Lauren did not have a good track record of going out into the city.

  Her team was surrounded 3:1. The costumed teens stalked towards them from all sides, leaping from the upper levels to land on the main floor, circling like a pack of animals. Different visages watched Lauren: a shiny red mask. A twisted and lumpy bald head. A pale face that looked dead and ready to rot. A grim knight’s helm glowing with haunting inner light. Trophy Hunter, the lithe and muscular boy now wore an animal skull mask with twisted horns. He drew an arrow from his quiver and nocked it in his bow. Usagi waved. Another layer of threats waited in the eves beyond them, either not wanting to crowd or waiting to see how their allies performed first.

  The five Team D girls stood in a rough circle on the steps, an island in a sea of threats. Each of their weapons were ready in whatever form they took. Lauren had both arm spikes ready. Demiguard held out her sticks. Amp’s hands crackled, and Miss Eclipse’s white gloves were sheathed in shadows. Marionette held two lengths of cord like curled whips.

  “What do we do?” Demiguard hissed, the tight strain of fear in her voice. “We’re surrounded.”

  Lauren sped through the possibilities internally.

  “Eclipse, can you get us back out of here?” she asked.

  “Not here,” Harper murmured. “Too bright. Even in the shadows, they’d catch us before we disappear.”

  The shifting barrier still covered every window and door, bathing the scene in a nauseous green light. Just beyond that barrier were teams B and C. They had to be on-scene by now. Ten or more classmates would even the odds majorly. Stopping the lockdown was the only way they were going to leave here alive.

  “Will one of you dolts get them off me already?!” Lilith snarled from the ground.

  Just as Lauren had the idea to pick up Lilith and take her hostage, the tension broke and half the enemies around them came rushing in. No time to reach down and grab her.

  “We have to fight!” Lauren called.

  Her team was on the same page.

  Lauren wasted no time going on the offensive. Maybe if she could take them by surprise and down a few of them, it would break their ranks and give them the advantage. Despite the cut across her side, Lauren was still in fighting shape. She felt fierce adrenaline rush through her. She was not going down and failing her team without using every last advantage forced into her.

  She leapt off the stairs and crashed towards the two opponents closest to her, spikes and teeth bared. One of them was Trophy Hunter, preparing an arrow to pierce her. The other was a bony girl in a translucent mesh top and ragged skirt with sharp fingernails longer than her hands.

  Trophy Hunter took the brunt of Lauren’s wild charge. His arrow went spinning off to the side as Lauren pinned his bow to his chest. She kept one hand on him and slashed with the other, managing to score a red mark across his bare bicep and shoulder.

  “Vena, help!” he called from underneath his skull mask.

  The girl slithered forwards, sharp nails seeking to rake Lauren’s back. Lauren pushed away from Trophy Hunter, causing Vena’s nails to reach empty air. She twisted around, spine freakishly limber. Her eyes were reptilian. Her jaw opened unnaturally wide, and a long and thin tongue played between the nails she held up.

  “One taste of my poison, and you won’t be moving so quickly.”

  The room was in complete chaos. Team D was spread out, each trying to hold their ground in their own battles. Demiguard dueled the girl who looked similar to her but in an all-black suit and full face mask. It was a battle of martial arts, knives flashing to stab Reagan in between her batons. Marionette was caught between a six-foot tall knight in full armor, a fur cloak draping his back, and a floating girl with jagged neon wings keeping her aloft. Mary twisted and tumbled desperately, avoiding both laser blasts and wide swings of the knight’s heavy axe. Her feet stayed on the ground for a fraction of a second at a time. She tried whipping the knight’s helmet with her coiled wire, but it glanced off with no effect. Miss Eclipse and Amp were lost in their own battles somewhere on the other side of the towering T-rex skeleton, flashes of intense light marking Amp’s bolts being fired.

  Lauren took this all in during the brief breath in her fight. The reptilian girl Vena came at her again. At the same time, she felt a presence close in behind her. She tried to move. Too slow.

