10

Chapter 10

Alea Iacta Est

Part Ten: New Pieces on the Board

[A/N: This chapter beta-read by Lady Columbine of Mystal.]

" … and when I looked around, she was gone," Janet concluded. "But then I saw the first-aid kit, so I brought it over." She paused to sip at the cup of tea that Andrea had made for her. "The rest, you know."

Silence fell, broken only by the ticking of the clock on the wall. Danny glanced up at Andrea, the movement making the bruise on his jaw more obvious. A silent communication passed between them, before Danny looked at Janet again. "Normally, I'd call bullshit on everything you've said," he said evenly. "But that approach falls down in the face of the overwhelming evidence. You showed up at exactly the right time, with exactly the right power to deal with Anders once and for all. In addition, you had a fully stocked first-aid kit, which is all that stood between Ms Russel living or dying."

"Which would've been impossible to carry up the fire-escape one-handed, I might add," Andrea added cheerfully. "So there's that too. Which leads us to the next problem."

"Next problem?" Janet asked, becoming suddenly wary. She didn't think that Danny and Andrea meant her actual harm, but the word 'problem' wasn't one she liked.

"Yeah." Danny didn't seem to have consulted with Andrea, but he picked right up on her train of thought. "The bit about saving the world by getting Annette loose from Max Anders. That's kind of … ominous."

"She did say 'one small step on the path'," Janet reminded him. "It's not the whole of the thing. From the sound of it, there's more that needs to be done."

"It's not that," Andrea said, sounding somewhat aggrieved. "I made a deal with Annette years ago. No destroying or saving the world before she's twenty-one, and to give me adequate warning before she does so. And there goes your mysterious woman in a fedora, just coming in from left field and ruining my entire schedule."

Janet stared at the petite redhead, then looked at Danny. "Is she serious?"

Danny shrugged and spread his hands helplessly. "This is the most I've seen of her in sixteen years, but from what I recall of her, it's something she'd do."

"What, you mean you haven't made a deal like that with Taylor?" Andrea gave Danny an extremely concerned look. "Seriously, you have to be kidding. You know how teenagers can get. If you don't get a promise like that out of them, the next thing you know they're beating the Simurgh at six-dimensional chess or inviting the Queen of Air and Darkness over for afternoon tea. And you know how she is about her light snacks." She glanced over at Janet, who was wondering just what the hell was going on. "If you offer her anything low-fat or gluten-free, she goes totally off the deep end. It's just not worth it."

Danny raised his eyebrows. "So, has Annette actually done any of that?" He sounded as though he wouldn't be surprised if she had.

"Well, not yet," conceded Andrea. "Like I said, I made a deal with her. Mind you, I forgot to ask her to warn me before introducing old not-quite-boyfriends back into my life, which was entirely my fault." She gave Janet a cheerful grin. "As for rain goddesses, well, that's not something I can really blame Annette for, so she's off the hook for that one."

"I'm not a rain goddess." It was about the one thing Janet was sure of in all of this. "I'm just a cape that controls water and weather." As uncomfortable as she was with doing either.

"And you're wound about as tight as the mainspring on Rip Van Winkle's alarm clock," Andrea decided. "When was the last time you had a good night's sleep? I mean, slept all the way through the night with no bad dreams?" The redhead was now looking at her intently.

Janet wondered if Andrea was a Thinker who could see into her head. "Uh, not recently."

"Translation: not since I got my powers." Andrea's voice was utterly certain. She slid off the arm of Danny's chair and strolled over to where Janet sat. "So, have you had sex since then?"

Janet blinked, her brain refusing to process the last question. " … what?" Is she coming on to me, or just asking a really intrusive question?

"Sex." Andrea's voice was patient. "Love. Lust. Screwing. Fucking. The beast with two backs. The horizontal mambo. Or, you know, standing, if that's your thing. Or are you into women?" Her wink was perhaps the single most salacious facial gesture that Janet had ever seen. "I mean, I'm more that way inclined myself, but I'm gonna be making an exception for Danny when we get the chance. Just saying."

"Uh. no." Janet managed to coax her brain into forming words, where it just wanted to run away and gibber in the corner. Well, I got my answer. Both. "Not into women."

"Oh, well. Pity." Andrea sighed. "Anyway, you haven't gotten laid once since you got your powers? Geez, no wonder you're all messed up in the head. That's what you need, I bet. Sex, and lots of it. Relaxes anyone."

"Andrea." Danny's voice was mild, but it held a note of censure. "Ease off on her. She's not used to you. Hasn't been immunised yet."

Andrea blew a raspberry at him. "No fair. You know how I get around women with muscles."

