“I can’t imagine why,” Rachel said, rolling her eyes, but she couldn’t keep the smile off her face. She took a second to shuffle the papers into a proper stack, adding, “Either way, I am done now. Once I put these in the right inboxes, I’ll be officially done with the university.”
There was a note of melancholy to Rachel’s voice despite her attempt to suppress it, and Rachel hoped that Gina wouldn’t notice. Not that there was much chance of that, as Gina’s eyes narrowed and she looked at Rachel closely.
“I know that tone of voice. Are you having second thoughts?” Gina asked in concern, folding her arms in front of her.
“Second thoughts? No, of course not!” Rachel protested quickly, shaking her head firmly. “It’s not that. Moving with Lilith makes a lot of sense, and I have family there, so it isn’t like that’s what’s making me wonder. They even offered to let me go on an indefinite sabbatical, so it isn’t like I had to leave. I chose to, and…”
Rachel’s voice trailed off, and Gina watched her, waiting patiently. After a minute the other woman prompted. “And… what, Rach? Come on, tell me.”
“Would you stop calling me that?” Rachel replied, though there wasn’t any real annoyance in her voice. Gina mostly used the name when she was teasing Rachel or trying to get a point across. It took Rachel a few seconds, but finally she sighed and continued. “It’s just that we are moving, really. I was… comfortable here. I liked my job, and working with Ocean Shield, and we’re giving it up. I know why, and I think it’s for the best, but it doesn’t keep me from feeling like I’ve lost something.”
“I…” Gina paused, looking around for a moment as her eyebrows furrowed, then she nodded slowly. “I understand, I think.”
“Oh? I thought you were happy to be moving,” Rachel said, surprise flickering through her. Part of the reason she hadn’t said anything about her misgivings before this was because she didn’t want to upset the others, and her regrets weren’t that potent.
“I am! It’s just the way people have been looking at me. Before, most of the people who looked at me saw a pretty woman, and that was about the end of it. Now they look at me and see Warden. It changes their reactions a lot, and after seeing my old neighbors, and how many people were in my old neighborhood…” Gina let her voice trail off, her frustration obvious, and she sighed. “Nothing’s simple.”
“At least now you know how Lilith feels about being stared at,” Rachel said, grinning at her friend slowly, forcing her concerns down. The idea of Gina being uncomfortable with people staring at her amused Rachel for some reason. “I’m looking forward to getting back to her.”
“Agreed,” Gina said, glancing at Rachel wryly, then her eyes brightened. “Oh, did you hear about her meeting at SuperNet?”
“I have been here all day, so no. I haven’t had a lot of free time,” Rachel said, rolling her eyes. “Come on, tell me while we walk, hm? I just need to toss these in the right inboxes.”
Gina nodded and followed Rachel as she left the offices and headed down the hall. There were other teachers there still, along with some of their assistants, and Rachel was conscious of the stares that followed them. She’d gotten better at ignoring them, and Gina did as well while she spoke.
“So, she met with the director in PC, and according to her, it sounded like a sales pitch of sorts,” Gina explained. “Oh, he had some good points about the pitfalls of creating a team if that was what we were after and also was suggesting some different people to get in contact with for legal help and the like, but she thought his main concern was the idea of getting merchandise that featured her.”
“That… does sound like a possibility. When we met Osmar, he struck me as the type to collect everything about heroes that he could manage. If he could get in on the ground floor… well, I’m sure he’d be ecstatic,” Rachel said thoughtfully, pausing by an inbox to drop about half the documents into it. “Not to mention the cut of profits which would go to SuperNet. I don’t blame them for taking it, but it has to be a factor.”
“True, true. I just find her reaction a little amusing, since Lilith seemed mostly bemused. Apparently, she avoided agreeing to anything, though, which is better than I managed when I first started out,” Gina said, grinning sheepishly. “I was a bit too enthralled with the idea of making tons of money off the trading cards and things like that.”
“I remember,” Rachel said, grinning back at her friend. “You were so hopeful that they’d sell fast and get you out of debt. It took a while to really get going, though.”
“Yeah, that’s right. And now I’m going with an entirely new outfit, which might make everyone who has my old stuff upset,” Gina said, her smile fading a little, and Rachel couldn’t help grimacing at the reminder.
Circe had proven incredibly stubborn when it came to outfitting any of them with new suits for their superhero endeavors, resisting any attempt to use designs that sacrificed protection. Rachel had been rather frustrated by that, at least for a while, though she was amused that the AI begrudgingly allowed them to go without helmets if they asked for it. Only if they asked, though. In the end, both she and Gina had decided on new suits, which might have interesting impacts on their reputation. That worried them both, she knew, and Lilith had offered to overrule Circe a couple of times. Still, after her previous near-death experience, Rachel had privately agreed to the better defenses, even if she preferred something more ornate.
“We’ll just have to see what happens,” Rachel finally said, letting out a sigh as she shrugged. “I can’t say that I’m not nervous, but considering what happened, this is the best time to swap outfits, if we were ever going to.”
