“Hey Lia, you good?”

  The pencil dropped from my fingers as I startled, the knock on the door setting my heart pounding. I blinked and stared at the pages of my notebook, covered in all sorts of doodles. I'd...gotten a little carried away. Still, it had been nice entertaining a hobby I'd practically forgotten about with everything happening.

  “Yeah, fine, what's up?” I called through the door, putting the notebook and pencil away.

  “Meeting in five.” Shit.

  “Be right there!”

  I scrambled into my closet and hastily changed into my costume. I knew I'd be a bit late but it'd be worse if I showed up in civvies. I set out at a jog up the stairs, not trusting the elevator to be ready fast enough. It was fine, I definitely needed the exercise. Even with the big, S-class threats out of the way, I needed to get more fit. A gangster could toss me around as much as a Brute, and they could outrun me if I didn't get better.

  “Sorry,” I blurted as I burst into the room, drawing the eyes of my fellow Wards. “Uhh, got distracted.”

  “Well come on,” Clockblocker said, gesture to the seat next to Vista. I offered her a smile she couldn't see, but she at least grinned back. “I want to get this sorted, parents are taking me out tonight.”

  “Oh?” Kid Win perked up. “What's going on?” Clock scratched the back of his head.

  “It's uh, a celebration thing,” he answered, sounding bashful. “With everything going on we haven't got a chance to really be happy about Dad's recovery, and now I got a promotion so...yeah.”

  “Sounds nice,” he replied.

  “I don't think any of us are going to complain about less time in meetings,” I said dryly. “Anyway, how's this all work? We go to school part time or...?”

  “Sort of,” Vista, of all people, answered. “Usually we'd be in a co-op program, or you guys would, but with this stuff it's obviously suspended.”

  “We have a few out-of-towners coming soon,” Clockblocker added. “Crucible's joining full-time, and I've been told more are on the way. We're cutting back patrol hours, obviously, but I still want us doing our fair share. That cool with everyone?”

  “So what, weekends, half-evenings?” Kid Win asked.

  “Plus two of us on call at night,” he replied. “Which sucks but at least the Protectorate is handling it too. We'll only have to do two nights a week each, absolute max. And they're going to make sure we're on day shifts for the weekend.”

  “Awful considerate,” I said.

  “New director's orders,” Clock said with a shrug. “Says we've been run ragged, wants us rested up for when we have enough heroes to take the fight to the villains. Still got to keep our grades up though.” Groans all around the table.

  “So we're what, here to see who draws the short straw with Monday night patrols?” I said with a sigh, resting my chin on my palm in front of me.

  “Something like that,” he replied, passing out a few sheets of paper and some pens. “Put in the nights you want patrols, number them one to five; we'll compare notes, see who wants what off, come to an agreement like that. Amaranth, you're only doing one night a week so we'll have you as a filler, if that's alright.” I narrowed my eyes.

  “Why?” I asked. “I'm better.”

  “You have other stuff to handle,” Clockblocker replied, shaking his head. “Trust me, you're probably gonna feel stretched anyway.”

  “The hell are they going to do to me?” I said, my voice shaking. “I didn't do anything wrong, I've been trying to stick to the rules and--”

  “Hey, chill,” he snapped, cutting off my spiral. “Just...legal stuff, I'd rather not bring it up in front of everyone. Not trouble though, as long as you're sticking to your probation.”

  “Well...” I cleared my throat and tried to shake off the sudden panic. “I think I'm getting back problems from the mattress, so yeah, I am.”

  “Hey, so Clock, they've got us going to Craptain's Hill Junior,” Vista chimed in. “We're accounting for the extra travel time?”

  “Wait, Captain's Hill?” I perked up. “I went there.”

  “For real?” she asked, grimacing. “Please tell me that rumour about the second floor bathroom isn't--”

  “Nope,” I said, shaking my head. “Sorry that one's genuine. It uh...I didn't know the girl personally but I saw the aftermath. It's about as bad as they say, probably.”

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “Oh god,” she groaned. “I'm never gonna use the bathroom there.”

  “Wait, what happened?” Kid Win asked. “I haven't heard about this.”

  “Because you went to B.J. Graham with me,” Clockblocker said. “I mean, I don't know what you're talking about either so I assume--”

  “It's girl stuff,” I cut them off. “Trust me when I say you don't wanna know.”

  “Girl tried to cast a spell by smearing the wall with her--” I clapped my hand over Vista's mouth.

  “And that's enough of that,” I said, giving her a look. “I really don't want to see Win throw up, Vista.” She mumbled something into my palm that might have been 'I do'.

  “Okay, let's focus on getting this over with,” Clockblocker said with a note of finality.

  It turned out when Clockblocker acted like a captain, people actually treated him like one. The other three filled out their sheets while I sat quietly, waiting for them to finish. Being the filler meant I'd be drawing the short stick on whatever days weren't getting enough cover, but it also meant I didn't need to jockey for the nights I actually wanted off.

