Lauren’s hands wouldn’t stop trembling.

  Last night, when sleep finally found her, so too did nightmares. For the first time in a long time, they weren’t about Dr. Smythe and the lab. In them she was back in the sewer, strangling the life out of Brain Drain. She couldn’t let go. She felt his life weakening, then leaving his body. Seeing his horribly red face. In the nightmares, she didn’t stop until his eyes burst and his neck snapped. Over and over again. The worst part of it was not knowing if she was in control of the action. She didn’t know if she wanted to be.

  Lucy touched her shoulder. “Hey, are you okay?”

  They stood outside the door to dorm 6. Over sixteen hours since Mara had been taken by the subterrans. The time gnawed relentlessly at her. Every hour was another Mara was trapped, alone, possibly being hurt or mutated. Lauren remembered her first hours of chaos and confusion after being trapped by the doctor. At least she had a sister. And her captor was human. Mara had no one else down there in the dark. But they needed the time to plan, rest, and prepare. She could only will Mara to be strong and brave. They were coming.

  Lauren laced her hands together, willing them both to stop shaking. She tried to breathe calmly.

  “I think… I’m afraid,” she confided in her friend.

  Lucy’s eyes pooled with deep concern and understanding. “Of course. We’re gonna get her back. We—”

  “Not about that,” Lauren said. She bit her lip. Sharing personal things didn’t come easily to her. Her emotional skills were stunted, she knew that well enough. Not even just from two years of near isolation in the lab. She never had much of a chance to be emotionally well-regulated.

  “I… I think there’s something else inside me,” Lauren said, her voice quiet.

  “Like what?”

  Again, Lauren saw the copy of herself in her mind, face with a blank stare as it grappled with Brain Drain.

  “I think I can feel the thing Dr. Smythe put inside me. It helps me when I fight, but… sometimes it does more than just help. Sometimes it feels like it wants to take over. I think it’s dangerous. I’m afraid of losing control.”

  Lucy nodded, considering that. “Maybe after we rescue Mara, you should take a break,” she suggested softly.

  Lauren recoiled. “A break?”

  “Just from the frontline stuff,” Lucy said. “I know you need to find your sister, but you don’t want to lose yourself, too, right? Rachel wouldn’t want that…”

  Lauren turned away. Her mouth clamped shut. None of them knew Rachel. Opening up about it was a mistake. Even to Lucy. She’d handle it. Just like she always handled her own business. She clenched her hands, forcing them to stop their movement. What was there even to be afraid of? Her senses saved her from danger. They saved her from Brain Drain, helped beat the subterrans, and more. She would just have to learn to control them better. It wasn’t the time to give up.

  “I don’t need a break. I’ll handle it,” she said.

  Lucy extended a hand to touch her elbow. “Lauren…”

  They were interrupted by the door in front of them opening. Cleo stood there with a hand on her hip, peering peevishly at the two girls. Still in pajamas, her hair unbrushed. Gum snapped in her mouth, even this early.

  “Why are you two creeping outside my door?” Cleo asked.

  “We need to talk,” Lauren said.

  Five minutes later, Lauren and Lucy stood in front of Cleo sitting on her couch. She was still unimpressed. Her arms crossed underneath her chest. She glanced back and forth between her visitors.

  “Why would I go down into the sewers with you?” Cleo asked.

  Lauren grunted. This was a waste of time. Trying to recruit Cleo was Lucy’s idea. She didn’t have much faith in the plan. But she gave it one more shot.

  “We just explained this. We need to find Mara. You can sense vibrations in the ground, right? It’s part of your rock powers? We need you to find the monsters that took her.”

  “But why would I go into the sewers?” she emphasized again.

  “Because you’re a hero that wants to help people?” Lucy tried. Ever the optimist. That wasn’t why Cleo was here, Lauren knew. She wanted recognition. There were no cameras to boost her popularity as a hero in the sewers.

  “Mmm, no. The sewers are nasty and dark and gross. I’m not gonna become a sex slave to the rat people. Sorry about your friend or whatever, but, like…” Her shoulders rose and fell without sympathy. “…maybe don’t do that kind of thing?”

  Lauren put a hand over her face to block an outburst that would dash any slim hope remaining. Of all the people to have the powerset they need, of course it had to be her.

