rage that intense was… startling. But Lilith didn’t pause. “I did what I could to free you, and I would’ve done it even if I’d known it risked my own life. With the magic released, I think I felt something else within me wake, some other power that I don’t know about. Now, though? I’m telling you everything because you deserve to know, and I’m willing to accept the consequences. If you wish to turn me in, so be it. Regardless of how things have changed, I’m still Amber’s creation.”

Lilith’s words were soft as her monologue came to an end, her eyes downcast. Rachel just stared at her for a long minute. The explanation was stunning and in some ways heartbreaking. The description of Lilith’s emotions and past… Rachel couldn’t really fathom it. Even when she’d pitied Lilith for being alone so much, she’d never expected anything like this. She took a deep breath, clearing her mind before speaking gently. “I don’t want to turn you in, Lilith, but I have my responsibilities. You aren’t a threat, though, so we probably can talk to the authorities and come to some sort of—”

“No!” Gina’s panicked interruption shocked Rachel, startled by the sudden strength of her friend’s objection. She wasn’t sure why Gina seemed so upset, especially about discussing things with the authorities. The story had caused most of Rachel’s sense of worry and betrayal to fade, but her past meant that she really needed to be studied more heavily.

“Why not, Gina? It isn’t like Lilith is one of Shadowmind’s minions, after all,” Rachel asked, frowning at her friend. “That should allow her to get off easily, and will clear the air, I think.”

“Rachel… I’m the one who’s dead tired! Read the damned notice again. What does it say?” Gina asked angrily, pointing at the projection. Frowning, Rachel looked at it more carefully.

‘Seeking the biological weapon created by Shadowmind in January 2030. A $1 million reward will be given for information leading to the capture of the biological weapon. A $10 million reward will be granted for turning over the subject to LANCE. Wanted dead or alive.’

Rachel looked at the notice, then turned back to Gina, not seeing what she was getting at. “It seems fairly straightforward to me, Gina. I don’t see why you’re so upset.”

“Rachel… it calls her a biological weapon,” Gina replied, tears forming in her eyes, and she rubbed them away with a sleeve as she continued in a quivering voice. “Don’t forget about the Reinfield Act. You know exactly what would happen to her.”

At Gina’s explanation, Rachel paled, wondering how she’d forgotten that aspect of the notice. Years before, Doctor Eric Reinfield had created several monstrosities almost on the level of kaiju, and the government had attempted to contain them rather than killing them outright. When the creatures had gone berserk, they’d destroyed nearly half of Seattle in the process. The debacle had led to the Reinfield Act, which required any biological weapons created by villains to be summarily destroyed at a safe facility or dissected to develop countermeasures. The law didn’t have any wiggle room, didn’t allow for exceptions, and ‘summarily’ had been decided to be within twenty-four hours.

Looking at Lilith, Rachel swallowed and took a breath before asking softly, “Lilith, did you know about the Reinfield Act when you told us about this?”

“Yes,” Lilith replied softly, her voice shockingly calm, but the uncertain look in her emerald eyes almost broke Rachel’s heart.

“Why would you tell us, if you knew that was what would happen to you?” Rachel asked, her voice trembling, her earlier suspicion almost like a weight around her neck. “They’ll incinerate you or tear you to pieces if they find you!”

“I know that, but I couldn’t lie to you two anymore. I don’t want to be alone anymore, and you two are my friends,” Lilith replied, closing her eyes for a moment more, then opening them and looking at Rachel levelly. “If I didn’t tell the two of you, what kind of friend am I? I already know enough of your secrets to hurt both of you badly. I didn’t think the two of you would turn me in, but I’m prepared if you choose to do so, because either way I won’t be alone anymore.”

“Damn it, Lilith, what were you thinking? That isn’t the kind of thing that…” Gina began, choking up and shaking her head before continuing. “I wouldn’t have blamed you for keeping a secret like that.”

Rachel didn’t reply, instead pulling out her phone and dialing the command center of Ocean Shield, knowing that Hypergizmo was on duty. Any of the others would have made her more hesitant, but she trusted Hyper.

“Hey, Morgan! I’m surprised to hear from you this late,” the tech spoke brightly, his voice a near-drawl. “It’s a quiet night over here, thank goodness. What’s up?”

“Rachel?” Gina asked, her voice uncertain. Rachel made a quick shushing gesture, and ignored the others as Gina walked behind Lilith to rub the brunette’s shoulders anxiously.

“Hello, Hyper. Actually, because of the chaos earlier I haven’t been able to get to sleep, so I started going through some of the older files. While I was going through them, I noticed that the supposed daughter of Shadowmind was designated a bioweapon by the government. I thought it was odd, so I thought I’d check with you and see if you knew why,” Rachel explained, trying to sound like it was idle curiosity. “I just don’t remember anything in the information we provided that deserves that designation.”

“Say what? That’s really odd… she was really listed as a bioweapon? Let me see if I can pull up the documentation,” Hypergizmo replied, startled. “Give me a minute, would you? The government servers are slow as molasses.”

“Thanks, Hyper. It just struck me as kind of odd. I mean, I haven’t heard anything about the… girl being guilty of anything,” Rachel told him, relaxing into the couch as best she could.

“That makes sense to me. Ahh, here it is!” Hyper exclaimed, pausing for a moment, then spoke up. “Aha, here we go. It looks like they considered other classifications, but there was a lot of worry about her. Due to the unknown effect of having combined genes of hundreds of powerful superhumans, the notoriously evil attitude of Shadowmind, and that the ‘construct’ would have access to all the technology that Shadowmind had designed, they decided it was safest to categorize her as a major threat to eliminate. That’s why they classified her as a bioweapon. I think it’s a bit on the side of overkill, but I can understand why they went with it.”

“I see… well, you’re right about their logic,” Rachel replied, frowning. “Thanks for clearing up my curiosity for me. Maybe I’ll be able to sleep now. Good night, Hyper.”

“Good luck sleeping, Morgan. At least you aren’t on shift tomorrow. Oh, and thanks for the pleasant interruption, it’s a nice change of pace,” the man replied with a laugh, then hung up.

“Well, that’s just lovely!” Rachel hissed, taking a deep breath to try to calm herself, then banishing the chains with a gesture. Lilith stretched, looking worried as Rachel explained. “They decided that you’re a major threat since you have unknown abilities and access to Shadowmind’s technology and bases. That’s why they classified you as a bioweapon, so you could be disposed of as soon as you were found.”

“What? But we told them she was going to be a blank slate, without Shadowmind’s values!” Gina blurted in shock.

“I doubt that would make a difference in the end. Government agencies tend to be paranoid, and would likely assume that what you got was misinformation. They probably expect that even if I seemed benevolent, I’d have some form of sleeper protocols that would turn me against the country at the worst possible moment,” Lilith murmured, still surprisingly calm. Looking between them, she added, “The question is, what are you going to do with me?”

“I won’t turn you in, Lilith. I don’t… you aren’t a bad person, and I like you, a lot,” Gina said, blushing as she hesitated, glancing at Rachel before adding, “Like I said at the warehouse, maybe even love you.”

“I’m not…” Rachel began, but her voice trailed off as she blinked at Gina in surprise. The sudden admission stunned her, and it took a moment before she could speak again. “Ah, I was saying that I didn’t intend to turn you in because of what we just learned. Unless you suddenly turn into Shadowmind the Second, at least. I just wasn’t expecting you to confess like that, Gina!”

“Neither did I. I remembered what you said at the warehouse, but wasn’t going to address it until you did,” Lilith replied, blushing as she looked at the floor. It took a moment for the woman to continue. “I… thank you both for your trust. I’m afraid I just don’t know what my feelings are, Gina. I don’t have the experience, and you’re my only friends. Is that… acceptable, Gina?”

“Of course, silly,” Gina replied, her voice warm as she looked at Rachel. “It’s actually partially Blue Impulse’s fault, the bastard. He forced me to talk about all of you, and he outright asked me if I loved Lilith, which made me realize that I just might. The rescue didn’t hurt, either.”

“That’s… but…” Rachel floundered, bewildered as her emotions roiled, then she glared at the two of them. “That’s not a good way to find out if you like one another! Gina, we discussed this back when we decided to have the separation! I knew you liked her, but… ugh, this is awkward.”

Gina giggled, grinning broadly as she teased, “What? It isn’t like you like her too! Uh… Rachel?”

Rachel could feel her face burning, and her blush deepened as Gina looked at her incredulously. Lilith looked between them several times, blinking, then set her face in her hands, mumbling. “Well, isn’t this awkward? I don’t remember anything like this in the training programs.”

Gina began giggling, and Lilith slowly began turning the brightest shade of red that Rachel had ever seen, prompting Rachel to start laughing herself.

* * *

Wednesday, December 18th, 2030

Unknown Location

Far away, the chessboard still sat in darkness, but the game had progressed since then. A single white bishop, the king, and three pawns were all that remained on one side. But that was when the pawn slowly moved forward, and transformed into a queen. As it did, the man in the room began to laugh, so loudly that it echoed throughout the building.

“Just in time to make a difference, I think. Now then… to see if this is merely check, or checkmate,” the man said, his amusement obvious as black began to move in turn.

Chapter 26

Thursday, December 19th, 2030

Warden’s House, Oakland

Yawning, Rachel paused before putting the last of the bags into the back seat of her car. Gina had dragged her out of bed at eight in the morning to give her a ride home, and the two had promptly started packing the things that Gina needed into her car. Considering that Rachel hadn’t even gotten to bed until after three in the morning, she was running on less than five hours of sleep, and she was tired. Gina looked weary but happy, and she’d put on red lipstick, which had turned her lips an odd shade of purple that amused Rachel.

Eventually Rachel couldn’t resist anymore, though, and she asked the question that had been running through her mind for the last couple of hours. “So, how did last night go?”

“Hmm? I thought that everything went well, for the most part. Lilith wasn’t upset or anything, just embarrassed,” Gina replied, blinking as she adjusted the easel so the legs wouldn’t be quite as close to the windows. “I think it was kind of cute.”

“I didn’t mean that part. I have eyes, you know,” Rachel told her, giving Gina a skeptical look. “You were all but hanging off of Lilith, and you admitted that you liked her. Considering everything…”

“I tried to follow her to her bed. She told me no,” Gina replied dryly, a touch of annoyance in her voice. “I tried to object, but she was firm. She wants to figure out how our relationship is going to work out before doing anything ‘drastic.’ Besides, she was dead tired and needed her sleep, so she put me in one of the guest bedrooms. It’s probably for the best, anyway, since I was out like a light.”

“That’s… a bit surprising, but not too much,” Rachel murmured after a moment of thought. “I’m not sure what I expected, but I’m glad to hear it. Still, I suppose you both needed sleep. What’s this about guest bedrooms, anyway? I thought there was only the one.”

“We definitely needed the sleep, and she has several, actually. I’m not sure about there having been only one, but there definitely are three at the moment. Still, what’re you thinking, Rachel? You practically admitted that you liked her before you left, you know,” Gina asked, grinning. Rachel felt her face heat under the teasing. “I thought you didn’t like girls romantically. Weren’t you thinking about trying to date Galvanic or something?”

“I’m not sure,” Rachel replied, sighing and shaking her head. Gesturing at the house, she told her friend, “You should go lock up so we can get this over to Lilith’s place. I’m still pretty tired, since you got me up earlier than I wanted. I want to take a nap.”

“Right, right… but we’re going to discuss this once I’m back,” Gina threatened with a gentle grin, closing the car door. She headed for the house to lock up as Rachel sighed.

Shaking her head, Rachel got into the car and turned the key, causing the electric motor to start with a soft whirr. As the vehicle hummed to life, she couldn’t help but wonder what she actually thought of the situation. While she was happy that Gina seemed to be getting what she wanted, Rachel found that she was jealous, too. It had taken a while for her to admit to herself that she liked Lilith, and it had come a little too late. That Galvanic Action seemed to be hooking up with Ocean Spirit was even more frustrating in its own way. Rubbing her temples, Rachel couldn’t help but sigh. She was just too tired to deal with it right now.

“So, what’s going on?” Gina interrupted as she slid into the car, her comment eliciting an evil glare from Rachel. Gina ignored the look as she continued. “You’re moping around and grumpy, which means I have to be at least on the right track. I can tell there’s something wrong, and I’m worried about you. Just like you were worried about me. So spill it, already.”

