“So, Zoe, what should we do first?”

 The more adultier adults had left, and Scarlett was in the bathroom. I was on my own. The small girl circled me, eyeing me like a lion ready to attack. I never considered myself to be terrified of children until I met Zoe Masters. She eyed me like she could see into my soul and know all of my deepest, darkest secrets.

 “Let’s play dollies.” Zoe took me by the hand and led me down the hall to her playroom. My stomach was in knots. I felt like the naïve, blonde coed in every horror movie ever, who goes to check out the scary noises in the basement. I made a mental note to see if Zoe had any superpowers. Penny tried to compel me into letting her eat ten pounds of candy for dinner. I could only imagine what the daughter of a tech genius would do.

 A door slid open as we approached.

 “Please don’t be an evil lair. Please don’t be an evil lair. Please don’t be an evil lair.”

 “Did you say something?” Zoe asked.

 I shook my head. “Nope.”

 “Oh, okay.”

 Inside the room was not the evil lair I had been anticipating. Instead, it was a room filled with every type of toy and learning equipment available as far as the eye could see. I quickly scanned Zoe’s biography on the tablet Deanna had given me. Zoe was homeschooled. That was interesting, but the tech genius and superhero couldn’t be too careful over the safety of his only child.

 Zoe held up a doll. “You can be the witch. We’ve been learning about the Salem Witch Trials.”

 “The Salem Witch Trials. That’s... fun...” My cellphone rang. “Just one second, sweetie.” I hit the green answer button. “Yellow? Oh, hey Scarlett.”

 “Dude... Clary! This bathroom is amazing. The shower is...” There was a rustling over the line. “The shower is bigger than you and Stupid Carl’s old apartment. And the tub! I could scuba dive in this tub. It’s amazing...”

 I smiled broadly and looked over at Zoe, who was lashing her doll to the stake. “Aren’t you supposed to be helping me babysit?”

 “The Crimson Defender is single, isn’t he? I think he is. I’d marry him, just for this bathroom.”

 “Scarlett O’Hara Boggs. Get your butt down here right now!”

 “Fine,” Scarlett replied. “But you better be nice to me if you want an invitation to my wedding to the Crimson Defender.”

 “Fine. Whatever. Just Get Here.” I shoved my cellphone into my pocket and turned to Zoe. “Now, so the Salem Witch Trials, huh? Zoe?” I spun around in a circle, looking for my young charge. The little girl had disappeared. “Zoe? Zoe, where’d you go?”

 I looked inside a pink, plastic play house. “Are you in here, Zoe? No? Zoe!”

 My charge was gone, and my anxiety was on the rise. With a toy room the size of a small shopping center and a head start, she could be anywhere. “ZOE!?”

 “Who are you calling for?” asked Scarlett, appearing by my side. Her hair was wet, and she smelled like mint and lavender.

 “Geez! Did you take a shower, Lettie?”

 She shrugged. “You would understand if you saw the bathroom of my dreams. Now, why were you screaming?”

 “I can’t find Zoe,” I reply, pacing.

 “What do you mean you lost her?”

 “Well,” I put my hands on my hips. “I set her down somewhere and now, I don’t remember where I put her.”

 Scarlett scowled. “Sarcasm is beneath you, Clar.”

 “Please, help me find her,” I beg my friend. “I have to find her.”

___

 “I still can’t believe you lost my future stepdaughter,” said Scarlett, as we searched the massive playroom.

 “Quit saying that,” I snap. “He’s like twenty years older than you, and you always said that you were allergic to commitment!”

 “I can make an exception for him,” she declared.

The tablet in my pocket vibrated. Video call from The Crimson Defender himself. Gulp.

“Hello?”

“Hi... Clary, is it? How are things going?” he asked.

“G-good. Good, I guess.”

The Crimson Defender nodded slightly. “Don’t forget about Oz, the Great and Powerful,” he said. His eyes widened as a missile whipped past him. “Oops. Gotta go. Bye.” The call disconnected.

“What was that about Oz?” asked Scarlett, peaking over my shoulder.

“Oz?”

I looked down at the tablet, feeling suddenly proud of myself for putting two and two together. Oz was the name of The Crimson Defender’s computer system. I tapped on the tablet.

“Okay, Oz?” I said aloud. “Any clues on how to find Zoe?”

A list of files appeared on the screen. I looked at Scarlett. “Which one should we pick?”

