It was Tuesday before Athena heard from Lucy. She neglected to say how they’d gotten in contact, only that they’d agreed to meet in an abandoned building on the Eastside.

None of them were particularly thrilled about the idea. Even though the meeting place was almost half a mile away from the lab, this would be the closest the group had been to the lab since it was taken over. But as worried as Emmett and Clara were, Lucy seemed even more on edge—worried enough that she insisted on meeting underground and close to the Cabal’s den.

They waited until the sun had set Tuesday night. Emmett and Clara had just finished suiting up and then engaged their basic “sweats and hoodie” disguise. Emmett had rigged a new shoulder strap for his fusion rifle—one that should keep it tight enough to his body for the nanites to cover it. Athena put on her jacket and waited near the fire escape window.

“You don’t have to come,” Athena said, a hint of apprehension in her voice.

Emmett and Clara shared a look. They’d already discussed the best course of action. Emmett and Clara would stay roughly two blocks away from Athena, following a parallel path. This way, the three of them could maintain communication and TINA could help all three of them stay out of sight of patrols and surveillance drones. And if they did run into trouble, they would be close enough to help each other. Then when they got to Eastside, they would give the lab a wide berth.

Emmett wouldn’t have considered going if not for the mask protocol. TINA was confident that their disguises would be enough.

Going to Eastside was a risk, but it was one they had to take, eventually.

“We’ll stick to the plan,” Emmett said decisively. “We don’t want you going alone.”

Athena hesitated, but finally nodded. “Alright. Follow my lead.”

~

Mod’s group scurried across streets and skulked through alleyways toward Eastside. Even though Athena was on the other side of the block, Mod could still follow Athena through the buildings using TINA’s location data. She looked like a yellow silhouette in his HUD.

Mod’s brain-link with TINA was one of his newest upgrades, but it still surprised him how much he’d come to rely on it. Even something as small as seeing the highlight of his teammate brought an immeasurable amount of comfort.

TINA had a slightly harder time highlighting surveillance drones and biomech patrol groups. Since she didn’t have access to the lab’s network, she relied on one of their team spotting them visually. Then TINA could overlay data or relay it verbally to Athena.

Since leaving the apartment, they’d already avoided two biomech patrols, and that trend didn’t show any sign of slowing down. In the distance, Mod could already see the bustle of activity in the sky above the lab. Drones came and went in a constant buzz, though TINA didn’t bother highlighting them. They were too far away to be a threat to the group.

Mod was already wondering what it would be like to have all that data… How far would he be able to see? How many cameras could he watch? He thought back to Arsenal’s small camera—how many video feeds could he actually parse and pay attention to?

Finally, he pushed aside the questions, resolving to ask TINA about it later. She would always be game for more upgrades.

Besides, Mod was too focused on the fact that power was being restored and people were coming back to Belport. There weren’t many people out on the streets after dark, but Mod heard people talking inside buildings. They even avoided some blocks completely because the streetlights were on and almost all the buildings were occupied.

Arsenal said, “It’s almost weird seeing people coming back.”

“Yeah.”

As they pushed deeper into Eastside, another question bubbled to the surface:

Where were all the heroes?

Since leaving the apartment, Mod hadn’t seen any capes or masks. Only drones and biomech patrols.

He thought back to how excited he was when he caught a glimpse of a super from his bus route or those first few nights on the rooftops when he saw a silhouette across the city. And to the camaraderie he felt when capes and masks and villains had banded together to protect the city from the Deep Ones.

“Where is everybody?” Mod mused aloud.

Athena replied, “Probably still on the roofs, getting a better view than we are.”

For a brief moment, Mod had actually considered the fact that the Summit was reining in superheroes, maybe even replacing them completely with biomechs and drones…

He wasn’t sure which was worse—supers being outlawed completely, or just himself being outlawed. He glanced up at the roofs intermittently, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone—anyone.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

And his disappointment grew.

The idea of all superheroes being replaced felt ridiculous—there hadn’t been any communications from the Summit hinting at it. And it felt wrong, especially since so many heroes risked their lives during the war to protect cities all across the globe.

But it wasn’t impossible.

They’d all seen what technology could do. Without TINA and Dr. Venture’s drones, humanity might not have won or even survived the war.

As the group neared the lab, that fact only became more obvious. Even as Mod’s group stayed blocks away from the lab, drone activity echoed through the night sky, like rolling thunder. Mod saw a hive of activity rendered in UV blue. Most drones didn’t bother hiding, but perhaps two-thirds of the force was cloaked, including the UV silhouettes of two heavy drones.

