“Oh god it feels good to be out on a real patrol,” I said, zipping the cuffs shut on a would-be mugger. “Vista you call the wagon?”

  “Three minutes,” she called back, rising from where she had been speaking to the victim. She came over and glanced down at the mugger. “He looks hurt.”

  “Broken nose, he’s fine,” I replied, rolling him onto his side so he could breathe. “But it won’t do him any favours with the ladies, not that trying to steal their shit would.”

  “Still…”

  “What? I didn’t break anything major, or even dangerous. It’s just blood.” I rose and rolled my shoulders. “He’ll be in pain for a few weeks, then ugly for a while longer.”

  “Alright,” Vista sighed. “Don’t blame me when you get another lecture about excessive force, and another fine. Your bounty money is going to run out at this rate.”

  “It’s fine,” I said tensely. “This is definitely within our guidelines. Come on, give me a hand with him; van’s here.”

  The flashing green and white lights lit the street around us. It wasn’t too late, but the sun was setting rapidly and the days getting shorter. Oh god what were winter patrols going to be like? Hopefully not too bad at least. I probably needed to talk to the Image team about that one sooner than later. Maybe I’d get a warmer, winter version of my spandex, fleece-lined or something.

  I shook my head and helped heft the criminal into the back of the van. One of the troopers waved to me, and I waved back a moment later when I recognized Hooks’ eyes peering out behind her balaclava. She’d mentioned earlier that she was back on duty, though just with the containment teams. We didn’t say a word to each other though, we had a job to do.

  The team’s medic gave the victim a quick check-up, then led her up front for the ride back to base. At least she’d been talked into a statement, most people weren’t these days. Before long, the van took off up the road, and we were left to the last leg of our patrol.

  “See? No problems,” I commented as we turned south.

  “We haven’t been debriefed yet,” Vista countered. “You know I’m not saying this stuff because I care about the bad guys right? You’re on thin ice, everyone knows it, and I really don’t want to see you screwed like Shadow Stalker was.”

  “What happened to her anyway?” I asked. “I mean, I know we rescued her and everything, or Clock did but…”

  “She’s in San Diego.” Vista frowned and shook her head. “Or San Francisco. San Jose?” I offered a shrug. “Somewhere on the West Coast anyway, about as far as you can get from home.”

  “So if it didn’t go bad then...what’s the problem?”

  “It could have,” she replied. “Like, if it hadn’t been Regent controlling her, or if she’d done something really bad, she’d have probably gone to juvie. I don’t know if they’d go that far for you but...I don’t really wanna find out.”

  “Fair enough,” I sighed. “But I really don’t think it’s that big a deal. They haven’t even mentioned jail time, and I figure they’ll tell me about that before throwing the book at me; unless I do something really awful, I guess.”

  “Probably,” Vista said, shrugging. “Just...don’t want you to go. Not a lot of teammates left I actually like, you know?”

  “Like me? Should I warn A— my girlfriend?” That got a giggle out of Vista and I smiled. “Don’t worry, as much as their crap grates on me, I’m not planning on leaving anytime soon. Like my alternatives are going solo, which is dangerous as hell nowadays, or joining New Wave which...no.”

  “Why not?” Vista asked. “You...should fit in, right?” Talking around Amy being my girlfriend was annoying, but made sense; we were in public after all.

  “I think Glory Girl would punt me to the moon,” I said evenly. “After Brandish cuts me down to size, well moreso anyway.”

  “I thought you just had dinner or something,” she said, cocking her head. “Did it really go that bad?”

  “We did and maybe it wasn’t that bad but it sure wasn’t good.” I sighed and tucked an errant strand of hair under my hood. I probably needed it cut soon... “Anyway, I’m not leaving you for another team, don’t sweat.”

  “Cool,” Vista breathed. “Cool.”

  We continued south for a few blocks, then turned west, paralleling the orange zone but staying just outside. We weren’t violating the letter of the law, and the spirit had been in tatters for months before this crap. Besides, if there was going to be trouble it’d be here on the border, between the territory Grue used to hold and still protected and their own little claim-stake. Dangerous territory? Of course, we wouldn’t be here otherwise.

  As much as Vista worried about breaking the rules, she seemed more than happy to skirt the edges alongside me. I guess that was what being a Ward was about in more ‘peaceful’ times, making the bosses happy while making damn sure their little policy games didn’t fuck people over. Irritating. Hopefully I’d get used to it at some point.

  Tonight, at least, it didn’t seem to be hurting anyone, but I was starting to grow a little bored. Bored was good, in theory, but these days just left me antsy and waiting for the next thing to go wrong. I knew it was a shitty way to think, Yamada had told me as much in our last session, but it had yet to steer me wrong. Leviathan, the Nine, Echidna, the Undersiders, the Teeth, and more and more and more…

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  I shook my head and sighed, getting a look from Vista but she was smart enough not to prod. Always felt like there was more trouble around the corner, and I had yet to be wrong on that front. I’d live, I’d managed to through everything else, but I sure as hell wouldn’t be happy about it.

  As we crossed an intersection, a cacophony of rapid-fire gunshots broke the stillness; at least two or three weapons. The few civilians on the street ducked for cover as my hear rate doubled and I craned my neck to see where it was coming from. In the distance, maybe five or six blocks away, a rapidly growing column of smoke was rising into the sky. There were a few more gunshots from that way, then it went silent.

  “Let’s go!” I barked.