  Usagi kicked Lauren’s knee out from under her. She fell. The bunny-masked girl grabbed Lauren’s hair and pulled her head back to look up at her.

  “Not getting any faster, are you?” She shook her head. “It’s actually sad how quickly you’re gonna die tonight.”

  “We could make it slow,” Vena offered, slinking up to them. “Hold her still.”

  Usagi roughly grabbed the sides of Lauren’s head. Lauren tried to twist away, but her knee ached and Usagi’s grip was strong. Four sharp nails raked down Lauren’s face, opening gashes in her cheek that immediately began to sting and burn.

  Usagi let Lauren go. She clutched the side of her face. Whatever poison was in Vena’s nails, she could feel it quickly spread into her body. Her muscles constricted, making it hard to breathe. Her face grew hot. Her eyes unfocused.

  Vena’s thin body took up her field of view, wobbling like a snake as Lauren faltered.

  “Does it hurt?” the girl taunted. She put a nail under Lauren’s chin, guiding her to look upward. “The less you fight it, the easier it will be. Maybe you’ll even survive it. As our prisoner. If you’re strong.”

  It took another few seconds before Lauren’s muscles relaxed. The throbbing in her face cooled, and her vision came back into focus. She blinked her eyes clear to see Vena looking confused.

  Lauren punched directly forward, blunt fist connecting with her poisoner’s stomach. The girl folded around Lauren’s hand like a sheet. She fell to the ground.

  Lauren immediately took a swipe behind her, but Usagi had already skipped out of range. A different figure came forward to engage her. It was the gray-skinned behemoth. All seven-feet of him was covered what could only be described as a mix of rhino hide and gnarled tree bark. The only clothes he wore were a pair of dark shorts. His skin tightened around his face, twisting it into a permanent grimace.

  He brought a fist down like a hammer to crush Lauren. She skipped back and immediately forward again, betting he wouldn’t have the speed to recover. She formed spikes over her knuckles and sent them directly into the giant’s left eye. The spikes stuck into his callused brow. Lauren harshly tugged them back out. The giant groaned in pain.

  Across the aisle, Marionette tried looping her string around the knight’s neck to either choke him or pull him off balance. The gambit didn’t work. A gauntleted hand tugged on the wire and reeled Marionette forward. The other armored hand struck her across the face. A beam of purple neon blazed into Marionette’s back. She stumbled and fell limp.

  Amp was thrown across the room. A hairy beast man in ripped pants leapt after her and pinned her to the floor. Its jaws snapped close to her face. She grabbed the forearms of the creature pinning her in place. Screaming in defiance, Megumi released a charge of electricity from her entire body. A blue aura crackled around her and electrified her attacker. The beast shuddered, fur smoking, before collapsing on top of her.

  Lauren took a shuddering breath. Everything was falling apart. There were still a handful of these New Lords who hadn’t even joined the fight yet, pacing around or watching from the eves. A fight was never going to end their way. Not like this. She had to regroup with Reagan and Harper, assuming they were still conscious somewhere. There were other pockets of fighting happening, which meant Lauren wasn’t the last of Team D standing.

  Lauren sprinted, trying to move beyond the giant and out of his reach. He crashed to the side and struck out with a hand, which came faster and wider than Lauren was expecting. It plowed into her, sending her sprawling.

  She sat up as quickly as she could manage. Her entire side ached. Her face was still lacerated, and the sword wound in her side smeared the floor with blood. Still, she forced herself to her feet.

  Usagi came leaping towards her again, foot leveled. Lauren actually managed to deflect the kick to her chest. But not the swift punch that came afterwards. Not the next few that rocked her face either.

  The strikes across her jaw brought her back to that dark alleyway a few weeks ago. That Lauren would have fallen in a crumpled heap by now. But she was already stronger. Tougher. She remembered what Dr. Yeoh had said about her healing and adapting abilities. Her body had ate Vena’s poison and adapted to it. All these injuries, she’d get stronger from.

