Tem wasn't back the next morning when we assembled as usual, and Mage sidled up next to me in line with a grin to rival Jack's. Tower and Jack seemed to be pretending I didn't exist, which wasn't too different for Jack, but Tower refusing to even make eye contact with me really hurt.

"What do you want?" I asked Mage.

"Nothing." She grinned at me like an imp.

I wanted to tell her she was creeping me out and to leave me alone, but I'd already torpedoed my position with the others enough. I stood patiently and waited for Blackett to appear for his trip into work.

Stood...patiently. And. Waited.

She was leaning further and further into me, until she was basically clinging to my side.

"Okay, what the heck are you doing?" I had to ask, after she'd commandeered my arm.

"Am I annoying you?"

"Yes."

"Better hit me."

"All right, not funny, Mage," said Tower, who picked her up easily with one arm, separating us with himself in line.

"I'm sorry about Tem," I muttered to him.

He grunted acknowledgement, but didn't respond or look at me.

It was another couple of minutes before we heard Blackett's shoes echoing in the hall. Today, I was apparently the man on the end, so I stood ready at the door for him. As ever, he appeared and wordlessly strode past us, and he and Jack went out to the the car. I closed the door.

I had a thought, inspired by Mage's little obnoxious antics this morning. No Jack and no Blackett for maybe half an hour until Jack returned. And no Tem. And Mage being flighty as ever, that left…

I turned to Tower. He met my gaze for a moment and then remembered he was ignoring me.

"Tower," I said.

He grunted.

"You're the one in charge until Jack gets back."

He grunted again.

"What are we doing today?"

"I don't know, Chariot," he barked, finally looking down at me. "Can't you just keep your damn hat on for half an hour until Jack gets back?"

"Only if that's what you tell me to do," I said. I felt a little bad for teasing him like this, but on the other hand, just wanted to air things out with him as soon as possible.

He looked at me darkly. "You'll do whatever I tell you to do until Jack gets back?"

"That's what it means for you to be in charge, doesn't it?"

"How about I tell you to die?"

"How would you want me to do it?" I asked, without blinking.

He took a step back. "You're crazy."

"So? What would you have me do then?"

He looked at me and thought seriously this time. I knew I had him now.

After long moments of thought, he looked back at me. "Let's go clean some windows."

As we'd done before, cleaning the windows on the front of the house, he and I stood on the roof of the front of the house, wearing a harness connected to the roof by metal cable. It was only two stories, tall stories, given the high ceilings of the house, but from up top, it looked a whoooole lot further than that.

From up here, I could see the whole neighborhood. Huge, opulent manors, separated by large well-groomed lawns, and huge trees planted around the edges, like 50-foot-tall garden hedges. Like Blackett manor, it seemed nobody had just a straight driveway leading to a garage, instead favoring small, lazy, looping roads which touched the street in two places.

How to know you have it made, I supposed. Never have to put your car in reverse. Or have your servant have to do so.

It was still early morning, and it felt like we were higher than the sun.

"So tell me," Tower said, looming at me, intimidatingly. He moved so I was between him and the edge of the house, the two-story fall at my back. "Why'd you do that to Tem?"

I sighed. Of course this. "I don't really know," I said, honestly. He crossed his arms and glowered at me. "I have some thoughts. I don't think that really matters though, the fact was, it was wrong."

"Would you still be saying that if I wasn't threatening to push you off the roof?"

"Yeah." I found my eyes on my feet again. "She never did anything to me."

"She never did anything to anybody!" he yelled, and shoved me, hard.

I toppled and flailed, my heels barely catching on the lip of the roof as I went over. I fell backwards into nothingness and then jerked to a stop. The wire rope on my harness pulled taut, the other end of it in his hands. I hung there, feet on the edge, hanging almost horizontal backwards over the yard, a dozen feet below me.

"I know," I said, sadly.

"Then why!?"

"I don't know, man. Just seeing her be so weak, it makes my blood boil."

I felt like I'd just been over this with Blackett and Jack, over this with Mage, over this in my own head, over and over again. I was tired of beating myself up, tired of explaining why I did something I couldn't explain. I was tired.

