“The defendant Amaranth has been found guilty on all charges,” the judge chairing the tribunal said, reading from a piece of paper in front of him. “While the state recognizes Amaranth’s troubling circumstances in Brockton Bay, as well as her youth, the prosecution demonstrated a history of recidivism during her time as a Ward. Given that, and the serious nature of her actions, we have made the difficult decision to sentence her to the Baumann Parahuman Containment Center.” He whacked his gavel on the bench, and that was that.

  “Shit,” Esther swore, her grip around Amy’s shoulders tightening. “I guess we shouldn’t be surprised but...shit.”

  “Yeah,” Amy said hoarsely. On the screen, they led Lia away in chains. She looked smaller, deflated, defeated.

  Deservedly so. There was no question she’d earned her place among the monsters that populated the Birdcage. The South End was still in flames, with fighting ongoing between the Terriers and Werwolf. From what Amy had heard, things were starting to get quieter, but there were still reports of daily shootings. More worryingly, just yesterday, a bomb had exploded outside a community center.

  Only a few people had been hurt, and Pandora had been on the scene as soon as the PRT was to help them. It hadn’t been the Terriers, as things turned out. Rather, Werwolf had resorted to apparently unrestricted violence in their death throes. For their part, the Terriers had struck back viciously, with six arsons reported the night after.

  Amy had barely slept since the massive gang war broke out, constantly in and out of hospitals who were treating the wounded. But hopefully the news of their former leader going to prison tamped down their spirit. If not, Amy could always bum a cigarette from one of the nurses.

  “So...that’s what Lia was up to,” Esther murmured quietly. Amy winced, they really hadn’t tried to protect Lia’s identity, even if they didn’t explicitly out her name. “Was...that why she left?”

  “Yeah.” No point hiding it anymore. “I told her to stop or leave, and she left.” Her throat tightened as Esther hugged her.

  “Sorry love,” Esther said gently. “God I...I never thought she was a hero.”

  “She was a villain,” Amy said bitterly.

  “Sorry, yeah, that,” she replied, wincing. “But still...she was a hero, once. Did you know each other back then?” Amy pursed her lips, considering her answer.

  She hadn’t told Esther about her powers yet, her girlfriend still thought she was just a volunteer nurse waiting to get into college for certification. Maybe...maybe it was finally time. They’d been dating for a while now, and she seemed trustworthy enough. Plus she was probably suspicious already, given Amy’s connection to Lia, and the new revelation about her villainy.

  What would she think? Capes had been making a mess of Brockton Bay for both their lives, and for Esther it was that much more personal; she’d had family members hurt by the Empire after all. Then again, so had Amy...so maybe Esther would get it and not judge her too harshly.

  She prayed.

  “Yeah,” Amy said with a nod. “Actually...I have something to tell you Esther. I hope you’ll understand why I haven’t til now but…” She chewed her lip as Esther stiffened.

  “What, are you not really gay?” Esther asked sarcastically, but her voice wavered with fear.

  “I’m a cape,” Amy said, shoulders hunching. “Pandora but...you probably heard of me before that, as Panacea.” She heard Esther breathe in sharply and flinched. “I’m sorry I lied to you about all this, I just...I wasn’t sure what you’d think.”

  The silence that followed was oppressive and painful. Amy knew she’d messed up telling Esther. Not because her girlfriend couldn’t be trusted, but because all this time their relationship was based on a lie. Amy hadn’t wanted capeshit in her regular life anymore, it was part of the reason she’d distanced herself from the Dallon name. She could only hope Esther would understand…

  “Well shit,” Esther said at last, fingers plucking at Amy’s hair. “You’re not kidding huh? I thought you looked kinda familiar, but I figured you just had one of those faces.” She took a deep breath, leaning against Amy. “So Panacea isn’t dead?”

  “Panacea doesn’t exist,” Amy replied, shaking her head. “I just...look, it’s complicated and I really don’t want to get into it right now okay? I go by Pandora in a mask, that’s why I said I worked at a hospital. It wasn’t exactly a lie but...sorry.”

  “But that’s it?” she ventured cautiously. “That was your big secret? You’re not um, no other girls you’re seeing or anything?”

  “No,” Amy scoffed. “I’m not like that.” And she hoped she never would be.

  “Okay.” Esther nodded slowly, then leaned over and kissed Amy’s cheek. “Well you can trust me to keep my mouth shut. You’re Amy, and that’s that.”

