They carried broken planks of wood, fire burning at the ends. Dante walked beside Victor, hands dim, and behind them, Squirrel Girl carried all the spare torches atop her scooter. Precious few, given how they'd scrambled to heave the box back in place, hiding the missing wood by pressing the exposed side against the wall, worried the law enforcement agents would run after them.

Then they walked in darkness, so the distant flashlights of the police who'd entered the bunker couldn't spot them--and the flashlights did rapidly spread out, disappearing off their tail. But, walking with no light that had only resulted in collisions, Squirrel Girl's scooter clattering to the ground and spilling sticks everywhere. So they lit the torches.

"Why don't you just portal us out of here?" Dante whispered.

"And go where? The rooftop you complained about?"

"I wasn't complaining about the rooftop. Just about the rain, and the cold--"

"--and the fact anyone who lives in that building could just pop up to the rooftop anytime?" Squirrel Girl added.

Dante nodded back to her.

"I'll portal us out if the police get too close," Victor said, glancing behind them. No sign of the agents who'd entered the bunker. "Maybe we can crash back at the park for tonight?"

"You guys could come to my place," Squirrel Girl offered. "Except we hardly have room for Tippy-toe so you'd have to squish together real tight."

"My mom would freak if I brought all of you to my apartment," Ms. Marvel slowed to match Victor's pace. "And I'd have no idea how to explain how we all met," she rubbed her temples, grimacing. "Do you think you could pretend to be part of a bowling team?"

"Bowling teams don't have costumes like this," Dante said.

Ms. Marvel sighed.

Victor raised an eyebrow. "What's bowling?"

Ms. Marvel sighed again.

"That's the plan for tomorrow," Squirrel Girl said.

"Bowling?" Victor asked.

"No. Shopping trip."

"Uh, guys?" Ette's flickering light came to a stop.

"Whoa," Ivy mimicked her, holding aloft a half-burnt torch, the sheer glass wall before them extending up and out of sight.

Victor's jaw dropped. The wall of crates--and the basement--ended here, against a window. Dim sunlight shafts speared through murky seawater. Ivy's reflection waved the torch about, casting orange glimmers back at them.

"If you put those torches out," Squirrel Girl propped her scooter on its kickstand, "how far can you see?"

Victor set his torch on the floor, grinding it under his boot. Ivy, Ette and Ms. Marvel's torches flickered out too.

Ette pressed her face up against the glass, squinting upward. "I think I might be able to see the surface. I could probably swim there."

They each huddled closer. "Tippy would so hate this," Squirrel Girl muttered.

"How far offshore do you bet we are?" Ivy asked.

"When we started walking, we were parallel to the docks," Ette whispered back. "I didn't even notice the wall curving to take us under the docks."

"Maybe that's why the police lights disappeared," Victor muttered.

"How sturdy do you think this is?" Dante whispered. "What if a whale head-butted the glass?"

"Nice view, isn't it?" an unfamiliar voice said. Victor whirled around, spinning open a portal beneath them.

Ms. Marvel shouted, fist launching into the shadows. Thunk.

"Ow..." she winced. "Iron Man?"

Victor frowned at the yellow dots of light behind Ms. Marvel's retracting arm. She knew who this was?

"Please," an armored suit stepped closer, faintly illuminated by the glass. "The name's Rescue," the suit held its hands up. "And I'm not interested in fighting. I just want to know how you got in here."

Victor narrowed his eyes, keeping the swirling black-violet portal steady beneath their feet.

Ms. Marvel stepped forward, rubbing her fist. "There was a warehouse accident by the docks, and we snuck inside and found a hole in the ground. We thought it might be a good base but..." she glanced at Victor, then back to Rescue, hesitating. "I guess it's yours?"

The suit didn't move. Dante stepped forward to block Victor's view.

"The police came down here too," Ms. Marvel added. "We didn't want to run into them so we kept exploring."

"Are you kids inhumans?"

