I never saw AEGIS without a smile on after that day. She launched herself full-bodied into my care, doing everything in her power to care for me in every way she could imagine. Her dishes became more complex and sprawling, she was at my side at every other waking moment, and many of the sleeping ones.

And she, uh, continued the oral tradition. With gusto.

Life continued on like this for another two days before unexpected guests showed up at our door. I was out on a walk just up and down the street with Tem and AEGIS, looking at Christmas decorations hung up in every infrequent window, when I heard a familiar roaring from over the treetops.

Something shot over us with a blue streak towards the motel, and then doubled back, Karu landing, folding her wings, and apologizing all at once.

"Slow down," I said as she stumbled through a self-crucifying tirade.

"Yes, I apologize. I apologize. I'm just somewhat flustered, this was a dreadfully unprofessional failure on my behalf. I will correct the situation as I am able."

"Karu, just report out, soldier."

"Yessir." She snapped to attention, clouds of cold breath billowing rapidly in front of her. "Sir, hunter Karu reports. I discovered yesterday that my tracking records had been pulled by the XPCA for the last three days. This coincides with the date they had posted a large bounty on you--" she fumbled for her mobile.

"I've already seen it. Continue."

"Yessir. I posit the bounty was posted specifically to draw my attention to warn you of impending danger from other hunters, and then when they pulled my records they did so hoping that I had paid you a visit in that time. Which I had. Consequently, I must assume they are currently en-route to this location."

"Thank you hunter," I gave her a salute and she returned it and assumed a rest stance, before a look of confusion crossed her face for a moment. I turned to AEGIS. "So? Do we leave?"

"That's up to you, Athan. Between the three of us--"

"Four," said Tem decisively, and I had forgotten she was there.

"...four of us, we could probably destroy a few battalions of XPCA. Honestly, I'm kind of looking forward to a rematch now that we're on Rua Mk.3."

"While I am loathe to engage in unneeded bloodshed, I will assume responsibility for my part in spoiling your cover. Should a combat engage, I will assist you as I am able."

"I will protect Chariot," Tem said simply.

I looked around at my friends. We were all idiots, without exception, but I was lucky to have them.

"I kind of doubt they'll show up here with an army," I said. "I would guess they were just trying to find me. Would be pretty bad publicity for them to kill me when they're still putting my face on the front page of the 'net site. That is, unless it's you guys putting me up there?" I asked AEGIS with a cheeky grin.

"Naw, we haven't been messing with them much unless we needed to. Or really wanted to."

"Then let's just see how it unfolds, and leave killing them all as a backup plan."

"Not the greatest military strategy," Karu said "but I suppose sufficient for our needs."

"Any idea when they'll get here, Karu?" I asked.

She shook her head. "I only noticed yesterday that my records had been pulled, and which records. They were pulled most recently yesterday, but it is impossible to tell with my resources if that was the first time they were accessed."

"Well, let's finish my walk, at least. Care to join us Karu?"

She looked a little wary at the prospect.

"We're out here because AEGIS and I agreed that you had a point in getting me ready to face the world. So take that as both of our tacit acceptance of your winning that argument."

AEGIS frowned. "Tacit means unstated."

"Fine. Take it as our overt acceptance of your winning that argument."

Karu looked warily between the two of us adjusting the weapons on her wrist unconsciously. She half-shouted very rapidly "If this is out of some form of pity--"

"No pity. Just a walk," AEGIS said. "We can even hold hands if you like, but it'll be mine or Tem's," she said with a grin.

"I suppose...I have no reason to...refuse." She looked at me sideways like waiting for me to ask her a question, but I just started walking. "I came as soon as I could because of the urgent danger. This was not intended to be a social call."

"Well, if you're busy, we can walk on our own," I said airly. I had a reasonable guess that Karu was being weird because of the cuts on her arm, but AEGIS had told me in no uncertain terms to pretend I never saw them, so that was what I was going to do. Shit was messed up between them enough right now without me making it even worse.