  She just had to survive to heal.

  Usagi smashed the heel of her palm into Lauren’s face. Lauren took it, not even trying to dodge. Usagi was too fast. She instead focused her energy on grabbing onto her forearm as she reeled back from the strike. It caught Usagi off-balance.

  “Hey! Get off!” Usagi demanded.

  Blood pouring from her nose, Lauren pushed forwards and tackled Usagi onto the ground. Usagi twisted and tried to move but couldn’t get the momentum needed with Lauren pinning her.

  The giant trundled forwards, bare feet stomping. Lauren saw him coming, but if she moved off Usagi the threat would double. She was helpless as the giant grabbed Lauren by the loose back of her jacket. He wrapped two massive arms around her and squeezed.

  Lauren screamed as she was bear hugged. Her lungs were crushed. Her bones ground together. Her eyes felt like they could pop out of her skull. The pressure built, and just when it felt like she was on the verge of losing consciousness, Lauren was dropped. She flopped onto the ground. The respite was temporary. The giant grabbed her jacket again and flung her across the room.

  Lauren spun through the air, weightless for a moment. She caught glimpses of her classmates lying bloody and limp, getting surrounded by enemies they never had a chance to beat. All because Lauren couldn’t just wait for backup.

  Lauren returned to the ground hard. She landed on joints that were never meant to be landed on. Her head bounced against the marble floor.

  This was it. She was too disoriented to even begin standing up. She leaked blood from too many places. Internal parts were broken. Someone was going to come along any second to stomp on her head, crushing it. Figures moved towards her from every direction in her line of sight.

  She swallowed down the fear. She tried to move her limbs, but they refused command. An aftertrace of the poison still throbbed in her veins.

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  A dark barrier cut between Lauren and the approaching figures, casting her world into shadow.

  Lauren managed to roll onto her back. Harper was standing over her, knees nearly buckled. Her red hair frayed out from her torn mask and hood. Her white outfit was marred with leaking slashes. Still, she held her hands out and kept the threats at bay for now.

  “Lauren, stand up.” Her voice was firm, louder than Lauren had ever heard it before. It filled her with something. Enough inspiration to again get to her feet, at least.

  She stood beside her roommate. Over a dozen figures lurked outside the dome of shadow Harper created. A few tested it with knives or fists or blasts of energy. It held for the moment.

  Harper’s hands were shaking. This wasn’t going to last much longer.

  “I can get us both outside,” Harper said. Her voice warbled. Her eyes didn’t break concentration with the dome. Lauren noticed she had landed in a part of the museum covered by the walkway of the second floor, shadowing it partially. “That’s the last thing I’ll be able to do. Then I’m gonna collapse.”

  Beyond the lurking enemies, Marionette, Amp, and Demiguard were all left unconscious around the atrium. At least, Lauren could hope they were only unconscious. If her and Harper escaped, who knows what these villains would do to them.

  “I won’t leave the rest of them behind,” Lauren said.

  “We’re all gonna die if we don’t leave,” Miss Eclipse emphasized through gritted teeth.

  “I know.” Lauren’s eyes went beyond the gathered rogues, beyond her defeated teammates, across the length of the floor to where Lilith stood alone in her own patch of shadow, watching the scene with interest.

  “Can you get me behind Lilith and yourself out at the same time?”

  Harper looked at her like she was insane.

  “All the way over there? You'll be alone—”

  “This isn’t up for debate,” Lauren insisted harshly. “I’m team leader. I’m gonna handle this. Get yourself outside and me behind her now.”

  Harper looked forwards again. She shook as she took a deep breath, then released her fists.

  The barrier around them broke. At the same time, Lauren and Harper fell downwards into darkness. Usagi was almost fast enough to catch Lauren’s vanishing head.

