"She didn't even welcome me back! She just sent me out for two f***ing planks of balsa wood and thermite! What even is thermite? And what's the f*** is balsa wood supposed to be for?"

Jayden didn't quite remember Roux swearing so much. She'd changed so much since the last time she saw her. Roux had traded in curls for a beanie, jewels for a choker. She still wore a dress, but it was a pink sundress covered in the logo of some time-travelling doctor. Jayden almost didn't recognize the girl covered in sunshines and rainbows and puppies and happiness linked at her arm. "And I still don't even know the f***ing plan!" she yelled, throwing her arms up.

"I also don't know the plan," Jayden reminded the animated redhead. “Brandy sent us both out for supplies."

The two were leisurely strolling along the glass walkways. For once, no one had to hide. The two surface girls blended in perfectly with the other waitresses and students wandering the city.

Jayden reached a hand out to brush the lights floating along the walkways. She always loved the artificial lights underground better. There was no natural sunlight down there, so their lights were brighter and better. Trying to study under a floating soft glow was a nice thought, but a very annoying reality.

She also missed the weight of the papers and textbooks in her bag. When her bag was heavy, it almost felt like she was being grounded, tethered so she doesn’t spiral out of control or fly too close to the sun. Now, her bag was empty except for a wad of envelopes that Brandy instructed her to distribute. She hadn’t felt this light since middle school, and she didn’t like it.

The envelopes had looked out of place in Brandy’s hands; most of her things were chipped and covered in blood, not white cardstock envelopes sealed with some sort of blue wax seal. Brandy had told Jayden not to read the letters inside, so she didn't. Roux had no such reservations however, so she tore one open, only to find a piece of hastily folded paper that read "the fire reveals all."

"Well, she's…."

“Eccentric?”

“That. She’s that,” Roux remarked.

"Yeah, that never changed."

"What do you think it means? Anti-war propaganda? "

Jayden sighed. "I bet it's another book reference. She does that a lot. 1984? Fahrenheit 451?"

“I know neither of those,” Roux laughed. She skipped ahead and twirled around in her dress. "So what’s the balsa wood for? Or thermite?"

"Tsk. I know, but I don't think you'd want to.” Jayden crossed her arms behind her back and smiled ruefully. “Five years of physics and chemistry and all.”

"Ugh. Couldn't she, have, like, ordered stuff online? I didn’t even know this city had physical stores anymore."

"Remember? Tech doesn't work down there.” Jayden missed the weight of her notepad, the knowledge of the world at her fingertips. “I could've though, from my dorm room. Didn’t have to leave at all during finals week. " She sighed. “Makes me miss my days in university."

"How was that, by the way? University?"

"Well, I was a hotshot engineering major..."

And so the treacherous supervillains, wanted criminals, superpowered genius and fighter, were teenage girls again, free to do what teenage girls do.

“So… is this… a grocery list?” Roux was looking over the list of items Brandy sent them out to find. “I mean, we literally have stuff like milk and eggs and lettuce.”

“And bleach and thermite,” Jayden recited, not even needing to look at the list. “Balsa wood. Send Brandy’s busted projector to the repair shop. That all sounds legitimate.”

“And coffee. And… orange juice?”

Jayden rolled her eyes. “You’re right. Typical. She just wanted us to do her grocery shopping.”

They trekked up a couple dozen flights of stairs, since Jayden couldn’t use the transporter systems, and ended up at a small-time repair shop. By the end, Jayden was breathing heavily, and her right knee was throbbing so much she could barely walk without limping.

“I could’ve just snuck you on,” Roux said. “I still have a transporter pass.”

“No thanks,” Jayden breathed. “I’d rather… not… get arrested for… for skipping transporter fare.”

They gave Brandy’s projector to the woman sitting behind the counter, and got a ticket they’d have to present when they pick it up in a week. As a last thought, Jayden handed the repair woman the envelope.

The woman’s eyes widened at the sight of it, and looked between Roux and Jayden in awe. The two, suddenly alarmed, glanced frantically at each other. Seeing their reaction, the woman toned her own down. She put the envelope safely inside her coat and waved goodbye to the pair.

In fact, something similar happened every time they gave out one of the envelopes. Brandy had told them to give one to everyone they buy something from, and either she knew who they were buying from, or every vendor the city was in on some kind of conspiracy or book club. Jayden didn’t think too much about it, but Roux was so utterly annoyed at Brandy that she spent their entire walk grumbling.

When they were done buying some 2x4 balsa wood planks, Roux raised some shadow monsters and got them to carry the planks. She took a bow and raised Jayden’s signature two-fingered salute, and rode a wave of shadow to the underground.

Jayden smirked. Roux always knew them all best.