Wes is flushing under the attention of a very attractive woman, or at least, as far as I can tell from behind. It's a brown dress, but there are slits up to the side of some very muscular thighs, and she's got on some really sensible heeled leather knee-high boots and even gloves. Every motion the stranger makes is made in either strong confidence or flirty slyness. I can't exactly tell.

"I'll drop you off here," Burner says, startling me. He pounds a solid fist into my belly that makes my eyes almost bug out. "Go say hi to Wes for me, and try not to mess what's she's got going on right now for her."

I'm only too winded to respond, but I manage an indignant look before I leave the car and he drives off.

"Hey Wes," I say, jogging a little to reach her. "Burner says hi. Who was Tall, Dark, and Curvy I saw just sashaying away from you just now?"

"You're late," Wes says, elbowing me exactly where Burner punched me. I reel, but she doesn't notice. Her cheeks are still red and she's trying to pretend in the aftermath she didn't like the attention, hiding behind the bangs of her straight black hair. "And you know I'm not interested."

"Dunno," I say, trying to crane my neck. The woman with the dress and wicked gleam under her mask looks like someone that could probably rock Wes's world, and is currently chatting with her team. If I didn't know she was a superhero, I'd definitely know now. She's pounded a fist into a hand, and there's a small rumble of thunder accompanied by lightning. "She definitely seemed interested in you. Nemesis material?"

"I'm a negotiator," Wes says. "And getting people to listen to me is my job."

"Yes," I say empathetically. "She sure seemed like she was listening to you."

Wes scowls. "You're just imagining things. She had no idea about the supervillain thing, since I'm currently dressed like an educational traffic cone." She gestures to her blinding orange and yellow safety vest and knocks on her yellow helmet, unfortunately both sizes too big for her. "I'm about as undercover as you can get in plain sight without having a clipboard."

"What did she want?"

"Directions."

"To your heart?"

Wes gives me a withering look. Along with her winged eyeliner, it's a fierce combination. "Really, River? She was meeting up with her team, and she wasn't sure if she had the right location."

"The way I see it, she was really counting on you to look at her butt as she left." I'm really not convinced it was all that innocent. "Anyway, if she found out, would you ask her?"

Wes shrugs. "Not really?"

"What?" I balk. Burner had seemed thrilled. "Why not?"

"I just want a nemesis without any of the sexual tension," Wes says. "She's giving me a lot more of..." She makes a face, scrunching up the freckles on her button nose. "That than I'm ready for. You know I don't bond quick with people. Or like a lot of people, either."

"Maybe she'll be one of your exceptions?"

"No thanks."

"Not even if she's a potential nemesis?"

"Ugh, again with the nemesis thing. You know what? I'll be honest." Wes grimaces. "I just want, like, I don't know. Someone I can exchange fisticuffs with Monday to Friday that'll pretend I don't exist on the weekends. That'll be a good nemesis for me."

I end up losing it. "You used 'exchange fisticuffs'. You're officially an old person."

"You know what I mean." Wes snaps. "I'm not looking for any of that. It's trouble, especially when you know straight up from the start it can't happen."

Ah well, Wes is getting snippy. "Shame for her." I hum, sliding my arm around Wes's shoulders casually. Relax, Wes, and remember you love me. "Well, you'll always have me."

She relaxes. "Grudgingly." Her gaze slides to me, and then down. Her eyebrows furrow. "What the hell happened to you?"

I can be nothing but honest to someone who loves me. "A building fell on me."

"What!" She pulls my arm off her. Violently.

"Ow, ow, ow!"

"You're not okay," she affirms, and then puts a hand on my cheek. "What's broken?"

"Nothing," I reply, but I let her scan me, her hand placed a few centimetres away from my body as she moves it up and down. "League officer said it was just bruising. And also, to get here, I had to interrupt Burner in the middle of--"

"Oh, yeah," Wes says. "Heard about him and Lockdown. They're what? Together now? Not bad. He's finally developed some taste."

I feel cheated. "Did everyone know except me?"

"Don't know, don't care." Wes pauses, lifting up the hem of my shirt to poke at the especially bad bruising on my stomach. "Did he give you this?"

"He was happy to see me," I lie. "But yes."

"I won't pretend to understand you two, ever," she replies, "but let me work some magic."

As she fixes me up, I feel compelled to say, "It's kind of interesting he didn't give me any burns. I think he's mellowing out."

"Or, the Alliance could suspend his license for abuse of his powers and rank? Technically since he graduated last year, he's one of our seniors."

"Well, yeah," I concede, not at all convinced, "that too."

"Hey," Wes says. She's finished now. When I move my body experimentally, I feel no pain. I take the opportunity to try out a squat. "I've been in the field a little longer than you, and I can tell you that this whole thing? It's serious. Be careful."

"When have you never known me not to be careful?" I ask. I'm already envisioning a high-speed car chase in an action movie, starring me.

Wes cloaks me in a final protective layer, barely felt, and shoots me an exasperated look. "I won't answer that." She pats my arm, and pulls open the fence for me to slip in. "Now report to the team lead, before he busts you on the first day for not showing up."