“Right” Esprit says, peeking out from behind the shower curtain. “I’m going to get to work making your outfit. If you have any special requirements please let me know soon. I have an idea what would look great on you!” I shudder, they had just used some glowy magic stuff to measure my sizes and I felt a little violated.

“You could have told me you were going to do that!” I growl, blushing slightly.

“Trust me I ain’t telling anyone, not into humans either for your information” The Pixie giggles. “Anyway let me work” I sigh and leave Esprit be. I walk into the living room where Sierra is busy finishing off the food, I decide I ought to give Bridget a message. I wonder what sorta gadget she’d cook up for a super suit for someone like me. I set myself down on the computer desk and boot it up, listening to the radio in the background blasting out some nondescript pop music. The computer boots up quick and I load up the twitter browser and open my PMs with Bridget.

Eunos @YesIAmEunos: ‘Hey Bridget, long story short, got back alright. There was ...some carnage, but all in all everything is relatively okay here. I met a creature like Amalka here though, told me something about leylines? Anyway, Esprit (the creature, apparently a Pixie) is making me some kinda costume? I have no ideas what sorta things would help me though. Oh! And I discovered my arm can become a shield’

I omitted the specifics of the accident outside the diner with the Range Rover, I didn’t want to think about it

Eunos @YesIAmEunos: ‘Oh, sorry for the word vomit. I hope everything is going on alright there. Did you get back your machine?’

I lent back on the seat rest, looking at the messages I sent feeling slightly anxious. I’ve never been good at contacting people out of the blue. It felt wrong and rude, even if I’m asked to keep in touch. I stand and push the chair back under the desk, leaving the computer on and walk towards the kitchen, making sure the dressing gown I was wearing was tied tightly. I reach into the fridge and pull out a cool bottle of water and undo the lid, taking a swig before screwing the top back on and taking the bottle with me. Pretty much the moment I get back to the computer it dings with a response from Bridget.

Mouseio Auditore @mtcmouse: ‘Well that confirms the thing with Amálka. Not hyped for the dragons. And well, how about you look up news on the Pope from yesterday to answer that question. Gadgets wise, you’re a technopath, can control stuff and such. I’ll make you a couple tiny drones for surveillance you can put on your belt and pilot. On the house, since you helped me with Magda’

I open up a search engine tab and do a quick search for news surrounding the Vatican.

“Damn Bridget, I best remember not to get on your bad side” She was gonna use that machine on me, geez.

Eunos @YesIAmEunos: ‘Oh my, you really did a number on him. Those drones will be helpful thank you. Give Šárka and Non and everyone my regards, and make sure you top up Magda’s oil!

I sip at the water again. “Drones huh” That sounded like fun, I’d only ever flown in a hot air balloon and a plane once before.

“What did you say Cy?” Sierra turns to look at me.

“Bridget is sending me some drones for me to control, I forgot to tell you by the way. But I met a girl who told me about another Emerged containment site, further down south” Sierra jumps to her feet, snarling.

“Well we can’t let that stay too long! We shouldn’t be imprisoned or contained!”

“Damn right, and I plan on doing something about it soon. But we got to be prepared” I nod thoughtfully, hoping she calms down. “Plus that fight with that twat Victoria took a lot out of me” Its true, my legs were bruised all over. Actually…

“I have an idea!” I snap my metal fingers, sending small sparks fluttering about the place. “I wonder if Esprit can like, enchant some impact damage reduction stuff into the legs of it” Sierra blinks, looking slightly confused.

“Do you reckon that can be done?” She asks, understandably.

“I haven’t a clue, but I hope so. My legs can only handle so much” I laugh nervously. I limp out to the bathroom and knock on the door. “I have some ideas now Esprit!”

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Come on in then” a tinny little voice rings out. I open the door and they’re sitting on the top of the sink, chewing on a bit of a biscuit. “This is very very tasty, what did you call it again?”

“A Rich Shortie, Esprit”

“Rich Shortie, it certainly makes me feel rich and ready to go” They did a navy style salute and stood up, perched on the rim of the sink with impeccable balance. “So what do you need?”

“I need everything to be able to withstand heavy impacts and stuff like that, do you know how you can do that?”

“Should be able to enchant stuff, but our magic is...unpredictable. We didn’t master it quite like people used to. We had to sort of rig stuff together out in the wilds”

“Really? People used to use magic?”

“Not you people. Another type, I think. Anyway, I finished the first part of your outfit” I pull the curtain aside and there is a long skirt hanging on a rail behind it. Deep pink-ish red with a black stripe of a different material intersected through it. “Looking through your wardrobe and looking at your hair gave me a good idea as to your style. I was thinking of a black sweater with a purple E sewn into it, E for Eunos, done in a similar shade to the skirt, you could wear a blouse underneath it too” This sounded really promising, I liked the colour scheme. Esprit taps her nose, definitely seeming pleased with themselves.