"Well what are you gonna do about it?" he yelled.

At least that was sort of a new question. "I don't know. Whatever Tem wants me to do."

"Wrong answer. You and I both know Tem won't make you do shit." He let the line go for another couple of inches, making me drop and jarring me precipitously again.

I don't think he noticed that I really didn't care too much if he splattered me on the pavement at this point. I just wished he'd make up his mind in either killing me or forgiving me already.

"Well, what do you think I should do?" I asked, looking into the morning blue sky above me. Fat little white clouds were skating along. We might be in for some more snow soon.

"Apologize!"

"I mean, other than that, obviously."

"Oh. Uh." The wire moved as he scratched his head. "You should be Tem's friend, I think. She needs more friends."

"I can do that," I said. It didn't seem so hard, seemed like a totally reasonable request. I mean, yeah, it might suck sometimes, but I was already planning on not beating the shit out of her again, so what was the harm, really?

"Heh, we'll see. You lay another finger on her, and you'll have me to answer to."

I felt myself becoming more upright as he pulled me back onto the roof. It was almost funny, being pivoted upright with my feet in place on the edge. Like a slowly inflating balloon, or a...hmm, this was not a good place for a metaphor.

He smiled at me as he finished pulling me back upright, almost vertical now. I took a deep breath as he let go of the wire and reached out to grab my arm and pull me in. At least my little gambit had paid off, and I had Tower back on my side to a degree. His support around here was massive to me.

His support.

His support was gone. He'd let go of the wire and I was falling backwards again.

"Oh shit!" he shouted. His wide eyes and the lip of the rooftop were falling away from me.

What the fuck. Why did he have to be so clumsy now? I yelled and flailed, only managing to spin in the air so that I'd have a nice view of the approaching ground. I was falling headfirst towards the concrete. Unless my shield decided this counted as the entire Earth being thrown at me, and had increased in power by a magnitude of a billion, I was about to break my neck.

The ground raced towards me. The wind roared in my ears.

After everything I'd been through. This was the most humiliating end I could imagine. At least if I'd jumped, I'd have taken it on my own terms. This was just pathetic. I closed my eyes and tried to make the last vision in my mind something pleasant. Lia, maybe. Be a good little sis, your brother would wait for you.

In...hell, I guess. This wasn't actually a pleasant thought, I realized.

I heard something crack into the pavement, but it wasn't me. That, or I'd hit so fast, so badly, I couldn't even feel my body already. Half a moment later, something cracked into me, but it wasn't the pavement. All the wind was knocked out of my lungs, and tears blasted from my eyes. Pain, pretty much all over my torso where something was holding me.

Yeah. Lots and lots of pain. I could definitely still feel my body.

I opened my eyes and found myself and Tower locked in one of his hugs, rising away from the ground. He had a look of intense focus on his face, which was something I'd never seen on him. It didn't...really suit him, but I really couldn't complain right now. As we reached the apex of our rebound, things seemed to just slow...and then stop.

"Uh," I coughed out fraily, looking around from inside his death-grip. "We're flying."

"Floating, really," he said, taking a deep breath. "You scared me there, when you let go of that rope."

"I'm still wearing the harness. You let go of the rope."

"Oh, did I? Haha, my bad," he laughed. "Well, I caught you, so it's okay."

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"I think you bruised...like...all of my ribs. But I still appreciate it. What did you do?"

"Oh, I dove after you and caught you before you hit the ground."

"Huh." I thought about it for a second. "That...wait. That doesn't make any sense. You should have fallen the same speed as me. You'd just land in my...splatter."

"Oh, right. Well, I can change how forces affect me, see? No gravity, right?"

There was definitely no arguing with that. Like being strapped into Karu's harness, his huge arm wrapped around me was holding me aloft like we were weightless.

"I can also have more gravity. And when I hit the ground, I bounce off it by repelling its force. Kinda had to absorb most of the hit when I caught you, though...if I repelled it back into you, that'd be like you hitting the ground twice as hard. Not such a good catch. I tried that a few times in practice. Did. Not. Work."

