“Lia, it’s been way too long,” Dean greeted me with a smile and an outstretched hand. I shook it before taking a seat across from him. “How have you been?”

  “You know, fine,” I said with a shrug, glancing around. “Did we really have to meet here?”

  “What’s wrong with the Ardmore?” he asked, frowning.

  “It’s just...fancy,” I sighed, shaking my head. “Forget it, how are you? Boston okay?”

  “Oh, same old,” he replied. “Went through a breakup recently, if I’m honest I was happy for the excuse to get out of the city.”

  “Ah, sorry to hear,” I said.

  “No it’s alright, we weren’t a good fit,” Dean said. “How’s Amy?”

  “Oh, good, I think,” I said. “Birthday was yesterday and I didn’t have anything for her. She...I don’t know, she said she wasn’t upset.”

  “Want a hand picking something out?” he asked, pouring himself some tea from a pot. “I can tag along, give you some pointers.”

  “Don’t want to force you into my love life,” I said. “Plus like, I don’t know, I should have figured something out on my own.”

  “Hey, there’s no shame getting a little help,” he reassured, offering me a smile. “Come on, it can’t hurt.”

  “Maybe another time,” I said with a shake of my head.

  “No problem, you two are getting along okay though?”

  “Oh, yeah, I love her,” I replied, smiling. “Really it’s...yeah, best thing in my life. We don’t always agree but we talk it out, make things work.”

  “I’m glad to hear,” Dean said, leaning back in his chair. “Amy needs someone like you.”

  “Thanks,” I said, blushing. “Um, anyway, work?”

  “Don’t want to catch up a little?” he asked.

  “Not a lot of time,” I said, scratching the back of my neck. “I’ve got to make a call to see about getting some armour for my team. One of them got shot so, got to look out for them.”

  “Legally, right?”

  “That’s the first thing you ask, not ‘oh my god someone got shot’?”

  “I’m sorry,” he said, looking aside. “I trust you’re taking care of them.”

  “Look,” I sighed, scratching my hair. It was probably due for a trim. “I’m on the rocks with the Protectorate because we don’t agree on how to do things. I won’t put rules above blood, and that’s not something I’m willing to compromise on. If that’s a problem...maybe we should call it here.”

  “I...suppose as long as it’s not going to hurt people, it’s not that bad,” Dean said after a moment of consideration. “Please don’t commit any crimes while I’m out with you at least?”

  “Besides what, stalking, assault, illegal detention?”

  “You know what I mean, Lia,” he said flatly.

  “Yeah, sorry.” I swallowed. “I’ll try and stick to the Protectorate’s playbook, maybe a little loose but mostly.”

  “I guess that’s the best I’ve ever gotten out of you.”

  “Better even.”

  We shared a chuckle and continued chatting over tea. I was surprised it wasn’t as bad as I expected.

  “Salomon Industries, Andrei Salomon speaking,” a heavily accented voice answered the phone. “May I ask who directed you?”

  “Tattletale,” I said. Hopefully she wasn’t in shit with these guys.

  “A moment.” There was a rustling noise followed by a grunt. “She is paid up. Name?”

  “Uh, Amaranth?” I ventured.

  “Good, you are expected, what do you need?” Just like that?

  “I need...body armour,” I said, drumming my fingers on my thigh.

  “What kind?”

  “Um, bulletproof?” I winced as he sighed.

  “There is no bulletproof armour, unless you buy Tinker and I don’t sell,” he said flatly. “I can supply plates up to Level 5A, can defend against multiple AP rifle rounds. Vests only for shrapnel, maybe a pistol. What do you expect to face?”

  “I think the strongest you have is best,” I said.

  “You need plate carrier, I can supply no charge, considering the cost of plate,” Andrei replied. “Two-point-five thousand per. You want front and back?” I ran the math in my head and suppressed a sigh. This was getting expensive.

  “Two of each,” I said. “And two plate carriers I guess.”

  “When do you need by? Earliest I can supply is tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow is fine,” I said. “Do we have to meet?”

  “You pick up,” Andrei said. “We have a warehouse, you will come alone.” I narrowed my eyes.

  “That sounds like an ambush,” I said warily.

  “You are a parahuman, dangerous,” he countered. “And a customer; bad business to chase away money. Worse business to have too many eyes. You will come alone.”

  “Fine.”

  “Anytime after five in the morning you may come,” he said. “You knock on the door marked ‘delivery’, say you are picking up four loaves of rye and breadbasket. Pay, you will have the items, then leave. If you need to do business again, call. If my number changes, I tell you.”

  “Uh, got it,” I said, digging into my jacket pocket for a pen. He read out the address and I wrote it, and the instructions on my hand. Not ideal, but I didn’t have any paper. “Thanks.”

