“I have to fill out all of these reports?” Tank asked, holding up a little booklet.

“Yes, they let the academy know how my apprenticeship is going,” Wire said, for the third time.

“You’re still here. Isn’t that enough for the DCP?”

“No, they have very specific rules about how things get done,” Wire said, her hands spreading in a pleading manner.

“How often do I have to fill out one of these?” Tank asked as she flipped through the booklet. While Liam couldn’t see what was on the pages, he’d been briefed on the changes to the apprenticeship program this year. He didn’t see how they’d help, but at least it showed the DCP was trying to change.

“It answers that at the top. Did you read any of it?”

“I read all of it, I just forgot,” Tank said as she flipped back to the front page. Her mouth dropped open as she read what was inside. “I have to do this every Month! That’s crazy. Nudge, do you have to fill these out as well?”

Nudge looked over from the far side of the room.

“Yeah. I already completed the reports for the next 6 months.”

“You did them ahead of time?”

“It’s the same stuff every time. Make a few minor changes and it’ll satisfy them.”

And that was where the ‘tried’ part came in. These reports were supposed to make sure there were no issues brewing within the apprenticeship program, but it all relied on the older Heroes taking them seriously. Which, if Nudge represented the broader mentality, the process wasn’t having the desired effect.

Liam listened to his team talk. He had a similar mentality to Nudge where the reports were concerned. While Wire might freak out about it, he let it pass. Whatever was on it was fine to him.

“Can I look at one of yours?” Tank asked.

“So you can copy it?” Nudge questioned.

“I would never, I just need some ideas.”

“No, you can’t!” Wire shouted. “This is serious, I can’t believe neither of you see that. The academy had to reach out to me because you haven’t submitted anything yet. Now, you can’t just take something Nudge wrote.”

“But they’ll get a report faster if we do it that way.”

“And the DCP would end up with two reports explaining Source and how he’s doing.”

“Don’t worry, I’m very vague in what I write. It could be anyone I’m talking about,” Nudge said.

“And they can have two reports about me if that helps,” Liam said.

“No, they can’t! And why aren’t you on my side?” Wire said, her hand slamming into the table.

“I’m just saying if they want Tank to spy on me, there isn’t much I can do to stop that.”

“None of you are helping! Tank, take this seriously,” Wire said. Her voice rising in volume.

“It’s just a formality, don’t worry about it,” Tank said.

“I just, can’t,” Wire said as she threw her hands into the air and marched to the other side of the room. The older Heroes watched her leave, a sly smile on both of their faces.

Liam looked away from it all. Turning to his bowl of cereal, the flakes swam around in their white bath. Each waiting its turn as they twirled in mysterious ways. The patterns altered every time his spoon entered the bath.

What Liam would do to have that carefree attitude. He tried, but getting anything more than a few jokes in was exhausting. It’d almost be worth it to leave this career if it meant he could be like that all the time. Yet he knew his work wasn’t done. And until everything was taken care of, he couldn’t quit.

Unlike the bowl and his thoughts, the scenery around him was anything but the twirling of cereal. The rest of the room was a ruckus of activity. All being carried out at a frenzied pace.

Stretching his sore neck, the extra training sessions having left it permanently stiff, Liam took in the scene.

To Liam’s left were Tank and Nudge. They’d forgotten the report Wire had brought to them and were pouring through all the data the team had gathered. Liam’s careful, if not immediately apparent organizational approach had been disregarded as the two looked through everything for another time. Files being left in piles they had no right to be. It’d take Liam an hour to sort through it all again, when they were done.

The two Heroes were deep in conversation. Going over some minute detail of Bank-Breaker’s past. To Liam, it sounded like nothing more than a repeat of their earlier conversations.

To the other side of him, Wire was having her own conversation. This one was much more fascinating. Having failed to get Tank to help with her report, Wire had resorted to talking to something else.

“How are you doing little guy?” Wire asked, reaching out she moved one of the new robot’s arms in a waving motion.

“Yeah, it’s ok. You have to get used to the place. It’s always crazy here,” Wire continued. Lost in her conversation, Wire ignored everyone else in the room.

Enthralled by what he was seeing, Liam set his spoon down, the cereal swirling again before falling still. His own focus pulling away from the design and turning to what Wire was doing.

In front of Wire was the new robot he’d made. It’d gone through a few iterations, but this one met his standards to see real action. And boy, was it an upgrade for his teammate. No longer would she have to resort to store bought machines. These things were custom made to her needs.

