It was a truly beautiful morning. The air was brisk, but not terribly cold, and the chill was beaten back by the rising sun lighting the sky in fiery oranges and red. The sound of birdsong was returning to the trees after a cold winter, and the breeze was flush with that natural music. It was just perfect.

  “Ruby!” an angry bellow echoed across the clearing, making her sigh.

  Perfection could never last.

  “Fidel,” Ruby answered, turning and offering an innocent smile at the man storming towards her. “Something wrong?”

  “Your ‘improvements’ to the hydroponics just blew out,” he growled. Ah, he did look a little wet. “I told you to stop Tinkering.”

  “If it blew out, someone set the water pressure too high,” she countered, her smile vanishing. “I’ll go look at it okay?”

  “Just put it back to how it was,” Fidel said, shaking his head.

  “It’s more efficient that—”

  “Ruby,” he cut her off. “We don’t lack water, we’re piped straight to the river. We need something that works all the time, not something that works better sometimes.”

  “Fine,” she sighed. “Saved all the parts so it won’t be too hard. You want me to get on it right now?”

  “Please,” Fidel replied. “I don’t want our crops failing their first harvest.”

  With another sigh, Ruby nodded and headed off towards the greenhouse across the compound. The little plot of land she settled with the former ANTIFA gangsters was a ways south of the main portal, far away from the blossoming cityscape that was growing in New Brockton. They weren’t self-sufficient, not yet, but the greenhouse was a key step in that direction.

  Setting up the hydroponics with her limited resources had been a challenge Ruby enjoyed, at least for the week it took to put everything together. After that had been months spent on electrification, getting power from a turbine on the river and from the sun shining down from on-high. By the time winter had come, their shelters were warm and the power system robust enough they’d managed eight hours a day even in the worst storms.

  Lucky they’d taken so much from Werwolf. Much of the money was gone now, but it had been spent establishing a little slice of heaven outside the control of any authorities. They didn’t really need it anymore, the remaining cash being kept for any potential emergency that required them heading back to civilization.

  Not that this place wasn’t civilized. Indeed Ruby had less trouble here, among a bunch of anarchist nutters, than anywhere else she’d lived before. Sure she caused trouble with her Tinkering, like always, but no one was going to throw her out over any of it. Ruby was treated not just as an asset, but a person, part of a community. She didn’t subscribe to their crazy philosophy, but maybe the world could use a little crazy.

  Despite her fears, considering how irritated Fidel sounded, Ruby found the greenhouse wasn’t too bad of a mess. The ground was wet, but she wasn’t exactly wading through a lake, and on examination she found the pipes overhead that fed the dozens of hydroponic trays to be intact. Good, it would just be the distributor then, the only piece she’d really messed with.

  Ruby took a detour to the rear and dug the equipment she needed out of the shed back there. She was a little sad to be taking her work apart, especially since she didn’t get much chance to Tinker out here in the wilderness. Lin was the only cape around for miles, and she didn’t have the equipment to scan him, much less reproduce his power.

  Not that it would be much help, she reflected as she got to work. What could anyone do around here with the ability to hear a conversation happening half a mile away? No, sadly both of them were pretty useless around here for anything more than offering extra hands. At least Ruby had decent mechanical acumen, but her Tinkering enhancements were only makeshift at best when it didn’t involve powers.

  She sighed as she put down the parts and tools next to the pumps and got to work, wishing for the first time for a visit home. Brockton Bay may have been a shithole among shitholes, but it was at least getting better when she’d left. Hopefully Joy and the remaining Terriers were doing alright, and had avoided getting locked up like Lia.

  Maybe she’d go back with the next contact party; a relic of a time when Fidel thought all his little anarchist buddies would come flocking through to the promised land of a new world to shape in their image. So far, two people had come, and one of them had gone back to New Brockton after a month.

  Still, they’d told the others they’d be back every Monday, waiting for contact from the other side for a day before going home. No reason she couldn’t take a peek around her old stomping grounds for a little bit, maybe check in on past allies. Who could say, maybe Ruby could talk Joy into sparing whatever devices she had left after her campaign. Surely Fidel wouldn’t be mad about her Tinkering with her own creations, and she could finally flex her power after months of neglect. She plumbed the old distributor into the system and tightened the bolts, then stood and wiped her brow.

  Job done done, Ruby headed back to her quarters just a couple buildings down from the greenhouse. It was about time for breakfast, and the others heading from their rooms to the combined kitchen and dining hall, the largest building in the compound. Like the others, it was a log structure with a thatched roof. Despite their odd ideals, the group had a lot of useful skills for trying to live by them.

  She ducked inside the cabin she shared with Rosa and one other little person, the one she was currently going to rouse. Ruby ducked inside their shared room and sat on the small cot with an even smaller girl sleeping on it. She smiled and brushed the long, orange locks behind Rachel’s ear, making her sigh.

  “Good morning sleepyhead,” Ruby said quietly.

  “Mmmhh?” Rachel groaned, shifting slightly but not opening her eyes.

  “Breakfast time Rachel,” Ruby said, raising her voice just a bit, to regular levels. “Rise and shine hon.”

  “Mmmore oatmeal?” she mumbled, rolling onto her back and rubbing her eyes.

  “Probably,” Ruby said with an apologetic smile. “But I’ll tell you what. I’m planning to go on the next trip back to the city. Maybe I’ll pick up some sweets for us, okay?”

  “Okay!” Rachel exclaimed, bolting upright at the promise of sweets. She gave Ruby a wide grin with a couple holes where her baby teeth had fallen out; a bit of a late bloomer but that didn’t bother Ruby at all. “Can I come?”

  “It’s a long way, remember?” she said gently. “And there aren’t enough of us to do shifts carrying you.”

  “I can walk,” Rachel protested. “Come on Auntie Ruby, I can do it.”

  “Maybe in the spring,” Ruby conceded. “When the ground is a little better, and it’s not so chilly.”

  “Okay,” she sighed, shoulders slumping. “Will you be gone long?”

  “Shouldn’t be,” Ruby said, wrapping an arm around her niece’s shoulders. “You want any books? Toys? Can’t carry a lot, but I’ll see what I can do.” Rachel pursed her lips and gripped her chin.

  “Can you see if there are any Ashen Eidolon books?” Rachel asked hesitantly. “I lost all mine.”

  “That’s the fantasy series you like?” Ruby asked, getting a happy nod. Late bloomer or not, she was a hell of a reader. “I’ll take a look okay?”

  “Okay.” Rachel yawned and stretched, her stomach growling loudly. She grinned sheepishly and kicked off the blankets heaped on to keep her warm. “Can we eat?”

