Clara had fabricated a concrete circle that held the necessary structure and magical runes for Belle to teleport here without the need to set up the stones and statues manually. I didn’t care to ask how or when, but once it was in place, it didn’t really matter. The fact that one of us could teleport was a novel and impressive enough.

  Although, Belle’s actual appearance did remove some of that luster. With the engraved parts illuminating bright green, there was a flash, and she emerged from the light. Rather than being draped in her detailed and thematic costume, she was wearing shorts, flip-flops, and a long hooded top.

  [You’d never make it as a magician.]

  She smiled. “The flair and mystique is only for deserving audiences.”

  [Well, you might change your mind once you see what I got you.]

  Belle looked past me as I jerked my thumb back to the garden table. There was an iced cooler with several bottles of liquor in it.

  “Damn, Dubs. You must really want something important from me?”

  [You know what they say - no good deed goes unpunished.]

  Roxy was inside getting ready for her training with the speedster when he arrived, and Clara had vanished into the workshop as soon as the teleport circle had started activating. With a gesture, Belle and I went and sat at the garden table.

  [I want to make magic bullets.]

  “Hmm.” She pulled a bottle of tequila from the cooler and sunk into her chair. “For what purpose, when you have an effective range of ammunition already?”

  [There might be opponents who have physical resistances but are weak to magic.]

  “Fair. But then you have to start to think about what kind of magic you want, and what is effective.”

  I tilted my head to the side as she popped the cap and took a few gulps of the alcohol.

  [Explain.]

  “Magic is a rather broad term for a range of different… let’s call them flavors. For example, my magic is Fey in nature, as it comes from His power. Divine and Demonic are other types that come from other entities, but there is also Arcane, Elemental, Tribal… it’s quite varied.”

  [So if I wanted you to enchant some runes, they’d be Fey magic?]

  She nodded, and I started wondering what kind of power was inscribed into my nanites. Probably the same as whatever V-Force was. My mind briefly switched to our need for a fourth drive before I returned to the current conversation.

  [When Clara appears, we’ll rope her into it as she knows the runic details, but she’ll also be busy with…]

  My vocalizer trailed off as we looked over to see a helicopter moving from the city over to us. Another familiar cloud of dust bloomed from ground level.

  “Teleported half an hour early, and still only had two minutes alone with you.” She took another swig of the bottle. “You want to see if the League will give us a duo mission? Or, even better… you think we’ll have some wasteland work soon?”

  [You're looking to blow off some steam?]

  “More than that.” She tutted. “I don’t get to limit test much in the city, with what missions I get. If I want to get to A-Rank then I need some actual challenges.”

  I nodded. Now she was speaking my language. The sooner we could get the whole team as close to Roxy’s level as possible, the greater the chance we’ll advance the ranks based on strength.

  [Nothing official, but I’ll see what I can arrange.]

  “I’ve been eagerly waiting to see how you and Roxy fared on the talk show.” She grinned as she watched the other two approach. “I can tell by the vibes here that it went well. I’m really happy for you both, and proud of you.”

  [Yeah? The booze that good that it’s making you soppy already?]

  She flipped me off with the hand raising the bottle. “Roxy said we’re all welcome to stay the night, so we’d better get business sorted before I’m two bottles in.”

  Something that became difficult in short order. Ren and Roy arrived. Clara and Roxy emerged. Preliminary celebrations were had. Drinks and cheering. We’d have several victories as a group, but this one felt like the first rung on the ladder. A boost proving that we could ascend. Before the alcohol could hit, we split up into our pairings for the important things.

  Clara handed me a couple of shells that were solid but had inert runes carved into them. Apparently, it was a difficult process, and she hadn’t had the chance to really dive into what was possible. I couldn’t fault her for that, considering everything else she got up to.

  The first was a ‘Minor Slow’ spell rune. A single target magical blast that would reduce the movement speed of whomever was struck by it. Sounded pretty useful. The second was similar to the High Explosive shot I already had, but it was meant to be magical energy.

  “That would be a Fey Explosive shot, then,” Belle suggested, holding the cartridge in her hand and inspecting it. “Which is probably functionally the same, to some degree.”

  I raised an eyebrow at the techie.

  [Is there not a way I can infuse them with own my magical power?]

  “Unlikely, Gunquake.” She dusted off her dungarees. “Your magical power comes from runes already. These runes require a direct source of energy.”

  With that explained, she left us with the warning not to injure ourselves while we had a play - and she vanished into the workshop with Ren.

