Meghan was rather busy at the moment.

After finding out that their computer also had parts left over to run a 3-D printer, something that she never had access to before despite being in a very well off field.

Of course she was using it like it was a brand new toy.

Bed sheets and a few blankets for that Fred fellow that moved in recently.

A few robots to help her handle the increased workload of her new experiments.

She even had the thing build her a mini fridge for ice cream and beer.

Meg was starting to think that this printer of hers was a bit different than the ones she was thinking of, though.

For one, she was pretty sure they didn’t talk.

“Good Evening Creator Meghan. It has been ten hours since you have had a meal that didn’t consist of energy bars and basic nutritional means. I recommend that you take a break… you masochist.”

“Pipe down Printy, I’m just about done with this exo-suit.”

“Of course miss, May I call Ms. Chimera or Mr. Aden for you?”

“What did you say Printy?”

“Calling Mr. Aden for you.”

She hit the phone dial to turn off that annoying beeping for a few minutes so she could think.

Meghan tuned out the annoying machine as she used her gift to test out the arm servo she was finalizing.

“Botty 1, initialize the firearm test.”

Her favorite moved his little arms to test the armor plate that she just finished placing on the shoulder section of her suit.

If the thing held up to conventional firearms, she would consider it a success.

After clamping himself to the table, Botty 1 opened a small section underneath him that revealed a gun chamber.

It was ten millimeters, which for most thugs on the street was generous.

Still, if it could handle that, it would be a success.

“Engage.”

Botty started firing at the plate, which effortlessly deflected the shot.

It also started bouncing off the metal box that Meghan created for the test, and soon she was ducking under the table.

After a few pinging noises that ended with a new hole in her machine lab, Meghan sighed as she reached for a speaker phone.

“Botty 2 and Botty 3, please report to the Machine Lab and patch the newest hole in the roof, that is all.”

She heard the scurrying steps of her little bots moving towards the damaged ceiling, one carrying a screw gun while the other had a corrugated piece of steel roofing.

“Gosh, I knew having assistance was the right idea. But No~, ‘can’t have that bringing down the budget for the rest of the science department Meghan’. ‘Can’t you take one for the team, Meghan?’

“Bah, the best thing that ever happened to me was getting shit canned.”

She stretched out her hand, where Botty 4 was waiting with a glass of hot chocolate for her.

She never could get coffee to taste good, so this was the next best thing.

“Well, barring the mishap with the testing area, it looks like the Mark One armor is good to go.”

“Creator Meghan, it would seem that you have guests.”

“What?! When were you going to tell me Printy?!”

“Three hours ago, they’ve been here for most of the time. It was made very clear that you did not wish to be disturbed. I have taken the liberty of providing them chairs and beverages while they waited for you.”

Meg turned around to see her best friend with another very tall girl in hero garb.

“Oh…”

“What my Creator wishes to say is that she regrets being caught ignoring her guests and wishes to apologize for her candor.”

“...What the sarcasta-bot said.”

Chimera beamed at her, “so you got an exo-suit working?”

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

She smiled.

I knew Sarah would get it.

“I did! It even runs off of my electrical power, no need to carry a heavy battery pack.”

“Still, you might want smaller ones just in case.”

“Redundancies are the safe man’s bet.”

She turned to the tall girl.

“Who are you, and why are you with my daughter?”

Inside her head, Meghan was summoning all of her own mother’s energy to try and sell the bit.

Sarah had explained yesterday that it might be a good idea for her to introduce Meghan and Aden to her super friends, if only to get some help in case they got found out by super gangs.

Their location being near the port, it was very likely that it could happen.

Despite this glaring fact though, it wasn't without it's own merits.

It was the best place to keep away from ChemTech, as their competitor Pharmasol owned the shipping and port district.

When they worked for the company, Meghan could remember the meetings that had their employees show ‘team dynamics’ and ‘company culture’ when talking about one-upping Pharmasol’s ‘best company of the year’ model.

Personally, Meghan hated everyone but Sarah anyway, so corporate culture be damned.

She did retain that because of their feud, ChemTech did not get involved with the port district.