  This time, Lauren was ready to come out the other side. Her steps were silent as she appeared behind Lilith, who was craning her neck to see what had happened. Lauren grew the nails on her right hand into talons. At the same time, she wrapped her left arm around Lilith’s torso and pulled her backwards. Five diamond-sharp claws pricked the soft flesh of Lilith’s pale neck, blood pulsing just under the surface.

  “That was very clever,” Lilith purred. If she was at all surprised or worried, not a hint of it showed.

  “Not bad for improvising,” Lauren agreed. She kept her hostage pressed as tightly against her as she could, for fear of any trickery or underhanded magic. To the New Lords who had turned around and were cautiously approaching, their embrace probably looked strangely intimate.

  “So, what’s the plan now?” Lilith asked.

  Lauren spoke directly into her ear.

  “When we first met, you told me you can tell when people are lying.”

  “I can.”

  Lauren tightened her grip on Lilith’s neck ever so slightly. She let her feel how sharp her claws were.

  “You have five seconds to drop the barrier around this place, or I’m going to rip your throat out and see how far that gets me. Am I lying?”

  Lauren could hear the smile on the other side of her head. “No Lauren. You’re not lying.”

  Lilith’s swarm of underlings pressed closer. One of them was going to make a stupid move eventually. Even if Lauren was able to kill with a twitch.

  “You’re running out of time,” Lauren reminded her.

  “So are you,” Lilith said. The five seconds had passed. Still, Lilith knew she was living on borrowed seconds. Lauren wasn’t lying about being willing to rip her throat out. “How long do you think you have before those suburban kids up on the hill see the desperate, panicked killer inside of you? How long do you think they’ll keep you around in their shiny new world? Join us. We can give you whatever you’re looking for. We can be your family.”

  The words hit deeper than Lilith could have known. Or maybe she did know. For the briefest moment, Lauren considered them. She thought about how BASTION seemed totally blind to the goings-on of the city. Maybe she was more similar to these criminal teens. They seemed to know their way around. Maybe they already knew Dr. Smythe.

  Lauren squeezed her eyes shut. No. She had already resolved to stick to the path she had been put on. Joining them, even if the offer was serious, wouldn’t lead her anywhere good. And these bastards had just hurt the ones she had been put in charge of. That wasn’t okay with Lauren by a long shot. Even Reagan. She wouldn’t be abandoning any of them. Those suburban kids needed someone like Lauren looking out for them. Someone willing to do the messy parts. Like this.

  “I’ll pass. Guess we’re doing this the hard way.” Lauren tensed her muscles to swipe away Lilith’s life.

  Lilith raised her free arm. “Fine. Don’t be so dramatic.”

  The barrier on the skylights peeled away in ropey wisps that vanished before they reached the ground. It melted off as thick sludge from the windows that similarly fizzled into nonexistence.

  The night was still for a single second as everyone looked upwards.

  Then came the breaking.

  The skylights shattered as figures dropped down into the scene. At the same time, the wide front doors of the museum splintered open. In came a stampede of Rosewell students ready to rescue or avenge their friends.

  American Angel led the sky assault, crashing downwards like a patriotic meteor. Her shining wings filled the dark interior with light. She wasted no time punching the gray titan in the face. Abigail in her brassy tech suit floated in on propulsion boots, while another figure Lauren didn’t immediately recognize came swooping low after Grace. They were a blur of blood-red skin underneath skimpy armor. What Lauren saw of their face was freakishly bat-like. They fired the same beams of concentrated heat that Sola had tagged her with in gym. Was that Sola?

  The entry from the doors was led by Young Gun, Ranger Wild, and NeoKnight. Young Gun gave covering fire while Ranger Wild came bounding forwards and NeoKnight leaped across the room, sword glowing. Five or six other students came in after them.

  The New Lords were caught between the two assaults, but they were no slouches. Yelling and blasts echoed through the space. Blows were traded as the waves of bodies crashed into each other. If Lauren’s team being battered around earlier was chaotic, this was an all-out battle.

