Work Book 2

My heart hammered in my chest. I felt... well, a complete torrent of emotions. Rage, at having been violated. Fear, at what someone might do if they managed to use the data in the Exobyte. Confusion, at just how someone knew how to get it.

The window to grab it must have been small. Someone knew I would be vulnerable while out of heat, using my energy to spur my healing before my protective field would add to my resilience. Only when I was in bad shape would mundane things actually injure me at all. I'd tanked hits from fucking Zeus, which meant that for something as simple as a scalpel to cut me, I was on empty and about as vulnerable as any ordinary person.

It wasn't the case now that I had some heat in my reserves, but... wait.

If I'd healed using my fire before I'd noticed the bandage and stitches, all the evidence would have vanished. The stitches would have been consumed, the bandage burnt away. There would have been nothing at all to show that anything that happened. I would never have realized. The Exobyte was so small you needed a very sensitive metal detector to even pick it up. I might not have realized it was gone, even if I went through an airport scanner for months on end. It was so hard to find, and so easy to overlook.

If it was still in the hospital, I had to get it back. If it wasn't... well if it was just removed and thrown out, it probably wouldn't be a problem, damaged as it is. But if a Tinker got their hands on it... they might have access to the data in it. All the information they might need to make beings like me. Everything they might need to make an army like me.

The release of the Exobytes over my world was a bit of a boon, mostly because they went out at random. Most people who suddenly gained powers had examples in the Justice League. Most people wanted to just live their lives, a smaller portion took on the task of helping the way the League does. That didn't stop a good portion of them becoming villains, despite the Brainiac invasion. Nor does it mean things were good afterward. The first two years meant there were a lot of metaphorical and literal fires to put out.

But if someone yanked it out of my neck and recreated them, the powers wouldn't go out randomly. They'd go to the highest bidders, the people who could best afford it. The kinds of people who were already more likely to be psychopaths, even if they were currently productive citizens. The people who had enough money to buy powers on my level would very likely be the kinds of people more concerned with personal advancement than helping anyone else. Even if it was locked to my template and powerset, that was a worrying possibility.

Moreso if the new influx of artificial demons gained Trigon's attention. He was sealed in an extradimensional prison, but his kids weren't, and I already knew I had a connection to Jacob, who was linked with the aspect of lust. If someone took up the offer to join him, or one of the others where I'd rejected the offer...

Just because Trigon's succubi were beautiful doesn't mean they weren't nasty. They were sadistic, monstrous, using their lust and their victim's lust to create suffering. The only good part about my current... appearance, was that it meant I couldn't be possessed. My first mission with the League was dealing with a demonic incursion, managing to fight and banish the 'natural' demons in relative safety due to that immunity. It didn't mean I couldn't be influenced to join the twisted family willingly.

"You're the expression of lust, right? Among Trigon's brood, anyway?"

Jacob smiled charmingly. Such a handsome smile, at that. It was a smile that belonged on a movie star, on magazine covers. The kind that could charm a nation. "I am indeed. Father was gifted the boons of all the lusts, the greed, the wrath, the envy, the gluttony, the pride of mortals. In my birth I have the strength of all that sin of lust, and more."

I strode toward him, a smile of my own rising on my face. I had to fight to keep from blushing. To keep the temptation of my own imagination from running wild. Of having harems of men fighting over me. Of having women worship me. Of serving as one of Jacob's faithful, for the goals of Trigon. Despite my attempts at concentrating on my rage, images still flashed behind my eyes. Of sweaty sheets, pleasurable moans, soft caresses, and heavenly sensations while buried in Hell.

Jacob's smile widened as I approached. "That's it, my daughter."

"You're embodying demonic lust." I spoke, concentrating on what I had to do. "I can feel how tempting it is. How strong it is. I didn't think I could use that. It's.. intoxicating."

"Of course you can. You're one of us. And more. It's all yours for the taking. All you have to do is take my hand." Jacob extended his hand.

I took it with a smile. "Then you should be familiar with this phrase, daddy." I said with all the purring promise of sinful nights I could conjure in my throat.

Jacob's smile widened even further, letting me see his sharpened, shark-like teeth. Only for the smile to be wiped from his lips as I pulled him in close and kicked him in the balls.

His four eyes widened comically, and he fell to the flesh-covered floor with a howl of pain. The field of lustful energy dissipated around us as his concentration broke. He vomited, green bile spilling all over the ground.

I ignited my hands in flame. "I believe the phrase is 'go fuck yourself.'"

I made that choice then. Far, far too many would make the other choice. To succumb to the temptation and gain for themselves, at the expense of everyone else. Anyone who would buy powers like mine would be especially vulnerable. Every second the Exobyte was out of my possession, the further the thief could be getting away from me.

Peeling the sheets off the hospital bed, I wrapped myself in them as much as I needed to protect my modesty. I stormed my way out of the room and made my way to the lobby.

I was steaming with worry, with fear, with anger. Anger that slowly dissipated as I passed by people bustling through the hospital. Nurses tending to civilians who were suffering burns, doctors hovering over capes who were bandaged up. A man in black gave me a leer as I stepped past him, despite the burns on his hands and down one side of his body.

I stopped as I arrived at the lobby, seeing Hero speaking with another Tinker at the main entrance. It took me a second, but I recognized him as the one I had met on the battlefield, however briefly. Green armor, a futuristic looking gun hanging at his side, and the English flag was prominent on his pauldrons.

It made a contrast to Hero's blue and gold powered armor. Out of a combat situation, Hero's helmet was partially open, letting me see his lips. His smile was wide and genuine, his body language relaxed.

The green-clad Tinker was speaking, "...so I was sayin, 'That's a capacitor, not a battery, and if you bloody can't tell the difference you'd better get the fook out of my lab before you set your future kids on fire.'"

Hero chuckled. "Language. But, wise advice." He turned as he saw me approach. "Ah, Sunstorm. Glad to see you're up, though you're out of your room earlier than expected."

I smiled sweetly. "I'm glad to be out. Quick question. Who do I talk to about someone stealing from me while I was unconscious?"

Hero straightened, his lips turning to a concerned frown. "That's a serious accusation."

The other Tinker let out a low whistle. "Bloody hell, lass. Stealin' from the hero of the hour? Shite, that's a helluva violation of the Truce. Heads are gonna literally roll over that."

Hero winced. "Crudely put, but pretty accurate." He turned to me, his oddly familiar voice quiet, warm and comforting. "What did they take?"