“If you must know, I’m pretty sure that Galvanic and Spirit have started dating. I’m not certain, but they’ve been spending a lot more time together lately,” Rachel replied tartly, checking the rear-view mirror. “Beyond that, you were the only woman I’d ever been really attracted to until Lilith came along, and I didn’t dare bring that up, since I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. I was usually more attracted to men, anyway, so it wasn’t as though I lacked for options in college. But if you’re asking how I’m feeling, I’m happy for you. A bit jealous… a lot jealous, but I’m not going to try to mess it up for you.”

“You what?” Gina exclaimed, staring at Rachel. “You… it’s been years, and you’ve never told me that!”

“Well, I have now. I blame being tired,” Rachel retorted, and sniffed hard. “Besides, it doesn’t matter at this point, does it? You and Lilith have your… relationship to figure out.”

Gina blinked in surprise, opening and closing her mouth several times, then her eyes narrowed slightly. “I see. Suddenly those shopping trips are explained, too. Never mind… I don’t want to know what you were thinking. Still, there’s something you haven’t really considered, yet.”

“I… am going to have to plead the fifth, so I’m glad you’re not wanting to address it. It’s probably at least part of why my relationships didn’t last terribly long, not just because of our extracurricular activities,” Rachel agreed, flushing slightly at Gina’s implication. At the last, though, she glanced over, asking, “And what would that be?”

“Well, I can think of a few guys who got a bit impatient with you, so it’s possible. But you’re forgetting something really simple.” Gina was grinning again, which set off alarm bells for Rachel. “Weren’t you listening to what she told us last night? Lilith said she cares for both of us.”

“So? You’re the one who’s trying to chase her down. And you seem to be succeeding, I might add,” Rachel replied, her heart briefly skipping a beat at the reminder. She wasn’t entirely sure she liked where Gina was going, but another part of her was hopeful.

“So? You heard her last night, none of her training programs covered the situation. What’s wrong with both of us chasing after her, or even catching her?” Gina asked.

Rachel choked, swerving slightly as she protested, getting the car under control. “Gina!”

“Don’t you ‘Gina’ me!” her friend retorted. “You’re the one who always told me that you were straight when you were attracted to me! Did it ever occur to you that I might’ve said yes? Regardless, at this point, what’s the problem if we’re all consenting adults, hmm?”

“That’s pretty far in the past. And why aren’t you the one who’s more flustered about this? You’re the one who was so picky in college!” Rachel asked, thoroughly flustered by Gina’s comments, but keeping her eyes on the road.

“Call it a wake-up call due to almost getting raped,” Gina explained, smirking. “That, and a bit of revenge combined with a lot of pent-up tension due to you forcing me to stay away from her for over a week. Deal with it, Rach.”

“That’s… that’s…” Rachel stammered, trying to put her thoughts into words, but failing miserably. It wasn’t fair that Gina had changed this much in just a few weeks, and what she was saying couldn’t possibly work!

“Just think about it. I suppose I should add that I always thought you were pretty, but since we were friends and you were straight…” Gina interrupted, her grin far too wide.

“You be quiet! I don’t want another word out of you until we’re there! I’m way too tired to deal with you and traffic at the same time,” Rachel ordered, cutting Gina off. Her friend made a gesture as if zipping her lips shut and sat back with a smirk.

It was hard for Rachel to keep her concentration on the road with the distractions that Gina had put into her head. Still, after a particularly idiotic driver nearly merged into her car, Rachel found her thoughts much clearer after the rush of adrenaline it prompted. Eventually they got to the apartment building where Lilith lived, and she pulled into the parking space with a sigh of relief. When the charging pad indicator turned on, she put the vehicle into park and relaxed.

Turning the car off, Rachel pointed a single finger at Gina, her voice firm as she issued a demand. “Don’t you dare even start. I’m tired, and you’ve completely up-ended my perceptions of you quite enough for one day. Give me time to think it over. Remember, I’m the analytical one, right?”

“Fine, I’ll leave you be for now. I just want you to be happy, Rachel,” Gina replied gently, shaking her head. “Hell, I want me to be happy, too. At the moment I’m frustrated, wound up because of what happened to me, and using my discomfort at my house as an excuse to move in with Lilith. I don’t think my ulterior motives are exactly subtle.”

“Wait, really? Are you actually uncomfortable with your house?” Rachel asked, unbuckling and heading to one of the car attendants to get a cart. While Gina followed after her, she didn’t speak until they were out of the man’s earshot. Rachel appreciated that, since the man was watching both of them closely.

“Yes. Even if his devices can’t exactly do much anymore, we haven’t found them yet, and the fact he could get to me through my wards… that scares me, a lot,” Gina admitted, taking a deep breath. “Beyond even that, the changes he made to my body are going to be really hard to hide. You might be able to fix it eventually, but in the meantime my lips are still going to be bright blue and I’ll have this strange hue to my skin, and we don’t know everything else he did. I might end up having to go public in the end, which would suck in a lot of ways.”

“That… unfortunately makes a lot of sense. I’d have to know how he did all of it to you, and that’ll take some research. Your only other option would be to retire, and I’d hate to see you do that,” Rachel spoke slowly, thinking things through as she opened the trunk and began loading the cart. “How do you feel about the changes, anyway? I’ve been worried that they’d be disturbing you fairly badly.”

“Not too bad, for the most part. While it’s disturbing, I’ve actually always liked blue a lot, and there isn’t much I can do about it anyway,” Gina admitted, frowning a little. “While I’m not exactly happy about the changes, I’m trying not to dwell on it. Every time I think about it, I try to remember the bloody pulp Lilith beat Impulse into. It helps. Even though I don’t intend to retire, I do plan to insist on more time off. Part of the reason I got ambushed at all was because I was too tired to see him coming the first time.”

“I can’t say I blame you, though I’m a little surprised that you’re as… alright with the changes as you are. I have to wonder if it’s a side effect of the control being broken?” Rachel murmured, pondering a little, then shaking her head. “No matter. I don’t blame you, though. I think all of the team is feeling exhausted at this point. There’re so many villains in the area, and we’ve been working ourselves to the bone trying to track them down, without much success.”

“That’s what I’ve heard, and it worries me. I wish I could help. I think the curse is on the verge of breaking, but I’m hesitant to try to force it,” Gina told her, sighing and shaking her head. “I really don’t want you to have to take on Black Harbinger without me. He’s just too damned powerful.”

“I totally agree. He hospitalized Galvanic, after all. I wish someone could figure out how to shut his regeneration down. The bastard’s boss is even worse,” Rachel said, sighing as she looked at the cart, trying to figure out how to fit the easel on it. Gina laughed and took it from Rachel, tucking it under an arm instead.

“Well, hopefully the curse breaks soon, so I can help chase him out of the city without whatever else he’s after,” Gina replied hopefully.

“I can agree with that. Let’s get all of your stuff inside, please? I’m beat, after last night and an early morning,” Rachel replied, yawning. “I hope everything works out… but it might take a while. Nothing we can really do just now.”

Gina nodded, then smiled as she asked, “How about you rest here? You could use my bed if you’d like, or maybe one of the guest beds?”

“Maybe I will. First, we need to get all of this upstairs, then I can decide,” Rachel told her friend, still feeling slightly resistant to the idea. Still, she was definitely considering the offer as she pushed the cart toward the elevator.

Using her keycard to open the elevator, Gina helped Rachel inside and pressed the key for Lilith’s floor, even as Rachel wondered why Lilith had decided on such a huge home. It was so ridiculously blatant that she had difficulty understanding why Lilith would purchase it with the attention she’d draw. As the doors slid open, though, Rachel realized that it likely hadn’t even occurred to Lilith that it’d be a problem. From what she’d said, Lilith was astonishingly naive in some ways.

The cart rattled loudly as they pushed it into the condo, and Rachel could see Lilith sitting at her desk working on the computer. Rachel couldn’t quite make out what the woman was doing, but as she was distracted, Gina spoke up brightly. “Hi, Lilith! We’re back!”

“Welcome back, both of you,” Lilith replied in a distracted tone. “Pardon me if I don’t get up. I had a few rather profitable business opportunities come up, and I’m trying to take advantage of them before someone else does.”

“That’s perfectly fine. Thank you for hosting Gina,” Rachel spoke up, a little amused.

“We’ll try not to distract you. Speaking of hosting, apparently Rachel didn’t get much sleep last night. Do you mind if she takes a nap here for a while?” Gina asked, raising an eyebrow at Rachel as they turned the corner carefully.

“That’s fine with me. Take any of the guest beds if you need to, Rachel,” Lilith replied absently, typing at a furious pace.

“Is that normal for her?” Rachel asked softly, moving into the bedroom. The way that Lilith had been focusing on the computer had been surprising, and the woman had to be typing at least a hundred words per minute. It was especially surprising since they normally saw her when she was relaxed.

“How should I know? She wasn’t on the computer when I left,” Gina retorted, looking amused. “We still don’t know a lot about her, even with her explanation. I’ll admit that I find it rather flattering that she’s been learning from us, though.”

As they unloaded the cart, Rachel considered what Gina had said. They were unloading things onto the floor for the moment, since Gina hadn’t decided how to set up the room yet. As the other woman set up the easel in the corner, Rachel found herself amused that Gina had brought nearly half her wardrobe worth of clothing.

Finally Rachel spoke, shaking her head. “I suppose it is pretty flattering, isn’t it? At least now that everyone knows about the others, we can start actually learning about one another for real.”

“That’ll definitely be nice. So, are you wanting to take a nap or not?” Gina asked as they finished unloading the cart. Her belongings were scattered across the floor, making the formerly neat room something of a mess, but Rachel imagined that’d be dealt with soon enough.

“I think I’ll just take this downstairs, then head home for the nap,” Rachel declined politely, only to have her body betray her by yawning.

“It’s noon, and traffic will be so bad that you’re going to take an hour or more to get home. I’ll take the cart down while you lay down for a minute. If you aren’t out cold by the time I get back, I’ll let you go,” Gina replied with a flat look, reaching out to poke Rachel in the side, causing her to squeak in surprise.

“That’s not very nice, Gina! I’ll be just fine, I…” Rachel began, but paused at the adamant look in Gina’s eyes. A moment later she sighed. “This is sort of like that time I dragged you out of the house after Aaron dumped you, isn’t it? You aren’t going to take no for an answer.”

“Not at all. Get onto the bed, and I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Gina replied firmly, taking the cart and heading back toward the elevator.

Rachel sighed and shook her head, mumbling to herself as she yawned again. “She’s gotten… a lot more willing to talk back lately. Still, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to lay down for a minute or two.”

Testing the bed, Rachel paused at the texture of it. It didn’t quite feel like a memory foam mattress, but neither did it have obvious springs. Still, it seemed a lot more comfortable than the spring mattress which she’d gotten from Gina a few weeks earlier, so she laid down on it and stared at the ceiling. While the bed was comfortable, she wasn’t certain that she could fall asleep on it, in part because it was so different from what she was used to. If that weren’t enough, she felt odd staying in Lilith’s home, partially because of her own confused emotions about the other woman. She wasn’t certain that she felt the same way that Gina… did…

Rachel drifted off without even realizing it, relaxing into sleep on the comfortable bed.

* * *

Thursday, December 19th, 2030

Lilith’s Condo, San Francisco

Stepping back into her new bedroom, Gina smiled. Rachel was laying on the bed with her hands resting on her stomach, her eyes closed as she breathed slowly, obviously deeply asleep. She’d been fairly certain that Rachel was too tired to drive home safely, and this had proved her point. Suppressing a giggle, Gina opened her backpack and pulled out the laptop before slipping out of the room and closing the door behind her, happy that Rachel never stirred.

Moving to the couch in the living room, Gina looked at Lilith affectionately, smiling at how the woman was concentrating on her computer. Their relationship, if she could call it that, was confusing, but Gina was willing to deal with that. In the meantime, she wasn’t going to waste her time. She pulled up a list of lawyers in the area, intending to see if she could find someone who she could talk to about getting the bounty off Lilith’s head.

That would make everyone much happier in the end.

* * *

Lilith smiled at her computer as she sat back and stretched. For once since the evening with Gina and Rachel, her mind was crystal clear, and assuming everything worked out like she expected it to, she should be making a rather large profit over the next few weeks. While it wasn’t a huge deal to her, she thought that if she was going to continue associating with Gina and Rachel, it was best to build as much influence as possible. It very well might be the difference between life and death when her identity was discovered, and she fully expected that to happen eventually. There were too many heroes who would never stop until they found her.

With a click, she sent a schematic off to her company and closed down her programs. The project had taken longer than she’d hoped it would to finish, and she sighed as she looked out the windows. The sun was shining brightly over the bay, belying how cold it was at this time of year. It was a beautiful sight, but with everything going on, Lilith couldn’t help but wonder whether or not she’d end up staying for too long. There was no way of knowing what the future would bring.