  Belle had her face scrunched up, one eye almost closed as she focused on the runic shot. “Hmm,” she eventually concluded. “It’s interesting.”

  [How so?]

  “It’s like a puzzle piece. I can tell that the rune is receptive to receiving magical empowerment, but it has to be aligned a certain way. Maybe like picking a lock?”

  [Something I can leave with you?]

  “Sure. Assuming He doesn’t mind me sharing His power.” She put down the empty bottle of tequila and pulled out a bottle of rum. “Any excuse to cause a little mischief seems to make Him happy, so we might be in luck.”

  I nodded and looked out to the yard. Roxy was currently blocking a series of high kicks from the speedster. While his attacks would never deal a significant of damage to the super, no matter how many he landed, against a normal target the flurry of blow would be devastating.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  It made me wonder how many of the team had considered how they might defeat Roxy if it came down to it. Working together, they might have a chance. Belle would probably be the least equipped to subdue the volcanic super, but she might get lucky with her strange curse magic.

  If anything, it just made it evident how easily we ignored that sort of thing. Even amongst other heroes, Roxy was like a grizzly bear. Imposing and liable to snap and just tear you in half on a whim. Right now… there was little different between us. A bunch of friends celebrating and having a bit of fun.

  With that thought, I let my brain empty out and I did just that. We drank and sparred and discussed our futures. Roy somehow lost more money over a bet, but I didn’t catch what for. Clara joined us once the plans for the command center were dealt with. Roxy managed to put a hole in the warehouse wall after accidentally kicking up a small rock during her training.

  I mostly wondered where I could get a V-Force drive from.

  Eventually, the sun started to set, and dusk settled onto our extended party.

  “The show is on in ten minutes,” Roxy said, “everyone inside.”

  It had been difficult for both of us to be tight-lipped about how it had been. Much like Belle, the others could sense that it wasn’t bad, given our decent moods today. Even without our ranking increase, we probably would have held something for the others to watch the show live with us.

  I stood and allowed my slightly wavy vision to settle before I followed the others. Roxy looped her arm around mine, her face aglow from the sun absorbed earlier and the alcohol she had been drinking. Possibly with some joy over us and our appearance on the show going well.

  For me, I was a little apprehensive. Jaded enough to know that since it wasn’t broadcast live, that an editor with an eye for drama could have chopped up the interview to make us seem worse, or Maestro better.

  My eyes went up to my STAR as I crossed the porch.

  //Silhouette: Congrats, brother.

  //Silhouette: Won’t be long before you’re stepping on more toes.

  //Gunquake: Better watch where you step then.

  //Silhouette: :)

  I almost laughed due to how out of place the smiley face was. We were both aware that neither of us were directly threatening each other, but the fun was in the implication. Whether he was one of my brothers originally opposed or aligned with me didn’t matter so much.

  He was a hero now, and had been for who knew how long. Even if he was originally against me, the person he was now wouldn’t be against the person I was now. Maybe he’d never remember the past, and it would just be something clouding my own mind… so I was letting it dissipate. Some of it feeling unreal now, with how my current existence was going.

  The six of us arranged ourselves on the furniture as the television flickered to life. Clara had even made popcorn, which seemed rather over the top. We bickered about the advertisements shown before the show, but all quietened down once it started.

  Roxy squeezed me a little closer as the theme tune and opening graphics rolled around, her face all smiles.

  So it began.

  Seeing everything from the perspective of the audience was interesting. I wasn’t someone particularly self-conscious, but I did wince as I watched myself walk out onto the stage. The rest of the Natural Disasters clapped and cheered as if they were there in person. For all the nuanced bundle of emotions I had felt the pair of us displayed at the time, we actually looked like naturals from this distance.

  Perhaps that was in part because no part of my face was visible, but even Roxy looked like she belonged. Our home-grown crowd clapped and aww’d at the necessary parts of our conversation, up until the point the special guest was revealed.

  They gasped and boo’d as Maestro appeared on the stage. Both Ren and Clara both looked especially annoyed that he had been sprung on us like that. Despite him once being part of the team, it was clear they had no patience for the man.

  Much to my surprise, the show wasn’t edited in malicious ways. The exchange between us three and the request for an apology was verbatim, as it occurred. Everyone was silent as Maestro turned the screws right before Roxy delivered her rebuttal.

  As soon as the television version of her finished talking, the Natural Disasters erupted into cheering. Even just the dejected and wavering expression on Maestro’s face was enough for them, without them needing to hear anything after that. They turned to congratulate Roxy, the win clearly sealed. The high ground secured.