"I'm not," Squirrel Girl announced. "I'm Squirrel Girl, vigilante hero. You're, uh, keeping us from our work, Mrs. Rescue."

"Kids?" Ivy muttered from near the window. "Who's she calling kids?"

"I see you have an interdimensional portal?" the suit of armor said. "Which one of you's doing that?"

Dante clenched his fists, still blocking Victor.

"None of your business," Squirrel Girl said.

"I'm just curious, why haven't you left yet? You've been keeping that thing open for a good half-minute."

"Because you haven't shot us yet," Victor announced. "And because we have a deal: let us stay here tonight, and we won't tell anyone this place exists."

Squirrel Girl's eyes bugged out.

"Some of us stay here tonight," Ms. Marvel quietly corrected.

Silence. Victor reached for the shadows.

"Deal," the suit of armor said. "I'll even let you stay longer, if you answer some of my questions. What's a group of mostly-inhumans doing searching for a base under the docks of Jersey City? Playing superhero's dangerous work. Especially if you're already hiding from the police. Are you prepared for that?"

"We just have unfinished business," Victor slowly closed the portal. "With some people who aren't on earth."

"Ah."

Silence again.

"Right..." Ms. Marvel slowly nodded. "Uh, maybe you could give us some privacy now? If you're letting us stay?"

"That's what I was doing." A loud boom echoed down the chamber. The floor vibrated, buzzing in Victor's knees.

"I've locked the warehouse shut. All the police will find down here are walls and half-empty boxes. I've shut off the cameras around this section, too. If you need a doorway out, try the tube at the end of the window," the suit of armor turned, metal scraping over the floor, and disappeared into the shadows.

"Cameras?" Ms. Marvel turned and whispered. "Was she watching us this whole time?"

"Probably," Ivy traced circles on the glass, frost forming around her fingers.

"Tube at the end of the window?" Ette asked. "Do we get to ride a magic tube through the ocean?"

"I think you mean 'Tony Stark approved water transport'," Ivy muttered. "Or something else ridiculous."

"Hey," Ette approached Ivy, pulling her fingers from the glass. "She's giving us a place to stay. That counts for something."

Ivy snorted. "After Victor threatened to expose her secret warehouse to everyone. Why couldn't this place have been abandoned?"

"She didn't have to block off the police," Ette said. "Or tell us about the cameras."

"Whatever," Ivy snorted again.

"So..." Squirrel Girl tapped Victor's shoulder. "Can I ask for a teleport home? I doubt my scooter will take to a water tube like a duck to a pond."

"Sure," he glanced at Ms. Marvel.

"I'm going to test out that water tube," Ms. Marvel replied. "If it goes badly, I'll probably handle it better than any of you. Maybe it'll be safe for your scooter, Squirrel Girl."

"Oh joy," Ivy muttered darkly.

"What's up with you?" Dante asked. "You got terribly grouchy after Rescue showed up."

Ivy didn't answer.

"Stuff happened years ago," Ette murmured. "With...Stark stuff. A little while after we met each other."

"Oh," Dante said. Victor just blinked. Years ago?

"Do you think we can come back down the water tube?" Ms. Marvel called, strolling by the window. "I was thinking I'd get food and bring it back here."

"Good idea!" Squirrel Girl called back. "You test it, I take a portal, meet on Tippy corner then go get food together?"

"Sure thing!"

Squirrel Girl nudged Victor. "I'm ready to go. But to get food, not go home. Can you drop me off by the park? If you want I'll also give you a ride to Tippy corner after that." She whispered, "that's where Ms. Marvel met Tippy. With an armful of walnuts to her face."

"Nice," he glanced at Dante, who kept sidling closer. "It'd be good to know where Tippy corner is. Then we'll have more options than the park or the rooftop to portal everyone to."

Squirrel Girl rolled her eyes. "Yeah."

"Please come back quickly," Dante whispered at them. "I don't know how long I want to be alone with them," he jabbed a thumb at Ette, who was patting Ivy's shoulder while frost formed under their feet.

