Rudy arrived at the burned-out office building. Flat rested, wrapped in a blanket next to the Barista's truck. The medics had cleared her. Puddles was giving a statement to the fire department investigator.

"Dark Inferno was in the office?" Rudy said.

"He burned everything. I saw the Rolodex burn. And C O D had bombs inside," Flat said.

"That solves a few problems.” Rudy pulled out his cell phone to send a text.

"Rudy?"

"Yeah?" Rudy said.

"Did I just die?" Flat said.

"No. The Dark Barista's Samovar heals the good, the noble, and the true. It can not bring back the dead.”

"Are you sure?" Flat said.

"No one would let him keep it," Rudy said.

Flat pulled the blanket tighter around her. "I didn't ask for any of this. I just got exploded out a window.”

Rudy nodded. "Go-Go got her teeth knocked out, Gyaru was stabbed with a spear and had an anvil dropped on her head.”

"I don't want to be a hero," Flat said.

Rudy sat down next to Flat. “I didn't. I wanted to play football. Baselines are not allowed to compete in school or pro sports.”

"No. You're not going to make this about you," Flat said.

"Hold on.”

"I don't want to be a hero," Flat said.

"None of us want to be heroes. When you see it up close, nobody wants this," Rudy waved at the burning building.

"Is it like this for all of us?" Flat said.

"Look at our myths and legends. Odysseus wanted to go home; Perseus had an abusive stepmother, and Hercules atoned for his sin. We are the children of heroes. If we walk away from destiny, the world will conspire against us," Rudy said.

"What sin did Hercules commit?" Flat said.

"He got drunk and murdered his wife and kids.”

"Do I have any real problems?" Flat said.

"You just got blown up. It's understandable. You can't go back to your life before your powers manifested," Rudy said.

"I didn't even get a chance to have a life.”

"You're a drummer," Rudy said.

"Percussionist," Flat said.

"You hit things. You can do that a lot better now," Rudy said.

"I guess.”

"Each of us is vulnerable to something," Rudy said.

Flat looked down at the ground. "What if I died?".

"I'd be sad," Rudy said.

"Can we call it a day?" Flat said.

"I think so. See you tomorrow?" Rudy said.

Flat got up to go back to the van. "Yeah.” Flat stopped to look back at Rudy. “That good, noble, and true. Is that me?”

"At least one of them," Rudy said.

"I'm heading home. My dad is coming in for the holiday weekend. See you Monday," Margret said.

"I’ll see you Monday," Misty said.

The car drove away, and Margret was headed back to Tennessee. Misty teleported away. She had stopped hiding her powers at school. But hadn't told Margret yet.

Misty teleported into her secret lair, a storage unit in Detroit. The floors had Turkish rugs. A dressing table, blocked in with black silk Shoji screens. On top of the table was a mirror and mannequin head for the mask. Two porcelain dolls with hand-painted skull masks smiled at her from a bookshelf. In the shadows, past the screens, garment racks held her collection of goth loli dresses.

The rest of the storage unit, hidden in a deeper darkness, held barrels of cannonballs and stacks of railroad ties. The door had a dozen anvils piled up in front. Misty dropped the book bag by the table and teleported home.

Flat waited in Coy's office. She looked at the crime scene pictures of the Sparks' home. The melted bay window was the same at the lawyer's office.

Coy spoke on the phone with the North East field office in Trenton.

"She's in her dorm room. I'll have my people take a statement when she's ready," Coy said. He hung up the phone. The wall clock clicked.

"Go sit with Misty. Give Ursula a break," Coy said.

"Why me?" Flat said.

"You didn't conspire against her. You tried to be friends. And I don't find Jenny Cooper reliable right now," Coy said.

"Sure, I'll go," Flat said.

"Felicity. Things are moving with Misty and Jenny. I need you with Misty. Please don't get distracted by this. As cruel as it may sound," Coy said.

Flat got up to leave. "I got exploded today.”

"And your not busy being dead," Coy said.

"Does this ever end?" Flat said.

"No."

"I hate being an adult," Flat said.

"Sucks, doesn't it?" Coy said.

Go-Go looked in the mirror. She moved the lip up to see the gap. The lip dropped back down into a broken smile.

I've had enough of this. It needs to stop, Go-Go thought.

She picked up the pill bottle, and the tears started again. The whole bottle of pills poured into her hand. She let them slip down the sink. With her phone, she speed-dialed number two.

"Mom, can you run down and pick me up? I want to go home I don’t want to run alone." Go-Go set the phone down as Florida ran into the bathroom.