TINA had guaranteed that they were far enough away not to be spotted, but Mod couldn’t help crouching at the sight of the two drones. Each was the size of a small building and had enough shielding and armaments to equal multiple class 4 supers. Mod had no idea how many of those drones the Brotherhood now had control of or how many were lurking in the city. Mod just knew they weren’t on his side anymore.

Even as far away as they were, Mod’s group didn’t linger. Athena didn’t want to keep Lucy waiting, and there was nothing Mod or Arsenal or anyone else could do against the Brotherhood… not right now.

The group skulked into the abandoned warehouse district on the far part of Eastside.

There they found the first sign of supers.

Before the war, the abandoned part of Eastside wasn’t really that abandoned. There was a sizable population of homeless that camped there, and masks would use the abandoned buildings for sparring—Mod and Arsenal among them.

Mod caught a glimpse of them in the distance: Three supers running with long capes trailing behind them. TINA highlighted their silhouettes, but soon they disappeared from Mod’s vision.

It wasn’t much, but that quick sighting made Mod feel better. They weren’t alone in the city.

“We’re almost there,” Athena said. “If you guys don’t mind, I’d like some privacy for this conversation.”

TINA replied, “I’ll begin passive monitoring once you’re in position.”

“Thanks, TINA.”

Emmett added, “We’ll be here if you need us.”

~ ~

Athena climbed up to the third floor of an abandoned office building. Mod and Arsenal were keeping the lab in their sights, so they should see any drone patrols before they were a threat. Still, as Athena swept the floor, she couldn’t help glancing toward the lab through the broken windows.

“There’s nobody else here,” a familiar voice called.

Athena walked just a bit quicker toward her friend.

Lucile waited on the corner of the floor. She was looking out a hole in the wall, watching the dazzling display of drones over the lab.

Lucy wore a long, ornately woven shawl. She pulled back the hood and smiled hopefully at Athena. Lucy had always been pale, even as a librarian, but she always had a glow about her, unlike others of her kind.

Athena had seen her friend a handful of times in the last fifty years—twice of which was within the week.

“I got it,” Athena said, pulling the necklace out of her pocket.

It wasn’t much to look at—a simple silver locket with a tiny vial of blood inside. But it was heavy with the weight of years and memories. It dangled there in the faint light of broken windows, like a tiny star plucked out of the sky and brought to Earth.

Lucy staggered forward, almost in disbelief. She grasped the necklace and pulled it close, then threw her arms around Athena and did the same.

“Thank you! Thank you… Thank you.” The words came out in half-sobs.

“I know,” Athena said. Athena fought back her own tears as she held her friend tightly.

~

It felt like a star might’ve burned out by the time the two friends let go of one another. Athena and Lucy stared at one another in the faint light.

“I thought I’d lost her again,” Lucy said.

Athena nodded. “I know. But we got her back.”

Lucy slipped the necklace beneath her shawl and into a hidden pocket. Then she turned toward a gap in the wall. She was going to leave.

Athena’s heart sank. “Not yet. Please don’t go.”

Lucy turned, her face still wet with tears. “You see the drones out there, don’t you? I don’t know what the Summit and the Brotherhood are planning, but this… It’s not safe up here.

“The Cabal is split. Some think we should stay underground. Others think we should leave the city.”

“What do you think?” Athena asked.

“I don’t know if I care anymore.” Lucy placed a hand over the hidden necklace, as if she was checking that it was still there. “I’m tired, Athena. I’m tired of hiding and living in fear. I don’t know if I can stand losing Felina again…

“Do you remember the beach in Montenegro?”

The question caught Athena off guard, but she nodded quickly.

Lucy’s hand trembled over the necklace. “I’ve forgotten so much about it… But I haven’t forgotten what we talked about. I feel like I’m losing sight of the shore.”

Athena winced. They’d talked long those nights about what it was like to grow old, to grow ancient… and how incredibly lonely it was. Like being swept along a river and losing sight of everything and everyone you held dear.

“The town was Budva,” Athena said, before her friend could leave. “It’s still there. We could go again.”

Athena hoped against the gods that Budva had been spared the ravages of the Deep Ones. It probably hadn’t, but it was worth hoping for. In a millennia past, Athena had clung to that seaside town desperately, just like Lucy clung to her necklace.

Lucy looked from her friend to the gap in the wall. There was a glimmer of hope as her friend replied, “Maybe.”

That was enough for now.

TINA’s voice came through suddenly. “Athena, I’m sorry to interrupt, but a patrol of biomechs is heading toward your location.”

Athena’s heart clenched. Lucy saw the distress on her face.

“How much time do we have?” Athena asked. The words tumbled from her lips even though she already knew the answer.

~ ~ ~