“Alright, I’m stuck,” Jazz said, tossing her book aside, “I don't know how this story represents the idea of loneliness, I don't give a fuck how it represents loneliness, and I am pretty fucking sure it just straight up doesn't.”

  Linh and Jazz were in Jazz’s room, in theory working on their English assignments. Jazz's room was ripped straight from a Barbie design catalogue. It looked like one of those sorority rooms you saw in the movies, like some plucky blonde bimbo should be in here trying to learn law to spite her ex boyfriend.

  Which wasn't actually entirely too far removed from what they were doing right now, Linh realised. It was just that the bimbo occupying this particular room was half Chinese and currently ranting about the utter bullshit that was advanced placement English.

  “Just make some shit up,” Linh told her, “it's easy. ‘The flowers described were blue, a colour associated with negative emotions. In other words, he was both seeing and feeling blue’, that sort of bullshit.”

  Jazz groaned, “I fucking hate this, I miss Chemistry.”

  Linh rolled her eyes, “Jazz, you are the only person to ever say that in history.”

  “Seriously,” Jazz said, “How the hell are you keeping up with this? Aren't you doing patrols?”

  Linh shrugged, “It helps when you can pull all nighters at will,” she replied.

  “Besides,” she added, “Not all of my absences have been hero related. Yesterday I just took a nap.”

  Jazz stared at her.

  “You, you, skipped class,” Jazz said, incredulously, “You never pull that shit! You’re the biggest nerd I know!”

  “First,” Linh replied, raising a finger, “You’re like twice my size. That makes you twice the nerd.”

  She raised a second finger, “Second, I was tired, and Doc said to use the note if I have to. After all, I have a weak heart.”

  She added that last part in a serious tone, hand pressed to her chest.

  Jazz rolled her eyes, “Sure you do, that's why you can backflip over a building.”

  “Maybe a small one,” Linh said, “Going backwards is hard, jumping is easier when you can…” she trailed off, seeing the glare Jazz was giving her.

  “Right, humblebragging, sorry. Point taken.”

  Jazz was one hundred percent completely supportive, but that didn’t mean she didn't get a little jealous. After all, Linh wasn't the only person close to Jazz with powers.

  The other person was of course her older brother, who took that moment to burst into the room.

  “Heya sis,” he said, “Got any spare cash?”

  Jazz flipped him off, “No, fuck off.”

  He glared, “Just asking, fuck. Don't be a bitch.”

  Jazz looked back at her laptop, where she had been attempting to write an essay.

  “You have a job, I don't. Ask Dad if you need cash.”

  “Dad will tell me to fuck off,” replied her brother.

  There were times in Linh’s life when she wished she wasn't an only child.

  That was before she had met Brad of course. Jazz’s brother was a dickhead of the highest order.

  “Oh hey Linh,” Brad said, spotting her on the other side of the room, “How’s it hanging?”

  “I’m fine,” Linh replied shortly, not looking at him.

  “Cool,” he said, looking her up and down in a way that reminded her of Douche.

  “Say, wanna come drinking with me later?” he asked, “You're short but…”

  “Eww, stop hitting on my friend,” Jazz said, throwing a pillow at him.

  “Hey, I’m just asking,” he defended.

  “You're being a fucking creep. She’s 16, and she's not into you.”

  “Sixteen is legal,” he began.

  “Brad, fuck off.”

  “Fine. I was just doing her a favour,” he muttered, leaving the room.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Jazz shivered, looking at Linh.

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  Linh shrugged. Brad was gross but Linh was getting used to being around creeps. Sadly.

  “I’m sorry that you have to be related to him,” Linh told her, and Jazz snorted.

  “He’s been more of a cunt lately,” Jazz replied, “Even since you stole his job.”

  Linh blinked, “I did?”

  Jazz laughed, “Yeah, you did. He was all up his own ass about how he was about to be Pacific Vanguard’s newest rookie. Then you came along and showed him the fuck up.”