“True enough! So, you remembered dinner with Hypergizmo, right?” Gina asked, almost bouncing as Rachel dropped off the rest of her files, taking a certain amount of satisfaction in dumping so much work on someone else for a change.
“Of course! He’s always been a good guy, and we had to do something with him this week,” Rachel agreed, smiling. “There, that’s everything. I’ll drop off my keys with security, then we can go. Just a few more hours, and we’ll be back with Lilith.”
“I’m so looking forward to it,” Gina said, grinning broadly, and Rachel couldn’t help a blush at her tone of voice.
At least no one else seemed inclined to laugh at her, though.
Chapter 10
Friday, April 25th, 2031
LANCE Headquarters, Hill Air Force Base
Joshua Romig watched nervously as the jet settled into place, its turbines winding down slowly. The transport had come directly from Dugway, and its escorts hadn’t seen anything out of the ordinary, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. The teams located at several other sites had been attacked by villains, and they’d been lucky to fight off the Destruction Corps team in Wyoming without losing any samples of wreckage.
No one was officially calling the objects that had landed across the western US alien ships, but everyone knew that was what they were. That was why every two-bit villain who heard about them was trying to grab something from the sites, and at least some of them had succeeded. As had a few undercover agents from other countries, Joshua was certain.
His problem was in the jet’s cargo, though, and Joshua slowly inhaled, trying to stay calm as the rear bay door opened, and a couple of handlers rushed forward. He could see only two pallets in the jet, but he ignored the one with dozens of carefully sealed boxes, his gaze instead fixed on the one that was a mass of freezer equipment around a locker with numerous biohazard symbols on it.
The handlers quickly unstrapped the pallet, and Joshua unfolded his arms, both excited and worried by what was coming. It wasn’t like someone got to examine the remains of an alien every day, after all.
Shadowmind Utah Lair Alpha-Three
“We’re back!” Gina’s voice echoed through the halls, and Lilith snapped out of her half-doze as excitement rushed through her.
Getting out of the chair took a few seconds, though,
as she’d forgotten that the footrest was extended, but Lilith managed to get up just as Gina and Rachel stepped into the room, and at the sight of them, delight caused a broad smile to stretch across her face.
Gina was smiling at Lilith as well and quickly set down a duffel bag she was carrying, while Rachel’s response was much more demure, as the dark-haired woman blushed a little, giving Lilith a gentle smile as she adjusted her backpack.
“Welcome back, both of you,” Lilith said, clearing her throat as she reached up and rubbed her eyes, then asked, “How was your trip? Did everything go well?”
“For the most part, yes,” Gina said, quickly approaching and leaning in to give Lilith a passionate kiss. Lilith enjoyed the taste of her, wrapping her arms around Gina as it went on for a minute, then broke it off when she needed to breathe again. Gina continued after that, somewhat breathless but sounding happy. “There were a few issues around the house that had to be taken care of, but now it’s off my hands, and I’ve made significantly more than I paid for it.”
Rachel nodded, approaching as well, then leaning forward to give Lilith a gentler kiss, before adding, “Mine was pretty good, and about as busy as I expected. I missed you, but you didn’t have to stay up waiting for us to get back, you know. It’s after midnight!”
“Yes, but I would have felt bad if I hadn’t stayed up. Besides, I’d about fallen asleep in the chair,” Lilith said, gesturing back at the easy chair, which was far more comfortable than she’d expected it to be under the circumstances. “I wanted to be here when you got back, though. I’ve missed both of you. A lot.”
“You aren’t alone, there,” Rachel said, and poked Gina in the side, prompting a squeak. “Let go of her, would you! I’d like a hug, too. It’s been a long week.”
“Fine, if you insist…” Gina grumbled, letting go of Lilith reluctantly, which made Lilith giggle softly. Rachel replaced her a moment later, and as she hugged her, Gina asked, “So, how’ve you been doing? We’ve talked a bit, but I don’t think we discussed everything.”
“Well, no, of course not,” Lilith said, smiling and kissing the top of Rachel’s head when she buried her face in Lilith’s neck. “I’ve been practicing with my power armor, of course, and that’s been… interesting. I haven’t crashed into anything in the last couple of days, which makes me happier, since it means I’m not messing up as much. Maneuvering and targeting is proving to be something of a challenge, though.”
Gina giggled, a smirk on her face as she opened her mouth to speak, but Circe interjected first.
“I have offered to upload a shard to help you with targeting if you wish, Mistress Lilith,” the AI said pointedly, just a hint of annoyance in her voice, which caused Lilith to roll her eyes.
“Yes, you have,” Lilith agreed. “However, what if something happens to it? I don’t want to be in a situation where I need to be able to fly and shoot but can’t because I didn’t put in the time learning to do it myself.”
“If a situation arises where the shard was unable to function, it is entirely likely that the suit will be entirely disabled,” Circe countered, but paused for a moment before adding, “That said, your desire for self-improvement and personal skill is a trait which I wish to encourage.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Rachel said, raising her head and grinning. “Still, it means Lilith is getting to the point where she can go out in public, at least as a hero. What about the house?”
