Sonya and the others stepped out of the portal and into her office. She reached up and brushed her hair out of her face, as she deactivated her armor. Ironsides’ power is ve. She thought with a small smile. That smile faltered when her senses picked up on someoanding in the room. She turned her head towards the door with a frown and saw her standing there. Her lips turned down in a frown and she tilted her head forward, “Bck Lotus,” She said evenly, “What are you doing in my office?”

  “You left,” The hero said.

  “I had a meeting to attend to, it’s not your ,” Sonya said, tilting her head up to look down a bit oaller woman. “Just go to bed or whatever and leave me be. You hound me enough as it is,” She said dismissively and turned away, waving her hand.

  “I’ve been making up for it for a year, doing what you asked,” Bck Lotus said, “Please, just talk to me,” She asked, her voice crag a little.

  Sonya closed her eyes tight and ched her fists as Marta, , and Cass came through the portal. Cass froze and frowned, a warhammer appearing in her hand. Marta held up her arm and blocked the girl from attag as she gred daggers in Bck Lotus’ dire. Sonya tilted her head up again and prayed to whatever would listen for patience before she turned around and pstered a forced pleasantness onto her face, “That’s the problem,” She said with poisoned sweetness, “That, what you just said, is precisely the problem and you know it.”

  “Sonya-”

  “Get out. Don’t make me say it again,” Sonya said and turned away, “I’m tired. I haven’t slept in two days because of you, I took it out on Car, again.”

  Bck Lotus stiffened and frowned, her eyes downcast. She stood up straighter and bowed, “Miss ovna, have a good night.”

  “Thank you, hero,” Sonya said, looking down at her nails as the door opened and shut quietly behind her. Her fingers curled and she carved rivets into the table's surface, “Damn it. Not only do I have to deal with her being here but he decided that this was the best pce to start his ‘rise to power’.” She spat bitterly, “That buffoon, I never realized how stupid he was until I met him like this. What the hell kind of power does he have that he was-” She stopped as Marta put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. She turned and threw herself into Marta’s chest and her dearest friend pulled her into an embrace, “I’m so angry all the time now, more than before, I ’t take it, it hurts,” Sonya croaked.

  “We uand,” Marta whispered, resting her on Sonya’s head. “It’s okay to be angry. Are you ready for sleep tonight?”

  Sonya nodded mutely into her embrace, “Mm.”

  “I’ll ensure Cassiopeia gets back to the dorms without a disturbance,” Marta said, “ has the office. Go rest. Car will take care of you.”

  “Mm.”

  –

  Sonya walked down the hall alone, blessedly alone, finally some quiet. She drifted past the hall leading towards the girls' dorms and towards the small set of apartments attached to the rear of the building for the instructors and VIPs. Some of them were shared among the instructors while a couple had bee aside for exclusive use. She tried to let her miy a little as she wandered, reag up to run shaking fihrough her hair. Even with all my power my hands are tied, the whole point was to avoid using it at all, only to- she paused and stood up straight. Her senses felt him as he stepped out of the turn leading to the restrooms behind her. She turned slowly and looked at him, glowing pink eyes met luminous sapphire blue.

  Otis.

  “Miss ovna, you’re up te!” He said brightly.

  I’ll kill you.

  She smiled, “A bit of te night business!” She said merrily. “You’re up te too!”

  Break you.

  “I’m gd we got to talk today,” He said, scratg his head, “That stuff about scouts gave me a lot to think about!”

  Ruin you.

  “Oh?” Sonya said, “Why don’t we talk about it over breakfast tomorrow? I really should be getting to bed.”

  Your dreams!

  “That sounds great!” He said, rubbing his shoulder, “Definitely could use some rest myself, being Mythic doesn’t exclude me from soreness!”

  Your beliefs!

  “Handmaiden has told me much of the same!” She ughed, “We’re all human!”

  I’ll take everything, I swear it!

  His lip twitched ailted his head, closing his eyes with a youthful smile, “We sure are!” He said, “Good night, Miss ovna!”

  OTIS!

  “Good night, Mister Mallory,” She said sweetly and they parted ways. She walked down the hall, holding it all in. Every step was a nightmare until she reached that door, she ope slowly and shut it, closing it tightly behind her and pressing her back against it. Her breath came in gasps, He’s right there! He’s right there! She wao tear her hair out and scream but all she could do was let her hands fall to her sides. She tilted her head and looked towards the couch where she saw Car sleeping, dozed off with a half-finished gss of wine on the coffee table. There was another empty oo it.

