"Is Mark okay?" Eve asked.

"He's doing fine, yeah," I said, nodding. "He's being observed, to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, but... for the most part, he's just going about his normal, everyday life, like he did before he got his powers. Well. Aside from the fact he quit his job at Burger Mart a week before he lost his powers."

"Is he... trying to get it back, or...?"

"I've spoken with him and his mother, and it's been agreed that Mark should focus on his studies as much as he can, because those did not do well when he started being a superhero."

It had been a week since I took away Nolan's powers, and so far... nothing exciting had happened. I started spending time in Lagos, introduced Eve to Karasuba, and gave a guest lecture at UNILAG. With my teaching Perks, I was able to condense an entire Bachelor's Degree of focused learning into a two-hour lecture, and I was quite confident that the University was going to have a fucking bumper crop of graduations-with-honors over the next few years.

"A shame, really," Karasuba said. "Few things teach humility quite like having a real job."

"Mark just got most of his organs removed by a bomb," I said. "Then he learned his dad is an imperial saboteur. I think he's learned enough humility to last him a lifetime. Anyway, Eve, would you like to see him sometime?"

"Maybe," Eve said. "I don't wanna leave Lagos for too long; they have a lot of infrastructure projects they need my help with, and the longer I dawdle, the longer people have to go without clean water and electricity."

"As for that," I said, "I've finally managed to crack the code on recreating your powers. I've deployed a bunch more Docbots all over the Global South to do infrastructure and environmental restoration projects. Building one more and putting it in Lagos wouldn't be a big strain on me, if you'd like the help."

"...That... yeah," Eve said, nodding. "I think you should do it. I like the work, and I feel good about it, but... It's more important that it gets done, not that I'm the one doing it."

"True enough," Karasuba said. "Well. Want to go see Mark now? It should be after school in Baltimore, right now."

"It is," I idly confirmed.

"Sure," Eve said, before popping the last of her burger into her mouth; as much as she loved the local stockfish soup, sometimes she just had an unquenchable craving for a hamburger, and there was only one thing she could do about it. "I'm ready."

I opened the portal, and we stepped through into our house in Baltimore, where I pulled out my phone and dialed a number.

"...Hi, Debbie, it's Rose," I said. "I was wondering if I could come over for a little social call. Eve wants to say hi to Mark, if he's not busy... Alright. Great! We'll be over in five. See you soon!"

"She knows me?" Eve asked.

"She's something approximating a good parent, and takes an interest in her son's life," I said. "So when her son mentions making friends with Atom Eve, well... she actually listens when he says that, and tucks that away into her memory."

"I know my parents sucked," Eve said. "I lived with them, you know."

"Fair enough. Don't want me slandering them?"

"Not unless it's funny."

"Challenge accepted."

----------------------------------------

"Eve!" Mark said, throwing his arms up. "Amber, this is Eve, I don't know if you two met. Eve, this is Amber, my girlfriend."

"Hey," Eve said, doing her very best to conceal her disappointment that the boy she liked had managed to find a girlfriend.

"Hi," Amber said, waving at Eve. "So... are... those two your parents?"

"Not by blood, no," Eve said.

"Eve didn't exactly have a great home life up until recently," I said. "We volunteered at the same place, and I knew her pretty well, so... after the latest fight with the parents over how to handle the news her boyfriend cheated on her... she decided that I couldn't possibly be any worse of a guardian than they were."

"Wait, Rex cheated on you?" Mark asked, his eyes going wide.

"Yeah, it... was not fun," Eve said, looking away and rubbing her arm.

"Do you want me to beat him up for you?" Mark asked.

"I'll handle it myself, but... Thank you. Genuinely."

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

"Where have you been, anyways? I haven't seen you in weeks."

"Oh, you know," Eve said. "Lagos."

"...Lagos?" Mark asked.

"The biggest city in Nigeria, on the western coast of Africa?" Amber prompted. "Y'know, that Lagos?" Amber then turned to look at Eve, a building affection in her eyes as she began to recognize a kindred spirit. "What were you doing in Lagos?"

"Infrastructure work, mostly," Eve said. "Helping them put in new wastewater lines, stuff like that. Pretty tedious, but..." Eve shrugged. "I don't feel bad about the fact the disease rates are going down."

"Mm. Yeah, I wouldn't either," Amber said, nodding. "You've got good taste in girls, Grayson."

"Uhhh... thanks, I guess?" Mark said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean... I kinda didn't choose to be friends with either of you, you just both kinda... walked up and decided we were."