"I'm really glad you had the practice."

"Yeah, me too. Hey, who could have predicted I'd wind up saving your life instead of beating the tar out of you like I planned? Man, what a crazy life."

"Haha, crazy," I didn't laugh.

He slowly let gravity reclaim him and touched down on the ground. Fortunately, not that anyone had really given it any thought, it seemed like nobody had seen him using his powers. Still too early for many people to even be up, much less in this huge and sparsely populated neighborhood.

"Thanks for the lift," I said, happy to be free of his arms, and able to nurse my injuries. He frowned, looming over me.

"You should get those checked out. I caught you pretty bad."

"It's just some bruising. I'll gladly take it as penance for what I did to Tem. Just...go easy on the hugs for a few days."

He laughed, and then stopped. Looked at me seriously, and then smiled.

"You're a good guy, Chariot. I think."

"I try."

"I'm just concerned because I thought you were a good guy before, too."

"Yeah, me too," I sighed.

I saw movement in a window far to my right, somewhere with a good view of the entire front of the roof, but when I looked, saw only the retreating back of someone's head.

"Say, Tower," I said as we headed back in, "do you really not know what Mage's power is?"

"Really don't. Like Jack and I said before, we've never seen her use it. Kinda creepy, honestly."

"Hmm. Or maybe she uses it all the time."

"Huh?"

"Just thinking," I said, and lapsed into silence doing just that.

I liked people like Tower. People like Karu. People like football players were usually like, I guess. People who were simple like me, saw the world as it was in front of them and plotted their course as they went. I didn't mind the thinkers and planners and schemers of the world, the AEGISes and presumably Mages, but the straightforward guys like that were where I was, and where I found company the most readily.

With the guys, it had always been, cause an issue, man up, maybe take some licks, maybe bring them some food, maybe even hug it out, but things always seemed to get smoothed over fast. I liked that with us, things were always pretty simple. You dick them over, they hate you. That was all there was to it, no cattiness or passive-aggressive games, or manipulation. Just two dudes with some beef.

It was refreshing, given the politics I'd had to step around living with the girls, and I'd just taken it on faith that if I put myself into Tower's hands, we'd work it out. I might be dead, or have the shit kicked out of me, but after that, we'd work it out. Well, maybe not after death, but the point stands.

And as he laughed and talked and clapped my ass as we passed back through the front door, already forgetting to go easy on me, I was grateful to him. I hadn't had a friend who was simply a friend in a long time, not tied up in machiavellian schemes or trying to kill me when the opportunity presented itself, or living in my head. It was nice just to be with a bro again.

I mean, he was still an Exhuman. My life could never be that normal.

We loitered around the hall, waiting for Jack to come back and give us our daily orders. I joked that since he was obviously unfit for leadership, pushing people off rooftops and the like, that meant I was in charge. We spent the remaining time alone giving each other orders on how to clean the toilets and do the girls' laundry.

Yeah, we were crude. It was a guy thing. I missed it.

Jack came back and greeted the two of us chatting and laughing with a smile of his own, and then I remembered he was always smiling about something, and the effect lost much of its charm. Almost immediately though, he sidled up to me, creepy as ever.

"Tem isn't back today. She's still in rehabilitation."

"Okay. Do you know why?"

When I'd come out of the regenerator, I was disoriented, cold, wet, numb, and coughing up fluid from the tank, but it all wore off in less than a few hours...and then I fought an Exhuman, or more recently, moved in with a pack of them. I hadn't had to have rehab, and it seemed stupid that she would.

I felt my face twitch and realized I was doing it again. Being mean to Tem for no reason. I let it go.

Jack's grin broadened. "No idea," he replied. "But I do recall you having a punishment to do all of her chores until she returned. I hope you enjoy twenty-hour workdays, Chariot," his voice and smile grew more sadistic with every word.

I...certainly didn't enjoy the thought of it, but this was part of my penance too. I would work my fingers to the bone if I had to, because that was the only way I could think of to show Jack that I was willing to try.