  “You bet short stuff,” Ruby said, rising and taking her niece’s hand.

  She definitely didn’t want to spend too long away, for either of their sake.

  “Hey,” Ruby said, approaching the pair in the center of the compound, fixing their bags. “Room for one more?”

  “Ruby?” Lin looked at her questioningly as he fiddled with a strap on his rucksack. “You never come with the contact party.”

  “A little change of pace,” she said lightly. “Haven’t been back there in a while, want to see how things have changed, maybe take a peek at home.”

  “You know passage is restricted, right?” Rosa said, giving her a look. “You can’t just ‘take a peek’.”

  “Who knows, maybe it’ll be my lucky day,” Ruby said lightly.

  “Just don’t cause trouble.”

  Ruby had no intention of that, so just gave a thumbs up and a grin. Nice part about these guys and their crap was nobody said to go ask the boss, the beauty of free association. Maybe she’d get them a nice Bukharin as a thank you, they could always use more reading material around the compound. They started off, Lin checking his compass as they headed onto the scant trail through the woods that would eventually lead them to civilization.

  The trees in this world were tremendous behemoths for the most part, untouched by the ravages of civilization...at least not yet. Faint light gleamed through the canopy far overhead, offering just enough to see by, though not well. But it was a long march to the city though, so they needed to get started early.

  Fortunately the snows had passed by now, and their way was clear, if a little muddy. The thick canopy meant the underbrush was more manageable too, though the occasional fallen tree made them detour from the relatively well-trodden path that they and others had made with their own feet.

  To Ruby’s surprise, it took a lot less time to hit civilization than expected.

  After just a few hours of walking, the sun now shining brightly, they came across clearing on a lake that had once been empty. Now it hosted a small number of log cabins, and a couple prefabricated structures. Ruby could see a hut on the still-icy lake, and a couple people on the shore watching warily as they passed by.

  Almost unconsciously, she reached for the Hexaegis she always kept on her. Rosa gave her a look and a small nod, raising her jacket and showing the pistol concealed there. They weren’t defenseless, but Ruby really didn’t want trouble on her first trip back.

  Fortunately they passed by without conflict, or even contact; people didn’t come out here for the social events, so maybe that shouldn’t have been too surprising. It was a reminder that they weren’t alone out here though, the world was moving on even while they tried to make their own way in it; and soon it would be here.

  Hopefully, not too soon.

  “Damn, already?” Rosa grunted as the spires of New Brockton came into view. “It’s only been a month since I visited.”

  “Number of cranes have doubled in that time,” Lin said, gesturing to the towering machines scattered between skyscrapers. “More going up every week. Fidel asked me to keep a running tally.”

  “Right, you’re always coming along,” she said.

  “It’s just my power,” he sighed. “Useful, being able to hear people before you see them, wouldn’t you agree?”

  “I would,” Ruby added helpfully, taking a swig of water. “I mean not around camp usually, you just do that creepy thing of saying hi with your back turned.”

  “Sorry,” Lin said bashfully. “Don’t mean anything by it just…” He shrugged.

  “Hey don’t sweat it,” Rosa said, patting his shoulder. “Come in handy more times than it hasn’t.”

  “Speaking of,” he said, perking up and turning his head. “Two someone’s on the way towards us, moving fast, big too.”

  “Trouble?” Ruby asked, gripping the Hexaegis under her jacket. Rosa had her hand on her pistol in a heartbeat.

  “No more than usual,” Lin said a moment later, relaxing slightly. “The welcoming committee, such as it is. Remember Bitch from back home? She runs a little gang that...well they don’t run the area, but they’ve been checking out everyone coming from outside the city for a few weeks. Not sure if some fugitive escaped through the portal or what, but they know who we are and don’t do more than check us out.”

  “Heroes should get off their asses,” Rosa grumbled as the noise Lin was hearing came into the edge of regular hearing; the crashing of branches and the thudding of massive feet. “Didn’t think they’d be keen on a gang ruling a whole planet.”

  “As I understand it, they’re cooperating, sort of,” Lin explained. “Not really, but they’re all just trying to keep the peace. Hands off approach.”

  “Like they were doing in Brockton Bay, with the Nazis,” she said, glowering. “I’m glad we got out when we did, I fucking hate these guys.”

  “Things are pretty peaceful,” he said hastily, wincing. “It’s really not that bad Rosa.”

  “Don’t go soft,” she retorted sharply.

  “Hey guys?” Ruby said as a shadow loomed ahead of them. “Our friends are here.” They whirled, shared a look, then set their faces and turned to the approaching force.

  Two massive, ugly monsters galloped into view within seconds, horny growths jutting out all over, and savage maws filled with vicious fangs hung wide open. As they raced towards their small party, Ruby could just make out two figures hunched atop the monsters, gripping dark chains that led to the creatures’ mouths. They skidded to a halt ten feet away, and one of the riders dismounted, striding towards them.

  “Who’re you?” he demanded in a deep voice, a thick beard sticking out from under a dog-faced mask. The other rider remained aboard their beast, watching quietly.

  “Doppler out of Outpost Makhno,” Lin replied, hands at his side, unmoving. Slowly, Ruby and Rosa took their hands away from their equipment and imitated him. “With Rosa and Whatchamacalit.”

  “The anarchists,” a young girl’s voice echoed from the other animal. Ruby saw a fair-skinned girl with dark hair up in twists, wearing a heavy leather jacket and spiked dog collar. “They’re good. Don’t know Whatchamacalit though.”

  “I don’t come out here often,” Ruby offered with a shrug. “Always stuff that needs doing at the compound.”

  “Outpost,” Lin muttered under his breath, and she had to resist the urge to roll her eyes.

  “A Tinker?” the girl asked, her blue eyes glittering.

  “Who’s asking?” Ruby replied carefully, reaching for her Hexaegis again. The man in the dog-mask snarled and reached for his own belt.

  “The Tinker then,” she sighed. “Rick, heel.” The man snapped around and glared at her. She returned the look, then smiled at Ruby. “We’ve been looking for you.” A chill went down her spine.

  “Hey, come on,” Lin said, taking a step forward and raising his hands. “Can’t we tal—”

  “Amaranth’s calling,” the girl interrupted. “That’s what I was told to tell you. Oh, also that Jack Slash is dead.” All three of them stiffened, and Ruby stared off into the forest.

  It felt deeply foreboding now, where before it had just been scenery on a long hike. Amaranth was back, Jack Slash was dead? She was well aware of the prophecy about the apocalypse, no small part of why she’d packed up and moved here. Besides, the Terriers had been falling apart, their leader gone, and continuing like she’d planned would have been impossible.

