***

  “Damn it, Phoenix! Wake up!”

  Sarah opened her eyes and immediately recoiled as Scorpion flicked her on the forehead. She blinked repeatedly, fighting against the last of sleep. “What are you doing here?”

  Scorpion rose from the bed, pulling the covers with her. Her ponytail swung from side to side as she grabbed one of Sarah’s feet and pulled.

  Sarah held onto the mattress for dear life. “What the hell?!”

  Scorpion tossed Pegasus’s jacket at her. The woman was wearing regular clothes, so it shouldn’t be a mission, but that determined look on her face was usually accompanied by a gun.

  Fearing some catastrophic-level emergency, Sarah zipped the jacket on over her pajamas.

  “What’s the situation?” She stuffed her feet into the sneakers Scorpion held out for her.

  Scorpion nodded to herself, gesturing Sarah follow her to the door. Did Scorpion have a com in?

  Anxiety slowly overtaking her curiosity, Sarah held her questions. Scorpion paused with her hand on the doorknob for a few seconds before pulling the door open and bolting. Sarah followed.

  Down the hallway, past the elevator and to the stairs.

  Had they been infiltrated?

  “Where are we going?” she asked quietly.

  “We didn’t think they’d move this fast. Mermaid’s getting a car while Pegasus stalls them.”

  Why would Mermaid be getting a car? “Who’s here?”

  Scorpion’s glare seemed to ask Sarah if she was an idiot. “Who else wants to take you back to Center for questioning because they think you’re a spy?”

  “You?”

  Sarah dodged a slap to her shoulder, almost losing her step.

  “I wouldn’t send you to Center,” Scorpion protested. “I’d interrogate you here. You’ve always been weird, but I don’t think you’re out to kill us so I’m doing as Pegasus asked.”

  “Thanks, Belle.” The nickname rolled off her tongue unexpectedly.

  Scorpion scowled, pausing as they reached the stairwell door on the garage floor. “Mermaid?” she whispered into her com.

  From her expression, there was no reply.

  “We’ll have to chance it.” Scorpion led her out into the empty hallway. They headed straight for the doors that would grant them access to the parking garage.

  Try as she might to catch any stray sounds above the distant humming of the compound, Sarah heard only her breathing.

  Scorpion was typing into the access panel when doors from both sides of the hall burst open to reveal about a dozen unfamiliar faces. Had they sent all these people over from Center for her? And why were the others trying to sneak her out?

  Scorpion cursed, placing herself between Sarah and the closest opponents.

  “Did you all leave your brains in the mud outside?” a man asked.

  “It’s not even raining,” Scorpion muttered.

  A very tall man stepped out from the group. “Scorpion, stand down.”

  Scorpion did not move an inch. “Sir, I don’t think this is the best course of action right now.”

  “You’re not meant to think.”

  Sarah didn’t recognize this man, but his authority was clear. Which led to another troubling question: where was Zeus in all this?

  Wait, was she—

  With a flick of their leader’s hand, the groups converged on them.

  Sarah lifted her hands in surrender, trying and failing to catch a glimpse of her wrist. There was no point in putting up a fight when she didn’t fully understand the situation.

  Scorpion went along peacefully enough—if shouting and cursing could be called peaceful.

  The armed strangers turned Sarah to face the wall, slamming her right cheek against the hard surface. Cold metal tightened against her wrists. She sank further into the wall as it softened and covered her mouth, making it harder for her to breathe.

  Sarah drew in a panicked breath, pushing herself away from what turned out to be a very soft pillow. As she caught her breath, she flipped herself over on the bed to stare at the ceiling.

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  On the walls, the framed amplified photo fragments watched over her as she calmed down.

  Was that chaotic scene the dream—or was this peaceful one?

  She rolled off the bed, grabbing Pegasus’s jacket from a nearby chair. As usual, she hadn’t noticed when he woke up.

  As an afterthought, she pulled up the sleeve of his jacket. The semi-permanent words were still there in Pegasus’s handwriting, faded and rewritten many times over: ‘You’re not dreaming’.

  A deep breath reverberated through her as she did a quick check of the room. He hadn’t left her a note, so he shouldn’t have gone far. Only half expecting to see him, she opened the door.

  Pegasus was leaning against the far wall, looking disheveled with his hair fallen over his forehead, almost reaching his eyes. Scorpion was speaking low enough that not a word reached Sarah, but the woman’s jerky movements displayed how upset she was. Pegasus didn’t look that happy either.

  The dream flashed through her mind with its unknown soldiers corralling her, and she started towards them, hoping the subject was not the same. A smile took form in Pegasus’s icy expression when he saw her, and Scorpion turned.

  “Finally, she’s awake.” She rolled her eyes, turning back to Pegasus to continue what she was saying, but she moved aside to make room for Sarah. “I also heard that we’re getting at least five new temporary transfers in today, mostly support staff.”

  Pegasus pulled Sarah to his side. “I hadn’t heard about that.”

  “Well, I figured I’d bring you up to speed since your month-long suspension—or should I say vacation?—is finally over.”

  Pegasus shook a finger at her, the corner of his lips twisting into a smile. “Not the end yet. Still eighteen hours to go.”

  “Either way, I figured you’d want to know.” She looked at Sarah. “He can tell you what we talked about over the remaining eighteen hours of free time.”