  The scene was so distracting that Lauren almost forgot she was still holding Lilith to her closely.

  Lilith nuzzled her captor’s neck with the back of her head.

  “Is all this cuddling and carnage making you feel frisky too?”

  Lauren pulled her head away from her. She was caught between wanting to help in the fight and keeping Lilith contained. She was roughed up pretty bad. Her wounds tingled, maybe having started the healing process, but she was still far from top shape. Keeping her hold on Lilith might be the best way she could help until this was all over.

  NeoKnight clashed with the larger, more gothic-looking knight, their weapons clanging together. Grace’s leg was grabbed as she flew too close to the giant, and she received the same across-the-room fling. The red flier who was apparently Sola zipped around the neon-winged girl in the air, various-colored beams of light firing off like a concert.

  On the ground, Ike slugged it out alongside Troy, Marcellus, Jonas, and Thalia. They were doing well holding their ground. Usagi went to kick Ike’s head, but she was grabbed by an invisible force midair. Billy, behind the line of fighting in a purple helmet that covered his eyes, wrenched his arms and threw her into a column.

  There were more fighters to contend with. Maudlin, who had thrown back her wool to reveal twitching appendages, the martial artist with knives, a girl that looked like a zombie, and a few others gave as much as they got. The center floor was a tangle of limbs and weapons and people tripping over each other. It could end either way, depending on who started dropping. Lauren and her team at full strength would have made all the difference.

  “I daresay one of us is going to have to break this stalemate,” Lilith said. “You or me?”

  “Shut up,” Lauren growled. “When we beat you, you’re still gonna answer some questions.”

  “I’m really curious what you think I’m hiding from you. Besides the one big thing.” Lilith sighed. “Fine. I will.”

  Lauren gasped. A cold sharpness entered her stomach. Warmth gushed around it. Lauren’s mouth hung open in shock. There was no way Lilith had an angle to stab her. Not unless…

  Lilith grunted as she pulled her blade out of Lauren and out of her own belly. Lauren wobbled on her heels. The sudden blood loss was her tipping point. Lilith gently extracted Lauren’s claws from around her neck.

  She turned around to face Lauren. A silver dagger dripping with mixed blood in her hand. Lilith lifted her shirt and jacket. A thin line oozed dark blood from her white belly.

  “Ouchie. I’ll have to have the school nurse look at that.”

  Lauren thought to lunge forward in a desperate attack. All she succeeded in doing was stumbling towards Lilith, who pressed her dagger against Lauren’s throat.

  “Careful now,” Lilith warned. Her dark eyes burned into Lauren’s. She guided Lauren forward until they stood in front of the battle, dagger still at her neck.

  Lilith looked upwards at the T-rex. The massive skeleton shuddered. Its head swung towards them, green fire now burning in its dry eye sockets. Then it looked down at the melee around its feet. It’s jaw of jagged teeth opened, and it gave a deafening, blood-icing roar.

  Fists slowed as everyone was forced to look up at the titanic skeleton. Fliers separated in the air. The T-rex looked to its master off to the side.

  “Thank you all for your attention,” Lilith announced. “Tonight was simply thrilling. We should do this more often. But before any of us get too bloodthirsty and do something we can’t take back, I say we let the tension built a little longer and part ways for now. We’ll see plenty of each other out on the streets in one form or another. Heroes vs Villains. A tale as old as tales themselves. Now we all have something to talk about!”

  No one answered her, but no one continued the fight.

  “Lauren here is going to help us leave,” Lilith continued. “Let us be on our way, and she can swoon into your arms. We don’t want any tragic accidents, right?”

  The keen point of Lilith’s dagger licked Lauren’s neck, cutting a narrow slit into her. She was too weak to fight it. She was already sliced up and covered in her own blood. Her head swam. She was pretty sure Usagi might have broken her nose. A few ribs felt out of place from the big squeeze. So much for being tougher.

