=== CURT ===

We got back to Des’ place late at night. Before I let them go in, Cherry, Tierra, and I scoped the place out. Their office had been closed and they were supposed to be on vacation for a few more days. But with Smash Gal breaking in, who knows. Maybe the police were here and already looking through things. My heart was pounding. My head was on a swivel. No one was in the lobby. Cherry checked the office and I checked the first exam room and Tierra took the second. Des’ practice was tiny. They liked it, though. And so did I. Guilt spread out in my stomach. I looked at the window that Smash Gal had . . . smashed through. The glass was still on the floor. There was no police tape anywhere.

  “All clear,” Tierra called out. “I’m going to go check the apartment.”

  I nodded. From the other side of the room, Cindi called out, “Clear!”

  Des came in and looked around. There was a soft coo from behind me and I jumped and spun on a heel. It was a pigeon that had flown in through the broken window. Cindi and Des both stared at me. “Essy, dear, are you alright?”

  “J-just a little on edge, I guess,” I lied. “Well, let’s get out of here, Cin. I’m sure that Des has plenty that they need to do.”

  “The first thing I’m going to do is get you an X-Ray to see how bad your hand is and then probably a cast.”

  “That’s okay, Des. Don’t worry about it. I-uh . . . I already owe you like four million. Gotta work down my debt a bit.” They stared at me. Plural. Both Cindi and Des were looking at me as though I had grown an extra head and that head had just said the stupidest thing they had ever heard. I looked away from them.

  “Uh-huh. And how do you plan to do that with one hand?” Des asked. “C’mon, moron.”

  Their tone left no room for argument. But I was a master of creating space where there was none. “No, really that’s oka-”

  Cindi put her hand on my neck and started guiding me down the hall. She pushed me into the small room that Des kept for X-Rays. The only reason they were even able to do this is because I had recreated a version of an X-Ray Machine that some firm in Texas had created. The radiation produced was much more focused and it was theoretically much safer. The science seemed solid. Des always opted to wear the lead coat anyway. Just in case. Because they were smart. Cindi piped up, “I’m going to check in on Tierra upstairs. It seems like you two have to talk through some stuff. Doctor?”

  “Yeah, Cindi?” Des asked, annoyance tinging their voice as they cut through the makeshift splint that they had made for my hand. I stretched out my fingers after they were free.

  “You have the right to break anything that he doesn’t strictly need and one or two of the things he does if he’s being too stupid, alright?”

  “Understood,” they said, with an absolutely evil, humorless smile. I shifted in the stool slightly and looked away. Cindi closed the door behind her. I rolled my other shoulder. Des barked at me, “Stop moving!”

  “Uh, yeah. Sure,” I said. I felt like a child. They examined my hand and ran the X-Ray wand over it, taking several pictures. They then brought up the laptop that they kept in the room and began loading the images. It was a really neat tool. Bluetooth compatible, portable, easily chargeable. It really was a revolutionary piece of technology. Shame the company that created them is trying to charge two hundred grand for them. Or they were before I leaked the patent.

  “So,” Des began, grabbing a seat and wheeling it up to me. They adjusted it considerably so we were almost at eye level. Des is not a tall or big person. “What idiotic idea do you have in your head?”

  “Lots of them, probably.”

  “Oh, it’s going to be like that, then?”

  “I-I don’t know what you’re implying.”

  “Bullshit, Curt. C’mon, man. I’m your best friend. And you’re acting weird. I can see it. Cindi can see it. Hell, I’m sure that even Tierra’s noticed it and she met you, what? A week ago?”

  “I just got out of being captured by Bion. So, I’m a bit jumpy. Bound to happen in my . . . line of work.”

  “It’s not just that. I’ve seen you take on Bion. I saw you fight Smash Gal. You’ve never been like this before, Curt. You tried to leave without getting your hand fixed. Do you know how stupid that is?”

  “Like I said. Got to even out my tab a bit.”

  “Oh, fuck right the hell off with that. You know I don’t give a damn about the money.”

  “Maybe you should, Des.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean!?” Des demanded angrily.

  “I’m using you, Des,” I lied. “I’ve been doing it the whole time. I’ve pretended to be your friend so that I could get free meds.”

  “W-what?”

