"But how?! How could Governor Whitehorse just pardon him?! He's a supervillain!" whined an older-sounding male voice.

Today was Brittney's day off and she currently had no classes or any unfinished assignments to work on, so earlier she had decided to take a walk. It being such a nice and bright day, she elected to enjoy her walk further by listening to a podcast Ben had sent her, with a text reading OMG, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!! It was some sort of a gamer podcast that, oddly enough, also kept up with local superhero news. Presently they were covering the shocking news that Gatekeeper had been granted a full pardon by the governor himself. Something Brittney was pleasantly surprised to hear, though not too surprised due to the amount of footage surfacing proving his innocence on numerous occasions. Unfortunately, she was a little too preoccupied to give the commentary her undivided attention.

Does he actually think he's being inconspicuous? Brittney wondered to herself as she walked down the sidewalk. Shortly after leaving her house, she'd realized that someone was following her. She hadn't caught a good look at the guy, because he kept ducking around alley corners and hedges and etc. But he appeared to be wearing a long coat and a hat, pulled down to obscure his face. Which explained why he'd walked into a lamp post a little while ago.

Okay, that's it, Brittney thought when she spotted an alley where the buildings cast a deep enough shadow for her liking. She made a quick turn down it and came to a stop in the dead center. Her ears listened and detected no movement or breathing coming from behind the corners or the dumpster. Watching where she had entered, she didn't have to wait long for the person to poke their head around the corner, and quickly retreat.

"You can come on out, I know you've been tailing me for a while now," she said, her Shade lying in wait just in case. Normally, Brittney preferred to avoid confrontations. However, she was starting to get tired of Cheshire constantly bugging her about the damn job offer. She didn't think that this was him, but it still annoyed her all the same. He ears twitched at the sound of a frustrated sigh coming from the mouth of the alley.

"Fine," said a familiar voice, one that Brittney instantly recognized and reacted to with an internal groan. "I can't give away my identity, but I've been watching you, and if you think for one second--"

"You can make your voice sound as gravelly as you want, I can still tell that that's you, Lustre," Brittney said, her left foot starting to tap in annoyance. The blonde guy with the gold domino mask hiding behind a beige fedora, with a matching trenchcoat, stammered and yanked the hat down to conceal his appearance.

"I-I d-don't know what you're talking about, missy. I'm an ex-cop turned private detective, looking to ask you some questions," Lustre said, still trying to disguise his voice.

"You are Lustre. I've met you before, and I can still see your face despite pulling your hat down," Brittney said.

"I'm wearing a mask, so clearly you are just jumping to conclusions, no doubt the paranoia resulting from a guilty conscience!" he said, removing the hat from his face in frustration, at which Brittney displayed her long-practiced skill in eye rolling.

"You are wearing a domino mask! I can still clearly see your face. Also, when trying to lay low, it's probably a good idea to not use something colored metallic gold, y'know, like your costume."

"Uniform!" Lustre cried in his normal voice, indignantly.

"Whatever. Look, you're Lustre, and you're stalking me. Do you wanna tell me why and then knock it the hells off or am I gunna call the police?" Brittney said, showing her phone.

"Oh, I doubt that you'll be calling them. You can't go and risk that," Lustre said with a smirk. Brittney gave him a deadpan look before tapping 9 and then 1.

"Okay wait!" Brittney paused, keeping an eye on his now outstretched hand.

"Ever since our little altercation at the gas station the other day--"

"You mean the conversation I was having with my friend that you went and barged in on?" Brittney interrupted.

"... Yes... well, ever since then, I've been keeping an eye on you. And I've noticed a few interesting things..." he said, putting what Brittney felt was a weird emphasis on the word interesting.

"Like?"

"Like, for instance, you and your minion plotting various schemes," Lustre said, steepling his fingers.

"I assume that you're talking about Ben. He's not my minion, he's just one of my best friends, and we're not plotting anything."

"Then why is it that whenever he comes to see you at work, you both always speak in such hushed whispers?"

"Because I work in a library," Brittney said with a huff, her foot still tapping.