  “Look, what do we need to promise you to get you to help?” Lauren asked. “You have to want something.”

  “A nice flower? Like a ghost orchid?” Lucy offered. “I can grow you literally anything.”

  Cleo tilted her head, thinking. Her eyes narrowed.

  “I don’t want a flower. I want a favor. From each of you.”

  “What favor?”

  “Ah-ah-ah. That’s not for you to ask right now,” Cleo said. “It’s whatever I want whenever I want. And,” she raised a finger, “I get complete secrecy. You can’t tell a soul about what I have you do.”

  Lauren couldn’t possibly imagine would Cleo would want to have them do. Being in debt to her felt wrong, though she couldn’t place her finger on any favor she’d object to. Maybe something socially humiliating. Which, for Lauren, would be most things involving Cleo. Whatever. Problem for another day.

  “Fine,” Lauren said. Lucy nodded.

  Cleo held out her slim pinkie.

  “Seal it.”

  “Oh my god…”

  Lucy nudged her. Lauren curled her pinkie around Cleo’s. Lucy did the same.

  “Get dressed,” she said to Cleo. To Lucy, “Can you go around and ask everyone to meet in the clearing? Tell them it’s important.”

  Lucy nodded. “I’ll start with Thalia. We’ll get everyone rounded up.”

  Lauren tried to impart how grateful she was with a look.

  It took nearly an hour for the majority of Rosewell students on campus to trickle into the clearing. Lauren spent the time putting wood into the firepit and starting a fire, both because it was cold and because she didn’t know what else to do with the time. She didn’t want to sit around thinking. Soon, smoke whirled away into the frigid breeze. Burnt edges of paper took light in the wind and became crackling flames. She heard teens gathering behind her. She ignored their stares and questions for now. She’d only have one chance to ask this. The school was always listening.

  The fire took on a healthy life of its own. Lucy came forward and touched Lauren’s shoulder.

  “I think we’re ready, Lor.”

  Lauren turned away from the flames and towards over thirty students. Immediately, she knew how badly this was going to go.

  It was a wall of faces, all staring at her. New faces, pretty and handsome faces, bored faces, cold faces, interested faces, vaguely encouraging faces. All looking at her.

  She met their expectant stares and gulped. Why was fighting easier than being the center of so much attention?

  Because her body knew how to act in a fight. It was muscle memory. This was the opposite. This was her body freezing, not knowing what to do. Her throat burned, and her mind felt blank. She had been practicing her words since last night. Important words. Some might even say she was going for inspiring. It was a simple, honest ask. She just had to voice it.

  So voice it.

  Her mouth opened, and some awful croak fell out.

  Lucy stepped forward and saved her.

  “Thanks for all meeting on short notice,” Lucy said graciously. She was a lifesaver. Lauren should buy her a nice gift sometime.

  “What’s this all about?” Terry asked. He stood by Luis. The two of them seemed to be the de-facto leaders of the class, at least as far as the boys were concerned. They were two of Dodds’ model students. They took their class work seriously. Always the first to volunteer to go and patrol.

  Lauren felt bold enough to take the reins before she lost the crowd completely.

  “I have something to ask you,” she blurted out. Her cheeks flushed. She swallowed down the lump in her throat and continued. “I… know I don’t know all of you as well as I probably should by now. And you probably don’t know me as well as you should.”

  Oof. That sounded like she was blaming them for something right off the bat. Not what she meant.

  “I want to ask you something.”

  Already said that. Words. Work. Come out.

  She flexed her hands. Don’t focus on anyone. Just… talk between them.

  She breathed, unfocused her vision, and tried again. “Yesterday Mara was kidnapped. There’s monsters under the city. Subterrans? Maybe you’ve head of them?”

  The crowd was silent for a moment. People looked for clarification among each other.

  “Which one’s Mara?” Jay asked.

  “She’s in my biology class. If she ever showed up,” Jonas said.

  “Oh, the rat girl,” Grace said with distaste.

  “Wait, back up… Mara was kidnapped by subterrans?” Luis asked.

  “We didn’t know they were down there. We were exploring underground and found them. I wasn’t strong enough to stop them.”

  “Does the school know?”

  “Yes,” Lauren said. If she kept talking quick enough, maybe she’d be able to get through this. “But they won’t let me go rescue her. They think it’s too dangerous. I need your help. Whoever’s willing. They’re going to turn her into some kind of slave. And others.”