And so the four of us enjoyed a stroll in winter, the addition of the armored, visored, weaponed girl making our little crew even more ludicrous. But also a lot more fun, as we pleasantly bantered about the weather and Christmas decorations up around the neighborhood and our plans for such.

"Well, we were supposed to be back in LV, like, weeks ago," AEGIS said, leaning forward to glare at my face while she talked. "Lia thought it'd be hilarious to just have the most obscenely exquisite Christmas party ever in our small house, and invite a bunch of Chiho's friends from college to blow their minds. Like, put up chandeliers in every room, have waitstaff walking around with caviar, that kind of thing."

"Is Lia usually so, uh, cavalier with money?"

"No, she's pretty frugal except when it comes to you. She doesn't mind dropping a few tens of thousands if it's for you, but otherwise, she's picking up groceries from two or three different stores to get the cheapest stuff."

I smiled. Mom used to do that.

"I am afraid I may very well be subjected to waitstaff with caviar unironically," Karu said. "The Irensides must demonstrate their superior Christmas spirit to all in Washington every year, confirm that we are a financially extravagant, and our ability to celebrate Christianity is unparalleled." She let out a heavy sigh.

"Couldn't you just not go?" AEGIS asked.

"I only recently reconnected with my father. It is too early to be making reasonable demands such as that."

"Oof, rough. Any plans, Athan?"

"Uh. No. Never spent the holidays with anyone but my family, actually."

All three girls were frowning at my answer.

"I'll s-spend it with you!" Tem volunteered, like nobody suspected she would do that.

"If you have no other options, you are certainly welcome at my family's gala. I might enjoy it a bit more with you as a diversion, though we would want to avoid my father…"

"I think maybe just a nice meal, a cup of hot chocolate and a yule log," said AEGIS. "Maybe some mistletoe. You'd come down the stairs, find me wrapped in a blanket under the tree and say 'this must be my present from Santa'..."

"Was it just me, or did that take a very strange turn somewhere? I don't know how she calls me the pervert," I said.

"If you could refrain from involving us in your fantasies..." Karu said with a vaguely disturbed expression.

"I wanna be Chariot's present too!" Tem sighed.

"Just sounded like a nice Christmas to me," AEGIS mumbled.

Conversation eventually re-normalized, and I was glad AEGIS and Karu weren't pushing me to pick Christmas plans at this very moment. We finished a couple miles, and I was already tired, even just walking. We turned around and headed back, thankfully downhill this time, but I was still annoyed with myself for letting myself go this badly.

We got all the way back to the motel without any XPCA falling out of the sky on us, and I prepared to part for my room, leaving the girls as we passed theirs, when AEGIS popped back out and invited me in.

Their room was a lot bigger than mine, with two beds. Lia's and Chiho's I guess, AEGIS didn't sleep and Tem was...incidental.

The two human girls were sitting cross-legged on one bed, and Karu took a seat by the door. I sat next to her, and AEGIS sat on the unoccupied bed.

"So," Lia said once we were settled. "We have some interesting news."

"As do we," Karu said.

"XPCA coming?" Lia asked. Karu nodded. "We noticed they were putting together a task force but no Exhuman event, and I kinda did some prying."

"The fault is mine," said Karu, and explained again how they'd tracked her to find us. Lia was similarly dismissive of her alleged failure.

"Well, I pulled in an old friend of mine," Lia said, shifting so she was sitting on her knees. "He's here now, and I think, perfectly trustworthy, though I could understand if anyone is skeptical. If we're going to try to run, his ability to gather intel rivals even ours, so I thought it might be handy."

I was amused that Lia's first reaction was to try to elude the XPCA. AEGIS and Karu had both wanted to fight, for their own reasons, and I wanted to talk. Tem wanted whatever I wanted and…

"Hey, Chiho," I asked, and she looked up from her mobile, obviously surprised to be part of this conversation. "What's up with you? How do you feel about the XPCA situation?"