Shaking her head and laughing softly, Lilith climbed to her feet and paused as she saw Gina curled up on the couch. The heroine was staring at her laptop, with her face an odd shade of blue, which took a moment for Lilith to identify as her blushing. When the woman didn’t notice her movement, Lilith considered for a moment, then asked, “Gina? Are you alright? You’re kind of… blue.”

Gina jumped at her voice, and to Lilith’s fascination, she managed to turn an even deeper shade of blue. Tapping a key quickly, the blonde replied, “Oh, I’m fine, just fine! I was just, um, doing some research.”

“You were doing research? And just what kind of research has you blushing that much?” Lilith asked, sincerely perplexed. It was amusing, but she couldn’t help her curiosity.

“Umm… well, I was actually trying to figure out if there was some way to get the bounty on you rescinded or changed,” Gina explained hesitantly, blushing more as she added, “Then I got distracted, and started poking around on other things.”

“Is that so?” Lilith arched an eyebrow at the evasive explanation. “And…?”

“I’m not sharing that part. On the research, I haven’t figured much out yet. I can’t be too direct, after all,” Gina replied firmly, shaking her head. “I wish I could do more, but it’s a scary subject.”

“As you wish. I do agree on the scary part… it’s part of why I’m taking my company a little more seriously now. If I’m useful, they’re less likely to do something drastic,” Lilith agreed. “Thank you for looking, though.”

“You’re welcome. Oh, and Rachel’s in my room. She’s been asleep for… an hour and a half? Has it really been that long?” Gina murmured, shaking her head. “Anyway, she went out like a light. I didn’t realize she was that tired, but I don’t blame her.”

“I didn’t think I’d heard her leave, but I was focused enough that I couldn’t be certain. At least she’s getting the rest she needs, and thank goodness I need less than most people,” Lilith replied, smiling as she asked, “Do you think I should set up a bedroom just for her?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure. You’ve got a lot of unused rooms, one of which I’m planning to use for art, but… that still leaves a lot of space. I don’t see why not, except for the expense,” Gina replied, shrugging and smiling broadly. “I did encourage her to come over more often, after all.”

“You have?” Lilith looked at Gina in surprise, then paused to think. “Why is that?”

“Because she likes you too. I’m not sure if she likes you as much as I do, but she deserves the chance to find out. She… was going to just give up because I was here, and I didn’t want that. She’s my friend,” Gina explained, then hesitated and added, “She also admitted that she liked me, and that makes things a little odd. I feel bad that in a way she might lose both people she likes. You aren’t upset, are you?”

“I… suppose not. It’s a little strange, but everything about this is strange,” Lilith replied, then paused, feeling awkward as she continued. “In fact… there’s something I’d like your help with, if you don’t mind?”

“Hmm? What might that be?” Gina asked, tilting her head curiously. “If it’s something I can help with, sure.”

“I’d like help with shopping. I didn’t furnish the other rooms because I wasn’t sure what needed to be in them, or what would look good,” Lilith explained, feeling embarrassed. “I’d like your help with it. If the rooms look nicer and less bare, I’ll consider it a success. I was thinking here in a few minutes, if you didn’t mind. Your room is one of the ones I was thinking of.”

“Oh, sure!” Gina replied, smiling. “That makes complete sense. I’ll just grab my jacket and leave Rachel a note. There’s no need to wake her up over this.”

“Thank you,” Lilith said, relief washing over her as she went to find her own jacket. Perhaps it was odd, but one of the few things that made her freeze up was interior decorating. There were just too many choices, and she had no idea what looked good.

Chapter 27

Thursday, December 19th, 2030

Dr. Johnson’s Lair, Santa Cruz

“Once Ocean Shield starts getting the better of Black Harbinger, I’d like you to give him a helping hand, Pyroclasm,” Doctor Johnson said calmly, looking the other villain in the eyes. “I’m offering seventy-five thousand for the job, all up front. What you do after that is your own decision, but I’d prefer it if you got out of town and laid low for a while. Are you willing to take the job?”

“You aren’t going to ask me to hold back again, are you?” Pyroclasm IV growled, scowling at Doctor Johnson. The fourth villain to bear the name Pyroclasm, the hard-bitten, muscular man was tall and wore a fire-themed red and orange outfit that was composed of dozens of armored plates, almost like the skin of a snake. The way he kept his hair cut short made him look like former military, but his bright orange eyes unnerved most people he interacted with, along with his notoriously poor self-control. The latter was a good part of why Doctor Johnson preferred to have him out of the area. “I hate having to hold back, it makes me look weak.”

“I’m not requiring anything else. As long as you don’t start attacking until they’ve nearly got Harbinger under control, I don’t care what you do,” Johnson assured Pyroclasm with a small smile. “I just want you to screw up their response time. If you can deal with Black Comet or Sky Defender, so much the better.”

“In that case, sure! If I can blow those jerks up and get paid for it, I’m all in,” Pyroclasm replied with a laugh, cracking his knuckles. “I can use a vacation, anyway.”

“I’ll transfer the funds to your usual account, then,” Doctor Johnson agreed, nodding in satisfaction. “I assume that I can use the usual contact method?”

“Yeah, same method as always,” Pyroclasm grunted, his smile broadening.

“Excellent. Everyone else, you know your jobs. Don’t forget that they caught Blue Impulse yesterday, so they might have a clue that something is going on. Be wary,” Doctor Johnson cautioned the other teams. Looking them over, he smiled and continued. “Good hunting to all of you. Do try not to get captured. Let’s go.”

With that, Doctor Johnson headed out with his own team. He had a different goal than most of the others today.

* * *

Thursday, December 19th, 2030

Ocean Shield HQ, San Francisco

Sitting back, Hypergizmo had his eyes half-closed as he watched the screens of Ocean Shield’s command center. Nothing big was on the screens at the moment, and both Crimson Bull and Galvanic Action were out on patrol. While there were a few robberies and the like, as well as a couple of reports of assault, the smaller teams and the police seemed to have them taken care of. It actually worried Hyper a little. Whenever it got quiet, it seemed like that was the calm before something went to hell.

Almost as if his worries had summoned it, an alert suddenly went off. On one of the screens a message popped up from one of the smaller neighborhood teams, a group of three low-end heroes called the Karate Brothers. The group was situated in downtown San Francisco, which made them one of his better sources, and their message was chilling.

‘Harbinger & Minions in Chinatown!’

The simple message made Hypergizmo’s eyes go wide, and before his mind had even caught up, his hand hit the alarm that sent alerts to every team member. A moment later he snapped out a message, keying the two in the field. “Guys, Black Harbinger and his mooks in Chinatown, San Fran!”

“Oh, shit! I’m on my way!” Galvanic Action replied in seconds, cursing under his breath. “I’m north of the bridge, but I’ll be there as fast as I can!”

“I’m in San Mateo, and on my way!” Crimson Bull replied, a couple of seconds after the first man.

“Roger that, be careful, both of you,” Hypergizmo acknowledged, chewing his lip as he waited for the others to respond. He was also praying that the villain wouldn’t cause too much damage before they stopped him.

* * *

Thursday, December 19th, 2030

Lilith’s Condo, San Francisco

The sudden beep of her phone jarred Rachel awake almost instantly. She’d almost been conditioned to wake and react to that particular alert, since it meant something disastrous was happening in the region. Before Rachel even remembered where she was, she’d grabbed her nearby phone and hit the number to call the team HQ.

“What’s the problem?” Rachel asked the moment the phone connected, her voice crisp despite waking so suddenly. It took a few moments for her to realize where she was, but after a moment she remembered, seeing the bags scattered across the floor.

“Harbinger’s in Chinatown,” Hypergizmo replied succinctly. “CB and GA are inbound, ETA five to ten minutes. Spirit’s fifteen minutes out, Orchid forty, Sky Defender twenty, and Black Comet ten.”

“Well, shit. I’m downtown right now, I’ll suit up and be there in less than five,” Rachel told him, hanging up suddenly. She knew he’d understand why she did. She had to wonder what the hell he was doing, being on shift for more than twelve hours straight, but didn’t have time to think about it.

Standing, Rachel took a moment to strip most of the way, mostly to reduce the power she was about to expend. Reaching out mentally, she sought out her outfit from a distance. While it was in the trunk of her car, she’d infused magic into it that allowed her to summon it directly onto her body if she was close enough. The distance from the parking garage was almost too far, but after a moment she could feel the outfit resonating with her extended tendrils of magic. Entwining her senses with the distant outfit, she took hold of it and pulled. With a sudden flash of purple light, the clothing appeared over her body, and suddenly she was Morgan Le Fay, heroine of Ocean Shield.

As she stepped out of the bedroom, Morgan admitted to herself that she was almost grateful that she’d fallen asleep at Lilith’s. If she hadn’t, she would have been behind almost all the others, though that also fueled worry as well, as she admitted something else. Being this close also meant that she’d likely be taking on Black Harbinger alone, at least at first. That… scared her. Even so, she was a heroine, and if it was to protect others, she would put her life on the line.

While she wondered where the other two were, Morgan shook her head and cleared the curiosity from her mind. She’d be in a battle soon enough, and that would be dangerous enough without more distractions. She left the condo and headed up the stairs and onto the roof of the building, taking a deep breath as she let her magic flood her outfit, allowing her to defy the laws of gravity. The term had always amused her, for with the introduction of magic and superpowers to the world, humanity had found that the ‘law of gravity’ was closer to a recommendation than anything else. With that thought in mind, she shot off toward Chinatown, moving as quickly as she could.

As she approached the neighborhood, Morgan could hear the sounds of chaos from ahead of her. Explosions and energy blasts echoed with the sound of breaking glass, and several cars were wrecked in a nearby intersection. Turning the corner, Morgan swore under her breath.

In the middle of the street were three minor heroes called the Karate Brothers, each of them battered and abused. The three of them each had general boosts to strength, speed, and toughness, but none of them were much beyond class D heroes, though together she knew they could handle a class B villain most of the time. They were each bleeding from minor wounds, while their leader, Karate Red, had several burns along his arms. Facing them was Black Harbinger and nearly thirty of his minions, and Morgan’s blood ran cold at the sight, wondering what the hell the Karate Brothers had been thinking, taking them on without backup.

Black Harbinger was an immensely powerful villain, generally viewed as class S, and if she had any choice, Morgan would never take him on alone, and she was considered class A herself. The villain stood nearly nine feet tall and seven across his shoulders, and was sheathed in glistening black armor that almost looked like the shell of some titanic beetle. One arm ended in a massive energy cannon that fired entropic black blasts of energy. In his other hand, he held a handle that projected a similar blade of black energy that could cut through most substances not made or enhanced by superpowers. That much she knew from experience. Even worse was that each of his minions was equipped with black armor and a backpack-powered energy gun similar to his own. Taking them on would be… unpleasant, but someone had to try to get the Karate Brothers out alive.

Taking a deep breath, Morgan tried to steady herself. Still, she couldn’t help but swear internally when she saw police arriving, which caused her worries to spike, hard. They wouldn’t be much help against Harbinger, and would simply add to the numbers she had to protect. Even so, there was no way she could stop the villain until backup arrived, so her only choice was to try to delay him.

Flying around one of the buildings to mask her presence from the fighting men and women, Morgan began to shape her magic as quickly as she could by pushing it through some of her jewelry. The spells wove together a dozen illusionary copies of herself before she emerged from behind the building, almost directly above Black Harbinger and his men, her copies scattering around her as decoys. As brilliant purple power gathered in her hands, she cast it out toward a concentration of the henchmen, her decoys copying her actions.

One of the men spotted her, diving aside as he yelled a frantic warning, but the ball of purple fire detonated in a resounding blast of violet flames before many could respond. A dozen henchmen went flying as magic infused her voice and Morgan thundered, “Black Harbinger, surrender and answer for your crimes!”

Almost before the echoes of her voice died, an ebon blast of energy flashed through the sky and caused one of Morgan’s copies to evaporate. The villain turned, his voice ringing out with a metallic hint to it. “Or what, little heroine? You cannot stop me, nor can you hold me. You are a pathetic shadow of your namesake, and you should run, if you value your life.”

“I’m no coward, and I will stop you!” Morgan retorted, dodging and weaving with her copies as the villain and his henchmen scattered, opening fire on her.

As she wove her spells, Morgan began to throw bolts of raw kinetic energy at the henchmen, not bothering to target Harbinger at all. She couldn’t possibly punch through his armor without concentrating most of her power, which she couldn’t do without leaving herself wide open to attacks. Instead she was trying to take out most of his support for when her allies showed up. She did vary the attacks, though, with a handful of the bolts stunning those that were hit, and another turning into magical webs that tied up three henchmen.

