Volume's End

The limo pulled up to the curb. The passenger door silently swung open. A girl with a head of golden curls emerged, smiling brightly.

She was clad in a yellow sundress so light that it was nearly beige with darker yellow flowers embroidered near the hem. A white cardigan with similar flowers crawling halfway up completed the look. The girl reached into the limo and pulled out a white laptop bag, and then she stood to the side.

The next to emerge was a boy with curly purple hair. He was wearing a nondescript black t-shirt and dark green pants. He carried a slim silver laptop tucked under one arm. He turned and shaded his eyes as he squinted at a building in the distance.

The last to come out was another boy. His rich brown skin contrasted with the nearly all white outfit he was wearing. He blinked at the sudden onslaught of sunlight before sighing.

"How close do we have to be?" He asked the other two, ducking his head to furiously blink his eyes.

"We can have a coffee over there," the girl said, nodding at a nearby coffee shop teeming with young adults and businesspeople looking for their next fix.

The trio tromped over, the girl glancing at the limo. The limo cruised away, circling the block.

Inside the shop, they sent the white-clad boy to order a variety of over sugared drinks that bore scant resemblance to actual coffee as well as cakes and cookies. He returned to their chosen table in the back with a tray piled high.

"So, just provide us with cover, okay, Kuro?" The girl turned to the other boy. "I just need an entry point, and all golden."

"I think I can do that," the other boy chuckled as he claimed a frothy drink that smelled of coffee and chocolate and a giant chocolate chip cookie.

"Once they're alerted, I can give you two about twelve minutes. Okay?" Kuro said, unwrapping a pack of madeleines. He shoved one into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "Is Lucy still baking?"

"Lucy hasn't stopped baking since the Escape," the purple haired boy muttered. "There's so much that Carol and Rena took a bunch and sold it at a weekend flea market." He ruffled his hair. "Feel free to come help get rid of some of it."

"I heard that Aarti was going to do something, and that'll probably stop her for a bit," the golden-haired girl assured him. "I mean, Court, she has to be running out of money for all those ingredients, right?"

Court grinned.

"What makes you think she pays for any of that stuff? Those two made a mint off that flea market. I think it was enough for Rena to drag Carol off for a makeover." They all fell silent for a moment. "You ready, Simone?"

"Oh, I'm ready, alright. We can't have any remnants of the dossiers in that woman's possession. No need to make Lucy angry in addition to upset." Simone flexed her fingers. "It's only lucky that they didn't retest me before the Escape, unlike poor Kuro and Sol."

Kuro rolled his eyes, reaching for another pack of madeleines, these chocolate coated.

"They already knew what they were looking for, sorta, with me and Sol. I'm just happy they didn't disassemble anyone before we got out of there," Kuro said, fingers busy undoing the wrapper.

Court nodded once, opening his laptop. His fingers started flying. A faint smile crossed his face.

"Ah…they tried putting it in offline computer. How quaint," he muttered.

The other two sipped their drinks as they watched Court work. A few seconds later, he looked up.

"I sent you the link."

Simone nodded, opening her yellow laptop. It was decorated with brilliant white daisies. She cocked her head to one side as her fingers started dancing over her keyboard.

"How intriguing. Oh, now that is beyond board, isn't it? How naughty!"

The boys shrank back at her conversational tone. They exchanged similar looks and took a deep sip of their coffees.

"So, what's Sol doing today?" Court asked.

"Sol and Kathryn went to visit Aarti in London. Something about investigating old magics," Kuro added. He shrugged. "That's how Simone's up to date about what Aarti's up to."

Court nodded. Aarti had agreed to go to London after the Escape in a bid to distract her mother. It was also to placate her grandmother who was none to pleased to find that her wayward granddaughter wasn't sulking somewhere on Themyscira instead of running headlong into danger elsewhere. Not to mention the issue with the magical bow Aarti was now bound to. No one else could touch it without fear of being electrocuted.

Court was rather interested in that fact, but he wasn't interested enough to try removing the bow from Aarti. As far as he knew, she'd gone back to the island briefly to prove her point, but really, they, her friends and crechemates, knew that she'd only gone back to feed her 'dog.'

"Do you want any of these interesting tidbits?" Simone asked, eyes fixed on her screen.

