Heya Mazza! How’s it going? Heard you were in the clinic?” Rumbled the giant in maroon spandex.

“I’m fine BB. A little sparring incident with Laminae at home.”

“ah well if you need anything let me know yeah? Let's go let her know you're all healed up. Did you have breakfast yet?”

"Nope. Came here first.”

“Ah then she'll be at the canteen. Off we go.”

The Brisbane Battler led the way with a hand on Mickey's shoulder. After winding through the corridors in awkward silence they entered the canteen. A spacious room furnished with a buffet counter and a pair of vending machines, there were a half dozen tables set out.

Mickey and the larger man make a beeline towards the buffet, each scooping out a plate of a meat and veggie stir fry. With food cutlery and a drink each from the vending machines they head towards the table where Elanore is waving at them.

Sitting somewhat gingerly in her full Laminae regalia gestures to the seat next to her, which Mickey takes. The Brisbane Battler sits next to the person across from Laminae, Megabolt. An electrokinetic Megabolt wore a bright yellow and black body suit of rubber and meta-aluminium.

" Oh hey it's the bootlicker. Still leeching of laminae are we?" Sneers Megabolt.

Next to Mickey Laminae tenses.

Mickey squeezes her thigh to calm her down, and to remind her there's a time and a place.

"Whoa now let's not start anything here Bolts. Their relationship isn't our business.”

“No. Our business is kicking arse and saving lives. More than a fraud like him can do. He barely has a power. 'Oooh lookit me. I can carry stuff, so amazing.'”

“A-yup, it may not be much good in a fight but a man ain’t defined by how hard he can swing his fists, Bolts.”

“Bitch he’s stronger than you think and a better person than you’ll ever be.” Laminae spat furiously.

Megabolt rose from her chair, leaning over the table.

“He wouldn’t last three seconds against anyone on the team. He’s barely better then-”

“STOW that shit Bastion!” Commanded Captain Amazing, as she marched into the room in her military-esque costume. She scowled at the three heros.

“You three report to the briefing room immediately.”

She shifted her gaze to Mickey. Her gaze softened somewhat from ‘military in command’ to ‘authority dealing with a citizen.'

“You may feel free to make use of the non-restricted facilities while you’re here. I prefer to use the gym after lunch.” She gave a significant look towards Mickey’s stout waist.

“Or I could have seconds. And maybe cake.” Joked Mickey lightly.

“Suit yourself Mr. McRae.”

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###

Ensconced in his favorite chair after finishing the chores Mikey opened a portal and got to work on improving his dungeon.

First he checked the energy gains of the previous day's misadventure. The dungeon had gathered some kinetic and thermal energy from the teenagers moving around, but those energy forms were easy to produce. A simple diesel generator would allow Mickey to produce as much as he could store. The more important and harder to acquire energy was what he dubbed psychic or ‘Psi’ energy. Only coming from living creatures (as far as he could tell) psi energy was the main reason for his dungeon scheme.

Through experimentation and a bit of research Mickey had learnt four things about psi energy.

It was generated by living things based on how complicated and how alive they were. The more intelligent and the more engaged a creature was the more psi energy it produced.

It could be stored and manipulated in his pocket dimension like other kinds of energy

It could alter, interact with and even cause meta-manifestations making it literally the most valuable resource on the planet.

And he likely had the only reliable source.

Overall most of the psychic energy came from the excitable Alphonse. Partly from his initial joy but mostly from the pain and fear he had while being attacked by the rats. The runner up was Cassie who mostly generated energy from her eagerness and aggression. The other two were mostly along for the ride only making slightly more than they would passively. The rodents barely equaled one of the teens in their primitive fury.

After the teens had left Mickeys had pushed the psi into a variety of objects to test how it reacted. Psi energy like thermal energy could be easily pushed into solid objects, the two main differences being that it was stickier than heat. Heat could be pulled out to a certain degree without much difficulty. But psi energy clung to whatever it touched.

The second difference was that psi would often react with things in unpredictable ways. Heat or electricity might start a chemical or physical change. But psi energy could have any effect or no effect at all.

Of the six sheets of paper, one turned completely black and another two disintegrated into dust. Whatever process went on would require more study to figure out, but it appeared that whatever happened used up all the psi in the process.

The first sheet of paper he remotely lit on fire with a simple candle apparatus, hoping this would release the psi for other uses.

It did not.

Rather all of the stored energy was released in a small explosion. While this was good to know and possibly useful it wasn't exactly what Mickey wanted.

Mickey cut the second test paper into tiny pieces. The pieces had a tendency to clump together but the psi remained contained in the paper. Mickey then placed ithe shreds into a beaker full of water to see if the psi would leak into the more dense material.

The third test paper was also lit on fire. It exploded too. Mickey made note of the experiments.

Psi-paper-fire test 1. Paper released psi energy explosively, combusting paper completely in the process.

Psi-paper shed and soak test 1. Psi remained in paper. Paper shreds adhered to other shreds similar to static. No other observed results. No change after 30 minutes of soaking in water.

Psi-paper-fire test 2. Explosive as the first test.

"Ah well. Hopefully Elly's day is going better."

###

The briefing room was a spacious three sided room centered on a large triangular table. one side of the table lackd chairs and instead had controls for the display screen taking up the entire wall behind it. Along another wall was the stationary and water.

Seated at the table were the Brisbane Bastions, Premier superhero team of Brisbane and fourth ranked in Australia.

On one side of the tabel was Lamina in bronze and The Brisbane Battler in maroon. On the other was Pronto in blue and silver, Megabolt in Yellow and black and finally The Mirror Mask in grey.

After everyone had a small snack and a glass of water from the side table, Captain Amazing called the briefing to order.

“As you all have realised by now we have recently been seeing an atypical upswing in meta-crime this autumn. To counter this patrol and watch schedules are being adjusted to allow for more group training.”

Elanore suppressed a frustrated groan.