  “Thanks.” Amy let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. Her shoulders slumped, and it felt like a ton had been lifted off them.

  “Thanks for telling me,” she replied, planting another kiss on the crown of Amy’s head. “You working in a hospital makes a hell of a lot more sense now. No offense, but um, you don’t really seem the nurse type.” Amy snorted and nodded.

  “Well if you spent much time in a hospital you’d get it,” Amy said with a shrug.

  “Can I…” Esther bit her lip, then shook her head. “No, dumb idea, forget about it.”

  “Come on,” she said, rolling her eyes. “It can’t be that dumb.”

  “Can I come with you?” Esther asked hesitantly. “I mean, I know I don’t have a mask or anything so maybe it’s a bad idea to have my face associated with yours in public. And I don’t have medical training worth a damn either so I’d basically just be getting in the way. Besides, it’d probably be a pain having me breathing down your neck so—”

  “Esther,” Amy cut her off, reaching over and grabbing her hand. Her cheeks were burning, but a smile stretched her lips. “Yeah, I...I think that would be okay.”

  She’d never liked having an audience for her healing, but usually it was because it always felt like they were judging her treatment. It was practically magic after all, the way Amy could manipulate the human body; magic, or maybe a hex. But like Esther had said, she had zero medical training at all, she would just see someone go from sick to healthy like that.

  Then again, that may be worse in a way. Her patients often viewed her with awe that made her stomach gnaw with guilt. Even though Esther hadn’t shown signs of hero worship before, there was no telling what her actually watching Pandora at work would do for that; and Amy really didn’t want to date a fan. Still, she trusted Esther to not be like that. That would have to be good enough, until that trust was proven to be a mistake.

  Heart and soul, Amy hoped it wasn’t.

  “Thank you again for your time today, Pandora,” the nurse who’d been accompanying her said with a smile as they walked to the exit. “I’m sorry about your friend, is she alright?”

  “Fine, fine,” Pandora reassured her with a quick shake of her head. “Just a little squeamish.”

  “Ah, fair enough.”

  She felt a little foolish about how today had gone. Esther had been so excited about joining her at the hospital, Pandora had forgotten to warn her just how...grim things could get. She’d ducked out after the third patient, some injuries from a serious car accident. Of course Esther wasn’t allowed into the actual rooms, but the glimpses she’d caught through the door had clearly been enough to turn her stomach.

  Pandora couldn’t exactly blame her for that, but she felt like an idiot for not thinking of that in advance. Then again, she wasn’t the only one who hadn’t considered the hospital might be a little gory. The difference was that Esther didn’t have the experience to make the call, whereas Pandora just didn’t consider other people. It was shameful but...hopefully Esther wouldn’t be too upset.

  “Hey,” Esther greeted her with a wave as Amy and the nurse stepped outside the hospital. She wore a medical mask over her face, her idea to make herself less recognizable. She looked a little pale still, but didn’t seem angry. “How’d it go?”

  “Fine,” Pandora said with a shrug. The nurse turned and headed back into the hospital, leaving them alone. “Ready to go?”

  “Let’s,” Esther agreed, grabbing her hand.

  They started walking home, to Amy’s place. Along the way, they stopped in a quiet alley so Amy could change out of her costume; really just some medical scrubs along with her mask and headband. Once she was back in civilian clothes, Esther took off her mask too and they rejoined the few other people on the street.

  It was a pleasant spring day, the sun shining down as it headed towards the horizon. Even though Esther had ducked out early, Amy found she wasn’t as annoyed or sour as she usually was after a shift. It was a surprise, but was welcome without a doubt.

  “Don’t think I’ll come again,” Esther said as they waited at an intersection to cross. “No offense, but it’s not...not my thing.”

  “It’s okay,” Amy reassured her, offering a smile. “Don’t worry, I really get it.” It was a little disappointing, she’d appreciated the company, but she couldn’t help the hospital being gross.

  “Cool,” Esther said with a nod. “Hey, can I make dinner tonight? Think you deserve a break.”

  “Yeah? Okay,” she agreed, squeezing Esther’s hand. “What are you thinking?”

  “Ever had brisket?”

  Amy hadn’t, but she was eagerly looking forward to trying it.

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  “Pandora, do you have a minute?” Miss Militia asked as Pandora was heading towards the elevator, making her pause.