  “Have a productive day.”

  With that weird sign off, the line clicked and I snapped my phone shut. I headed up the street, bracing myself against the chilly breeze. I was only in it for a couple minutes of walking before I ducked inside an office building and took the elevator up. I paused outside the door marked ‘Bedford Attorneys’, chewing my lip. Not the best idea but…

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  “Hello there,” the secretary greeted me with a smile as I entered. “Can I help you?”

  “Amelia D’souza, here to see Samuel,” I said, sticking my hands in my pockets. “Sorry for the short notice.”

  “He’s just with a client right now,” she said. “If you don’t mind waiting, he shouldn’t be long.”

  “Sure,” I nodded. “Uh, can I borrow some paper?”

  She nodded and handed me a couple sheets. I thanked her, then took a seat. I copied the information from my hand down, then folded the paper up and tucked it into my jacket. Once I had, I asked where the washroom was and went to go wash my hands. No point in risking all that being exposed because of a nosy secretary.

  When I returned, I heard raised voices behind the door to Samuel’s office. I gave the receptionist a look, and she just offered an apologetic smile. Well whatever, that was his problem. My phone buzzed and I checked it, taking the paper out and copying down the address I’d been texted. I made a mental note to check out where it was before going in, then settled down to wait. It wasn’t long before Samuel’s door swung open and an absolutely ripped woman in a tight black tshirt and tactical pants strode out.

  “Fuck you Bedford,” she spat, throwing up a middle finger as she walked out.

  “Mads, wait, we talked about this,” Samuel said, walking after her.

  “Don’t listen to this viper,” she said as she passed me. I looked her up and down, eyeing her. A mercenary?

  “Mm,” I grunted. Yeah I wasn’t getting into this. Without another word she strode out, slamming the door behind her hard enough that a picture on the wall fell off. Samuel sighed and gave me an apologetic grin.

  “Hello Amelia, how can I help?” he asked.

  “Do you...want a minute?” I said, glancing at the door.

  “Oh, Mads will be back, don’t worry about that,” he replied. “Come on in, let’s chat.” I followed him into his office and took a seat in the chair in front of his desk. He sat across from me and straightened up a toppled basket of pens, then cleared his throat. “So?”

  “I need some money again,” I said. “Assuming that account isn’t open yet?”

  “Just waiting for the house to sell,” Samuel said. “A deal should be coming through soon, won’t be long. How much?”

  “Ten thousand.” He pursed his lips, eyeing me. “What?”

  “What kind of trouble are you in, Lia?” He held up a hand as I opened my mouth. “Give me a little credit, would you? I’ve seen how your attitude’s changed the last few months. Now I’m not about to call the cops, you should know that, so how about you let me know so I can give you a hand instead of just a handout.” I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms.

  “What’s the craziest case you’ve handled?” I asked.

  “State v. Penumbra,” Samuel said without hesitating. “A Tinker accused of making WMDs. Took that bitch all the way to the Supreme Court and managed to get her down from a Birdcage sentence to an indefinite commitment to the J. Frakes Parahuman Asylum.” I blinked.

  “You handle parahuman cases?” I said.

  “Sure, nothing quite as lucrative,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “Of course that sort of thing is dangerous, not something for young women to involve themselves in.”

  “Well I feel pretty involved,” I said, voice low as I leaned in. Maybe this was a bad idea, but it was far from my worst. “You might have heard of me. I go by Amaranth in costume.” His eyes widened and his expression shifted, hardened almost.

  “Yeah I suppose I should have seen that,” Samuel said, nodding. “The build, timeline of you needing money just after she quit the Wards… Well, hindsight is twenty-twenty as they say. So what, you need this for fighting crime or something?”

  “Or something,” I said with a nod.

  “How many charges are we talking?” he asked, taking out a notepad. “And have you talked to the cops or PRT yet?”

  “What? This is for equipment, not a bribe or whatever you’re thinking,” I retorted.

  “I was thinking potential bond, actually,” he said with a shrug. “If you’re just buying something, there’s less of a reason to worry I suppose. I take it this isn’t for groceries?”

  “I think it’s better I tell you as little as possible,” I said.

  “Couldn’t be more wrong,” Samuel countered. “I can’t prepare a defense with no information. If you want to avoid jail time, it’s best you at least let your attorney know what you’re up to.”

  “You’re not my attorney,” I said.

  “No, I suppose I’m only managing your money and giving you legal advice,” he said with a half-grin. “Lethal or non-lethal?”

  “Non-lethal, it’s just armour” I snapped.

  “Need a license for body armour in this state,” he said, making a note. “Though things like that are less of a problem for parahumans, especially given your more heroic bent. You are sticking to that, aren’t you?”