I opened my mouth, only to freeze. Shit. How can I explain without giving the true value of the Exobyte away? Without giving the true danger of it away? If I was speaking to members of the League I'd tell everything, but the Protectorate and most hero teams were sponsored by their governments. Not to mention the villains who might be in earshot. Every country had a few at least, and I wasn't familiar enough with France's scene to pick out who was what.

I settled on a compromise. Enough truth mixed with a lie. I could explain myself fully later, if it came to that. "In the back of my neck was a device planted in me by the AI, Brainiac. It was an attempt to control me, but my powers neutralized it. Now someone removed it from me when I was unconscious. Unfortunately Brainiac's technology tends to carry copies of his programming. If we don't find it, and someone who doesn't know what they're doing might activate it and let Brainiac's program get out. If someone's stupid enough to do that with an open internet connection..."

Hero went completely still at that thought. "How likely is that to happen?"

I shook my head. "Hopefully, very unlikely. Less than one percent. The implant was damaged and offline, and I don't know how much of his programming is in the damned thing. But considering the possible danger of that happening, it has to be found."

"Well, shite lass." The green-clad Tinker said. "Just tell me what I'm fooking lookin' for."

I looked between the two Tinkers. "A piece of alien technology the size of a flea. Hopefully it's still here."

Through his partially open helmet, Hero frowned. "Right. That's going to be difficult. Something that small is going to be easily overlooked. How did..." He shook his head. "Nevermind. Questions for later." He tapped the side of his helmet. "This is Hero of the Protectorate. I'm declaring a lockdown of the hospital. Nobody leaves until stolen Tinkertech is found. Anyone attempting to leave will be detained. This is a possible Endbringer Truce violation, and those who attempt to escape will risk the known penalties. Hero out."

It took a minute before the word spread. Wearing my makeshift toga, I strode down the hall.

"Where the hell ya goin?!" The British Tinker yelled.

"Medical waste." I answered.

----------

It was a vain hope, considering I didn't have enhanced senses and my target was so very small. I very likely had the potential for the senses, but how to open that metaphorical window wasn't something I knew how to do. Also was the concern that I might not be able to close it again. Being forced to forever see through people wasn't something I wanted to do. That being said, having Kryptonian senses would be really helpful right now.

The room was filled with waxy paper bags, which were filled with shrapnel, blood, bits of bone. Much of it due to be incinerated, or at the very least sterilized before disposed of. The hospital didn't have its own incinerator, so it would likely be shipped off somewhere. So I pawed through the bag with my floor's label on it, starting there and hoping it wouldn't be anywhere else. There were hundreds of bags and I was trying to tear through them, one-by-one.

I've seen plenty of pieces of bloodstained concrete. Bits of bone. Charred flesh. Teeth. And so much worse. All this couldn't belong to just the defenders of Lyon. Which made all this so much worse to try to sort through. Every bit of biohazardous matter here was another reminder of the people I'd failed to protect.

"Please be here, please be here..." I muttered to myself.

The sound of a throat clearing behind me got my attention. I turned my head to look, and saw Hero standing there, just past the open door.

"Lockdown's finished." He spoke gently. "Hopefully we can find this here. If it's as small as you say it is, normal procedures can easily overlook it. Mind if I help?"

I grit my teeth. "My trust quotient is really small, right now. No offense, but it would probably be most dangerous in the hands of a Tinker."

Hero nodded. "I can see your point, there. That said, I've got scanners in my armor. If you can tell me something about what I'm looking for...?"

Fuck. There wasn't a good option here. The more people who dug through the debris looking for it, the more likely one of them would walk off with the Exobyte. If anyone had any idea what it was...

Back home they were valuable, but not that much by 2022. The release of the original batch empowered millions of people, and research into their workings permitted quite the technological leap. Artificial ones were supposed to have started printing by 2025, if a bit more crude than the originals. There were quite a few new heroes who rose in their wake afterward, as well. Especially after some idiot detonated purple gas canisters in Dakota City.

But here, just one would be extraordinarily valuable if given to the right person. If anyone could replicate it, a Tinker could. Just from a scan of one, perhaps. If any Tinker on Earth could possibly do it, it would be Hero.

On the other hand... nothing I did could stop him from doing it anyway. Odds were very good I'd just overlook it, even if I tore the hospital down to bedrock. That's assuming the damned thing was still even in the building. He could scan for it after I left and grab it.

I let out a huff as I came to a decision I was sure I'd regret. "Like I said, something the size of a flea. Looks like one too. It's made of alien alloys, has a crystalline storage medium. The metals make up the interface. I don't remember the makeup, but if you can scan for a stable transuranic element, you'll probably be able to find it. It's going to be nearly impervious to most forms of damage. The inner workings are more fragile, but the shell's made of nth-metal."

Hero tilted his head. "Stable transuranic... interesting. I'd love to... nevermind. Not worth the risk." He flipped open a panel on his wrist, quickly typing in something on a miniature keyboard.

I could see why Armsmaster was drooling over the Lexcorp phones. My mundane technology was something comparable to the work of the world's greatest, just from the twenty year tech advantage. At least, in one respect.

For a moment, I missed the Brockton Bay team. I wasn't with them long but it had been nice while it lasted.

Hero nodded to himself as he finished. He tapped something on the side of his helmet, then looked around the room. "It's taking a bit for my program to filter out the results, but I think this should work. Though it doesn't help if it's as small as you say it is."

I folded my arms as I waited. I wasn't really in the mood for small talk. I felt my stomach doing flip-flops.

Hero swept the room, then he paused and pointed. "There. I'll let you open it, but it's the bag on the shelf, third one down on the right."

Looking at Hero suspiciously, I grabbed the bag in question. I ripped open the top, trying to be very careful because of how easy it would be to lose. Inside I saw small bits of gravel, shards of bone, and... one tiny red dot the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen.

My heart clenched. Was it really here?

I huffed out a breath. "I'm going to need a microscope."

Hero smiled gently. "This is a hospital. I'm sure they've got one lying around here somewhere."

I let out a shuddering breath of relief.

Staring through the microscope very graciously provided by the hospital, I saw the familiar form of an Exobyte. At a glance, they looked very much like an insect. They could very easily be mistaken for actual fleas, considering how small they were and how easy it would be to overlook. Only when under close examination was it plain that it was an artificial construct and not just another icky bloodsucking bug.

Here it was. The cause of so many of my problems in life. Also the cause of my life being so very different than I'd planned when I was a teenager. I'd become a hero, helped save lives, could do so many things beyond what I'd ever dreamed of back then. But I'd also shrunken my social circle so much that my only close friends were my team, and I'd ended up being thrust into so many situations that were way over my head before this little thing burrowed into my neck.