  They had known her a lot longer than I had and were clearly championing her growth in overcoming something that had previously threatened to tear the group apart completely. It put the final nail in the coffin to whatever they were before, and now the Natural Disaster was their own valid thing. Competent, the facts clear as day with our rank up this morning.

  It was almost enough jubilation to miss the fact that I had agreed to do the Heroism Arena against Maestro.

  “Wait, wait,” Roy said, his brow furrowing. “Not to doubt you, Dubs, but that’s a risk.”

  “Dubs’ll crush it,” Belle interjected. “Name one thing he hasn’t accomplished.”

  Ren crossed her arms and glared at the television. “While that might be the case, I don’t trust Maestro to play fair. Given that this will carry a lot of weight for how Dubs’ career—and thus ours—will go, we will need to prepare him.”

  “I’ve already downloaded the replays from the last thirteen Heroism Arenas,” Clara said. “I have data compiling which should guide us to what aspects are most efficient to train.”

  [I appreciate the interest, but I’m sure I can waltz through it.]

  “Dubs,” Roxy said, pulling me close so her face was close to mine. “The arena is one day before we go to my parent’s house. One day before my birthday. You know what I’d really like for that?”

  [That thing I do with my mouth?]

  Some laughs, but she just rolled her eyes. The super moved her face even closer; her gaze locked onto mine.

  “I want you to wipe the floor with Maestro. Really ruin him.”

  It might be the hue of the dimly lit room, the intensity of her glare, or the haze brought on by the drunken revelry, but yeah.

  I would destroy him.

  That said, I probably would have agreed to do anything she asked, with few exceptions. Punching down at her ex was a given, and now with the whole city buzzing about the Arena, I needed to really sell that I was in top hero shape. Part of me wanted to raise the point that pushing Maestro too far might be dangerous, but that small voice was drowned out by the celebration the rest of me was currently enjoying.

  With everything else out of the way, now it was time for the real party to begin.

  As the sensible one with actual family to go home to, Ren peaked early and then took the route of being the adult in the room. Belle was several liters of liquor down and still catching up. Both Roxy and Roy kept upping the ante over physical challenges that heavily favored their own skill-set, but somehow the speedster lost even the ones favoring him. Clara switched between drunkenly murmuring about mechanical equations, and visiting the house to either vomit or take a break from the social aspect of the gathering.

  Warlock spent the whole evening curled up in the workshop.

  Eventually, just like all good things, the evening celebration ended. Ren sobered up enough to fly her helicopter home. After draining almost all the remaining alcohol left out, Belle passed out on the swing chair. Roy was fast asleep on the living room couch. After emptying out her stomach a final time, Clara was in her room with an ice pack and a large bottle of water.

  We had earned this. Well, maybe something with a little more moderation, at least. As much as I had enjoyed the whole day and what it meant for the weeks ahead, there was a small cloud hanging just outside my peripheral.

  Things had been going a little too well lately.

  A minor imperfection in my otherwise flawless personality - I just couldn’t accept things could be fine for too long. There were boxes left unticked and lingering. It was an unfortunate result of my past - something I could never fully escape. Not while people knew about Bard or Agent W.

  Even as I laid in bed, staring at the slightly rotating ceiling, the apparent gloom circling my thoughts was something only one person could read. Her fiery eyes burned into me as the night drew to a close.

  Roxy put her arm around me and narrowed her glare. “I’m too fried to fully engage with what’s on your mind, but I want you to know it’s all ok.”

  [I believe it.]

  “Hmm. Almost convincing. You’re just waiting for a message to come through, or some shadow to emerge from the past and give you grief.”

  She wasn’t wrong, of course. It was like the tide, rolling in and then back away from the shore. Trouble washed up, but I’d overcome it. We’d been riding the calm for a while, a few steps ahead of getting our feet wet. Maybe it would be plain sailing from now on… or actually, I was making myself a little seasick with all the ocean metaphors.

  [It would be nice to be wrong about it for once.]

  “I have a solution for that.” Roxy pushed herself up and leaned over me. Her hands came up to grasp the sides of my head and she gently closed my eyelids down with her thumbs. “Boop. The day is over.”

  It was once again impressive that the super was able to control her strength even while drunk, and didn’t pulp my head or destroy my eyeballs. Not quite the reassuring moment she intended, but perhaps I could allow myself to ignore that nagging part of my mind - for a just a while, at least.

  “Get some sleep. Tomorrow we’re going to wake up, handle our hangovers…” she leaned in close to my ear. “And then I’m going to teach you everything I know about being a hero.”

  So it began.