"Don't!" Florida said reaching for Go-Go’s hand. Maple followed behind her.

"Honey I didn't," Go-Go said.

Flat waited with Misty by the bed. Misty had been crying when Flat came to relieve Mama Bear. Now she laid on the bed with her face in the pillow. The middle school dorms were single-room efficiencies. The room had a desk, a bed, a sink as a kitchenette, and a bathroom. Being late Friday and the start of the holiday weekend, anyone that knew Misty had gone home. A cat in a carrier hissed at everyone but Misty. Flat had hoped to cook some food or at least coffee. Anything to help get the girl to talk.

Maple and Florida came by later and brought a deck of cards. It didn't get the girl to do anything. Mama Bear had wanted to give her a sleeping pill, but Misty refused. And Flat didn't push anything. Misty could leave or send someone away when she wanted.

"Misty, can we get you some food?" Maple said.

Flat saw Florida's eyes fluttering as she reached over to Misty.

"I want ice cream," Misty said.

"We can...Flora?" Maple said as Florida fell over.

"Misty. Plotting vengeance." Florida said.

Flat touched Misty's shoulder. "Wait.”

The mists teleported them to a different room. Flat could smell the cooler air. "Where are we?" Flat said.

"My secret lair," Misty said. She started to look through the dresses on a rack and changed her mind. The mask appeared in her hand and Misty slipped it over her face. The hair on Flat's neck stood up. Misty’s eyes seemed lost under the day of the dead mask.

"Misty, we can find out who did this and bring them to justice," Flat said.

"I’m a third-generation criminal. What justice? Who’ll give me any justice? I'll end up in a lab," Misty said.

"You're not alone…We are South," Flat said.

Misty's shoulders dropped. She removed the mask. "After the gym? After Homecoming?"

"Let us help. You're too young for revenge," Flat said.

"I promised Archie not to hurt anyone. But they killed my mom," Misty started crying again.

Flat hugged her. "Justice is not vengeance.”

Then Misty's phone rang. The Firebird suite played.

Misty's phone was off. I saw her turn it off, Flat thought.

Misty broke the embrace, and Flat saw the young girl's tears stop. Her face turned neutral. What did the Cartel do to her? Flat thought.

"That's work. I have to take it," Misty said.

"No. You don't," Flat said. The screen showed 'Work.'

Misty swiped. "Hello…Yes… I'll have a guest with me.” The phone turned off by itself.

"You can't go to work now," Flat said.

"It's the big guy. He wants to talk.”

"I guess I could walk back to school," Flat said.

"We're in Detroit. If I bring you, He shouldn't keep us long," Misty said.

The change in air pressure felt very different. The girls stood in a vast hall of ruff carved stone. Lights glared down from fifty feet above.

"Where are we?" Flat said.

"Antarctica," A man said as he walked up to them. A man with pale skin, and long black hair streaked with white stripes like a tiger, His body looked like a Greek god chiseled from marble in a finely tailored suit. His eyes were a startling bright blue that glowed like lamps.

"Welcome to Mount Erebus.”

Flat recognized this man. From pictures at school and warnings. The great enemy. Manticore.

"Hello Misty," Manticore said.

"Hello Sir.”

He pointed to Flat. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Felicity Fisher. Her code name is Flat," Misty said. "Flat, this is Manticore, Breaker of Heroes and Conqueror of the World."

"Hey…Nice secret lair. You're supposed to be dead.”

"Peace and quiet. I'm sorry about your parents and brother. I found out too late to stop anything," Manticore said.

"You called for an apology?" Misty said.

"No. Please see Mister Fennec. He has a new set of I D and financial documents for you. I'll entertain Miss Fisher until you get back," Manticore said. Misty teleported away.

Flat stepped back into a boxing stance, her hands up. Manticore started to laugh. "No. Not that. I'm a Super Scientist. I need to monologue once a day," Manticore said.

Flat lowered her guard. "Please, tell me your fiendish plan.”

"I shall. It's a good one. You see, about ten years ago. I, Manticore conquered the world. A flawless victory that no one noticed. I've regretted it ever since. Now, I'm spinning plates like a juggler to hold back the chaos. I alone keep crime organized and reasonable.”

Flat raised a finger. "Reasonable is up for debate.”

"Another time," Manticore said. "Do you know what the threat is to my conquest?"

"Major Justice and the National Squad?' Flat said.

"Not even close. It's supervillains," Manticore said.