That got her an eye-roll. "Yeah. The same way you get around everyone else."

"Hey! I resemble that remark!" Andrea almost sounded angry, until Janet actually thought about what she'd just said. "Just because I'm open about what I like …"

"No." Danny's voice was patient. "Normal people are 'open'. You run a street fair with dancing girls, carrying placards that spell out your preferences in detail."

"Dancing girls in bikinis," Andrea said patiently. "Get it right."

Janet rubbed at her right temple with her fingertips. Her life had been getting more and more surreal since she walked out of the bathroom to see the woman in the trenchcoat and fedora, but since meeting the redhead, she felt as though it'd taken a sharp right into the Twilight Zone. I'm not sure who's worse, the mysteriously appearing and disappearing woman, or the red-headed sex maniac. On second thought, she deleted the word 'sex'. Andrea seemed to be intent on making Janet question her sanity in general; while the redhead's preoccupation with sex was a little unsettling, it wasn't the weirdest thing about her.

Danny sighed. "Andrea, come here, please." His voice was firm, but Janet was still somewhat surprised when the redhead obediently returned to her seat on the chair arm. His arm slid around her waist, but whether it was for closer contact or to make sure that Andrea didn't get up again, it wasn't entirely clear.

Either way, Andrea wasn't protesting; instead, she grinned and slid part-way off the chair arm so that she was half-sitting on Danny's lap, one arm behind his neck. "About damn time," she said, just loud enough for Janet to hear.

"I'm sorry about that," Danny said to Janet. "Andrea tends to act out when she's been having a shitty day. Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine." Janet felt that this was almost true, for a given definition of 'fine'. "Things are just moving really fast right now. Uh, thanks for not telling the cops about me."

"We wanted to keep the situation as simple as possible," Danny pointed out. "Bringing you into the mix, especially before we knew exactly what was going on with you, would have potentially made things very complicated." He paused. "Also, my daughter and her friend advised me strongly against it."

"Uh, I'm sorry," confessed Janet. "I don't know who was who up there. There was one girl who was ordering everyone around. Is that your daughter?"

"No, that was Dinah. My daughter's Taylor. The one who helped you save Ms Russel's life." Danny gave Janet an approving look. "She said you knew exactly what to do. You've done this sort of thing before?"

"No." Janet shook her head. "But I'm certified in advanced first aid. Your daughter was extremely helpful. I couldn't have done it alone." She tried to imagine applying the appropriate first aid without the assistance that Taylor had given her, and knew it couldn't be done.

Danny nodded in agreement. "I'll be sure to tell her. But in the meantime, we have other issues to deal with. First off, what are your plans right now? Are you looking to leave Brockton Bay, or are you going to hang around for a while?"

Janet examined the carpet as she considered the question. She didn't really have anywhere to go and, while being in a seaport wasn't exactly her first choice for where she wanted to be, this was the first place she'd encountered people who were willing to see past her powers to the person beneath. Not that she'd really given anyone else a chance to even do that much, but Canary's arrest and impending trial had a way of realising her worst fears. And then there was the bizarre woman who had dumped her into this situation without so much as a fare-thee-well. Janet could think of half a dozen ways that the Kaiser situation could have been resolved without her assistance, which meant that her part in this situation wasn't over yet. And I am so very tired of running …

She raised her eyes to meet Danny's. "Suppose I decided to hang around. What's the next step? Because I have a strong feeling that the 'other issues' which you just mentioned also involve me." Which, in its own way, was even more ominous than Andrea's daughter being essential to saving the world. She had to wonder what he wanted from her.

He tilted his head. "You're not wrong. The other issues I was talking about involve the formation of a new superhero team in Brockton Bay. And you joining it, if you're interested."

Janet's speculations came to an abrupt, screeching halt. Whatever she'd thought he wanted from her – admittedly, the list was extremely short – joining a superhero team was not exactly at the top of her expectations. In fact, it was hanging somewhere off the bottom. She shook her head, staring at him. "... Come again?"

Andrea's face creased with impish glee. "That's what he said!"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Okay, that joke is getting old. Janet, I've spoken to Taylor and Dinah about this, and they're good with you knowing it. They're both capes, and they want to form a team. With you as a member, if you're interested."

And the surprises just keep coming. "Wait." Janet made a masterful effort to keep up with current events. "Your daughter's a cape. And so is Dinah. The bossy one. And they want to form a team. With me."

"Not just you," Andrea interjected. "There are others, but that's the basic situation, yeah." The ditzy attitude wasn't gone, Janet noted. Just … in abeyance. "They're good kids. Smart."