  Lilith began a chant that seemed to echo louder than she spoke it. Green mist rose from the floor and swirled around the feet of all her companions. The mist clung to each of them and climbed up their bodies, first enveloping the ones who had been knocked down. It eventually covered each of the New Lords, holding their shapes for a moment before collapsing back down to the ground.

  Lilith leaned in close.

  “Come find me when they fail you.”

  She gently bit Lauren’s ear before disappearing. The dagger at her throat vanished. Lauren wasted no time falling to the floor.

  . . .

  Voices spoke. Light shifted beyond her closed eyelids. Someone moved her. The pain was so much worse when she moved. A groan escaped her. A strap tightened over her.

  That woke her up. Lauren thrashed against the restraints. Not the lab again. Never the lab again. She’d die first. A hand on her shoulder tried to push her down.

  “Lauren! Please! We’re just trying to get you home safe!”

  “NO!” she screamed.

  “Get those off her!”

  The other voice sounded familiar. As soon as the strap loosened, Lauren flopped off the stretcher she had been placed on. She was still in the museum. Her classmates were around. So were a few agents. And a curvy woman in a green and white bodysuit. The suit reached up to cover her head and face except for around her mouth. Still, Lauren recognized her bust. Ms. Almstead had shown up in costume.

  Agent Hogan helped ease Lauren to her feet. She heaved for breath. She coughed, blood leaking out of her mouth.

  “Lauren, we need to get you to the campus medical facility immediately,” Hogan said.

  “My team,” she rasped.

  “They’re loaded to be airlifted. You’re the last one to board.”

  “Take them now.”

  “Lauren—”

  It had been too long for Mary, Megumi, and Reagan. They could be dying. She grabbed Hogan’s arm. “Take them NOW.”

  He seemed to know better than to argue. He spoke into his communicator for the medical evac to take off.

  “Lauren, you have a healing factor, but you still need attention…”

  Lauren pushed off him and limped away, past her classmates and the agents cordoning off the area. Eyes followed her. She wanted to get away from their looks. There was too much blood and sweat in the air. She needed to breathe.

  She made it to the front doors of the museum, still open. She fell heavily onto the uppermost step outside.

  Cold rain pattered onto the street. It fell on Lauren’s head. She looked up and opened her mouth to it. She was so thirsty. The rivulets ran down her face and stung the slashes.

  Hogan’s presence darkened the doorway behind her.

  “Doesn’t this city have any real goddamn heroes?” she asked.

  “A few street-supers. Besides Kinetika, Pacific City hasn’t had a City-Class hero since Invasion Day. Sometimes Seraph is around. We can’t afford redundancies right now.”

  She swallowed some blood-tinged water. “So we’re it?”

  “For the everyday, non-apocalypse stuff? Yeah, basically.”

  Lauren kept her eyes closed. They never got rain like this in Callis. She liked the way it wetted her hair. It was peaceful.

  “Come inside, Lauren. Let’s get ready to get you home.”

  “Why did you really give up on Rachel?” Lauren asked. She had been thinking about it since they had last parted. She wasn’t planning to ask so soon, but what was time when they could die any night.

  Silence. Weighted silence, except for the rain.

  “I told you—”

  “That you never give up,” Lauren finished. She twisted and looked at him, leaning in the doorway. Hands in the pockets of his rumpled suit. “So you found something. I don’t believe that you didn’t.”

  More silence from his stoic face.

  “I’m bleeding for this country that never gave a shit about me before I got powers,” Lauren said. No bitterness in her voice. No anger. Her mouth trembled. She felt fragile. She still felt the dagger at her neck. Lilith’s words had cut deeper. “Hell, I’m probably gonna die for it someday. You can try being honest with me.”

  Hogan wavered. Lauren could see it on his face. She waited.

  He hung his head, turned, and walked inside. That was his answer. And the sense that told Lauren her sister was somewhere out there flickered like a weak candle in a strong wind.