Hannah stared at the dark phone screen in her hand for what felt like the hundredth time in an hour. Every bing and ding that came from it sent her heart racing only to plummet back down. None of them were from Jake. Not a single one.

His texts had been so vague, like he was doing everything he could to avoid interacting with her directly. There'd been mention of extending his travel and then almost radio silence for two days. She'd done everything under the sun to get him to respond. There was at least one photo on his phone now that she'd spent twenty minutes debating on whether or not to send. Desperate times.

As if on cue, her phone went off in her hand. It still wasn't him but she recognized the number and sighed. The call stopped after two rings and started again. It did that two more times before Hannah dug a small earpiece out of her pocket and flipped it on before settling it in her ear. "What what what? How many times are you going to ding dong ditch me on the phone?"

"Well, if you'd answer the first time I wouldn't have to," Zach Scott said. The tech sounded only slightly exasperated which was incredible for him. Normally the man had little patience for whichever cape's ear he'd been assigned to for the day.

The Aerie and its sister headquarters across the country may have been the central locations for their superpowered heroes but they weren't the only employees there. There were dozens of people behind the scenes that kept things running. Sometimes they were supers on reserve. They had been found and scouted but not ready for the limelight yet.

Then there were the people who were really behind the scenes, and the screens. They ran the communications between the supers world wide. Thanks to them people were sent to the appropriate crimes and partnered with those best able to work together. Zach had been blabbing away in Silver Shield's ear since her training had ended. She wouldn't have anyone else.

"Are you going to tell me what you want or not?" Hannah muttered.

"Harbinger is robbing a bank," he told her.

"And?" Hannah was already making her way to her closet where she lifted a panel off the back. Stretchy black fabric was wrapped up tightly inside a silver cape and she pulled it all out.

"Could you stop him?" Zach seemed almost stunned by her attitude. "Cobra is there but she could use a little backup."

"Why me? Aren't there people higher up on the damn phone tree?" Hannah slammed her foot into her boots and zipped them up the sides. The silvery leather came up to her knee where extra padding surrounded her knee. "Couldn't you have found someone already suited up and on patrol?"

Zach scoffed and took a deep breath. "You can't be serious. Don't make me-"

"Relax, I've got it. I wasn't doing anything anyway." She glanced back at her phone abandoned on the couch. The silver cape she tucked under one arm, pulling a heavy coat over the black suit. It wasn't the strangest thing to go out in what was basically a black onesie and silver knee high boots, but she still looked side to side when she poked her head out into her hallway. No one was around to see her scurry down the hallway to the door that would lead her down the back stairway into the alley.

"My apologies, your highness. I'll be sure to consult the royal planner when I look for someone to come to the city's defenses," Zach joked.

"Agent Scott, I know you're not referring to other people as royalty where I can hear you," Queen Cobra said over the radio now that she'd been looped into the frequency.

"The two of you make my life a living hell," Zach said, groaning loudly.

"I'll be there in a minute, Cobra. You doing okay?" SIlver looked around the alley, dropping her coat just inside the door. The cape unfolded from under her arm and fell around her knees while she moved it to find the top. Once it was securely clasped to her shoulders she took off at a mad dash down the alleyways towards the coordinates Zach read out to her.

Cobra sighed, her breath uneven and just barely audible over the shouts in the background. "Oh I'm fine. Honestly I only suggested backup because I haven't seen you today."

"That... is both sweet and obnoxious," Silver sighed. She slammed into a fire escape and half pulled half launched herself up to the roof of the building across from the bank. Police cars were lined up in a semicircle around the front. Officers leaned over their cars, some with guns drawn but most were just trying to see inside to track the fight going on.

Silver leaned over the edge of the roof to see into the bank. Luckily, they'd gone for a flashy glass roof and it was incredibly easy to see inside. Harbinger was moving around Queen Cobra in a lazy circle. He struck out at her with a bo staff whenever it looked like she wasn't giving him her full attention.

The fighting pair were willing to do anything to get the upper hand. They didn't even stop when a misjudged throw of a chair thanks to Harbinger took out a window. Silver dropped down to the sidewalk, startling the nearby officers. She nodded to them and launched herself through the window. Her fingers grazed Harbingers sleeve as she dove in.

"You missed," Zach called over the radio.

"No one asked you," Silver snapped. The camera ahead of her jerked suddenly to the side and she flipped it off. Zach was known to hack into security systems to better observe his supers. That was how he'd been recruited in the first place. Someone had finally noticed that the feed for their office was being recorded and sent out to a mailing list. Apparently people paid good money to see corrupt businessmen get what was coming to them.

Silver turned back to Harbinger, not bothering to hide her disappointment when she spoke. "Another bank? Really? This whole predictable thing isn't your style."

Harbinger leaned against his staff like a walking stick. "A guy can't need some extra money for a bigger cheese platter?" He looked back and forth between them. "Oh come one, cheese is a good reason."

"No, it really isn't," Silver sighed before she lunged for him.