“Now” She continues, “In order to be able to enchant these with what you want. I am going to have to collect some things from outside and build a site to do it on. I may need your help in doing it quickly. It used to be something that’d take a lot of us collectively to build, as we’re so small. With your help..” she points at me. “...It’ll be an autumnal breeze to do”

“Right, tell me when I’m needed then ok?”I close the door, leaving Esprit to do her stuff and create it. I hear the locks of the bunker door sliding open so I lean against the concrete wall, waiting to greet Mike and Brad. Mike is first in, jittering from foot to foot.

“You look like you have good news?” I ask.

“Was it so obvious?” He asks, looking quite sheepish.

“Tell her, Mike” A booming voice comes from the top of the steps, Brad’s shadow looms down from above, he is carrying a few reusable bags I guess full of supplies.

“Well I think I can go home! I went to my mum’s shop and they’re moving abroad, to a place in the US. They said you all can come visit!”

“Thats wonderful news!” I exclaim, embracing him in a hug. “I suppose we’ll be seeing you then” Brad edges down the steps, careful not to drop the bags.

“I’ll be taking him back this evening, oh right. I heard about the fight Cy. You alright?”

“I’m healing, she got off worse, what’ve you got there? I spy a baguette” I’m almost salivating, bread is like the best thing. Especially when warm. Brad gives me an even warmer smile.

“Food shopping, everything we need for a while. Although I did get less due to Mike leaving”

“Mike’s leaving?!” Sierra sprints out from the living room, running up and glomping onto his leg. “I’ll miss ya”. Brad raises one of his huge arms and his laugh booms down the hallway.

“Well! Lets throw him a going away party then!”

“Agreed!” I clap my hands together, grinning ear to ear “We still have some leftover chips from the chip shop I can stick in the microwave”

“Sounds great to me!” says Mike, patting Sierra on the head. And so thats what we spent the afternoon doing, Brad designated himself the driver to take him home so the rest of us drunk whilst he sat there sipping orange juice. Mike at one point was trying to stick to the ceiling giggling like a schoolgirl. I think I passed out sometime after that, I had forgotten how much of a lightweight I was.

***

It took half an hour to extract Victoria from underneath the SUV, in which time she had slipped in and out of consciousness a few times, in her dazed state she barely recognised Colonel Goff when he leant over her. “You’ve caused a right mess Victoria! charging in by yourself! What were you thinking?!” She closes her eyes, knowing he was right. “I’m going to have to bring in reinforcements I think” Victoria flinches, she had taken a hefty hit to the head and had concussion so could barely understand him. He disappeared and was replaced by the harsh lights on the inside of the ambulance. It was just blackness and harsh white one after another and then she went under properly as the anaesthetic kicks in.

She had always hated hospitals, there was something about the sterilised nature, the odd smell and the general atmosphere of the places that gave her the creeps. She woke up with a shock, sitting bolt upright. A set of hands settled down on her shoulders and gently pushed her back down onto the bed. “Calm down Miss, you’re alright now” A male nurse was attending to her. “I’ll let everyone know you’ve woken up” Her hands were covered in bandages from scraping along the ground and her neck was in a brace.

“I told you this would happen Victoria” Victoria groans, her mum has shown up. She was a banker and quite well off and wanted her to go into a nice business job. Her short heels clacked across the hard floor towards her bed. “You threw away a nice job because of a few poxy rules and this Emergence happens and you decide to be a hero? I knew I shouldn’t have let you read those ghastly comic books when you were younger” Victoria rolls her eyes and stays silent for now, she was used to this sort of admonishment from her mum. “Anyway, I’m glad you didn’t get off worse, the newspapers are having a fit over this Eunos character. At least its a distraction from Brexit anyhow”

At this point Colonel Goff decided to make his grand entrance, with a great hulking creature not far behind him. He looked a bit like one of those fantasy orcs, with giant lower canines. Although he had kept a normal skin tone, very little about him looked normal, he had abnormally large shoulders for instance that lead to tree trunk sized arms. He definitely was a security guard or a bouncer or something before. “Victoria!” Goff near enough shouts “Meet Burt ‘Barricade’ Nichols, he shall be your replacement for the time being and will also be out patrolling the streets are part of Operation Barracuda, he should be able to smash through that shield of Eunos I imagine” He chuckles at that for no particular reason.

“Also! Barricade here is the first of a few new faces you’ll find yourself to be acquainted to, we’re expanding the Operation up and down the country as requested by the brass, so expect a whole load of teammates for you to call on soon” He seemed really pleased with himself, this annoyed Victoria greatly although she didn’t let it show. She looked over to her mum who was busy filing her nails, not paying much attention at all.

“Right!” Goff continues “We shall be off, Barricade here has work to do” Barricade grunts a response and turns for the door. “Oh, and one more thing Victoria before I go. You’re moving down south to overlook a site where we’re training some new recruits, so heal up quick” and with that he ducks out the door after Barricade.

“Down south?! but Eunos is here! I can’t bring her to justice from down south!” Victoria splutters, speaking through the pain in her jaw when she moves it.

“You should have thought of that before rushing in by yourself you useless girl” Her mum tuts unsympathically. “I knew I shouldn’t have paid for those martial arts classes, you’re delusional….”