Even as she took five of the villain’s men out of the fight, though, the flurry of return fire destroyed six more of her decoys. Even worse, the Karate Brothers took the opportunity to charge forward instead of retreating. Morgan swore under her breath as she saw them, hissing, “Idiots! Back the hell—”

The distraction was costly, as she dodged just a little too slowly. A blast of energy clipped her right arm, ripping right through the enchantments in her sleeve as it seared into her arm with white-hot pain. Spiraling off to the side, Morgan tried to hide the injury, but Harbinger’s laughter boomed down the street as he took aim at her. “There’s the witch! Focus fire on her!”

“Oh, shit!” Morgan spat, hissing in agony as she let her decoys vanish and focused every bit of power she could spare into a shield around her.

While Morgan wasn’t as powerful as Warden when it came to shields, that didn’t mean she couldn’t defend herself. It just meant that she didn’t have the same knack that made them far more powerful than they should be. Her power condensed into a glowing purple barrier around her as Morgan’s flight slowed. She couldn’t spare much power for flight with the hail of black bolts raining down on her.

Morgan grunted as blast after blast hammered her shield, weaving as best she could to throw off the aim of her attackers and reduce the strain on her magic. And straining she was, as the shield began to buckle as pulse after pulse of energy exploded against her spell in displays of flickering black lightning. The worst were Black Harbinger’s attacks, which had nearly ten times the power that his minions could throw at her.

“No! Karate Brothers, get out of here!” Morgan yelled, seeing the trio attempt to take down a group of henchmen, only to have a large contingent of other henchmen turn on them. There was nothing she could do to help at this point, not when she was under so much fire.

At that moment, Galvanic Action screeched around the corner, his motorcycle skidding as he threw out a hand. As her fellow hero used his powers, she could see the weapons of two of the minions abruptly stop working as rust and corrosion rapidly spread across their triggers and barrels.

Crimson Bull charged in from the other side, shouldering aside a burning truck and ignoring several blasts of energy as he slammed into the lines of Harbinger’s minions like the linebacker he’d once aspired to be. As her reinforcements arrived, Morgan’s heart soared, only to stare in horror as Black Harbinger laughed loudly and still more of his minions popped out of a nearby building, a dozen strong and fully organized.

“That’s it, come for me, you so-called heroes! Come to me so I can destroy you like you deserve!” Black Harbinger’s voice echoed through the city as his energy cannon boomed, nearly shattering Morgan’s shield with the blast. With his other hand he lashed out at Crimson Bull, and her fellow hero fell backward, grabbing at the charred line that had cut through his suit.

“Morgan, take out his servants! We’ll keep him occupied!” Galvanic Action called out, abandoning his motorcycle and taking cover behind a car as he continued sabotaging the weapons of Harbinger’s minions. A blur of black and silver came out of nowhere, and as Black Comet hit Harbinger with dozens of blows in mere moments, the villain roared in anger, his aim completely thrown off by the attacks.

“Right!” Morgan called out, relief flooding her at their timely arrival. If the others hadn’t shown up when they had, she didn’t want to know how things would have ended.

That was when the echo of a massive explosion washed over the city, and Morgan’s head turned toward the Oakland Bridge in horror. Black Harbinger’s renewed laughter was terrifying as she realized that this was a distraction.

Chapter 28

Thursday, December 19th, 2030

Downtown San Francisco

“What’s going on?” Lilith asked, steadying herself against a railing as an explosion rocked the streets, looking in the direction of one of the big bridges in worry. “You said there was an alert, but this is a bit more than I was expecting. Between the combat and the bridge, I’m starting to get worried.”

“I’m not sure. I could’ve called, but I thought it best not to,” Gina replied, her face pale as she looked around. They were in one of the stores downtown, and Lilith’s worry grew stronger as she looked at her friend, who ventured after a moment, “It was an alert for all hands, but unless I can break the curse… it might just be safest to evacuate.”

Lilith considered the explanation for a moment, frowning heavily as she looked around the indoor mall. After a moment, she took a breath and asked, “You said it was close to breaking, right? The curse?”

“Yes, I did. I’m just not sure if I can break it, and I’ve been a bit afraid to try,” Gina admitted, shrugging nervously. “I just… while it feels like it can’t knot up again, what if it does?”

“Can’t you just push a little and see if it gives way? If it starts resisting, just stop,” Lilith replied. “We could quickly find a changing room and give it a try, anyway.”

Gina’s eyes lit up with hope, and she paused before slowly nodding, then faster as she smiled and headed toward the nearest department store. “You’re right. Let’s just give this a try. Come with me, please? You help me keep calm.”

“Of course, Gina,” Lilith replied, smiling as she followed.

They quickly slipped past the distracted employees and worried shoppers, many of whom were trying to look out the windows. The largest changing room was empty, and they quickly slipped inside, closing the door behind them.

Clearing her throat, Lilith asked gently, “Gina, what would you like me to do?”

“Just… just put your hands on my shoulders from behind? Maybe rub them a little? I think it’d… help, somehow,” Gina replied, blushing, but took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Lilith nodded, stepping behind Gina and doing as she had asked, laying her hands on her friend’s shoulders and slowly beginning to rub them. As she did so, she felt a faint tension to the other woman’s muscles ease slightly.

All Lilith could do was wait, hoping Gina would be successful. She kept her own worry for Rachel’s safety to herself. She didn’t want to sabotage Gina’s attempt to break the curse.

* * *

Thursday, December 19th, 2030

UC Berkeley, Berkeley

Dreamer was waiting for Doctor Johnson as he walked into the laboratory of the Biological Sciences building, Eve a few steps behind him. The staff around the room were all asleep, many of them toppled over in mid-action, and he smiled as he saw the man he was looking for in a chair.

“Eve, I want you to copy all the data, then destroy the originals and the backups,” Doctor Johnson told his android, glancing at her as he added, “Don’t miss any, and if you can’t get to any of them, tell me.”

“Yes, Doctor,” Eve acknowledged, walking over to the computer and extending a finger toward it. Her finger slowly extended a series of wires that hooked into the computer, and Johnson nodded in satisfaction as her eyes went vacant.

“So, where’s the prototype, Dreamer?” Doctor Johnson asked the other villainess, raising an eyebrow.

“Right here, Doctor,” Dreamer replied happily, giving a deadly smile as she turned to gesture at the large, complex machine on the center table. “The good doctor had just been setting up a few experiments. I do hope that it can do what you’ve said it can. That would make me… quite pleased.”

“As do I, Dreamer. If his claims were false, I’ll be annoyed,” Johnson agreed, looking up at the machine, then nodding. “Please make certain that he won’t wake up again, Dreamer. I need to pack this up.”

“With pleasure,” the woman purred, turning to the sleeping doctor. Johnson knew that Doctor Harold Andrews didn’t deserve what was about to happen, but he was taking no chances of the man reproducing his work.

Taking out his tools, Johnson began to disassemble the genetic resequencer. It was complex, but he’d dealt with worse. If it did what he thought it would, it would be the perfect addition to his other tools. Even so, he couldn’t help a twitch as an unpleasant groan came from behind him.

Dreamer was one of the most sadistic women Doctor Johnson knew, and no matter how attractive she was, he would never dream of getting too close to her. At least she didn’t dare betray or disobey him, not when he held the promise of her salvation. Afterward… well, he’d just have to make sure to keep a safe distance from her.

* * *

Thursday, December 19th, 2030

Downtown San Francisco

As Gina reached out to her magic, the first twinges of hope shot through her. While the curse was trying to hold it away from her and keep it in check, it wasn’t nearly as effective as it had been just a few days earlier. It couldn’t knot up her magic more, and for once she was actually able to fight it. It wasn’t easy, but Gina could feel herself gaining ground as she began to push hard against the curse.

The touch of Lilith’s hands on her shoulders almost startled Gina, and she stopped, her progress slowing to a halt and receding. As Lilith began to rub her shoulders, though, Gina slowly relaxed, her mind clearing as she took a deep breath. Warmth was flowing into her from Lilith’s hands, and Gina felt her determination growing stronger. If she couldn’t use her magic, how could she protect anyone? Morgan had to be out there, fighting as hard as she could to defend the city and civilians from harm, but what about Gina? She couldn’t protect anyone, not the innocents or her friends, not while she was like this. As she strained, Gina admitted to herself something else.

Without her magic, Gina couldn’t protect Lilith, either. And Lilith was the one who had a death sentence hanging over her head. No one would listen to a powerless heroine, so Gina gathered everything she had, and pushed at the curse.

A sudden snapping sensation echoed through Gina, magic sizzling and welling up through her veins. There was no sound to it, nothing but a sudden, intense surge of pure power through Gina’s veins as her magic broke the chains that had bound it. Letting out a soft gasp of ecstasy at the return of her magic, Gina’s eyes slowly widened. Her magic hadn’t just returned, but had actually grown even more potent while it was dormant and trapped. Her power… Gina shivered, then shook her head, shaking off the thought. She could investigate what had changed later.

Lilith’s hands stopped moving, then pulled away as she spoke gently. “Go help your friends, Gina. You’re needed, after all. I’ll follow as soon as I can.”

Turning to face Lilith, Gina smiled at her and blushed as she nodded, murmuring, “Thank you, Lilith.”

Reaching out with her power, Gina was almost startled as she was able to summon her suit effortlessly and it displaced her clothing onto the floor. The suit didn’t quite fit right, seeming a little too tight in some areas, and a part of her wondered if perhaps Blue Impulse had made other changes to her that she hadn’t noticed. Still, she was Warden again, and she grinned, turning invisible and heading toward the echoes of battle.

Finding an open door took a little longer than she’d hoped it would, but as she spotted one, Warden activated her communicator and spoke up brightly. “I’m back! Curse snapped like a twig, so I’m good to go. Where do you need me?”

“Finally, some good news!” Black Comet replied breathlessly, obviously busy. “We’ve got Harbinger and fifty of his damned goons in Chinatown, and they set off a bomb near the Oakland Bridge! We could really use some help over here.”

“Yeah, we’ve almost got Harbinger, but he’s just—guh!” Morgan gasped and cut off for a moment, then continued. “He has too many henchmen!”

“On my way! ETA thirty, just hang on!” Warden told them, putting on all the speed she could manage. As she exceeded her previous top speed she realized that the sensation of additional power was definitely real, not just a figment of her imagination. Shoving the thought aside, she took advantage of the increased power to get to her friends faster.

“Right,” Galvanic Action managed, an explosion echoing near him in the background.

A few seconds later Warden turned the corner to find the street devastated, the battle having raged down most of two city blocks. Most of the store fronts were caved in, and fires raged around them. A number of civilians, police, and even the villain’s henchmen were scattered about the area, obviously injured.

Her friends weren’t an exception to that, either. Crimson Bull’s suit had several cuts through it, though his incredible toughness had reduced deadly injuries to minor ones. As she watched, the big man hefted the remains of a police car at Black Harbinger, who contemptuously blew it out of the air with his cannon. It looked like Galvanic Action had been hit twice by the villain’s minions, and he was hiding behind a car, trying to recover. Morgan had an obviously injured arm, and was putting most of her magic into defense as a pile of henchmen poured shots into her. The only one who was in decent shape was Black Comet, who was managing to keep Harbinger mostly busy, but with the amount of energy he was burning, Warden doubted her teammate could keep it up for much longer.

Projecting a shield of magic around herself, Warden darted in as she added another around Crimson Bull, speaking into her comm, “Crimson, hit him! I’ve got your back!”

“Awesome!” Crimson Bull rumbled, laughing loudly as he charged again, this time with a shimmering barrier of azure-streaked gold around him. The pavement cracked beneath his feet as the hero ran straight at one of the deadlier supervillains on the planet.

Black Harbinger responded with incredible speed, and as his energy blade lashed out in a blow that cut a lamp post in two, Warden braced herself for the blow, marveling at Crimson’s courage. The man had more trust in her magic than she did, and as the blade hit the shield, she strained to keep it intact under the blow. The shield sparked and bowed, but didn’t break, and then Crimson Bull was past the villain’s greater reach. With a yell, the hero delivered a devastating piledriver into the villain’s chest, and even from where she was, Warden could hear Harbinger’s armor crack as he was catapulted backward into a bus.

“Morgan hit him with a piercer! Take him down!” Galvanic Action ordered, corroding the guns of more of the henchmen as he popped up. Most of the villain’s men were panicking or focused on the police, which Warden knew would give her friend an opening.

