That night I took a seat on the roof tiles and settled in for some algebra homework. Every time I heard a siren echo through the air, I felt my chest tighten at the thought that Colton was out there somewhere, helping or fighting whatever the problem was. And here I was doing high school homework trying to figure out what x equals. It seemed so insignificant compared to what he did on a daily basis.

And I had a feeling Alexi was somewhere on the scene, too, listening to police scanners and telling him where to go and who to save. I wanted to be a part of that team. I wanted to help them out; to know that I was saving people just like they were.

But I knew if I wanted I had my own part to play. I had a column on the newspaper open for press about him. Since whoever was now after him knew I was behind it, I couldn't use that anymore. But maybe I could start an anonymous blog and get people to submit their experiences with him. It would be a good way to broadcast his deeds from behind my own mask. No one would have to know it was me if I played my cards right, and it meant more people supporting him.

"Thinking about something exciting?"

I jumped and looked up to see Colton scaling the tiles towards me, and felt an involuntary smile slipping onto my face. Even with the dangerous people out there and Alexi's warning that this would take a toll on my personal life, I couldn't help but feel that it was worth it; even just based on the butterflies I got every time I saw him.

"Oh, just you," I replied, as he sat down next to me. It felt strange to see him clad in the skin-tight leather without the mask. "Don't you ever get worried about sitting up here with me without your mask on? Anyone could see you."

"It's dark, and there's no one around," he replied. "I think you're worth the risk."

He leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to my lips, and I melted into his muscular arms. It still seemed surreal to me that I kissed and talked to a man who flew through the skies like a jet and ran at the speed of sound. And I was just a measly ex-cheerleader with a column in her school's dorky newspaper. They were two completely different worlds that had somehow collided.

I pulled back. "So, I have an idea. It's about the paper."

"V, we've talked about this," he replied. "I am not letting you publish another article about me. Alexi and I are doing all we can to track who wrote you that note, but in the meantime you need to lay as low as possible."

"What if I told you I'd found away to lay low and still get press about you?"

He threw his head back and groaned. "V, I don't want press! I don't do it for a headline! I do it to help people!"

"I know you're a hero and that means it's naturally ingrained in you to shy away from the spotlight, but everyone needs some press. Already the articles I've written have made people soften towards you. Just hear me out."

"Fine. What's your idea?" he asked.

"A blog," I told him. He opened his mouth to protest, but I ploughed on before he could get his two sense in. "Just hear me out, Colt. I'm not a total idiot. Here's my idea: an anonymous blog run by multiple people adding and collating stories. People could submit personal experiences and make judgment calls about you. We could start a discussion board where people discuss you. It could clear the air, broadcast your saves, and garner the kind of good press we want."

"You sound like my PR manager," he told me, and he didn't sound as excited as I did.

I put a hand on his arm. "Look, Colt, I know that you're worried about my safety—and I love you for that—but this is about more than just you and me. New York needs you. I need you. I need to do this."

"But why?" he asked. "Why do you need to?"

"Look, only three of us know your secret. You fight crime every night, and Alexi helps you. I wanna do something, too. And maybe I can't kick ass like you two can, but I do have a computer and some writing skills. Let me use those to help you."

"That's what this is about?" he replied incredulously. "V, you don't have to do anything to be a part of this. You already help me in ways you'll never know. I fight to keep you safe. You don't have to put yourself in danger to be like one of us."

"That's the joys of an anonymous blog!" I told him. "I'll run it with Chloe and Keeley. You and Alexi can even join, too. And no one has to know the brains behind the blog. It'll be safe."

"And what if this person has even half-way decent hacking skills and can trace it back? That puts everyone in danger."

"Colt, I was in danger the first time you talked to me," I told him frankly. "Whether I do this or not, these guys know I'm connected. I'm not going to hold back the good for the bad. It's not fair for everyone else in Sterling who deserve a hero."

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

I shook my head. I got my stubbornness from my mother, and once an idea formed in my head, it was stuck there for eternity. "Nope. Just let me help you, Colt. I can do this, you know."

"I'm not questioning what you can do," he replied. "I'm questioning what they can do."

I kissed him on the cheek, hoping to ease some of his worries. "Just remember you don't carry these burdens alone, okay? I'm here for you."

He smiled at me, a heartbreakingly adorable smile of a scared and brave boy who had seen too much. "I know. I just can't lose you, V. I'm scared."

"I know," I whispered. "Me, too. But we can't stop being who we are just because of Nathaniel and his crew. We can't let them stop us. We have to fight back."