  “Is something wrong?” Pandora said, feeling her stomach tightened. “Sorry I was late, I was—”

  “It’s alright,” she reassured Pandora, holding up a hand. “I just wanted to have a private conversation, if that’s alright?” Pandora considered it a moment, studying the hero.

  “Okay,” she agreed, nodding slowly. “So?”

  “Not here,” Miss Militia said, shaking her head. “Come.”

  Pandora was wary, but followed Miss Militia into the elevator and up to the office level. She had nothing to fear here, especially since she’d just taken a bullet out of Triumph’s arm; a nasty tangle with some Werwolf nutcases. The bloodshed was waning, there was no doubt, but they weren’t out of the woods yet. Especially since the Terriers didn’t seem to be stopping their own violence.

  That said, there had been some changes. For one, there weren’t anymore executions; at least none the police or PRT found. Second was that they’d cut back on the weapons they were using, switching to less-lethal variants. Still a lot of injuries for Pandora to fix when the suspects arrived in custody, but no longer was she being awoken at midnight to save a Nazi who’d taken a bullet to the kidney.

  They entered Miss Militia’s office, and the hero shut the door behind them before taking a seat at her desk. Pandora sat across from her, shifting in place and glancing around. It was pretty austere, the only decorations being a small Statue of Liberty figure on her desk and an old America flag on the wall with the stars arranged in a circle.

  “Thank you for joining me,” Miss Militia said, the corners of her eyes wrinkling as she offered a smile. “How are you doing, Pandora?”

  “Fine,” Pandora replied with a shrug. “Happy that things are...winding down, relatively speaking.”

  “Mm, as am I,” Miss Militia said, nodding slowly. Pandora noticed heavy, dark bags under her eyes, something she hadn’t seen before on the cape who was famous for not needing sleep.

  “Are you okay, Miss Militia?” she ventured. “You look exhausted.”

  “The past few months have been...taxing,” Miss Militia said after a moment. “I imagine you know that better than me, given your former relationship with Amaranth.” Pandora winced.

  “I...haven’t really thought about it.” A blatant lie, but she wasn’t eager to vent her feelings. “Were you close?”

  “She and I shared...similar pasts,” the hero said. “Both of us lost our parents, were forced into situations where we had to use our powers in ways that were...troubling. I’d hoped to take her under my wing until…” She sighed and shook her head. “You knew her better than me, do you think there was ever a chance?”

  “A chance?”

  “That things could have gone differently.”

  Pandora considered it for a moment, staring at the ground. Could Lia have ever not been the villain she wound up as? Was there even the faintest hope that she could have remained a hero, even become one of the best? She’d seen a glimmer of it, back when they were fighting the Slaughterhouse Nine. The unflinching resolve to wander the streets of the bay with Jack’s nomination on her head, all to save Amy from the fate she’d earned herself.

  Then it had all gone wrong, and so quickly it made her head spin. She would never know what drove Lia to such depths, but she could only pray she wouldn’t follow. If Lia hadn’t saved Amy, where would she be now? In the Birdcage, probably, for the monstrous things she had done; and would do, if Lia hadn’t been lying. But as for Lia…

  “Yeah,” Pandora said hoarsely, nodding. “I don’t know how, but she could have been a good hero.”

  “Indeed,” Miss Militia sighed. “I’ve never seen someone so willing to throw themselves headlong into danger for others. I’d call it madness, but she’s always come out unscathed.” Amy knew better than that, but from Miss Militia’s point of view it was true.

  “Well...she got what she deserved,” Pandora said at last, making herself believe. Miss Militia flinched subtly.

  “Unfortunately,” she said, lowering her gaze. “Thank you for speaking with me Pandora. You may go, have a good afternoon.”

  “Sure,” Pandora replied, feeling like she’d said something wrong. “Um, you too.” As she left Miss Militia’s office, she reflected on what she’d said.

  Yes, Lia had got what she deserved, but Amy wasn’t really convinced it was justice…

  “Hey Mom,” Amy said as she answered her phone. “How are you?”

  “I’m doing well, thank you Amy,” Mom replied. “And how about yourself?”

  “I’m...doing okay.” Esther had gone home about an hour ago, and Amy was looking forward to a weekend alone and off-shift. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t show up at the hospital sometimes, but unless there was a real emergency it was all on her time.

  “I’m glad to hear,” she said. “I’d like you to come over for dinner tonight. There’s an important subject I’d like to have you there to discuss.”