  “Wait wait wait.” Terry stopped her with a swishing motion. “BASTION thinks this is too dangerous for us to handle, but you want us to do it anyway? I’m pretty sure that’s way against the rules of the school.”

  “Are you trying to get us kicked out?” Grace accused.

  The crowd broke into murmurs of monsters and rules. Lauren was losing the crowd. She tried to speak up, but the volume of voices only increased. She stammered, but didn’t know what to say.

  A high, sharp whistle cut through the chaos of voices. The noise of the crowd died abruptly. Thalia stepped forward. The contrast between her and Lauren was immediately obvious, to Lauren and everyone else; Thalia was naturally tall, regal, and held herself with the grace of a wild animal. Everyone watched as she crossed the distance between the crowd and Lauren and Lucy, taking her place beside them.

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  “Like you, I don’t know Mara very well,” Thalia started. She let the words hang in the air as she looked across the students. “But Lauren does. And I know Lauren. You all do too. Lauren fights for us. When a group of us got caught in the Dust Devils robbery, Lauren rushed in to save our dumb asses. Lauren found the New Lords first, and when they set an ambush Lauren fought harder than any of us.”

  Her eyes dared anyone to challenge that.

  Guilt stained Lauren’s already poor mood. While Thalia was sticking her neck out and singing her praises, Lauren was now making deals with the New Lords to get what she wanted.

  “Lauren would come for any of us. Any of us. A friend of hers or not.” She put her arm around Lauren, who decided the best thing to do would be to shut up and take the praise. “Rosewell is a pack. We don’t get picked off one by one. We protect each other. If we can’t protect each other, how are we gonna grow up to protect the world?”

  They thought on that.

  “I’m going with Lauren and Lucy. Who else is coming?” Thalia asked.

  That left things for each other student to answer individually. Grace kicked off a chain of answers. Hers was a blunt no.

  Danielle stepped forward. Her bulky arms were bare in a sleeveless shirt against the cold.

  “I’ll join you,” she said. “What’s being a hero without doing the hard thing?”

  Reuben put a foot forward to follow her. Danielle gently held him back.

  “No, my little mouse,” she said with gooey tenderness. “Stay here. This isn’t the right kind of mission for you. I need to know you’re safe.”

  Reuben’s cheeks turned scarlet as his girlfriend joined the team.

  Vivian already looked ashamed. She floated an inch off the ground, silver hair covering her eyes as she looked at her feet. “I… want to. So badly.” Her voice pleaded understanding. “I just can’t. I’d be in turbo-trouble. I’d have to go home. I’m so sorry.”

  Sola was next. She nodded. She spoke in her guttural accent. “I too am held by expectations. These expectations say that I would be no princess at all if I do not fight for my kin. I would be unworthy of my house and blood.” She floated over and gripped Lauren’s forearm, their eyes locking. “You are battle-leader. You have my strength.”

  Lauren nodded, feeling bolstered by the warrior-princess’s honor.

  Harper joined them without comment.

  Edward was the first boy to join them. “I said I was here to do the right thing. Might as well go all the way.”

  Billy seemed lost in his own private thoughts. “Yes… I know she has a point…” he muttered. “Fine!” he said suddenly. “What’s the worst that could happen, besides dying?”

  He joined them.

  Ingrid shrunk away from being next to answer. “I’m sorry, I don’t want any trouble.”

  “I’m sorry, Lauren,” Terry said. “You’re mission’s noble and all, but we’re here for the people. I’m here for the people. I won’t go against orders.”

  Luis, Ernest, Vinny, Jonas, and Marcellus all stood in solidarity with him. The only of their crew to step forward was Ike, much to Lauren’s surprise, and Terry’s. The young super-soldier took his place beside her.

  “Really, soldier?” Lauren checked.

  He shrugged. “Good soldiers don’t leave anyone behind.”

  Lucy beamed with pride.

  The new students were the next cluster. Allison spoke for her two bodies.

  “Sorry, I’m too new here to do… that. I like you guys, I just think I should get some more experience in before I start breaking rules.”

  Lauren didn’t begrudge them. They had barely even had power practice yet.

  Maggie-Lou dug in her ear as she thought. “Yeah, I’ll come,” she decided like they were going out for pizza.