"Yeah, we'll hurry," Squirrel Girl said. "But who knows, you might get quality team-bonding time."

Dante frowned. "More like Dante-third-wheeling time..."

***

Squirrel Girl shoved her scooter through the grass, creeping slowly to the parking lot. Victor followed, baby step by baby step.

"I..." she panted, "hate...pretending...not to have...powers!"

Victor glanced at her bushy tail. "Your tail's out."

She paused. Her tail waved. "Huh. It is. I forgot," she stood up straight, slowly inhaling. Then she lifted her scooter into the air and waltzed it to the pavement, gently setting it down. "Hop on," she patted the seat. "I left the sidecar at home, so you get to squish in front of me."

He crossed his arms.

"Hey, at least I'm not sticking you behind me to let my tail suffocate your face the whole time."

He sighed, but approached the scooter.

"Are you sure there's nothing going on between you and Dante? He stepped in front of you when Rescue showed up, totally ready to take a hit for you."

He froze. "That came out of nowhere."

She sniffed. "I never said I possessed tact. Finesse. Whatever."

He raised an eyebrow.

"So...is there really nothing going on? You haven't answered the question."

He hopped onto the scooter. "Did you miss us at the warehouse?"

Her nose wrinkled. "Huh?"

"He was holding my hand, Squirrel Girl. I think you missed it."

Her eyebrows shot up, then she grinned. "My sneaky instincts were right. Ha!"

"Did you also miss Ivy and Ette?"

"Did I?" Squirrel Girl's face slowly melted to horror.

"Ivy's just wondering if you and Ms. Marvel are also a thing."

Squirrel Girl stared. Then smacked her forehead. "I am an idiot. How did I not see it?"

Victor winced for her reddened forehead. "So you're not?"

"No, not about that. I mean, we're not. Ms. Marvel was gushing to me about this boy in her science class and--no I mean, how'd I not see Ivy and Ette? They were practically hand-in-hand when I found them after that little warehouse test this morning...ugh."

Victor shrugged. "It's nice not trying to lie about it."

Squirrel Girl hopped onto the scooter behind him, nearly squishing him into the handlebars. "Yeah, sure," the scooter growled to life. "Wait, lie about it?" She gasped. "You mean something did happen at the park this morning between you two? And I missed that too?! How?"

"It was last night, actually--" the scooter shot into the street and Victor clung for dear life, voice lost to the roaring wind.

***

From Tippy corner--a street corner populated by a pair of oak trees and a rusty street lamp--Victor, Squirrel Girl and Ms. Marvel walked to a donut shop boasting vegan options, healthy breakfasts, and midnight dozens. Victor and Squirrel Girl waited outside with the scooter--on account of his kree armor and her bushy tail--while whizzing cars sliced them with blinding light in the late evening. When Ms. Marvel emerged, she held boxes of donuts and free granola bars, "for your friend with the pet squirrel," according to the shop owner.

They walked through the city, Squirrel Girl chatting about intersections where she'd stopped criminals, Ms. Marvel pointing to rooftops where she'd battled a giant frog gone wrong in a lab experiment. Victor took half the donut boxes from Ms. Marvel's arms, the scent of yeasty bread and chocolate glaze wafting over him.

"You guys have a lot of experience fighting crime, don't you?" he asked.

Ms. Marvel slowly lowered her arm. "Not...really. I've only had my powers for a couple months. Plus with school starting it's been nearly impossible to patrol the streets at night while keeping up with homework while still making it to school in the morning," she shrugged.

"I only moved here from California a year ago," Squirrel Girl said. "And my parents didn't want me getting into superhero saving the day stuff because it's dangerous. But once Kamala got her inhuman powers I told my parents we'd watch out for each other and they've been fine with it since."

Victor nodded, and they turned toward the docks. The pier side hung quiet and dark, no police in sight.

"So where's the water tube?" Squirrel Girl asked.