“How about...” Scarlett clicked on a random file. “This one.”

___

 After an hour or so of searching, Zoe was still missing.

 “Hey, Oz?” I ask the tablet. “Am I missing something here?”

 A new file appeared on the screen. Zoe Masters Biography.

 Now reader. I can guess what you are probably thinking. I would have started with this file first, but... bear with me.

 I opened up the file and read. It was well known across the interwebs that the Crimson Defender did not have superpowers. He created a suit of armor that allowed him to manipulate the elements: a different suit for each element. He was intelligent, powerful, and one of the most sought-after heroes by fan fiction writers.

 There was a lot in the file that I’m going to keep to myself out of respect for Zoe, but one fact, I have to share. Zoe’s mother is Valencia Torres, or the superhero named Mirage. One of Mirage’s primary abilities was invisibility.

 No wonder we couldn’t find her!

 “Oz, scan for heat signatures.” Now, reader, I had no idea that this would work, but it works in the movies. So, I figured what could it hurt? Like I said before - I'm not smart.

 Scanning now.

 On the screen, a map appeared with three heat signatures. One was Scarlett, taking her presumably second bath of the evening. One was me, and then there was a smaller dot trailing behind me.

 Grown-up me or rather, the grown-up version that my parents had tried to cajol me into being, should have politely asked Zoe to become visible again. This was the “good” plan; the smart plan. But it was not my plan. I might be the bigger person (literally) , but I’m also the pettier person.

___

 I ducked into the bathroom. The room was filled with steam as the shower blasted on full force.

 “Lettie?” I hiss.

 Scarlett wiped off part of the shower stall, revealing her face. “Clary? What are you doing in here? I’m taking a shower.”

 “So? What’s your point?”

 Scarlett shrugged. “Alright, fair. What’s up?”

 “Are you willing to help me put together an overly complicated Scooby-Doo-type trap?” I ask my friend, already knowing the answer.

 She turned off the water. “When do we start?”

___

 Is everything read? I text Scarlett.

 Ready Freddy.

 “Zoe! Where are you?” I call out loud, knowing full well that the invisible child was a few feet ahead of me. “Do you wanna watch a movie? Or have a snack?”

 I heard a soft giggle.

 “Zoe! Where are you?” I call again. This time, the giggle grew louder.

 We pushed down the hallway until we reached the tire wire Scarlett and strung across the hallway.

 Whoosh! Bing! Bang! And other sound effect words.

 Scarlett’s Rube-Goldberg machine was triggered. A few seconds later, a laundry basket fell from the ceiling, trapping the little girl beneath it.

 “Hey!” Zoe protested. She turned visible again. “No fair! Cheap! You guys cheated!”

 “How?” I challenge. “I thought we were playing hide and go seek, and I found you.”

 “Yeah, well...” She shook the bars of the laundry basket. “Will you let me out?”

 “What do you say?” asked Scarlett, coming from out around a corner.

 Zoe crossed her arms. “P’ease.”

 “And?”

 “And, will you p’ease let me out? I need to go potty.”

 “Thank you.” I lifted off the basket. “Let’s go potty.”

___

A few hours later...

 The sun set, bathing the city in warm, glowing light. The elevator chimed as it opened to the penthouse level.

 “How did everything go?” asked Deanna, smiling.

 I wiped the flour off my cheek from Zoe and I’s adventures while making chocolate chip cookies. “Pretty good, I guess. Zoe is excellent at playing hide and go seek." 

 Deanna smiled understandingly as she tapped on her tablet. “Robert should be home in a few minutes. There will be a car waiting for you downstairs.”

 “And money?” Scarlett asked.

 I nudged my friend in the ribs. “Don’t be rude...”

 “Payment will be wired to each of your accounts,” Deanna replied. “Thank you for all of your help girls.”

___

 A notification appeared on my cell phone screen as The Crimson Defender’s driver drove Scarlett and me back home.

 $250,000 has been transferred to your account.

 My eyes widened. “S-scar... Scarlett?”

 There is a second chime.

 “You have got to be kidding me,” Scarlett wheezed.

 “Did you just get a notification from the bank about an obscene amount of money?” I ask, clutching my phone to my chest.

 “Uh-huh. Did you?”

 “Yup.” I took a shaky breath. “You know what this means, don’t you?”

 “A trip to Disneyworld?”

 “Yes, that. And...” I looked over at my best friend. “We can definitely make this babysitting business thing happen.”