  “I think it’s . . . I think it’s time we end this relationship we have. Now that it’s out there that you’ve been treating me, I won’t be able to come in and out. So, I’ll pay you back, get the window replaced. Set you up with a legal fund then keep my distance. Now that people know they can find me here sometimes. It’s really for the best.” My voice didn’t crack. I managed to say all of it levelly and dispassionately. Which was practically a miracle in and of itself. Des just watched me go through it. I couldn’t quite meet their eyes.

  “Oh. Is that right? So, this is for your safety, is it?” They asked. There was no heat in it anymore. That was . . . scary. They had matched my dispassionate tone perfectly. They walked over to the computer and bent over it, frowning slightly. “Hmm. Looks like you’ll need a prescription.”

  “For a broken hand?” I asked as they broke out a pen and wrote something down on their script pad. They tore off the paper and handed it to me.

  “Oh no. That’s just a few minor fractures and the swelling’s gone down already. She just strained your hand a bit and I was being overly cautious.”

  “Then for wha-” I looked down at the paper. “The . . . Jews of love?”

  “The jaws of life, you jackass!” They exclaimed.

  “That . . . Really doesn’t make any more sense.”

  “Oh, it makes perfect sense,” Des said. “You need them so that we can pull your head out of your ass.”

  “What? I’m just being realistic. I can’t come around anymore. It’s not safe.”

  “It’s not safe for who, Curt?” Their voice had died down to just above a whisper.

  “L-like I said, it’s not safe for me,” I lied, again.

  “You’ve never given a damn about your own safety. I know because I’m the one that patches you up every time you do something stupid. So, what’s the actual reason that you’re trying to ditch me?”

  “B-because it’s risky! I could get caught her-” Des reached over and grabbed me by my shirt and pulled me to my feet. I didn’t really resist. I didn’t think to resist. Des had never been . . . this direct before.

  “Curt! Cut the fucking crap and tell me the goddamn truth!” They threw me back onto the seat.

  “Fine! God damn it! Fine! I don’t want to ruin your fucking life!”

  “So, it’s for my sake!?” They shouted back, matching my volume. And my intensity.

  “Yeah! Yeah, it is for your fucking sake! I don’t want you going down because you had the misfortune of knowing me, Des!”

  “And that’s your decision to make? You think you get to start deciding who I do and do not have in my life, Curt? What gives you the fucking right to make that decision for me!?”

  “When I’m the one causing the problem? Yeah, I get to make that decision,” I responded. My voice had dropped back down. They stood there, staring at me.

  “C-causing the problem?” They turned their back on me. Then repeated themselves in a whisper. “Causing the problems?”

  “Yeah, Des. I’m the reason Smash Gal was here. I’m the reason that Cindi was put in a coma. I’m the reason Smash Gal, Professor Mind and fucking Bion know your name. It’s my fault. And I’m going to do what I have to . . . to make it right.”

  “So, what’s next, then?” Des asked, softly. They still hadn’t turned around to face me. “Are you going to try to ditch Cindi too? Go on a one-man war with those three and who the hell knows else? Get yourself killed.”

  “I . . . Cindi was in a coma because of me, Des. You could have died. Your practice is ruined because of me. You’re going to have to rebuild everything because I chose the wrong doctor’s office to break into to patch myself up one night.” My voice was small. It had cracked as I tried to hold back the tears. But I just couldn’t anymore. They slid down my cheek. “It would have been better for everyone if I wasn’t around. It might not be for long. Not forever. I . . . I can find a way to fix this. Then . . .”

  “Curt, you tried to leave without saying anything. I know what that means. You were planning on never coming back. You were running.”

  “I . . . I am.”

  “No, Curt, you’re not,” Cindi said from the door. “I’m sorry, Des. I couldn’t help but overhear.”

“It’s fine. Maybe you can talk some sense into him.” Des sounded heartbroken. As though I had really hurt them. Cindi looked the same way.

  “So, your plan was to, what? Leave us both behind? Run off and what? You think I would allow that, husband?” Cindi said, crossing the room. I tried to look away from her, but she grabbed my chin and forced me to look into her eyes. “Oh. No, your plan was infinitely stupider than that. I see.”

  “What? What was he planning?”

  “He was planning on baiting one of the heroes into killing him. Thinking that would end it.”

