It didn’t take long for Adam’s limousine to arrive. The long black vehicle seemed to take up the length of the block, though that was probably just Lauren’s imagination exaggerating the size of it. She had never seen a vehicle so nice. Maybe limo’s had come through Callis before, but they were much smaller and already covered in dust and scratches, being used up after a tour of duty in Vegas or Oasis. This limo looked sleek and shiny, practically brand new.

  Adam grabbed the door near the back of the limo and held it for everyone to enter. Thalia ducked in first, then Cleo and Grace. Benedict took a moment to pivot inside. The slits on the back of his shirt were a reminder that he was lugging around invisible wings.

  “Thank you, good sir,” Abigail said to Adam, accepting his hand as she stepped in.

  Adam leaned his hands on the top of the door frame, correctly figuring Lauren wasn’t going to accept help.

  “Coming in?” he asked. In his sleek sunglasses with dark lenses, his eyes of two different colors weren’t visible. He looked normal. Handsome, and rich, but normal. It was terribly disarming.

  “Why…”

  The question died before it even really left Lauren’s lips. It could’ve split into a dozen different options. She really wanted to stop and ask, just, why? Why were these rich, pretty, well-adjusted people treating her like a friend? Why was she piling in to a limo with them? Didn’t they… know she never did this kind of thing? Couldn’t they sense she didn’t come from anything? Her guarded attitude, her senses that kept her safe and independent, were suddenly feeling very mushy. It felt exposing. Like feeling a breeze on parts of your body that normally never felt it. Her walls were falling, and she didn’t feel the strength to pull them up again. She could get these nice people killed on her crusade. Or when she lost control again.

  Lucy poked her head out. “You okay, Lor?”

  “It’s really safe. Douglas is a great driver,” Adam assured her, as if that was her hesitation.

  Lauren nodded, not wanting to hold them up anymore. “Okay.”

  She crawled in and found a seat next to Lucy, who was sitting on a section that lined the right interior.

  Lucy immediately glomped on her and wrapped her in a hug.

  Lauren stiffened.

  “Er… what are you doing?”

  “I just sensed you needed a hug,” Lucy said matter-of-factly, her head on Lauren’s shoulder.

  “Oh. Okay.” Lauren almost forgot what those felt like. But it was nice. She tried to relax.

  Adam entered and shut the door behind him.

  The limo was spacious, having three seating areas in the back and on the two sides. Cleo, Grace, and Benedict sat across from Lauren and Lucy. Abigail was squished into the corner of the forward-facing seating at the back. It was clearly meant for two people, and Thalia sat next to her. Adam shimmied forward until he was on the other side of Lucy, near the front partition.

  A window in the center rolled down, the driver becoming visible in the rear-view mirror.

  “Am I delivering your companions somewhere first, Mr. Atlas?” Douglas asked in a smooth baritone.

  “The riverfront shopping area, please,” Adam said.

  “Certainly. If I may, would you like to grant your friends an Atlas card for the day?”

  Adam perked up. “Excellent idea!”

  A silver card was handed back to Adam.

  “What’s that?” Grace asked, leaning forward.

  “A debit card. You guys can use it for the day. I almost never bother to dip into it.”

  “How much is on it?” Cleo asked with an excited gleam in her eye. She gripped the seat cushion tightly.

  “It’s pretty flexible. Just don’t try to buy the entire waterfront. Deal?”

  Thalia leaned forward. “I’ll hold onto it, since you’ve known me the longest.”

  “Good point,” Adam said. He thrust the card to Lauren. “Lauren, I’m going to trust it with you.”

  “Hey!” Thalia said.

  Adam smirked. “Nothing personal.”

  Lauren realized he wasn’t kidding, so she accepted the plastic card. Despite only weighing a few grams, it felt like the heaviest thing she had ever held.

  She looked to Adam. “I’ll take care of it,” she said seriously.

  “Good,” Adam said. He turned to a chrome cabinet built underneath the partition. He opened the top of it, which turned out to be split into two halves. He pulled a dripping bottle out of one half, which dribbled cold vapor onto the floor.

  “Now, who wants some bubbly?”

  “You have champagne?” Benedict gasped.

  “Nah, just sparkling cider. But it’s really good.”

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  Fluted glasses were passed around as Adam popped the cork on the bottle. Lauren looked out the nearest window behind her. They had been smoothly traveling through the city all the while. There was so much to see; restaurants, parks, cafes, and people out enjoying the day.

  “Lauren.”

  She turned back around. Adam was watching her.

  “You wanna stick your head out the roof?”

  Lauren blushed. She realized she had been practically sitting with her nose squished against the glass like a child.

  “Yeah.”

  Adam pressed something, and the large window above them tilted and slid open, letting air breeze into the cabin.

  Lauren climbed forward, grabbed the sides of the opening, and stood.

  Immediately, the wind whipped her hair back. She reached into her pocket and found her sunglasses, and put them on. It was much easier to see without the glare and wind in her eyes.

  On the streets, people’s heads turned to watch the limo pass. Maybe they thought someone famous was inside. Thinking about it, maybe they were famous in a way. People were wondering about the superhero school. Were they going to have some sort of debut, eventually?

  Lauren’s grin at feeling the sun and wind in her face wavered. If Dr. Smythe was here, what would happen when she saw Lauren trotted out at some public event by BASTION? Or saving someone on the news. Would she move again? Would Lauren be able to sense them again?

  She lowered herself back into the cabin.

  “Did you like it?” Adam asked. “You weren’t up there very long.”

  Lauren cleared her throat. “Yeah. Thanks.”

  Lauren sat back in her seat. The rest of the way, the group chatted amongst themselves, about classes and what they wanted to shop for. Lucy leaned her head on Lauren’s shoulder again.