"Perhaps!" Luster said, holding up his right index finger as though her were making some amazing point. "But maybe that is simply where you choose to hold discussions without fear of being overheard! Furthermore!" Lustre said, effectively cutting the bunnerfly girl off from what she had opened her mouth to say next.

"I've noticed how you've flawlessly insinuated yourself into the entourage of one Starsinger Waterfall, world-renowned pop-star extraordinaire! Someone who has an easily influenced fan club in the millions!"

"Uh, no. You've got that backwards. If anything, Starsinger insinuated himself into my life," Brittney said, already having a good idea that the fallen former superhero was going to come up with his own version of an explanation for that chance encounter.

"Which is really a simple honey trap disguised as a random encounter, a spy classic!" Lustre did not disappoint.

"So now you think I'm a spy?" Brittney asked, confused.

"No. I suspect that you are part of something much more sinister!" Lustre said, his eyes starting to shine with a golden light as a faint matching aura began to radiate from him.

"And then there's the matter of that suspicious individual who can disappear into shadows, appearing and talking to you about a job! Oh yeah, things just do not look good for you, little lady!" Brittney took umbrage at the remark on her height.

"That jackass has been harassing me because, yeah I agree, he seems pretty shady. And no, that's not an intended pun because of the shadow thing. He calls himself Cheshire, and he keeps trying to recruit me to work for his boss at a casino. And I keep turning him down!"

"Well, I'll be sure to pay a visit to this Mr. Cheshire, if that's even his real name," Lustre said, not noticing when Brittney piped in with "I'm pretty sure it's not," before he continued.

"My conclusion is that I've scratched the surface of a major conspiracy, something that goes all the way to the top! And you're in over your head, Missy. But if you spill now, then when I bust this case wide open and get officially exonerated, I can then use my influence to get you a lighter sentence. So what do you have to say to that, Ms. Snark?" he finished after gesticulating with his hands, still faintly glowing, and looking at her with a smug smirk.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"... My conclusion is that I'm dealing with someone suffering from a level of dumbass that is downright delusional, and more than a little sad. Although I'm sure I'm gunna find this all pretty hilarious later on down the road," Brittney said with a straight face. She noticed the look of confusion flit across his face, since he was only covering it with a domino mask, quickly followed by a look of anger, which Brittney surmised was due to her clearly not reading from whatever script he had in his own mind.

His aura flared brightly, and he started stepping towards her. "Listen here," he snarled, "you're my ticket back to being the golden boy, and you can either make it easy or hard for yourself. But regardless, I am going to get the answers I'm looking for out of you," he said, closing the gap between them and snatching the phone before Brittney could complete her call. He grabbed her by both shoulders, even more vexed by the calm expression on her bunny face. He was blissfully unaware of the gigantic clawed paw that was taking shape to his left.

"Let me go, right now," Brittney said. Her voice was devoid of her usual sarcasm, and instead was very serene.

"No," Lustre growled, only for the two of them to be surprised by a much deeper, more animalistic growl. They turned to find, standing there in the mouth of the alley, a large anthropomorphic wolf man, wearing a white t-shirt and jeans. His fur was a shining metallic silver, and bushed out in hackles as his amber eyes bored into Lustre's.

"When a lady tells you to let go," he said with a slight Russian accent, "you let go."

Brittney and Lustre both recognized the person who had involved himself.

"Iron Wolf," Lustre said in awe, instantly letting go of the bunnerfly girl, who was now fluttering a few feet off the ground, the clawed paw having disappeared back into the shadows.

"Lustre," the silvery wolf spat back, taking a step. "Is this what you've been reduced to? Cornering young ladies in darkened alleys and harassing them? Have you truly no sense of shame left?"

"Don't you judge me, lapdog!" Lustre said, pointing an accusing finger at the wolfman. "You have no idea of what you've stumbled onto, now how about you run back to the EEL training mansion or whatever, and let me conduct my investigation in peace!"

"That's not going to happen, Lustre," Iron Wolf said, more composed, but his reflective hackles still raised.

"Then I can only assume that you're in on it too..." Lustre said, before firing a bolt of pure golden light at his new opponent. The shockwave from the impact kicked up quite a bit of dust. Lustre then turned to regard Brittney.

