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Chapter 02
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Nostalgia and time travel had a bite like a stray animal in an alleyway. Ironically enough, an alleyway was exactly where everyone found themselves in the wee hours of the evening. The heroes—Adamast Cross, Psi Wizard, War Lagoon, and Princess Undercut—stood by a strange pillar of blue light. They had seen and used it so many times, but it was still strange. Just like five years ago, and the time before it, the pillar was the only source of illumination in that alley since the two wall-mounted lights were out.

Princess Undercut raised the armband in her possession. A holographic interface appeared around the pillar that only she could see as long as she had this armlet. Other groups had their own ways of accessing the interface, but this was theirs. She used it to find the hideout of the Dallevan League. Then the warp consumed her.

The others followed.

Once inside, the heroes crossed the main corridor. It was then that the computer that maintained the place scanned their DNA and turned on the few lights they needed to keep going forward without walking blind. The walls were metal and fiberglass, and the floor was ceramic tile. Some of the tiles had been etched with runes for luck and protection. The hallway itself was wide enough for four people to walk through it holding hands, not that any of the heroes did such a thing; not tonight, anyway.

“I’m impressed,” said Princess Undercut. “Everything still runs, and the entrance hallway looks like no one has been here. No dust either. That’s really impressive.”

They reached the large room used long ago as the meeting place for their supergroup. They had expected it to be empty except for the equipment or furniture they’d left behind when their group disbanded years ago.

There was, however, someone reclined over the stone table in the middle of the room, and she said, “It wasn’t easy, you know. Especially cleaning the floor when this place’s defense systems try to kill you if you’re not stuck to the ceiling, but so was sneaking in the food day after day, and taking out the trash once a week.”

A light finally came on in the large room, showing Ohm Wire surrounded by a number of boxes, a couple bloody rags, and a pillow and blanket.

“Oh, it looks like I missed a couple things. Sorry about that.” She sounded far more melancholic here than she did in the sewer.

“Ohm Wire,” said Princess Undercut, “What are you doing?”

“Reflecting. This old base has everything except for a proper bath or shower.”

“That’s not what I meant.” She was trying not to think about how much the sewer smelled, and how much the heroes must have stunk by now. “Though, if you must know, a shower costs twice as much as everything else in this base combined. Don’t ask me why that is when it comes to supergroup lairs, I have no fucking clue.”

“That explains a lot.”

“It’s something to do with running water in a secret location, and proper inspection code,” War Lagoon interjected.

“That code might be the embodiment of evil, just like alarm clocks.”

“Why are you here? How are you here?” Princess Undercut asked.

Ohm Wire revealed an armlet like the one that the heroes were wearing. She responded, “I found a dying Vambraceman who’d fallen in battle, and he gave it to me thinking I was someone else. This was before I discovered my powers, but I hadn’t done anything with it until recently. I knew it didn’t belong to the Vambracemen as a group, so I used my limited hacking and trace skills to follow it here thinking I would return it and ask for lodging for a few days. This place was empty, and a few days turned into a few weeks.”

Damn outdated technology and security that Mortar totally helped build. “OK, fine, but how have you bathed all this time?”

Ohm Wire thought back to a couple instances where she stalked some sort of delegate or politician, followed him into his room, and showered there while he was out cold or out on business. One old man came back early, found a young, naked woman in his room, and dropped over from a heart attack the next second; she had the sense at least to call an ambulance before getting away. “You don’t want to know.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” said War Lagoon, “but we still need to know why there is a villain sitting in the middle of our meeting room.”

“And I’d like to know why your security measure extends well beyond the entrance. You even have a room in the back that is nothing but security. And a naughty poster.”

“I asked first.” He managed a bold, serious voice while his lips stretched toward a smile. War Lagoon and Mortar Mage came up with that one, and the idea of such a trap still brought him lots of joy he rarely showed anyone.

“I’m on the run. Someone seriously wants me dead, caught, or both. You have no idea what it’s like. I only steal from, and beat up, the bad guys when I can help it, but doing so in the islands, or even the way I've been doing it, usually means being painted as a villain.”

