“Since when does Joan have a sister?”

“Well my birthday was last week, so about twenty years,” Helena said. “Or about nineteen years and eleven months, depending on how you look at it. I have three congenital heart defects so sometimes my heart just stops beating. Legally speaking I’ve been dead for about a month, all totaled together.”

Helena said it like a joke, but she didn’t start laughing until she looked around the room and saw everyone else’s uncomfortable expressions. Kim couldn’t shake the feeling she was being laughed at, not with.

“Happy late birthday,” Hawke mumbled.

“Thank you,” Helena said.

“Wait, hold on,” Kim said. “So her whole weird quest for some miracle cure, was that about you the whole time?”

“Mostly,” Helena said. “It’s also why she’s working for Kraid. Surprisingly good healthcare plan for an evil bastard. I probably wouldn’t have made it to last week’s birthday without that.”

Hawke tensed like he’d been stabbed, and looked at Samson. Whatever silent revelation he’d just had proved infectious, as a look of dawning horror spread silently across Samson's face.

“Why did she not mention that earlier?” Kim asked. “That is some very important context.”

“Oh, yes, well, the thing is, I made her promise not to tell people about me, because most people who know me just look at me like some crippled, misshapen freak,” Helena said. The veneer of a friendly smile dropped off her face. “Like you’re doing right now.”

Samson and Hawke immediately and very noticeably averted their eyes. Kim had no eyes to avert, and Alex didn’t bother to stop staring.

“But I see she failed at that too,” Helena said, shooting an accusing glare at Vell.

“She actually didn’t tell me,” Vell mumbled. “I kind of put it together from context clues.”

“Context clues.”

“Yeah, I’m, uh, sort of good at that, sometimes.”

“And those context clues told you what I look like?”

“Actually...I, uh, saw a picture of you...in an alternate timeline...created by a talking fish.”

“A talking fish?”

“That could grant wishes,” Vell said. “Yeah.”

Helena kept staring at Vell for a few seconds. Kim tried to nod and back him up, but Helena paid her no mind. She just kept staring, like she was trying to burn a hole in Vell with her eyes -until the intense look cracked, and Helena started to chuckle.

“Coming from anyone but you, Vell, I would not believe that,” Helena laughed. Then she stopped laughing. “I really wouldn’t. But all those stories Joan told me, wow, they really just all make sense now. You had a time loop in your pocket the whole time.”

“It’s not really in our pocket,” Hawke said.

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“If anything it’s actively working against us at all times,” Samson said.

“But hey, you’ll learn the ropes, you’re in it now,” Kim said. Hawke gave her a quick kick in the leg under the table, then nodded towards the door. “And hey, Alex is also new, so you’ll have a new pal to learn the ropes with. Alex, why don’t you tell Helena all the rules while me and the guys go get some intro party snacks for us all? How do cupcakes sound?”

“I have blood sugar issues, one cupcake’s worth of sugar would give me an aneurysm,” Helena said.

“Okay, good to know, maybe a veggie spread,” Kim suggested.

“Maxillofacial deformity,” Helena said. She made a chomping motion with her lopsided mouth. “Can’t chew anything firm.”

“Okay, you tell me, what is a treat for you?”

“Unsweetened applesauce,” Helena said. “That’s about as good as it gets for me.”

“Okay, unsweetened applesauce it is,” Kim said. “Let’s go, boys.”

She grabbed Hawke and Samson by the collar and dragged them out of the room, while Vell followed close behind. They made it about two steps down the hall and around the corner before Kim pulled them into a huddle.

“Alright, don’t want to seem paranoid, but I am noticing a few red flags from Helena,” Hawke began.

“A few?” Samson scoffed. “I’m pretty sure if I cut her right now she’d bleed red flags. And not due to a medical condition. Though that might also be true.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Vell said.

“See? Even Vell agrees, and he just went to bat for the crazy chick,” Samson said. “What’re we going to do?”

“I mean, she’s a little off putting, I don’t think we can or should do anything,” Vell said. “She hasn’t done anything wrong, we can’t just ostracize people because they’re weird, especially in our-”

“Vell, did you not figure it out?” Hawke said.

“Figure out what?” Vell asked. Kim leaned in as well. She had picked up that Hawke was suspicious of something, but had not figured it out yet.

“Listen to me,” Hawke said. “Do you not remember last year? Alistair Kraid spent a lot of time and money trying to get a looper in his pocket.”

Samson gestured to himself for emphasis. He and his brother had been a centerpiece of that plot, so he’d picked up on the thread pretty easily.

“Oh shit,” Kim said. “I forgot all about that.”

“Kraid might be literally the only reason she’s still alive,” Hawke said. “If he asks her anything…”

“He might not even have to ask,” Samson said. “Vell, we were hanging out by that wrecked lab for like an hour, not to mention she must have seen the deja vu booth coming through this morning. Even on crutches, she could’ve caught up with somebody.”

“And she was here this morning, already asking Freddy about me,” Vell said. “She had hours.”

“For all we know,” Kim said. “She’s already gotten in touch with Kraid.”

The four veteran loopers shared conspiratorial glares with each other, and then all three of the younger members turned to Vell.

“Ah, shit, leadership,” Vell grumbled.

“This is your call, boss,” Samson said.

“Uh, could I-”

“Do not call Lee and Harley right now,” Kim said.

“I was just going to say give me a minute,” Vell said.

“A minute you would’ve used to call Lee and Harley?”

“Maybe,” Vell admitted. “Look, I’m not very good at this stuff, let me-”

Vell stopped talking, and his forehead started to wrinkle. His friends gave him a moment until all the wrinkles had flattened out.

“So, you have a plan, Vell?”

“No,” Vell said. “But I have an idea. And if you give me some time, I can probably turn it into a plan. Do you guys trust me?”

“Obviously, Vell,” Kim said. She liked to rake him over the coals now and then, but only to keep him level-headed. And because she thought it was funny.

“Okay well, first step of the sort-of plan is waiting,” Vell said. “We’re operating on hunches right now, not evidence. Until Helena actually does something wrong, she’s part of the team like anyone else, so right now all we’re doing is getting some applesauce.”

“Unsweetened applesauce,” Hawke corrected.

“Yes, I remembered, I was just saying,” Vell said.

“Can I still get cupcakes, or do we all have to get the applesauce?”

“You can get a cupcake if you want but finish eating it before we get back,” Vell said. “I don’t want Helena thinking you’re making fun of her or anything.”

“Can do,” Samson said. “I can eat a whole cupcake in one bite if I need to.”

“Good for you, champ,” Kim said. “Sure that’ll save the world one day.”

Approximately three weeks later, Samson being able to eat a cupcake in one bite did save the world.