They paused, Ms. Marvel squinting back the way they'd come, then peering into the darkness. "I think it's right over here," she paced toward the docks. "I popped up inside one of the fishing boats. Painted yellow, but it was peeling real bad," she pointed slightly to their left. "I think it's that one."

"How do you think donuts will handle the water tube?" Squirrel Girl asked. "Does it speed so fast the boxes will fly open and splatter peanut butter filling everywhere?"

Ms. Marvel shook her head. "It was pretty slow. The biggest danger is getting claustrophobic inside a glass tube slowly rising through the ocean."

Squirrel Girl slowly came to a halt. "So will my scooter fit?"

She frowned. "Maybe? Do you want to test it?"

"Sure," Squirrel Girl wheeled her scooter down the pier. "If I don't show up in the bunker in a few minutes, portal back for me!"

"Alright," Victor called.

Ms. Marvel waved. "See you in the Stark secret bunker!"

Squirrel Girl's voice carried back to them, "we really need a fancier name for it than that."

Ms. Marvel snorted. Wordlessly, Victor dropped himself and Ms. Marvel and their burdens of donut boxes into the void, sinking through space to the lonely warehouse beneath the ocean.

***

After late-evening snacks, Victor portaled Ms. Marvel and Squirrel Girl to Tippy corner, then returned to the warehouse, surfacing in the shadows.

So this was it. HQ. Lonely warehouse beneath the ocean. Half-empty donut boxes littered the concrete floor. No light came from the bay window behind Ivy--the sun had set at least an hour before--but Dante had a scant fire going, a few wooden torches flickering orange on the concrete, popping with sparks. Victor stepped into the orange ring of light and Dante glanced up, pulling his fingers from the flames.

"Hey," Ette called from the shadows near the glass. "Could we go on a bathroom break? I'd rather not use the water elevator in the middle of the night just to wander around looking for a restroom."

Victor sighed. "Alright. Everyone gather close." Technically, they didn't need to. Victor could've made a large enough portal to drop all four of them, plus the burning planks, into the void. But constantly portaling back and forth from the bunker to the city had drained him.

He swam through the void, silence enveloping him and the others frozen in place. He surfaced at the park, picking a different restroom than the one against the fence to the river. It may have been empty, but he didn't want to risk running into the inhumans still living in the riverside cave.

"Aah," Ette stepped to the grass. "Life," she bent down to brush the ground. "I've missed you," she whispered.

Ivy shook her head, dragging Ette towards the yellow glow of the restrooms. "You just did this this morning. You can't miss the grass already..."

The two disappeared into the restroom, and Victor sunk to the lawn, rubbing his skull.

"What's wrong?" Dante asked.

"Just a whole lot of portals," Victor said. "Last night, this morning, the rooftop, getting in and out of the bunker...maybe we should ask for a bigger water elevator," he shut his eyes, slowly exhaling.

"And you were trying to save your energy for when we go against Hala, weren't you?"

Victor reluctantly nodded, grinding his teeth together.

We'll get Hala," Dante crouched beside him. "Just be patient."

Victor glared at the ground. "She's already had an entire day to plan how to get her inhumans back. Meanwhile, we've been doing what exactly? Scurrying around like rodents? Sniffing out who might be able to help us?" he dug his fists into the wet grass. "We searched three places to find a safe base, then I've been portaling around the whole city wasting my energy. We don't have a plan to face her or her kree soldiers," he dropped his hand. "We're only six kids. Rescue was right about that. What are we doing, running around, letting the police chase us, taking bathroom breaks late at night?" he motioned to the empty park, the chirping insects. "None of us know how to work together in a battle, and that gets more important the more people you have on a team. I've barely seen Ivy or Ette's powers, or even Ms. Marvel's."

Dante peered into the distance, silent. "We're doing our best, I guess."

Victor scoffed. "That's all you've got?"

Dante flashed a smile, and rose from the ground.

Victor glared back.

"Come on," Dante tugged him by the hand. "We should hurry here and get back to the bunker to rest."

Victor rolled his eyes, but let Dante pull him from the ground.