My head is killing me, and my chest aches like I got stepped on by Vivienne's Shifter form. What happened to me? We were leaving the meeting with The Merchants, and then that Cape showed up. My eyes shoot open as I sit up straight in the bed I'm in. My helmet is still on, but I don't recognize where I am. Did the Heroes' Union capture me? I'm in a hospital bed, surrounded by white walls. Am I back at that hospital the BNA owns? What was the name of that base again? Saturn. I shake my head, focusing on the present circumstances and the observable details. There's a door in this room and a single stool on wheels, so it can't be Saturn. I'm not cuffed, so I'm not in custody. Moving the long white sheet that's draped over my torso reveals that it is wrapped in bandages. The work is clean, no blood seeping through, but I don't recall getting hurt at all. I'm only missing my shirt; everything else is still on. The door opens, Kai walks in holding his tablet, and I let out a breath I didn't notice I was holding. His hair is pulled back into a tight ponytail, and he's wearing his lab coat with the sleeves cut off.

"Good, you're awake," he said, taking a seat on the stool.

"Where are we? I don't recognize this room," I said.

"This is the recovery room I built inside my laboratory. Before you get mad, yes, I finished my lab before the rest of the base, but the base should be done in the next few days. The lab being done is the reason you're alive, that and my unparalleled intellect. I mean, not to come off like an egotistical dick, but what I accomplished is no small feat," Kai bragged, practically preening for attention.

I almost died? I check inside myself, and all the powers are still there, along with their corresponding personality pieces. Attempting to get out of the bed aggravates my injury. Lying back down, I try to get more comfortable since I'm going to be here for a little while. He seems to be back to his old cheery self, so the idea he had to counteract the anhedonia clearly is working. Is that what he's bragging about?

"Congratulations, Kai, on your breakthrough. I can tell that your idea worked; the life in your eyes is back," I finally replied.

"No, that's not what I meant. I did succeed with that, but I'm referring to how I managed to save your life," he corrected, pushing his goggles off his face.

"What happened? Clearly, I was hurt and it involved my chest, but I have no recollection of whatever caused it," I asked.

"A lot has happened since you got hurt. I don't want to speak for anyone's actions except mine," Kai deflected nervously.

All this beating around the bush is starting to aggravate me.

"Doctor, I have woken up to find out I got hurt and you needed to operate on me. Tell. Me. What. Happened," I ordered.

"Got it, sorry. Do you remember that a Cape showed up as we were leaving our meeting with The Merchants?" Kai asked me. I nod, and he continues. "Well, Glow Guardian, that's his name by the way, demanded we surrender. His costume seems to function as a containment suit, and your attack with the hydrochloric acid burned a hole through part of it. He tried to contain it, but unfortunately, he didn't, and you ended up with a hole lasered through you. Then this other Cape arrived, a guy called Arbiter, who is the leader of the Heroes' Union squad that Glow Guardian belongs to. He attacked Isaiah until V stepped in to buy us time to escape," Kai explained.

"Is V okay?"

"She's fine. As soon as we got back, I started working on saving your life. It took me a bit, but I was able to come up with a solution," Kai grinned.

"I do not enjoy guessing games, and I dislike people who draw things out longer than they need to," I stated plainly.

"Sorry. Tuesday's combination ability allows her to create far more than just her limbs. I had Tuesday make copies of her spine, brain, and lungs. Then I harvested every last adult stem cell from them. Isaiah had me wait to implement my idea until V was back so she could decide whether we should do it. She immediately assented. Using my nanite distribution system, I flooded you with all the collected stem cells and used my drones to change them into the specific cells needed to regrow your lung, your rib, and all the tissue you had lost," Kai said, his glee evident in the half smile he has as he talks.

So I have Kai's nanites and Tuesday's DNA inside of me. Combined with the personality pieces I have, I'm slowly becoming a Theseus' ship of a person. It isn't a problem, merely an observation. The moment I walked on this path, I accepted that I would be fundamentally changing who and what I am. I would not have assumed that Vivienne would give the okay to his idea. It does show that she can put aside her unproven suspicions to make an informed decision. I should talk to her after this and see if we can mend the cracks that have formed between us.

The revelation of what the doctor accomplished is not lost on me. Kai is right to be proud. It was an incredibly creative use of Tuesday, and another possible service we can use to grow our influence. Wait, if Kai is able to extract cells and transplant them as well as use nanites to change and control the chemical makeup of a brain, then could he augment it?

"Good job. You've outdone yourself, Kai. Correct me if I am wrong, but can't this be used not just to heal and repair, but enhance certain aspects of someone?" I asked.

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If Kai was full of glee before, he's downright giddy. It seems that he's already considered what I'm suggesting. The man isn't full of himself at all; he's as brilliant as he believes he is. Confidence backed by competence isn't ego or arrogance; it is a factual assessment of oneself. How long has it been since I met someone whose mind I respected? Besides Technologica, Kai might be the only genius I have ever encountered.