And over the next day, and then next two days, and then the next three days, he worked me like a slave's dog's bitch. He kept me moving from before dawn to after midnight, doing every single damn thing he could find in the house. My hands were even still mostly busted from hitting Tem so damn hard, but I wasn't going to bring that up. When I was collapsed on the floor, finally finished waxing the hall by hand, he'd walk in to check on me, touch the ground with a long swipe, and look at his finger with disappointment.

"You missed a spot. Do it again."

I didn't miss a spot, but I did it again anyway. Because fuck him. I wasn't going to let a little thing like physical limitations or passing out from not eating all day stop me.

On day three, as I vacuumed the whole attic in the middle of the day, sweat pouring down my face from all the heat rising from the house, even in the start of winter, I found an ice bucket with water bottles, and a note with a crudely-drawn thumbs-up and the words 'you can do it!' scrawled on it.

I silently thanked Tower as I sucked the water down, and chewed on the ice for the next hour while I finished, even if it was kind of grey and dusty by the end. I could do it. I could beat this thing, and show Jack just what I was made of.

His sadism grew less and less apparent, though he still worked me to death. Tower and Jack and Mage had nothing left to do but wander the house listlessly or, in Jack's case, keep an eye on me while I slaved away, since I was now doing the work of everyone in the house.

I didn't care. I went to bed aching every night and woke up aching every pre-morning, but fuck him. I wasn't going to let a damn thing like chores beat me.

I wasn't sure what I thought of 'fuck him' becoming a personal mantra of mine, but it was getting me through a hard time, so I couldn't complain. Maybe I could work out a more eloquent way of putting it later.

On day four, I got up before the crack of dawn as usual and went to the kitchen to make myself breakfast. I got out a bowl and poured myself some cereal, I needed the carbs to keep going, and a banana. Someone had left one of the chairs at the table pulled out, which I know wasn't there last night, because cleaning everything in the kitchen had been one of the last things I'd done yesterday.

Whatever. I threw myself into the chair and prepared to eat.

"OW!" Screamed the chair, which was unusually hard, soft, and lumpy at the same time. I fell off of it in my surprise, cereal scattering across my beautiful kitchen floor.

"What...what…" I asked, backing away from the nothingness. "Tem?" I said, matching the voice, more than realizing anything.

"S-s-sorry," she said, materializing in the chair, rubbing her legs. "I didn't...didn't think anyone would...be up s-so s-s-soon."

"Tem, you're back! Thank God," I said, moving to hug her or something. I stopped when she flinched at my approach.

Ah, yeah. I was one of the bad guys. The last three days had kind of pushed that from my mind, so focused I'd been on beating Jack, I'd almost forgotten why I was doing so.

"Sorry, Tem," I said, and then realized what I was saying. I got on my hands and knees, Tem shaking her head violently as I did so, and placed my forehead on the ground.

"Tem, I am so sorry for what I did to you. I want you to know that."

"Please s-stand up!" she squeaked. "You don't have to. This is s-s-so embarrassing!"

"I have spent these last few days doing everything I could to apologize to your friends for what I've done to them, because of what I did to you."

I heard her mutely shake her head at me, but I wasn't done yet.

"...but the one who suffered the most was you, Tem. I don't know how, or if I can ever apologize enough to make it clear to you exactly how...how shitty and scummy I feel, about everything. After all my talk about how those bullies deserved it for almost killing you, I turned out a hundred times worse than them."

I looked up at her from the floor. I realized she wasn't wearing our uniform or sleepware, just street clothes. A medium skirt and striped long-sleeve shirt. She was pale and red all over her face, and frantically gesturing for me to stand up, and looking around everywhere at once, like someone would come in at any moment and rescue her from me.

"I forgive...forgive you, okay? Please, just, s-stand up. You don't have to...to apologize like this, to me."

"I do, Tem. This is how I would apologize to anyone after what I did. You're as much a person as anyone else, even if you don't see it that way."

She stopped gesturing at me, and instead did something far, far worse, began to cry.