  Now all that was turned on its head. Amaranth had somehow got out of the Birdcage, and besides that had probably gone toe-to-toe with Jack; at least, if any of the stories she’d told Ruby about her time in the summer of twenty-twelve were accurate. And now she was calling on Ruby for God and Satan only knew what. Could she afford to answer?

  Then again, could she afford not to?

  Riding on the monsters that Cassie, the girl who dragged her along on whatever crazy thing Lia had planned, wasn’t an experience Ruby wanted to try again. She was vaguely reminded of a rollercoaster her mother had coerced her into riding when she was six. She’d thrown up back then, ruined her favourite sundress, and earned a scolding for her trouble. At least this time, she managed to avoid embarrassing herself that much.

  They’d brought Ruby and Ruby alone, leaving her friends to make their way on foot. She didn’t like it, but they hadn’t taken her Hexaegis or her gun; not that she intended to use either if she could help it. The Undersiders were pretty far down her list of people she’d call contacts, let alone acquaintances or friends. But if Lia had sent them...

  The woods abruptly vanished, giving way to a clear-cut scar across the landscape half a mile wide. They crossed it rapidly, bounding to the top of a grassy hill not too far outside the city. New Brockton stuck out of the landscape like a knife driven into the earth, the grassy plain below suddenly giving way to pavement and skyscrapers; as if they’d tried to recreate Brockton Bay from the downtown outwards.

  A massive, blocky tower dominated the skyline, sticking up above the many buildings and cranes around it. It was the only building like it when she’d come here, and Ruby knew the portal was on the other side. Restricted, according to Lin, but these guys probably planned for that.

  “Here we are!” Cassie said brightly as her dog skidded to a halt. Ripper, if she recalled right. “Well, at least as close as we can take you. Rest of the way you’ll have to go on foot, the Protectorate doesn’t like our dogs in the city.” She said it with a tone that explained exactly how she felt about the heroes.

  “Yeah?” Ruby frowned, staring at the distant cityscape. “I was told they’re not letting people through.”

  “Not without a pass,” she replied with a shrug. “Someone’s waiting for you inside though, so it’s no sweat.” Sighing, Ruby dismounted the dog and fixed her pack on her back. “Oh, tell Imp I said hi if you see her.”

  “And Imp is…?”

  “Trust me, you’ll know her when you see her,” Cassie said with a smirk. “Better get going, she won’t be happy if you make her wait.”

  Without explaining who ‘she’ was, Cassie flicked the dog’s chains and took off towards the forest once more. Ruby clicked her tongue, a little irritated with being jerked around like this. But she had a job to do apparently, one that would hopefully pay well enough she could take a few souvenirs back with her. A few things of her own to Tinker with that no one could complain about her using.

  The walk into the city was pleasant enough. All the reasons Brockton Bay had been settled before, including the climate, were replicated here. Though the winter had been a little colder than normal, it was fading quickly and Spring was well on its way. The sound of the wilderness gave way to the bustle of the city, familiar, almost nostalgic after so long away.

  Keeping her head down, Ruby made for the portal tower as quick as she could. She was pretty sure the Protectorate had never identified her, with Werwolf or the Terriers, but she didn’t want more attention than she needed. Too many people would do awful things to access her skills.

  Never, Ruby would never allow people to take her away from Rachel again. She wasn’t a fighter, but the next time that was even threatened she’d take a page out of Lia’s book. Maybe...Maybe Ruby could talk her into coming back to Makhno. Sure the girl was unstable, but she was also fiercely loyal to anyone on her side; and there was no doubt Lia counted Ruby among her allies, she wouldn’t have called otherwise.

  That would have to wait until she saw exactly why Lia needed her. Hopefully it wasn’t a resurgent Werwolf, or worse a problem with the heroes. Ruby didn’t need that kind of trouble in her life, and certainly didn’t want to bring it home with her.

  The portal tower suddenly loomed at the end of the road she turned down, casting a long, cold shadow on her. Ruby drew herself up and walked towards it as nonchalantly as possible. Overhead, massive train tracks stretched down the arterial road, diverging to different cargo terminals through the city. The infrastructure was obviously the main reason things had expanded so rapidly, that and the major investments from companies betting on a world of untapped resources to extract.

  She wound up having to circle the base of the tower to find the pedestrian entrance, a little more welcoming than the utilitarian side handling cargo and trains; and Ruby found she was obviously expected.

  “Hey there,” a young woman with her blonde hair up in a tight, crown braid greeted her as she approached the steps. Her green eyes were ringed by heavy, blue bags, but were clear as glass and she had a serious look on her face. “Cassie’s friend, right?” Ruby studied her quietly for a moment. She seemed familiar, that look…

  “That’s me,” Ruby replied, putting a disarming smile on her face. “And you’re Lia’s friend?” She snorted.

  “Something like that,” the girl replied evenly. “Come on, we’ll talk on the other side; shift changes soon so we have no time to waste.”

  That Ruby could agree with. This wasn’t exactly a friendly place for a chat, with the armed PRT officers standing guard at the entrance. Still, the girl guided her through the checkpoint and building without any trouble coming down on their heads. After climbing half a dozen flights of stairs, they emerged into a massive space at the center of the building, and at its core was the brightly glowing portal.

  Multi-leveled train tracks disappeared into Brockton Bay on the other side, looking bizarrely suspended in mid-air where they vanished. Beside the tracks were catwalks where dozens of people were currently disembarking from a newly arrived train. Ruby’s guide led her on a parallel path towards the portal itself, where two PRT officers stood waiting.

  And when they reached the officers, they were simply waved through. It clicked, what the girl meant about ‘shift changes’. Evidently these two had been bribed, or else were directly employed by...whoever this was.

  Not one of the Terriers, unless Lia had been rebuilding since she got out of prison. One of the other players in Brockton Bay maybe? Not Red Hand or Orchard, small time as they were. So she was either with Lia or, more worryingly, the Undersiders. Not that that particular little gang was awful or anything, but they had a dangerous past, and that suggested a dangerous future too.

  “Ready to go home?” the girl asked as they paused in front of the glowing portal.

  “As I’ll ever be,” Ruby sighed.

  She stepped through, skin tingling as the world flashed white. Ruby blinked spots from her eyes and found herself on a catwalk almost exactly the same as the one on the other side. Her guide beckoned and led her downstairs and out the door, onto the busy streets of Brockton Bay. She walked up to a black SUV and opened the back door, gesturing for Ruby to enter. Gripping her Hexaegis, she did.