Morgan didn’t reply, instead allowing her shield to weaken, focusing it in front of her even as she began to weave dense, barely contained magic between her hands, her jewelry sparking with power.

Warden quickly put up a barrier around a couple of police officers in danger of being caught in crossfire by the henchmen, and flew lower as she prepared to take out some of the other villains. As she descended, though, a sense of foreboding washed over her, and she instinctively glanced upward. As Morgan was weaving her spells, there was a flicker of bright orange and red in the window behind the heroine.

“Morgan, behind you!” Warden cried out desperately, trying to raise a new shield around her friend, time seeming to slow as she watched.

Behind Morgan a circular section of the office building had silently turned bright red and orange as it melted away. In the space behind the window was another man, this one wreathed in flames as he stood in his armored suit decorated with painted flames. Pyroclasm IV had a cruel smile on his face, the sight of which made Warden’s blood run cold, especially with the white-hot ball of flames in the palm of his hand. Warden’s magic was just too slow, and Morgan had barely started to react as the villain struck.

The ball of fire turned into an intense, white-hot blast directed straight into Morgan’s virtually unshielded back. Screaming in pain, Morgan began to fall as smoke and steam surrounded her, the violet magic dying unused in her hands as she fell from the sky. Warden couldn’t help but see where the fires had burnt straight through Morgan’s cloak and enchanted dress as if they hadn’t even existed, as well as the horrific damage they’d dealt to her friend’s back.

As Pyroclasm laughed maniacally, time sped up for Warden again. She tried to fly toward her friend, to catch her before she hit the ground, but she wasn’t fast enough, she wouldn’t make it in time. As badly injured as she was, Morgan might die if that happened, and panic surged through Warden as she tried to go faster. As she desperately tried to move, her magic stirred and flared… For a moment, everything snapped into crystalline clarity, and Warden vanished in a flash of golden-blue light.

Almost at the same instant, Warden appeared below Morgan. She didn’t have time to wonder what had just happened, instead plucking her friend from the air and looking at her in horror. Warden didn’t know as much about injuries as Orchid, but even she knew that burns down to the bone were bad.

Chapter 29

Thursday, December 19th, 2030

Military Research Center, San Mateo

The cannon snarled loudly as Megawatt discharged an artificial lightning bolt into the cyborg soldier from behind. The soldier, the last in the compound, fell to the ground with a grunt of pain. For a moment he reached for a grenade with his gleaming metal arm, only to have the limb short out moments later. The flesh joined to the metal was smoking, and Megawatt lowered his cannon as the man’s vitals flatlined.

Speaking flatly, Megawatt stomped around the corner. “All opposition accounted for. We should be good to go.”

“Great, that’s done,” Heavy Metal grunted, kicking the crumpled remains of a lab technician aside and tossing the corpse of another cyborg after him. “So, what’re we here for again?”

“The computer mainframe,” Ebon Dragon replied calmly, despite the arrogant look he gave the metallic villain. “I keep anyone from noticing we attacked until we’ve left, Megawatt gets it out, and you get to carry it. I think that’s perfect for your skill set.”

“Right, right. So, where is it, tin can?” Heavy Metal asked, causing Megawatt to snort derisively. He hated being teamed up with the dimwit, but the money was good.

“Behind the security door I just unlocked, metalhead,” Megawatt explained in annoyance, opening the door. “Gimme a minute and we can get out of here.”

“Right. I’ll just stand here, then,” Heavy Metal replied, frowning as he settled into place.

Rolling his eyes, Megawatt resisted the urge to be snarky, instead keeping his reply simple. “You do that.”

* * *

Thursday, December 19th, 2030

Downtown San Francisco

Walking toward the chaos, Lilith was surprised at just how many people were doing the same. While the majority were staying away, curiosity definitely seemed to be a human trait, which amused her. While the police in the area would fire the occasional shot, they were mostly dodging the blasts of ebon energy that lanced back toward them in return. She was privately thankful that the battle hadn’t left her condo in the line of fire so far, but it was a minor concern, with as much destruction as was occurring.

She’d come around the corner to view the destruction that had been wreaked on the city, and she’d seen Gina, no, Warden up above, using her powers to defend one of her allies, Crimson Bull. Black Harbinger looked intimidating, but it was satisfying to see him trying to pull himself out of the engine block of a bus. Even so, every trace of amusement that Lilith possessed vanished in the moment she heard Warden scream, and Lilith actually cursed her enhanced senses as she caught every detail of what happened to Morgan, and cursed that none of her abilities allowed her to help at all.

The last time she’d been this helpless had been when Warden had been ambushed, but that time she’d been different. She hadn’t wanted to interfere at the time, and she hadn’t cared about the heroine who’d been attacked. Now… now she cared, and that made all the difference in the world.

At the blast of fire and the sight of Morgan’s falling body, something inside Lilith wrenched, hard. She had difficulty breathing, and it hurt worse than anything had since she’d started to feel at all. She didn’t even realize when she started to move, whispering softly, “No… no, don’t do this…”

The air was a blur around Lilith, and she felt the unfamiliar stinging of tears beginning to flow down her cheeks as she ran toward where Morgan was falling. As fast as Lilith was, Warden was faster. Lilith could hear the gasps of shock from the onlookers as Warden lit up with blue and gold light and vanished, reappearing below Morgan to catch her and lower her to the ground.

At the same time, Black Harbinger broke free, and Lilith caught the flickers of movement as Black Comet rose to confront Pyroclasm. It took Lilith a moment to realize that the speed-based hero was the only one of them who could confront Pyroclasm without risking major injuries, at least as long as he could dodge in time. Crimson Bull was pounding on Harbinger to try to keep him down, but with his injuries there was only so long he could keep it up. No one was paying much attention to Morgan save for the mundanes, like the henchmen and police. The henchmen were firing at Warden, who was occupied shielding the two heroines.

Not many people were really watching Lilith, aside from those who were filming the entire disaster. It always startled her how often those people complained when they were caught in battles like this, but it didn’t really matter. She hopped over a shattered mailbox and darted around a car to where Warden was kneeling, tears streaming down her face. Looking down at Morgan, Lilith felt numb as she saw the horrible damage in an instant. Stepping through Warden’s shield, she swallowed hard.

“She… she doesn’t have much time, does she?” Lilith asked, slipping up to Warden and looking at the damage Morgan had sustained. It was a wonder the woman was alive at all, but heroes were incredibly tough, which sometimes just made an injury even worse.

“Morgan, she… oh, god…” Warden’s voice trembled as she held her friend, staring at her. “I don’t… I don’t think she’s…”

Kneeling next to her friend, Lilith saw that Morgan’s eyes were open and she was still breathing, but her eyes were massively dilated, almost vacant. Lilith let out a breath, then asked softly, “Morgan? Morgan, can you hear me? Rachel?”

Morgan didn’t respond to Lilith’s voice, and Warden let out a soft whimper as the energy fire bounced off her shield. Reaching out with trembling fingers, Lilith stroked Morgan’s cheek… no, Rachel’s cheek. Her beloved Rachel.

As the thought ran through her head while touching Rachel’s cheek, Lilith felt her faint connection to Rachel flare to life. It was as if somehow her thought had made the connection between them stronger, and through it she could feel the horrible damage that had been wreaked on Rachel’s body. She could feel the screaming agony through Rachel’s nerves, the missing flesh, and she wanted desperately to make it right, to fix it. But it was as if Rachel was just out of reach, as if she needed permission to touch her. At the thought, Lilith paused and dared hope.

Looking at Rachel, Lilith finally spoke, her voice trembling. “Warden, no… Gina. I’m going to try something. I think I can help her, but I don’t know if it’ll work. It… I just don’t know. May I, please?”

“Please! If you can help her… just…” Warden replied, flinching as the explosions between Black Comet and Pyroclasm increased in intensity. “Please try!”

“Alright, here it goes…” Lilith murmured, taking a deep breath, and focused her mind and will on Rachel, every bit of her concentration on that connection. Her power stirred, and Lilith grasped even her captivation field, focusing it down that connection as she spoke, her voice resonating through the battlefield. “Rachel, wake up and look at me.”

Morgan’s eyes suddenly snapped into focus and she gasped as her eyes met Lilith’s. Her voice came in a whisper, eliciting a gasp from Warden. “L-Lilith? Wh-what…?”

“Rachel, you’re dying,” Lilith spoke bluntly, her eyes not wavering from Morgan’s. Her voice was relentless, echoing in that tiny space where nothing else seemed to exist. “I can feel it, your body failing you. I can tell that I can heal you, Rachel, but I can’t. I need permission, and not just permission. Do you trust me, Rachel? If you let me in, if you trust me, I can help you. Otherwise… I can’t do anything.”

“Rach… you don’t have time. You’re too badly hurt…” Warden whispered, finally turning her attention to start defending the other heroes again.

Morgan didn’t seem to notice her friend’s words, Lilith noticed, her eyes locked on Lilith’s. It took a few moments for the heroine to work through what Lilith had said, and slowly she nodded, ever so slightly. “Okay. I’ve been… trying not to. But okay. Please help me, Lilith?”

“Of course I will, Rachel,” Lilith replied, feeling as if a floodgate had opened and Rachel’s body opened itself to her. Feeling the connection surging to life, Lilith’s senses poured into Rachel’s body as she smiled and spoke in that same tone. “I won’t let you die, my dear Rachel. That’s not acceptable.”

Reaching deep into Rachel, Lilith found the injuries and didn’t even think about what she was doing. She simply willed them to be undone, and she felt a sudden drain on her own vitality as the muscles began to re-knit. Ignoring the drain on herself, Lilith expanded her search, and bones healed, tendons regenerated, and blood vessels re-formed in front of her eyes. As she worked, the drain grew greater and greater, until the weariness was eating at her consciousness and Lilith’s vision was wavering. As she reached Morgan’s skin, even the heroine seemed to have noticed what was happening.

“Lilith… that’s enough. I feel much better… don’t push too hard,” Morgan protested softly.

“No. I refuse… to leave this half-done,” Lilith growled, clenching her teeth as she strained, the edges of her vision blurring. It was like trying to squeeze water from a dry towel, but she persisted, gasping quietly. “Just… a bit more…”

Slowly, one inch at a time, the skin on Morgan’s back reformed, new and perfect as could be. If anything it was better, though Lilith wasn’t certain. Blinking slowly, Lilith smiled, looking at the two of them and whispering softly, “Kick their asses, would you?”

A little more energy slipped out of Lilith and into the two women at her request, and Lilith felt her grasp on consciousness slip. Everything went dark as she collapsed where she’d been kneeling.

* * *

Swearing, Galvanic Action ducked behind a car and ground his teeth in frustration. It was always frustrating to him that his ability to corrode Black Harbinger’s equipment was nonexistent, and Pyroclasm didn’t have any equipment to screw up. He was at his best against villains in power armor, which was probably why they avoided the area most of the time. While he could rust away Pyroclasm’s armor eventually, it required far closer proximity than was safe with the man’s pyrokinetics. That meant he was reduced to taking out the mooks, rather than the villains themselves.

The only good thing at the moment was that taking out the mooks was going well. As he popped out of cover, Galvanic Action concentrated on two of their guns, and in seconds the two men were holding useless bricks. He had to wonder where the villain got the cannons from, as they weren’t terribly common. Still, with Morgan down for the count, and possibly fatally, Galvanic Action was beginning to wonder if they’d survive the day. If Ocean Spirit didn’t get here soon, she might show up to confront both a class A and a class S villain on her own, and that would go… badly.

Just as the thought ran through his head, Galvanic Action suddenly paused as he saw both Morgan and Warden ascend back into the air. He’d seen Morgan get heavily injured, which was why the sight of her startled him, and for a moment he thought the one who was hit had been an illusion. That suspicion vanished as he saw her back, where her cloak had been almost entirely burnt away, and where magical straps were holding her dress together.

Galvanic couldn’t help the surge of emotions that flooded him. Confusion at Morgan’s sudden recovery, relief that she was alright, and hope that with her and Warden it would turn the tides of their battle all surged through him, but he managed to shove them to the side. The important thing was that they were back, and he could ask them what had happened later.

Invigorated by the hope their appearance granted, Galvanic corroded the weapons of another henchman, noticing that Warden had created a shield around herself and Morgan, and oddly enough, around the location she’d just risen from. He didn’t worry about it, ducking another blast instead.

“That hurt, Pyroclasm.” Morgan’s voice rang out over the battlefield, savage as she spoke in a glacial tone, her hands wreathed in her power. “I wonder how a coward like you will handle a fair fight?”