  Eventually the limo reached a broad boulevard and pulled to the side of the street as much as was possible.

  “Here we are,” Adam said. “Have fun, keep me posted about later.”

  Everyone filed out onto the sidewalk except Adam and Abigail. Thalia was the last out. She hesitated at the exit and turned around to look back in.

  “Do you want me to come with?” she asked.

  Adam peeked out. “Why?”

  Thalia glanced between him and Abigail.

  “I dunno. You and I are part of the same stuff. I can be backup.”

  “I’ll be fine, Tals. You should enjoy a girl’s day out. And a… Benedict day out.”

  “You can group me with the girls!” Benedict called.

  Thalia still hesitated, but she didn’t seem to have anything else to add.

  “Okay. Let me know how it goes.”

  Adam waved as he closed the door and the limo rejoined traffic.

  Cleo, Grace, and Benedict were already off ahead walking together, leaving Lucy, Lauren, and Thalia on the curb.

  Lauren turned to look at the area, which seemed well-kept and clean. The buildings here looked older, with brick facades and wide glass windows. Broad trees provided the walkways with dappled shade. The ambient smell of rushing water was even stronger here. Couples, families, and lone walkers all passed them by in a steady stream of movement. It looked like most of them were heading in and out of a blocked-off street about a block away, where Grace’s group was walking towards.

  “That’s the Neptune Street market,” Lucy said, nodding towards that direction. “C’mon, let’s head over.”

  The three of them joined the flow of people. Lauren’s eyes roamed over every storefront and location they passed. The variety of sights and smells was overwhelming. She couldn’t even place most things that came her way. Plates of exotic foods were placed in front of diners in outdoor seating areas. There were jewelry stores, home goods, tech shops. So much for Lauren to catch up on. Her eyes didn’t know where to stop. They weren’t even at the market yet.

  As she gawked, out of the corner of her eye she saw Lucy walk next to Thalia.

  “Do you… wanna talk?” Lucy asked her.

  “Huh? Talk about what?” Her tone was guarded.

  “Whatever’s got you bothered. Is it Adam?”

  “I—” She sighed. “I just don’t want him taken advantage of.”

  “Oh. We don’t have to use his card.”

  “Not like that. I mean… Adam’s a soft guy. He’s got a good heart. I’m trying to be encouraging, but I worry about him being here. I worry his family’s pushing him too much. And I don’t want him falling in with any bad influences here.”

  “I don’t think anyone here is bad,” Lucy said. “We’ll keep him safe.”

  “Yeah…”

  Lauren wasn’t particularly attuned to emotions, but even she could tell Thalia probably had some unrealized feelings for Adam. She seemed to bristle when other girls paid him attention.

  They reached the market proper, which was a brick street so wide across that it was basically an extended plaza. Crowds bustled between the various storefronts that formed the walls of the market. There was seating, food stalls, people playing instruments, and shopping bags galore.

  “This is just the surface layer of the market,” Lucy explained. “There’s about two levels underground, and more above the ground level in some parts.”

  “There’s more than this?” Lauren asked. Just the part she could see already looked like more than could be done in a day.

  Lucy giggled. “Oh, you’re gonna be so fun to show around.”

  Lucy led the two girls around. Thalia certainly seemed better adjusted to this than Lauren, but they went slow for her sake. They got ice cream, then stopped in a few trinket shops. Lauren ate up her strawberry soft serve while Lucy and Thalia tried on rings and other pieces. They checked out a plush store, where Thalia bought a squishy panda bear. After that, they ventured into an underground portion that had an entrance on the street. It took Lauren’s eyes a moment to adjust to the sudden dimness after being in dazzling sunlight.

  The under-part of the market was humid and narrow, the air thick with clashing scents. Lucy had them stop into a spice store, where buckets of fine powders in a rainbow of colors lined the walls. Lauren’s brain felt broken after smelling just a few of them. Her mind felt like it needed to grow just to accommodate these new experiences.

  It was apparently obvious that Lauren was getting dizzy, so she was led to a shaded table above-ground that a family had just cleared. There, they sat and people watched for a while.

  “Having fun?” Lucy asked. She clearly wanted her new friends to enjoy her home city.

  “It’s as charming as ever,” Thalia said, inclining her head. She was leaned back, elbow rested on the table.

  Lucy turned to Lauren.

  “It’s… a lot. But it’s nice,” Lauren said. “It’s everything I thought it would be.”

  “I’m so glad.”

  “I think I saw the others go over into that Paragons over there,” Thalia reported, nodding across the way.

  “What’s a Paragons?” Lauren asked.

  “It’s a superhero-themed clothing store,” Lucy answered. She grabbed Lauren’s hand. “C’mon, let’s go check it out. Maybe we can buy our first costumes!”

  The trio went across the way to the storefront with Paragons in bold, thick lettering. In the windowfront were mannequins with shiny, elastic costumes that beamed in the sun.

  It occurred to Lauren just how little she truly knew about superheroes and the culture around them. She understood, in theory, that beings who could wield magic or advanced technology or were changed by sudden accidents protected the world from threats. They were just one of those groups of people she would never meet in her life, like world leaders or celebrities. Especially living in a small town. Even before Invasion Day, in her old life, she could name maybe three heroes off the top of her head. Five if she was given time. It seemed they had their own world, mostly contained in metropolitan areas. Some died sometimes, some failed to stop villains getting away with stealing or even killing, but the world moved on.

  Except they didn’t anymore, did they? That’s why BASTION was banking on a bunch of teens stepping in to fill the gaps.

  Lauren stopped before the storefront and looked at the costumes in the window. She saw her own face, with all its little nicks and scratches, her scrawny frame.

  For a moment, she tried to picture herself in one of the costumes. It just didn’t seem to fit.