Chum

Tasha finishes the last stitch, tying it off neatly. "There. That should hold for now, but you'll need to keep an eye on it. And probably get it looked at by a real doctor."

I flex my arm experimentally, wincing at the pull of the stitches. "Thanks, Tasha. I owe you one."

She waves me off. "Don't mention it. Just try not to make a habit of getting shot, okay?"

I chuckle weakly. "No promises."

Jordan clears their throat. "So, uh, not to rush you or anything, but did you manage to find anything useful before everything went to shit?"

I nod, reaching for my phone with my good arm. "Yeah, actually. I found an office with a map of Philadelphia. Had a bunch of locations marked. Here, look."

I pull up the photo I took, holding it out for the others to see. Jordan leans in, their eyes narrowing as they study the image. "Holy shit," they mutter. "Fuck yeah."

Tasha and Maggie crowd around too, their faces a mix of curiosity and concern. "What are all these marks?" Maggie asks, pointing at the red circles on the map.

"Not sure," I admit. "But they've got to be important. There's City Hall, a bunch of high schools, the Philadelphia Zoo for some reason, and a bunch of spots down by the docks."

Jordan's already pulling out their laptop, fingers flying over the keys. "I'm looking up these locations now. Maybe we can find a connection."

I nod, then remember something else. "Oh, and I managed to plant one of the bugs in the office. Couldn't get it anywhere good, but it's there."

Jordan looks up from their screen, their expression a mix of admiration and frustration. "Nice work, Sam. But… I hate to break it to you, but that bug probably won't do us much good."

My heart sinks. "What? Why not?"

They sigh, running a hand through their hair. "The back offices are probably electronically shielded, judging by how your transmitter just cut out. The bug won't be able to transmit through that. And even if it could, it doesn't have enough memory to record for very long. It'll probably overwrite itself before we can get to it."

"Oh," I say, deflating a little. "So it was all for nothing?"

Tasha puts a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, don't say that. You risked a lot to get this information. Just knowing these locations is huge. And who knows? Maybe some of the other bugs you planted will pick up something useful during off-hours."

I nod, trying to shake off the disappointment. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Jordan turns their laptop around, showing us a map with all the marked locations plotted out. "Okay, let's see what we've got here. There's City Hall, obviously. That's not surprising. A bunch of high schools… that's concerning. The docks make sense, they've always had a presence there. But the Zoo? That's weird."

Maggie leans in, her brow furrowed. "Why would they be interested in the Zoo?"

I shrug, then immediately regret it as pain lances through my injured arm. "No idea. But remember Mrs. Xenograft? She had those weird hybrid animals when they attacked my house. Maybe it has something to do with that?"

Tasha nods slowly. "That's possible. Or maybe they're after something valuable at the Zoo? Like, I don't know, rhino horns or elephant tusks?"

Jordan snorts. "Not exactly the most efficient way to make money. I wish Connor or Derek were here - They'd probably have some insight into what a criminal would want with a zoo."

The mention of Derek makes something click in my brain. "Wait a second. Derek. Elias. Chimera. Has anyone seen him since the Phreaks' attack back in August?"

The room falls silent as we all consider this. Finally, Jordan shakes their head. "Not that I know of. You think the Kingdom might have recruited him?"

I shrug again, more carefully this time. "It's possible. Anything's possible."

"What's he do, again?" Tasha asks, glancing at Jordan and I.

"He can turn his body parts into animal body parts. Like arms into bear paws," I recap her.

"Ah," she squeaks.

We spend the next hour debating which leads to prioritize. Jordan's got tabs open on every location, cross-referencing news articles, public records, anything that might give us a clue. But it's slow going, and we're all exhausted.

Finally, Jordan sits back, rubbing their eyes. "Okay, I think we need to divide and conquer here. Sam, you've had a rough night. Why don't you take the Zoo lead? It's probably low priority, and it'll give you a chance to recover a bit."

I nod, relieved. The thought of diving back into danger right now makes my stomach churn. "Sounds good to me."

Jordan nods, then pulls out their phone. "I'm gonna call Connor, fill him in on what's happening. See which lead he wants to take with Derek."