  “That was not my plan!”

  “Then please, enlighten us, Essy. What was your plan?”

  “My plan was to take them out.”

  “Oh, is that all? Just take out someone who can tank rockets, someone who shoots rockets and someone who you, yourself, say can destroy minds!?” Des demanded.

  “I have a plan.”

  “Then your plan can work without you abandoning the two people who actually like you,” Cindi responded, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

  “And risk them if something goes wrong? No way. I . . . I can’t take it.”

  “Curt,” Des whispered.

  “Curtis Drei!” Cindi snarled. “I just broke you out of Bion’s off-the-books prison in a few hours. Do you really think that if I want to find you, you can stop me?”

  “I-”

  “You can’t. That’s the answer. You can’t stop me.” There was no room for argument. “You are my husband. I chose you. Over everyone else on the planet. You are the one that I chose. And you’re going to get yourself killed. Over what? Barbie putting me in a coma for a few days?”

I glared at her. I clenched my fists and stood. My right hand hurt like a son of a bitch. “Yes! God damn it, yes!”

  “Why?” She asked.

  “Because she won’t stop. This is the second time she’s hurt you. And you can defend yourself! At least a little. You have a chance against her. But she knows about Des now. What am I supposed to do? I’ve already ruined both of your lives with my presence. So, I’m going to take care of the problem. Both of the problems.”

  “You keep saying you’ve ruined our lives, Curt. You’re the only one who believes that,” Des muttered.

  “Do you understand what’s at stake here, Des?”

  “Yes,” they said evenly. “I understand it a lot better than you do. You’re going to go on a suicide mission. You’re going to kill yourself, one of the few people who stands up to the corruption that is so rampant in our society. The only person who has stood up to people like Bion, like Marcelli, like Smash Gal. And when it’s just you, you will go to the mat and never give up. But they find out about me and you’re just willing to roll over and give them what they want? Fuck you, Curt. You don’t get to die.”

  I collapsed back to the chair, angrily. “What am I supposed to do then?”

  “You could start by talking to us,” Des said.

  “You’re good at planning, Essy,” Cindi added, sitting on my lap. “But I’m good at making sure you don’t get killed. Tell us the plan. We’ll work out the wrinkles. And the doctor isn’t going to lose their practice. We will make sure they keep it.”

  “What if the-”

  “They are going to do something. They’re always going to do something. But we’ll figure something out. Tell me your plan?”

=== KARI ===

I finally understood Chuck. I understood why he was always encouraging me to use my powers better. Wiser than I usually did. The one time he hadn’t, he had destroyed his friends. Professor Mind-Destroyer, I remembered Curt’s words. Damn him! How dare he weaponize the trauma of my friend! And he was back in the world. My interview had covered the fact that Bion was keeping Curt, but when they searched for him, Bion revealed that Buck Cherry had rescued him and his doctor friend Des before they got there. I didn’t believe him, but he looked worse for the wear. Even worse than how I had left him. They hadn’t killed him, but that’s probably only because Curt was so focused on escaping. The police had looked at the stargate that we had used to get back. There wasn’t enough evidence to arrest him and the police didn’t have the rights or know-how to activate the portal and check the other side. Bion had deployed a thousand lawyers, one of which I recognized. It was the same one that had advised Marcelli on the night of his escape.

  There wasn’t enough evidence to bring him down and he couldn’t even be arrested for what he did. My social media feeds were full of hateful messages. People saying all kinds of terrible things. Calling me every name possible. Calling me a traitor and trollop and a slut and anti-American. All I was trying to do was make sure that the world knew what was going on. Mister Wan had gone on an interview spree defending himself. He was the worst of it. Not only did he rebuff all of the claims that I had made, and most people seemed to take his side immediately anyway, he started pushing the attention on me. He appeared on Buck Clarkson’s show and Clarkson bought into it hard.

  “What do we know about Kari Stewart? She came on the scene from nowhere? Where are her powers from? She’s displayed similar strength and powers to the Grignau,” Wan said. I clenched my fist. “I think she has a connection to them.”

  “Well, on this show, I have often questioned what her motivations are. This isn’t the first time where she has lambasted real heroes, like our men and women in blue, despite her own failures. Like her failure to bring in known terrorist, Esvanir. It seems now that not even you, a hero who has inspired countless people to stand up for this great country, are safe from the Cancel Culture mob that she has thrown in with.”