"I-I'm not finished!" I sort of shouted at her. "Tem...I…" I advanced on her very slowly, touching her hand. She recoiled, but then gently put her hand in mine. "Tem, Temperance, I meant it when I said those bullies deserved to die. I deserve to die. I've thought about killing myself every day after what I did to you. I can't live being that kind of person."

Tears flowed from every part of her eyes in a constant stream and she shook her head violently at me, incoherent words babbling from her, but lots of 'don'ts' and 'can't's.

"The only thing stopping me…" I paused. "One of the only things stopping me, because I'm selfish, too, was that I didn't want that to be on you, Tem...I uh…"

I let go of her bony hand, but she grabbed me more fiercely and wouldn't let go.

"I have blood on my hands too, Tem. I see them in my dreams, sometimes when I let my mind wander too far. I used to see them every time I closed my eyes, and it was horrible. I didn't want to do that to you, so I'll live...but only if you want me to."

"Of course I want you to!" she screamed, through her tears.

"I don't mean...me specifically. I'm not worth that. I meant...I don't want to be more blood on your hands. I know...know how that can weigh on a person."

A finger hooked under my chin and made me point at her face. She looked me in the eyes, beneath the tears, angry, almost, if that was possible for her. And then she leaned down, and in the most gentle lightest brushing touch possible, like a snowflake melting on my skin, kissed me on the forehead.

"Not...not allowed to die. Okay?"

"Okay," I said, going red. There were tears falling on my face, and they weren't mine. "I hope you don't regret giving a second chance to a huge piece of shit like me."

She laughed softly and cried, and held my head to her. She held me for a few moments like that, crying sharply all over me.

"Language, Chariot," I heard from the doorway. I stood bolt upright. Tem did the same, but also vanished with a gasp and a waver of light. Leaned against it was Jack, of course, sly smile feeling sarcastic now as he watched god-knows how long of our scene play out.

"Jack," I said. "How long you been standing there?"

"A while." He raised his hands defensively. "I'm not here to mock you. I'm just happy to see Tem is back. You are back, aren't you, Tem?" he asked the empty space beside me. She wasn't there, I could feel her hiding behind me.

"Um, yes," her voice said. She did not reappear.

"How long have you been back, I wonder," Jack mused. "Have you been hiding invisible this whole time? Enjoying watching me put Chariot through his paces?"

"No!" She shouted, turning visible, and then blushing and losing her nerve just as fast. "No. I just...just got here. Last...last night. I'd been…" she mumbled off.

"Been what?" Jack asked.

She mumbled something I could barely make out.

"Speak up, please, Tem."

"She said she was being kept in the psychiatric ward. They were concerned about her…" I turned and looked at her over my shoulder. "Mental health?"

She nodded.

"Ah. My apologies."

Jack turned to slink off, but before he did, he stopped and spoke again.

"Chariot, I don't know if you remember, but Blackett tasked me with ensuring your apology to Tem was satisfactory. I believe it was, but you were fortunate I was around to drop eaves on it. It wouldn't have had quite the impact if you'd had to repeat it all again for me."

I shook a little and felt myself go a little red, and Jack was gone. I stood there for a moment, not sure what to do, and then walked to the cabinet to get another bowl.

"Cereal, Tem? Banana?" I tried to think back to what she usually ate for breakfast, the couple days I'd seen it. "Cottage cheese?"

"Yes, please," she said, unspecifically. I hoped she meant the latter, and got pulled a package from the fridge, holding it up and getting a nod as confirmation. I made her a bowl and then realized it was probably way too much, so I walked to the table and put half of it on my cereal, and gave her the other half a bowl and a spoon.

"Is...is it good that way?" she asked, looking at the mess I'd poured myself.

"Uh, sure," I said, trying it out. It wasn't, but now wasn't the time for that. What I really wanted was for her tears to stop flowing slowly and silently, and also to vacuum up the cereal I'd spilled before people stepped in it and tracked it into my clean hallway.

I laughed into my mulchy breakfast as I realized just what I'd become.