“Bring it on! I fried you once, I can do it again!” Pyroclasm laughed, sneering as he surrounded himself in a cloud of dense flames that forced Black Comet away from him.

The other hero flashed away and landed next to Galvanic Action, and he didn’t look good. Black Comet’s suit was scorched in several places and he was breathing hard, sweat beading on his exposed skin. Galvanic paused, then asked in concern, “Comet, are you alright?”

“Got a couple of minor burns, but nothin’ too bad,” Black Comet gasped, shaking his head. “He wouldn’t let me get close to him, though. All I was doing was distracting him, and he knew it. I need a breather, though, I’ve been going full speed for too long.”

“Right, well…” Galvanic let his voice trail off, then smiled and nodded upward. “Well, it looks like Morgan’s a bit pissed off, so I think you’ve got one.”

“Holy shit,” Black Comet murmured, his eyes wide. “Since when could Warden block that much fire?”

“I have no idea,” Galvanic replied softly, just as stunned.

Above them Morgan was weaving her magic as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Warden’s barrier surrounded them in azure-veined gold light, blocking the massive waves of fire Pyroclasm was hurling at them. The villain’s face betrayed a great deal of strain as he added more and more fire to the conflagration, but it seemed almost useless. All the while, Morgan was slowly condensing her magic into dozens of arrowheads of ice, each glowing a deep, deep purple.

Normal ice didn’t worry Pyroclasm, but from the anxiousness in his attacks, Galvanic Action could tell that these were different, and he smiled. “Couldn’t happen to a better guy.”

Instinct made Galvanic duck just as a henchman circled the car and took a shot at him. Swearing, this time he didn’t just corrode the man’s gun, he also bounded forward and took the man down, hard. A lot of people seemed to forget he was a decent martial artist, but the attack also got him to check on Crimson Bull and Black Harbinger.

Harbinger was taking a beating, and his armor was starting to come apart. That was good and bad, considering how Harbinger always tried to detonate at that point. The thought made Galvanic pale, remembering how the villain had nearly killed him the last time around. Worse, the area they were in was heavily populated this time.

At Pyroclasm’s scream of rage, Galvanic looked up and suddenly felt like more of a spectator than a participant in the battle. Morgan’s arrowheads of ice were chasing Pyroclasm through the sky, and the villain was both trying and failing to melt them as he ran. While he’d managed to destroy a couple, the vast majority of the arrows were barely touched, and Galvanic felt a surge of satisfaction as one hit the villain’s right shoulder, spreading purple ice across his body as he flew around a corner of the building, Morgan in close pursuit.

“Foolish heroes! If I’m to lose, all of you shall die with me!” Black Harbinger suddenly boomed, his armor lighting up with bright red symbols.

“Everyone get back, he’s going to blow!” Galvanic Action yelled, his pupils contracting as he remembered when he’d nearly died, and Crimson Bull suddenly veered off, swearing loudly.

“Not this time, Harbinger!” Warden called out, a spherical barrier suddenly surrounding the villain as she focused her powers on him. “My powers have grown, and this time I can contain you!”

“You shall… pay for your arrogance…!” Black Harbinger replied, his voice strained and his body bulging as the runes grew brighter, and then howled, “DIE!”

Galvanic Action instinctively ducked as the villain’s body lit up like a second sun, exploding in a terrific blast of shrapnel and energy. However, this time the shock wave never came, and the explosion was merely noise. Everyone watched speechlessly as Warden’s barrier expanded with the force of the explosion, nearly tripling in size, then contracted as the power of the villain’s explosion dissipated. He could tell that it had been a near thing, but that she’d stopped it was astonishing.

The ground that Harbinger had been standing on was reduced to a glass indentation, and there was no sign of the villain. Warden shook her head, then looked at the henchmen, her voice frosty. “I suggest you surrender. Now.”

With their leader dead for the moment, most of the henchmen promptly dropped their weapons. The one who didn’t was taken out by Black Comet in a blur of motion. With the danger mostly past, the emergency personnel rushed forward to try to help, and to put out the fires.

Galvanic almost jumped when Morgan returned, scowling as she floated down to land and reported unhappily, “Pyroclasm used a portal grenade to escape. I did hit him three times, so he shouldn’t recover quickly. How’re things here?”

“We’re fine now, it looks like all the villains are dealt with. Let’s go check on Lilith,” Warden replied with a firm shake of her head.

“What? Lilith? Isn’t that the lady you’ve been meeting with?” Crimson Bull asked, a hand on the char marks crisscrossing his body. “The one who crippled Blue Impulse, right? What was she doing here?”

“I have no idea, but she healed me, then collapsed. I’m taking her to the HQ to get looked over,” Morgan explained quickly, jogging over to where she’d fallen earlier. She quickly picked up a woman bigger than she was, and Galvanic couldn’t help but recognize Lilith Carpenter, after as many times as she’d come up. The woman was unconscious and extremely pale.

“Alright, we’ll clean up here. See you there?” Galvanic Action asked automatically, feeling stunned as Morgan and Warden nodded, then took flight with the woman, heading toward their headquarters.

Chapter 30

Thursday, December 19th, 2030

Ocean Shield HQ, San Francisco

“What in the name of the gods is she?” Blooming Orchid asked, looking at the readouts in stunned amazement.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?” Ocean Spirit asked, looking up from helping the nurse treat Crimson Bull’s injuries. “Is Ms. Carpenter in any danger?”

“Oh no, she’s fine. She’s suffering from severe exhaustion, and it seems like she hasn’t eaten for a few days, but that’s likely just from overextending newfound powers. You know how it is with that sort of thing,” Blooming Orchid replied, shaking her head. “No, I’m talking about her body. I’ve never seen anything like this. She’s just… I have to wonder if she’s human, honestly. That’s why I asked what she is.”

“Lilith was an experiment at the ‘next stage of the human race,’ according to her explanation,” Rachel replied, looking at them, then at the sleeping woman on the bed. She’d changed into a simple dress, and had ditched her mask for the time being. “She grew up in a lab without any human contact, since her creator disappeared before she was born, and was raised by a low-end AI. I know her physical abilities are fairly high, but not the particulars.”

“Ahh, that explains much of this. Her body is…” Blooming Orchid paused, then stepped away from the console, shaking her head in wonder. “Her natural abilities come close to matching my enhanced ones, and her nervous system is almost a form of fiber-optic network. I can’t imagine how quickly she can react. With the rest of her body… I’d guess that she has eight to ten times the capabilities of a mundane of her apparent build. Maybe a bit more.”

“That’s more impressive than I thought it was,” Gina spoke up softly, shaking her head slowly. “She tried to explain, but I don’t think she really understood what normal was to begin with.”

“It’s pretty damned scary if you ask me. What does she want, and what’re her goals?” Black Comet asked, pausing for a moment from almost inhaling a series of energy bars to recover from his efforts. Of everyone in the battle, he’d done the most, while taking the least damage. He’d always been one of the members that Rachel admired the most, even if she disagreed with his opinion at the moment.

“That’s a very good question, and the answer is fairly simple. Her only goal was to leave the lab, and now that she has? She has no idea what to do. She has a hard time relating to people, and most of what others want in life just baffles her,” Rachel explained, smiling. “We’ve been helping her a lot, apparently, so she’s been slowly settling down, trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life.”

“So, how long have you known about all of this?” Ocean Spirit asked, sounding concerned. “I don’t believe she told us about this healing power before, which is worrying.”

“She told us about her origin last night, since she didn’t want to hide it after what Gina had been through. As to her powers… I don’t think even she knew about them, and when she offered to heal me, she wasn’t certain if she could. She did mention that she thought she felt a new power stirring after the encounter with Blue Impulse,” Rachel explained, as she looked at Lilith. “At a guess, her power has some form of requirement to its use, and it does more than just heal. The power was invigorating, and my magic surged in strength for a little while after being healed.”

“That seems very odd to me, and worrying,” Ocean Spirit murmured, frowning at Lilith. “Are you sure she’s telling the truth?”

“Yes,” Gina interjected, her voice flat as she stared at the team’s leader. Even Rachel was startled by her friend’s tone, but Gina didn’t seem to care as she continued. “Lilith had no idea what she was walking into, but saved me with significant personal danger, and when I refused to go home, she chose to house me without asking for anything in return. Instead of keeping it to herself, she told Rachel and me about her origin, even though she fears the secret getting out. Beyond any of that, she ran onto a battlefield with Black Harbinger to try to help Rachel. Rachel was dying, Spirit! If you’d seen what I did at the time, you would’ve known that without a doubt! Lilith pushed herself until she fell unconscious to heal her, leaving her on the same battlefield and completely helpless. I understand your suspicion, but can’t we at least judge her by her actions?”

“That… well, you may have a point,” Ocean Spirit admitted, glancing at Rachel as she asked, “Morgan, were you really that badly hurt? No one but Warden really got a good look at you before you were healed, and you don’t look like you were injured at all, aside from the way your clothing was burnt.”

It took Rachel a few moments to respond, as she chewed on her lower lip, thinking. She couldn’t keep her eyes off Lilith easily, and it probably wasn’t just because of the captivation field. As she watched, Blooming Orchid checked the IV providing nutrients to the unconscious woman.

“I can’t be certain, but I think I was. The attack… I remember a searing pain, and everything went hazy,” Rachel spoke softly. “I suspect I was in shock. Everything snapped into focus when Lilith ordered me to look at her, and it felt like she was using her power on me to hold my attention. I couldn’t look away if I’d wanted to, and her eyes were glowing as she looked at me. She told me that I was dying, and that she could heal me, but only if I truly trusted her and let her in. I felt like I was dying, and I’ve already mostly trusted her, so I agreed. She told me that she wouldn’t let me die, and then…”

Rachel’s voice trailed off at the memory and she smiled gently. “It was like slipping into a warm bath, really. The gentle warmth enveloped me, and one by one, all of my injuries vanished as though they’d never existed. While I never saw my injuries, I looked in the mirror earlier, and several small scars aren’t there anymore. I don’t even feel sore or tired, and I only got about five hours of sleep last night.”

“That’s amazing,” Blooming Orchid murmured, looking Rachel over with obvious curiosity. “Do you mind if I give you an exam? I’d like to see if I can spot any changes.”

“That’s fine with me. Still, do we have any idea what Black Harbinger was trying to do?” Rachel asked, looking around the room.

“I promise to reserve judgement where Ms. Carpenter is concerned for the moment. As for Harbinger… Hypergizmo? Do you care to chime in?” Ocean Spirit asked, looking over to a speaker on the wall.

“Of course, Spirit,” Hypergizmo replied, sounding exhausted. “We don’t have all of the details yet, but Harbinger’s minions were planting bombs across the city, and he was going to start detonating them in sequence to cause as much devastation as they could. The Oakland Bridge is going to be out of service for a few weeks from the explosion there, but we’re fairly lucky that there were surprisingly few close to the blast, and the other bombs have been located and disarmed. The problem is that Pyroclasm, was not part of their plan or contacts. None of Harbinger’s minions knew anything about him, and his appearance surprised them.”

“Do we have any idea why he showed up, then?” Black Comet asked, sitting back in his chair. “Pyroclasm has always been a destructive menace, but this was unusual for him. He doesn’t usually ambush people, he usually just attacks head-on.”

“I think he was another distraction. While we were busy, someone hit a military hospital in San Mateo. No one I can get in touch with knows much, but the damage seems to be consistent with supers. It’s being hushed up, but…” Hypergizmo paused, then continued. “Anyway, I can’t say much there. If there are any survivors, the military isn’t saying. Not much I can do about it.”

“That figures. We won’t find out anything from them until it’s already bitten us in the ass,” Black Comet muttered balefully.

“Dammit, I was in San Mateo!” Crimson Bull rumbled, patting one of the bandages. Rachel knew that he’d probably be fine by the next day, despite how nasty the wounds looked. “Do you think they deliberately drew me out of the area?”

“That’s what it looks like. I really think we need more intel on who’s pulling the strings in our area. The problem is that they’re hiding too well,” Hypergizmo replied grimly. “I’m working on it, and so are the police. As an aside, the police sent their thanks for the help, and Sky Defender has volunteered to help reconstruct the bridge, since he couldn’t get to the battlefield in time.”

“Don’t take it too hard, Crimson, they chose a damned impressive distraction,” Galvanic Action interjected, shaking his head. “I just wish I’d been more useful, and that my powers worked on Harbinger, the psycho.”