  “Thanks, Belle,” Sarah said without thinking.

  Scorpion whirled, and for a second, Sarah felt she’d have a fist flying towards her.

  In an odd dance, Pegasus tugged Sarah back, stepping forward to take the lead. “Sorry, I told her.”

  Sarah held her tongue since Pegasus hadn’t told her anything of the sort. And all she’d heard from Robyn—the fake Robyn—had been Scorpion’s name: Gabrielle. When the shock had passed, she said, “Sorry, I shouldn’t have used your name.”

  Scorpion encroached on Pegasus’s space to stare Sarah down. “You need to stop acting suspicious.”

  Pegasus shrugged, still blocking her.

  Scorpion flipped her hair back, almost elbowing Pegasus in the chin. “Try not to stir up trouble. You both got off way too easy for that mess with Wolf and that supposed rigged door.”

  Sarah stepped out from behind Pegasus. “What do you mean supposed? Wolf saw it was rigged.”

  “Yes, but you said there was another trap other than what he saw, and no one can prove that because the building went up in flames.”

  “What about the prisoners?” Sarah had assumed they would have been interrogated by now.

  Scorpion scowled. “They got whisked away to Center, and Center won’t tell us anything.”

  Sarah rubbed her temple, feeling a headache starting. “How’s that my fault?”

  At the sound of approaching footsteps, Scorpion leaned in closer, lowering her voice. “Fault or not, it doesn’t change the fact that all that mess you caused came down to what? A one-month suspension for each of you after a basic investigation? You pulled a gun on Wolf!”

  “But I didn’t shoot anyone. None of our people anyway.” She shrugged a shoulder, feeling like Pegasus was rubbing off on her. “And I only threatened Wolf because I believed we would’ve died if he hadn’t stopped.”

  Scorpion looked from her to Pegasus, then turned to go without further argument. “Why do I bother?”

  Sarah didn’t know the answer to that either, but the dream suggested Scorpion might care what happened to her. Even if just a little. “Does she still think I’m a spy you charmed over to our side?”

  Pegasus readjusted his grip on her hand, entwining their fingers as they went back to his room. “I don’t think she actually believes that.”

  “So… what did she come over to warn you about?”

  He combed his fingers through his hair, trying to settle it into place—an exercise in futility. “You know how the oversight committee has been making themselves at home this past month?”

  She nodded. The stupid oversight committee was the reason she’d been staring at her walls—or Pegasus’s walls—for most of that time, trying to stay out of sight.

  “Center is bringing in more of their own people. They’re setting up some sort of long-term supervision here.”

  “An entire month wasn’t long term enough?”

  “They were only observing and reviewing our actions before. This change will mean our decisions will be subordinate to Center. We’ll lose some of our autonomy when it comes to investigations, but we’re not sure how that’ll work. This is the first time anything like this has happened.” Pegasus tugged at the zipper of her jacket. Well, his jacket. “I’m sure Zeus won’t put up with it forever, but I expect he’ll wait to see how it goes first. He’s a little too patient sometimes.”

  “If he weren’t, I would’ve been locked up the first time I did something weird.”

  “Maybe.” Pegasus helped her out of the jacket and draped it over a chair, its usual resting place. “I heard Lore was among the transfers coming over. You’ll finally get to meet her in person.”

  Sarah’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected that. Although Lore’s transfer had happened in at least one other world, the timing was off. In that other world, Lore had arrived at the compound in time for the Foundation Day party, which was a little over a month ago.

  Pegasus took her hand. “Would you like to tell me what had you so freaked out when you came out of the room earlier?”

  So it hadn’t escaped his attention. “I had a dream.” She told him about the failed escapade led by Scorpion, and the strange men that had come for her.

  Pegasus was quiet for some time after she was done, but the constant motion of his fingers along her wrist continued uninterrupted.

  “I have no idea what prompted that scenario.” If it was something she’d already done—like point her gun at Wolf—or something she was yet to do.

  “Let me know if you see this man from your dream.”

  “I’d love to never find out who he is.”

  He tightened his hold on her for one fleeting moment before pulling away. “Do you still want to go out?”

  She nodded, but didn’t move an inch.

  “Then you should go change into something suitable for the great outdoors.”

  Sarah spread her arms out to showcase her flowery pajamas. “What? This isn’t good enough?”

  Pegasus’s gaze softened, overflowing onto a warm smile. “Perfect.”

  Caught in his gaze, Sarah bridged the distance between them. Pegasus leaned into her, and the brief touch of their lips became a lingering kiss from which Sarah found it increasingly difficult to pull away. Thankfully, the horrible feeling echoing from that other world where he’d died seemed to be gone for good.

  Pegasus laughed. “I thought we were going out.”

  She planted one last kiss on his lips. “We are.”

  Laughing, he spun her around to face the door. “I’ll come by your room in eighteen minutes.”

  Sarah picked up his jacket again, rolling a seam between two fingers. Still, she didn’t take a step.

  Pegasus wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the floor, walking her to the door like that. Sarah gave in amidst a laughing fit. He put her back down to open the door and gave her another quick kiss. “I promised you an outing, so try to relax and make the most of our last hours of vacation.”

  “Don’t you mean suspension?”

  His smile contained nothing but mischief. “Tomayto.”