  “Hold on,” Vista stopped me with a hand around my wrist. “That’s way into the South End, we can’t go there.” I yanked my hand away and swore viciously, then keyed my radio.

  “Amaranth to console we have a major fire and gunshots from a few blocks south of us,” I spoke rapidly. “ETA on fire department and Protectorate?”

  “Three minutes for hero response,” the officer manning the console said flatly. “FD is standing by until it’s secure.” I cursed again as I clicked it off.

  “We have to go,” I demanded, grabbing Vista’s shoulders. “Look at that fucking smoke, listen to the gunshots. With your power we can get there in thirty seconds or less.”

  “But I—”

  “Either you help me or fuck off back to base and don’t stop me,” I spat, turning on my heel.

  In the end, she decided to help; Vista was a hero after all. The road warped ahead of us and we sprinted headlong into it, ignoring the awful sensation of my inner ear having the time of its life. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was ready for search and rescue. There hadn’t been anymore shots, so I was hoping that meant whoever started all this had run off so they wouldn’t get caught. If not...well we’d just have to see what guidelines were going to be crossed tonight.

  I smelled the fire before I ever caught sight of the flames. The column of smoke towered high above, lit orange from below. I could hear sirens growing louder as we got closer, but I knew we were quicker. The blocks slipped past us faster and faster, and I was almost getting used to the dizzying feeling of the warped space we traveled through.

  I heard a loud whoop as we came around the corner, and my blood boiled hotter than the inferno ahead. Silhouetted against the flames was a steeple, and surrounding it a group of men and women watching. A couple had guns, some others were cheering. I pointed to the nearest one and slapped Vista’s shoulder.

  She got it in a heartbeat, bless her. When I charged towards the shadowy figure, it only took me two steps to close the remaining half-block. I exited the warped space just in time for my foot to catch the curb, and I stumbled with a curse. The person turned and she started to yell, but I recovered and went low.

  No escape.

  Her warning to her friends turned into a scream of agony as I pulped her knee and tore whatever was in my hand away. She collapsed as shots rang out and plinked off my projection. I charged the next one in line, but the others were already scrambling to get away, screaming about a cape; I’d fucking show them a cape. But I wasn’t quick enough, and Vista wasn’t helping because now I was around people. They piled into a car and took off with a screech of tires.

  “Amaranth to console, we’re clear, get the fucking firefighters down here now!” I screamed into my radio as I ran towards the door of the burning church.

  There was some chatter in my ear in response, but I ignored it. The heat was oppressive as I came up to the door, as bad as Behemoth had been no doubt. There was a thick, iron rod that slipped between the handles, locking it shut. A nearby iron fence was probably the source. I grabbed it, crushed, and twisted with every bit of strength my tiny frame had to muster.

  It gave way with a pained shriek as the sound of sirens echoed up the road. I shoved the pieces out of the handles and heaved on the door with a strained grunt. It practically fell open, sending me tumbling down the steps just behind. I rose and a squeak escape my lips at the sight of a dozen or more bodies.

  Vista finally joined me and let out a startled shriek at the sight. We recovered quickly though, scrambling up and pulling them away from the flames. They were mostly alive, though many of them had pretty bad burns. We’d managed to get a few down the steps when the first fire engine finally rolled up. I set down the man I’d been carrying away from the church and ran over as their medic knelt by the gangster fuck I’d crippled.

  “Ignore her!” I bellowed, pointing to where Vista was still trying to recover people. “Injured there, this one was responsible.” The firefighter was startled, but gave the fallen criminal a look and nodded before running over. I grabbed the arm of another with a bushy moustache and the word ‘lieutenant’ on his helmet. “Give me a fucking oxygen tank and mask.”

  “Excuse me missy we’re—”

  “There might be people still inside,” I cut him off with a growl. “I can’t get hurt but I can’t breathe in there either, give me a tank!”

  Can’t do—”

  I swore viciously and sprinted back towards the church. Fine, they wouldn’t fucking help? I’d do it myself and damn the consequences. A second engine arrived as the crew from the first began tackling the flames billowing from the eaves, and soon enough they had joined in. I ignored the firefighters as they tried to tell me to stay back, I ignored Vista when she told me not to go in, then I stepped over the threshold into hell.

  I only got ten feet into the sanctuary before I had to retreat, barely able to draw a breath. As I left the building, firefighters in their gear blew past me, hose in hand. I stumbled out, past the medics and their patients, past the lieutenant who was talking to a guy with a star on his helmet. The flashing of green and white made me look up, and I found Adamant standing next to Vista and half a dozen PRT officers, speaking quietly. He stared at me as I approached.

  “You’re way outside your—”

  “Fuck off Adamant,” I spat, exhausted. My head was swimming and my heart felt like it was about to explode out of my chest. “Three minute fuck, how many people would have died if we’d stuck to the rules?”

  “You’re over the line,” he growled.

  “Then fucking stop me because I’m about to find the bitch I kneecapped and finish the job,” I said, spreading my arms. The tension thickened as I glowered up at him. Armour wasn’t shit, dick, or ball against me; no problem. I started as someone grabbed my elbow.

  “Amaranth, don’t,” Vista said hoarsely. I pulled away and glared at her, then sighed.

  “Since you’re here, help the perimeter,” Adamant ordered, pointing at me. “You are going to sit in the truck cab and wait, and if I see you stick a foot out you’ll be on probation til the day you die.” I flipped him off and walked around to the front of the van, clambering into the passenger seat.

  I drew my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, wondering just how badly I was going to get fucked for trying to help.