"Hello?"

"Hey."

There was a pause, the sound of the phone moving, shifting on the other end.

"Where are you calling from?" asked Cassandra, her voice tired.

"Isiah's. The cell died on me. Did I wake you?"

"Don't worry about it," she said. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. You see what happened?"

"I saw the news. What happened?"

"He blew his mother up."

"He what?"

"And four other people."

"Why did he do that?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"I saw that they took him into custody. See, you held off."

"Almost didn't," I said, closing my eyes and leaning my head back. "But, yeah, he's alive more or less. Thank you for the talk."

"It was no problem, Jeffery," she said. "Though, to be honest, I probably would have killed the sonofabitch."

"Do what?"

"He killed a hundred and twenty people, then walked into a nursing home, and blew up his mom and four other people who couldn't protect or take care of themselves."

"I know that, but still. It's not right."

"It's not something you'd do, Jeffery, and, yes, it's not exactly right, but, in the heat of the moment, it'd feel very right. I wouldn't have been able to resist that."

"I'm sure you would have."

"You give me too much credit."

"I've found that I'm a pretty good judge of character."

"Have you now?"

"It's another one of my special abilities. Invulnerability, strength, great character judging skills, and sexy smoothness with the ladies." She laughed, and I just smiled. "I'll let you get back to sleep," I said. "I just wanted to check in and let you know I'm okay."

"Are you okay, though?"

I sighed.

"I'm trying to be," I said. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, Cass."

"Later today you mean."

"If you want to be literal about it."

"Good night, Jeffery."

"Good morning you mean."

"Good bye, Jeffery," she said, and I could tell she was smiling on the other end.

"Bye, Cass."

And, we hung up.

I stared at the phone for a minute, debating with whether or not it was too late to make another call, but I needed to know, or I wasn't going to sleep at all.

I dialed and the phone rang twice on the other end before it was answered.

"Burke residence."

"Hey, Alfonse," I said, leaning forward, resting my elbows on my legs. "Everything set?"

"There were some items that they could make no guarantees on, but most of them they said would be available within a week."

"Excellent," I said. "Any word on transportation?"

"In due time, Jeffery."

"How much was it?"

"Well within your budget," Alfonse said. "I was able to secure the friends and family discount."

"I owe you one, Alf."

"You owe me a great many more than one, Jeffery."

"Thank you, Alfonse. I really appreciate this."

"And, how are you holding up?"

"You see the news tonight?"

"I did. I also heard that the gentleman wanted in connection with Ferguson was apprehended alive."

"A little worse for wear," I said. "But, yeah, he's alive."

"That is good to hear, Jeffery."

"Yeah," I said, my mind wandering to another reason for my call, as I thought about where I was, sitting in my friend's apartment, on the couch I had called home for the last two weeks. "I have another favor to ask of you, Alfonse. How many places does Victoria or the Burke Estate have here in town?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I know Victoria has that one apartment where Crowley's staying."

"Where Mister Crowley WAS staying."

"Yeah," I said. "So, I was wondering if there were any others, places she's not using that might be available, something I could use for one night, tomorrow night."

"The apartment at the Young is the only one Victoria has in the city, Jeffery, and I'm afraid I have no idea what condition it is in after Crowley's extended stay."

"I'll have it cleaned for you, then," I said.

"Why do you need it so urgently, Jeffery?"

I wish I could tell ya, Alfonse. I really do.

"I just... I need a place I can go to where folks won't be looking for me and, well, you know... I just want one night where I can relax without having to worry about anything."

"If you do not want to or cannot tell me, you can just say so, Jeffery."

"I can't tell you," I said.

"Very well. I will leave a key under the name of Fritz Thomas with the doorman tomorrow afternoon and tell him to expect you around six. The apartment will be clean by then, and I would appreciate it being returned in the same condition."

"You don't have to clean it, Alfonse."

"It has to be done either way, Jeffery. This will give me something to do tomorrow."

"Thank you, Alfonse."

"You are quite welcome. Now get some rest."

"Good night, Alfonse."

"Good morning, Mister Carter," he replied, and he hung up.

***

"Rise and shine," I thought I heard in a dream, but I realized that the dream was over, morning was here, and it was indeed time to rise, but there was no way I was going to shine.

"What time is it?" I asked, as I sat up and stretched.

"Eight," said Isiah, as he walked from the back of the couch and into the kitchen.

"You shower yet?" I asked, as I stood up and stretched some more.

"Called out," he said from the kitchen. "So, go ahead."

Called out? That certainly wasn't like Isiah. But, neither was what he did yesterday.

I'm sorry, pal. I really am.

But, I couldn't bring myself to say that. I didn't even think it would matter.

So, I went and took a shower without another word.


***

"Dean Williams was apprehended by Bush43 at the scene," said Commissioner Barry Jordan, as he flipped through a couple pages in his hands. "Officers Timmons and Leary were the first to arrive and took him into custody, though he needed medical treatment."

"Have you released that Bush43 was there?" I asked.