“Acknowledge the police like usual, and relay my thanks to Sky Defender as well,” Ocean Spirit replied, smiling slightly at Galvanic Action. “All of you did great work under the circumstances. Good job, everyone. Hyper? Get some sleep, would you? You’ve been up for a day, I think.”

“Fine, boss.” Hypergizmo laughed, then the speaker went dead.

“Since all of that’s done, onto a bed, Rachel. I want to see that back of yours,” Blooming Orchid said, smiling as she gestured at an examination bed.

“As you say.” Rachel sighed, moving to comply obediently.

* * *

“…think she’s waking up.” Someone was speaking as Lilith snapped conscious, and immediately regretted waking up. She’d never regained consciousness so suddenly, not even when she’d woken the first time, and with how her head was aching, Lilith wasn’t terribly happy about it.

“I… am awake, yes. Though I somewhat wish I wasn’t,” Lilith murmured, slowly opening her eyes to avoid blinding herself.

Standing over her was a beautiful woman with Asian features, flawless skin, and black hair, wearing a doctor’s scrubs. Blooming Orchid had been distinctive on the team’s website, so Lilith recognized the woman easily. Also in the room were Gina and Rachel, along with Galvanic Action on another bed, laying back and watching her.

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” Blooming Orchid replied, frowning as she asked, “I didn’t think you were injured, so what hurts?”

“It’s my head… a headache, I think. It feels sort of like the time I stood up under a metal bar,” Lilith replied, wincing as she reached up to rub her head. “It doesn’t feel like I hit my head, so that’s strange. Actually, this probably is worse than it was with the bar.”

“You’re sounding surprisingly alert for having just woken up,” Orchid murmured, checking her charts. “As for the headache, I believe it’s due to you overextending your new powers. You burned most of your energy reserves in the process, and need both food and sleep. I do not recommend using your powers to that extent often… it has much worse backlash than most I’ve seen. I’ve had an IV helping restore nutrients, but you’re going to need a good deal of rest and time to recover.”

“Ah, that explains much. I wasn’t exactly worrying about the drain at the time, and was in a hurry. Since Rachel appears fine, it seems that my pain was for a good reason,” Lilith replied, sighing softly as she sat back. “As for being alert… well, I tend to wake quickly and clearly, and this time I woke even faster. It wasn’t very pleasant, however. I almost wish I was still unconscious.”

“I see, that does explain one of my questions. Still, you appear to be otherwise well,” Blooming Orchid murmured, then shrugged and stepped back. “I think Rachel wanted to talk to you, though.”

“Thank you, Lilith. I didn’t realize what a risk you were taking,” Rachel spoke softly as she stepped forward. “If you hadn’t, I would’ve died, and the others might have been killed too. Are you going to be okay?”

“I think I’ll be fine. While I’m in a little pain, it seems just general… I think Blooming Orchid is right about what the cause is,” Lilith replied, shrugging and sitting up slowly. “What about you? I tried to heal everything, but I can’t say that I know exactly what I was doing. I’m just grateful that it worked, and a little pain is well worth that.”

“Well, it did more than that. My skin is like new, and you even fixed a few fillings in my teeth, which was a bit of a shock,” Rachel replied, and grinned as she added, “I didn’t expect that, I have to tell you!”

“Which isn’t fair at all! You saved her, and she gets her teeth fixed? What about me?” Gina interjected, sounding outraged, but with a grin that showed she wasn’t serious. “All I got were blue streaks in my magic.”

“That’s not true. It sure as heck looked like you developed the ability to teleport,” Galvanic Action interrupted Gina in turn, and he seemed amused as he added, “I think that’s a rather big improvement, isn’t it?”

“That’s not fair, though. I don’t have any idea how to use it yet!” Gina protested, and Lilith laughed quietly.

“You aren’t the only one, Gina. I have no idea how my powers work, not really. I seem to be able to focus my… captivation field even more, and to heal people who trust me sufficiently. I even…” Lilith paused, blinking, then tilted her head. “That’s odd. I didn’t realize it before, but I can sense you and Rachel, now. I knew that you were nearby even before I opened my eyes, and I couldn’t do that before. That’s… odd.”

“You really don’t know how to use your powers?” Orchid asked curiously, continuing to look at her readouts. “You seem to have done a lot despite that.”

“Not really, no. I’ve been mostly running on instinct,” Lilith admitted. It was odd, but she did find the heroes fascinating, so she continued. “I was going to be meeting with a specialist tomorrow to identify my powers, but I suspect today is going to make that a little more complicated.”

“I can imagine. What sort of specialist?” Galvanic asked, leaning forward in his bed. “I know there are a bunch out there.”

“Oh, it’s a woman with SuperNet named Allison Gambry. I don’t know much more…” Lilith’s voice trailed off at the man’s slight jump, and the glances of surprise that the women had given one another. After a moment she asked, “I suddenly suspect that I don’t know something about her, since all of you are looking at each other like that?”

“It isn’t really anything important, but she’s somewhat renowned among heroes,” Gina spoke up, explaining quickly. “She’s often called Insight, and heroes with unusual powers are often trained by her. She can read into the abilities of a superhuman with far more accuracy than should be possible, and is normally in Paragon City. I just wonder why she decided to take your case…”

“That’s an interesting question,” Rachel murmured, tugging on a lock of hair thoughtfully. “I remember that she sometimes randomly visits other cities to examine new supers, so that’s what she could be up to.”

“It really doesn’t matter why she’s out here. The important thing is that she’s one of the best people in the country to help you determine what your powers are, Lilith,” Blooming Orchid spoke up, smiling. “In any case, I think you’re ready to go, Lilith. Just take it easy, hmm? Even with your amazing body, you have your limits.”

“Thank you very much. I’ll be sure to go to the meeting in the morning, since you all have me very curious,” Lilith murmured, but she smiled nervously as the doctor removed the IV, asking softly, “So, did Gina and Rachel tell you about my past, then?”

“They did, while you were unconscious,” Orchid said, glancing up to meet Lilith’s eyes for a moment, then continuing after a short pause. “Was it difficult, growing up in a laboratory alone?”

It took Lilith a few moments to put her emotions in order, even though she knew that the two hadn’t shared her most deadly secret. When she did speak, her voice was soft. “Extremely. I don’t think anything can explain what it’s like to be raised completely alone, with nothing but an AI as company. Still, I survived it mostly intact, and now I meet other people and have the opportunity to learn and grow. I’m fascinated by society, even if my own reactions are a bit atypical.”

“I can’t even imagine what that’d be like, but congratulations on surviving it,” Blooming Orchid said, smiling warmly as she put a band aid over where the IV had been. “There we are, you’re good to go.”

“Thank you, Blooming Orchid. I appreciate it,” Lilith replied with a nod of her own and climbed to her feet.

“Pardon me, Ms. Carpenter, but do you mind if I ask a couple of questions?” Galvanic Action asked, his question making her pause and blink at him.

She nodded and walked over to him, her legs slowly growing steadier as she stood longer. Smiling, she spoke pleasantly to the man. “I think I can do that, so long as they aren’t too intrusive. You’re Galvanic Action, yes?”

“Yup, that’s me. So, if you don’t mind me asking, whose project were you?” Galvanic asked, prompting a gasp of surprise from Gina.

Smiling, Lilith shook her head firmly. “I refuse to answer that question. I don’t know you nearly well enough to trust you with the information.”

“In fact, it was rather rude,” Gina added, glaring at him. “You know that prying on things like that isn’t considered polite, Galvanic!”

“I do know, but I was curious!” Galvanic protested, holding up a hand apologetically. “I’m sorry, Ms. Carpenter, I’m just trying to be careful.”

“There was no harm done, so it’s perfectly fine, Galvanic Action,” Lilith replied, amused at Gina’s scolding. “What of your other questions?”

“Yes, though this one may be a bit silly. See, it’s your name,” Galvanic murmured, looking a little sheepish as he ran a hand through his hair. “I remember some legends growing up, and your name surprised me.”

“Ah, yes… that would be my creator’s fault,” Lilith said, carefully avoiding mentioning a gender for her maker. “In fact, the entire name is part of their perverse sense of humor, or their hubris if you look at it that way.”

“Um, what’re you talking about?” Gina asked, tilting her head slightly.

“In some mythology, Lilith is the name of Adam’s first wife, but she refused to submit and was replaced by Eve,” Lilith explained as simply as she could. “Jesus’ mortal father was a carpenter, so that’s where that bit came from. My maker was playing god with my creation, and they found it amusing to give me a name that almost flaunted what they’d done.”

“That…” Rachel interjected, looking ever so slightly appalled, while some of the others looked thoughtful. Galvanic Action surprised her by simply laughing, seeming relieved.

“So that’s it. Sorry, I just… somehow it’d make me feel worse if it was an accident, or something that you chose,” the hero explained with a chuckle. “My last question is simple enough. What’re your intentions toward Gina and Rachel?”

Gina inhaled sharply, but he held up a hand, speaking firmly. “Look, we’ve gone the rounds on this plenty of times already, and everything so far has been speculation. So why don’t you just let her answer.”

“I…” Gina began, but Lilith shook her head and laughed, interrupting by incident.

“That’s refreshingly direct, I must say. One moment, please, I need to think of how to explain myself, and to figure out what it is that that I’m feeling,” Lilith told him, her thoughts racing.

“That makes sense. Take your time, if you need to,” Galvanic replied, watching her closely. Though he was suspicious, Lilith felt that he was one of the better heroes she’d heard of. He was just concerned about his team and friends.

Lilith began to pace back and forth, the slow, measured movements helping her think as she considered, her eyes distant. What was it that she felt for the two women? Before this, she’d always just wanted to be close to have their friendship, but… it was something more than that. Glancing at Gina, in her suit with the hood pulled back, and Rachel in her dress, Lilith felt the warmth spread through her. She felt like she belonged with them, and like earlier, she realized that she was willing to do almost anything to be with them. Until that very moment, she hadn’t been able to identify her feelings, and she stopped suddenly, smiling gently.

“I didn’t know. Not until a few moments ago, at least. My emotions were unfamiliar, and they were… immature, I suppose. Still, I think I’ve worked them out,” Lilith explained, looking at the two women and smiling, then back at Galvanic Action. “I like both of them. As friends for certain… and possibly romantically. I’m not certain where things will go with that, but it’s part of the future. I don’t know what else to tell you, other than I wish for them to be happy.”

Rachel blushed in the middle of Lilith’s explanation, and Gina followed shortly afterward, turning her odd shade of blue as she gasped. “You… how could you tell him before telling me! Us!”

Galvanic Action looked drop-jawed, staring at Lilith. “Are you serious?”

“Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?” Lilith asked curiously.

“That’s—” Galvanic Action began.

“It’s none of your business,” Rachel interrupted firmly, standing up straight. “It’s ours. Shall we go have a little discussion, Gina?”

“I think that’s a good idea,” Gina agreed, taking Lilith’s other arm firmly.

Looking between them in amusement, Lilith asked, “Do I get a say in this?”

“No,” they told her in a chorus and led the way toward the door. Lilith decided that the wise thing was to let them.

“See you later. Remember, she’s recovering and was raised in a lab. Don’t break her!” Orchid called after them, and the heroine was chuckling merrily as the door closed.

Chapter 31

Thursday, December 19th, 2030

Lilith’s Condo, San Francisco

“Let me just throw all of this in, and we can talk properly,” Lilith told Gina and Rachel.

The marinade in the wok was sizzling as she added the meat she’d diced up. All the vegetables for the stir fry were already cut, waiting in small containers for when they were needed. Rachel had found it fascinating that Lilith had prepared the ingredients for about three separate meals and stored them in in the fridge. It was convenient, but not something Rachel was willing to spend the time to maintain herself.

The three women were back at Lilith’s condo, and as Lilith worked on dinner, the other two were sitting at the small bar near the stove. The rice cooker was burbling away softly, and the rest of the sizzling food smelled wonderful. Rachel couldn’t help her feeling of bemusement as Lilith cooked the meal, especially after the day that they’d had. Days, really.

“You know you don’t have to cook for us,” Rachel finally spoke, smiling at Lilith. “You’ve rescued each of us once in two days, and you were bedridden for a few hours. I wouldn’t mind cooking for you for a change.”

“I might take you up on that another day, but not right now,” Lilith replied, smiling as her wok spoon moved briskly. “I know I don’t have to, but I like cooking, Rachel. It’s soothing. In its own way, it’s an endless experiment that can’t be objectively quantified, which helps. I… I enjoy it. Besides, I find it nearly impossible to cook for less than four, and I’m starving.”

“That seems fair to me,” Gina interjected with a grin. “I’m more than willing to help test your experiment. Someone needs to be the test subject!”

