Adam shifted uncomfortably as he awoke. He felt like he was baking in the sun. He stretched before he opened his eyes. His arm didn’t find the edge of the bed.

  That’s when he sat up, looked around, and realized he wasn’t at Rosewell.

  He remembered last night. He was feeling rebellious. Before they had left the city behind, he had told Douglas to change course and take them to the foundation campus. He and Annabelle were pawing at each other, giggling. They held hands as they entered the building together, and kissed again as the elevator took them to the Atlas’ private living quarters, near the top. That’s how he ended up now in his spacious bedroom, floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides beaming in light from the dazzling day outside.

  Annabelle wasn’t beside him. Even if she was already awake, he had given her Alexis’ room last night.

  Adam exhaled as he pulled himself out of bed. The school was going to be pissed. He knew that in the moment, and it was no different now. But what were they going to do? Ground him? BASTION would probably like that. They’d get to move through his halls fully unimpeded, working on whatever secret projects they had going on. Today Adam was feeling much more the scion of Atlas than the worst Rosewell student. Let them complain if they wanted to.

  He threw on some elastic shorts and an old shirt from one of the drawers that thankfully still fit him. This room had been built specifically for him, and he had probably spent all of twenty nights in it his entire life. He wondered what his main room at the family compound back east looked like right now. And the compound at large, swarming with his entire family working like a hive on whatever it was they were doing without him. He should try to call Alexis today. She said there would be minimal contact, but they had to talk at some point soon.

  Adam listened to the message he expected on his wrist communicator as he walked from the back bedroom halls to the main living area.

  “Hello Adam, this is Josie from Rosewell’s administrative office. We’re disappointed to know that you and Annabelle didn’t return to campus last night.”

  Adam reached the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. From the marble countertops to the dark wood cabinets, everything about the space was timelessly chic. He got some milk from the fridge. He didn’t even know who kept it stocked with fresh things. He should know that.

  “We at Rosewell understand you are in a unique position with your family responsibilities, and we wish to be accommodating to your lifestyle. But we must be kept informed on your whereabouts, especially when you are accompanied by another student under our supervision. In the future, we would be happy to arrange—”

  “Blah blah blah,” Adam said, cutting off the message. Telling one part of BASTION he was staying at another part of BASTION. He was starting to realize how ridiculous that sounded. It was all puppets on the same hand, like Cyrus said. They knew where he and Annabelle were at all times. Adam was done being a pushover for BASTION and a placeholder for his family. It was time to get his house in order. He was going to be like Cyrus Null. He was going to take charge and be fearless. Starting with finding WATERSHED.

  He tried calling Alexis. His communicator rang, but she didn’t pick up.

  “Lex, I need to talk to you about important business,” Adam said. He tried to sound authoritative, so his sister would take him seriously. “And let me know you’re all still alright. I know you have to have signal sometime. Call me when you can.”

  If he couldn’t reach her about it, he’d call someone closer.

  Kieran, his assistant, answered on the second ring. The young man seemed to be walking though some hall of the foundation below.

  “Mister— er, Adam. Good morning. Geo says you’re in the building. Is everything all right?”

  “Everything’s fine,” Adam said. He used the same professional tone. “I have a few orders of business for you.”

  “Certainly.”

  Kieran sounded happy to be handed work.

  “Firstly, locate Project WATERSHED for me.”

  “Project… WATERSHED?” Kieran was uncertain. “That’s something to do with us? I have an almost categorical knowledge of every project we do here, and I haven’t heard of this one. Is it under a different name, perhaps?”

  “I don’t know,” Adam said. He kept up the swift and certain tone. “It might be under a different name, it might be an old project in records, but whatever it is I want to be brought up to speed on it as soon as you find it.”

  “Um, certainly, sir. And may I ask where you heard of this project from?”

  “A reliable contact,” Adam said. It was about time he started keeping some cards to himself.

  “Understood. And the other order of business?”

  “I need whiskey.”

  “…Whiskey, sir?”