  “Hey Whatcha,” Lia greeted her as the door shut. “How’s it going?” Ruby let out a tense breath and let her device go.

  “Hey kid,” Ruby replied. “Next time how about you come through and get me yourself huh? Trying to give me a heart attack or something?”

  “Sorry,” she said, wincing. “I may be in the clear, but going through myself would attract a little too much attention.”

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “In the clear?” Ruby asked, cocking her head.

  “I’ll tell you on the way,” Lia said, shaking her head. “But I’ve got a feeling you won’t believe it.”

  “Try me.”

  “You’ve gotta be shitting me.”

  “Told you you wouldn’t believe it,” Lia said with a shrug as they rocketed along the freeway.

  “You’re telling me Zeke killed Jack Slash, Zeke,” Ruby said incredulously. “We’re talking about the same guy that got cold feet with the Nazis?” Lia shrugged again.

  “He’s a real hero,” Tattletale said from the front seat. They’d made one stop in Brockton Bay to pick her up, though Ruby had a sneaking suspicion it had just been for her mysterious, blonde guide to change. “And now we’re going to save another one.”

  “Weaver, right,” Ruby said, slowly nodding. “Not really sure what you expect me to do.”

  “I’m hoping you can analyze the bubble,” Lia said. “Tattletale has some stuff in the other car. Might be able to find a way to undo it.”

  “Or else, work with some of the other capes we’re bringing along,” Tattletale added. “Brain scans right? I’ve put something together.” Ruby perked up, just a little.

  “You’ve thought this out huh?”

  “Had some time to plan while we were looking for you,” Lia said. “Would have gotten to you sooner if we knew where the ANTIFA guys had gone.”

  “They didn’t tell you?” Ruby said, arching her brow. “Joy knew about the contact parties.”

  “Issue was the PRT,” Tattletale said. “They don’t like our enterprise and managed to weasel their way into Gimel, so we have to be more careful. Anyway, focus.” She handed back an e-reader displaying an article about Grey Boy. “A dossier with everything that was known about his power, plus some of my own notes from watching the fight. You’ve got five hours til we get to New York City.”

  “Great,” Ruby said dryly, taking the device and beginning to read. “Mm, timeloop huh? Nasty little power; and it makes him absolute by looping back any damage done to him. This says a cape called Foil killed him?”

  “With a little help,” Tattletale replied. “You know about parahuman brain structure right? The source of the powers?”

  “Oh, EDD,” she said, snapping her fingers as it all clicked. “Foil’s is absolute too, so the headshot interrupted its connection to Grey Boy. Oh, oh.”

  “Who’s Ed?” Lia asked, cocking her head.

  “Extra-dimensional doohickey,” Ruby said, waving the question off. “You brought her along right? If not we’re going to need to scan her brain STAT. Be willing to bet money I don’t have that it’ll work…”

  “Extra…” Lia snorted. “That’s a hell of a name for it.”

  “It’s extra-dimensional and it’s a doohickey I can’t study or explain,” she said lightly. “At least, not yet.”

  “To answer your question, yes she’s along,” Tattletale said, smirking. “I had a hunch.”

  “Good, good.” Ruby chewed her thumbnail, staring at the screen. “Would be a lot easier if I had Grey Boy to scan. Even a cadaver to dissect wouldn’t be the worst.” It would be disgusting, but she had a feeling she might glean something from actually taking a look at the brain itself.

  “PRT nixed that,” Tattletale said. “Bodies were incinerated after the attack, you’ll have to make do.”

  “Would that really work?” Lia asked.

  “Theoretically,” Ruby replied. “But no, I haven’t done it before if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “Keep reading,” Tattletale ordered. “Good that you have an idea already, but I don’t want you to miss anything.” With a sigh, Ruby did as she was told.

  At least the material was interesting…

  “Hey,” Lia said quietly, nudging Ruby’s arm. “You done yet?”

  “I’ve read it eighteen times, forward and back,” Ruby muttered dryly, setting the e-reader down in her lap. “Why?”

  “I just…” She chewed her lip. “How are you doing? It’s...it’s been a while.” Ruby found a smile creeping onto her face. The little softie…

  “Doing fine,” Ruby said. “Living on another world isn’t as different as I thought it’d be.”

  “Yeah, the settlement on Gimel,” Lia nodded slowly. “It’s Fidel, Rosa, and them right?”

  “Plus me and Rachel,” she replied. “Oh, and Jasper, another girl you don’t know; she came later, after Fidel invited some old comrades.”

  “And it’s working?”

  “Pretty well,” Ruby said, shrugging. “We have regular electricity, running water, and warm shelter. That and the best security south of the portal, thanks to your generous funding.”

  “I’m a charitable girl,” Lia said with a wry grin. “Gonna have to visit sometime, see what all the fuss is about.”

  “I’m sure Fidel would be happy to see you.” Not to mention shocked, and maybe a little scared. “I know Rachel would be.”

  “That’s...your kid?”

  “My niece,” Ruby corrected, though at this point it was splitting hairs.

  “I’m surprised she remembers me,” Lia said, looking out the window. “I mean, I only met her once.”

  “And made a hell of an impression,” she replied. “She’s always bugging the guys for stories about you, asking when you’re coming to visit. The whole ‘life imprisonment’ hasn’t really clicked.” Ruby arched a brow. “And this probably won’t help.” Lia snorted and turned back to her.

  “I assume they’re...sanitizing them.” Lia said with a note of worry.

  “Not really,” Ruby said, shrugging. “Rachel’s a smart kid, even if she doesn’t get everything. She knows that you were fighting Werwolf, killing them, so all they’ve spared is the overly gory details.”

  “Hope she’s not getting nightmares,” Lia muttered in a tone that said she still was.

  “Not about the stories at least,” she sighed. “No, she’s doing okay, tougher than I was when I was her age.”

  “How old is she anyway?”

  “Nine now,” Ruby said, remembering the little birthday they’d had in September, swimming in a shallow part of the river on a warm day. “Lost the last of her baby teeth last month, she’s growing up.”

  “Hope you guys will teach her how to survive in it,” Lia said, gaze returning to the rapidly passing scenery.

  “Not as bad as you think, kid,” Ruby said gently. “You’ll see.”

  “Hate to break up the heart-to-heart,” Tattletale said sarcastically. “But we’re almost there, so focus up.”

  “Later,” Lia said.

  “Later,” Ruby agreed.

  “The memorial, huh?” Ruby asked as they walked up the steps towards the small building atop the hill. “Little public.”