  “Oh?” That was...weird. Amy didn’t really feel like family stuff should have her involved, and certainly not team stuff. “Can I ask what?”

  “We’re looking at potentially adding another member to New Wave.”

  Now that was a surprise and a half, one that stopped Amy from replying right away. New Wave didn’t take new members, at least not in the entire time Amy had been a part of it. It had always been a family thing, tightly knit and closed to outsiders; especially since most capes didn’t agree with the policy of unmasked action. The fact that they were looking to add…

  “Who is it?” Amy asked, she couldn’t help it.

  “Dean Stansfield.”

  “No shit.”

  “Language,” Mom said sharply, as if she hadn’t dropped an atomic bombshell on their conversation. “I’ll expect you to behave better if you come.” Did she really want to if Dean was going to be involved?

  Well...for all his faults, he wasn’t actually a bad guy. He bumbled around like an idiot with his power, trying to play therapist; to say nothing of what he’d done to her sister. But at the same time...well, Amy had managed to get better hadn’t she? The constant fear of fucking up had subsided somewhat, now that she actually had and had fixed it. Not to mention she didn’t spend time around Vicky too often, there just wasn’t the same temptation there used to be.

  So if Amy could change, could get better…why not Dean?

  “I’ll be there,” Amy said, not sure if it was the best idea. Still, her mom wanted her there and...well, maybe the team could really use another member. “When should I come by?”

  “Six will be fine,” Mom replied, sound a little more relaxed. “Thank you Amy, I’ll look forward to having you there.”

  “Um, thanks Mom,” she said, feeling a little embarrassed. “See you at six.”

  “See you then.” There was a brief pause. “I love you.” Amy’s eyes widened.

  “Love you too,” she mumbled, disconnecting the call before she could say something stupid like ‘really?’ and ruin everything.

  Amy sighed and leaned back, shutting her eyes. Now she had to figure out what she was wearing…

  “Hey Amy,” Crystal greeted her brightly, offering a quick hug. “Damn, you look good. That dress is beautiful.”

  “Thanks,” Amy replied, her cheeks burning. “The goodwill, believe it or not. I didn’t even have to alter it.”

  “You have to take me sometime,” her cousin said with a grin. “My wardrobe could use some updating, without me having to take out my student loans for it.” They giggled and Amy nodded happily.

  “That’d be great,” she said honestly. She didn’t usually enjoy shopping with other people, or at all, but it might be nice to just spend some time with Crystal. “Do I smell pasta?”

  “Ravioli,” Crystal said, leading her inside. Amy kicked off her shoes and followed her cousin into the living room, sitting next to her on the couch. “Uncle Mark got a new recipe, smells amazing right?”

  “Yeah,” Amy said, looking around the room.

  Aunt Sarah greeted her with a tired smile before going back to a quiet conversation with Victoria. Her sister only glanced her way and offered a tight nod, but that was better than going unacknowledged. Dean was nowhere to be seen, for that matter neither was Carol. When she asked, Crystal said that her mom was picking Dean up, hence her absence. Vicky probably hadn’t wanted to fly him, fair enough…

  Their conversation turned to small talk, with Crystal ever eager to pry into Amy’s love life. She dodged and wove as best she could, but her cousin was determined. At least Crystal wasn’t looking for sordid details, instead fawning over the dates she shared. Apparently it was ‘adorable’ that Esther had been grossed out by the hospital, something Amy would be sure not to repeat to her girlfriend.

  Despite feeling a little awkward, Amy couldn’t deny it was nice to talk about her relationship. There weren’t half the hangups she’d had to avoid with Lia, no terrible secrets that could never see the light of day. Maybe things didn’t feel quite as...deep as they had, but nor were they quite as dark.

  Finally, Mom arrived with Dean in tow. He greeted everyone politely, but even Amy could see he was anxious about tonight. Vicky wore a neutral mask, and she wondered what her sister was thinking right now. Probably something that would get her in trouble if she voice it… Mom ushered everyone into the kitchen, where Dad was just serving up the heaping bowls of delicious looking ravioli.

  “How have you been Dean?” Dad began once they started eating. “It’s been a while since we’ve had you over for dinner.”

  “Oh, I’ve been good Mr. Dallon,” Dean replied with a tight smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “It’s been...interesting, working for my father’s company. But if I can be totally honest, I’ve missed being a hero, missed helping people.”

