Naturally, I, the only blank in a family of King-Class Alphas, had the power to turn an overwhelming victory sour.

Everything had gone to plan. Timing our arrival moments after Jason's Sunmaker left no Breakers to impede progress. While Angela, Eye-Lie and I snuck into the Chamber, Dwarf flew directly into the heat of battle. With Vulcan removed, it'd just been a matter of severing wires and getting the containers up through our portal.

Keeping the VIPs occupied was the tricky part, which is why I had Church blow the mountain. Cher Fer was forced to discreetly excuse himself from combat to ferrokinetically shield us while recovering the containers. Natalie was even forced to jump in and help dismantle dangerous failsafes hidden in the hardware.

Then Green died.

Knowing how badly the Kings could unravel us, I immediately sicced Matthius on Magne and the Committee on Ergo before handing rescue command over to Angela. By the time I'd gotten topside, most of the Rogue mercenaries were down and the island was dissolving. A blanket order went out to scoop the unconscious Rogues and flee for the portal. Though devoid of satellite support from the Sheath, we'd even forced the siblings to their back foot.

While Dwarf administered some well-deserved swirlies, I'd raced for Ergo's weapon. A 'Bloodreaper', by the hilt designation. My hypothesis bore fruit, as the temperature changes disoriented them sufficiently to close in and execute Ergo. Escape was a little tricky, but I almost managed.

Until, like usual, I didn't.

Matthius' slumbering body lay flat across the gurney, wired to a dozen monitors in a dark treatment room, located in the Sheath's medical wing. His chest's slow rise and fall was the only indication I hadn't completely fucked everything up.

The minutes after Guadalupe were frantic. I'd sent Angela rushing for medics and staff to tend to the children while also trying to organize the rest of the wounded. Many of the Rogues we'd even managed to capture alive, like X, Black Ram, and Sonnet also needed sorting.

For the umpteenth time that night, I thanked God for protocol. After the initial rush, things practically ran themselves.

How did he get caught? was the question that refused to stop rolling through my head. I'd lost the Bloodreaper during my jetpack malfunction, but Magne somehow getting his hands on it was a catastrophic stroke of bad luck.

We'd had him on the ropes .

I'd sent Heroes out on missions before. Many ended with them injured, and in Green's case, worse.

But this was Matthius.

And no matter how much he pissed me off or how badly Elise insisted on spoiling him, he was my younger brother.

Fuck .

"Two choices," declared a voice from the door. "You drag yourself into a bed, or you pull a dart of xylazine from your shoulder and wake up in one."

I didn't bother facing her. "Report?"

"I'm not familiar with that brand of mattress," warned Angela.

I didn't react.

"They're in the wind," she confirmed. "The proactive convoys were prophetic. All, save the ailed and VIPs have been checked and shipped."

I nodded, relief easing the creases on my forehead. "Thank you."

"For what?" she snorted. "This was all your idea."

I once again held my tongue. Angela, still lingering near the doorframe, hesitated before walking over to place a soft hand on my shoulder.

"He isn't your fault."

I had nothing to say and, therefore, said nothing. She knew me well enough not to be frustrated, but I could tell she still didn't approve of my blame allocation. She also knew me well enough not to fight on the topic, as Matthius had been injured saving me.

Correcting my miscalculation.

"Try and sleep, Bernard. This doesn't help anyone, and the doctors said he'll be fine."

"He's paralyzed from the waist down," I reminded her bitterly.

She snorted. "For what, a week? Please. This is a well-deserved rest, if anything. He'll be rearing to go by the time it snaps back in place." Her grin faded. "And you need to get back upstairs. We've got three funerals to prepare."

"Did you–" I started.

"Please. What do you take me for, an intern?"

The daily realization that I did not deserve Angela conducted its scheduled circuit. "Thank you."

"Why, though?" huffed Angela. "We compensate. If anything, our experiences contacting aggrieved families should demonstrate why your time is best served elsewhere."

"Get some rest yourself," I ordered her. "I'll need you in the coming weeks."

Angela's eyebrow arched.

"I will need you," I amended.

"Mhm." She gave me a last, concerned once-over before turning for the door. Observing her exit also drew my attention to Jason's broad shoulders blocking the hallway light. His arm was in a sling, but even just a day later, most of the blackened skin and bloodied flesh had receded. His fingers had already begun to regrow.