"I've been trying to track him down. He's still in Chicago. I'm sure they're part of his group, but I don't know who they are. There have been no major shifts in the company, and no one has taken an extended holiday to New York. I don't know what to expect. It's like I'm in the dark and they could come from any direction. And I can't do anything to stop them."

"We'll get them," I whispered. "The good guys always win, remember? The bad guys talk too long and have terrible aim and lose to the hero every time."

"The thing that terrifies me is that this is real life. These aren't fake guns shooting blanks and girls who only die on the movie screen. This is real life. And if I don't win, then you lose, too. And I can't lose. Not you, not this, not us. I have to win. I don't know how."

"They're going to make a move. They're going to slip up. And then we strike. But I think we have to stop cowering in the shadows and go on the offensive. We have to fight back."

"I don't even know who I'm fighting."

"Then we search. We look, we research, and we find who we're after. We trace fingerprints on notes and people in Nathaniel's company. We find them and we end this."

"V..."

"We can do this," I promised him. "We have to. We can't be scared anymore. We have to fight."

He looked down. "You think we can do this?"

"There are two things in this world I believe," I told him. "I believe in the power of mashed potato, and I believe we can win."

He looked down. "Then we fight."

~ * ~

The next morning I walked into the newspaper office with my head held high, a coffee in hand, and an urge to fight.

"It's barely even past seven," Chloe complained, turning accusingly from the computer screen where she'd been standing. "Why did you call me here so early?

"Chloe, gather your troops," I announced. "We're going to war."

"Is this some euphemism I'm supposed to understand?" she queried confusedly.

"There are people after us," I told her. "People after me and after The Black Phoenix."

"Okay, slow down," Chloe told me. "What are you talking about, Vi? People? What kind of people?"

"There are people who want to harvest his powers," I told her. "They now know I'm involved because of the articles. They sent me a note threatening me if they didn't get their hands on him."

"And you were going to tell me this when?" she cried, stalking over to me accusingly.

I shrugged. "Now, I guess. But I'm sick of being scared. We are going to track down these guys and figure out who they are. This ends."

"Violet..." she said unsurely. I knew that now my safety was on the line, it would tear at her morality. She wanted to fight and join in my crusade, but she also wanted to keep me safe.

"Chlo, trust me. Because I need you."

She nodded sagely. "Anything."

"Call Dave. I need him to research Geneva again. He'll know what I mean. Look for anyone who is affiliated with the company who has either left or is now in New York. Look for holidays, shipments to New York. If there is any affiliation between Chicago and New York, I wanna know about it. Contact Keeley and tell her we're trading in the newspaper column for an anonymous online blog supported by Sterling Newspaper. Also, do you know anyone who can analyze notes and find fingerprints?"

She frowned. "I went on a date through the summer with a guy starting college to study genealogy. Does that count?"

"That'll do," I replied, booting up my computer. "Contact him and see if he can analyze a note that was sent to me. I need it quick."

She nodded. "I'll give him a call. What are we going to do?"

"Do you remember way back when, when we did the research on transfers from Chicago to New York at the time The Black Phoenix arrived?"

She nodded. "Which turned out totally fruitless? Yeah, why?"

"We're going to dig back into those notes. But we're branching out. I need any men, women and children who commuted."

"There are hundreds," Chloe replied. "It'll take forever to dig through them all and weed out suspects."

"Then crack your knuckles and get ready for arthritis, Morgan," I replied. "Because we'll be here forever if we have to."

She smiled slightly. "I like this new side of you. It's very badass. I've never seen you like this before."

"I just realized that while I've been scared of these dangerous guys, I didn't realize that we can be dangerous, too. They wanna play this game? Then let's get going." I cracked my knuckles and smirked, knowing I had the resources to be of use, and I'd be damned if I didn't do my part to protect Colton. "I'm in the mood to win."

~ * ~

We skipped the first three periods, which I believed to be totally reasonable. We spent the whole time sifting through data and notes, jotting down suspects and possibilities. Chloe set up a meeting with her summer genealogy boy toy, Dave was sent back on the hunt, and Keeley was notified of the new direction. For the first time since I'd received the note—or even since I'd learned about The Black Phoenix and the darkness he came with—I felt in control. I felt like I had a purpose and could do something.

The lunch bell rang, and I stood up and grabbed my bags. "You coming to lunch?"

She nodded. "Just checking the DMV for cars registered from Chicago to New York. Grab me a parfait and I'll meet you there!"