"Hold on a second." Janet held up her hand, as if to prevent any more unwanted revelations from reaching her ears. "How can you be sure it's even safe telling me about this? I could be a total asshole, or worse. Sure, I've got powers. But that means jack." It wasn't that she had the slightest intention of unmasking either of the kids, but she needed to know that Danny wasn't prone to doing things half-assed. And just blurting all this out to her felt really half-assed.

Danny chuckled and shook his head in good humour. "You didn't ask what powers they had."

This didn't seem to be any sort of answer to the question she had just posed, but she bit anyway. "Okay, what are their powers?"

Andrea grinned. "Dinah's insanely good at figuring out the right people for any sort of job. Including people she's never met before."

Janet thought back to the confusion on the roof, and how the young girl had sliced through the chaos with a few well-chosen orders. They had gone from a disorganised mob to a functioning team within seconds. "Okay," she ventured. "I can kinda see that. And Taylor?"

"Taylor's a Thinker too," Danny replied. "More specifically, she's a precog. With an accuracy measurable in the fractions of a percentile. So when she predicted that you wouldn't betray our trust if we told you about them, we believed her. Were we wrong?" His eyes, enlarged by the glasses he wore, bored into hers.

Janet sighed. "No. You weren't wrong. I'd never out them." She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. "And Dinah's sure that I'd make the perfect addition to your brand-new superhero team?"

"Yup," Andrea said at once. "But if you're worried about being the only adult on the team, don't be." Her ever-present grin came to the surface again. "Because like the man said; 'but wait, there's more'."

"Please tell me you're not on it." Janet didn't dislike Andrea – the woman's heart seemed to be in the right place – but she wasn't sure if she could take the redhead in concentrated doses. At least she's stopped hitting on me.

Andrea blew a raspberry. "Me? Hah! Nope, I'm normal. Or as normal as this fabulous bod ever gets." She stretched as much as she could in the confined space, kicking her legs out in front of her. "But we've got other prospects. Prospects who kind of required a heavy hitter already on the team as a prerequisite for joining themselves."

Janet could connect the dots as well as anyone. "And I'm that heavy hitter." Oh, great. So if I say no, the whole team's gonna fall apart. Way to guilt trip me.

"Actually, no." Danny shifted Andrea so that she was fully on his lap. "Dinah was already talking to Purity. We're pretty sure that she was strongly considering joining. It's just that while she's in the hospital, she's unable to come out and be a hero."

Janet frowned. "Purity's the glowing one, that Kaiser stabbed, right? I thought she was a villain too." At least, that was her understanding from half-recalled TV spots.

"Well, yes and no." Danny tilted his head. "She was a member of the Empire Eighty-Eight for about ten years, but Dinah says she's been trying to break away from them in the last year or so. Maybe because of her baby."

"Baby?" Janet was startled. "What baby?" But then she recalled; when the teenagers had spilled on to the roof, one of them had been carrying a crying baby. Taylor, give Aster to Theo and help this lady with her medical kit. Theo, take Aster downstairs and get her settled. "Aster. Aster's her baby?"

"Ding!" Andrea held up her finger victoriously. "And the lady wins a prize. I can kind of understand her wanting to be a hero, too. Before I had Annette, I was all kinds of wild and crazy. Now, I've settled right down."

Janet blinked a few times. She tried to imagine Andrea being even more 'wild and crazy' than she'd been just a few minutes before. Good God. How is Brockton Bay still standing?

"That remains to be seen." Danny's voice was exceedingly dry. Oh, good. I'm not the only one who thinks that. "But be that as it may, it's still your choice whether or not to join the team, even if it's only until Purity's on her feet. If you wanted to move on tomorrow, I honestly wouldn't blame you; even by Brockton Bay's standards, tonight's been traumatic as hell. But if you wanted to stay, you'd be welcome."

Janet had to take a few moments to get her head around that. These people know what I can do. They accept it, and they want me to stay. They even kept my name away from the police. They don't know me from Adam, but they're putting themselves out for me.

Cynicism took that opportunity to rear its ugly head. Yeah, they just want me for what I can do for them. I'm just a set of powers for their new team.

For a long, frozen moment, she was on the verge of getting up and walking out. But something held her back. At first she wasn't sure what it was, but then she registered the expression in Danny Hebert's eyes. It wasn't calculation, or any sort of self-satisfaction. It took a second or so for her to recognise it, but her task was made easier by the fact that Andrea had the same look in her eyes. They were looking at her with hope and expectation.

"Suppose I joined," she began hesitantly, then stopped and thought about what she was saying. "I mean, I could leave at any time, right?"

"Well, duh," Andrea began, only to be shushed by Danny. "What?" she protested.