He actually offered Angela a respectful nod as she stepped past him. I turned back to watch Matthius as he walked over to the foot of the gurney.

"How is he?"

"Fine, obviously," I replied mutely. "They cleared some of the traffic for his thoracic cord to knit back up, but there's still the issue of boiled intestines. The minor scrapes down his stomach and colon are all gone."

"Timeline?" asked Jason.

I offered him a hopeless shrug. "I heard four weeks yesterday. As of an hour ago, it's two."

Jason nodded. "And the children?"

"Smoke. Slingshotted them all over the map the instant their checkups were done. The few that needed additional attention will be gone by the end of the weekend."

"Our VIPs?"

"Deep in the Vault," I assured him, "while I work out some fine print."

"That being?"

I offered him a flat look. Jason didn't take to it. "After all this time, you don't trust me?"

"Of course I trust you," I told him.

"Then why not tell me?"

"Because trusting you involves knowing you."

Though clearly unsatisfied, Jason let off. We spent the next few minutes silently observing Matthius.

"You remember Maurader?" he asked randomly. I regarded him curiously and nodded.

"I was actually there, you know, when Alaya Church died. He'd caught me with one of his axe-sword slights of hand and I took a hatchet to the shoulder. Didn't sting much, but the force knocked me on my ass. Barely lasted more than a few seconds, but she was already gone. Saw the whole thing."

He laughed humourlessly. "The entire fight, I barely felt the poison. Barely, until that exact moment." Jason lost his tired smile. "In that moment, I was no better than a blank. I didn't sleep for a week. Elise actually thought the mighty Prime Nova had finally caught a cold."

"Why are you telling me this?"

He gave me a long look. "When's the last time you slept?"

I didn't answer.

"Brooding somehow solves less than you think, and no one thinks it solves anything. Glaring balefully doesn't help you, me or the kids."

I looked up at Matthius' EKG readings. "Magne shouldn't have had the Bloodreaper at all. That's the fucking point. I dropped it. You failed to prevent. I actively contributed."

"He's a Hero, Bernard. Old enough to read the warning on the application page."

"Shouldn't you be resting?" I groused, sensing the beginnings of a cyclic, pointless debate.

"Glass castle, catapult stones." His hand was suddenly on my shoulder. "Either way, we have more pressing concerns. The Family was rea–"

A wave of heat flowed in from the door, turning both our necks towards it. Surprise then overrode our features. Jason's stemming from our guest, mine from the fact that he hadn't sensed her.

"I came as soon..." Elise started before trailing off at the sight of our proximity.

Instead of leaping forward to embrace her, Jason scowled. I schooled my expression and bookmarked that for later.

"He's fine," I assured her, shrugging out of Jason's grip and slumping into my chair. "Barely a scratch."

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Elise hurried to the bed and scanned her son worriedly. "What happened?!?"

"He fought Magne," said Jason before I could interject. He offered no further elaboration.

I rolled my eyes. Elise would combust and level the island if she wasn't talked out of hysteria. "They had a new weapon. Energy sword that cut through even the toughest skins. Went through his back, but not badly enough for long-term concern."

Her eyes flicked up to mine. "How did you stop it?"

I considered my duty done and said nothing else. Flecks of light fizzed out from the fringes of her hair.

"I asked–"

"And he answered," snapped Jason, a surprising chord of rage reverberating through his voice. "In fact, it was actually his quick thinking that kept Matty afloat. Literally."

That shut us both up. I could not remember the last time Jason took my side, as did she.

"Look what good that did," sneered Elise, though it was muted.

"That's rich ," growled Jason, his eyes aglow, "considering every Quadruplet somehow knew to show up. It's just fascinating everything went to hell the instant I let you in."

Elise paled momentarily before her face contorted with deep, ugly anger.

"What exactly are you suggesting?" she snarled, all venom.

Jason cocked his head. "I'd like to think I know my wife, but after your proclamations that night, I can't be sure."

Elise's hair inched off her shoulders. "Speak your fucking mind, Jason."

"Actually," I interrupted, jumping to my feet as Jason's cast began to crack, "don't. Both of you shut up. What is wrong with you? God, of all people, I have to be the one keeping you idiots in check? Your kid is on that goddamn slab, grinding his bones back together. There are three King-Class freaks frolicking through the country, tearing it up at its roots, and you two are bickering ? What the fuck? Get a hold of yourselves!"