  “Hence the masks,” Lia said, gesturing to the broad domino mask covering her upper face, the same as the one Ruby was wearing...and Tattletale. “Don’t worry, they can’t whine about the people who did this coming for a little look.”

  “And if they do, I’ll handle them,” Tattletale said coldly. “We’re getting Weaver out, I don’t give a damn anyone thinks.”

  “Come on, even I don’t think the heroes are going to interfere,” Lia said, rolling her eyes. “If anything, it’s going put Whatcha and Foil in high demand.”

  “If it works,” she muttered.

  “Well, let’s find out,” Ruby said, forcing a note of confidence into her voice. “I’ll figure something out.”

  Tattletale grunted as Ruby pushed the door to the memorial building open. It led into a wide space dominated by a stained, severely damaged obelisk. Pictures hung on the walls, hundreds, thousands of people and capes in black and white; victims of the Slaughterhouse Nine’s attack here. Panels told the story of how dozens of clones of all their past members had descended on the city, only beaten back through great sacrifice.

  A broad panel at the base of the obelisk spoke of the fight against Jack Slash, how a small team of parahumans and regular people went inside the cordon to face him down. What’s more, it confirmed what Lia had said, that it was Zeke who dealt the final blow. There were pictures of the team: Lia’s mugshot, a picture of Joy in action, Reese, J-Dog, and of course Zeke. The final member of the team was right next to the panel.

  Behind panes of glass, Weaver hung in a bubble of monochromatic air, screaming on repeat. Some kind of soundproofing must have been installed, considering Ruby couldn’t hear her at all. It was a grim sight, and she was struck that the city had set it up like this, making a spectacle of her.

  Definitely had to get her out. Ruby wove through the small throng of people making their way through the room and approached Weaver carefully. She might have been behind glass, but it still made Ruby’s hair stand on end. At least it gave her a clear view.

  She pressed a button on her watch, then studied Weaver carefully for a minute, counting roughly in her head when each loop started. Once she was ready, she pressed the button again, waited, then once more. Checking the face, Ruby nodded; about right with her estimation of eight seconds, a little less it seemed.

  Fairly limited then. What was it, folding back the space-time fabric on itself? Ruby circled the bubble, looking up, down, and from every angle she could. No edge distortion, no impossible angles. It was, for all intents and purposes, a literal bubble of trapped time.

  So how to pop it? Dammit, if she could just look at the user’s brain it would be a cinch! But she had no instruments that would help her here, no tools and no way to even access the bubble itself; and like an idiot, Ruby had left her Spectrum Goggles at home, so she was limited to her Mark One Eyeball.

  “Anything?”

  Ruby started out of her skin, barely stifling a yelp. Tattletale looked at her innocently, and a few patrons stared on.

  “No,” Ruby huffed, shaking her head. “At least not conclusive. It’s a seven-point-eight-seven second loop.”

  “Eight-six-eight,” Tattletale corrected. “Looped space-time, undistorted, and untouchable.”

  “That’s what I’ve gathered,” she said, scratching her chin. “Gonna assume you had Foil use her power on this already?”

  “No effect, the items just have their properties nullified.”

  “The items?” Ruby cocked her head.

  “Foil imparts those untouchable properties to items by touching them,” Tattletale explained. “Usually she fires bolts through a crossbow, but she also has a rapier that can be pretty nasty. Neither worked.”

  “Well, I should meet her then.” Ruby crossed her arms and turned around, finding Lia staring quietly up at Weaver, a hand on the glass. She frowned and touched Lia’s shoulder, making her start. “You okay?”

  “Fine, just…” Lia sighed. “Just apologizing.”

  “Don’t worry, if your friend’s as good as she thinks, you can apologize to her face soon,” Tattletale said snidely. “Come on, let’s hurry up, I doubt she’s having a good time in there.”

  “I know she isn’t,” Lia mumbled as she followed Tattletale out.

  Ruby filed that comment away for later, right now it was time to get to work.

  “So you’re Whatchamacalit?” Foil asked, crossing her arms. She had a nervous look on her masked face and glanced at Tattletale. “What exactly is she going to do?”

  “Why not ask the expert?” Ruby said with a grin. She gestured to the large machine set up at the center of the room. “Tattletale got me a scalp EEG that she says is as accurate as needles, so we won’t have to do my usual. Shave a couple patches on your head, wire you up, sit you down, and make you use your power. Really it’s an easy procedure, you don’t need to do anything but sit there.”

  “You’re going to shave my head?” she balked.

  “Patches, that’s it,” Ruby countered, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Honestly, it would grow back. “If I used TINA, that’s my old machine, I’d just weave needles through your hair and slip ‘em in no problem. Of course I’d need to restrain you too, make sure they don’t get dislodged.” Foil just looked more worried at that. “Oh relax, promise it won’t hurt unless you ask nicely.” The worried look flickered with embarrassment and she scowled at Ruby.

  “Let’s just get this over with,” Foil grumbled, sitting in a chair set up next to the machine. “Parian’s going to hate this…”

  “I’ll commission a dress off her,” Tattletale said, rolling her eyes. “And stop whining, I’m paying you enough.”

  “Oh, that reminds me—”

  “Don’t push it,” she cut Ruby off. “You being here is already paying back a debt.”

  “I’ll bring it up with Lia then,” Ruby said lightly. Lia, who’d stayed at the monument alone. Apparently to make sure no one messed with it but… “Anyway, you gonna play nurse?”

  “I have better things to do,” Tattletale said dryly, turning towards the door. “Call me when the data’s processed, would you?”

  “You’re just leaving me with her?” Foil demanded.

  “She’s not going to hurt you,” Tattletale retorted. “Trust me, would you?”

  “You’re not paying me enough for that,” she grunted.

  “Then trust me,” Ruby said, stepping over to the machine and picking up a set of clippers on top of it. “I’ve done this fifty-eight times, never done any more than give someone a pinch.” And some mild, if temporary power incontinence; but that was ages ago with her first machine, a far more invasive one. “Plus I’ve done it on myself, wouldn’t risk that now would I?”

  “I...guess not.”

  “Great, have fun,” Tattletale said flippantly.

  The door slammed and Foil sighed as Ruby turned on the clippers and got to work.

  “You done?”

  “As done as the last time you asked,” Ruby said flatly, looking up from her temporary workbench to shoot Tattletale a look. “Absolute powers aren’t easy you know? I’ve got to get this right or it’s liable to take your hand off when you turn it on.”

  “Well hurry up,” Tattletale said sharply. “Weaver’s not the only one waiting.”