As Jordan steps away to make the call, I find myself watching Maggie. She's been quiet most of the night, her eyes darting between all of us with a mix of concern and curiosity. Part of me wants to ask if she'll come with me to the Zoo. It'd be nice to have some company, and she's been getting pretty good with her powers lately. But before I can say anything, Tasha speaks up.

"I'll go with Sam," she says, her voice leaving no room for argument. "Someone needs to keep an eye on that arm, make sure she doesn't pop her stitches."

I bite back a sigh. I'm not sure why.

Jordan comes back, tucking their phone away. "Okay, Connor and Derek are going to check out one of the dock locations. Maggie and I will take City Hall. That work for everyone?"

We all nod, and Jordan claps their hands together. "Great. Now, one more thing we need to discuss. I think we need to tell the Delaware Valley Defenders about this."

I blink, surprised. "Really? I thought we were trying to keep this on the down-low?"

Jordan nods. "We were. But this is big, Sam. Too big for us to handle on our own. Even if superhero groups are laying low right now, the adults need to know what's going on. This needs to be on their radars. I'm not saying go to the cops, but I trust the judgment of the people you trust."

"Huh? Me?" I ask, blinking a couple more times. "Why?"

Jordan looks at me like I'm stupid. "Because I trust you implicitly? Duh?"

There's a general murmur of assent from the other two, like I'm somehow a trustworthy individual now. It feels weird, and I'm not sure I like it.

"Okay," I say slowly. "If you all think it's for the best."

Tasha puts a hand on my shoulder. "It is, Sam. We're in over our heads here. We need backup."

I nod, letting out a long breath. "Alright. We'll tell them."

As the others start gathering their things, preparing to head out, I find myself sinking deeper into my chair. The events of the night are starting to catch up with me, the adrenaline fading to leave exhaustion in its wake.

I came so close to dying tonight. If Mudslide had been a little faster, a little more accurate with that gun… I shudder, pushing the thought away. But it lingers, a cold knot of fear in my stomach.

"Hey."

I look up to see Jordan standing over me, their expression uncharacteristically serious.

"You did good tonight, Sam. Really good. I know it didn't go exactly as planned, but you got us valuable intel. And you got out alive. That's what matters."

I manage a weak smile. "Thanks, Jordan. I just… I can't help feeling like I screwed up. Like I should have been more careful, or-"

They cut me off with a shake of their head. "Nope. None of that. You did the best you could with the information you had. That's all any of us can do."

I nod, not entirely convinced but grateful for their words nonetheless.

Maggie pipes up from across the room. "Yeah, Sam! You were super brave. I don't know if I could have done what you did."

I feel a warmth in my chest at her words. "Thanks, Mags. I'm sure you could have, though. You're tougher than you give yourself credit for."

She beams at me, and for a moment, the weight of the night lifts a little.

Tasha finishes packing up her first aid kit and comes over to join us. "Alright, Sam. You need rest. We'll head to the Zoo over the next weekend, okay? For now, let's get you home. And tomorrow, you can see a doctor to get it properly checked out."

I nod, suddenly realizing how bone-tired I am. "Yeah, okay. Home sounds good."

As we walk, I find myself falling into step beside Maggie. She glances at me, a small smile on her face. "Hey, Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're okay. And… I think you're really cool. You know that, right?"

I feel a warmth spread through my chest, chasing away some of the lingering chill of fear. "Thanks, Mags. I think you're pretty cool too."

She grins, bumping her shoulder against mine gently. "We make a pretty good team, huh?"

I nod, feeling a smile tug at my lips despite everything. "Yeah. Yeah, we do."

The night air is cool against my skin as we make our way down the quiet streets. The adrenaline of the evening has long since faded, leaving me feeling hollow and drained. My arm throbs in time with my heartbeat, a constant reminder of how close I came to… well, to not coming back at all.

Tasha walks beside me, her eyes darting between me and our surroundings, ever vigilant. I know she's worried about me, probably more than she's letting on. It's sweet, in a way, but also a little suffocating. I almost wish I'd gone with Jordan instead, or even headed home alone. But I know that's just the exhaustion and residual fear talking.

"You okay?" Tasha asks softly, breaking the silence that's fallen between us.

I nod, not trusting my voice just yet. She doesn't look convinced.

"It's okay if you're not, you know," she continues. "What you went through tonight… it was intense. It's normal to be shaken up."