  She smiled ahe madness drift away for a little bit. You sweet thing, she thought and walked over, kneeling down to pick up the taller woman easily into a princess carry. “Let’s get you to bed, mm?” She purred into her ear. Car mumbled and curled in a little as Sonya walked towards the bedroom door. She paid no attention to the slitted eyes that g her from the side as she walked past her refle in a framed painting on the wall. She simply prepared herself for anht of nightmares.

  –

  Lillian stirred and grumbled, scratg at her as she shifted a bit on the bed. She frowned and squi the ceiling. Her chest felt heavier than usual. She squinted and rubbed her eyes before sitting up and looking down. A small form was stretched across her chest and waist lengthwise. She blinked a few times before she realized what happened. Did we fall asleep talking? Oh crap. She gnced around and sat up, the small form rolling off of her and onto the mattress before curling up. She gnced up and saw the top of Snow’s head.

  Short, almost shaved? Why is it bd white? She thought before remembering how diligent the girl was about keeping her hood up. She took in a sharp breath and gnced around, the irls in the dorm were sound asleep. Careful… She thought and reached forward to grab Snow’s hood and slowly, very slowly, pulled it back over her head. When her friend didn’t stir she let out a sigh of relief and slid off the bed, getting to her feet. Gonna have to talk about making sure she gets to her own spot before bed, she thought and scratched her neck, Might give people the wrong idea.

  She crossed her arms and sighed heavily before pulling Snow up towards her pilloulling the b over her. It’s early but I could really go for a coffee, she frowned and wrinkled her nose, And a shower.

  She went to her duffle bag and grabbed her toiletries before stepping out of the door. She scratched her head and grumbled a little bit to herself as she made her way towards the bathrooms on this side of the building. She rouhe er and paused, frowning a little and gng around. That’s weird, what’s that? She thought, turning around in a circle. The air felt odd. She sniffed but she couldn’t pick up on anything. She looked down at her feet, Like the air was charged and then… I dunno. She shook her head.

  “Wacky pce,” She muttered and pushed her way into the bathrooms.

  A little while after that, fully refreshed, she stepped out with a much brighter disposition. She o get her m workout in. She reached into her toiletries bag as she stepped bato the hallway and fished out the catalog, flipping to the back where the map was. The Dojo could work but there had to be a- there! A gym! She ched her fists, “Blessed weights and pull-up bars!” She said with delight and stepped fully out into the hallway, turning as someoepped up behind her.

  “Excited to get your workout in?” The merry-chirp of Sonya ovna rang out behind her.

  She spun and saw the usually formally dressed woman in a t-shirt that said ‘Co Up - Pinky Out’ in pyful letters. From her right arm hung a small bag with a towel hanging out of it. She was ipants, sandals, and her hair was down. She definitely had a serious case of bed-head. That said, she looked far more rested than Lillian had seen her sihey first entered one another. She was smiling wider too, refreshed. Lillian realized she’d been staring and flushed before scratg at her head, “Uhh yeah! I always try to get a good one in the m but, yesterday was a little crazy.”

  The CEO stood up straight and put her hands on her hips, tilting her head, “Bck Lotus and I didn’t put you through enough?” She asked with a ugh, “You’re a beast aren’t you?”

  Lillian shrugged and flexed her arm, grinning, “What I say? I’m tough!”

  The CEO chuckled and reached up to squeeze the arm, her bare fingers were strong and strangely cold, was that why she wloves all the time? “Careful with those, might get more attention than you handle,” She teased with a wink, “Have a good m dear!” She said impishly and walked past towards the restroom. “Someone else has the instructor's shower so I guess I’m roughing it!” She ughed.

  Was she just- Lillian turowards the woman and mouthed a few words before finally settling on something, “Th-thanks! I’m gd you’re feelier!”

  Miss ovna paused at the door and gnced back at her. Her expression softeo something far mehank you,” She said before disappearing into the room.

  Wow, her skin really does glitter, Lillian thought stupidly before blinking, she bopped herself in the head. Stupid! Stop it! She chastised herself before turning away to head back to the dorms and grab a few things for her work out. Snow was still out cold but she was holding her phone and it clearly had an arm set based on the symbol fshing at the top. She’d be fine. Lillian got ged and grabbed a few more things, she couldn’t get a signal but she had some pylists saved on her phone she could listen to since radio wasn’t an option.

  She didn’t fet to grab her broadsword, of course. It was a huge topic of versation the previous night whe back. It turned out that the girls didn’t want to sleep until they heard more about the one-oraining from her. When she came back with a freaking sword, the excitement grew even more palpable. Jessica definitely approved of the choid one of the others had an ability that let them identify what it was made of. Post-Pandora metal. It had elements in it uo monsters and dungeons. It arently seriously expensive hardware.