"Now, where were we?" he asked.

"RIGHT HERE!" came Iron Wolf's snarling voice as his shiny metallic fist collided with the surprised Lustre's jaw. Lustre spun once, his golden aura winking out, before he collapsed. Iron Wolf stood there, completely unscathed, aside from some burn holes on the front of his shirt.

Iron Wolf snorted at the crumpled form at his feet. "The man of gold has a jaw made of glass," he quipped, his silvery tail wagging as he bent down and picked up Brittney's phone, handing it up to her. Brittney fluttered back down and accepted it.

"Thanks," she said, checking to make sure that the screen wasn't cracked, smiling to find that it wasn't. She only barely noticed the wolf's tail wagging even faster.

"It was no problem," he said, his accent lightly peppering his words. "I saw the light and came to investigate. I never imagined I'd find a wanted fugitive assaulting a pretty girl."

Brittney was not expecting the compliment, and blushed, the insides of her ears a dead giveaway.

"Uhm, well, thanks, but should I call the police now to come and get him?" Brittney then started hearing the incoming sirens.

"No need," Iron Wolf said, his ears swiveling towards the sound as well, "We in the E.E.L. are given a special app that lets HQ know whenever we run into trouble. Just to be safe, I used it just before investigating."

"Oh... okay then," Brittney said, feeling awkward. "So I guess that we're gunna have to give statements then?" And this was such a nice day too... she lamented to herself.

"Well, yes. But it shouldn't take too long," Iron Wolf said, and he was right. The LVPD shortly arrived, and were quick to get to the bottom of the situation. He gave his statement, and Brittney gave hers. The officers, one of which was a female who was very pale and had very elfish features and glowing pink eyes, was a little curt, but otherwise polite. The officers took things from there, calling in the full situation while also cuffing the now woozy Lustre.

After seeing him off in the back of the police cruiser, Brittney breathed a sigh of relief, and started to continue on her walk, deciding to head to Big Cat's. She made it only a few steps before Iron Wolf called out to her.

"Oh, wait!" He jogged to her, and she looked at him, confused.

"Yeah?"

"We were not formally introduced," he said, with a big goofy grin on his muzzle. Brittney noticed how his fur started to lose its silver metallic sheen, taking on a more "natural" color. When finished, it was definitely russet-colored. He then held out his paw-hand. "My name is Dima. Dima Alexeev."

Brittney hesitantly shook his paw-hand with her own. "Brittney Adams," she said. "Uhm, aren't you supposed to, y'know, not just give out your secret identity?"

The wolfman named Dima shook his head. "Not in the E.E.L. We are actually required to register our identities, for the sake of accountability."

"Oh... cool..." Brittney said, having no idea what to say and sound natural and not weird at all.

"So... was there something else I can help you with?" Brittney asked.

"Well..." now it was the wolfman's turn to look awkward. "I was wondering if maybe you and I could exchange numbers? Just in case you feel like you might ever be in the need of some super assistance?"

"Uhm... actually..." Brittney started, suddenly thinking about Cheshire and his mysterious boss. "I... guess... that maybe that'd be okay..." she said, now noticing how nervous the legal superhero before her had been looking. His ears perked right back up, and his tail became a happy blur behind him. She had to hold back a giggle at the sight, which made Dima look like a literal big puppy dog. They exchanged numbers, and he then got some kind of update on his phone from the app he had mentioned earlier. They went their separate ways after that, and Brittney headed towards the bar and grill with slight spring in her step.

It didn't take her long to get to Big Cat's, where she was greeted by Larri upon entering, the lizard-lady being friendly as usual. Taking a seat in her usual booth, Brittney didn't have to wait long for Rochelle to appear out of thin air right next to her, silently giving her a menu before teleporting away. After deciding on a plate of chicken fajitas, Brittney placed her order after Rochelle reappeared, setting a Roy Rogers down on the table with a wink. Brittney took a sip of the non-alcoholic beverage and texted Ben, feeling relaxed.