“David here said something of Nightmare’s Militia,” War Lagoon ignored Adamast’s wince, “You were a part of them, were you not?”

“They took me in, showed me a few shortcuts and survival tips I didn’t know during my short-lived days as a package courier for the different families of the mafia, and they kept me safe from the first wave.”

“First wave?”

“Of the people trying to kill me.”

“Oh, right. It sounds like you made the wrong enemy somewhere.”

“That’s just it. I hardly ever came near those idiot mages except to steal a change of clothes from an amateur coven. How does that legitimize being the Circle’s number one target when everyone else has done worse to them over the years?”

Psi Wizard said, “Ah, the Circle. Always a thorn in everyone’s side.” Princess Undercut smacked him upside the head for his pun. “Ow!”

“Why would the Circle of Thorns be after you specifically?” asked Adamast Cross.

Ohm Wire said, “I told you, I don’t know. I’ve been meaning to find a mystic or someone who could tell me what’s going on, but the only one I was able to contact who wasn’t a member of the Circle turned up dead before we could chat in person. Mugged to death by a random street gang.”

“So you came to us for help.”

“I came here, at least, but this place was abandoned for goodness knows how long. What happened? No, wait, don’t answer that. When the armlet that got me in here began to hum and vibrate, I had very few choices as to what to do next. I had no idea it would lead me to you.” She smiled and gazed into Adamast’s bole-colored eyes. “You never told me you were part of something this big.”

“That was a very long time ago. I was a little younger than you are now. What, why is everyone looking at me like that?”

Princess Undercut said, “A hero and a villain, sweety.”

“What? Look, I knew her mother. When something happened to her, I spent my weekends in Nerva looking for the both of them until her mom contacted me and asked me to protect Kyra when I was able. This was before she got her powers and started beating up the gangs and true villains over there. And . . . we might have gone out on a date before I realized we were too close.”

Ohm Wire said, “Oh. Yeah. I’m still angry at you for breaking it off with me.”

“You certainly showed it earlier.”

“Hush you. I had a bad day. Wait, what are you doing?”

Princess Undercut grabbed a bloody rag from the table and held it up. She said, “Computer, grant access to Ohm Wire. Initiate DNA scan.” A light came down and practically groped the rag. “What? I’m getting tired of seeing this mess on the table with you in the middle of it.” There was a ringing sound. “There, now kindly get down from there before I change my mind.”

When Ohm Wire got off the table, tapping the ground a few times with her foot at first, Psi Wizard said, “How can we help?”

“You’d do that for me?” asked Ohm Wire.

“Well, there isn’t exactly any love between us and the Circle. If there’s trouble, and they’re behind it, then you know it can’t be good.”

“When is trouble ever good?”

Princess Undercut remarked, “I think she got you there, present company excluded.”

Psi Wizard bowed his head, “Yeah, you’re right,” he said, “but that doesn’t make what I say any less true.” It even remained true considering when Rampart rolled with them. That guy love his trouble.

“I think what he’s trying to say is that the Circle’s bad news is worse than most.”

“Yes, thank you. What we need is a plan. We can’t just thump every skull or beat up every apparition tied to the Circle of Thorns until you’re safe. That would be impractical. War, Adamast, do you guys thinks you can interrogate some groups of mages loitering the city for us? Find a scheme—you know the Circle has those as often as the alien invasions, if not more so—and we’ll all go to investigate. Hopefully, that’ll lead us to whomever it is that wants this young lady dead.”

The two men he spoke to nodded and left with a wave. It made Ohm Wire a little sad to see Adamast go again, but she knew that it was necessary.

“Now,” continued Psi Wizard, “Kyra, wasn’t it? Please, take a seat. We know a guy, a whole family actually, who can get us some delicious coffee in the next few minutes. Or tea if you prefer. Does anyone drink that besides David, around here?”

“I’m so glad. It’s nice to meet a willing hero who’s actually kind. You believe me, too!”

“I’m an empath. I only need to listen and feel, and I know when someone is lying or if they really need our help. So, what’ll you have to drink?”