"We need to be serious about this," he told her, then switched his attention to Janet. "I'm hoping you'll join. I mean, Taylor's only fifteen. Dinah's only twelve. Every time I think about them out there going up against the worst that Brockton Bay has to offer, I get the cold shivers. But ultimately it'll be your decision, to join and to stay. Nothing less is fair to you."

She thought about his words, then nodded. "Not saying I'll join," she said. "But I'll think it over and give you my answer in the morning. You know a place I can get a room at this time of night? I mean, morning?"

"Sure," said Andrea promptly. "You can sleep here tonight. I'll be staying over at Kayden's, keeping an eye on Annette, Theo and Aster." She flicked a glance up at Danny, along with a gamine grin. "You can stay over too if you want."

Danny shook his head with what seemed more than a little reluctance. "No, I've got to get Taylor home and … damn it. My car." His face creased in annoyance, and Janet recalled that his tires had been slashed.

"Take my car," Andrea offered. "Bring it back in the morning." She fished out a set of keys and dangled them in front of his eyes.

"I can't take your car," he protested. "I mean … it's your car."

"Hey, I'm gonna be sleeping with you," she pointed out. "That means I already trust you. Take the damn keys."

The logic was weird, but Janet couldn't fault it. Though she had to be sure. "Uh, and you're willing to leave me overnight in your apartment because you already trust me?"

Andrea gave her a brilliant smile. "Got it in one. Plus, you got stuff you need to work through, without anyone waiting around for an answer. I'll show up tomorrow sometime, but I'll call the landline first so you can get dressed." She gave Janet that wink again. "Or undressed. Your choice."

Janet felt her cheeks heating. "Dressed. It'll definitely be dressed."

"Oh, well. Your loss." Andrea shrugged, then scrambled off of Danny's lap. "Lock up when we leave." She paused to give Janet an unusually serious look. "Also, if you're interested, I'm not bad at back and shoulder massages. Which don't always lead to sex!" She stuck her tongue out at Danny, even though he hadn't said a word.

He raised an eyebrow. "To hear Anne-Rose talk, that was the main reason you gave them." Danny stood up. "Though, to be fair, you were pretty good at them, from what I remember." He turned to Janet. "I'd actually recommend it. Just whack her on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper if she tries to hit on you again."

"Hey!" Andrea managed to put on an outraged tone. "She said no. I know what 'no' means."

"She had to say it twice." Danny's tone was mildly censorious.

"Sometimes people don't realise I'm making a move the first time," she pointed out. "Like you, for instance." She grinned at Janet. "I hit on him on a weekly basis while he was dating Taylor's mom, and he only just realised it now. Sixteen years later."

Janet stared at Danny. "You didn't realise? Okay, I get that guys can miss the signs when we're being subtle, but she's about as subtle as a brick through the windshield."

"Hey!" protested Andrea.

"Well, yeah, but when you've been exposed to her for a while, you kind of filter out the flirting," Danny explained, ignoring the outburst. "Sometimes I think she only does it to make sure we're paying attention."

"Which you weren't," Andrea said severely. "You didn't even get it the time I offered to give you a lap dance."

"When the hell did that happen?" demanded Danny. Janet was also curious; it took a certain amount of obliviousness to miss something like that.

"Oh, wait, no, that was Anne-Rose," Andrea recalled. "She took me up on it, too." Her face took on a beatific expression. "That was a fun night."

"I have no doubt," Danny said dryly. "But anyway, I really need to get home. Janet, you'll be okay here on your own?"

Janet nodded. While she still wasn't a hundred percent on board with crashing in Andrea's apartment, it was the best of a limited series of options. "I'll manage."

"Feel free to snack out of the fridge," Andrea said as she headed for the door. "Also, Annette's bed might be a little cosy, so you can use the master bedroom, through there." She pointed at one of the doors.

"Andrea, she's an adult," Danny chided the redhead, nudging her toward the door. "Let her be. We have to go."

The door closed behind them, leaving Janet alone in the apartment. Carefully, she put the duffel to one side, then got up. The first thing she did was lock the door and set the deadbolt; powers or no, she didn't want to tempt fate. Then she went in search of the bathroom. Despite her dislike of water, a long hot shower seemed ideal right at that moment.