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"Oh. Um. I'm okay. My parents are kind of mad I took a quarter off, but I'm in good standing and I owe it to Lia like, a hundred times over, so it's no problem, really. As for the XPCA, I guess it doesn't matter to me. I'm not really involved, if they catch me, Lia coached me on what to say. I'd rather you guys not get hurt, obviously."

"That's cool. Just saying hi. Haven't even seen you this whole time."

"Oh. Well, hi Athan," she gave me a small wave and smile.

"You are not dragging her into this," AEGIS said with undisguised loathing. "How many girls before you are satisfied, Athan?"

"I was just saying hi," I said, bewildered. "I can do that, can't I?"

"I am not certain. I have it on good authority that Ashton favors older women," Karu said with a sly grin.

"If that's the case, I'm technically a hundred and ten…" AEGIS shot back.

"Okay girls, knock it off," Lia cut in. "I'm bringing my friend in now, so keep your panties dry, Jesus."

The door opened and with hardly a noise, a figure strode in. Instantly, I realized this was the man Lia had based her fashion choices off of, wearing a charcoal-grey slipskin and a long cloak and hood, but no mask. He walked almost lazily, sauntering past us with hardly a glance, yet seemed to take in everything in the room at once. I had the notion he was unconsciously counting escape routes and potential threats, even as he seemed to move without effort or care.

He crossed the entire length of the room and brought a chair to the far wall, seating himself with his legs crossed straight in front of him, facing the door, back to a wall. He had huge, steady boots that went almost up to his knees and matching gloves, with nimble fingers and an embedded holo in the inside of his wrist, like Lia's.

"Guys, meet Taglock," Lia said. AEGIS perked up immediately, and Karu watched him walk with rapt attention.

"You broke my drones," AEGIS said.

"That does tend to happen when you track a spy," he said with a small smile which reached his eyes. "You were a fun one to try to evade. Tell me, did you ever catch me on camera after the first day?"

"No," said AEGIS. "Still don't know how."

"Well, if I told you, I'd have to charge you a consultation fee. If you are as well-off as Black Shark, that might be worthwhile, but otherwise I fairly doubt it."

"You told him?" I asked Lia.

"I don't tell him anything, he just knows it," she said with a shrug.

"Rest assured, she paid me a fairly large sum to buy my silence, and my lips are sealed."

"Somehow that doesn't seem like it means much coming from a spy," I said.

"Ashton, the man is clearly a professional," Karu argued. "Were he to earn a reputation for betraying his clients, he would never work again. I doubt very much that your sister's alter-ego is worth his entire career."

He just winked at her and shot her a finger gun with a click of his tongue.

"Anyway, I have the latest development," he said. "I believe that's why you pay me so much? The XPCA was planning an operation only yesterday to come here and, it looks like, negotiate Athan and Melanie's return, since they were going to be sending what's left of the P-Force." He sighed and turned to me. "You really need a better name for that unit."

"So I've heard," I said, annoyed. Something about this guy just rubbed me the wrong way. "Who's Melanie?"

"Me," said Tem, and I cringed internally at the realization I didn't even know her name. I'd been trying to just ignore her, but holy crap, I was being crappy to her again without realizing.

"Of course, if that were still the plan, I wouldn't be here in person," Taglock continued. "Yesterday late, something occurred which simultaneously put Athan in the forefront and in the back of the XPCA's mind."

"An Exhuman event," I said. "Has to be. A big one?"

He repeated the finger-gun clicked-tongue gesture at me.

"A very big one. They're running around like ants under that tower, and they want to bring you in to help, but also don't have the resources to bring you in while this is going on. Seems Blackett is going to go forward without you, but if he does, you're in deep trouble."

"Why?"

"Because if he thinks, and if he proves he can handle an event like this without you, then he doesn't need you. Sure you could see why that'd be bad for you."