  Anika, the girl who had made eyes at Lauren earlier in the week, rolled her shoulders in her fur-lined jacket. “Well, I did ask for action,” she said. “I don’t know how useful my powers will be against mole people, but I’ll tag along.”

  After some hesitation, Troy joined them. “Medics can’t just sit around. Blame my savior complex.”

  For a moment, that seemed like the end of volunteers. Lauren was about to wrap things up, when Annabelle pushed her way from the back. Both sides looked at her. Her face was puffier than usual, eyes rimmed red from tears. She cleared her throat. When she spoke, her voice was husky.

  “I’ll come too. I want to help.”

  Lauren nodded. Thalia overrode the gesture by stepping forward.

  “Absolutely not,” Thalia said. The firmness in her voice caught everyone off guard.

  Annabelle blinked, looking like she had been slapped. “Wh-why?”

  “Thalia,” Lucy said, dismayed.

  Thalia shook her head at them and raised her head to address everyone.

  “Adam’s on an important mission right now. You all know he’s been having trouble at his foundation. He warned me before he left that Annabelle has been sabotaging him. He put me in charge of protecting us from her before he left.”

  Everyone began murmuring. Annabelle’s face quivered with fresh devastation. “That’s not true!” she cried. She looked for someone to believe her. “Please! I would never hurt any of you! I just want to help!”

  “Thalia, that’s a very serious accusation,” Terry said.

  Thalia crossed her arms, remaining firm. “I won’t let her come and ruin things. Until the truth about her is found out, I say we keep her out of our business.”

  Annabelle didn’t leave it to a vote. She burst into a fit of tears that racked her body. She covered her face and ran through the crowd, leaving for the path back to the dorms.

  Lauren’s brow furrowed. That was an unexpected development. She shared a look with Lucy, equally concerned. But they still had business at hand.

  After Annabelle was gone, no one else spoke up or joined. That was the team, then. More bodies than she was expecting, but less firepower than she was hoping for. She tried not to resent most of Dodds’ shiny pet students not wanting to jeopardize their position. It was their choice if they wanted to risk themselves and their place here. If she was going to judge them, she’d save it for when this was all over.

  The center of attention naturally floated back to Lauren. She felt more confident in speaking with the bodies around her.

  “If you aren’t coming, I don’t blame you,” she said. Maybe not the most true thing she ever said, but it was in the interest of maintaining peace. “Please, just don’t try to stop us. If you’re with me, grab your costumes and whatever gear you need and meet me at Rosewell Express. We’re leaving quickly.”

  The sooner they left, the less time Dodds would have to stop them. If she did, they’d find another way.

  The class left the clearing, more or less in their two factions. Lauren caught the uncertain glances from both sides. The nervous looks. Pretty much everyone here cared about being at this school more than she did. They grew up with superhero posters on their walls. They were more or less risking their futures on Lauren’s ask. So, was her ask selfish? It didn’t seem so at the time. Lucy didn’t say it was, and she was as good of a moral conscience as Lauren could trust. But now Lauren had wrangled followers. Leading them would be a responsibility of its own.

  Lauren waited outside the dorms as her team changed. She didn’t need her school costume. She touched the center of her chest. She felt her heart beating.

  Thum. Thum.

  Everything she needed was already inside her. When she focused, she could feel the cells of her body in a way she never could have in her old life. There was power in them, tensed like a coiled spring.

  Again, she pushed down the fear of losing control. What was there to be afraid of? The world was dangerous. She needed to be strong. It was stupid to be scared of being too deadly. She needed her powers if she was going to keep moving forward. Mara needed her to be strong. Rachel needed it too. Nothing could hurt her for long. That should come with no fear.

  Thum. Thum.

  She breathed deep. Her heart slowed. No weakness. No fear. She was in control. She’d keep repeating that until what was inside her understood.

  Her team emerged. Young Gun, in his camo armor, pistols strapped to his thighs; Evergreen the forest witch and Ranger Wild, wildstone dangling from her hip; Valley Girl, very reluctantly in brown, green and white that hugged her figure; Watchdog in his stylized medic’s outfit; Edward Darkheart dressed to the nines in fine black clothing; Sola in her true alien form, blood-red skin under gladiatorial armor and a bat-like face with pointed ears, a split nose, high cheeks and black eyes; Miss Eclipse, a phantom in white with a black hooded face; Lady Titan, in spandex that left her muscles bare; and last of Rosewell’s original class, Headcase in a purple and black suit with an eye on the chest and an eyeless helmet over his face.