As she readied for the shower, she mulled over the conversation. Danny seemed … reliable. Solid. Someone she would like to have on her side. Andrea, on the other hand was ditzy as hell, and seemed to thrive on saying whatever weird thing came to mind. The fact that the woman had hit on her twice was … she wasn't quite sure whether to class it as 'irritating' or 'flattering'. On the one hand, Janet was not into women. On the other, it was obviously something Andrea only did with people she considered to be completely trustworthy. So, kind of a weird back-handed compliment? Raising the stump of her left wrist, she contemplated it. She never mentioned this, except to mention how hard it would have been to carry the kit up the fire escape. No jokes about it. And she still found me attractive, even with it. Which was a weird thing to be pleased about, but there it was.

As she stepped under the torrent of water – this shower had about three times the power of the motel room ones she was used to – Janet nodded to herself. I think I'll stick around. Just to see what happens.

The Next Day

Kayden lay in silent darkness. She wasn't quite sure what was going on. Her throat was dry, bringing back memories of the accident. Was she still trapped in the car? Were all those hazy memories just products of delirium? Had she only hallucinated getting powers? Am I going to die here? The fear that thought produced was overshadowed by a more visceral terror; Did I dream Aster? Am I going to wake up and find out that she never existed? If that was the case, she would welcome death.

"I think she's waking up. All her readings just jumped."

"Kayden? Kayden? Can you hear me?"

The voices were vague. She wasn't quite sure if she was imagining them or not.

"Kayden, can you open your eyes for us?"

Oh, that's right. She'd closed her eyes to keep out the burning sun. She didn't want to open them, not if it meant losing the dream where she'd had the most beautiful baby in the world. She scrunched her eyes more tightly shut, and turned over in bed to escape from the voice. There was a stab of pain from her midsection.

Wait a minute. I'm in a bed. I'm not in the car any more. And my stomach hurts. Why does my stomach hurt?

"Did you see that? She moved." The voice was closer now.

I have to find out where I am. Carefully, gradually, she opened her eyes. There was no dazzling; she hadn't had to blink her eyes to adjust to the light since … since I got my powers. I'm me. Everything I remember is real. So why can't I remember where I am? Why does my stomach hurt?

Slowly, she raised her eyes. She was indeed in a bed; unless she was badly mistaken, this was a hospital. A nurse stood next to the bed, looking down at her with a combination of personal concern and professional interest.

"How do you feel, Kayden?" asked the nurse. Even as she spoke, she took up Kayden's wrist and checked the watch hanging from the front of her uniform.

"Where am I? Where's Aster?" Kayden tried to ask, but all that came out was a husky rasp.

"Wait a moment," the nurse said briskly, then a water bottle came into view. The nurse fitted the nozzle between her lips and squirted a little lukewarm liquid into her mouth.

Kayden swallowed greedily, feeling it soaking into her parched throat. "Where am I?" she asked again. "Where's Aster?"

"You're in Brockton Bay General Hospital," the nurse said with a warm smile. "I was given a message to give to you. Andrea is taking care of Theo and Aster. Does that help?"

It did, somewhat. While Kayden wasn't quite sure of Andrea's maternal capabilities, Theo had already proven himself capable of caring for his sister. However, the last thing she could remember was trying to get home in the pouring rain, against heavy traffic. "Yes, thank you. What happened? Why does my stomach hurt?"

At that, the nurse's expression became a little guarded. "What do you remember?"

Kayden grabbed the nurse by the wrist. The sudden moment jolted her whole body, eliciting a jolt of pain from her stomach, but she didn't care. "Tell me. Now."

"You – you were stabbed," the nurse blurted, a little fear shading her voice. "By Kaiser, they said."

Kayden blinked, her grip going slack. She didn't have much strength as it was. "What … what happened then?" She thought she could recall the event, but it was hazy in the extreme. She said that Andrea was taking care of the children. I can't see Max leaving me alive or leaving Aster in someone else's hands. What happened?

"Let me answer that one." The curtain behind the nurse parted and Miss Militia stepped through. Kayden tensed up, even though this elicited another warning message from her stomach. She'd thought there was another voice in the room.

"What's this?" she demanded. "What's going on?" But she knew. It couldn't be anything else. The PRT knew exactly who she was. She was just surprised that she wasn't waking up in a PRT cell with containment foam covering her from head to toe.

"Take it easy, Ms Russel." Miss Militia stood there, hands curled loosely at her sides. Her famous weapon was currently in the shape of a cavalry sabre in a scabbard at her waist, but Kayden knew just how fast the PRT second in command could change it to something else, or just draw it and use it. As it was, crippled by her wound, she was essentially helpless. "I'm just here to make sure nothing … untoward … happens."

"What the hell does 'untoward' mean?" Kayden's eyes flickered from point to point, looking for anything that could give her an advantage if a fight started. "What are you talking about?"

Instead of answering immediately, Miss Militia gave her a long, speculative look. When she did speak, her question was nonsensical. "Do you know of anyone with lightning powers in Brockton Bay?"