  Linh hadn't realised that.

  Brad was a hero. Well, more of a sidekick, but he had powers. He was also aggressively stuck in the minor leagues. Not that it stopped him from trying to use that status to impress girls.

  “I didn't even know he was on the list,” Linh admitted, “I didn't even know there was a list, come to think of it.”

  Jazz shrugged, “You're better anyway. I’d know who I’d want pulling me out of a fire, and it isn't Brad.”

  “That's because you’re hoping Beacon will show up,” Linh replied, “I’m kind of surprised that you haven't tried lighting your house on fire just to see if he shows up.”

  Jazz snorted, “Speaking of, you have not been talking about him.”

  Jazz sat up on her bed, leaning forward to stare Linh straight in the eyes.

  “Spill it girl, what's he like out of costume, is he hot beneath the mask? Does he take his shoes off indoors?”

  Linh shrugged, “No idea, he’s not really around. Kestrel runs the show. Beacon is always off doing… something. Like meetings.”

  “Bah,” Jazz said, collapsing back onto the bed, “You’re useless. I take it back, Brad should have gotten the job.”

  Linh scoffed,”You don't mean that.”

  “You're right,” Jazz replied, “I have no fucking clue what he did to deserve powers.”

  “Well…”

  Whatever Linh was about to say was cut off by the ringing of her phone.

  Jazz giggled, “Whose ringtone is the Justice Jenny theme?”

  Nerves gripped Linh’s stomach as the theme tune to her favourite super hero cartoon rang out.

  “The team,” Linh answered, “that's the emergency tone.”

  “And you picked Justice Jenny?” Jazz asked, but Linh wasn't listening. She held a finger up for silence as she answered.

  “Yeah?” she asked.

  “Rabbit, your tracker shows you Westside, how fast can you get to Gum Street mall?” Kestrel asked.

  “Three minutes,” Linh replied, already standing, “I can move now.”

  “Get there,” Kestrel replied, “Sentinel needs back up. We have a gang brawl. Two groups of supers.”

  “Got it,” Linh replied, “On my way.”

  She ended the call, tossing her phone into her bag and fishing her comm out of the inner pocket.

  “What's wrong?” Jazz asked, face pale.

  “Just a fight, I gotta go.” Linh said.

  “Moonlight flows, Jade Rabbit Shows!”

  She transformed quickly, shoving her comm into her ear.

  “I’ll be back for my stuff,” she told Jazz, moving towards the window.

  “Wait, Linh!”

  Linh turned to look back at Jazz, the other girl’s eyes wide.

  “Be safe, yeah?”

  Linh laughed, “Relax, you said it yourself, I’m the best girl for the job.”

  She turned and teleported, landing on the perfectly kept front lawn of Jazz’s house.

  She tapped her comm to activate it.

  “Jade Rabbit, en route.”

  The reply was immediate. “Get here Rabbit, I can't handle this solo, “Sentinel said.

  “Two minutes,” Linh replied, already launching herself into the air, “What about the others?”

  “Douche and Skip are busy across town,” Kestrel replied, “You’ll have backup, a minor leaguer is in the area.”

  Sentinel scoffed, “You mean a kid to baby sit?”

  Linh refrained from pointing out that he had said exactly the same thing about her last week, but thought better. After all, didn't this mean he thought she actually counted as back up? She’d take that win. Then she realised something.

  “Do you mean Edgeblade?” she asked, bouncing from rooftop to rooftop.

  “That's the one,” Kestrel replied, “You know him?”

  “Unfortunately,” Linh replied, “and I hate to agree with Sentinel, but he has a point on this one.”

  “Just play nice with the other kids,” Kestrel replied, “and try not to let the little leaguer get anyone killed.

  “Yes mum,” Linh replied with maximum sass, “Sentinel, I see you, dropping in in just a moment.”