Maybe I didn't like him because he was a lot like me, but better, I decided. It seemed like, everything he did was calculated, the way I figured my way through things, but he did it effortlessly.

From the moment he'd entered and let us all know he didn't consider us threats, but was still prepared for a surprise attack by how he'd oriented himself in the room and to the door, his finger guns both acting as praise for someone reinforcing his position, while also meaning he didn't have to divulge more than someone might guess, the way he made you feel like you were drawing your own conclusion even though he was hand-feeding it to you. He was a true professional.

Or maybe...I just annoyed that from the moment he'd entered, Lia, AEGIS, and Karu hadn't moved their eyes from him for an instant. It was stupid and petty and jealous, which only made me feel worse. But at least I still had Tem fawning over me. Go me.

"What do you know about the Exhuman event?" I asked.

"Nothing," he said with a smug grin. "Was kind of busy looking up what I was directed to."

"So in other words, everything, but we'd need to pay for it?" I sighed.

"I like that you think I'm as much of an infopath as your sister, but for once I'm on the level with you, kid. There was a lot of intel to grab, and all of it happened yesterday, and I already had your sister's mission in mind. If I'd spent time picking at some Exhuman event when I had a client waiting, what kind of spy would I be?"

I really had no idea how much of that was lies, or if he was intending it sarcastically or not, so I just shook my head and let it go. The answer was clear enough 'no'.

"Then what does everyone think we should do?" I asked the entire group deliberately, facing any direction but Taglock's to eliminate any possible misunderstanding that he was leadership here.

"The options seem pretty clear," AEGIS said, finally turning back to me. "Join the XPCA, or don't. And if we don't, do we slip away again. Should be pretty easy if they're that busy."

"We could also crash the Exhuman event without an invitation," Lia added. "I know Athan has a huge justice boner, so he probably can't keep away from a big thing like that, but it doesn't mean we have to follow official channels."

"It would not work," Karu said. "The only thing keeping the XPCA from open hostility with our group here is the illusion that Ashton is still under their yoke. If he showed up in the public eye separated from them, they would never permit him to escape afterwards. They might even consider it a second event, him showing up to go rogue."

I nodded. "And if they put it that way, the P-Force would be totaled. None of us can ever have anything the public sees as an event, or whatever trust we have will be completely destroyed."

"So then just run?" Lia asked.

"If the event is as dire as it seems, I will desire to participate on my own as a hunter. While my desire to protect Ashton is obviously paramount, the public is a close second, and you should not need my assistance if you are merely slipping out."

"I don't like the idea of merely slipping out while there's an Exhuman out there destroying people's lives either, Karu," I said.

"Yeah, we all knew you'd say that," Lia intoned.

"I'm following Chariot," Tem added resolutely, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, we all knew you'd say that too," Lia intoned, her voice even flatter.

"Excuse me," Karu said brusquely and stood to leave.

"Where are you going?" AEGIS asked, standing, her eyes wide.

"I have a call. I will take it outside," Karu said and left.

AEGIS sat back down quietly. "Oh."

It was a strange little exchange but I didn't think anyone else paid attention to it. We continued discussion for a minute before Karu returned, her visor in her hands.

"Uh, it is for you," she said, offering me the visor. Everyone turned to watch.

"Do I just...put it on?" I asked.

Karu smiled. "I added your voice key so you cannot lock me out anymore. I had hoped you would try that trick again in another fight, but it seems my surprise is not to be."

I put the visor down over my face, blinking rapidly as the various images floating at different depths in front of my eyes sorted themselves out once the visor was in place. Earpieces cupped both of my ears. It was weird in here, the number of info callouts jumping all over the place was a little crazy, and things were reacting seemingly both to my thoughts and the movements of my eyes.

I couldn't imagine spending half my life like this, but had to admit, just to play with for a minute, it was seriously cool. Karu leaned in close to me, and I thought she was about to kiss me, but instead spoke into the mic hanging off one earpiece by my mouth.

"Ashton is now on the call. Karu out."