"What?" Kayden stared at the hero. "Lightning powers?"

"I'll take that as a no, then." Without looking, Miss Militia hooked a chair over with her foot, and sat down in it. Her eyes never shifted from Kayden's, even as she made the entire action look casual. "I'm asking because Kaiser's dead. Just as he was about to finish you off, his blade was struck by lightning. From every indication, he died instantly."

Kayden blinked. It had been raining, but … "Yes, I see what you mean. Just a little coincidental. Still, waving a metal blade around in a storm is kind of asking for it." Behind her eyes, she was exulting. Max is dead! He can't take Aster away from me any more! Later, she knew, she would regret the passing of the man she had once loved, but for now all she could think of was her baby.

"That's one way to put it, yes." Miss Militia's tone was remarkably dry, though Kayden really couldn't see if she was smiling or not.

"Okay, so we've cleared the air." Kayden met the hero's gaze directly. "Why are you here, exactly? What does 'untoward' mean in this situation?"

"It means that we're in a difficult situation," the hero said, her tone candid. "Why did Kaiser stab you? Why were you even on that roof for him to stab you?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't recall exactly what happened," Kayden said, suddenly glad that this was the exact truth. "Except that I do happen to live there, so I've got any number of reasons to be on my roof. As for why … well, I can also think of several reasons, none of them really valid to anyone but Max Anders."

"So you knew that Kaiser was Max Anders?" Miss Militia sounded less than surprised.

"Well, duh," Kayden forced her tone to remain casual. "I was married to the man for eleven months. I also divorced him, just as soon as I discovered the side of him that I didn't like." Which is even kind of true. She spread her hands on the covers. "You'll find that's a matter of public record as well." She had a sinking feeling that her act wasn't fooling Miss Militia in the slightest, but the hero never showed a hint either way.

"Granted." Miss Militia leaned back in her chair. She knew all along. "So, back to possible reasons that Kaiser might have had for stabbing you?"

Kayden, thankful for the respite, responded promptly. "One: I knew his secret identity. I suspect I only survived the divorce because I never even hinted at a willingness to tell anyone."

"Given Kaiser's crimes, keeping quiet about his real identity and whereabouts could be seen as being an accessory," Miss Militia observed quietly. "By some people. Just so you know." Her manner made it clear that she wasn't one of 'those people'. In fact, she seemed to be uninterested in being aggressive or accusatory. Her attitude was more along the lines of a chat between old friends … or old enemies.

"I married the man, so those people can take their 'accessory' and shove it up their ass," Kayden retorted. "He fathered my daughter. I wasn't going to help him stay out of prison, but he'd earned that much from me, at least."

Miss Militia tilted her head thoughtfully, but she didn't argue. "And the other reasons?"

"The second reason would be that he wanted Aster to be raised in his image," Kayden said. "I wasn't going to allow that. He has an older boy, who's … flat. No real personality. Max ground him down. He tried to do the same to me, but I got out."

"Hm." Miss Militia straightened the scarf over her face minutely. "And the third?"

"Oh, the third?" Kayden rolled her eyes. "I'm just spitballing here, but if the Empire Eighty-Eight as a whole decided that I was a danger, they might've pressured Kaiser into killing me. Just to tie up loose ends. He'd have taken Aster, of course, because Max Anders always gets what he wants." She tried and failed to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

"Whoever called down that lightning bolt would disagree," Miss Militia said, with a crease of the eyes that may have signalled a grin. "He'll never threaten you or your child again. He's in the PRT morgue, downtown."

Kayden didn't want to ask the next question, but she knew that if she didn't, it would look decidedly odd. Not to mention that she was curious about the answer herself. "So why are you here, anyway? I'm pretty sure that the PRT doesn't normally send capes to sit at the bedside of the exes of dead villains. And you never did explain what you meant by 'untoward'."

While the scarf hid a great deal of Miss Militia's expression, the woman still managed to look somewhat uncomfortable. "We're rarely in the position of having someone fall into our laps who's been indirectly implicated in the death of a major villain, and who are themselves suspected of being a parahuman. If you are who we think you are, then this would be an ideal time to take you into custody. However, if you're just a semi-innocent bystander, then there's a good chance that your life's in danger from the rest of the Empire." She held up her left hand and waggled it from side to side. "Two different potential outcomes, both of them fitting the definition of 'untoward'. You see our conundrum." Her tone never varied from the conversational. It was almost as though she didn't really mean what she was saying, and was reading from a script.