I spun on Elise. "Your inaction and foolishness are largely responsible for our global and," I nodded pointedly at Matthius, "personal predicaments. Bite is reserved for people who actually use their teeth. If you'd just done your fucking job, I could've sent you along and caught them all flat-footed."

I then rounded on Jason.

"You, on the other hand, need to scoop the testosterone from your frontal lobe and pump it into whatever part of your body does the healing." I gestured tiredly. "Elise giving them the drop on us would mean she sent Matthius into a death trap. He's the most important thing in her life, bar image. Yet you think she'd sell her prized baby out to terrorists because of... what? Resentment? A mid-life crisis? A cheeky bit of extracurricular fun? Use your brain." I laughed. "And this is all assuming that the Crimson Nova, of all fucking Heroes, is a turncoat. The woman who dragged you to all those Hero award ceremonies to clean house, with the sole intention of controlling public perception, is a mole. Please. You are too successful to be that stupid."

The light from both their bodies died down, though neither seemed ready to fully acquiesce.

"By all means, punch it out." I pointed to the camera in the corner of the room. "Blow this hospital to bits. That'll teach… whoever is more wrong, I guess."

Jason eyed me for a long moment. "We had a leak, Bernard. We need it plugged."

"And your first guess is your wife?" I rolled my eyes. "If someone is shirking dish duty, prison will, surprisingly, not fix them. Try a maid. At worst, get a counsellor."

Jason shot a last, angry look at Elise before spinning on his heel and storming out. I sagged back in my chair. Doing so nearly made me miss the imperceptible noise from across the bed.

I lifted my head from my hands. "Sorry?"

"Thank you," Elise said quietly. "I... I'm not sure I would've been able to–"

I waved her off, narrowing my eyes in warning. "Don't give a fuck. I cannot believe I, of all people, need to be the one saying this, but read the room. I don't have time to play referee between you two. It may also come as a surprise, but I can't actually stop you two from fighting."

She snorted with a wary look at the camera before going back to fussing over Matthius. "Did you actually save him?"

I tapped my knee in reply, watching his sweat-beaded forehead.

"Thank you again, then."

Being thanked by my mother twice in the same week, let alone day, was deeply unsettling. I said nothing, as I couldn't trust my mouth.

"I want to help–" she started.

"You're doing plenty already," I interjected. "Do you seriously think reintegration at a critical stage like this would help? You are not leaving the bench, no matter how badly anyone gets hurt." I stood brusquely. "I do not trust you, Elise. You're vain and self-absorbed. You will, whether intentionally or not, jeopardize success. The current situation is too delicate."

I caught the genuine pain in her eyes and somehow relented. Marginally, but relented nonetheless.

"You are, however, too powerful to discount. Once we deal with the Family, I'll sort things out."

Elise pursed her lips. "And I'm just supposed to hope you come through?"

"Of course not," I snorted. "Your reestablishment lies in no one's hands but your own. My decisions always come from facts. Create ones in your favour."

I then strode out the door. Matthius, as much as I hated to admit it, was in safe hands.

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

Funeral processions took place the following day. Given recent events, I figured getting our respects over with took precedence. Eighty-six percent of the children had already been stashed in safe houses. The few in need of immediate medical attention would receive it under guard from Queens and Kings. Even Elise, thanks to her frequent visits, though not officially back, would serve as an excellent deterrent.

We rose for the anthem. The Heroes, in dark, ceremonial versions of their uniforms, saluted. Capes had fallen out of combat fashion long ago, but for formal events like this, every Hero had one. Those with projection powers, like Elise and Blacklight, strode over to the Honour Guard for the three-shot volley.

We watched Valkyrie shoot past in formation with fighter jets, then Lucienne Shaefer, Green's younger sister, accepted a folded flag as the caskets were lowered into the ground.

With the service concluded, the crowd thinned as close friends and fellow Heroes offered condolences. Lucienne looked disassociated from it all, mutely accepting handshakes and nodding flatly at expressions of regret. I'd seen it before. Hell, I felt it. The idea that anyone as loud and annoying as Green could die was paradoxical in nature.

Idiots like him never stopped talking. They weren't supposed to.