  Maggie-Lou and Anika arrived from their shared dorm. Maggie-Lou wore a gray zip-up over street clothes. Her embroidered and beaded satchel over her shoulder was her only special equipment. Anika wore a mishmash of armor that looked like secondhand riot gear. Streaks of colors clashed on the armor’s dark surface, with a red anarchy symbol painting the chest. Instead of a helmet, a gas mask latched to the lower half of her face.

  “You can call me Haint,” Maggie-Lou reported. “I don’t have a costume yet.”

  “Riot Girl,” Anika said.

  Lauren took in her armor. “You make that?”

  “Duh.” She showed off the chaotic paint. “You impressed?”

  “You’re gonna like Mara,” Lauren said.

  “She as cute as you?” Anika asked.

  Lauren turned away, not knowing what to say to that.

  The ones staying behind watched Lauren’s team leave the dorms. Some of them waved or called good luck. Lucy waved back. Lauren’s attention was focused ahead. She knew what to expect. They weren’t leaving here without a fight. Dodds was too controlling for that.

  Sure enough, when they turned the corner she saw her least-favorite BASTION agent posted in a wide stance in front of the door to the elevator. Three security guards stood on each side of her. The image of the seven of them trying to stop twelve superpowered teens on a mission could almost make her laugh. But there was much more invisible authority backing Dodds. Lauren kept striding forward. None of her team broke rank.

  “Exactly where do you all think you’re going?” Dodds asked as soon as they were in earshot. As if she didn’t know. Every single tree in the school woods was likely bugged. It couldn’t be more obvious they were listening at all times.

  Lauren stuffed her hands in her pockets and shrugged. “We’re going into town.”

  “In costume?”

  “We’re gonna go volunteer at a children’s hospital,” Lauren retorted. Daring Dodds to call her out, to show all these others they were considered government property. She wasn’t sure how much of a choice they all had in coming here, but for Lauren the high fences of the school still felt like those of a prison.

  “I told you that students will not be involved in rescuing Mara at this time,” Dodds said sternly. “Not only are you disobeying my direct orders, you’re very selfishly involving your peers in your reckless endeavor.” She spoke to Lauren’s followers. “None of you are permitted to perform acts of heroism without the school’s permission and supervision. Breaking that rule is a violation of the most severe category. It is for your safety. If you choose to follow Lauren on this mission, there will be consequences, up to and including your expulsion from Rosewell and barment from practicing superheroics in an official capacity. Do you really want to risk all of that for an antisocial teen who is in the process of failing this program?”

  Lauren opened her mouth to speak, but Edward beat her too it.

  “Mara doesn’t deserve to be here any less just because she’s had a rough background,” he said. “I would know.”

  “And… and…” Danielle stuck her finger out, but it took her a second to think of how she wanted to word her contribution. “And being a hero isn’t like, always about following rules. The first heroes didn’t have rules! They just helped people. And then BASTION came along and gave them all rules!”

  "We get in deadly fights when you tell us to, but we aren't old enough to fight for ourselves?" Troy asked.

  Multiple others nodded their heads.

  Lauren bit her lip, holding back a smile. She was… proud of them? Being proud. What a strange feeling. Despite her stumbling, she had kicked this off. She wrote off so many of these kids as government props when she first got here. Again, she felt that she might not have to do it all alone.

  Dodds glowered. Lauren got the keen sense she’d chain up the students if she had any way too.

  “I could lock the express, make it impossible for you to take,” she said.

  “Then we’ll walk,” Lauren said. She had done it once.

  Dodds stared her down. Her stoic mask cracked wide open. Hate for Lauren burned in her eyes. Lauren allowed herself the smallest outward smirk. There you are, you strict bitch. Harder to bully a group of us, isn’t it?

  Eye contact broke when Dodds turned to listen to something in her ear. She frowned. Then grimaced. Her expression cooled and froze back into a placid calm. She straightened, smoothed out her jacket, then stepped aside. She motioned for security to move as well.

