With her mind cleared, Amy noticed that Kim and Bri had guided her to the nearby storefronts. A few pedestrians waiting at the intersection looked their way in quiet curiosity. Amy’s insides tightened at the thought of having made a scene.

“I didn’t mean to cause trouble …”

Kim smiled and made a soft, amused huff as she sidled closer to her friend in supportive silence.

Bri leaned against Amy’s other side and spoke comfortingly, “Oh come on Aim, it’s Chicago. Even if spells and bullets start flying, most people would just mind their own business.”

Amy had to chuckle as she took a deep, centering breath.

“I still don’t know why I’ve been in such a funk lately.”

“Maybe it’s not you?” Bri suggested. “You always look out for everyone, you know. Maybe someone you love is having it rough, and you’ve been helping take the pain away?”

“Definitely possible,” Kim nodded in agreement.

Amy frowned as she considered it. “But everyone I love is doing fine …”

‘bee bee beep – beep – beeee …’

The cheerful ringtone from the phone at Kim’s hip cut off Amy’s train of thought.

“Hey Tonya, what’s up?”

“Where are you three at right now?”

“Um, a few blocks from McCormick?”

“Right by Joey’s Subs,” Amy clarified, “and that Elven Soup place with the impossible name.”

“Perfect! I was hoping you weren’t on the electric yet.”

“We got delayed,” Kim answered diplomatically.

“How fast can you three get to the Green Line station?”

The three turned as one to look back the way they’d come. The distinctive tubular structure straddling Cermak was visible a few blocks away.

“Under a minute at a dead run if Amy carries Bri and traffic cooperates?”

“Go! We’ve got an emergency breaking job. Bonus for speed!”

Amy was already scooping Bri up in a princess carry as Kim announced,

“Let’s Hunt!”

The people nearby must have been listening. Several of them cheered in encouragement as they made way for the now sprinting women.

Just seconds into their mad dash,

“CAR!”

At Kim’s sharp warning, Amy willed a surge of magical power into her legs. She followed Kim’s lead in a bounding long jump over a convertible that had emerged from an alleyway. A perfect, running landing prompted Bri to croon,

“Amy Tucker, you’re my hero …”

Amy was more concerned about the lights changing at the next intersection.

“Bri, get us over Wabash and you’re the hero.”

Ignoring her instincts to slow down, Amy continued charging toward the now moving cross traffic. She sensed Bri pouring magic into a powerful conjuration, and she trusted her friend could get the job done.

“A little help?” Kim called back.

“She’s on it!”

Seconds from disaster, the glowing forms of half a dozen spirits coalesced before them. Swirls of leaves, litter, and random debris formed into irregular, flimsy looking stepping-stones leading over the street.

“Just run!” Bri gasped, “Trust the spirits!”

Kim pounded up the makeshift stairs to the gaping amazement of several onlookers. At the sight of the steps exploding after use, Amy had to fight back the warning screaming in her mind. Sure enough, new platforms reformed under her feet, perfectly placed and timed. Although this was far from the wildest stunt they’d ever pulled, it was still impressive enough to draw amazed gasps and wolf whistles.

Wait, wolf whistles?

Amy was halfway across the ‘bridge’ when she realized she was fifteen feet in the air … in a skirt.

Oh well, at least she was wearing full length leggings underneath.

After half-sliding, half-falling through the downward-side, the trio began pelting down the final stretch.

“We’re almost there,” Kim exclaimed to the russet colored bird spirit now flying in pace with her.

Tonya’s voice came from her signature humming-pigeon,

“Good. Take the regular public entrance. CTA is making a path for you.”

Sure enough, the crowd at the entrance had parted to let them rush through the glass door that was being held open by a kindly old gentleman in blue.

“Thank you, and hurry!” he called to them.

The turnstile proved a brief, frustrating obstacle. Several tense seconds later, the women were back to racing up the steps. Amy had ignominiously tossed Bri over her shoulder.

“Hey!”

“Sorry Bri, this is the fastest way.”

Amy could already hear the commotion from above as pigeon-Tonya explained the situation,

“Some dumb butt released a whole flock of duplicating advertising spells on the platform. No need to save any evidence, just nuke them all. Targeted disenchanting only, though. We need to avoid taking out any legitimate control and maintenance magic.”

The three Wise Gals burst into a scene of unadulterated chaos.

People scrambled about or hunkered down, trying to avoid the onslaught of a horde of flying, window sized rectangles. Each magical screen blazed with a riot of color and sound, a violent testament to the lengths businesses would go to reach potential customers. Not that this particular attempt was doing anything other than overwhelming its target audience.

A handful of valiant CTA workers were ineffectually trying to chase away the offending magic with brooms, binders, even waving arms. A trio of Sacred Sisters in formal whites and their flying, angelic assistants were having a little more success. Unfortunately, each duplicate struck down by a Sister’s glowing staff or cherub’s sword was quickly replaced.

After tossing a pair of calming charms to help prevent anyone from stumbling onto the tracks in blind desperation, Kim grabbed her friends’ hands to form a combined attack effort.

“Bri, you paint the targets I mark for Amy while I hunt for the source code.”

“Got it!” “Can do!”

Amy was already popping groups of purple marked targets in rapid succession as Kim continued,

“The master copy has to be nearby for them to be regenerating this quickly. It’s probably … THERE!”

The instant Bri tagged the offending spellform, Amy surrounded it with binding magic. With its escape thoroughly blocked, she poured all her efforts into crushing it without mercy. The spell’s reasonably robust magic shield was no match for an elite Breaker’s overwhelming force.

The little ‘pop!’ it made before dissipating feebly was almost anticlimactic.

It took a minute or two to clear out the remaining duplicates, and even longer for everyone at the station to realize the situation was under control. As CTA workers and Sacred Sisters helped people back to their feet and out from under benches, Tonya’s hovering spirit pigeon congratulated them,

“Well done, Gals!”