“Of course you are, you’ve always been a sucker for free food,” Rachel teased, then laughed as Gina stuck her tongue out. Rachel couldn’t help feeling far more relaxed than she had been recently.

“Perhaps she is, but I appreciate it. Now, didn’t you have some questions, Rachel?” Lilith asked, adding the vegetables to the wok and stirring them about.

“Yes, that’s right. Mostly about what you said before you healed me.” Rachel nodded, pursing her lips for a moment before continuing. “More specifically, about what you meant.”

“Would that be the ‘trust me’ comment?” Lilith asked, frowning thoughtfully as she looked up from the food.

“That’s right. Obviously I do trust you, but I’m trying to figure out what you were really getting at,” Rachel said, her elbows resting on the counter, her chin cradled in her palms.

Gina seemed about to say something, but shook her head and walked over to the fridge and opened it. Rachel’s friend seemed to pause for a moment, then pulled out a bottle of root beer. Wiggling it at Rachel, she quirked an eyebrow, and Rachel barely suppressed a giggle before nodding. As Lilith considered, Gina brought a second bottle over to sit down again.

“It’s odd, Rachel, but I suspect that my power has a lot more aspects than I’ve fully explored. I believe it requires you to trust me fully because it can do so much more than merely heal. I’m not sure, honestly,” Lilith told them, and glanced up as the two bottles of soda hissed, continuing. “It… well, I don’t know, but it felt important. And it is important, because you do trust me, do you not?”

“Yes, I do. I was a little worried before, but I knew that it wasn’t entirely rational,” Rachel admitted, and paused before adding softly, “The other problem was that I didn’t want to get between you and Gina.”

“Mmm… I see. Well, how would you react if I told you that a part of me wants you to pin me to a wall and kiss me?” Lilith asked, and Rachel couldn’t help but splutter as her soda went down the wrong pipe. “I’ll admit I’ve had the same thought with Gina, but I suspect she wouldn’t object.”

“That…” Rachel coughed, clearing her throat as she glared at Lilith, and took a deep breath. Her emotions were a confused tangle, and she looked at Gina, confusion warring with happiness, then asked, “How would that even work, with me, you, and Gina?”

Gina giggled softly, prompting a glare from Rachel. Lilith smiled, pulling the wok off the heat as the rice cooker beeped. Pulling out three bowls from the cabinet, she replied. “That’s the question we need to answer. Gina mentioned that she said something about it, but… it’s up to each of us. We need to come to an agreement, one way or another.”

Lilith put a layer of rice at the bottom of each bowl, then added the stir fry to the top. Pulling out the forks, she placed a bowl and utensil in front of each of them, and another at the third place at the bar. She didn’t move, though, instead asking, “With that in mind, let’s see, shall we? I’m certainly willing to see what we work out. Gina?”

“I am,” Gina replied, looking at Rachel. She took her fork and added, “I might not have before Rachel made her admission this morning, but I’m willing to give things a chance.”

“B-but…” Rachel began to protest, but the words froze in her throat. She swallowed hard as Lilith looked into her eyes.

“What about you, Rachel? I’m not going to push you any farther than you wish to go. I trust you, absolutely,” Lilith spoke softly, and looking into her eyes, Rachel felt the last misgivings quiet, and she nodded.

“I… I suppose I am,” Rachel replied, and her heart leapt as Lilith gave one of her slow, glorious smiles. “I’m just not entirely certain about what’ll happen.”

“Neither am I, Rachel. But we’ll see how it works out,” Lilith replied, and nodded. “Now, let’s eat before I waste away to nothing.”

Epilogue

Friday, December 20th, 2030

SuperNet HQ, San Francisco

“I can see her now. I see what you meant about knowing her when I see her,” Allison murmured, watching Lilith Carpenter as she stepped into the building foyer. Admiring the woman, she could see hints of Lilith’s powers, but her eyebrows rose as she saw two more women follow her. “She also brought two other people with her, and I’m quite surprised to see them here.”

“Yes, well, she is what she is,” Vlad replied calmly, his voice clear through the speaker. “Do you have any more questions, Ms. Gambry?”

“Not any that you’ll answer,” Allison told him tartly. “You could tell me what you meant for once, you know.”

“It’s good to keep you on your toes. Besides, it’s more interesting this way,” the man replied with a deep laugh, then the line went dead.

Watching Lilith for a long moment, Allison saw how Gina and Rachel flanked her and pondered for a moment. “Your captivation field is interesting, Ms. Carpenter, but I have to wonder what it is about you that got his attention. What is it that makes you a ‘queen bee?’ Well, let’s see if I can’t find out.”

Allison turned off the monitor and stood, straightening her jacket, then headed toward the interview room at a sedate pace. She’d still get there first, and she had plenty of time.

* * *

Friday, December 20th, 2030

Futuretech Medical Center, San Francisco

Blue Impulse’s eyes slowly twitched open as he heard the door to his room unlock.

He wasn’t in much pain due to the medication, but it didn’t help with the dull ache that still pervaded his body. Even with the medication, his hatred and fear of Warden’s friend, Lilith, couldn’t be understated. The woman had beaten him far too close to death, and he longed for revenge, even dreamed of it. But even worse was what had happened to his magic.

A huge chunk of his power was missing, the piece that had been attuning the spells in Warden to him. It had been one of the risks that Ebon Dragon had warned him about, and it’d seemed fair at the time. As it was, though, the loss of magic was distressing. Blue Impulse wished his thoughts weren’t so drugged that he couldn’t touch his magic, because then he could test it and figure out just how bad the damage was.

His eyebrows furrowed as he realized that he hadn’t seen anyone yet, despite the door opening. With his jaw wired shut, he couldn’t talk, but he slowly turned his head, and Blue Impulse’s eyes went wide.

“Hello, Impulse… you’re looking like you’re in bad shape, aren’t you?” Dreamer purred, the albino woman’s smile broad and sinister. The sight of her made Blue Impulse’s hopes rise for a moment, then they went cold as he saw that she wasn’t making a move to unhook his restraints.

“Mmm… you were really beaten badly. I can’t say I blame them. You are an arrogant one. I’m just happy the Doctor chose me to carry out his insurance policy,” the villainess said, her smile widening still more as she stepped closer. “Good night, Blue Impulse. I hope your dreams are sweet.”

As she leaned down to kiss him, Blue Impulse tried desperately to scream and escape, all thoughts of revenge forgotten.

* * *

Friday, December 20th, 2030

Dr. Johnson’s Lair, Santa Cruz

“Almost there…” Doctor Johnson murmured, looking at the code on his screen in frustration. His project had been pieced together from the inventions of three different researchers, but he almost had his goal in his grasp. All three machines had been combined into a single sleek device, but there was just a final step eluding him, and he looked at the fish tank as he tried to work it out.

The door slid open to allow Ebon Dragon in. The man nodded, impassive as always. “Doctor. You wished to speak with me?”

“Yes, I did. I need a test subject for my invention, as it’s nearing viability. I don’t want to risk either of our lives on it, and Dreamer will never undergo the process without seeing someone else use it first,” Johnson told the other man, steepling his fingers in front of him. “Considering that both of us want to use it, I feel that one of our relatives is the best choice. I don’t have any relatives close enough, but you do. Do you have any objection to me testing it on your granddaughter?”

Ebon Dragon’s eyes narrowed as he considered the request, and Johnson waited patiently. He knew that the man’s family had cast him out when they discovered he was a villain, so he expected Ebon Dragon to agree, even if the tests were dangerous. Finally, Ebon Dragon nodded slightly, his voice cold. “I have no objections, so long as you do not kill her. Punishing her for her path… is acceptable.”

“As you request. Thank you,” Doctor Johnson replied, bowing his head slightly, and the other man bowed in return before he left. Once the door had slid shut again, Johnson hit a key on the desk and spoke. “Eve, contact the twins. The job is approved.”

“Yes, Doctor,” Eve replied, and Johnson smiled happily. Going back to poring over his programming, he knew he was close. Just a few more changes and it would be ready for testing.

He doubted that Blooming Orchid would approve.

* * *

Friday, December 20th, 2030

Nevada Supermax

Moira Jameson hated going into the cellblock and being stared at by the inmates. Certainly, most of them were minions, not real villains, but they gave her the creeps. Most of all, though, she hated going in to change the catheter and colostomy bags of Shadowmind. While the villain had never done more than stare at her expressionlessly, it made Moira’s skin crawl. Shadowmind had been among the top ten most wanted villains for so long that Moira was always scared she’d break free.

Ignoring the catcalls, the nurse made her way to the villain’s cell door and paused to steady her nerves. Finally, she swiped her access card to open the door and approached the bed in the middle of the room. The soft beep of the heart rate monitor was the only sound in the room, other than the breathing of the room’s occupant. Moira quickly approached, wanting to get everything done as quickly as possible. But just as she was about to move Shadowmind to help prevent bed sores, she glanced at the woman’s face and froze.

In nearly a year of attending to Shadowmind on a regular basis, she’d never seen so much as a frown or hint of expression on the villain’s face, just an ambivalent stare. This time, though, that’d changed. Her disquiet grew as she glanced at the EEG monitor, which showed the stunted waves that it should, but it didn’t comfort Moira.

She didn’t understand why, if nothing had changed, the villain’s lips were curved in a slight smile. As she thought about reporting it, Moira suddenly felt slightly dizzy, then shook her head in confusion.

Looking around the room for a moment, the nurse blinked and got to work changing the villain’s position and bags. She wasn’t sure why she’d delayed to begin with, but she wanted out of the room as soon as she could.

* * *

Amber finished adjusting the mind of the nurse, then watched for a moment to ensure that the woman wouldn’t notice anything else before going back to her thoughts. A web of mental power surrounded her, and through it she’d practically ascended beyond needing a body anymore. In fact, she might not need it at all, though she wasn’t willing to take that risk, not yet.

The villain was almost tempted to thank Crimson Bull and Warden for capturing her. If they hadn’t, she’d likely never have found the next stage to her powers. Her abilities had fought the neural inhibitor for about a month before finding a way around it, and the adaptation had been shocking. She now was almost a purely mental being, able to exist outside her body and the range of the neural inhibitors. It was fortunate that the monitoring equipment was so limited in scope, or the staff would have tried to kill her. As it was, she actually found it safer to stay in the prison for the time being.

The intrusion of Morgan and Warden into her mind had also left the two heroines with faint connections to Amber, and she’d taken advantage of the openings. If they’d attempted more difficult cleansing procedures, perhaps they wouldn’t have been open to her, but she’d done very little, only enough to ensure that they would encounter Lilith, and that had been more than enough for her.

Amber actually didn’t touch her daughter’s thoughts or mind. The strength and clarity of Lilith’s mind shocked Amber, and if she ever tried anything more than reading the thoughts of the young woman, Lilith would notice it, and she had the strength to possibly fight back. Even if Lilith didn’t agree with Amber’s methods or goals, the villainess couldn’t help but adore her and help her be happy. It was a mother’s place to ensure her children were happy, in Amber’s view.

After a few more minutes of monitoring the heroines and her daughter, Amber reluctantly pulled her thoughts away. She thought it was going to go well, but she really should give them some privacy for the moment.

Besides, she had other work to do, even if it wasn’t nearly as much fun.

Author’s Note

Writing Born a Queen, or more accurately, rewriting it, was an interesting project. There were many ideas I’d forgotten about in the intervening years since I wrote the original, some of them good, and others bad. Perhaps more importantly, I’d forgotten just how much I liked most of the characters. I like all of the heroes, even when Crimson Bull is a bit of a muscle-headed braggart. The villains are… nasty, I’ll admit that quite readily. But in the end, it was an enjoyable project. However, let’s get the bad news out of the way first.

The sequel to Born a Queen is tentatively named Down with the Queen, but it is not my next project. Next is the novella anthology Before the Godsrage, in the world of my Ancient Dreams trilogy. I expect to have the anthology out in late 2017 to early 2018. Down with the Queen will be the project immediately after that, and I expect to publish either late spring to early summer 2018. As always, these things can change.

I’m also not sure if the Lilith’s Shadow series is going to go on beyond Down with the Queen. I think it will, but it depends on how the story progresses, as I only have a tentative outline for it. This could be anywhere from two to five books, but we’ll have to see where it goes. I must say that this is going to be one of the easier stories to continue, from my perspective.

Regardless of whether you read my further books or not, I just want to say thank you for reading Born a Queen. If you’re willing, please leave me a review as well, because they help authors like myself significantly. Reviews are the lifeblood of self-publishers, and there is nothing you can do that helps more than reviewing a book. You can do so by going here:

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