Letters in orange, on its side, declared the machine’s name ‘Arcani’. It’d been the only artistic touch Wire had requested. His frown when hearing it, the likely reason she hadn’t pushed for more. Not that Liam was upset by the result. It gave the little guy his own flair.

After he’d finished eyeing the robot, Liam went back through his videos of their fight on the ship. Finding similar names on the other drones she carried with her. He’d missed it at the time, but now they seemed obvious. However, naming your robots and talking to them were completely different things. Levels separated the two.

“If you need anything, let me or one of your brothers know,” Wire said as she moved to eye level with the cold metal figure.

And they had genders as well, Liam thought. Cocking his head to the side, Liam looked at his teammate in a new light. She must’ve kept this part of her personality under tight wraps to not draw the DCP’s attention. He could see a hundred questions that would come from it if they found out. Or maybe they already had, and she’d passed?

“Yes, the old two are annoying. Maybe they will behave better in the future,” Wire’s comment came out a little louder than the original ones.

Wire turned as Liam was trying to determine how she ticked. Their eyes met and Liam felt a blush brimming over his face.

“Oh… you heard that?” Wire asked. Her face heating up as well.

“You’re in the middle of the base,” Liam pointed out the obvious.

Wire looked around as if just realizing where she was. Well, maybe not the most obvious as it turned out.

“Don’t tell the others,” she pleaded, her eyes growing large.

“My lips are sealed,” Liam said with the classic zipper motion across his mouth.

The two stared at each other for a moment longer, Liam focusing on the puzzle of a person in front of him, before Wire coughed and turned away.

Liam jerked and followed her lead. Going back to his cereal, he kept his head low.

Liam couldn’t be sure, but he thought Nudge had looked over at the two during their exchange. An act that amplified the fire truck colored stains on his cheeks.

The vibration of his phone brought a relief Liam was looking for. Pulling it out, he found Mel’s name on the display.

“Hey Mel,” Liam said as he hit the answer button.

“LIAM!” Mel screamed from the other side of the line. Shouting Liam couldn’t make out and crashing came through in the background of the call.

“Mel, what’s going on?” Liam demanded. His heart-rate jumped past 100 as he tried to make sense of what he was hearing. Nudge and Tank turned towards him, aware from the tone something was wrong.

“No!!” a scream came over the phone. The sound the antithesis of anything Liam wanted to hear. A nightmare of what his sister should sound like. Then he heard a loud thud. His sister’s screaming voice faded as a crash and skidding sound came to the fore.

“Mel!” Liam yelled again as the line went dead. His hands slick, Liam pulled the phone from his ear and looked down at it. What was going on? This was a joke, yeah that’s what it had to be, Liam told himself.

The numbers on the screen shook as Liam dialed back. The tringing sound of the ringer echoing over the line. Its rhythm continuing unabated as he listened on.

“Answer,” Liam muttered.

“What’s going on?” Nudge asked as he hurried over.

“I’m trying to find out,” Liam cut back. His voice was brisker than he wanted it to be.

The steady rhythm of rings continued. Liam wanted more than anything for them to stop, but afraid of what that’d bring.

“I can’t wait for this!” Liam yelled as he got up, chair crashing behind him. He was out of the room before it’d come to a rest.

Racing into the hall, Nudge called after him, “We can help if you tell us what’s happening,”

“Get a teleporter here, right now!” Liam demanded as he sped away. He didn’t fully understand what was happening. How could he bring Nudge up to speed when he wasn’t?

The walls of the base sped past, Liam not seeing any of them as he listened to the steady ringing of the phone. This wasn’t right, she was supposed to be safe. She had former Heroes there, guarding her. How could anything be happening with them mere seconds away?

Liam didn’t want to think about what could cause her to scream like that. Yet one image came to mind, Skip. Standing there with his sister, with nothing to protect her from him. Liam couldn’t let that happen.

Before he realized what he was doing, Liam found himself pulling on his suit. The last piece, his helmet, latching in place as three people raced into the room.

“Where are we going?” Wire asked. Her own mask being pulled low as she moved into the room.

Grabbing a touchpad, Liam clicked a couple buttons and a map with a red dot appeared.

“Here, my sister is in trouble.”

The others nodded, ready to follow him into whatever would come. A brief reprieve to the stomach churning feeling wracking Liam. He had people he could count on. They would figure out what was going on and keep his sister safe. Yet the feeling was short lived. He didn’t have time for hopes when who knew what was happening to his sister.

Liam only hoped they’d get there before it was too late.