I swallow hard, fighting back the sudden lump in my throat. "I'm fine," I manage to croak out. "Just tired."

She looks at me with a dubious expression. "Are you sure?"

I force a smile, hoping it looks more convincing than it feels. "Really, Tasha. I'm okay. Just need a good night's sleep, that's all."

She studies me for a long moment, then nods. "Alright. But if you need to talk, about anything, I'm here. Okay?"

I nod back, grateful for her concern even as I chafe under it. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

We walk in silence for a while longer, the streetlights casting long shadows across the sidewalk. I find my mind wandering, replaying the events of the night over and over. Could I have done something differently? Should I have noticed Mudslide sooner? Could I have talked my way out of it if I'd been smarter, faster, better?

But no. That way lies madness. I did what I could with what I had. It wasn't perfect, but I'm alive. I got out. That has to count for something. Still, the Kingdom knows we're onto them now. They'll be more careful, more ruthless. And next time, I think I will probably get shot in the face, and we will get to find out if I can heal from that or not.

As we turn onto my street, I feel a mix of relief and apprehension. I'm glad to be home, to be somewhere safe and familiar. But I'm also dreading having to face my parents. How am I going to explain this? My clothes are torn and bloody, my arm is bandaged… there's no way I can hide this from them.

Tasha seems to sense my anxiety. "Do you want me to come in with you?" she offers. "Help explain things to your parents?"

I consider it for a moment, then shake my head. "No, thanks. I think… I think I need to do this on my own."

She nods, understanding in her eyes. "Okay. But call me if you need anything, alright? Any time, day or night."

I manage a small smile. "I will. Thanks, Tasha."

She pulls me into a gentle hug, careful of my injured arm. "That's what friends are for, Sam. Get some rest, okay?"

I nod, then watch as she turns and heads back the way we came. For a moment, I'm tempted to call her back, to ask her to stay. But no. I need to face this on my own.

Taking a deep breath, I turn and walk up the path to my front door. My hand shakes slightly as I reach for the doorknob. Here goes nothing.

As I step inside, I'm hit with the familiar smells of home. Mom's lavender candles, Dad's old books, the lingering scent of dinner in the air. It's comforting and jarring all at once, the normalcy of it all a stark contrast to the chaos of the night.

"Sam? Is that you?" Mom's voice calls from the living room.

I swallow hard, steeling myself. "Yeah, Mom. It's me."

There's a rustling sound, then footsteps. Mom appears in the hallway, her face a mix of concern and relief. "Where have you been? We were worried sick-"

She stops short as she takes in my appearance, her eyes widening in horror. "Oh my god. Sam, what happened?"

I open my mouth to respond, but no words come out. Instead, to my absolute mortification, I burst into tears.

Mom's there in an instant, wrapping me in her arms. "Shh, it's okay. You're home now. You're safe."

And just like that, all the fear and tension and adrenaline of the night comes crashing down on me. I sob into her shoulder, my whole body shaking with the force of it. She holds me tight, murmuring soothing words, her hand stroking my hair like she used to do when I was little.

I don't know how long we stand there, me crying and Mom holding me. But eventually, the sobs subside, leaving me feeling wrung out and empty.

Mom pulls back slightly, her hands on my shoulders as she looks me over. Her eyes linger on the bandage on my arm, the torn and bloodstained clothes. "Sam," she says softly, her voice tight with worry. "What happened?"

I take a shaky breath. "It's… it's a long story."

She nods, her expression serious. "Come on, let's go sit down. I'll make some tea, and you can tell us everything."

As I follow her into the living room, I can't help but feel a mix of dread and relief. Dread at having to relive the events of the night, at having to see the fear and worry on my parents' faces. But relief, too. As I sink onto the couch, Mom disappearing into the kitchen to make tea, I find myself thinking about what Jordan said earlier. About how I did good tonight, how I got valuable intel. How I got out alive.

And for the first time since I left the Crescent, I feel a small flicker of pride. Yeah, things went sideways. Yeah, I got hurt. But I also stood my ground against… my nemesis? My nemesis, I guess. I outsmarted him, outran him. I got information that could be crucial in stopping whatever they're planning.

As Mom comes back with the tea, Dad joining us with a concerned look on his face, I take a deep breath.

Time to be honest.