  “Good whiskey,” Adam confirmed. “Good… Irish whiskey. Old stuff. And wine. Italian and French. Older the better. In fact, get a nice alcohol from every European country, whatever they’re known for. Just start a whole collection. Take it out of my bank account, whatever you need. Hire one of those, uh… fancy alcohol people to curate it for me. Okay?”

  “Sir, I feel the need to ask… are you planning on drinking all of this?”

  “No!” Adam insisted. He could still feel the afterburn in his throat. “It’s time I start building my reputation as a serious leader. I can’t serve apple juice to every important person I meet with. I need to have a reserve.”

  “Okay, I think I understand,” Kieran said.

  “Good. Thank you. And make sure you write down all the information about what I own so I understand it.”

  Adam ended the call. Coffee in hand, he crossed the room to the lowered seating area in the corner of the living space. He grabbed the remote and turned on the large flat screen to the city news. He kept the talking heads muted for now as he watched Annabelle on the balcony outside.

  She was leaning on the railing, facing towards the city all around and below them. She hadn’t noticed Adam yet. He watched as she took in the sights, calm. A white shirt she wore flapped in the breeze around her otherwise bare thighs.

  Adam tried to decide what he felt about her this morning, before she saw him and walked in. Last night was impulsive. She was putting off such an unashamed attraction towards Adam that was intoxicating. He had made himself push Thalia out of his mind and live in the moment. It was fun. But now the future loomed. Maybe they could just take things slow for a while, try dating. That was what normal teenagers did, right? Awkward and fun dates? He tried to think rationally about whether he was really attracted to Annabelle. She was strange, but she was quickly growing on him. Was he ready to lock out the possibility of still pursuing Thalia for now? Was he leading this poor girl on while thinking of someone else? It was all too much to answer before she turned around and walked back in.

  “Hey,” she said, quietly shy.

  “Hi,” Adam said. He shifted as if to make room on the ten-person couch. Annabelle came over and sat with a cushion-worth of space between them.

  “There’s coffee, or tea, or…” Adam thought to offer.

  “I’m alright,” Annebelle said quickly. She looked down at the shirt she was wearing. It was Alexis’ Beast Rebels of the Hellscape concert tee, from back when she had a crush on lead singer Miles Amarch. Considering who they were, she probably could have held onto the crush long enough to actually date him.

  “I found this in the closet. I hope it’s okay to wear. If not I can take it off…”

  Annabelle blushed.

  “Uh, I mean, I can change…”

  They both laughed at the awkwardness. Adam tried to break it by being genuine.

  “It’s okay. Make yourself at home here. I had a ton of fun with you last night.”

  Annabelle smiled and nodded, looking away.

  “I did too. Thanks again for taking me out.”

  She looked like she was trying to word something in her head. Her face was expressive as she mulled it over, despite her features being stiff. Adam felt bad for finding her off-putting at first. Her same seemingly blank stare now was charmingly unique. He felt a pang of protectiveness for her.

  “Last night… with the kiss and all…” Annabelle staggered over the words, “I don’t want you to feel… like I feel that it was the start of something…”

  Adam tilted his head as he tried to understand.

  “You don’t want last night to be the start of something…?”

  “No!” Annabelle blurted out. “I mean, not no as in I don’t, I mean… I don’t want you to feel obligated at all to keep doing things with me. I know I was laying it on thick last night, but I’m chill, I promise. If you just want to be friends, or… or not even be friends, I understand. You’ve got your whole deal up here, and I’m me, and…”

  Adam understood she was giving him an out. She looked so worried about it, rubbing her hands together and staring at her lap. It was a thoughtful consideration, even if it came from a place of deep insecurity on her part. Adam was beginning to understand how little Annabelle thought of herself. He hated it.

  “Anyways, I can just go back and we can forget—”

  Adam scooted across the space between them and kissed her again. This time it was deliberate instead of impulsive.

  They stayed locked together in a single kiss for over a dozen seconds. Adam finally had to pull away, or it might never end.