So, two birds with one stone.

She sighed as she thought about her burnt down apartment.

Sarah never said to do it, but after her thoughts about ChemTech, Meghan didn’t want to take any chances.

The old Meghan died in a fire at her old apartment.

That was the story, and she didn’t bother correcting anyone about it.

“...Right, before you answer that, introductions.”

She snapped her fingers as her four Bottys appeared next to her, number one resting on her shoulder.

“Welcome to the Machine Lab, my name’s Meghan, and these are my robots. You’ve met Printy already it seems, so all that’s left is who you are and what you’re doing with Chimera?”

The girl, despite being taller than her, seemed to shrink at the question.

Oh, is this what it feels like to be intimidating?

Meghan filed away that thought for later, now was cover building time.

“...U-Umm, hello Ms. Meghan, ma’am. I-I was just walking Chimera home and she decided-,”

“-To bring you here, yeah, sounds like the little troublemaker. Chimera, I told you not to come into the lab while I’m working, it’s dangerous.”

“B-But you were making some cool stuff and I just wanted to show-,”

“-That doesn’t give you an excuse to disobey. What if that test had gone wrong and that bullet hit your friend?”

“W-Well she’s a superhero so-,”

“-That’s not the point! You’re much too reckless Chimera, not everyone can come back from a bullet hole in their head. Do not bring anyone in here unless I say it’s okay.”

Meghan felt her heart clench a bit as her friend’s head went downcast.

Damnit Sarah, did you have to leave me the part of being an adult?

She didn’t yell at people, or friends or anyone for that matter, she just didn’t.

Yet, now she was having to pretend on being the ‘responsible parent figure’ to Sarah’s cover.

You are going to owe me so much ice cream after this!

…

The Plan went off without a hitch.

Well, maybe not the gun shot test, but the rest was perfect.

After she showed Glow around the Lab for a bit, she told her about how she wanted to make sure that Meghan was protected.

Which was the real reason behind letting Glow know about their hideout in the first place.

Chimera wasn’t naive enough to believe that she could protect her friend and brother constantly, so having another pair of eyes to help watch them was welcome.

She didn’t really trust the rest of the Hero’s League, they couldnt even find Gideon when they had a picture of the guy, for crying out loud!

But Glow? She was part of a hero family, and based on her personality, she wouldn’t betray those she considered friends.

Sarah felt a bit of a bastard for using that, but it meant keeping Meghan and Aden safe.

Her conscience could take a hit if it meant that.

When her friend finally departed, and the show was over, she returned to talk to Meg.

“You owe me so much ice cream for this! How could you make me do that?! I felt so awful when she couldnt speak!”

“H-Hey, relax would you? This needed to happen for my cover, and it also helps protect you in case something happens.”

Meghan scoffed at her, “as strange as it is to say, with this new suit, I doubt I will be needing the protection. It’s Aden you’re really worried about, isn’t it?”

She couldnt deny it, “he’s starting to get independent, and it scares me a bit. I get it, I really do…”

“You always took care of him after your parents passed Sarah, that doesn’t just shut off after he decides he’s better. I may not have siblings, but protecting your loved ones? I get it.”

Sarah nodded, “even with a super biology, it doesn’t just go away.”

Meghan sat down across from her with two hot chocolates in her hand.

“Take the cocoa, and tell me your problems. It’s what you did for me when you weren’t a squirt.”

Sarah chuckled at that, “remember the time when Michael from accounting came to get our expense reports, and we had to explain the purchase of those apple trees?”

“How were we supposed to know that bitch Levi put that crap in our reports, just so he could get a pair of apple trees for his stupid office window.”

“It was a good view from his office to the courtyard though.”

“Not at the price of my bonus, it wasn't!”

“What about the time we got back at Levi for that, oh the look on her face…”

“I never knew we could grow a pineapple tree that fast, Hah!”

The two of them talked about the past, their frustrations, their hopes for the future, and everything in between.

It was what Sarah needed after all the crap she had to go through recently, just a nice reminder that despite her new gifts and body, that she was still herself underneath it all.

If only it could continue like that.