“Eden Manor is in the final stages of construction, and furnishings have been installed on the first floor and basement over the past day,” Circe explained as Lilith released Rachel, smiling contentedly at her beloved friends. “The second floor should be complete in four hours, twenty-eight minutes, and removal of support struts for the construction unit will take an additional two hours. Once construction is complete, the remainder of furnishings will be installed. Estimated time to full habitability is sixteen hours.”
“You do good work,” Gina said, her eyebrows rising in surprise. “What about the housing complex the city asked for?”
“It isn’t really a housing complex,” Lilith protested, her cheeks coloring a little at the description. “There’re storefronts on the first two floors, after all.”
“Yes, but the main point was that you bought and replaced two dilapidated apartment complexes with something modern and which looks nice. Or it should be modern, from what you showed us of the design,” Rachel retorted.
“Regardless of whether the design is ‘modern’ or not, the Carpenter Development is essentially complete, save for landscaping which is being taken care of by outside contractors,” Circe said, mostly ignoring the byplay. “A few of the tenants who transferred to the new buildings have moved in, and the manager has been going through applications for the buildings over the last few days. Solar tiles, water reclamation, and heating is functioning at a 99.8% of expected efficiency, and diagnostic systems are tracking down the issues now. Only three inquiries into the shop space have been made so far, but after analyzing pedestrian and internet traffic, I believe that they should be filled before the end of the summer.”
“Damn. You sold off your other business, and in less than three months you’re already going to have another profitable one?” Gina said, looking at Lilith incredulously. “How do you do it?”
“Well, I’m pretty sure that having access to essentially free construction equipment and designs has something to do with it,” Lilith pointed out. “If I had to pay for all of that out of pocket, it would be incredibly expensive, and the systems included in the building? Those might be used in a fair number of places around the world, but I’m not sure they’re used in any apartment buildings.”
Gina nodded, looking a little more thoughtful as she murmured, “Well, I guess that’s true, and I didn’t think about it. Probably due to how long of a day we’ve had already, hm?”
“I think that means it’s time to get our stuff into our rooms and sleep,” Rachel said firmly. “We can always chat more during the day, and the idea of trying to do economic analysis while tired just gives me a headache.”
“Very true,” Lilith said, grinning and stretching, feeling almost like a cat as her back popped once. “I suspect I’ll sleep better now that you’re here, too.”
“Assuming you sleep at all,” Gina muttered softly.
Lilith couldn’t help laughing, not with the way Rachel blushed brightly. It was good to be with them again.
Chapter 11
Friday, April 25th, 2031
Western Dream, Paragon City
Things were always quiet in the morning, just as Edith liked them. Most of the people in Paragon City wouldn’t look twice at her motel, though the police occasionally stopped by due to the number of addicts that ended up in the parking lot. They knew that Edith owned the bar next door, so they occasionally gave her grief about bringing down the tone of the neighborhood, but since she paid her taxes and tried not to cause trouble, they mostly left her alone. Not that they would if they knew about the real Western Dream, but that was why she had the other businesses as cover.
Beneath the motel and bar was a complex that had managed to avoid notice from anyone important for a while, though Edith was certain that at least a few heroes knew about it. The gambling parlor and inn catered to villains and their minions, and keeping it in good enough shape to draw business, but not so expensive as to be impossible to replace during the inevitable brawls was… tricky. That’s why Edith liked the morning, as it meant that the clients were pretty much all unconscious in their rooms, and that the building had survived another night. Villains were a volatile lot, even if she found them fascinating.
She took a sip from her glass, flipping through the ledger on her tablet as she checked her stocks, making note of what items she was running low on and needed to replace. The thing about supers was that it took a lot of alcohol to inebriate most of them, so she tended to go through quite a bit of stock each night. That was one of the bigger headaches she had to d
eal with every week, too. That was when the door chimed softly, and Edith looked up… and paled as she saw an even bigger headache walk through the doors.
Dreamer had an enormous grin on her face as the woman sashayed into the room, looking incredibly out of place among the worn furnishings of the common room. Flanking her were a pair of common thugs, the type that Edith usually saw functioning as minions, though the man and woman both looked exhausted and had somewhat glassy eyes. The minions were each carrying a duffel bag, though, and fear surged through Edith. Dreamer was unpredictable and dangerous, and was very close to her least favorite guest.
Dreamer looked around and clicked her tongue loudly before speaking, her voice almost teasing. “Ah, I see I arrived too late. Or perhaps I’m too early… or perhaps everyone else is dreaming, and I’m the only one awake. I wonder, should I wake them?”
“Please don’t, Dreamer. You know the rules perfectly well,” Edith said, pitching her voice to carry through the room, while reaching down with one hand to touch the charm she’d purchased to protect her from mental influence. It wasn’t enough to fully protect her from someone of Dreamer’s power, but it’d keep the woman from doing anything to her idly. Edith continued calmly. “No fighting for real in the building, and no disturbing other guests while they’re in their rooms.”
“You’re just no fun at all, Eedee,” Dreamer replied, looking back at Edith with a hint of annoyance on her face. “Why do you have to be a spoilsport?”
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