  “Wow…” Annabelle giggled. She rocked back and forth like she was dizzy. “I wish we could stay here and do that all day…”

  “Why not?” Adam asked daringly. He put a hand on the side of her thigh. He felt emboldened, manly, ready to take charge of things, including a new relationship. “I’m already in trouble for kidnapping you…”

  Annabelle put a hand on his chest, ever so lightly stopping him from leaning in again.

  “The conference…” she muttered, cheeks flush. “We’re already gonna be late.”

  Adam looked over to the TV, still muted. Aerial footage showed a massive crowd gathering in the streets in front of city hall. Shit.

  In all his personal commotion, Adam had forgotten today was the day Rosewell was being introduced to the world.

  . . .

  If she had anything to be thankful for, Lauren was immeasurably thankful she didn’t have to stand on a platform in front of thousands of people and dozens of cameras.

  At least not yet.

  The day had started early, thanks to Lucy. The press conference was technically optional for the Rosewell students who hadn’t been selected as part of the first wave of introductions, which is why they hadn’t received much briefing on it. Lucy and Thalia wanted to be a part of the festivities though, as did most of the rest of the class. At 8 AM, over twenty of them traveled together in their civilian identities using the Rosewell Express to downtown. 8 seemed terribly early to Lauren, but it clearly wasn’t early enough. Public transit was stuffed end to end with people trying to make it to the city center. Everyone around them was animated, talking about new superheroes, some of them even wearing homemade or purchased costumes. Super-mania had gripped the city.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Lucy’s eyes flashed at Lauren on the packed metro line. She knew what her friend was thinking. People were talking about them without knowing two new heroes were right next to them. The idea thrilled Lucy. For the moment, Lauren’s main feeling was claustrophobia.

  They got off the line and managed to squeeze their way into a half-decent spot in the crowd sprawled before the steps of city hall, tucked away in the center of the city’s historic district. All around them were kids, teens, and adults, parents holding up young children, people with signs, all chatting and cheering. Police meandered through the area. Lauren had to imagine more than a few BASTION agents were hidden among the crowd as well.

  Lauren shrunk into the oversized collar of her jacket, glancing around through dark sunglasses. She really did not like crowds, and all this noise was stressing her out. She couldn’t believe she was thinking it, having come all this way, but she missed the quietness of the desert.

  A shiver went down her spine like a cold fingernail underneath her clothes. It felt like someone was watching her. She tried to roll the sensation off her shoulders. It was probably just all the gazes going past her to the stage.

  Lucy squeezed her arm.

  “I’m glad you’re getting out again,” she said. “I know this isn’t the most fun, but I think it’s important we be here. Once we have the freedom to patrol and don’t get in trouble for every little thing, this town is gonna be ours. And we’ll find your sister.”

  Lauren clasped her hand over Lucy’s silently, appreciative of her support.

  On the steps in the distance past a few hundred heads, a podium had been set up with an array of microphones. Dozens of cameras pointed at it, one of them streaming to massive screens set up before the building so that all gathered could see. A nest of reporters gathered in a special fenced-off area in front of the podium. Lauren had come to understand that this reveal today wasn’t just a local concern, but a national and even international event. It was surreal to think she was a part of that.

  The crowd picked up in intensity again when a man in a blue suit and a woman in a dark pantsuit exited through the front doors of city hall and walked down to the podium. The cameras immediately snapped to them. On the screens, Lauren could see the woman was Agent Dodds. The man beside her had the smarmy expression of a career politician.

  “That’s Mayor Teague,” Lucy said. Lauren could’ve guessed.

  The mayor took the podium first. He spent the first minute waving to everyone before he spoke into the mic.

  “Welcome everyone, people of Pacific City and beyond! What a day it is to all be here together. A day that's going to go down in history. You all will be able to tell your loved ones you were here for it…”

  As the mayor kept on with his rambling prelude, Lauren turned and saw Adam push his way through the crowd towards them. He wore slim sunglasses and a light jacket over a casual outfit. He pulled Annabelle with him by the hand. Her outfit looked borrowed.

  “Hey,” he said. “Glad I could find you guys. Helps Thalia’s so tall.”