  “Of course,” I said.

  “Good, easier to defend a vigilante than a villain,” Samuel said simply. “I take it since you need cash this isn’t a clean source.”

  “It’s...grey,” I hedged.

  “Better than black,” he shrugged. He spun around in his chair and fiddled with a large safe behind his desk. A minute later, he turned back and set a bulging envelope on his desk. “Comes out of your money, you understand.”

  “Yeah, obviously,” I said, grabbing it and quickly counting the cash. I frowned and glanced up at him. “This is too much.”

  “It’s better you aren’t seen frequently visiting your lawyer, don’t you think?” Samuel asked. “If there’s one thing I know about what capes do, it’s run up the bills. I’ll try and get that sale through so you can access your money yourself sooner, okay?”

  “I...sure,” I said, nodding. Just had to accept this guy was weirdly helpful because of my mom or whatever. “Anyway, that was it. Um, thanks for the help.”

  “No problem Lia,” he replied as I rose from my chair. “Take care of yourself out there.”

  As I left his office, I worried the sinking pit in my stomach was just an echo of where things were going.

  “Yes?” the speaker beside the door buzzed as I pressed the intercom button.

  “I have an appointment,” I said, glancing at the note in my hand. My eyes flicked up to the camera above the door and I made sure my mask was in place. “Pick up for four loaves of rye and breadbasket.” I held up the fat envelope filled with my payment.

  “A moment.” A few seconds later, a slot in the middle of the door opened. “Place your money inside.”

  I narrowed my eyes, but did so. Worst case I could break in and retrieve it. Seconds after it vanished inside, the door swung open and a hulking giant of a man appeared with a box in his arms. Without a word, he set it down on the pavement, then stepped back inside and shut the door. I leaned down and grunted as I heaved it up; heavier than it looked.

  The trip home wasn’t too bad. I’d gotten up before the sun had risen, taking the early bus to the West Side where the warehouse was. The streets were quiet and generally things felt a little less dangerous around here. Nobody on the bus home paid any attention to the girl with the oversized box, a side-effect of being out before a lot of people were even awake. When I got back to the apartment, I was greeted by the sight of Amy coming out of our room and sleepily rubbing her eyes.

  “Good morning,” I greeted her with a smile. I set down the box and kicked off my shoes before going over and wrapping her in a tight hug.

  “Mmorming,” Amy mumbled, her face resting in the crook of my neck as she leaned on me. “What you get?”

  “Show you in a minute,” I replied, gently rocking her a little. “Coffee?”

  “Please.”

  I let her go and headed into the kitchen, setting up the machine for a couple mugs of coffee. Amy sat down at the table and rested her head on her arms. Before long, I heard the telltale quiet snoring of my oh so sleepy love and snickered. I made our drinks up and set them on the table, then crept behind her and wrapped my arms around her shoulders.

  “Good morning sleepyhead,” I murmured quietly in her ear. “Wake up juice is served.”

  “Mmmcoffee,” Amy groaned, shrugging me off. She grabbed her mug and took a sip, eyes still shut. “Thanks,” she sighed, grinning up at me and taking another drink. “So, what’d you get?”

  “One sec,” I said, retrieving the box. I cut the tape sealing it and opened it up, taking out one of the black, presumably armoured plates. ‘VA’ was stenciled on the back, as well as a date four years from now. Expiry?

  “What...is it?” Amy asked, cocking her head.

  “Body armour for Nadir,” I explained. “Trying to keep my team alive, you know?”

  “Where’d you get it?” she said.

  “It’s surplus.” At least that was what I’d been told. “A place on the West Side, just got home.”

  “Legal?” I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to lie. “Lia…”

  “It’s just armour,” I said quickly. “Not going to hurt anyone, hell it’s so people don’t get hurt.”

  “Okay, I...I guess that’s fine,” she sighed. “I wish you’d just find a better way to do stuff.”

  “The minute I do, I’m all in,” I replied. “Promise.”

  “Okay,” Amy said, taking another sip of her coffee.

  “Plus remember, Gallant’s going to be working with us,” I continued. “Even he understood.”

  “Right, forgot about that,” she muttered, eyes falling to the table.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, putting an arm around her back.

  “Nothing just…” Amy shook her head. “It’s stupid.”

  “Is it...because of Vicky and him?” She stiffened but nodded, and I swallowed. “Ah. Um, well I’m not into guys so…”

  “I told you, it’s stupid,” she snapped.

  “That doesn’t make it less important to you,” I countered. “But trust me, I’m not into boy scouts.”

  “Okay,” she said with a huff, leaning against me. “Um, thanks.”

  “Anytime Amy,” I said, kissing her cheek. “Anytime.”