  Ruby grimaced. She didn’t need a reminder that Lia had stayed at the monument the last two days, refusing to go further than the door of the building. It bugged the tourists, but they couldn’t really press the local cops to go after someone’s whose picture was inside. Still, better to get this done as quick as she could.

  But she wasn’t lying about the process. Foil’s was a tricky power to work with, and Ruby had already seen several failures relegated to scrap. This time though, she was pretty sure she’d got it. Contrary to what Ruby told Tattletale, she was actually pretty close to testing this out. Just missing a couple components…

  “Hey, would you get me some magnesium strips?” Ruby asked, glancing at Tattletale. “Since you’re just standing around.” The girl bristled.

  “I’m not your maid,” Tattletale snapped.

  “Quicker I get my materials the quicker your girlfriend gets out.” Ruby held Tattletale’s gaze until the girl sighed.

  “She’s not my girlfriend.” There it was. It’d be cute if it wasn’t so sad. “Fine, how many you need?”

  “Just bring me the box,” Ruby replied, waving her hand. No need to press a pain point more than she needed. “And thank you.”

  “Thank me by hurrying the fuck up.”

  Ruby did her damndest, because the sight of Weaver screaming silently wouldn’t leave her til she was free.

  “Jesus, you look like shit,” Ruby commented as she, Tattletale, and Foil approached the door to the monument. It was past midnight, cold, and Lia was shivering outside the doorway. Her lips were chapped, eyes bloodshot, almost crazed looking. “You okay?”

  “Fine,” Lia croaked. “You done?”

  “With any luck,” she replied, twirling the complete device in her hand. “What do you think?”

  “It...looks like a really big sewing needle.”

  “Now that you mention it…”

  She wasn’t wrong. A long cone tapering to a fine point, with a small loop at the back housing the trigger. The Needle was a more fitting name than Cone-of-Arc, though wasn’t nearly as fun. She twirled it by the loop again and looked at the doors.

  “Closed up for the night,” Ruby said mildly. “Don’t suppose they spared you the key?”

  “Allow me,” Tattletale said, stepping past them.

  Lia pulled her jacket tighter around herself, and Ruby found herself wishing she’d brought a blanket or something. Why had Lia subjected herself to this? There was no point, they were going to spring Weaver free in just a minute, she could have just waited in the house Tattletale was renting out.

  Well, no matter, she wouldn’t need to do this stupid nonsense any longer. The lock clicked and Tattletale pushed the doors open. It was darker than before, but the emergency lights glowed faintly, as did the bubble Weaver was trapped inside. They strode right up to the glass, and Tattletale took a device from her belt, starting to draw a large circle on the glass.

  Lia stepped around to the other side, and Ruby eyed her as she began muttering quietly to herself. No, not to herself, she was gazing pointedly at Weaver’s face, addressing a girl who couldn’t hear her. A frown on her face, Ruby walked over to see what was wrong.

  “—said I’d get you out and I am,” she caught Lia’s plaintive whisper as she got closer. “I’m sorry it took so long, I know, I just—” She stiffened and twisted her neck towards Ruby, a brief look of surprise crossing her face before her gaze hardened. “What?”

  “Something the matter?” Ruby asked gently. “You look upset.” Lia flinched and glanced briefly at Weaver. “It’s alright, this’ll work.”

  “And if it doesn’t?”

  “Then I make a Mark Two,” Ruby said, offering a smile. “And as many as I need after. I’ve got all the data, it’s just a matter of figuring out how to employ it.”

  “Sure.” Lia glanced at Weaver. “I hope she understands that.” Ruby opened her mouth to ask what Lia meant, when a piercing whistle split the air.

  “We’re on the clock,” Tattletale said. She took hold of two suction cups that had been fastened to the glass and heaved out a wide oval, and the sound of Weaver’s looping screams filled the air. “Silent alarm on the glass. Hurry up.”

  “Got it,” Ruby said, ignoring her apprehension and stepping into the enclosure.

  An alarm? Well dammit, so much for doing things quietly, Ruby would have to settle for quickly instead. She paused beside the bubble, ignoring the screams as best she could as she slipped her finger inside the trigger loop. The Needle produced a low-pitched hum, rising to a piercing whine that cut through the repetitive cries. It bucked against her hand, and she thrust it forward into the edge of the bubble.

  She felt the pain before she heard the ear-splitting crack of the Needle coming apart in her hand. Weaver’s bubble tilted out of view, and Ruby briefly saw Tattletale’s look of shock before her head cracked against the ground.

  “—calit! Whatchamacalit!”

  God dammit the neighbours were noisy.

  “What?” Ruby mumbled, wincing as a spike of pain cut through her fogginess. “Wha’s going on?”

  “Tattletale what the hell—”

  “Hey RG, give me a minute would you?” she heard Tattletale’s voice, pinched and worried. “Whatcha, can you open your eyes?” Of course she could, what an idiotic question; and with an inordinate amount of effort she proved it a few seconds later.

  “Dammit, why you crying Liiii—” She barely stopped herself from giving Lia’s identity away. “Uhh, Am… Amara?”

  “Fuck sake.” Lia wiped her eyes. From the angle, and the surprisingly comfortable cushioning she was resting on, Ruby had to be on her lap. “Sick of people getting hurt for me.”

  Oh shit, right. Ruby’s skull throbbed, like it was splitting from back to front. The Needle, it had failed, and she’d been hurt. Pretty bad, considering how hard it was to keep a running train of thought.

  “You’d better explain yourselves,” an unfamiliar voice, the one that had yelled earlier, demanded. “As I see it, two villains have broken into and vandalized a memorial.”

  “We’re trying to save the last person on the team,” Lia said, turning her head and glaring at this ‘RG’. “You going to try and stop us?”

  “It seems you also hurt someone pretty badly.”

  “Coming from someone called ‘Radium Girl’ that’s pretty rich,” Tattletale snapped. “Whatchamacalit was trying to break the bubble. It didn’t work, obviously, but that’s not your problem. Back off.”

  “This isn’t Brockton Bay,” Radium Girl growled. Ruby could hear a faint, constant ticking, slowly speeding up. “We’re not on your payroll.”

  “I can see the headlines now,” Tattletale said sarcastically. “‘Probationary Hero Prevents Freeing of Grey Boy Victim’. I’m sure the Protectorate would love to keep you around after that.” The ticking became a crackling, and Ruby could taste a hint of copper in her mouth. “Call it in, tell them who we are, and tell them we aren’t causing trouble. You can’t afford another black mark, can you?” She heard a long sigh, and the crackling faded away.

  “Next time, you arrange this with us,” Radium Girl muttered. “And get your teammate some help, she’s bleeding on the floor.”