  “Where have you been?” Thalia asked as soon as she noticed him. Her eyebrow raised at Annabelle’s presence. “We couldn’t find you this morning. I was worried.”

  “Sorry,” Adam said. “I got your message on my way here. We spent the night at my place in the foundation.”

  He seemed to realize how that sounded when it came out.

  “We?” Thalia repeated. She grabbed Adam’s arm and pulled him away from the others. They didn’t have to go far to not be heard over the crowd.

  Annabelle scooted closer to Lauren and Lucy, a beaming grin on her waxy face.

  “Hi! I think Adam and I are dating now. Soooo!" She shook her shoulders. "Can I be part of the friend group?”

  “Of course!” Lucy said. She threw her arms around Annabelle. “I’m so glad you two hit it off. I’m the one that told Adam he should invite you. He thought it was a great idea.”

  Lauren scoffed.

  “Oh, thank you!” Annabelle said, returning the hug. They looked over to where Thalia and Adam were in a pitched discussion.

  “…Thalia might take a little bit to warm up to it,” Lucy said. “She’s protective of Adam, like a sister.”

  “Oh, that’s alright,” Annabelle said. “I bet I can get her to like me.”

  “And without further ado, let’s get to the main event.” The mayor held out his arm and passed the podium to Agent Dodds.

  “Hello, and thank you for all being here today.” The agent had her master poker face engaged, but Lauren bet she loved all of the attention. “My name is Trish Dodds, and for the past eighteen months, I have been engaged in a very special project. A necessary project. As you know, we at BASTION never stop in our efforts to better protect not just our country, but our entire world. And that terrible event that took so many of our global defenders from us is still fresh in all our minds. Since that day invaders came to destroy us, and were pushed back from our reality to the last champion we could bring to bear, we’ve been reeling, searching for a way to feel safe again.”

  Her voice echoed across the crowd. Everyone around them was entranced, breath bated, waiting for what they knew was coming.

  A sensation still crawled up and down Lauren’s spine.

  “I don’t claim to have a perfect solution. The road ahead is still long and difficult, and filled with peril. But now, finally, I feel confident is presenting the start of a new chapter. Now, finally, BASTION can announce the opening of Pacific City’s very own... Rosewell Academy for Superheroes!”

  The screens above changed to video reel of the school, and its crest rendered in neon green.

  The crowd exploded in excitement. Cheers and whoops and hollers resounded. Lauren covered her ears.

  Dodds’ voice still penetrated. “Now, who would like to meet some of our first year students?”

  A fresh round of wild cheers.

  The camera feed switched back to the steps, where Ike was the first one to step up from the backstage area. His costume was flexible armored clothing in a military style, all painted muddled green with white stripes. His entire body was covered from his laceless boots to bulky, pocketed pants, to a shirt that had armor plates mimicking his muscles and tactical gloves on his hands. His face was covered by an armored mask with two red eyes, the rest of his head covered by a hood.

  “Presenting Young Gun!”

  Lucy cheered and whistled. Lauren was surprised she was so into such an army brat as him.

  Ike walked across the steps until he was standing beside Agent Dodds.

  Lyra the Atlantean was next up. She came out in cerulean blue armor that swept like graceful waves across her shoulders, chest, forearms, waist, and legs. A trident-like tiara held her golden locks out of her face, which had no mask. Fish netting laced her golden skin wherever armor wasn’t.

  “Presenting Sea Lass!”

  She stood beside Ike.

  Luis was next out. Lauren didn’t know much about the guy. He wore a proper suit of armor, the same that had automatically formed around him when he drew his sword during introductions in gym. It was mottled tan in color and looked both ancient and futuristic at the same time. He moved gracefully in it, armored joints having a full range of motion. The sword that enabled his transformation was attached to his back. His face was a flat knight’s mask except for a crystal-blue visor over his eyes.

  “Presenting NeoKnight!”

  Grace was out next. Unable to just simply walk out like the others, she came flying out of the backstage, a thin layer of energy shimmering over her already vibrant costume. She performed a few loops in the air, sparking energy dissipating over people’s heads. She came to a halt above the stage and fired off a few bolts of energy that burst into red, white, and blue fireworks. Finally, she landed next to Luis.

