Dr. Ueda strolled through the streets of New York, stretching her legs after a long conference, humming a tune to herself. She turned the corner…

There was a man, dressed as a clown, being beaten by a group of teenage boys.

Dr. Ueda took a step and appeared in between the group and the man.

“Please stop this.”

“Get lost, lady, this doesn’t concern you.”

The boy turned and tried to kick the man again. A dainty foot appeared on top of his, holding it still.

“Why don’t we just talk this out?”

The boy grit his teeth and threw a punch at the small woman.

Who caught his fist with her hand.

The boy grunted but he couldn’t move his fist forward. It was like pushing against a concrete wall.

The other boys looked at each other and scattered. The first boy, realizing his friends were gone, also turned and ran.

“We’ll chat another time then.”

Dr. Ueda shrugged and turned to the man. He was groaning and clutching his head. She knelt down beside him, looking over his wounds.

“Hang on just a second, I know some first aid.”

The man slowly lowered his arms as Dr. Ueda bandaged him up. Dr. Ueda stood up, holding out her hand.

“Can you stand?”

The man nodded and grabbed her hand. She pulled him to his feet.

“How are you feeling? Anything still hurt?”

The man heaved a sigh, looking at the ground.

“It’s just…I’m having a really bad day.”

“That must be tough. Do you want to talk about it?”

The man thought for a moment then opened his mouth…

Several hours later.

“And then…and then…she told me she’s not even my real mom! And my girlfriend…she was all in my head! I’d never even spoken to her!”

“It’s ok, it’s all going to be ok…just let it all out. If you want…I can help you with that.”

A short while later, Dr. Ueda waved to the man as he departed, a small bottle of pills in hand. Combined with the counter-genjutsu she had placed on him and some internal adjustments via her chakra, he should be able to heal on his own from now on. Just in case, she had contacted a local colleague to follow up with him, check in from time to time.

Sometimes, all it takes is one bad day to break a person.

But sometimes, all it takes is one moment of kindness to hold them together.

And then Dr. Ueda frowned and spun about, reaching for her pocket.

Someone was standing behind her.

“Dr. Ueda Enri? Or should I say…Kodama Chiyeko?”

Dr. Ueda’s eyes narrowed. A figure stood before her, passing in the shadows between street lamps.

“Who are you?”

The figure stepped out into the light.

“Londyn Green, Director of the ILS.”

She held out a scroll in her hand.

“We need your help.”

Wonder Knight slammed into the floor, the air knocked from his lungs. A figure stomped on his stomach, driving whatever was left out.

“Get up, maggot! The enemy’s not going to let you rest!”

Wonder Knight forced himself to move, rolling out of the way of another stomp. He tried to stand only to find a foot approaching his face, the kick sending him rolling across the room.

But he stood up again.

Agent Tina smirked and crossed her arms.

“Spirit! I like it! Not going to save you from getting your butt whooped though!”

Agent Tina charged across the room. Wonder Knight threw out a punch and Tina ducked underneath it, throwing an elbow into Wonder Knight’s torso, then swung around and landed an uppercut on his chin.

Up in the observation deck of the new training room, Londyn let out a sigh.

“Is she training him, or just playing around?”

This was the first test of the ILS’s new grav-assisted training room. Gravity projectors could adjust the gravity and mass of the combatants in real time, making it harder for Wonder Knight to move while adding punch to Agent Tina’s blows. Which meant right now, Agent Tina and Wonder Knight were operating on even footing, with their skill as the only difference.

And Agent Tina was having entirely too much fun with it.

An ILS technician looked up from their seat at Londyn.

“Should we reduce the handicap on Wonder Knight, Ma’am?”

Londyn looked down at the room, looking specifically at Wonder Knight’s eyes. The boy was beaten, battered.

But there was fire and focus in his eyes.

“No. He asked for this. Keep at it.”

Chronolock took a deep breath. To her side, Voidspeaker paced about, wringing his hands.

“...you’re sure about this? It’s not going to hurt you right? S-Shouldn’t we test it on something…like a mouse or something first?”

“Void.”

“Y-Yes?”

“Shut up.”

“...yes, ma’am.”

Chronolock sighed and then took another deep breath. She held out her hands…

And focused her power on herself.

The power stopped dead, refusing to move as it usually did with living tissue. She grit her teeth and pushed on it with all her might. Her head started to pound, her vision swirled slightly.

And then her focus snapped. She gasped and dropped to the floor, breathing heavily.

She grit her teeth and pounded the floor. Another failure…

“Chrono! Are you ok?! What the heck just happened?!”