“She should be more careful about what friends and enemies she chooses,” Andrew Wan said cryptically. I sighed and turned the interview off. I stared despondently at the blank screen, my own reflection staring back at me. Chuck was laying low for the moment. I flew around the city, trying to find something to do. I didn’t really feel up to stopping crimes or fighting anyone. I was just so tired. Honestly, what I wanted to do was just nothing. Not Suiren’s version of nothing. I got a call. I stopped and answered it, speaking soft and low. “Hello?”

  “Hey, Kari,” Jenny said, cheerily. “How are you, hon?”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “I’m good,” I lied.

  “Uh-huh. Sure. You’re free tonight, right? Come to my place.”

  “I . . . Uh, Jen, I’m not sure if I’d be great company right now.”

  “But I am great company,” she countered easily. I felt a small smile stretch my lips.

  “Okay, okay. I’ll come. What time?”

  “Well, you’re already here, basically,” Jenny said. I looked around and saw her waving. “So, come now. We’ll get some take-out and just have a girl’s night.”

  “Oh, sure,” I said. I still felt bad. I didn’t want to push my bad mood on her. But I flew down and landed next to her in her giant terrace roof thing. “Hey. Sorry. I didn’t realize where I was.”

  “It’s no biggie, Kar. So, what’s going on? I could see that you were down even from three hundred feet away at 60 miles an hour.”

  “Oh, well. I’m sure that you’ve seen the news.”

  “Yeah, calling out Bion is a big deal. Are you sure about all of that?” She asked, tentatively.

  “I was there, Jenny. I saw the planet myself. I saw the footage of the Grignau killing people on a different planet.” She didn’t say anything for a while and just watched me.

  “Okay, Kar. I believe you. I don’t want to. Wow. Bion. Who’d have thought?”

  “Curt,” I responded immediately. “Curt knew it instantly. He knew about Bion and Chuck and has always lobbed those accusations immediately.”

  “Chuck?” She asked. “What did he say about Chuck?”

  “He kept calling him Professor Mind-Destroyer and . . . Chuck told me about his past.”

  “His past? Oh . . . Light Knight and Cannon Punch.”

  “Yeah,” I responded softly. “He really hurt Chuck by bringing it up. If I knew where he was, I’d knock him on his ass.”

  “I’d join you. He’s such an ass. But let’s not talk about that right now. Let’s focus on other stuff.” We ordered dinner and put on a movie. I didn’t really focus on it. After dinner, I must’ve fallen asleep because I woke up sprawled out on her couch. She had covered me in a blanket. It was a little after dawn and I heard a cry. I jumped up and looked around. I sped off and heard a grunt from behind a door and stopped. I felt my face flush. “Eighty-eeight, eighty-nine, ninety.”

  “Uh, Jen, you okay?”

  “Yeah,” she said, breathlessly. “Come on in.”

  I opened the door and she was hanging from a bar over her chair. Her legs dangled. She was wearing just a sweaty tank-top and panties. I could see her legs. They were emaciated and wobbling limply under her. But her upper body was very well-toned. I watched her lift herself up over the bar. She did this ten more times and then let go, dropping. I panicked and charged forward, catching her. She grinned at me and shook her head. “What are you doing, Kar?”

  “I . . . I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

  “I’m fine. Either cop a feel or put me in the chair.” I set her down in the chair. Which she would have landed in perfectly without my intervention.

  “Sorry,” I muttered.

  “For not copping a feel?” She asked, grinning at me. “I’m sure we’ll get another chance.”

  “No,” I laughed. “I mean for . . .”

  “It’s fine, Kari. Your heart was in the right place. Even if it was unnecessary. Let’s get breakfast.” She wheeled herself out to the table. It was only now that I noticed that she wasn’t in her hoverchair. I floated after her. “People always treat me like that.”

  “That’s . . . That’s not right. You’re the Cannoneer Jenny.”

  “Yeah, but lots of people can’t see past the chair.”

  “I . . . I guess I did that too. I had never . . . I didn’t know what your legs looked like and I panicked.”

  “Yeah, not all of us can have thighs thick enough to land a plane on,” she replied, gesturing to my legs. I shifted a little.