  “Presenting American Angel!”

  Terry was the last guy to be presented. He appeared in a flash, an afterimage of light showing his quick trip from backstage to right beside Grace. His costume was primarily white, with intersecting lines of color clashing across it. His only face covering was a pair of white and gold goggles.

  He waved, and a dozen copies of himself doing the same thing briefly appeared scattered around the steps before vanishing.

  “Presenting Prism!”

  Agent Dodds let the crowd’s noise die down again, which took over a minute. She was clearly holding one last reveal and wanted everyone’s attention. The people gathered picked up on it and waited.

  “You might have heard rumors about this last student,” Agent Dodds began. “You may have seen footage online, or even met her when she stopped by your city. But now, she’s ready to meet the entire world. It is my honor to present…”

  Agent Dodds looked skyward, and the crowd followed her gaze. Vivian came not from backstage, but floating downward out of the sky, a faint shape in the glaring sun. She came lower, gradually growing visible. Her costume was a bodysuit that began purple at the legs and transitioned into a pale blue upper half, the purple rising in a line over her stomach to surround a golden star on her chest. A three-quarters skirt surrounded the back and sides of her legs, the same blue color. Her silvery-white hair waved majestically in the wind.

  “Galaxy Girl, daughter of Ollyria!”

  That last word set the gathered people off like nothing else previously. The mania reached a deafening intensity. Vivian did a languid flight over the crowd, waving as she went. Despite being ten feet clear of people’s heads, hands desperately reached up to touch her. Children were hoisted into the air, as if Vivian’s mere presence would bless them. Phone cameras followed her every movement. It was like the second coming of Christ to these people.

  Although, Lauren thought, if Vivian had the same powers as the world’s previous two most powerful heroes, it was no wonder why people were so excited.

  Vivian landed, and the lineup of the six most impressive and marketable students at Rosewell was complete.

  Minutes passed without the fervor dying in the slightest. Objects were hurled onto the stairs, not in a disparaging way, but maybe in some vain hope for them to be signed and returned. The police had to hold a line to keep the crowd from pressing inward.

  The Mayor took to the mics again.

  “People, people! Please calm yourselves. Our incredible new heroes aren’t going anywhere. They’re going to be living right above us, safeguarding the city from any and all threats. Spend enough time in beautiful Pacific City, and you’re bound to meet one of them eventually. I believe the time has come to Agent Dodds and I to answer some questions from the press.”

  Lauren shivered again. It wasn’t a fluke. Someone was watching her. She didn’t know how she knew, but she did. She turned and began looking around.

  “How many students are currently enrolled at Rosewell?”

  “More than enough to begin a new generation of heroes across the country,” Dodds said. “Providing an exact number would take away an element of surprise that our young crimefighters may benefit from. Let’s keep the evildoers on their toes for now, hmm? I trust those that pay attention will be able to count in their own time.”

  Lauren began shifting through the crowd, moving away from her friends. The others didn’t seem to notice. She tried to peer over shoulders and heads, but it was difficult.

  “Is training so many heroes in one place a condemnation of Pacific City’s safety?”

  “Of course not!” Mayor Teague said, quickly taking the stage. “Pacific City is simply a large and popular coastal metropolis, and as we all know that often attracts villains and other bad actors the way it attracts everyone else. The Academy could just have easily been built in any other comparable area, but I as the mayor wanted our city to be the cradle for the next generation of this country’s fine heroes. And a home they are always welcome back to, no matter where they are deployed!”

  Lauren roamed further back into the crowd. Her senses were leading her to something. She didn’t understand them, just like she didn’t understand most of her powers, but she was learning to trust her instincts.

  Then, she saw it. Through the shifting mass of people.

  Black hair. Black lips. Acid green eyes.

  Fifteen feet away, Lilith grinned at Lauren.

  Lauren shoved people in front of her aside in her haste to reach the girl. The pale bitch was in for a world of hurt. Lauren knew how to stab now, and just about the entire Rosewell student body was here. It was stupid of her to show up.