"YES!" Kai shouted ecstatically. "Already, I've begun running some tests and simulations to test a few ideas I have. Increasing the blood flow and circulation throughout the body, and figuring out the ideal balance of oxygen within your blood to increase endurance and stamina. I can grow the perfect organs for all of us. We may be able to slow the deterioration of cells, allowing us to live significantly longer. The possibilities are almost infinite, Nobody."

"You certainly have a lot of research to do. If we have access to this kind of regeneration, then are you going to try to replace your arm?"

"What? No, why would I do that? If anything, I'm going to delve deeper into replacing the inferior base pieces of this body," Kai said dismissively.

"Alright, keep me updated on the progress. If this situation has taught me anything, it is that I am very susceptible to being severely hurt. I wouldn't say no to enhancing myself, mentally and physically. Are there any side effects I should be aware of?"

"There will be pain as the stitches heal and your body acclimates to the addition, but that much should be obvious. I would tell you if there were any potentially harmful side effects," Kai said, unsubtlely referencing my negligent mistake.

I let the blatant disrespect slide; it's his right to be still upset by what happened, regardless of whether he's solved the problem. When it's just the two of us, that is. If he does decide to bring this up in a more public setting, then I will have to meet his unprofessionalism with my own.

"Is it safe down here to remove the helmet?"

"Yes. The others all either left or are upstairs. Only Isaiah and Vivienne are still here," Kai answered.

"Would you ask her to come down here?" I asked.

Kai moves to leave, but something he said earlier gnaws at me. He said I don't want to speak for anyone's actions except mine. Everyone went with him except Vivienne, who stayed behind to fight off Arbiter. I touch my ring to my face, and the helmet falls off my face onto my lap.

"Stop," I ordered.

Kai flinches slightly at hearing my real voice. He turns and tries to appear surprised, but he can tell something is up. What are you hiding?

"What happened?" I asked.

"I already told you everything I did," Kai answered.

"Kai. What else aren't you telling me?"

He doesn't answer, squirming under my gaze. We've come a long way from his almost debilitating fear of me, but that doesn't mean he's forgotten why he felt that way. He brings his tablet up and types on it before he tosses it at me. I catch it, and it's an article from Quinstin Chronicler, a popular news website for all things Quinstin-related. New Cowl Decimates City Block. I scroll down to start reading it. A new Cowl, calling herself Vesuvius, fought against the Heroes' Union squad comprised of Arbiter, Glow Guardian, ShiftState, Pileup, and Sigilist in the Commercial District. The Cowl devastated the intersection of Tertiary Avenue and Beverly Boulevard, opening up a sinkhole and collapsing the surrounding streets. Arbiter and his team were quick to evacuate all civilians out of the area, keeping the Cowl at bay so that they could make sure no one was trapped or injured.

Our research found that this is the same Cowl who attempted a bank robbery in Shrewster, only to be stopped by the unaffiliated Capes Tramp and Callback. Vesuvius fought and defeated both of them. Analysts believe that Vesuvius is a Shifter and that this form is the source of their powers. While the Cowl's name wasn't known at that time, a similar level of destruction was seen there. It is believed that the Cowl is responsible for the disappearance of the two Capes, who have not been seen since the fight.

I skip ahead to the end of the article. The Cowl randomly attacked the group as they were out patrolling. The group of Capes was summarily defeated, and Vesuvius escaped. City officials are still tallying the damage and cost to the city's infrastructure from the attack. While the BNA is still investigating, it appears at this moment that there were no casualties, and we will update you as more information becomes available. I close the article and put the tablet down at the end of the hospital bed.

Why was he hiding this from me? The Capes and the general public being aware of her isn't the end of the world. She had her Cowl name prepared, and we've already begun the process to acquire the suits from The Merchants. This isn't a setback at all. More important is that she took on an entire Heroes' Union squad single-handedly and won easily. Interesting that the Union is hiding why the beatdown occurred. The ease with which she beat them means they will likely only engage her with two squads in the future. They identified her much quicker than I thought they would.

"Okay. Can you let Vivienne know I'd like to speak with her?"

"Yes," Kai said, taking his tablet and leaving.

It isn't long until Vivienne knocks at the door, asking to come in. She enters a moment after, her hand covering her eyes. She peeks through her fingers and sees that I'm dressed, lowering her arm. She's wearing a very nice outfit, like she just went on a shopping spree. When I last saw her, her clothes were in tatters, full of holes and cuts. Now, she's accessorizing. Despite the change of clothes, it's her face that I focus on. She looks tired, like she hasn't slept at all. She waited for me. She stands there awkwardly as we both look at each other. We didn't end things on a great note. She feels as if I betrayed her, after everything we've been through together. I need to be the one to say sorry, to make amends. Maybe I'm being cold and calculating, using what I know about people's emotions to clinically manipulate them into forgiving me. Or maybe this is an emotional decision, based on the friendship and affection I felt for her. It could be the compassion inside me, prompting the desire to reconcile. The reason or reasons for my actions don't matter as much as the actions themselves.

"I'm sorry," we both say simultaneously.

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