He jumped to the side and dropped to his knees. One leg shot out to sweep at Silver Shield's ankles and he connected with air as she jumped out of the way. The duffel bag slung over his shoulders moved precariously. He jammed his staff into Silver's shoulder when she made a grab for it. The impact jarred her enough for him to slip past her.

Queen Cobra was waiting just on the other side. They slammed into each other and Zach inhaled sharply over the radio. She hooked a leg around his and tried to keep him down but he wiggled free and rolled to the side. Glass from the broken windows crunched under him. "I didn't even take that much," he whined.

"That's not the point," Silver snapped. She hooked her arms over his shoulders from behind.

He tried to jam and elbow into her side and hissed in pain when it bounced off her ribs. "Dammit! Are you made of lead?"

"I think he just called you fat," Cobra gasped behind her hand and looked at Silver head to toe."Could you be... you know...? She rubbed her hands in the air in front of her stomach.

"What? No!" Silver shouted. Harbinger's staff smacked into her nose and she stumbled back. "I am not pregnant. Now help me instead of making ridiculous comments."

"Are you sure though? You've been so moody lately," Zach pointed out. "Plus I heard you inhaled like six tacos the other day." The camera's lens tightened as he zoomed in on them.

"No one asked you," Silver said. She spun on the ball of her foot, her other leg swung up and aimed a kick at Harbinger. He took it full in his side and slid away into a desk. In seconds he was back on his feet and sprinting for the exit door now in reach. The two heroes dashed after him and saw him flash by and up a ladder onto a roof.

"You go, I'll follow from down here," Cobra said to Silver. She skidded around the corner and rushed through the crowd of onlookers. "Scott, which way?"

"Left, up ahead, don't cross the street you're coming up on, it's red for you. Take a right through this alley," Agent Scott called out directions faster than a square dance caller. He'd always been good with that. People often joked they could drop a pin in the rain forest and he would find it.

Cobra followed his instructions to the letter, her feet moving before she could even think not to. The large hood of her jacket caught the wind and threatened to pull it off. Luckily, this had been a common concern and the research department had found a way to stiffen the outline of the hood so that it would attach to a thin headband around her head.

Silver chased Harbinger and his fancy footwork across the rooftops. Twice he dropped out of sight only to reappear running across a beam, an errant board and even once a clothes line. "So, Hijack had these awesome boots, and I've been thinking," Silver shouted into the earpiece. "He could fly and just about now I think something like that could really help right about now."

"Do you really need flying boots?" Zach asked.

"Okay not only would it be fun but I'd have for sure caught this guy by now," Silver snapped.

"Hang on, Silver. I've just about got him," Cobra said around heavy breaths.

"Yeah, him and a heart attack. I thought you were back on your gym kick," Silver jumped over an air filter and launched herself over to the next gravel encrusted rooftop. Her boots fought for purchase the whole way across and she didn't find the shingles on the next building any easier.

"I mean... it's a home... gym," Cobra muttered. She looked up and caught a glimpse of Harbinger launching himself between two buildings. His brown boots were scuffed beyond belief. Worst of all, he looked like he had no intention of stopping.

"No one wants to know about your love life, Cobra," Scott mumbled just loud enough for them to hear. "Make a left, now."

Cobra pushed a gloved hand into one of the pockets along her left leg. She pulled out a glass vial that had been corked and sealed shut with wax. The clear liquid inside glinted green in the sunlight. The stitch in her side was screaming now as she pushed for the last bit of speed she had. "Okay... and... got him!" She launched the vial at Harbinger as he jumped between two buildings. A cloud of smoke enveloped him and he dropped to the roof choking. Cobra all but collapsed against the side of a building, trying to catch her breath.

Harbinger was coughing up a lung when Silver somersaulted over the stone roof and popped back up to her feet beside him. She tugged the bag of stolen goods away and would have gone for his staff if she could see it clearly. "Alrighty, jail time for you. Unfortunately the cheese selection there is somewhat limited." Silver pulled him to his feet and looked at his heaving chest. "What did you throw at him?"

"It's a non-lethal mixture, non lethal. He should be unconscious for a while though," Cobra slipped her hand under her hood to wipe her hair off her sticky neck. The hood was great for funneling audio to her own ears as well as the earpiece but it held onto heat like a microwaved burrito.

"So, he should be unconscious?" Silver looked at the stumbling man she was supporting.

"Oh yeah, couple hours at least."

Silver Shield tossed the money away moments too late. Harbinger had slid his staff from his sleeve where he'd stored it in its compact state. With the tap of a button at the side, it shot out and slammed into her nose. Silver's eyes watered involuntarily and he kicked her legs out from under her. As she fell, he grabbed the bag and saluted her.

"This was fun, but prison sounds lame. Bye," Harbinger back flipped off the building, perhaps a little flashier than needed, and took off again across the city.

"He wasn't unconscious?" Cobra called up. She caught a glimpse of his retreating back and winced.

"No," Silver shouted back. She dropped to her side and tried to stop the blood flowing out of her nose.

"I'll try something lethal next time then."