"Cool girls having a habit of walking up to you and deciding they're now your friend is hardly the worst thing that could happen to you," I said.

"For instance," Karasuba began.

"Don't," I said, shaking my head. "Anyhow, Mark, the information we mentioned the other day is no longer strictly classified, and you're now free to tell anyone you trust about it. Karasuba and I are gonna go talk to Debbie about old people stuff like property taxes."

"Have fun," Amber said.

----------------------------------------

"Hey, Docbot?" Rex asked, walking into the workshop.

"Rex," I said, nodding to him.

"...Are you mad at me?"

"Not particularly," I said. "Why?"

"Well, because of the thing with Eve, and..." He trailed off. "Y'know. That whole mess."

"I can't say it was endearing," I admitted, "but I don't hate you for what you did. You're a kid, Rex. You fucked up. That happens. It sucks now, but... well, you're not gonna be a kid forever."

Rex grunted, wordlessly.

"I just... I wish I had someone who could help me figure this shit out, you know?" Rex said. "Do you... When Doc showed up, she asked if there was anything any of us wanted. Even gave me a pony. Is there... Can you do something like that, too?"

"What do you need, Rex?" I asked.

"Parents who love me," he said.

I nodded. "I'll see what I can do. It's going to take a little bit more doing than a pony or a chocolate shake, but... you shouldn't be waiting long."

"...Seriously?" Rex asked.

"Dead serious," I promised. "I've got you, kid."

----------------------------------------

"Sorry for the delay, Mr. Connors," I said, walking into the workshop.

"I survived," he said through his robot pawn. "And you have the procedure ready?"

"I do, yes," I said, nodding. "Brain transplants may be possible with my technology, but it still isn't trivial, and you will be out of commission for a few days as you recover from this."

"I've waited all my life for this moment," Rudy said. "I can wait a little longer."

"That wasn't an attempt to dissuade you, just an honest warning," I said. "You will feel like discombobulated shit for a few days, and there's not much avoiding it. But, given you've already put in your leave request, and even gotten it approved..." I shrugged. "Well, no point in delaying."

A glass tank with brass endcaps and spider legs stepped out of the shadows. Inside the tank, floating in oxygenated fluid, was a deformed homunculus, with asymmetrical limbs and a grotesquely large head.

"Indeed there is not."

----------------------------------------

"Report, Admirals."

"Red Fleet has made contact with the Lyrican Armada," Admiral Cho said. "The Lyricans lost half their ships in the first exchange, and we've got them on the run, now."

"Don't chase too hard," I said. "Your goal isn't to destroy the Armada, but to take Lyrica."

"Understood, sir."

"Blue Fleet, report."

"Blue Fleet encountered a pair of Viltrumite soldiers alongside a flotilla of unknown origin. They've been disabled with the Terminal Sphere, and taken prisoner. When they were disabled, the flotilla cut and run, but... the ships were definitely limping, sir. We're confident that there were powers involved in the running of those ships."

"Interesting. I still won't authorize the use of the Terminal Sphere as a general-use weapon, but I'll take this under advisement as an argument in favor."

"Understood, Admiral."

"And Green Fleet?"

"The Coalition of Planets was wary, but after the repulsion of a Viltrumite fleet, they've agreed to a truce for the duration of the war."

"Excellent news, Admiral. Does anybody need reinforcements?"

"We could do with a few more fleets," Admiral Santiago said. "We're only able to cover three areas at once, and Viltrumite space is a lot bigger than we first anticipated."

I grunted. "Very well. I'll see about raising ten more fleets. We may not have the manpower to field much more than that, but... we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Anything else?"

"No, sir."

"Excellent work, everyone. Over and out."

I turned and walked off the bridge, through a portal, and into my house, where Karasuba and Eve were assembling an intricate model kit. Given that Karasuba was a telekinetic, and Eve had the ability to rearrange atoms, I was surprised at their restraint, as they were only using their hands... well, also tweezers and flush-cutters.

"Building a Death Star," Karasuba said.

"It transforms into a giant Darth Vader," Eve clarified.

"You are very invested in your art, aren't you?" I asked, blinking a few times in surprise.

"I have never once, in my entire life, been fucking around."

"Duly noted. Would you like to keep the fun all to yourselves, or can I join in?"

"...Well, I would like to finish this sometime today," Eve conceded.

"Sounds good to me. Where's the instruction book?"