  Things still felt a little...tense, between me and the others. Fair enough, considering everything, but the last thing I wanted to do was alienate them by being selfish about my schedule. And they were nice enough that I was only doing half the nights I normally would be, so there wasn't much to complain about.

  Jesus, it had been nearly a month since I'd last gone on a real patrol. I guess my three-day outing with Amy counted, if you stretched the definition of 'patrol' until it was unrecognizable at least. Or maybe if you just changed it from the Protectorate's definition to a military definition; it wasn't exactly SR shit but I kind of liked thinking about it like that.

  It had been monumentally stupid, going out like I did. But I had done it and survived, hell I'd won against all odds. A smile wormed its way onto my face. It had been three days from hell, three days that I didn't think I could survive again, but I'd fought through it all and come out on top. A hero, after a fashion.

  The kerfuffle over who would be on-call which night didn't last too long, fortunately. As expected, I was doing Monday night raw while the others covered the rest of the week. Poor Crucible, stuck on call Monday and Friday. Oh well, he should have been here if he didn't want to get shafted on the schedule. I had zero idea who he even was, but hopefully he was cool.

  “Okay,” Clockblocker said once we were finished. “Well that was easier than back to school stuff usually is. Thanks guys, you're dismissed. Amaranth, stick around for a sec? I just want to bring you up to speed on what I mentioned earlier. The legal stuff?” I winced.

  “Yeah sure, that's fine.” I waved to Kid Win and Vista as they left, then sighed and leaned back in my chair. I spoke again once me and Clockblocker were alone. “Whatever it was this time, I'm sorry.”

  “Okay,” he replied simply. “You can make it up to me by giving me a mil.”

  “What?”

  “Before his uh...retirement, Calvert put through the request.” Clock pushed another stack of papers towards me. “Congratulations, little miss teenage millionaire.”

  I stared numbly at the sheets in front of me. When I'd asked Assault about it, I thought that was the end. When Coil had made his offer, I figured it was a fake to keep me from spilling the beans on his little op. And yet, if I was reading the legalese right, I was now the recipient of two and a half million dollars.

  It wasn't all mine, according to the oh so helpful table breaking down where the money was going. I was getting twenty percent right away, put into my bank account. I hadn't seen that since before Leviathan, but between my Ward pay and this...I probably wouldn't need to worry about fifteen dollar coffees on the Boardwalk anymore.

  A bunch was going into my trust fund, which was fair enough but intensely annoying if only because I wouldn't get it for years. Oh well, at least it would grow while sitting in the account, so it wasn't sitting idle. About a third was going to the Brockton Bay Relief Fund, something I definitely hadn't agreed to but couldn't really tell them off about. Those people needed that money a hell of a lot more than me.

  “Is this real?” I couldn't help asking.

  “As far as I know,” Clockblocker replied with a shrug. “Never heard of a Ward taking down an S9 member, or anyone with a kill order really. I'm...I still can't really believe it.”

  “Neither can I.” I looked down at my hands and shivered. “I...at least a lot is getting donated.”

  “Fair,” he said. “You gonna sign it?” I nodded and did, then pushed the papers back to him. “Okay perfect, now let me just change 'Brockton Bay' to 'Clockblocker' so I get that little donation and...”

  “Clock.”

  “Relax, it's a joke,” he said dryly. “Wouldn't take money from a charity.”

  “Sure hope not or I'll have you arrested for embezzlement.”

  “I'd like to avoid you ever arresting me, thanks,” he retorted, then sighed. “One more thing: foster services are getting back up. It won't be for a little while yet probably, but they're probably going to start looking for guardians.”

  “Shit,” I swore. “Do they have to? I'm seventeen in a couple months, surely it's fine.”

  “It's the rules,” he sighed. “Like I said, it'll be a while still; lots of kids have a more pressing need than you.”

  “I guess.” I shook my head. “Crazy they're still treating us like kids considering...everything.”

  “No kidding,” Clockblocker grumbled. “Still, this is how things work around here. It's probably going to suck, but you're tough. Won't have to put up with it for long either. Like you said, you're seventeen soon and eighteen not long after that.”

  “True.” I shifted in my seat. “Anything else, Clockblocker?”

  “Nah, it's good. See you in class tomorrow.”

  “You and everyone else in town,” I retorted as I rose.

  “Come on it won't be everyone.” I could hear the grin in his tone. “I mean, it's not like our local warlords are going to come and get stuck in calculus like the rest of us.” I snorted.

  “But can you imagine?” I asked.

  “What, Skitter showing up at school covered in bugs?” He shuddered. “Yeah nah, but hey thanks for reminding me to pack bug spray.” I giggled, then felt the blood drain from my face as one of the other Amy's memories came to mind unbidden.

  “Uh, okay I'm heading out,” I said quickly, trying to keep my voice from shaking. “Thanks again Clock, I'll...buy you something I guess.”

  “Don't sweat it,” he replied easily. “Now go relax, captain's orders.”

  I wasn't sure I was going to be able, with the Protectorate's massive future failure now looming large in my mind.