  “So thoughtful,” Ruby mumbled. “Ama, what happened?” Lia looked down at her, grimacing.

  “It blew up,” Lia said flatly, swallowing hard. “Your hand is intact, but it’s pretty messed up. Didn’t seem that explosive, but it tore everything pretty deep. Don’t suppose you kept a Regenerorb around?”

  “Just a Hexaegis,” Ruby groaned, bracing herself with her good hand and pushing herself up, being rewarded with another round of splitting pain. “I can make one one-handed. Just need the stuff.”

  “I’ll get it,” Tattletale said, coming into view. Ruby felt her take hold of her legs. “You need to finish your work, after all.”

  “Uh-huh,” Ruby mumbled as they picked her up and carried her out.

  Hopefully next time, she wouldn’t fuck up quite so badly.

  “What’s the problem?” Tattletale asked as the door to the workshop banged open.

  “Hm?” Ruby swiveled around on her stool, cocking her head. “There isn’t one.”

  “You said you needed to talk to me about the Needle,” she said, gesturing to the half-assembled device on the workbench. “If you need to talk to me, there’s a problem.”

  “Well, only if Foil went home,” Ruby said with a shrug. “I finally figured it out, what went wrong, probably. See only part of the Needle is affected by the absolute properties, a thin piece of metal running down the center that sticks out the end; most of it’s just casing and capacitors. So when I stuck it into the bubble, there was a—”

  “Spare the gory details,” Tattletale interrupted, holding up a hand. “Why do you need Foil?”

  “Oh.” She blinked, catching her train of thought up to the end; the one Regenerorb hadn’t quite been enough to completely heal her concussion. “So I figure the issue was only part of the device is absolute, the feedback surge— no, sorry, details. If Foil uses her power on it at the same time it discharges and sticks it in the bubble at the same time it loops, that should do it. This one’s going to be a solid piece too, so she’ll—”

  “It’s sounds like you need to talk to her,” Tattletale cut her of again, whipping out a cell phone; no god damn manners. “She’s staying in a hotel a couple blocks away, just have to make sure she and her girlfriend aren’t...involved.”

  “Yeah this would be the perfect time for it,” Ruby muttered, getting a smirk from Tattletale. “What?”

  “Nothing.” She dialed on her phone and pressed it to her ear. “Foil, busy? No, watching TV with Parian doesn’t count. Get over to the rental, we need you for the Mark Two.” A frown dragged the edges of her lips down, and Ruby noticed faint scarring on her cheeks. “No it’s not going to blow up in your hand, she fixed that.” Tattletale glanced over and Ruby offered a mostly-confident nod; it wouldn’t blow up the same way at least. “Look this Tinker crap gives me a headache, so get over here and spare me it, would you?” She snapped her phone shut and sighed. “How quick can you put that thing together?”

  “Give me an hour?”

  “You’ve got fifteen minutes.”

  With a sigh, Ruby swiveled back around and started putting the Needle together as quick as she could without messing it up. Everything was built, it just needed final assembly and alignment. The last part was the most time consuming, but probably as important as the brain scan when it came to this particular power. If the capacitors didn’t dump their energy at exactly the right moment, and if it didn’t dump to the right spots…

  Well there was a lot that could go wrong, and her recently healed hand was a painful reminder of that. At least Tattletale had gotten the materials for a Regenerorb quickly enough that it wasn’t too long of a lesson.

  The first time she’d ever been hurt by one of her own creations… Not by a completed product of course, but it still rattled Ruby more than she’d like to admit. But failure was just part of the process. Next time she was handling absolute powers, she would just have to step back a little bit.

  Ruby was just putting the last capacitors in place when Tattletale left the workshop. Usually she didn’t mind non-Tinkers watching her work, but that Thinker gave her the creeps. The casing was partly in place when the door opened again, and a moment later Tattletale approached with Foil in tow. Ruby only spared them a glance before returning to her work.

  “Almost there,” Ruby said flatly. “After it’s assembled I’ll begin alignment, which might take a little while, then we can go and do it.”

  “Shouldn’t you test it?” Foil asked nervously. “I mean, it blew off your hand last time.”

  “Nothing to do with the device itself,” she reassured Foil. “Since you’ll be using your power on it, the problem I had won’t occur. It’s all a matter of timing.”

  “I can do timing,” Foil said, still sounding unsure.

  “Great, let me just…” Ruby quickly put the final pieces of the casing in place and screwed them down tight. “So the way it works is you wait til the capacitors are charged, it’ll kick a little when they are. You’re going to use your power on it, pull the trigger, and have it make contact with the bubble at the same moment it loops. Got all that?”

  “Sounds simple enough,” she said. “Why didn’t it work last time?”

  “Only part of the device was absolute,” Ruby explained. “This time it’ll be the whole thing, double-charged no less. The idea here is...well, Tattletale told me the bubble nullified items affected by your power. But to do that, it should also be nullified in the area you hit.” She picked up the Needle and held it up for examination. “That’s why timing is important. Seven-point-eight-six-eight seconds, that’s how long the loop is. You hit it with your power at exactly the moment it loops, and pull the trigger simultaneously. It won’t be able to continue the loop while it’s actively nullified, and the second charge should disrupt it long enough to force the space-time structure to collapse.” Foil gingerly picked up the Needle and looked it over.

  “Theory is sound,” Tattletale said. “Fits with what I’ve seen of the loop, and what happened last time; and I know you can time it correctly.”

  “And you’re sure it won’t blow up on me?”

  “If it does, I’ll make sure to have a Regenerorb ready within twenty minutes.” Ruby shot Tattletale a look, and she got a microscopic nod in response. “But yes, I’m sure. Ninety-eightish percent, you’ll be fine. Besides, you’re a hero aren’t you?” It was a dirty pool, but it softened the last dregs of Foil’s resistance; just like it had with Lia.

  “Yeah, I am,” Foil said with a sharp nod. She handed the Needle back to Ruby and crossed her arms. “You said it had to be aligned?”

  “I’ll get right to it,” Ruby said with a triumphant grin. “Knew you wouldn’t let me down.”

  “I’m doing this for Weaver,” she said firmly.

  “And I’m sure she’ll thank you herself later,” Tattletale said. “Come on, let’s give the Tinker some space. Call me as soon as you’re done, Whatcha.” Ruby grunted her acknowledgment and started focusing on her craft.

  No more distractions.

  “Did we really have to do this in broad daylight?” Foil whispered as they approached the memorial once more.

  “The Needle’s done, I’m not waiting more than I have to,” Tattletale replied sharply.