"Chariot?" I heard a familiar voice. It took me a second to place.

"Cosette?"

"Oh thank God. I don't know if I should be happy to hear your voice, or kill you. Grr. But I'm glad you're okay. How you could just wander off like that. But you are okay?"

I laughed. "My wrist is broken and I've got some bruises, but I am okay."

"Well, thank God for that. Listen, Chariot, this call is...not...strictly...on the level."

"You? Doing something outside of your operational authority? I am shocked."

"Yeah, shut up before I regret missing you. Chariot, the situation is--"

"There's a big Exhuman event and you need me."

"How'd you know that?"

"I know everything, Cosette. Keep up."

"I will assume the hunter told you then. The problem is, I think Blackett has decided you're not worth the trouble, but this event...it's a doozy. A lot of good men are going to die if you're not here. I'm going to need you to come in here pronto and get everything sorted out. Apologize, beg if you have to, anything to get things smoothed over."

"I don't think you can officially order me to beg."

"I happen to be your CO and can order you to do whatever the fuck I want. Now stop arguing and get in here."

I stopped and thought for a second. This was it. The question I'd been pushed back and forth on for the last couple of days. The info popups on the holo in front of me all seemed to gravitate towards information on Karu and AEGIS, as though the visor knew those were the two I was focused on.

Could I be selfish and be happy? Would I still be happy if I was selfish? Did I even deserve happiness?

"Did you drop off? If you dropped off, it'd better be because you left to get here so fast you forgot to hang up. Chariot? Do you read?"

"I'm here," I said.

"So? When can we expect you?"

"I don't think I can just come in like that," I said. Out of the corner of my eye...which...somehow seemed to encompass the whole room with the visor on, I saw Karu frown. "I have a couple of stipulations."

"Look, the XPCA already doesn't want you, this is just me asking at this point. I don't think any demands you have are going to get met."

"We'll see. One, I want Karu paid the bounty for bringing me in. She deserves it, since if I do come in, it's because of this call, after all, and that's all her."

"We could probably do that," Cosette said.

"I have no need of such things," Karu said annoyed. "Do you think me so desperate for credits that I would bring in a close friend?"

"Karu, does your jetpack run on deulith cells?"

"No, it--"

"And are they expensive?"

"Yes, but--"

"Then you're getting paid for flying out here. Second stipulation, when we fight the Exhuman, I want to bring in some friends...if they want to come," I said to the room "to assist the P-Force in combat. It sounds like you need all the hands you can get, so this should be reasonable?"

"I'll have them listed as contracted hunters. Anything else?"

"Anything else anyone?" I asked. Nobody answered. Some shook their heads.

"You're really going?" AEGIS said, looking hurt.

"You knew I couldn't just stay here while people are getting hurt."

"I knew. But I hoped anyway."

"No, that's it, Cosette. We're uh, a couple states over, so it might be a few hours.

"There's a reserve base at Patterson Point. I can have a VTOL waiting there for you. Should take you...an hour? How many do you have coming?"

"I don't know. How many do I have coming?" I asked.

Excepting Chiho, every single hand in the room went up at once. Tem, AEGIS, Karu, Lia, even Taglock, a look of amusement on his face. I felt a kind of funny smile crossing my face at how lucky I was to have these people in my life.

"Six of us," I said.

"Wow, really? Are they all, uh...Exhuman…?"

"No, just Tem and myself. Nobody is weak, though. Bona fide ass-kickers, every single one of them."

"Well, I'm excited to see them work. See you guys in a few hours. Papa-Foxtrot Central over an--wait. Chariot, one more thing."

"Sure?"

"The Exhuman we're facing. They destroyed a whole city already, turned it into their own sick amusement park. Their range is beyond anything we've seen...and you're not going to like their power set."

"Electropath?" I asked, the worst possible thing I could think of.

"No. Terrapath."

"Well, fuck."

"Yeah. We'll talk when you get here. Papa-Foxtrot Central over and out."