"This is it? Lot of fuss for something so small." Hero noted.

I pulled back from the microscope, very carefully closing the top of the petri dish I had it in, then taping the bottom tightly. "Yeah. It's not likely to be dangerous like this, but it's a possibility."

Hero folded his arms. "Why didn't you mention it when you joined up?"

I grimaced at the reminder of what I'd deliberately held back. "I'm tough enough that accessing it would be beyond most people, and with it inactive it wasn't going to be a problem anyway. It was possible that my body would break it down. And if I'd been killed by something, the odds would have been very good it would be destroyed. On top of that, the more people who knew about it, the more likely it is someone would try to get at it. And I still don't know all that many people here."

Hero frowned. "Regardless, we should have been made aware of possibly dangerous Tinkertech. Especially if there's a possibility of it carrying a hostile AI."

"Don't worry. I'll take care of it." I spoke as I got to my feet.

Hero shook his head. "I can destroy it for you if you want. Just need a little space to hit it with a disintegration beam."

I crooked a smile. "I'll toss it into the Sun. Wouldn't be the first time. That handles most of the worst bits."

"You can do that?" Hero asked, tilting his head. "Thinkers have trouble predicting things out beyond the Moon, and even Sphere doesn't like being beyond the atmosphere, and it was his idea to build a moonbase in the first place."

I shook my head. "Wouldn't be the first time. I've gone a lot further than that... though not under my own power, admittedly." I held up the petri dish. "You can clear the lockdown now. I need to take care of this."

Hero nodded, putting his hand to the side of his helmet. "This is Hero. Lost Tinkertech has been retrieved. I know everyone is eager to get home to their families. I want to thank everyone for their patience in this stressful time. Thank you for your bravery today, as well, helping to fight off Behemoth. It takes courage to face an Endbringer, and you've shown that in spades today."

I took a moment, tilting my head. "You know, that little speech sounded like something my mentor back home would have said."

Hero chuckled, his lips turning up into a smile. "From what I've read on your file, I'll take that as a compliment. It takes practice."

I gave him a smile. "It shows. Thank you." I still had my misgivings, but it didn't hurt to stay polite.

Hero nodded, a slight smile on his lips. "I still think I should be present for destroying that... thing, if it's as dangerous as you say it is."

I grimaced. "I'm the expert on this, or at least the closest one you'll get. I don't know how your technology works, and I don't want to take chances. I'll handle it outside of the atmosphere."

If Hero was suspicious at my reservations, he didn't let it show. "Right. I'll leave it in your hands. I know you're not a member of the Protectorate anymore, but I'd still like a report on this. If you're willing. Now, I've got some other duties to attend to. So if I'm not going to be blasting that into its component atoms, I'd better go handle them."

At my nod, he turned and left.

I looked carefully at the inactive Exobyte, sitting innocently in the covered petri dish.

Something about this didn't sit right. The Tracy of eleven years ago wouldn't have had any concerns at this point. But now... now I knew something was off about this, and I just didn't know what.

----------

"How is it?" Legend asked.

I shrugged. "It'll work. Long enough for me to get home, anyway."

'It' being a black bra and blue jeans. Long as I didn't go too fast it would work. Going in scavenged hospital bedding wouldn't be good, anyway. Putting the petri dish that contained the Exobyte into my newly-acquired take home bag, I stepped out into one of the hospital's yards, as this one apparently had three, and had a rather picturesque courtyard lovely surroundings.

At least, to the east. Looking just to the west, I could see a rather substantial line of torn out buildings, the remnants of fires, rubble. Burned out cars. Pavement shattered.

I was aware of Legend stepping beside me, but he stayed quiet as I took in the devastation.

Steeling myself, I lifted my feet off the ground and took it in. As my perspective changed, I could see more of the damage. Chalk outlines on the ground, where civilians didn't get away in time. More torn up buildings, leaving a scar in the old city. The line where Behemoth took a stroll through the city was plain in the daylight.

I could see the spots where I'd held him off, however briefly. Where I'd smashed into the pavement hard enough to break it. Where I'd kept him from unleashing a plasma burst powerful enough to wipe out a city block, or more. Where I'd kept Behemoth from wiping out the King's Men by grabbing the streamers myself. What made me pause was the sight of the damage he'd done after that, when I'd been unconscious.

Seven more city blocks damaged. Behemoth had made quite a bit of progress toward the city core, causing so much more damage. Blackened skeletons of buildings reaching for the sky. Cars lying haphazardly in the street. Blackened spots on the ground. I could only imagine things were so much more horrible before the cleanup efforts had gone underway. I was momentarily glad for the fact I lacked the full Kryptonian sensory package... then immediately hated that thought, because if I did have it, I could have been helpful in finding survivors.

I could see firefighters moving around. While the work to put out the fires had already been done, they were working to look for survivors, handling dangerous spots, and working admirably.

I turned. Legend was hovering beside me, just as quiet. Just as sad as I was. Just... more accepting.

"Still consider this a good day?" I asked quietly.

He took a moment before responding, his voice filled with pain. "I've seen worse."

I suppose he had. It was hard to imagine it at the moment, but... I could get it.

----------

It took me an hour to get home, due to taking it carefully going in and out of the atmosphere. The trip still ripped the clothes to shreds, and the bag that surrounded my precious cargo had somewhat melted and frozen around the petri dish. Still, I had the Exobyte with me. While I said I was going to destroy it, and I was, I wanted a certain one-eyed man to look it over first. After I'd decompressed a bit.

And so, I landed back at my camper, went inside, took out the spare bit of mesh that served as scaffolding for my armor. Stopped. Huffed. With a bit of frustration, I set it down on a chair and just took a step back, staring at it.

Rebuilding it wasn't the problem. Getting materials wasn't, either, and I knew more than enough about how to forge things myself to make it work. The problem was that it was inadequate. It served well enough, and people accepted me... well, for the most part. But it didn't work. Not well enough. I couldn't see a solution to that, either. When I was up against something big enough, it melted, or broke. Just replacing the set all the time was a tiresome problem.

Beyond that... beyond that, I felt like a failure. Intellectually I knew it was irrational. That the people here had been fighting against terrible things for nearly two decades now, and they hadn't been able to handle the big things. That there were so many little problems in the world and just not enough hands to help. It didn't help how I felt, though. Thinking back on the battle with Behemoth, I realized even if I had been in top shape, from before I woke up on Ellesmere, I still would have lost. I might have been faster, might have been able to do more, heal more efficiently, but the gap between me and Behemoth was too large.