  She could see the Armoured form of the other hero hovering in air ahead, with what looked like jets of water spraying up at him.

  “Go to the far side, I don't have a clean shot there.,” Sentinel replied.

  “Got it,” Linh said.

  Her stomach filled with butterflies, this was so close to Jazz’s house. If there was a chase like last time…

  No time for that, she would just have to make sure she caught them all quickly.

  She leapt over the last building, and took in the scene ahead.

  It was, in layman's terms, a fucking mess.

  There were dudes brawling all over the place. There seemed to be a vague effort from both sides to wear some kind of uniform, which basically meant that there were groups of men in slightly different colours beating the shit out of each other.

  A few dozen in all, some used weapons like chains or bats, others their bare hands. Several had powers, like the one using a glowing rod of light to ruin another man’s knees, or the giant lizard guy with red scales.

  Linh turned her eyes to the far side of the plaza. She could see what the issue was, the brawl had spilled into a dining area for the food places, and there were civilians everywhere, pinned into corners, cowering under tables while a group men did their best to turn the food court into a makeshift morgue.

  Linh didn't waste any time, she teleported, landing behind a pair of brawling men. She swept their legs out from beneath them, sending them toppling to the ground. Quickly, she wrapped them up, binding them together.

  “Now get along,” Linh chided them.

  One guy immediately started trying to headbutt the other.

  Linh stared, “Really?”

  She locked eyes with the other guy, whose gaze seemed to be demanding that she stop the other guy.

  Linh shrugged, she had better things to do. They'll work it out. She left the men in their extreme wrestling cocoon and hopped. She scooped a pair of terrified kids out from under a table, took a step, teleported, depositing them in the grateful arms of their mother.

  “Don't do drugs,” Linh said, immediately leaping away to plant her feet in the back of a guy who was about to club another man over the back of the head with a chair. He crashed to the ground, and Linh quickly restrained him and his would be victim. She restrained two more men, helped an old lady stand up and hobble away, then was forced to dodge as a guy pulled out a gun. His aim was shit, which honestly made him more dangerous in this crowd, so Linh put him down. Hard. She saw three other guys wince as her knee crunched into the gunman’s groin. She glared at them. They got the message, and dropped their own weapons.

  “Good move,” Linh said, restraining the three of them. A movement from behind, a flash of pain and she was sent flying, crashing into a table, sending food flying everywhere.

  Linh groaned, meeting the eyes of a teenager that was hiding nearby. Linh reached out, grabbed his burger and took a bite, handing it back to him.

  “Thanks,” she said, before leaping up again, searching for the dude who had just hit her. It was the lizard man, who was holding a slightly bent street sign.

  What a dick.

  He was glowering at her, one hand raised in a “Come at me,” gesture. Linh obliged, using a mid air teleport to change the angle of her flying kick. She grinned, she thought of that particular move the other day. It was awesome.

  The lizard dropped his sign, well, the City’s sign, and tumbled ass over tail until he slid to a stop.

  Was calling him a lizard racist? Linh pondered for a moment, before deciding that it was okay, after all, people called her a Rabbit all the time. She was just stating a fact.

  She took a moment to examine the battlefield. Her area was looking clear, and Sentinel was steadily dropping people on his end with blasts of what Linh assumed were stunning bolts of energy.

  Still, the fight was threatening to spill over into the mall itself. Where was Edgelord… Edgeblade. She was working, she should use his official name. Even if he was a complete Edgelord Dickhead.

  “How’s it looking?” Kestrel asked in Linh’s ear.

  “We’re getting it under control,” Sentinel replied.

  Linh nodded, forgetting that Kestrel couldn't see her.

  “It's a mess though,” Linh said, “We’re going to be ferreting out assholes for hours.”

  Then she spotted movement, and her heart sank.

  “And things just got way worse,” she groaned.

  “What's wrong?” Kestrel asked.

  “Edgeblade has arrived.”