“How are you feeling?” Stanford asked as we drove into the South End.

  “Nervous,” I answered with a yawn, earning a chuckle.

  “Yes, you certainly sound it,” she replied sarcastically. “Have a good night?”

  “Yeah, actually it was,” I said, nodding. “You uh, does the PRT tell you anything about what’s going on in the city or whatever?”

  “Not particularly, but I try to keep up to date.” She glanced over at me. “Anything specific I should know about?”

  “Well, um…” I cleared my throat. “I fought Cricket, took her down and handed her to the Protectorate. Eight other bad guys too, with my partner.”

  “With your...ah, you must mean another hero?”

  “Yes, no, not my girlfriend,” I said quickly, cheeks colouring. “Nadir. She’s someone I helped out, and now we work together. Pretty well honestly.” When she wasn’t running for cover…

  “I see,” Stanford said, offering me a smile. “Congratulations then, Cricket was one of the Empire Eighty-Eight’s villains, right?”

  “Yeah, or Wotan’s Wolves now,” I said, a smile of my own growing behind my mask. “Only one villain left for them, then it’s just picking up trash.”

  “You and Nadir are planning to keep going after them then?” she asked.

  “Absolutely,” I said. “They’re on the back foot now, no better time to hammer them hard.” I winced, remembering the beating I’d taken doing it. “But...we’ll be careful.”

  “That’s good, it’s a dangerous job you do.” She sighed as the car slowed. “Don’t let your grades slip. I know it may not seem it now, but it’s important for living a life outside the mask.”

  “I know,” I said, my smile vanishing. “Sometimes I wonder though.”

  “Let’s put a pin in that debate for now,” Stanford said with a hint of humour. “We’re here.”

  I got out of the car and looked over the house. It was a fairly unassuming bungalow, with light blue walls and a large picture window in the front. The lawn was freshly mowed, with clippings scattered all over. A stone path lined with bushes led up to the front door, to...I guess my potential future family; at least if everyone else had their way. I followed Stanford up and stood off to the side as she knocked on the door. I felt conspicuous with my black clothes and red scarf, but that was sort of the point. Here though...it was just weird.

  “Oh, Viola, lovely to see you!” Vivian greeted Stanford eagerly when she opened the door. “And Amaranth, I’m so happy you accepted our invitation. Max was bouncing off the walls this morning he was so excited.”

  “Cool,” I said with as much energy as I cared to muster.

  “It’s good to see you as well Vivian,” Stanford replied smoothly. “I hope this visit will go as well as the last.” Wait, she’d been here before?

  “Personally, I hope it goes better,” she replied with a tinkling laugh. “Please, come in. Max is just in the living room, if that’s alright with you two?”

  She stepped inside and we kicked off our shoes. The house smelled...weird, like someone lit a dozen scented candles, all spicy but none the same kind. Some kind of quiet, choral music echoed eerily out from a room set just off from the entry. There were pictures on the walls, some of them obviously family, some paintings of people with golden circles around their heads. Saints, probably, since they were Catholic.

  “Please, sit down,” Vivian said as she led us into the living room, gesturing to a large couch. She sat in a smaller loveseat next to it. Between the couches, a little kid with curly, black hair laid on his belly, drawing on some paper. He looked maybe four, and was totally engrossed in his work. “Can I offer you anything? I steeped some tea here, and if you’d like I can grab some cookies.”

  “I’ll have some tea, thank you,” Stanford said, smiling.

  “I’m good,” I said with a shrug as Vivian made Stanford’s tea. “Mask and stuff, you know?”

  “I understand, that’s perfectly fair,” Vivian said sweetly. “Max dear, Amaranth is here now. Be polite and say hello, please.” Max looked up at me with wide eyes. They were sparkling green, like a certain blonde who liked causing me headaches.

  “Hello Miss Amaranth,” he spoke flatly, with a slight lisp. “That’s a very pretty mask.”

  “Thanks,” I replied. “You’re uh, drawing?”

  “Yes,” he said with a nod, turning back to the page. “I’m not done yet, but you can see if you want.”

  “Sure.” I took a look as he turned the page. It...wasn’t a bad rendition of someone who I assumed was Jesus, considering the beard and the half-finished golden light behind his head. I wasn’t one for iconography, but the kid was talented. “That’s pretty good. You know I actually draw too.”

  “Really?” Max asked, head snapping towards me. “But I thought you’re a hero.”

  “Sure but I’m not always fighting.”

  “That makes sense.” He pursed his lips, then smiled. “Thank you.”

  “You’re...welcome?” I wasn’t sure what I was being thanked for, but I guess the kid was just polite.

  “Would you like a pencil and paper?” Vivian asked. “I’d be happy to let you and Max draw for a while.”

  “I’m good, thanks,” I said, leaning back. “Not really in the mood.”