"That hasn't been mentioned yet," said Jordan, looking from Officer Michael Self seated next to him and then to me. "Though we haven't given any details of the apprehension just yet. That was going to wait for the noon press conference."

"Don't mention Bush43 then," I said, leaning forward, resting my arms on my desk, my hands folded. "Take credit for it on your end."

"Well, Mister Carter," said Jordan, looking to Self again, back to me. "I don't know..."

"Commissioner, you all are in need for one hell of a PR boost, am I right?" Jordan nodded, and I looked to Self. "Do you agree, Officer Self?"

"Yes," said Self, giving one nod and then not saying anything else, keeping very much to himself as always.

"All right, so take this one then and run with it. Say that when Officers Timmons and Leary...was it?" Jordan nodded. "When Officers Timmons and Leary arrived on the scene, they found Dean Williams injured and took him into custody. Speculate that he was hurt by his own blast. Don't mention science hero activity at all."

"But, we need to report..." started Jordan.

"Report to who? City Hall? Forget it; no one here is going to mind you all getting a bit of the limelight. Just write it up like you would if Bush43 had fled the scene before you arrived."

"Why do this, though?" asked Self.

"Because Dean Williams in custody is a win for the city no matter how you slice it," I said, leaning back. "And, if PC's finest can get all the glamour of the arrest, let them. It's a boost for the city; it's a boost for the department..."

"It's a boost for the Mayor's ratings," said Self.

I looked to him and waited for him to continue.

"If the police look like we're effective and able to do our jobs, there will be less pressure on the Mayor to give us more of what we need," said Self. "Whereas, if we point out that yet again a science hero stepped in where the police department should have been able to, the people will see that we are not capable of handling such things and continue to lean on the Mayor to help ensure we are able to do our jobs."

We all sat silent for a bit.

"I hadn't thought of that, Officer Self," I said.

"You hadn't?" said Self, his skepticism heavy in his tone.

"I had not, no," I said, leaning forward again. "I thought that you all could use the boost, but you're right: it could also potentially play into our hands and give an excuse to do nothing to help you all at a time when you really need all the support you can muster. You're right. Thank you. Jordan," I said, looking to the Commissioner. "You report this in whatever way you think best helps the police department and informs the public without causing any sort of panic of course."

"No matter how it happened," said Jordan after clearing his throat. "Dean Williams is now back in police custody, and the people can feel better about that."

"That they can," I said. "But, there are still four others out there for us to worry about. And, I think you'll find them be a hell of a lot more careful after two getting caught so quick."

"We'll handle it," said Self, and I nodded.

"Well, gentlemen," I said, as I stood up, both of them doing the same. "If that's all for now, I'll let you go. Anything specific you want me to cover with the press, let me know."

Jordan shook my head and turned to leave. Self hesitated.

"Actually," he said, looking to Jordan. "I'll just be a moment." He looked back to me. "If you're not busy."

"Of course," I said, pulling my hand back.

Commissioner Jordan left, closing the door behind him.

"What can I do for you, Officer Self?" I asked, as I sat down again.

"How closely associated are you personally with any of the New Mages?" he asked, remaining standing, putting his hands behind his back.

Ah.

"I'm close with the Mayor on some level, obviously," I said. "And, I do speak with Eldritch time to time, but, otherwise, I don't really know any of the others."

Self mulled that over, didn't seem to be satisfied.

"If the police department were to make a special request to the Mayor for emergency supplies and equipment, what is the possibility of our receiving them?" Self asked.

"Depends on what you need," I said, leaning forward, putting my arms on my desk again. "The Mayor would probably be quite picky about what he was willing to allow the department to have, but I could try and convince him on some things. I certainly couldn't make any promises, though."

Self nodded, and we both were silent.

"Is there something you all specifically need?" I asked.

"There are a couple items," Self said. "Some basic things, ammunition and the like, but we could really use more of this," he said, pulling a small empty bottle out of his pocket and setting it on my desk.

I reached out and picked it up, studying it.

Dean Williams name was on the label, a serial number and bar code underneath. Otherwise, no other description of what its contents had been.

But, I didn't need it spelled out for me to know what it was.

"The Australian government had been supplying us with that, a chemical cocktail that stops Dean Williams from using his powers. We have maybe ten days worth on hand. After that, short of keeping him drugged to the point of being unconscious, we are going to have a very large problem on our hands."

"We might have trouble convincing the Australian government to help us on that," I said, looking to Self who nodded.

"I know."

"But, it doesn't hurt to ask," I said, looking back to the bottle. "I'll talk with the Mayor, see what we can do in the way of getting some of this." I looked back to Self. "If we have to, could we get some of what you have left and make some of it?"

"We could do that," said Self. "But, I'd hate to lose any of what I have left."

"Understandable. I'll talk with the Mayor and let you know."

Self nodded and turned to leave.

"Officer Self," I said, as he reached my door, making him stop and turn to me. "If you all need anything, still request it. Anything. And, I'll see what I can do."

"You'll have to forgive me if I don't put much weight in your seeing what you can do," Self said.

And, he left.