I nodded and left her, gratified and surprised by how thorough she was being. We had our arguments and ups and downs, but I knew she cared for me as a friend and would do anything to ensure my safety. And I'd do the same in return.

I joined the streams of people heading to the cafeteria, and felt myself being tapped on the shoulder. As I turned around, my ancient history teacher Mrs. Fulton (who looked pretty ancient herself) was staring expectantly. "Violet. I missed you in class this morning."

I beamed angelically. "I missed you, too. Now, if you don't mind..."

"Where were you?" she asked, not amused by my joke.

"I was at the newspaper office. They'd be lost without me," I told her, rolling my eyes for effect. "We've got a really important story coming up. It's gonna be big."

"You know what else was big?" she replied. "The Battle of Thermopylae, which you missed this morning. Come by my office after school and pick up the notes. And remember that your grades are more important than your extra-curriculas. Clear?"

I nodded. "Can't wait."

I moved off to the lunch line and grabbed a parfait, a turkey sandwich and an apple juice. I saw Colton and Alexi sitting at a table by themselves near the door, and wove through the crowd towards them. I slid into the table with a large grin. "Hey, guys!"

"Hey, Vi," Alexi replied. "Settle an argument for us. Colton thinks he'd look better in a costume less tight. But the leather looks good and is better in the air, right?"

"You can see everything," he replied.

She rolled her eyes and smacked him. "Excuse me, but I designed the suit. You can't see anything, it's extremely durable, and it has a lot of wind resistance. Tell him, Violet."

"Well, you do look good in the leather," I replied. "But all the other physics stuff is beyond me. I think I'm with Alexi."

"Traitor," Colton replied, but I could tell he wasn't truly upset. "So, how is your man hunt going?"

I beamed at the idea. "Slow, but steady. Chloe is checking out the DMV records, we've got people who are going to analyze the note for clues, and I've got a friend looking into Geneva. We're also setting up the blog for good press. We're going to promote it on the school website."

"And you're being careful?"

"Always," I told him. "I'll let you know if anything comes up. But we're beginning to make the blog, and you two have been posted on the list of curators."

"So you want me to write a blog about myself?" Colton asked dubiously.

"Not yourself; your alter ego. And not just you; a lot of us are writing it. And it does eliminate you as a suspect."

"I hate how smart you are," he told me, shaking his head with a twist of his lips.

I smiled. "Well, you have the looks and the strength. I think we balance it out."

"I'm even a third wheel at lunchtime," Alexi said unhappily, dropping a fry into her carton. "I'm gonna go before I really lose my appetite."

"No, it's fine. I actually have to go," I replied. "I'm meeting Chloe by the picnic tables. See you later1"

I pecked Colton's cheek and then made my way outside, where the wind was nippy and the skies an ominous grey. I found a seat at one of the benches and waited, chewing thoughtfully as I watched a crow circle the grounds looking for food.

Inside my bag I felt my phone vibrating, and licked a dusting of mustard off my fingers as I answered the call. "Hello?"

"I hear you've been looking for me."

I sat up straighter. "Who is this?"

"You've been careful, Miss Rose, but not careful enough. I know you're looking for me. And I'd like to politely ask you to stop."

"Nathaniel?" I whispered.

"Stop looking for me. Or you will have to face the consequences. And you won't like them."

"I'm not afraid of you."

"Well, you should be," he replied.

"I'll find who you are."

"And how many people will have to die before that happens? How about that pretty little redhead tapping away at her computer in the newspaper office right now?"

I stood up and looked around, but there were no unfamiliar faces. A few people were talking on their phones, but there was no one there that I hadn't spent the biggest part of my life growing up with.

"You're here, aren't you?"

"I'm everywhere. Stop looking for me, do you understand?"

"Leave Chloe out of this. This is between you, me, and The Black Phoenix."

"And I plan for it to end that way. If I find out you haven't ended your search, I will make you end it. Do you understand?"

"I..."

"Good. Nice scarf, by the way."

The line went dead, and I felt a cold stone drop to the pit of my stomach. I reached up and gingerly fingered the white woolen scarf twined around my neck. I looked around, but there was no one there. No one lurking behind the cars or peeking out behind the trees. The campus was packed, but there was no one suspicious there.

I keeled over and tried to still my swimming head, afraid that if I dwelled for too long I'd end up throwing up my lunch.

This game was getting serious, but I wasn't going to back down. Maybe it meant stopping Chloe's involvement and keeping her protected, but we were too far into this to stop now. If he was calling me up with threats to stop, it meant we were close to finding out the truth.

And I wouldn't stop.

Even if it killed me.