  That of course led to the deluge of questions about whether or not ASTA had signed her, she had been as nonittal as possible and one girl pointed out that she’d probably been asked to sign an NDA for the camp. That had been a nice save. Snow still gave her some squinty looks but it could have been worse.

  She ambled through the building and to the stairs that she hadn’t noticed were ed around the back of the earth diorama. Dowairs she found a hall filled with s and of course the long gym with gss walls so one could see if anyone else was w out inside. She was not alo turned out. Several of the guys and girls from the aspirants were already getting their day started like her. She poked her head inside and spotted only one familiar face. “M Jessica!” She called as she walked in and found herself a spot o the bars and some weights.

  Jessica turned from a versation with who looked like the guy who had been using his powers to pull things towards him the previous dinner. She waved, “Hi Lillian! Good m! Getting started early?”

  “Yep!” She said and gnced up at the bars, “Got some sets then sword drills to do.”

  “Mind if I do drills with you?” She asked, walking over.

  Lillian g her, she was unarmed, “You don’t have your-” Jessica held out her hand and a bde of ice stretched from it being very solid and releasing a faint white mist. “Oh!”

  Jessica gri her, “I’m always armed.”

  Lilliaurned her expression with an awkward smile, “That’s kinda scary when you say it like that.”

  Jessica blihen ughed, “You’re right! Maybe I should save that kind of thing for vilins.”

  “Probably,” Lillian agreed and reached down to grab her sword, “Shall we?”

  “I’ll follow you, I’m curious about what she taught you,” Jessica said, “Hope you don’t miealing a bit?”

  “Not at all!” Lillian said, tilting her up a bit, “We’re all training to be heroes, every little bit helps, right?”

  Jessica let out a weary sigh and gave her an almost patient smile, “You are too good for your own good, thanks,” She turo the guy she was talking to, “Hey Reek! we get some water?”

  The guy oher end of the room crossed his arms and frowhe brown hair on his head falling down just past his eyebrows as he stared back ftly, “That is not my ame and I am not your porter,” He turned away with a huff, “Try again, princess.”

  She scratched her nose, “Sorry Luke,” She said, “Please?”

  He gnced her way from the er of his eye a out a long suffering sigh, “Fine!” He said and held out his hand, it looked like the air parted like curtains and a gallon jug of cold water nded in his palm. He set it down and then another appeared before he k, grabbed them, and carried them over.

  “Was that some kind of ste power?” Lillian asked, amazed. There are so many cool powers out there!

  Luke tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, “Huh? No. Well, sorta,” He shook his head, “I pull things that I’ve marked to me from any distance, pretty much, I’ve got a whole storeroom back at my house full of stuff instead of carrying it with me. My folks are going to keep it stocked while I’m here,” He said, “If the item’s close enough I draw it to me physically and at high speed if I want. I’m partially here to figure out if I do it the other way. Fire projectiles.”

  “Aren’t you being a little detailed?” Jessica teased him.

  He shrugged, “We’re all heroes here and I’ll be blunt, you two are the st people I’d suspect spilling their guts, Jess is on my team and no offense Lillian, but Jess is kinda right. You could stand to be a bit more selfish.”

  Lillian flushed, “Just kinda hard reg being a little selfish with being a hero.”

  “Aw! That’s why I like you!” Jessica said, g her arm, “e o's do some drills, thanks Luke.”

  “Sure sure,” Luke said and walked off, hands in his pockets as he ambled his way over to the treadmills.

  They ght into it, Lillian showing Jessica the way that Bck Lotus had taught her to stand, breathe, and swing. It took a little bit for Jessica to get the hang of it but soowo of them were doing overhand cuts over and over, their eyes focused hard on the wall in front of them. Lillian didn’t let her mind wander as she did, after some sleep she finally had a bit more of a clear head, it was a good feeling. She let out low breath after low breath, the meditative breathing ing naturally as she brought it back from the previous night’s training. A warmth began to rise up in her chest as she swung and sweat dripped dowemple. The heat intensified, but it felt good as it spread out through her body and into her arms.

  “-ian!”

  She frowned a swinging, o a time, up, down, up, down.

  “Lillian!”

  She paused, Jessica’s voice? She sounded upset. She turned and bli the girl, “Yeah? What’s up?” She asked, fused.

  Jessica stared at her frankly for a moment before pointing at her shoulder, “You uh… you got a little something on your…”

  Lillian turned her head, fused, and looked down at her left arm. Fmes. Fire was burning on her shoulder. Brilliant yelle-gold fmes. They were small but… Wait. “I’m on fire!” She gasped and reached up to pat it off before pausing again. Why doesn’t it hurt?