  “Ah, the whims of inspiration.” She chuckled. “Well, maybe we can get to know each other instead? First though, how have you been?”

  “Fine,” I said. “Just, you know, living. Going to school, dates, that stuff.”

  “Has school been going well?” Vivian said. “I know Mike talked about what a rush the summer courses were, but you adjusted?”

  “I got a little help,” I admitted. “Had a good teacher. It’s going fine now, just a lot of work.” On top of everything else… Oh fuck, I had a paper due Monday. I sighed, guess I wasn’t sleeping tonight.

  “Everything alright?” Vivian asked.

  “Oh, just a late night,” I said. “You know, hero stuff.”

  “Ah, and how did that go?” Her tone was stilted.

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  “Great, fought a bunch of Nazis and beat them,” I replied, smiling. “Arrested a villain too.”

  “Max, did you hear that?” she said, looking at the kid. “She’s talking about her work as a hero.”

  “I’m sorry!” he said, bolting upright and turning to me. His lower lip trembled. “I didn’t mean to ignore you Miss Amaranth.”

  “It’s okay,” I said as reassuringly as I could. “Really, it’s just work.”

  “But it’s hero work,” he countered. “Can you tell it again?”

  “Just spare the gory details, please,” Vivian said with a tense smile.

  I nodded and started telling him a little bit about last night. He asked a dozen questions about Nadir, none of them I could answer, but didn’t seem the least bit disappointed. Instead, he asked a battery of questions about Cricket, a lot of them weird like if she smelled ‘like a volcano’. I answered what I could and deflected what I couldn’t. I was surprised he didn’t barrage me about Miss Militia when I brought her up, just commenting that it was cool. Once I was done, he sat staring at the ground silently, lips pursed like he was deep in thought.

  “That sounds like quite an eventful night,” Vivian said. “I’m glad to hear you weren’t seriously hurt.” Yeah, because she asked for no gore.

  “Nature of my power,” I said instead. “When you have an invincible bubble around you, it’s sort of hard to get injured.” I was just especially talented.

  “Miss Amaranth?” Max asked, looking up at me with wide eyes. “You’re a hero, so why are you a sinner?”

  “Why am I…” I blinked. “What?”

  “Max that isn’t—”

  “Heroes are blessed,” he cut his mom off. “And villains are sinners. But you’re not a villain. But you’re a sinner.”

  “What do you mean, Max?” Stanford asked gently.

  “Viola it’s just—”

  “You’re living with a girl,” he rolled on. “And she’s your girlfriend, Mommy said. Miss Devon at church says that means you’re in a homosectional relationship out of wedlock.” The room was instantly silent. Max frowned, looked at the floor, then back up at me. “What’s homosectional?” I glared at Vivian, as did Stanford.

  “Max sweetie, can you keep drawing?” Vivian said, her voice brittle. “I need to talk to Amaranth and Viola privately.”

  “But I wanna know.”

  “Maxwell.”

  “Okay.” He turned back to his drawing like nothing happened. Vivian led us down the hall, worrying her lower lip.

  “I am so sorry about that,” she said quietly.

  “Considering our prior conversations, I’d like to know what that was,” Stanford said, her voice chilly.

  “I did say our parish was rather conservative,” Vivian defended herself. “We explained to Max what Amaranth’s living situation was. He’s...curious, you saw. He asks everyone about things he doesn’t understand and, well, there’s a lot to explain.”

  “So he was just parroting?” Stanford said.

  “One of the older women at our parish,” she replied, massaging her temple. “Amaranth, for the record, I don’t judge you for your choices. Everyone’s a sinner, that doesn’t make you less deserving of care.”

  “Mm,” I grunted, studying her. She looked like she was in pain.

  “I understand this may make you uncomfortable,” Vivian continued. “But neither me or Mike would do anything to prevent you from seeing your girlfriend. Whatever we may think, it’s not our business.”

  “And what do you think?” Stanford asked sharply.

  “That all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” she replied. “But the choice to do so isn’t one I get to make for anyone besides myself. I take it you’re not a Christian, Amaranth?”

  “Not really,” I said. Mom had taken me to church a few times, but never regularly. Not like I’d cared about it anyway.

  “There you go,” she said simply.

  “So you personally don’t hold these beliefs?” Stanford asked.

  “I don’t hold Amaranth to them,” Vivian countered. “The Vatican was clear on the matter, and it’s certainly not my place to question the Pope. Besides, it’s hard to stand in judgment when I’ve done little different.” I frowned as she looked at the floor, shamefaced.

  “I appreciate your candour if nothing else,” Stanford said with a sigh. “Amaranth?”

  “I don’t know,” I said. I already didn’t want to move in, and now I knew it would be a bad idea. So why did this feel so weird? “Got to think about it, I guess.”

  “That sounds fair,” Stanford said, glancing at Vivian.