  Lauren got closer. Just when she was within five feet of catching Lilith, the crowd pressed in, and Lauren lost sight of her.

  Lauren pushed two men aside and stood where her enemy was just standing.

  She spun in a circle. Raven black hair moved through the crowd in the opposite direction everyone was facing.

  Lauren continued after her.

  “Will the Rosewell students be confined to Pacific City during their education, or will they be allowed to respond to crises outside of the city’s boundaries?”

  “We have no intention of limiting the scope of our student’s usefulness,” Dodds answered. “There are of course practical concerns on how quickly they can mobilize and respond over distance, but the Rosewell students will be at the ready to serve wherever they find themselves. Some of our particularly mobile students, such as Galaxy Girl, will even be available to respond in other countries such as in South America or Europe, assuming said countries would appreciate our intervention.”

  Lauren followed the trailing black hair as quickly as she could without knocking people off their feet. It seemed to always remain just frustratingly out of her reach. And make no mistake, she would be yanking that hair backwards as soon as she could grab a fistful of it. What came afterwards would be more improvisational.

  A pair of crooked white rabbit ears became visible over a few other heads. It looked like Lilith was heading for it. The rabbit girl. Usagi. Lilith’s entire pack could be here. All the ones who had ganged up on Lauren, and who knew how many others. If they were here unnoticed, they could make this event into a disaster.

  Lilith somehow again slipped between people like an eel, just before the pair of ears. Lauren bodied her way between them.

  Lilith, again, was nowhere to be seen. Lauren was, however, standing right before the person wearing the ears. She grabbed their shoulder.

  A girl no older than twelve spun to face Lauren. She was tall but scrawny. The rabbit ears were attached to a plastic pink headband. The girl stared at Lauren, startled. She clutched a stuffed rabbit toy to her chest. Clearly not the girl who had beaten Lauren’s face to a pulp.

  “Sorry,” Lauren mumbled. She was already looking around for Lilith again.

  “Looking for me?”

  Lauren looked back to the girl. Her eyes, which had been brown and wide with fright a moment ago, were now completely black, except for glowing green irises. She dropped her arms to the side, rabbit still held in her grip as she languidly watched Lauren.

  A bone spike slid out of Lauren’s sleeve.

  The girl grinned.

  “You might want to slow down there. Although it would be really funny if you stabbed an innocent girl on a day like this.”

  Lilith’s voice echoed unnaturally from the girl’s lips. No one else around them paid any attention to that or the girl’s glowing eyes. It was like she was invisible to everyone except Lauren.

  “What do you want?” Lauren growled. She kept her senses up, searching for the real Lilith, excepting some kind of surprise attack.

  The girl Lilith spoke through cocked her head.

  “I don’t know yet. I received permission to start hurting people and wreaking havoc. Today seemed like a good opportunity. But then I saw you. My tenacious little weed. Just like I said.” She turned to the stage. “Your friends seem powerful.”

  “They are,” Lauren promised. “You should be afraid of them.”

  The girl grinned wider, baleful eyes looking to Lauren once more.

  “You’ve barely begun to meet my friends. I think we should all get together soon. We’ll make a mess of the town, get some of these nice people killed, maybe have a drink together afterward. What do you say?”

  “You’re fucked in the head,” Lauren said. “Just like your cousin told me.”

  This set off a laugh in the girl. It started small, then grew until the laughter was shaking her entire body. It was a hollow, jagged sound, like clinking shards of glass. The girl doubled over, crazy laughter spewing out of her mouth. Lauren looked around, thinking surely someone else had to notice this. They just stood there and talked amongst each other, even as the wicked sound drowned out their words.

  The fit finally subsided into a wheeze. The girl coughed onto the ground, and when she stood up again her eyes were clear and brown.

  “Are you okay?” the girl asked Lauren, wiping spittle from her mouth.

  Lauren cautiously backed away, spike retreating back into her wrist. She bumped into someone behind her. A hand grabbed her upper arm.

  She spun, again ready to stab at any threat.

  “We need to talk,” Agent Hogan said.