"Brittney!" Ben exclaimed as he practically burst into the room, making a beeline for her table. The bunnerfly girl chuckled and rolled her eyes, having already been expecting Ben to literally come running upon hearing that she'd had another run-in with Lustre. Ben took a heavy seat, and opened his mouth to start talking, but instead had to take a moment to catch his breath. It took a few minutes more, which was just enough time for her fajitas to be finished and set before her, while Rochelle handed Ben his own menu, giving a silent giggle at his antics. After she had teleported away, Ben having given a quick glance at it before ordering a cheeseburger, Ben finally seemed to catch his breath.

"So you fought Lustre?!" he asked, excitement twinkling in his eyes.

"No," Brittney said as she let her still sizzling fajitas cool. "He was stalking me, confronted me, and grabbed me with the intent of assaulting me. It was that guy, Iron Wolf, who showed up and punched him out."

"Woah... so in this case you were a damsel in distress who was rescued by the silver knight himself then?" Ben asked, partly teasing, partly serious, and partly jealous that he had missed the whole thing. Brittney frowned at that, which looked more like a pout.

"While I appreciated his help, I was already set to knock that idiot out my own damn self," Brittney said in frustration.

"What did he want with you, though?"

"Well, ever since the day in the gas station, he's been following me. And he somehow got it in his head that I'm involved in some kind of conspiracy, and that busting me on it would make people love him again," Brittney explained. Ben pondered that for a moment before he responded.

"So he's started smoking pot again, then?"

"I think that would be giving him too much credit," Brittney answered before digging in to her fajitas.

"And what was Iron Wolf like?" Ben asked, his sense of child-like wonder having returned in full force.

"Oh, well, he was really nice. And totally a badass," Brittney said, her wings giving a little flutter, "and he was super serious, until it was all over and done with. After that, he just turned into this big excitable puppy dog!"

"... It sound like he really made an impression on you," Ben cautiously started.

Those rock-hard abs visible beneath his shirt and fur certainly did, she thought to herself.

"A little... it's not every day that someone gets a legal superhero's number," Brittney let slip, immediately regretting it. She winced and tucked her ears behind her back when Ben let out an excited squeal.

"OMG! Are you dating Iron Wolf?!" His question almost caused Brittney to choke on her bite of fajita. After a couple more sips of her drink, she set the glass down and glared across the booth at the oblivious Ben.

"No! I just met him today, and he gave me his number just in case I continue to be stalked!" Brittney said, omitting the fact she had given him her own number. Brittney was glad her ears were out of sight, because she could feel how deep her blush was in them.

"There is absolutely nothing going on between me and some guy I just met!" Brittney insisted just as Ben's burger arrived.

Meanwhile...

Iron Wolf was standing outside of a cliche. A bank robbery in progress. Inside was a gang of Emerged individuals, one of whom was chewing his way through the bank vault. Police and S.W.A.T. were on the scene, as were a couple more members of the E.E.L. Standing next to Iron Wolf was a man wearing glossy red-plated spandex suit with a red gear symbol on his chest. He was black, with close-cropped hair, a scar across his left eye, which itself was replaced with a green mechanical eye, while the right was hazel.

"So, Dima, what's this I heard about you bringing in Lustre?" he asked.

"Well, there was this girl he was attacking, so I stepped in," the large silver wolf said, his tail starting to wag, accidentally scraping some paint off a nearby police cruiser.

"Ah, and was the girl okay?" the hero known as Gearshift asked.

"Oh yeah. I even got her number and gave her mine, just in case," Dima said, a dreamy look on his face while a few more heroes started to arrive.

"Oh really?" Gearshift asked, with a knowing smirk. "So you got a cute girl's number, and now you feel like you're on top of the world."

"Yeah, but it's more than that. I told you about how my sister can paint the future. Well, she one day presented me with a confusing painting and told me that that was the girl I was gunna marry. Well, it was her!" Dima said, scraping another cruiser with his wagging metallic tail as he turned to face his friend, looking like he wanted to jump for joy.

Gearshift looked at his friend and teammate. "Maybe wait a while before telling her that. It can be kinda off-putting..."