  “Entirely fair,” Vivian said, sounding defeated. “I’m sorry, Amaranth.”

  “It’s fine.” Not like I hadn’t expected something like this anyway but...fuck had I actually been a little hopeful? “Really it is. Kids say shhhtuff, you know?”

  “Thank you,” Vivian said flatly.

  “Hey, Miss Stanford, can we go?” I asked. “Sort of...tired.”

  “I think that would be alright,” she said with a nod. “Vivian?”

  “Yes, that’s perfectly okay,” she said, a forced smile straining her lips. “I hope next time things will go better.” She brought us through the living room, explaining to Max that we had to go. He was disappointed, but thanked me for visiting and promised next time he’d have a better drawing for me. I offered him a smile he couldn’t see, knowing I probably wouldn’t be back.

  “I appreciate your time, Vivian,” Stanford said when we were ready to go. “And the tea was lovely.”

  “Thank you Viola,” Vivian replied, still maintaining her strained rictus. “I’ll make sure to talk to Mike, we’ll explain things a bit more thoroughly to Max.”

  “Hey,” I said, frowning. Both adults looked at me, and I glanced at the ground, then forced myself to meet Vivian’s eyes. “Don’t blame him, okay? He’s just a little kid.”

  “Of course I don’t blame Max,” she said like it was obvious. “Children need to be taught how the world works. If they get bad explanations...well, that’s not their fault is it?”

  “Okay, cool,” I said, nodding. At least it sounded like she knew it was her fault.

  We said our goodbyes and headed out to Stanford’s car. She sighed as she started the car and drove off up the road. I stared out the window at the passing houses. It was the South End, Nazi territory, but here was just...normal. Of course I’d just seen what passed for ‘normal’ around here.

  Even if Vivian wasn’t full of shit and bought into what she said, there was no way I could live here. Sure, maybe everyone thought it was right but...no. I could make arguments to myself for it, that it was giving me an ‘in’ into digging around here, rooting out where the bad guys were. I didn’t want to though, I didn’t want any of this.

  “I’m sorry about that Amaranth,” Stanford broke long, tense silence. “If I’d known I—”

  “Emancipation,” I said, making her snap her mouth shut.

  “It’s...not that simple,” she replied. “There’s a process we’d have to go through, not to mention the issue of your guardianship.”

  “Look, Miss Stanford…” I sighed. “I really appreciate what you’ve done for me, with the PRT and outside it. I know you just want like, what’s best, but I don’t think this is it. I know there may be another, better family in the city or something, but how often are they like this?”

  “More than I’d like,” she said with a grimace.

  “So let’s forget about it,” I continued. “I have enough money to take care of myself, I’m already living basically on my own. It’s...it feels pretty open and shut. Plus I’m less than a year away from being eighteen. Isn’t this just easier for everyone?”

  “In some ways yes, in many not at all.” Stanford rubbed the bridge of her nose at a stoplight. “But please don’t give up at the first hurdle, Amaranth.”

  “I’m not giving up,” I countered. “I want to live with my girlfriend, I want to be in control of my life. Is that wrong?”

  “It’s not a matter of right and wrong, just what’s best.” There was a long silence, then she sighed. “If you’re adamant, and I think I know you well enough to say that’s the case, I’ll begin the process. I’m...sorry you feel forced into this.”

  “It’s not your fault,” I said, shaking my head. “I appreciate you trying at least. Sorry I’m causing more issues like usual.”

  “I can hardly blame this on you either,” she replied. “But I appreciate the apology.” My phone buzzed, interrupting us. I gave her a look and she nodded.

  “Amaranth,” I answered the call. It was my ‘work’ burner phone after all, anyone calling me on it would be expecting me.

  “Hey, uh, it’s Nadir.”

  “Oh, hey, what’s up?” I asked.

  “I um, I wanted to say sorry about last night,” she said. “I fucked up, left you alone in a fight.” I opened my mouth to reply, then shut it, thinking for a moment.

  “I’m sorry too,” I said at last. “I shouldn’t have blown up at you, that was shitty. Look, now’s not the best time to chat. See you at the gym Monday?”

  “Okay,” Nadir said. “I...thanks Amaranth.”

  “Don’t sweat it,” I said. “See you.”

  “A friend?” Stanford asked.

  “My partner,” I said, rolling my eyes when she arched her brow. “My cape partner.”

  “Ah, I see. Well, it sounds like you’re handling things.”

  “As well as I can,” I said, shrugging.

  “I don’t know what that conversation was about, but it sounds like you dealt with it maturely,” she continued. “More than one could say for a lot of heroes.”

  “Appreciated,” I said, looking out the window as my cheeks warmed. “I guess I just want this hero stuff to actually work. I mean, it has been, but long term.” At least as long as the world was around.

  “I’ll be hoping for your success,” Stanford said.

  “Yeah,” I said, resting my chin on my hand. “Me too.”