With my friends behind me, it might, just might have turned out differently. Gary taking away the lightning from Behemoth's arsenal, using it for his own, would have been immensely helpful. Maria hampering his movements, putting up... well, okay, vines would have just burned long before Behemoth got there, but she could have helped heal other people on the field. Helped with my own resilience. Ginger would have been able to spot his tactics, figure out what he was after, helped me with situational awareness. While launching missiles into his face.

But here... I didn't know anybody well enough to work out that kind of synergy. Powers were so much less versatile on the face of things, though they were potent enough. On top of them being the result of some kind of eldritch things poking into people's heads for... some reason.

There was so much of this world that grated. So much that was different, so much that seemed designed to bring about madness and misery. More villains than heroes. More villains than regular people with abilities. The Endbringers smashing a city into rubble every few months. Even the foremost, most famous heroes in this world considered less casualties than usual to be a victory, when the cause of the battle was free to just come back and do it again.

And here I was thinking I could change that... no, that wasn't right. I just hadn't thought. Just went to do things the way I was used to. Leader of the Misfits, a mid-level team filling in the gaps. The backup for the heaviest hitters. We weren't slouches, we were capable enough to handle just about everything... but we gave our backup to the biggest names.

Even here I wasn't the biggest name, but I was much closer to the top than the bottom, and... and I wasn't enough to do what was needed. Even at my best, I wouldn't have been able to defeat Behemoth. With my friends at my side, maybe, but it would have taken us supporting my mentor before I would have felt confident in actually ending the elder Endbringer.

The sound of someone knocking on my door roused my attention. I blinked as I checked my clock and realized I'd been staring into space for hours. Turning to the door of my trailer, I opened it.

Lucy was standing there, dressed in a leather jacket and pants, concern in her eye. "Tracy, you all right?"

I licked my lips, my mouth opening and closing as I tried to figure out what to say. What could I say? There were a thousand things I could babble about and have barely started.

After a moment, her lips quirked up in something between sadness and amusement. She stepped inside and gave me a hug.

----------

Hours later, we were sitting together on my bed. Not because we did anything on it, mind you. But because I didn't even have a couch in my little home right now.

"You okay?" Lucy spoke quietly as she gently stroked her fingers through my hair.

I sighed. "Just discouraged. Well... that's the start of it. I'm not sure where it ends. I'm just feeling very very lost right now. This world is... I should have realized earlier how broken it is. That it would take more than I've got to even begin to help. I've been trying to do things the way I'm used to and it... it just doesn't work."

Lucy gave me a gentle smile. "You're wrong there, Trace. It does. There's a kid back at the PRT building who is alive because of you. Plus, I dunno, a couple hundred from Flight 197."

I opened my mouth, then shut it. Finally I huffed. "You're right, there. It's just I'm used to stopping the big threats. Maybe not on my own, but being the backup for the heaviest hitters. Here I am one, and it wasn't enough. A lot of people died, heroes died right behind me. I might be able to accept that if Behemoth was done, too, but he isn't. I've lost before, but..."

Lucy spoke quietly, finishing my thought. "Even when you lost, you managed to learn something. Grow, become more. And you always had an icon to look up to. To handle the stuff you couldn't."

I couldn't help but nod.

Gently, Lucy ducked under my horns and kissed my chin. I couldn't help but flush.

Her voice was quiet. "I always looked up to Alexandria, you know. Her strength, her ability. I always figured she was as good as it got, you know? I thought she was amazing. My opinion only grew stronger after I triggered. I got rough, I got mean, but I looked up to her. But it was Tom... he helped shift me to a better path. Be something more than a violent vigilante with a short lifespan. And then... then he was lost to the Butcher."

I gently took and squeezed her hand, pulling her closer to me.

Happily snuggling against my shoulder, Lucy went on. "Then, then, you showed up. Scary, sure. Different, definitely. There's something about you that's more optimistic than what we're used to. Maybe that was a bit of naivety, just not knowing how things go. But... I think there's something more than that. You haven't been ground down by things, by the Endbringer battles, by things just generally going in a bad direction. You're from a brighter world, even with its problems."

Lucy then tapped the side of her head. "I didn't get it fully until the whole Butcher thing. Thanks for that, by the way. Ever since Tom got it, becoming the Butcher was one of my nightmares. I was afraid of being lost to madness, and lost inside the rest of them. You saved me from that. Kept me from becoming just another number, screaming inside the head of the next one. You have any idea how many sleepless nights I had, because of that thought? Then when that nightmare becomes reality, you save me from it."

I quirked my lip. "You terrified them, Lucy. I can't take all the credit."

She shrugged. "Maybe not. I was only able to do it because of you, though. Because I knew there was a way out. Anyway... seeing inside your head showed me a lot about you, about your world. It showed me things don't have to always get worse. That victories, real victories can come around. That this world isn't so easy to fix is expected... but there's something about your entrance here. Without even knowing who the fuck they were, you stopped the goddamned Nine, and those fuckers had been terrorizing and murdering publicly since eighty-six. Maybe Behemoth is a tougher nut to crack, but I think you can do it. If anyone can, it's you." Lucy smiled. "Just need a bit of help. Even Superman needed some at times. I don't have the specifics of your memories, but I do know that was something like half your missions with him."

I slowly laid myself back on my bed, taking that in. "I'm not sure I can fill those shoes."

Lucy, ever the opportunist, laid down beside me, giving my cheek a kiss. "Don't have to. Just do the best you can. I bet that's what he does. If Superman's looking up to anyone, it probably isn't someone more powerful. It's probably someone like Mister Rogers."

I slowly blinked. "Who?"

Lucy lifted herself from her position to look me in the eye. "You don't know who Fred Rogers is?"

"Nope. No idea who you're talking about." I shook my head.

"Huh." Lucy chuckled. "Guess I've found one way my world's nicer than yours. I'll have to show you, I guess. He's famous, and beloved around here. Legend got on his show back in 1990, and it was a big deal." She laid back down, snuggling into my shoulder. "Not right now though. You're comfy."

I couldn't help but laugh a little. "I'm glad you think so. Not really up for more naughty fun right now, though."

"Mm. That's fine. Just wanna snuggle." Lucy said, a grin in her voice.

Well, I'm not about to argue with that.

"Mmm. Mine..." Lucy kissed my cheek. I turned my head so I could kiss her lips in return, feeling... very relaxed, right now.

I'd missed this. Just some nice, relaxing time with someone I cared about.

Lucy's grin was teasing. "My cuddly demon. Mineminemine."