  “Hence you reaching out,” Mom said, getting a nod.

  “I also just...wanted to see how everyone was doing,” he said, conspicuously looking away from Vicky. “I haven’t kept in touch like I meant to, but you always treated me well so…I’m sorry.”

  “Apology accepted,” Dad said easily. “But let’s save business for after dinner, hm? How was Boston?”

  Amy continued to eat quietly and watch Dean, wondering just how good a fit he’d really be…

  “So, like I said, I’ve missed helping people,” Dean said, hunched in his seat. “I have powers and I want to use them to make the world better, that’s always been important to me.” Everyone had retired to the living room after dinner to talk about Dean joining. Amy, Crystal, and Vicky shared the largest couch, while Dean was on a chair that had been brought in from the kitchen. Dad and Aunt Sarah were seated on the loveseat, watching quietly.

  “And why New Wave?” Mom asked coolly. “The Protectorate would surely take you back, and any other team would be happy to have an experienced hero like you; and you wouldn’t need to give up your secret identity.”

  “Hope it’s not just me,” Vicky muttered, too low for Mom to overheard, but Amy caught it. They shared a look, and a small grin.

  “If I’m honest?” Dean glanced at Vicky, then back to Mom. “That’s part of why I want to join New Wave. I agree that heroes have too many secrets, and we should be beholden to the people we protect. You...I don’t know if you knew this already, but my dad bought my powers for me. I didn’t have to go through what other heroes do, and I lied about that for my entire career.

  “That’s why it has to be New Wave,” he continued, his gaze falling. “I know it wasn’t the right way to do things, but I think it’s important to still do right with the abilities I have. I believe in New Wave’s mission, so I’d like you to consider me.”

  “Well you certainly sound passionate,” Mom said, offering a smile. “And your record in the Wards speaks for itself. I think there would be merit to you joining us.” Dean’s face brightened. “But we’ll need to discuss this further. Thank you for joining us tonight Dean, do you need a ride to where you’re staying?”

  “No, that’s fine,” Dean said, looking a little crestfallen as he rose from his seat. “Thank you for dinner, and your consideration Mrs. Dallon. Amy, Crystal...Vicky, good to see you all again.”

  They mumbled their goodbyes over each other as Dean headed out into the night. Amy couldn’t help feeling a little bad for him, she knew well how it felt to have the cold shoulder turned on her. This time, she was just glad to be on the other side of it, shitty as that was.

  “He’s changed,” Dad said after a few minutes. “Matured since the last time we saw him.”

  “I agree,” Mom said, nodding. “Your thoughts, Sarah?”

  “This whole thing about buying powers is...complicated,” Aunt Sarah said, a small frown on her lips. “I’m not sure it would be in the team’s interest to publicize that, if he were to join us.”

  “So you want him to lie about it again?” Vicky asked coldly.

  “Not lie,” Aunt Sarah replied. “Just...listen, we don’t discuss how we got our own powers. There’s no reason he would need to.”

  “As long as he’s not bugging Vicky, I don’t mind,” Crystal chimed in, putting an arm around Vicky’s shoulders. “I like what he said, about doing right even though he started out doing it wrong.”

  “Amy?” Mom asked, looking at her.

  “Hm?” Amy cocked her head. “What?”

  “What do you think about Dean joining New Wave?”

  “I’m...not really part of the team,” Amy said, shrinking back. “It’s not really my decision.”

  “Still,” Mom said. “I’d like your input. Do you think he means what he says?”

  “I…”

  Amy considered it for a moment. Dean had always been an antagonist, a roadblock reminding her what she could never have. Now though...well, he was just some guy. Sure he and Vicky had dated, but they weren’t anymore. He wasn’t asking to get back with her either, nor had he tried even once to play therapist tonight. It was a change, a damn good one. He didn’t seem to be lying either, from what she could see at least. So…

  “Yeah, I do,” Amy said at last. “I think...maybe he could use a second chance, to show if he’s really changed.”

  “That’s very mature sweetie,” Mark said, smiling at her. “You know, he’s not the only one who could use a second chance.”

  “Sorry Dad,” Amy said, shaking her head. “Just...sorry.”

  “No problem hon,” he said, reaching over and gently squeezing her shoulder. “I’m just happy to have you here at all.”

  “Back to the matter at hand,” Mom said, clearing her throat. “Do we think he’d be a good addition to our team?”

  They leaned in to make their decision, together.