"Wait, what now?" Kayden knew she was reacting slowly to Miss Militia's casual statement, but she wasn't reacting quickly to anything at the moment. She wondered if that was due to the painkillers, and then she wondered how much of it was due to the painkillers. "Suspected of being a parahuman? Me? Since when?" Okay, they only suspect so far. Play the wounded innocent.

Miss Militia had the unmitigated gall to tilt her head slightly in appreciation of Kayden's acting skills before her eyes narrowed slightly over the flag-printed bandanna. "Well, you see, while no good photos have ever been taken of Kaiser's associate Purity due to her ability to glare out lenses with her power, we have managed to determine that she's got the same body type as you. There are also rumours that Purity was elevated to second-in-command of the Empire Eighty-Eight within days of your marriage to Max Anders. A little coincidental, don't you think?" Her tone said loud and clear coincidental, my flag-covered ass.

"What do I think?" Kayden glared at the hero with all the venom at her command. "I think that whatever I say here is inadmissible in court, because I'm under the influence of painkillers. I think that you're just fishing, because you'd love to slap the cuffs on me but you can't quite make your case add up. I think that if you had a real case, I would've woken up behind bars. I think that anyone can make up a good story by adding up any two coincidental dates and slapping on a healthy dose of conspiracy theory. And I think that Max Anders may well have had a type, and that type was petite women. Anything else you want to add?" She fell back against the pillow, panting a little; as slight an effort as her tirade had been, it still left her feeling as though she'd just run a marathon.

"Not at the moment," Miss Militia said, sounding entirely unsurprised by what Kayden had just said. She was probably expecting that. "Though we can offer you official PRT protection if you believe that your life is in danger from the Empire Eighty-Eight." She let the moment draw out, raising her eyebrows interrogatively. And, Kayden realised, this was the first time that she had put emphasis behind her words.

She knew from the start that I was lying through my teeth, but didn't want to push it, probably because they've got no actual proof. Probably trying to edge me into accepting a plea deal for informing on the rest of the Empire. Well, screw her.

Kayden looked her straight in the eye. "Even if I was, I wouldn't accept it from you." There. Let her wonder if I'm referring to her personally or the PRT. "Get out."

Miss Militia sighed and stood up. "If that's what you want. In case you change your mind, this is my card." She produced a rectangle of white pasteboard from her belt and placed it on the rolling tray table. "Have a good day … Ms Russel."

"Fuck you." Kayden clawed the card off the tray and threw it at the trash can. She wasn't even sure if the hero heard the words as the curtains closed behind her. Once she was gone, Kayden was left to ponder over exactly what the visit meant. They're on to us. All of us. Max's death has outed more than me. Every one of his associates is now under suspicion. All the PRT has to do is find one piece of proof, and they'll be watching us like hawks to slip and give them that proof. The conclusion was sobering. This could spell the end of the Empire.

The nurse slipped back in through the curtains. With her came a doctor, who eyed Kayden with concern. "Ms Russel," he said at once. "I'm sorry about that intrusion. I wasn't informed of it until just now. Are you feeling all right?"

For a moment, Kayden considered telling the doctor that she wanted to sue the Protectorate for harassment, but decided that it probably wouldn't be the best idea in the world. "I've been better," she said cautiously. "How bad was it?"

"It could have been much worse than it was," he said, his professional smile obviously intended to allay her fears. "While the injury was quite serious, the surgery to repair the damage went very smoothly and I expect you to make a full recovery."

She raised her chin, fully aware of what a snow job sounded like. "Define 'quite serious'." A broken leg was quite serious; she was reasonably sure that what Max had done to her surpassed that particular bar.

He cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable. "The weapon pierced a blood vessel. You were bleeding quite badly. Fortunately, you were given excellent first aid on site, and the paramedics were able to keep you stable until we got you into theatre." He didn't so far as to say you could have died, but he didn't have to. She could connect the dots for herself.

"So how long till I get out of here?" Kayden didn't really believe that she was in danger from the Empire Eighty-Eight – they would be too busy scrambling to save their own skins to bother with her – but she knew that she'd feel much more secure standing on her own two feet and able to use her powers without knocking herself out.

"Well, that's not something I can make a firm estimate on," he said, and rubbed his chin. As he did so, the nurse stepped around him. She withdrew an electronic thermometer from her pocket and switched it on. With gestures, she indicated that Kayden was to open her mouth. The thermometer was cold at first, but the metal and plastic warmed almost immediately; a moment later, the device beeped and the nurse retrieved it.

"A simple stab wound would take about a week and a half to two weeks to heal," he pronounced, accepting the thermometer from the nurse and inspecting the readout. "Oh, that's good. Your temperature's down again. You did have us a little worried for a while there."