I let out another laugh. "And you're mine. You maniac."

Her grin widened even further. "Yup. Your maniac. Don't you forget it."

Back at his garage in New Jersey, Lucy and I watched Batman at work.

Batman squinted through his microscope with his one eye. Deftly, and with a pair of tweezers, he carefully disassembled the Exobyte's casing. His motions were a lot more deft and confident, I'd noticed, now that he had two hands to work with. The right one was skeletal, clearly artificial, but pretty impressive, considering the limited resources he had.

After a minute of staring at the components, he looked up at me. "Quartz."

I blinked, a sinking feeling growing in my chest. "Quartz?"

He frowned, his voice harsh. "Quartz. It is an Exobyte, and very likely yours, but someone's replaced the crystalline matrix which serves as both processor and data storage with a piece of quartz. Which means whoever did this has the most important part of it. Your data template."

"Well, fuck." Lucy spoke quietly. "I ain't no nerd, but I know that's bad news."

I grimaced. "If the thing is intact, whoever has it would know how to make someone else with my powers. Probably more than I can access, too. We could have someone show up with the abilities of a lot of the Justice League put together, along with my pyrokinetic abilities."

Batman shook his head, a grunt coming from his lips. "Not just someone. Luthor. Nobody else would know how to do it. Someone else would have just stolen the Exobyte. By taking the data matrix and returning it, it would throw most people off the trail. Once it was found most people would consider the problem solved."

I nodded at that. "I had the same thought. I only realized it was taken from me due to some stiffness at the back of my neck. If I'd healed using my fire, there would have been no trace at all. We'd only have figured out there was a problem when a bunch of people just like me showed up."

"So what's the plan?" Lucy asked, folding her arms. "Find this Luthor guy, get it back?"

Batman shook his head. "By now Luthor will have gone to ground. With our limited resources, we're not going to be able to find him in time. News travels a lot slower than either of us are used to, and I don't have access to the kind of information network I'd need to track him down. No Watchtower to work with, no supercomputers. We're going to need a somewhat different strategy to lure him out, and even that may not work."

I folded my arms. "Call him out, right. We'd need something for him to take the bait. And we don't have Superman here to piss him off."

Batman's scarred face turned up into a slight smile. He went to his desk, slid it open and tossed something at me, his mechanical right hand whirring at the motion.

Reflexively catching it, I saw it was a bracer. On the underside was a set of electronics I didn't recognize, circuitry going everywhere. The exterior of the bracer, however, was pretty plain, just dull metal. Aluminum, if I wasn't mistaken.

"Put it on," Batman said. "Then try covering it with fire."

Looking at him dubiously, I pulled it around my wrist then concentrated. Fire was always something difficult to handle, to control. Long practice meant I could, but I always had to be on guard when I was around other people. Or when I didn't want to burn off all my clothes. Again.

So I sheathed my arm in fire, taking great care to not let it spread to the rest of me. Or around me. I missed the ease of my Exobyte handling everything, even if it did ruin my life.

Batman and Lucy watched with interest. After about a minute, Batman nodded. "Right, stop."

I cut off the fire, then tapped the bracer. It hadn't melted, or weakened. It wasn't even warm. Looking to Batman, I couldn't help but ask. "How?"

His damaged lips curled up into a smile. "I've spent a lot of time with technology beyond humanity's own. I've even studied the Kryptonian armors that were distributed to members of the League. While I don't have the materials to recreate it here, I do remember some tricks."

The implications struck me. "You know how to make forcefield reinforced armor?"

Batman shook his head. "Sure. If I had the infrastructure of a company, access to alien materials, help from other members of the League and a thousand other small factors besides. It'd take me decades to build even a small prototype right now." He nodded to the bracer. "However, amplifying an existing forcefield is much simpler. Especially since all I'm making it do is extend half an inch above your skin. With a few armor pieces, you could have a suit that won't be damaged before you are. They use heat to generate electricity, which powers the amplifier. You've got heat to spare, so they'll be able to work for a long period. I'll show you how to make more."

Lucy clucked her tongue. "On the one hand, I'll miss the opportunities to admire. On the other, I'll keep those moments more to myself."

I couldn't help but laugh. "I'd be happy to have a suit that can actually survive the things I put it through. Haven't been able to cut loose since Zeus... at least not without ending up naked. Again."

Batman nodded with a slight smirk on his face. With a gesture, he indicated we should follow him.

Leading us into the back of the dilapidated garage, Batman went to a humanoid figure covered by a sheet. Pulling it off, my breath caught.

Dressed upon a frame, the suit was clearly designed for me. Most of it was red, with shining silver lines going up along the legs, around the chest, to the arms. A yellow belt rested on the waist, with obvious compartments to carry things. Most prominently, was the familiar stylized S that was the symbol of the House of El on the chest.

My mouth went dry as my heart hammered in my chest.. "I... I can't possibly wear that."

Lucy looked at me curiously. "Why not? It'd look good on you. And that's his symbol. You wore it before."

Batman's voice was quiet. "Kal wouldn't mind. Either the one you know, or the one I did. What he stood for, the helping hand." He shook his head slowly. "He and I disagreed on a lot of things, but I always respected him. He taught me that hope doesn't have to come from a dark place. That somebody who can do anything... and still choose to do the right thing."

I looked at the suit, my mouth going dry. "That symbol doesn't mean anything to people here. I... back home, it means hope, but here it would just be an S. They'd think it just means Sunstorm. I can't... it'd feel wrong."

Lucy gently took my shoulder. "It doesn't matter what other people think about it. At least, not right away. They'll learn what it means. That symbol means something to you. It's not who is wearing it. It's what it stands for." Her lip quirked with amusement. "How can you inspire anyone else if you're not inspired yourself?"

"I won't force you." Batman spoke softly. "We can make another suit, if that's what you want. It does serve multiple purposes. But if you feel you're unworthy... you're wrong. He'd be proud."

I shook my head as I took another look at it. Imagining myself in it. "I can't do everything he can. I don't know if I can be the symbol this world needs."

Batman let out a soft chuckle. "Even he grew into it. You're looking at things from the public perception, Sunstorm. Behind that symbol was a man. A man who could do things other people couldn't, but a man. Just someone who wanted to help, and could. You don't have to be perfect to wear that symbol."

I looked to Lucy.

My girlfriend just looked back with an encouraging smile. "I saw him in your memories, Tracy. You can do it. You can grow into it, too. You held off the unstoppable for six minutes alone. I think you can kick his ass next time."