She did, however, have the presence of mind to approach me after extricating herself from the sea of sorrow.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "For paying for the funeral and grave and... everything." She swallowed. "I know he wasn't always the easiest to work with, so–"

"Ms. Shaefer, nothing could possibly be further from the truth." I patted her shoulder. "Mitchell was eccentric, yes, but never a hindrance. My colleagues will readily attest to this. His touch, whether comedic or combative, will be sorely missed. The expenses are a small, insignificant recompense for the enormous good he accomplished."

Her head bobbed with a slight nod. "That's good. He… he loved what he did, even if I knew it'd kill him one day."

"We'll never forget him," I assured her, which I did mean. The impact of Green's sarcasm would outlive us all.

Angela hovered near my shoulder as Lucienne retreated. "Not bad."

"Thank you."

I glanced over at Elise speaking quietly with Dreads' daughter. As she'd been part of the kidnapped bunch, arranging her attendance required the pulling of several difficult strings. Most had to do with the circumstances of Dreads' death, but I killed vocalized objections immediately. Neither could be blamed for their actions, especially given the timeline we had to work with.

Breaches like that were on me.

I watched my mother stroke the girl's hair before leaning in for a hug. "How far along are we? At the Sheath?"

"I'm not sure," Angela replied thoughtfully. "The suits, conceptually, are a game changer. Practically, though, we're lost. This is way out of Lucas' arena. Pink could possibly think up some kind of thermal matrix, but, well, you know. Elise isn't compatible, and even if she was, no one knows where she is these days. We need… well, we need a lot, to be honest."

I nodded. "Let me worry about that. Just get the prototypes done." I scratched my elbow. "The scans?"

"Progress, I guess. Jasper and Lydia are troopers. That I can see meeting the deadline, though by a far slimmer margin than either of us will like." Angela frowned. "Bernard, what is your plan?"

I narrowed my eyes. "To win. The trick is doing it before the other guy."

I caught an approaching figure in my peripheral vision and turned to see Anita Bauer striding towards us. Apparently, the woman could both teach and dress. Impressively. Angela caught my eyebrow rise and frowned strangely.

"Ms. Bauer," I greeted, extending my hand. "Always a pleasure."

She smiled tiredly, accepting it. "Wish the occasion was too. I knew this would happen."

"That does not mean any of the blame rests on your shoulders," I assured her. "They knew the risks. We all do."

She nodded. "I get that, it's just... you know. Look at his sister." We watched Lucienne's bloodshot eyes clench as another volley of condolences drummed out. "Fuck. I see her and feel terrible."

"Don't," I said hypocritically. "It does you no good."

"Yeah." She shrugged. "I actually came to thank you for saving my friends. The ones who made it, anyway. I'm not sure when the school will go up again, but I'm grateful for the familiar faces that'll be with me when it does." She grinned. "I met up with everyone yesterday, even Headmaster Gordon. First time I've ever seen the man cry."

Though Gordon left a sour taste in my mouth, I managed to smile. "Of course. It's not like we could leave them behind."

She flicked her eyes over to the crowd around Lucienne and sighed.

"God, I remember my first night home after the island. The anger. The urge to tear everything apart." She laughed mirthlessly. "I've never felt so powerless. Which, in hindsight, might have been a good thing."

Lucienne finally collapsed in Red's arms. The small ring around them widened as she shook with tears. Red didn't look that far behind, though he managed to keep her from crumpling in the grass.

"I can't imagine what it'd be like for one of them." She motioned to Jason, who'd dropped a firm, comforting hand on Red's trembling shoulder. "The gods. Treading through a cardboard world, wanting nothing more than to burn it all down." She snorted. "I'm no longer jealous of those SWORD therapist paychecks."

I heard her words but only felt my jaw slacken when I listened . Dot-connecting moments were few and far between in this industry, so when the truth hit, you'd best be in a chair.

Family. Revenge. I thought back to my conversation with Jason in the hospital room. Of fucking course. How didn't I see this?

Anita was turning to leave when I reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Ms. Bauer, I need another favour. You've helped me already, but could you spend a few days at the Sheath? I have an idea that you'd be instrumental in seeing through."

Angela's frown, this time, was of curiosity. Anita cocked her head. "What idea?"

I grinned wolfishly. "Is that a yes?"