"Hmm…make a copy and shoot it to me," Court said. "I'll run it by Jebediah. It'll give him something else to fixate on other than 'my research ruined lives.'"

They all chuckled at that. Jebediah had been locked up in his lab since the Escape with only Trolli for company. Rena had been locked out much to her infuriated dismay.

They figured it was only a matter of days now before she barged in and dragged him out for a massive shopping spree.

"He shouldn't blame himself. If not him, then someone else. Besides, he saved more of us than he realizes," Simone said absently. "It's still Niles you should be worried about."

"Who knows where Niles is." Court took a bite of his cookie. "At least we have the baby. Thank goodness we have the baby or I would be so fat by now."

"So, she stops to look at the baby?" Simone asked, looking up.

"No, she switches to baking breads when she's taking care of the baby," Court said with a sigh. He looked off in the distance. "I hear the alarms going off."

Kuro sighed and made a gesture. Their figures slowly faded into the shadows, the only sounds that of Simone's fingers flying faster over her keyboard.

A few seconds later, she sat back. She decisively closed her laptop and carefully zipped it back into its case.

The trio rose, coffees in hand. Then they sauntered out of the coffee shop and around the corner as people dressed in heavy flak jackets with 'A.R.G.U.S.' stenciled on the back streamed their way and into the coffee shop.

The limo pulled up to them after they'd walked a block. Kuro opened the door, allowing Simone to slide in with a smile of thanks. He glanced at Court.

"Coming?"

"Nah," Court replied. He looked at a subway entrance a little bit aways. "I have to go visit my mom. I feel a bit nostalgic."

"Until next time, then," Kuro said, getting into the car.

As it drove away, the day grew just a little bit brighter and clearer. Court smiled as he walked down the subway steps. He had a feeling that things weren't really over just yet, but at least they were currently winning.

*****

Paul opened his eyes, taking a deep breath. A hand fell on his shoulder.

"So, is there one where they lose? Thoroughly?" A much-loved voice asked.

Paul turned his head to see Kaylen standing there. Clustered behind him was Lucy, Aarti and Court. Rena was leaning against the wall, teasing Ella and Leilani with Ella's doll. The green ring on Kaylen's hand sparkled in the dim lighting of the creche.

"Yes, but it has consequences," Paul began.

"It's enough to know that it exists," Kaylen said with a shake of his head. He straightened up and looked at Aarti. "We'll cause a disturbance then." Kaylen glanced back at Paul. "It does start with her escaping and getting outsiders to help, right?"

"Yes, but－"

"－Good enough." Kaylen cut Paul off, finally turning his full attention back to Paul. "We have to do this. None of your previous ones showed most of us surviving past twenty, and those that did were living miserable lives." Kaylen shook his head. "No matter what happens, everyone's lives are my responsibility."

"We're just kids," Paul protested, dropping his gaze. He could feel that Kaylen was right. Still, he'd just wanted to say that.

"Then it's decided. Rena?" Kaylen called.

"Yes, Kaylen," Rena said, standing to attention. She tossed the doll to the two younger girls who glared at her fiercely. "Oh, so scared. Come see me when you've activated some useful powers," she sneered at them.

"Stop playing with the little kids," Lucy snapped, rolling her eyes.

"Stop butting in," Rena shot back.

"We're staging a disturbance," Kaylen said, gaining all of their attention. "Leilani, Ella, back to your creche for now." Kaylen helped Paul to his feet. "Aarti, you're headed to the labs this afternoon, right?"

"Another round of tests," Aarti agreed. She huffed out an impatient sigh.

"We're going to buy you some time to get out of there, and then hopefully out of here as well," Kaylen explained. He grinned. "Cheer up! This is going to be fun!"

"Only if Niles doesn't show up," Court muttered.

"There's nothing wrong with Niles," Lucy said. She frowned at the looks everyone threw at her. "What? He's fine!"

"He's obsessed," Court pointed out.

"No, he just wants to chop me up, stew me up and swallow me down. And then crack the marrow to make sure he got it all," Lucy added thoughtfully as the stares grew horrified. "What? He loves me."

"There's so many things wrong with that statement," Rena muttered.

"Let's just go. We've got work to do and a creche to break out of," Kaylen said, laughing as he led them back to their dorm.