I couldn't help but blush. Turning my gaze back to the suit, I sucked in a breath. "Right. I'm not him... but I'm the closest thing we've got." Turning to look at the pair, I pointed back out the door. "Can I get a bit of privacy as I try it on?"

Lucy let out an amused laugh. "I wouldn't mind watching, but sure."

The pair stepped out, leaving me alone with the suit.

For a minute, I just stood there, looking at it. Considering the boots I was about to step into. Everything I was going to have to try if I wanted to live up to the example.

Ever since I arrived on Earth Bet, I'd been trying to get back to where I was, or at least close to it. Getting up to the same level of ability that I enjoyed with the Exobyte online, helping me. Now it wasn't just broken, but I didn't even have it anymore. Even at my best, I wouldn't have been able to handle Behemoth alone.

But... there were times I'd been unable to handle things before, yet learned and grew from those experiences. I'd been growing stronger ever since I got my powers, able to handle more and more extreme circumstances. Up to the point where I fought against the Gods of Olympus. I was a Misfit, a junior League member, and while we were capable we were all knockoffs of the originals.

Here... here nobody knew what that symbol meant. It'd be on me to show it. Could I do it? Did I have the right?

I sucked in a breath.

Maybe I didn't. But here, nobody else could. If I was going to try to live up to Superman's legacy, I would have to be even better than I was before I got here. I'd have to push myself to a higher level. I'd have to be able to handle the Endbringers, and whatever else came my way. I'd have to be more than a Misfit. I'd have to follow the example of not just my mentor, but the entire League.

"You have to decide who you want to be. Good character or bad."

"Today, we face my father. If we fail, there may not be a tomorrow. I am proud to have you all at my side. We will save our worlds, and if we fail, we will strike the Gods themselves down for their crime."

"I've seen the darkness. I became part of it. I use it. I make sure it does not use me. Yours is more literal than mine, but you still have a choice. Make one."

I nodded to myself, reaching for the suit.

----------

I slid the door open and strode out of the backroom. I took a moment to adjust the bracers around my wrists, keenly aware of the same amplifier systems in my boots, behind the mesh on my chest. While there were small pieces of armor in the suit, most of it was made of a mesh reinforced cloth. It was lightweight, strong, but without the amplifiers the suit wouldn't be any stronger than anything else I could make.

Still... it felt right. And with them... I could cut loose without ending up in the nude. Finally.

Lucy let out a whistle, a smile on her lips. "Damn, Sun. That looks great."

Batman nodded, a small grunt of satisfaction coming from deep in his throat. "I do good work."

I nodded. "That you do. So what's the plan?"

"We work on multiple fronts." Batman spoke. "Without the data matrix, the Exobyte is a lot less useful, but it may still have something of use." He looked to Lucy. "I'll do what I can to have you as capable as possible. We're going to need more hands, as well." Batman looked to me. "You're the most capable person we have right now, but even Kal couldn't do everything alone. You know that better than most."

I blinked. "Sounds like you're suggesting a new League. I was a Misfit. You think we can rebuild the League here?"

"We came together for that same reason. To handle things we couldn't handle alone." Batman spoke, his voice grave. "Combining our strengths, our abilities. Supporting each other. I don't know what we can do, with our limited resources. But something terrible is happening on this world. We can't stand aside."

Lucy nodded, a slight smile on her face. "Some of the weird stuff from your side's coming to my world. Might as well crib a good idea or two."

Batman nodded. Turning to me, he spoke. "With you wearing that suit, if Luthor's paying any attention at all, it's going to draw his ire. Once he starts moving, we'll have more opportunities to track him. Once that occurs we'll be able to make a move against him. The only problem is if he's careful, the first indicator he's made a move will be when the trap springs shut."

I thought that over. "Using me as bait. Great."

Batman tilted his head. "If it's a problem..."

I shook my own head. "No, no problem. Just I haven't got the personal experience with Luthor as you do, or Kal does. We'll just have to wait and see, as far as that goes. I'm up for giving that asshole a smackdown."

He nodded with satisfaction. "In the meantime... I suggest we get started." He opened a drawer on his desk, fishing out an earpiece. "I'll work from the back lines, provide support. Tell you about the problematic spots you can handle."

Lucy gave me a saucy grin. "And I'll hold the fort at Brockton. Marquis' men or the Empire are going to move any day, so we've got to be prepared."

The door to the garage swung open, and Sherrel bounced her way in. She was wearing a set of headphones, head bobbing to the music, grocery bags in her fists. On seeing us, she stopped, looking between the three of us. With irritation, she pulled the headphones off her ears and scowled.

"What the fuck did I miss?"

Batman sighed. "I'll give you the notes later."

She narrowed her eyes, then shrugged. "Whatever. No skin of my fuckin' nose. We should be good to move in a couple days, boss."

I lifted an eyebrow. "Move?"

Batman nodded. "Brockton Bay may not be Gotham, but it is dimensionally close. It's more likely to have a weakpoint we can exploit to contact the League. Other avenues are simply too dangerous without a desperate situation."

Lucy nodded. "Yeah, Hades wasn't fun. Even if it was smoother than I expected."

Batman opened his desk, pulling out what looked like a sheet of black metal. He pushed something on it, and the sheet unfurled into his familiar cowled helmet, the pieces shifting around and molding themselves as smoothly as any magical item might.

For a moment, he stood there, looking into the eyes of his cowl, before nodding to himself and looking to Lucy and I. "Regardless of Luthor, or anything else, it's time I pulled my own weight."

Sherrel let out a snort. "Bout fuckin' time, there." She had a wide grin on her lips. "It's gonna be fun to tear some shit up in my baby."

Lucy had a matching grin. "Correction. It's going to be fun tearing up some Nazi shit in your baby."

The pair let out an almost identical cackle.

I wasn't sure, but I thought I almost saw the slightest hint of a smile on Batman's lips.

It was time to get to work.

May 10th, 2000

The storm raged across the plains of Texas. Thunder and lightning clashed. The downpour was torrential. Despite the fact it was noon, the sky itself was dark, due to how thick and violent the stormcloud was.

For Derrick Smith, watching through the reinforced windshield of his truck, it was a beautiful sight. If only because he was always thrilled at the sight of a thunderstorm. The energy in the air, the crack of thunder, the whistling wind. It got his blood pumping, every sense on edge. Of course, he still had to pay a great deal of attention. As a storm chaser, it was his job to watch storms, determine if they were at risk of developing a tornado. To warn nearby towns and cities about the oncoming danger.

"What do you think, Derrick?" Thomas Jackson, his technician and backup, spoke with worry.