  “Yeah, but still. I should respect you more than that. You’re a hero.”

  “I’m a lot of things.” Her voice sounded tired. “For instance, I’m the one changing the subject. So, Chuck told you everything?”

  “Yeah,” I said, nodding.

  “Hmm,” she muttered as she prepared some coffee. “Interesting.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “It’s not something he likes talking about.”

  “Well, he told you, right?”

  “No,” she replied, shaking her head. “I was active at the time and the story was everywhere. I hadn’t met him yet, but the media latched onto it and really tried to dig into it. He managed to keep his identity secret, but when Blanca and Scott became wards of the state, their names couldn’t be hidden. But that means he must really trust you.”

  “I guess,” I tried to say noncommittally, but pride and hope swelled in my chest.

  “Uh-huh. So, are you two . . . ?” She let the question hang in the air.

  “Um, well, no. Not ye- really.”

  “Not yet, huh?” She asked, grinning again.

  “I’m not sure if anything will happen,” I said defensively. “I mean, he was really stressed out and we’ve both been trying so hard to take on Curt and Cherry and Lady Blade and now all this stuff with Bion, so who knows if anything will even come of it.”

  “Do you want it to?” She asked as she poured two cups of coffee and passed one to me.

  “I . . . Well, you know, I think that . . .” I took a deep breath. “Yeah, I do. He’s always there for me and I just can’t help but think about it, you know?”

  “Then make it happen,” she responded, stirring the cream and sugar into her drink. She met my eyes, trying to gauge my reaction to that.

  “But . . . What if . . . I don’t know that . . .”

  “Kari!”

  “What?”

  “Are you saying that Smash Gal is afraid to ask a guy out?”

  “I . . . I’ve never really been in a relationship before . . . The closest that I ever came was with Curt and that lasted all of two minutes.”

  “You and Esvanir, huh? That . . . Makes sense. Does that mean you’re a . . . ?” Again, she left the question’s ending out. I frowned.

  “A virgin? No. I used to sneak out of my parents’ lab and go to a bar and a few guys took me home.”

  “A bar? Can you even get drunk?”

  “Not without a lot of work.”

  “Hmm. So why did you go?”

  “I just told you. To pick up guys.”

  “Oh.” She smiled at me. “So, what’s different between them and Chuck? He's just another guy. He’s good-looking and sweet and compassionate.”

  “That’s different. I care about him. With them, it was just fun.”

  “So, you don’t think he’ll be fun?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “No! I just don’t want it to be like that.”

  “Then don’t let it. But do have fun.”

  “Fine. I’ll try, okay? But now I’m changing the subject.”

  “A shame.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s interesting to see you so flustered. I’ve seen your fights recently. You’re in a lot more control thanks to Suiren. It’s nice to see you still have some buttons.”

  “I have lots of them. The media has been pushing them all the time. Why do you want to push my buttons?” I asked.

  “Because it’s fun,” she said, smiling. She wheeled herself over to the fridge and gathered some eggs and sausage. “And because I want to know you better. You’re my friend and my client. I need to know these things.”

  “Yeah, I guess,” I muttered.

  “Come on, help me make breakfast.”

  “Shouldn’t you get dressed?” She looked down at herself and then up at me.

  “It’s my day off and pants are such a bother.”

  “O-okay.”

  “Just enjoy the show, Kari. Not everyone gets to see my panties.”

=== CURT ===

The first step of my plan was to rebuild my rig. This was actually the easiest part too. When I made Cindi’s, I had collected some extras, considering I had gone through three of them in six months and it was pretty stressful to scramble to rebuild it or be stranded. Especially since I was literally number seven on the FBI’s most wanted. It also gave me the opportunity to show Cindi how to build and maintain them. She resisted at first, but I forced her to help me because I only had one hand. She was actually really good at the physical aspects of this. She’d always had an incredibly steady hand and nimble fingers, perfect for picking a lock.

  While reconstructing it, I did catch Smash Gal and Professor Mind’s interview. It had done some major damage to Bion’s brand. The stocks for every company publicly owned by Wan Enterprises had dipped down considerably. But there was no proof of what Kari said. And when the cops raided it, they found the interplanetary portal, but without a certain level of expertise, they wouldn’t have been able to use it. And Bion lawyered up. I also watched some of the interviews he did in response. He was laying into her hard. And as much as I didn’t want to help her, this is where part two of the plan came in.