"Supervillains?"

"Yes. Heroes follow the rules and would put me in jail. That's why I have lawyers. But supervillains can see through schemes and plans. They'll leave you dead in a ditch. And how do I deal with Supervillains? I'll tell you. Funding."

"Funding?" Flat said.

"Yes. Funding. I already move billions of Dollars, Euros, and Crypto a day in bribes and largess. I own the world leaders. Why fight supervillains? When I can have a government program; funded with taxpayer dollars do that for me. Like a Junior Hero Program.”

"That's why I get five uniforms? And food. That's why Brain Girl gets a workshop," Flat said.

"Yes. Yes, you get it. What's a hundred million dollars for a high school in the national budget? Nothing. In some ways, you're better funded than the military. All the N A H A schools have Mistys and Susans. I need them turned into heroes.”

"Heroes?" Flat said. Why does he know about Susan? Flat thought.

Manticore smiled as he saw the reality cross Flat's face. "Misty's power is exceedingly rare. She has the potential to grow. We can not risk creating a monster.”

Misty returned with two plastic bags. "I took some ice cream.” She handed one bag to Flat.

"It's Antarctica. I have plenty. Did I win the betting pool? Miss Frances Bouvier?" Manticore said.

"Melissa Jones.”

"Maybe next time. Felicity, it has been a pleasure talking with you," Manticore said.

"I think so," Flat said.

"Before you go. Pro tip, as a baseline, you should be taking collagen supplements. And if you tell anyone about this place…No one will believe it."

Gyaru walked into the dorm to see Go-Go on the couch. She looked worn out; stress had aged her. "You want to talk?"

"No. But I should before I leave," Go-Go said.

Gyaru lit a cigarette and passed it to Go-Go. "Leave?" Gyaru said.

Go-Go took a puff and handed it back. "I'm going home for a while. I'll finish school remotely.” Say that seemed release tension in the speedster.

"We're graduating together," Gyaru said.

"We are. I'll be back. But Honey, I've been such a shit.”

"If you admit it, I can let it go," Gyaru said.

"It's bothering me. I should have been able to stop Misty in the gym. I hesitated. I'm five years older. Why can't I stop this one girl? I can't act. I'm headed back to Raleigh," Go-Go said. "To spend time with my family. Get my head right."

With a knock at the door, Colby came in. "Go-Go, your mom is down in the Atrium," Colby said.

"Call me when you get home," Gyaru said. Go-Go zipped behind Gyaru to tie the ribbon to the taller girl's ponytail. Gyaru reached up to the ribbon as Go-Go walked to the door.

"I need to be on the road for a while. It will help clear my head. Barbra, I'll call you," Go-Go said.

"Call me," Gyaru said. Colby and Gyaru watched Go-Go walk down the hall.

Gyaru grabbed Colby by the collar to pull her back into the room. "What's Misty's real name?"

"She has privacy," Colby said. Gyaru lifted Colby off the floor.

"Misty Sparks.”

Colby dropped back to the floor. Gyaru had to lean on the Kitchen island for a momnet. "Blitzy Sparks is her mother? Oh, Go-Go."

"That's right,” Colby said putting her shirt collar back in place. “The I-485 speedster feud."

Flat and Misty came back to school. When Misty teleported them back to her room, Maple and Florida were in Coy's office. After getting over the surprise teleportation, the girls settled in with the ice cream. Florida had never heard of Spumoni.

"Where did you get this?" Florida said.

"There's a shop in Belgium I like," Misty said. Flat looked at Misty's phone it was off and charging. She lied with such ease.

Manticore, you did something to this girl, Flat thought.

"Misty. I have to make a phone call don't go anywhere without me," Flat said.

"Alright," Misty said.

Flat walked out to the dorm commons and dropped on the couch. She dialed her mother.

"Felicity? Are you coming home tomorrow?" Karol said.

"Mom, things came up at school. I'll be here for the holiday weekend," Flat said.

"Don't any of you heroes take a break?" Karol said.

"It's not like that," Flat said. Mist puffed next to her. Misty was on the other end of the couch.

"You don't have to miss Thanksgiving," Misty said.

"Mom, hold on," Flat said, holding the phone to the side. "You can't be here alone.”

"Bring her here," Karol said over the phone, her voice far away.

"What?" Flat said.

"I said bring her here," Karol said.

"Well?" Flat said to Misty.

"I'll go.”

"Mom, three of us for dinner tomorrow," Flat said.

"Three?" Karol said.

"Crested is alone too.”