"Hell of a supercell forming. Weird to see one that strong this early in the year, too. We'd normally get one like this closer to July." Derrick replied as he peered at the clouds. A few minutes passed as the pair watched the storm, at the hail smashing itself on the pavement.

There was another crack of thunder, then his heart skipped a beat. "Yeah, that sucker's coming down. F3 at least, might hit F4 if the storm's got enough energy."

The dark, terrible finger of the funnel cloud snaked its way down from the stormclouds above. Even before it visibly hit the ground, debris was being pulled up, causing the appearance of a secondary funnel growing around the whirling column of air. At the moment it was out in the middle of nowhere, but there were plenty of small towns and farms nearby. It wouldn't take much for it to ruin a livelihood. Or end someone's life, if they didn't get to the storm cellars in time.

Derrick sucked in a breath as he did the mental math, watching the funnel cloud. "She's winding around, but with the storm's path, it's heading southwest overall. It's going to hit Big Spring if it doesn't veer off course, or weaken before it gets there." Big Spring had twenty thousand people or so. Almost everyone had storm shelters, but the storm would definitely cause people to lose their homes. Along with anyone else who couldn't get to safety in time.

Derrick gestured to the radio, only somewhat aware as Thomas picked it up and started talking. Derrick's concentration was entirely taken up by driving away from the storm, keenly aware of the blackening cloud filling the rear view mirror. Debris was being flung out in all directions, and even through the reinforced cab of his truck, he could hear the terrible roar of the tornado.

Thomas' voice echoed in Derrick's ear. "This is Chaser Team Seventeen, northeast of Big Spring. We have a confirmed tornado on the ground estimated at F4. Estimated time before it reaches Big Spring is seven minutes. Tornado Watch is now a Tornado Warning."

The road was clear in front of him, being open plain for the most part. It was still slick with rain, and the heavy thudding of hail impacting the roof was quite distracting. Derrick was keenly aware of the fact the outskirts of Big Spring were less than a mile ahead. He could see the nearest houses, despite the darkness of the stormcloud and the whipping winds and rain. In the rearview, it looked like the tornado was absolutely still... which meant it was very likely coming right at the truck.

The distractions were almost enough to keep him from noticing when the black funnel cloud in his rearview mirror suddenly had something else circling around it. Against the powerful winds that made up the tornado.

"The fuck?" Thomas breathed out as he looked backward, his camera catching the sight.

Still, Derrick caught sight of it in the rearview mirror, if less in detail than his companion. Something circling counter to the wind, a burning orange figure whirling around the tornado at great speeds. It was moving faster with every passing moment. From that burning figure was a stream of rippling air, looking like heatwaves, connecting the figure to the funnel cloud.

Impossibly, the tornado visibly weakened in strength, the winds moving slower. Debris rained down on the road, hail shattering on the pavement behind Derrick's truck. The funnel cloud started to fray and tatter, until it fell apart. The terrible roar of the storm faded.

It started raining heavily, as the winds that was keeping the rain up in the air suddenly faded away, but the sound of that was nearly calming compared to the sound of terrible death that filled the air a moment before.

Cautiously, Derrick pulled over and stepped out of his truck, looking back at the remnants of the funnel cloud as it pulled back up into the stormcloud above. The burning figure was flying high, waves of distorted air being pulled from the storm itself. The storm was calming as time went on, though the result seemed to be an even greater torrent of rain.

About a minute later, the figure broke off from the storm and floated downward. It was hissing in the rain as water collided with its burning form, and it took nearly a minute before the flames faded enough for Derrick to see the cape. A red-and-silver outfit, a stylized S on her chest. Red skin, wings, horns, and yellow eyes. Despite the frightening profile, however, Derrick felt somehow reassured by her presence.

"You gentlemen okay?" The woman spoke in a friendly and concerned tone.

Derrick took a moment, looking to Thomas. The latter had his camera trained on the demonic woman, his eyes wide. Looking back to her, he nervously spoke. "Uh... yeah, we're fine. How did you...?"

She chuckled. "Storms have a lot of energy, given to it by heat. I just took it away, at least enough to weaken it. It's going to rain a lot, but that's a bit better than the tornado ripping through." She looked off towards the city, nodded to herself, then floated up in the air. "Things seem to be all right here. You two gentlemen be good, and try to keep more distance from tornadoes in the future."

Derrick nodded rapidly. Smiling at that, the demonic woman flew off in a red blur, the crack of a sonic boom echoing a moment later.

"Derrick?" Thomas spoke quietly. "Did we just get rescued by a ridiculously hot demon?"

"Shut the fuck up, Tom."

----------

May 24th, 2000

"This is going to go much easier if you stop running. You're only going to die tired." Gavel shouted. Hefting the hammer that was almost as large as he was on his shoulder, he casually brushed aside the objects thrown at him by his current target. The infamous seven foot tall vigilante was nearly unstoppable. Bullets barely hurt him, he'd walked off trucks slamming into him. Some joker tried a rocket launcher once. Where someone got a rocket launcher in Australia was a bit of a mystery to him, but the worst that did was scuff his clothing.

So a brick thrown at him by his hobbling target, a lawyer who already had one of his legs broken, wasn't exactly going to threaten Gavel very much. He was in more danger from the sun, the heat pouring off the streets of Sydney, and honestly seeing this on the news in the evening would be a bit of a downer. The helicopter hovering above would catch everything, Gavel was sure.

"I didn't do anything!" John Russel, absolutely ordinary lawyer yelled, panic in his voice as he tried in vain to get away from the hulking Brute.

"Nope, but your brother did." Gavel replied, his advance slow, methodical, ruthless. "Kevin Russel, also known as Blackjack. Murderer, thief, rapist, and scumbag."

"This is about my fucking brother? I cut ties with him as soon as I graduated high school!" John said desperately. He tried to hobble backward, only to fall to the ground. He tried to scramble away, only to let out a howl of pain as Gavel stepped on his broken leg.

"It's about sending a message." Gavel spoke, a grin in his voice. "Not just to him, but everyone like him. You pull that shit around here, you're going to get it. Since Blackjack's such a fucking pansy he won't take his medicine, you're going to get it in his stead. Until I do get to him. And everyone else like him."

John let out a bitter laugh. "He doesn't give a fuck about me. Or anybody else."

Gavel nodded. "I believe that. Too bad for you." He hefted up the hammer. "If it's any consolation, you're going to be dead before you feel it."

John let out a scream as the hammer came down.