  I wanted to go alone, but Des and Cin wouldn’t allow me to go anywhere alone. Not after they had figured out my plan to die in a blaze of glory. So, Cin and I teleported into the dressing room of David Thrawn. We had let a few days pass between the initial breaking of the story and this. Mostly because we had to find a lawyer to protect Des. It was going to be expensive. But we had found someone who was apprised of all of the details of what had happened and who had an entire firm working to defend them from legal actions. There wasn’t much we could do about the libel and slander that was going around. Fucking Kari. She could have just left Des out of the story altogether. But no, that would’ve been too easy on me. But after we had squared away the legal aspects, Cindi and I went to Thrawn.

He jumped out of his seat and screamed, brandishing a large brush. “Bloody fucking hell, mate! What are you doing here?”

  “Thrawn, is that any way to talk to someone who is here to give you a gift?” Cindi asked, crossing the room. She sat on the counter and smiled at the reporter.

  “A gift?” He looked between us. “It’s not stolen, is it?”

  “I don’t think laws apply where we got it. It was acquired on . . . Well, I guess the closest equivalent is international waters,” I replied, smirking at him.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” I tossed him a flash drive. He caught it. “What’s this?”

  “You covered some of Smash Gal’s claims about Bion. Everyone was asking for proof. There it is.”

  “What? So it’s true? Bion caused the Grignau invasions, then? That’s . . . well, that’s fucking unfortunate.”

  “I don’t know about causing them. I know that he was on a planet mining stuff. That planet had Grignau on it. They attacked the place that the mining equipment was on. That has all of the relevant files and proof and a video of Grignau ripping apart the people who were on that planet the day before the last invasion.”

  “And where’d you say you got it?”

  “Don’t play stupid, Thrawn. I was on the planet. Those are directly from the machines there.”

  “Right, of course,” he said, with a smarmy grin. “Why me, though? Why not just leak them on the internet?”

  “Because you have some amount of credibility. And because, while you usually only promote sensationalist drek, you rarely outright lie. For better or worse, you’re the best journalist I know of.”

  “With such high praise from thieves, who needs a Pulitzer?” He muttered sarcastically.

  “Would you prefer I take it back? I’m sure that I can get someone else to cover it.” He gripped the flash drive even tighter.

  “Not a chance, Esvanir! This is going to be my exclusive.”

  “Well, have fun,” Cindi said, pushing herself off of the counter and started making her way over to me.

  “You know,” Thrawn began. We both looked at him, waiting for him to continue. “These documents are good for proof and all, but an interview would be better.”

  “Those documents should be good enough proof. It proves that he has a direct connection.”

  “Yeah, but that’s never as convincing as eyewitness testimony!” He exclaimed. “Think about, Esvanir. You could really damage his reputation.”

  “I have a lot of work to do. And I’ve already pissed off Bion enough for a lifetime.”

  “Essy, darling. I think you should do it.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he’s right. This adds the spark. It’ll be fun.”

  “Yeah, but me doing the interview might implicate Des further,” I muttered.

  “You control the narrative here.”

  “That depends on how he edits it,” I responded.

  “Des? Aaditri Desai? No need to mention them at all,” Thrawn said easily. I narrowed my eyes on him. “Esvanir, you’re the story. They’re just a detail.”

  “How’d you know about their pronouns?” I asked, suspiciously.

  “It’s how Kari referred to Doctor Desai. And I looked them up. Like you said, I had reported on the story.”

  “I . . . Okay. But I have some other things I need to do.”

  “I’ll do them. You do the interview. Give me the list,” Cindi said, grinning. I did so. She took out her rig and snapped out.

  “What’s she getting?” Thrawn asked eagerly.

  “Things that are outside of the scope of this interview. Let’s make this quick.”

=== KARI ===

Curt had done another interview with David Thrawn. I can’t believe him! Not only that, but he had given Thrawn the documents he’d stolen from the Wan En computers. I sat down and watched the video. The interview opened up with a clip of a future part of the interview to make it more clickbait-y, I guess. “As much as I hate to agree with Smash Gal about literally anything, she’s right. Wan En and EnGin were working together on an extraplanetary, off-the-books mining operation on an alien planet that the Grignau seem to be inhabiting.”