  “Aren’t the heroes going to be mad?”

  “Fuck them.”

  “They didn’t arrest us last time,” Ruby added, fiddling with the Needle and running some final diagnostics with the onboard electronics. “Besides, Tattletale’s right. Amaranth’s been here for three days now, I don’t know if she’s eaten, slept, or even drank. We can’t afford to wait.”

  “Jesus,” Foil muttered. “What’s wrong with her?”

  “She knows what she did,” Tattletale said coldly.

  “Took the hit from Grey Boy,” Ruby said, rolling her eyes at Tattletale’s melodrama. “She’s taking it personally for some reason. I think she’s just got it out for Amaranth.”

  “Still?”

  “What do you mean still?” Ruby frowned.

  “Back when we were in the Wards, they seemed…” Foil shrugged. “I don’t know, there was something there.”

  “Amaranth’s had a nasty habit of screwing with me and my team,” Tattletale said as they stopped outside the door to the memorial. “She’s the reason Weaver wound up where she did, she knew exactly what she was doing.”

  “Paranoia’s a bad look on a Thinker,” Ruby said dryly, noting the tourists edging away from the trio of costumed capes. “Besides, she’s cooperated this whole time, even dragged me back here; face it, you’re reading her wrong.”

  “I’m not,” she countered. “You’ll see, sooner or later.” Tattletale pushed her way inside, and Ruby tossed Foil a shrug.

  “Like I said, she’s taking it personally.” Ruby sighed and shook her head. “Anyway, let’s go. Sooner Weaver is out, the sooner Tattletale can get that stick out of her ass.”

  “Right,” Foil said, extending a hand. “The Needle?”

  “Remember, seven-point—”

  “Eight-six-eight, I know,” Foil sighed as Ruby handed over the Needle. “Power, then impact, trigger, and loop simultaneously.”

  “Just making sure.” Ruby offered her a smile and opened the door. “Shall we?”

  The broken glass case was flanked by two armoured PRT officers, neither of whom looked happy that Lia was inside the enclosure, staring up at Weaver’s screaming form. Tattletale was already approaching them, and they moved to block her. By them time Ruby and Foil reached her, she’d convinced them to back off...somehow.

  “Don’t worry, no one’s going to be hurt,” Tattletale reassured them as they gripped their weapons tightly. “Foil’s a former Ward, and Whatcha’s just a freelancer. We’re freeing another hero.”

  “Amaranth?” Ruby said, poking her head in the hole. “C’mon, move clear.”

  “I’m fine here,” Lia said, voice cracking. She stepped a half-step back when Foil entered the enclosure. “Need to watch.”

  “It’s fine,” Foil said, voice tight. “I won’t miss.”

  At least this time, Tattletale kept any snide comments to herself. A ring of tourists began to throng the casing, but at a sharp word from Tattletale the PRT officers did their job of keeping them back. Not that they were likely to get hurt, but just in case…

  The Needle began to hum as Foil charged it up. She ran a hand along the front third of it, staring up at the bubble. The hum rose to a whine, then cut off, and Foil exploded into motion. There was a flash, a series of screams, and a loud ‘pop’ that Ruby felt in her teeth. But when the haze of light cleared, Foil was standing over a shivering, fully-coloured Weaver.

  “Oh thank god,” Lia choked.

  Then she fell back against the glass and slumped to the floor.

  “How is she?” Ruby asked as Tattletale emerged from the side-room.

  “Okay, she’s asleep,” Tattletale replied, voice low. “How’s yours?”

  “The same,” Ruby said with a smirk. “Staying up for three days’ll do that.”

  “Yeah.” Her face pinched and she pulled off her domino mask. “You...might have been right.”

  “Many such cases,” Ruby said, nodding. “What about specifically?” She got a glare, but then Tattletale sighed.

  “I misread Lia,” she said after a moment. “Was sure it was only me holding a gun to her head but...no. She was probably going to do this on her own if I didn’t step in, if only to apologize.”

  “Spent three days doing that then passed out before she could say it to Weaver’s face.” They shared a quiet chuckle. “She’s a good kid, deep down.”

  “I don’t buy that for a second.” Tattletale smirked. “But she might not be as shit as I thought.”

  “You’ll handle Weaver’s recovery?”

  “Of course,” Tattletale said, sounding almost offended. “I didn’t bust my best friend out of a time-prison turned monument to dump her on the curb. No, we’re taking her home, where she belongs.” There was a brief pause, then she cocked her head. “And you?”

  “What?”

  “Are you gonna take care of Lia?”

  “What is she, six?” Ruby scoffed. “Lia’s a grown adult. I’m going to take her to see our new place, tell her she’s welcome, but she gets to decide where she stays.”

  “Even if it’s not good for her?” Tattletale asked.

  “Some kids have to learn the stove’s hot by burning themselves,” Ruby said. “I could collar and leash her and she’d probably thank me, but that’s no way to live. I care about her enough to tell her what I think, and I care enough to let her make her own choices.”

  They fell quiet. Tattletale was obviously probing how exactly to deal with Weaver. Ruby understood the messy history of the Undersiders thanks to Lia, and it seemed things hadn’t improved with time. Then again, when the girl you had a crush on apparently dies, then reappears as an agent of the pseudo-Illuminati, only to get trapped in a timeloop; what chance did she really have?

  “Something to chew on, at least,” Tattletale said after a moment. “Guess you’re experienced, dealing with kids.”

  “A little,” Ruby said with a snort. “But I figured all this out from just not doing what my parents did to me. It’s a pretty good metric.”

  “No kidding,” she said thoughtfully. “Well, I hope Lia listens to you, for her sake.”

  “Me too…”

  “Got everything you need?” Ruby asked. “We’re not stopping in New Brockton if we want to make it before nightfall.”

  “Yeah, I’m good,” Lia replied, closing the top of her rucksack tightly. It was stuffed to the gills, mostly with stuff she was bringing out to the compound; she’d already said she wasn’t planning to stay. “Joy?”

  “Set,” Joy said. “How far is it again?”

  “Half a day’s walk, roughly,” Ruby said. “Hope you’re ready for it.”

  “Hey we fought the Nine for four hours straight and won,” Lia said petulantly. “This is literally a walk in the park...or the woods anyway.” Despite her flippant attitude, Ruby caught the worried look in her eye.

  “Don’t worry, they’ll be happy to see you,” Ruby reassured her. “Both of you, for that matter.”

  “Can’t wait,” Joy said.

  “Yeah…me neither,” Lia said a moment later, smiling.

  And frankly, neither could Ruby; her friends were finally back.