Lucid sighed. Following the kid's example, she sank into a chair and pulled off her mask, running a hand through her jaw-length dark hair. The sound of conversation came faintly from the next hotel room, but it was impossible to tell whether it was the occupants or the television.

She looked back at the kid, who was grinning like a shark.

"Sorry, maybe you could repeat that?" she asked. "Whose mom is going to kill me?"

"Oh." His grin widened. "Yours, duh. She's not my actual mom."

There was a pause.

"Vortex," he added, in case Lucid hadn't figured it out.

"Trust me, I know." Lucid propped her head on her fist. "So who are you - another of her little experiments? Don't get too attached. They usually don't last long."

His grin faded, and suddenly he looked older. "Ethan Stacey. And I'm not an idiot - it's not like I let her light me on fire or anything. I have telekinesis."

"Even better. You're letting her mess with your brain."

Ethan's eyes flashed. "Do you want a demonstration?"

"Yes. Absolutely." Lucid stood in one swift motion, spreading her arms wide. "Go on, show me what kind of monster Vortex turned you into."

He squinted up at her in shock, making no move to do as she said. Lucid waited. The kid's fingers were tapping against the carbon-fibre edge of his helmet, betraying his uncertainty.

"I'm not very good," he finally said, looking at the floor.

Lucid dropped back into the chair, appraising the boy with a weary expression. "Why are you here?"

Ethan lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug, still not meeting her gaze, like he didn't really want to say.

"Vortex sent you, right? What does she want?"

"To bring you home," he said simply.

"Home?" Lucid let out a harsh laugh. "Like that place was ever a home. What did she actually say?"

The boy looked up in surprise. "That's what she said. You were always the favourite – of course she wants you back. You should have seen her face when the news said you might be alive. It was like three of my birthdays put together."

She stared at him.

Ethan's eyes flickered up to her face, then back down at the floor. His mouth twisted bitterly. "She's always comparing us to you. What you used to be. Lucid would have known what to do, she'd say. Lucid was the best villain I've ever raised, and Lucid is dead. How well do you think you'll hold out?"

"Well, I'm not dead," she said wryly.

His voice dropped. "I hated you."

The heater started up suddenly, the scent of burning dust making it obvious this was the first time it had been turned on since last winter. From next door, music was playing as the background of a TV advertisement, making the building feel even emptier than before.

"What was your name again?" Lucid asked.

"Ethan Stacey," he said, then looked up, waggling his helmet. "They call me Scope, though. It's 'cause—"

"Stacey?"

"Yeah."

Lucid's gaze had turned inward, her words barely audible. "I used to call myself Stacey. Anna Stacey, when I wasn't on a mission. It just sounded like... the name a normal person would have."

"Well, surprise! That's 'cause it is." The kid's shark grin was back. "Vortex didn't tell you? Wow."

"Tell me what?" Her voice was guarded again.

"You're Stacey, I'm Stacey. Just because Vortex isn't my mom doesn't mean your dad isn't my dad. 'Cause he is. My dad, I mean." Ethan huffed, trying to figure out his own sentence. "I'm your brother. Surprise!"

* * *

Aether wasn't the first one there.

Maybe it was a thing, that superheroes liked to enter buildings via the roof. Maybe, even after decades of metahumans with flight powers, it was still the most unexpected way of dropping into a villain's hideout. Maybe Veritas was just a show-off.

In any case, he had beaten Aether to the roof of the seedy nightclub where Charlie had said she would find Vortex.

In the first place, no one else was supposed to know about this. In the second, Aether was alone for a reason. She was the diplomat, not the warrior, and the super wasn't there to pick a fight.

At least, she wasn't until she saw the other super perched on the ledge.

"What are you doing here?" Aether's voice was low and furious.

Veritas turned. His smirk was pasted on perfectly, the last light from the setting sun casting dramatic shadows across half of his face. There were several inches of sky between the dusty roof and the clean soles of the superhero's boots. He was wearing dark jeans and a leather jacket, but with the pose he was striking, he might better have been clad in spandex and a red cape.

"Hey," he said in a smooth baritone. "I don't believe we've met."

Aether didn't bother morphing out of her disguise. She pushed blonde hair out of her face and regarded him coolly.

"I'm Aether. You're Veritas. Nice to meet you. Can you leave now? I'm busy."

He laughed softly. "Rude. I'm just here to help. Don't you think you could use some assistance? Vortex is dangerous, you know."

"Thanks," she said. "I've been doing this for five years. I think maybe I'm a little more experienced than you are."

"I just want to pick up some tips," he said quickly. "You know I'm new, right? Maybe I could be your sidekick, just for tonight."

Aether gave him her best I'm-trying-to-be-patient face. "This is not the place for amateurs. I'm here solo because I'm in disguise. You have one face. I have a thousand. That's the whole point of spying."

"Do you actually have, like, a thousand different faces? That would be super cool. Literally. But I was thinking—"

"How did you even get here? This was a secret mission." Aether cut him off.

"I know lots of secrets." Veritas floated lower, his voice dropping. "You wanna know my secret identity?"

She looked at him in disbelief. "What is this, a cartoon? I know your name is Jason, Flickr told me. Big secret. The point is, you're not supposed to be—"

"Flickr said?" Jason seemed disappointed, but recovered quickly. "Flickr says a lot. I've heard a lot about you."

"Really."

"Really." He didn't elaborate. "But I heard about tonight from my agent. Duh."

Aether frowned. "Who's your agent?"

"Kylie. She's a wonder, she is. You know, I think she really likes me. Said I'd be the number one super in no time," Jason said innocently.

She didn't acknowledge him, checking the time on her phone. "I'm already late. I hope you know anything that goes wrong tonight is your fault."

Veritas dropped lightly to the roof in front of her. He reached up, tugging a strand of Aether's blonde hair through his fingers.

"I like the red hair better," he said. "The blonde doesn't suit you."

"Everything suits me." She turned away, starting for the roof access stairwell. "Since you're here anyway, you had better not screw up."

* * *

Vortex was in a good mood.

It was always hilarious, seeing supers in disguise. She didn't recognize either of the two, but the second they had walked in, it was like the entire atmosphere changed. If this were a cheesy 70s movie, the music would have paused dramatically, everyone turning to look at the tall, dark, and entirely-too-attractive-for-this-joint super and his blonde girlfriend.

The girl, well, she might have passed Vortex's scrutiny if she was wearing a little more makeup and a little less clothing. Either way, she wasn't nearly giggly enough after four shots to be believable, and the male super wasn't any flirtier than he had been when he came in.

She watched their interaction with amusement.

In a minute or so, she'd walk over, maybe ask if he was bothering the girl. A slight smirk crept across her face at the thought. The two supers had made a big mistake when they entered the club – not a single person here wasn't affiliated with her or another supervillain.

If either of them stepped out of line... well, there weren't any civilian casualties to worry about.