  Lauren’s forward momentum felt robbed with the sudden change. The door was now free. She watched the agent.

  “You’re not stopping us?”

  A storm brewed under the surface of Dodds’ deceptively calm exterior. The open hatred in her eyes gave way to disdain. But also, some certainty. Like Lauren wouldn’t be her problem for much longer.

  “Go if you’re going,” Dodds invited to the students. “Just know that the situation that you return to, if you do return, may not be the one you expect.”

  That cooled the passion of their group rebellion. Lauren could feel the shiver of uncertainty pass through behind her.

  “I’m not here to ruin anyone’s life,” Lauren said to her group. “Stay if that’s what’s best for you.”

  She waited for anyone to walk away. Billy looked like he was seriously considering it, but he stayed planted.

  Lauren took the remaining steps to the door. She ignored Dodds as she passed. If this was the end of her time at Rosewell, so be it. Saving Mara would make for a worthwhile departure.

  The twelve students gathered on the elevator. The operator said nothing as he sent them down.

  The ride into the city remained quiet as they sped forward. The tension was oppressive. The reality of what they were doing seemed to seep into each of them. Lauren didn’t know if the subterrans or Dodds was more of a concern to them. Probably a various mix of both.

  Billy’s knee bounced as he sat on one of the sideways-facing seats. He broke the terse silence.

  “I don’t want to freak anyone out, but you know subterrans are a city-class threat, right? Like ideally a team of city-class heroes or a single region-class hero should respond?”

  “Not many of those around anymore,” Young Gun said. He leaned against a pole by Billy.

  “I’m just saying—” Billy cocked his head. “No, I’m not backing out.”

  Lauren had no idea why he was talking to himself, but no one else seemed too disturbed by it. Maybe there was a reason his hero name was Headcase.

  “What are your powers?” Lady Titan asked the new girls.

  Haint answered first. “I got a magic bag full a’ hor’s.”

  “Whores?” Watchdog asked.

  “Hor-rors,” Maggie-Lou overpronounced. “Ya damn yankees…”

  “I thought I sensed some magic on you,” Edward said. “Mind if I see it?”

  “You’ll see soon enough, purdy boy.”

  “What about you, Riot Girl?” Watchdog asked. “Do you cause riots, or just show up to them?”

  “I cause them,” Riot Girl said with pride. “Want a taste?”

  Everyone in the train waited for her to do something. She stayed seated, not making any motions. Nothing seemed to change.

  Lauren was starting to get a bit irked. This was a serious mission, and Anika couldn’t even show them what she was capable of? Why the fuck had she come along then? What was the fucking point of her being here? They had to go find those subterrans. Lauren was gonna kill them. She’d execute them one by one. Pull them apart. Rip their heads off. WHY DID THE WORLD HAVE TO KEEP TAKING PEOPLE FROM HER. SHE’D KILL THEM ALL! She’d—

  Lauren noticed how hard she had started breathing. Her hand was squeezing the pole beside her so hard it hurt. Everyone else besides Anika looked distressed. Fists clenched, eyes wide, teeth bared.

  The effect gripped her and everyone else ebbed away. Folks gathered themselves, expressions clearing.

  “Was that you?” Edward asked. He wiped spittle from the side of his mouth.

  Danielle rubbed her head. “God, I felt like I wanted to kill something. I was so angry all of a sudden…”

  “That’s my power,” Riot Girl said. “I can make people around me feel emotions.”

  Watchdog shook his hands to purge the effect. “Just anger?”

  “No. I can do rage, sadness, despair, apathy.”

  “Well that’s pleasant,” Billy said. “No wonder you were thinking about becoming a villain. Can’t you do any nice emotions?”

  “Nope.” She didn’t sound too concerned about it. “It also isn’t very precise. Works best on crowds. I don’t know if it’ll work as well on non-humans.”

  “Not sure how we would use that, unless we all want to be in a killing frenzy…”

  That was the last thing Lauren wanted. She lost enough control in combat. Just feeling that insidious artificial anger left her fragile illusion of peace with her powers shattered. Her heart pounded against her ribs. Her hands were shaking again. She tried to squeeze them hard enough to make the shaking stop. All it did was turn her shaking hands into shaking fists.

  The train slid to a stop. The doors opened. It was time to mount a rescue or die trying. If she could hold on long enough.