Only for a red blur to intercept the hammer-blow. A new figure stood between Gavel and John, the heavy hammer that weighed nearly a ton just stopped dead when caught on the outstretched hand of a cape in red. A cape with horns, yellow eyes, and no sign of strain whatsoever on holding back a blow that normally reduced people to chunky salsa.

For a moment, Gavel's eyes widened behind his mask. For what did one think when a demon stood between him and justice?

"Jesus fuckin' Christ." Gavel muttered, almost from reflex.

The demon smiled sweetly. "I'm pretty sure he'd disapprove of what you're doing."

Gavel tried to pull the hammer back, to swing again at the obstacle to his justice. The demon just wrapped her hand around the haft and held it still.

"Let go you fucking bitch!" He demanded as he desperately yanked on his beloved weapon.

"Okay." She said with the slightest hint of amusement. She let go right in the middle of a yank, and Gavel went stumbling backwards. Finding his feet on the pavement, he snarled viciously behind his mask. Pulling his hammer back, he wound up for a blow, coming in for one that would crash into her face.

She just ducked under the blow by the barest fraction of an inch, pulled the hammer out of his hands and kicked him in the ribs. Gavel went skidding back twenty feet, more dazed than hurt, as the demoness looked over his weapon with a bit of interest.

"You know, if you didn't wanna lose this, you shouldn't be so eager to swing it at people."

Gavel staggered to his feet, taking a moment to brush off his shirt. "The fuck, lady!? Why are you stopping me?"

She shrugged, striding toward Gavel, his own hammer in her hands. It looked comically large compared to her, yet she showed no sign of trouble in hefting its mass. "Letting you kill an innocent person just because they're related to a criminal? If that was a valid reason to execute someone, there wouldn't be anyone left alive on this planet. Besides, if you're going to be swinging this thing around, you shouldn't be surprised when someone takes it away from you. After all, you could hurt somebody with it."

"Give it back!" Gavel demanded. He charged at the demoness, her insufferably bright smile and lack of respect angering him further.

She clucked her tongue, dropping the hammer on the ground. The sound of the impact was jarring, but something Gavel was used to.

What he wasn't used to was the demon suddenly vanishing from his sight, and for arms stronger than his own to wrap around his neck from behind. In a sleeper hold.

Flailing, Gavel tried to get the weight off his back, but he simply didn't have the leverage, couldn't pull her arms away from his neck. All of his strength and it didn't matter, because he just couldn't reach. It took a while, a long while, for his vision to start darkening. The last thing he heard before he passed out was "Sir, just relax, the paramedics will be here shortly."

----------

June 1st, 2000

Mitch Iancroft couldn't help but chuckle.

He'd gotten back from Alert last week, his tour of duty in that forsaken place done. It wasn't a bad posting, exactly, but it was claustrophobic, and it didn't help that it was swamped by so much snow.

Now he was in his little house in Abbotsford, British Columbia. It was a single-floor bungalow, one he'd been lucky enough to inherit when his grandfather passed away. Abbotsford itself was right on the Canada-United States border, and he had fond memories of outings on both sides of the divide when he was a kid. It had a nice, rural feel, while not being that far from Vancouver.

He'd managed to settle back in, relax. He wouldn't be up for another tour for two months, and hopefully they wouldn't send him back to Alert. It was highly unlikely, at least.

His kitchen phone rang, and he scrambled for it. It was probably his mother, and she was always a bit worried about him.

"Hello?"

"Is this Mitch Iancroft?" A woman's voice spoke, sounding somewhat uncertain.

That wasn't his mom. "Speaking."

The voice turned warmer, more friendly. "It's Tracy. We met back at Alert."

He blinked, then let out a laugh. "Well lass, it's good to hear from you. Things have treated you well, I hope?"

She chuckled, her voice sounding a bit more relaxed. "Fairly well. Wasn't sure if I remembered your number properly."

Mitch chuckled. "Had some trouble?"

Tracy's voice sounded long-suffering. "It got burned up."

He had to laugh at that. "Ah, you mentioned you had problems like that, now and again."

"Yeah. Quite a few problems. Working on it, but there's always something. I just wanted to touch base a bit. You were the first person I met on this world, and I wanted to thank you for that. For helping me despite all the reasons you might have refused." Tracy spoke, her voice warm.

"I can appreciate that." Mitch nodded to himself. "Though however you look, I wasn't gonna leave someone out there alone. Especially not without even their knickers to keep them warm." He spoke with a teasing tone.

"Please don't remind me. It happened too often."

"Sorry lass, can't help it. You made an impression. I won't bring it up again, though. So whatcha planning next?"

Tracy spoke gently. "I'll let you catch up on the news. I'm sure you can find out what I've been up to. Though I probably set a record for the shortest Protectorate career on file."

Mitch chuckled. "Sounds like a story. Want to fill me in?"

"I'd be glad to."

----------

"You're fucking kidding. That's not what they mean by catching a plane, lass!"

----------

"Good. Those fuckers have been running around too long. Seven outta nine ain't bad."

----------

"Now I know you're pulling my leg. Going to Hades?"

----------

"Fuck, that sounds rough. Behemoth's a bitch, but if what you're saying's right, I'm glad you were there. Glad you got through it, too. Sounds like you've had a hell of a time."

"Yeah, pretty hard. Some friends have been making it easier, though."

"Any special friends?" Mitch said teasingly. "Do I yet have a chance?"

Tracy laughed. "Sorry. I'm taken."

He clucked his tongue. "Lucky guy, then."

"Girl, actually. All woman, to be specific. I don't go for teens."

Oh. Oooooohhh. "Huh. Hadn't figured, but I'm happy for ya, lass. Life's too bloody short to go through without someone to share it with. You do you. You do your best, too."

"I appreciate the confidence. Thanks for being my first friend around here. You take care of yourself, Mitch."

"It was a pleasure, lass." Mitch spoke with warmth in his voice.

----------

It was the next morning as he stepped out his front door, coffee in hand. His agenda for the day was to restock his fridge, check up on his sister Alyssa on the north end of the city. Maybe pick up a present for his niece, while he was at it. It was a fun experience being the fun uncle. It might take most of the day, though.

Only he had to stop as he saw a Jeep in his driveway. Which was interesting because he didn't own a Jeep. Or any car at all, for that matter.

There was a note tucked under the wiper blade. Checking it out, he couldn't help but chuckle.

It's not a snowmobile, but it should help you get around. I hope you like it. If not, sell it and buy yourself something nice. I won't mind.

Keys are in your mailbox. Also, you had a hornet nest in there. I took care of it.

-T

"Hell of a present, lass." Mitch grinned, shaking his head.