Tam ducked behind a modesty curtain to pick out a wedgie, Elsie wasn’t witness to whether it was front or back and the thought occurred as to why that had even mattered to her when she watched her friend hobble away.

“I love a bit of gussying up as much as the next girl but this is…” Tam sighed.

Elsie mimicked the noise, like an animal showing its agreement. She didn’t want to be heard complaining. Participating in propaganda- correction supplied by the National Hero Commission: promotional appearances and photo shoots – was all part of the contract that registered heroes were required to sign. Which sounded exciting until you realised you were last on the schedule but still had to be on set and dressed up alongside the sunrise. Being lowly Grade 4s, they were not the priority in front of the camera. At least they got to fangirl in total stillness at the more important heroes to pass them. Today they’d been in the same dressing room as Evergreen, and Crossbeam had strutted past them chatting to The Berg.  They were grouped with other Grade 4s, including G-Force from their training centre, for a series of photos acquainting local people with those who patrol their neighbourhoods.

Usually they got a little more notice of promotional campaigns, carefully planned in advance by marketing executives, timed with national events, co-ordinated between counties. This was a reactive campaign. An urgently required reaction from the government to the rumours that had flooded news sites, and would soon be confirmed as accurate once the Hero Commission had their assets prepared: that the mob had bought themselves a Grade 1 villain.

Had Elsie heard the name Zev prior to this unfortunate (horrifying) announcement? Of course. His services included unimaginable crimes that the entire world morbidly speculated on. Had she ever considered for a moment that he would find an employer willing to pay his fees to turn up in her country? No. They weren’t on any side of a war. They weren’t rich in resources that would pique the interest of thieves. They weren’t harbouring any hero equal to his power.

And this was on top of the return of their own country’s most fearsome supervillain just days earlier. Whether Zev had been brought in as a response to Blackout, or a retaliation to the clampdown on mob activities, it was another big, stinking problem on the Hero Commission’s doorstep. The public were skittish, wealthy people were jetting off to other countries while the storm settled, stocks were shaky… and Elsie’s grin was supposed to soothe this somehow.

“Let’s put green hair far from that teal boy for the group photo,” mumbled the man behind the camera, nodding without subtlety at Elsie. Although she usually wore her long locks tied up in Tam’s intricate styles, most heroes kept theirs short and ready for action, so the stylists had left hers down to offer some variety. Tam had instructed her to pull half over one shoulder and let the other half hang behind her for a prettier look. Elsie wasn’t sure ‘pretty’ was the intention. Still, she’d taken her orders from the lipstick lesbian and halved her hair. “They’ll clash,” the photographer continued with a sigh. “Same for the pink suit one and the kid with the orange highlights.” Assistants bustled up to the waiting Grade 4s and directed them into a huddle in front of a white screen that began beneath their feet and nearly reached the ceiling. They were given notes of ‘heads up’ and ‘backs straight’ and ‘only put your hands on your hips if you’re back line, please.’

Elsie wasn’t tall enough to make back line or short enough to be scrunched down in the front, but she had enough skin out from her supersuit to show off muscle that had her wedged on the end and told to clench her visible arm.

“You,” the photographer called to her. “You’re the one that’s been going head-to-head with the mob, right?” He looked to one of his assistants who garbled something about having seen Emerald Eclipse on the news. “Let’s get a few with you in the middle.”

Elsie hoped her blush wasn’t showing up as harsh on camera as it felt on her skin. “I- Um-” Jules wouldn’t want her to deny it. It felt like a huge thing to be claiming though-

“Are you the reason they brought in Zev?” A man in alternating navy and aquamarine stripes scoffed, looking her over as though her biceps weren’t bigger than his.

Elsie laughed off his words, rolling her eyes at him for the crowd. “Not a chance. I’ve just been lucky enough to get to work some missions against them.” An exaggeration was better than floundering in front of her cohort.

The photographer waved her along. “Still, you’re known, so get in the centre for a couple of shots.”

She obeyed and flexed a step in front of blue-boy-whoever-he-is. Flashes of light and clicking noises from the photographer and his camera filled the space for a minute max before they were all shooed off to be filed back one by one for their individual shoots, the long morning still not over yet.

Back at the training centre by lunchtime, Tam and Elsie’s research club was once again in session.

The target had shifted slightly – not Blackout herself but those she targeted. It was Tam’s idea, although Elsie had a feeling she just wanted an excuse for some arts and crafts. She had gold glittery twine stretching across two tables’ worth of maps. A wide net. Elsie noted every business that had suffered at Blackout’s hand in a spreadsheet, along with any notable people that worked for or with them.

“What are you two up to?” Jules had honed the skill of starting his sentences just as he stepped through one of his glowing portals. Never a syllable lost to the ether.

“Research,” the pair trilled in unison. Elsie tapped away at the laptop balanced on her knee, Tam fought to release her fingers from the glue she had pressed the string down with.

Jules sidled up between them, scanning their work. “On?”

Both girls faltered. They looked to each other, then to their mentor like deer caught on night vision cameras hidden in the woods. Mid-motion and rather green summed up Elsie pretty well.

Jules hummed disapprovingly. “Is this a productive use of your time?”

“Blackout is back-” Tam tried to reason.

“And we have experts in tracking and investigation who are already on the case. This is not your department, nor are you trained to find – and certainly not fight – a Grade 1 supervillain.” He looked to Elsie and paused as though checking her over with his gaze. “If you’re scared, you can speak to me.”

“We’re not scared!” Tam was indignant on Elsie’s behalf. Elsie was frozen under her mentor’s disappointment. “Everyone should be focused on her, it’s natural.”

Jules stepped away with a sigh. “Ensure you still make your training sessions.” The issue was not put to rest, though, she could see it in his eyes. As though he was hoping she would say something more. Elsie nodded but didn’t.

As soon as he had been swallowed back up by his departing portal, Tam was back to prodding her sticky fingers over their Blackout spiderweb. “Come on, we’ve got patrols later. Best to finish this up before then so we don’t have to remember where we got to...”

She was right. Jules’ expression stayed with her, though.