"A week and a half to two weeks to heal," Kayden prompted him.

"Oh, yes." He handed the thermometer back to the nurse. "With a wound of this severity, I would consider releasing you as an outpatient in about a month, plus or minus a week or so, depending on how well you respond to treatment. This would not mean that you are fully healed, of course. Just that you're able to go home and finish your recuperation there. With frequent checkups to make sure that nothing's going wrong."

In other words, forever and a day. Kayden hadn't known until now exactly how dependent she'd been on Othala to get her back to health after a battle had gone wrong. She didn't even know if the Trump and her husband would stay in Brockton Bay, much less the Empire; while they weren't publicly known to be close associates of Max Anders, the organisation itself was likely to undergo a considerable shakeup now that he was dead. I wonder if I can get a message to them for old times' sake …

"Mind you, it could be much worse," the doctor assured her. "There have been minimal signs of infection, and you're a healthy woman. I've seen patients in worse shape than you pull through with no trouble whatsoever." He gave her a professional smile. "Trust me, you're in good hands here." The nurse leaned over to him and murmured something, and he brightened. "Oh, and before I forget, you have visitors. Do you want to see them?"

Kayden frowned. More visitors, you mean. "That depends. Are they wearing masks or suits?" Protectorate or PRT, in other words.

He shook his head. "No, I believe not."

She allowed a tiny thread of hope to spring to life in her heart. "Sure, let them in." If it was someone else here to bother her, she could always send them away again.

The doctor and nurse both left; a moment later, the curtains parted, and Theo stood there, holding … "Aster!" she gasped, her eyes opening wide and her hands going up instinctively, reaching out for the most precious thing in her existence.

"Hi, Mom," Theo offered, apparently unoffended by her focus on his sister. He placed her baby in her arms, careful not to let the infant rest on her abdomen. The baby's eyes opened and she smiled; Kayden's heart melted on the spot. Inhaling her child's fresh scent, she listened to Aster's happy gurglings and felt at peace.

"How are you feeling?" Theo asked, watching her face.

"Better, now," she said with a matching smile. Then what he'd said registered on her. "'Mom'? Really?" Up until now, he'd called her 'Kayden'.

He shuffled his feet awkwardly. That's Theo, all right. "I, uh, got to thinking after you got hurt. If I lost you, I've got no parents at all. And I don't want that. So I'm just gonna call you 'Mom', if that's okay?"

She smiled again, this time at him. He was socially unadapted, a little on the chubby side, and had little to nothing of Max's good looks. But he was devoted to Aster, and had always shown her unfailing respect. I could do worse for a son. "That's okay, Theo. Family needs to stick together."

"So, that mean me too?" The new voice came from behind Theo, but Kayden recognised it immediately. Annette moved all the way around the bed to come up on Kayden's other side. "I mean, I've already got a mom, but I'm down with having two moms. Even if you aren't a couple."

Kayden choked a little on that one. "Uh, I hardly think that's going to happen." While she didn't think she was about to start looking for another man in her life – Max had poisoned that well for good and all – nor was she even remotely considering the concept of starting a relationship with a woman instead. While Kayden had never held strong views on the subject, apart from a general feeling of ewww, she knew that others in the Empire did.

"Wow, did I just get rejected before I even walked into the room? That's a first." Andrea slipped into the enclosure and grinned at her past Theo's shoulder. "Oh, well, your loss. Leaves more time for me and Danny."

Kayden blinked at her. "What? You and Danny? But you … didn't you just move back into town?" She was sure she'd heard something of that sort.

"Sure." Andrea beamed at her. "But hey, catching up on lost time and all that. He's a good guy, and Taylor's just a sweetie."

"They said to say hi, by the way," Annette chimed in. "Taylor said they'd be along a little later. Something about her dad getting the tires replaced on his car. And Dinah said to say she hopes you get well soon."

But they barely know me. Kayden felt her eyes start to prickle with the emotion she was feeling. She rested her cheek against Aster's head. "Tell them all … tell them, thank you," she managed.

The way ahead would be anything but smooth, she knew. Between the Protectorate and PRT prying into her affairs and the Empire fragmenting and possibly lashing out at Brockton Bay, there was a strong chance of trouble in the future. But she had … friends? Friends who didn't seem to care about her past, who were willing to give her a second chance. Even if some of them were a little on the weird side, like Andrea and her daughter. Who was also Max's daughter, which made her family, in the same way that Theo was family. Kayden was still coming to terms with that bombshell. When did life get so complicated?

She wasn't sure about the answer to that one, but she was certain about one thing.

She couldn't wait to see what happened next.

End of Part Ten