  “And now, we have an exclusive interview with Curtis Reese, Esvanir, who has released some documents to the channel here that back up the claims that Smash Gal and Professor Mind made about Wan En and EnGin possibly being culpable for the Grignau Invasion. Here is that interview now.” The interview cut back to the beginning after a transition. Curt was sitting across from Thrawn. This had been pre-recorded, so I couldn’t even catch him. I can’t believe Thrawn is using Curt to get clicks! I thought, then sighed. Actually, it makes perfect sense. He had done it before. And Curt is doing the same fucking thing. The bastard. Thrawn looked at the camera and smiled.

  “Mister Reese, thank you for coming back on the show. And thanks for the exclusive. This is big news!”

  “Of course, Mister Thrawn. I’m just trying to do what’s right. People should know what billionaires like Wan are up to.”

  “Right, of course. So, you are backing up claims that Smash Gal and Professor Mind are making about Wan En and EnGin having an off-planet operation of some sort, is that correct?”

  “Yes, and the documents I provided, which I had taken directly from the off-planet computers, outline what they were mining for. A rare element that they use in some of their private military technologies and, of course, Bion’s suits.” The same part from earlier was repeated.

  “So you hacked into the computers and stole this information. Doesn’t that make it more suspicious? After all, you have not exactly hidden your disapproval of Mister Wan or EnGin.”

  “Things like this are exactly why I don’t like Wan or other billionaires. They endangered the lives of their workers and the evidence seems to support the idea that the Grignau Invasions were a response to their off-planet operations.”

  “That’s quite the claim,” Thrawn responded evenly, over steepled fingers.

  “If you play the security footage, you’ll see it for yourself.”

  “Yes, let’s do that. Viewer discretion should be advised. The video we’re about to play is very graphic. If you have children in the room, I’d suggest having them avert their eyes.” The video that Curt had stolen from the computer played. A Grignau grabbed several people in lab-coats and tore them apart. They dashed forward and slammed others into the ground. Blood sprayed from the people. They were helpless against them. A pit grew in my stomach. I sighed.

  “The timestamp on the security footage puts that just a few hours before the attack a few months ago,” Curt interjected. He sighed. “With that timeline, the implications are obvious. Wan En and EnGin built a machine that allowed the Grignau to get here. There were never any reports of ships or anything on or around the times of the invasions. This seems to be the most plausible explanation for their appearance.”

  “It is at least something to think about,” Thrawn replied solemnly. “You said earlier you don’t like to agree with Smash Gal. Could you elaborate on that?”

  “I . . . I think after these revelations, the evidence that superheroes are dangerous is more apparent than ever. Smash Gal has made it her mission to stop me from living my life. She and Bion crashed my wedding, a peaceful event, and put people in danger. And now, this . . . Bion may be, at least partially, responsible for the Grignau invasions.”

  “I suppose it’s not as black and white as it once seemed,” Thrawn added. The interview ended. I sat there. Curt is still blaming me for everything that happened that day. Even when he’s on my side, he’s still blaming me for everything! I thought. It’s not fair! I heard someone land next to me.

  “Hey, Kari. How are you today?”

  “Chuck!” I jumped up and barely stopped myself from hugging him. But I couldn’t help but smile at him. “I’m . . . I’m pretty good. I was just watching that interview with Thrawn and Curt.”

  “Yeah, it’s been all over the place,” Chuck responded. “It’s a really big deal. The cops are finally going to be able to charge Wan with something.”

  “Yeah. It’s great news! I just wish . . . I wish Curt hadn’t been the one to break the story.”

  “I know. But I’m honestly not really here for that. I’m here for . . . Uh . . . I wanted to talk to you . . . I wanted to . . .”

  “Want to go to dinner?” I blurted out. My eyes widened at the words that had come out of me.

  “Yes,” He said immediately. I exhaled a breath that I hadn’t realized I had started to hold.

  “Should we go as Smash Gal and Professor Mind?”

  “I . . . I was thinking that maybe we could get out of the city for a while and just . . . Maybe try as Chuck and Kari.”

  “That sounds great. Did you have anything in mind?”

  “Yeah, I have an idea.”