“...”

“You, like, vanished or something! Where the heck did you go?”

Chronolock looked up at Voidspeaker, standing over her. Her eyes widened.

“What…did you say?”

“You like, disappeared! And then you reappeared a few moments later!”

Chronolock just blinked a couple times, staring at him. She looked down on her hands and started to smile.

“...it worked.”

Pink Star absently scribbled on her notepad. In her other eye, she watched as her squirrel clambered up a tree, watching the current PE class as they played soccer in the field. She was trying to keep track of the score as she took notes. At the same time, a little pink fly buzzed in the classroom over, spying on her latest...practicing her intel-gathering skills.

She looked down at her notes and sighed.

They were completely blank. Not one of the equations she was supposed to have written. No scoreline from the game. None of Jeremy's favorite foods.

A hand slapped on her table.

“I see you’ve been paying attention, Miss Moss. Perhaps you’d like to solve the problem then?”

Pink Star looked up at the board and winced.

She had no idea what she was looking at.

And then she winced again as the talons of a hawk filled her squirrel’s view.

Well at least she could...

Instead of Jeremy's face, her fly was stuck to a web in a corner, staring straight at the face of a spider.

Today’s practice was not going well.

Londyn let out a sigh as she finished the last urgent document for the day. She glanced over at her monitors as she stretched and frowned.

Someone was still in the training area.

She let out a sigh and stood up.

When she arrived she shivered. The training area was ice cold, frost covering the walls. She walked towards the center. There stood a girl, breathing heavily with fog forming from her mouth. A target stood in the center of the room, riddled with icicles.

“Rose, what are you doing here? You should be resting now.”

The girl started and turned to face Londyn. She narrowed her eyes and looked down.

“...I’m not good enough.”

“Your record says otherwise. You’re doing well.”

“...that’s not good enough. I have to get stronger. Better. I won’t…fail again…”

The girl’s eyes quivered. Londyn sighed and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Constanza.”

The girl’s head shot up.

“...you can’t fight on an empty stomach. Nutrition is a part of training too. I’m about to grab some food, why don’t you join me?”

The girl hung her head for a bit, biting her lip. But she slowly nodded.

Londyn held in a sigh and the two departed.

She might need Dr. Ueda’s help as much as Kodama Chiyeko’s.

Master Elegant Katana stood in the forest, blade at his side. His eyes were closed and he let out a deep breath.

“It is nothing compared to strength!”

He grabbed the hilt of his sword and drew it. He slowly opened his eyes as he let out a breath.

The tree in front of him began to shift and fall, cut straight through along a diagonal line.

Once upon a time, he thought he was a master.

And then he discovered how high the mountain goes.

Style over substance, that’s what his master always critiqued him for.

He hadn’t believed it, as he surpassed them all.

But now?

Now he understood.

He sheathed his blade, readying his stance once more.

Jim Roberson let out a sigh. He stood in his backyard, staring up at the night sky. The kids had gone to sleep…but not him.

He heard the door slowly open.

His wife slowly walked into the yard, holding two steaming cups. She passed him one.

“Here.”

He nodded as he took the cup.

“Thanks.”

They stood in silence for a moment, but she did not return to the house.

“What happened?”

“Hm?”

“...this isn’t like you. Something happened, didn’t it?”

“...”

She took a deep breath.

“If you want to talk about it…I wouldn’t mind listening…”

“...I always thought, deep down, that I was strong. But then, we encountered someone, someone who beat the entire League…and I found out just how weak I really am.”

“...Jim Roberson. You are many things. But weak is not one of them. You were, and are, the strongest, most courageous man I know. You found someone stronger? Doesn’t matter. Don’t let it take away from who you are.”

“...I just…don’t know if I can protect the League. Protect you, and the kids…”

She scooted towards him, and wrapped an arm around his.

“You already have.”

He turned to face her. She smirked at him.

“Besides, the man I know wouldn’t stand here staring up in the sky. Captain Hot Devil would use this to drive him, stoke his flames and reach greater heights. Why, he’d go off training who knows where and not come home for a week straight. Maybe…it’s not the enemy you’re afraid of.”

He winced at that.

“Do what you need to, Captain Hot Devil. I trust you to come back. We’ll be waiting when you come home.”

He stared into her eyes for a second before slowly nodding.

“Thank you. I think...I have an idea. Something that will work without me having to leave at all.”

"...if that's what you want. We'll support you, Jim, whatever you decide."

The two leaned in, and shared their first kiss in a long time.