"We'll have to leave the hotel no later than 10 AM tomorrow to make it to the venue in time to prepare for your fanmeet, and it's important for it to go well since this is your first appearance in Japan and the tickets are sold out-"
"Mhm."
"-and I've added some buffer time afterward in case the event runs over or for any unplanned delays, but I have to leave by 2:30 PM for the meeting with the manufacturers for that new line of merchandise, and it shouldn't run any later than 5PM so you'll have that time to yourself-"
"Mhm."
"-but please try to stay inside the hotel because we're expecting a lot of reporters to be around since news of your visit was confirmed, and based on my social media analysis, we don't think the location of the hotel has been leaked yet but we still need to keep the press at a minimum and we don't want any of them tailing you back and causing trouble-"
"Mhm."
"-and please be sure not to use your quirk while we're here since your American hero license doesn't have jurisdiction in Japan and we really don't want any bad publicity that could hurt your popularity or your public image-"
"I know."
"-and I have to remember to send out thank you cards to the Gala's organizers and sponsors the day after the event, and they'll probably want to invite you back next year so please start thinking about if you'll want to come back so I can let them know when they do- oh! And I haven't confirmed the announcement details for your new merchandise yet- I'll have to get in contact with the graphic design team we worked with last time- oh- oh shoot, I forgot who the point of contact was! I'll have to ask Rex to ask Hyacinth's secretary since I think they used the same company once- I need to get their info in time or the announcement will be delayed which means the release will be delayed and the manufacturer will be upset and the PR director will upset and-"
"How about," Doublecross interrupted, slowly taking the stack of files from the girl's hands before she could reshuffle them any more, "you take a break for ten minutes?"
"But this is the first time your official merchandise is releasing in Japan and it's projected to do really well and this is important to your brand and I have to-"
"Ten minutes or you're fired."
The girl faltered, her voice catching in her throat. After a moment, she sighed quietly, dropping into the seat next to her. "You can't say that every time I get stressed."
"I think I can, actually. You'll have plenty of time to deal with all this," she set the mound of files on the table between them, "after we get to the hotel. I'm sure it'll be easier to organize things there."
"But what will I do until then?"
"I don't know, look out the window? Take a nap?"
The girl sighed a shallow breath, hands fiddling with her collar as she shifted in her seat. A moment of silence fell between them before she found the courage to speak up.
"So... are you... nervous about going back?"
"Should I be?"
"Well, I heard about what it was like for you, you know, with your childhood and all. I just thought maybe, I don't know, it would bring back... bad memories?"
"Oh? And where did you hear about all that?"
"Well, I kind of... read your file...? I didn't mean to pry, really! It was just something they told me to do before I started working for you and I thought it would help me assist you better and-"
"Relax, I'm joking. Everyone knows about that old story- it's not much of a secret, really."
"R-right! Then... are you excited to be back?"
"It's hard to say either way. We'll have to see how the locals feel about it first."
"Actually, my regional social media analysis shows the locals are really excited about your visit! Your popularity is extremely high with the preteen and young adult demographics; that's also why the demand for your overseas merchandise is so high in Japan! Uh- if that helps!"
Doublecross smiled in amusement, head tilted to one side. "You work too hard, you know that?"
"Not at all! Just doing what I should!"
"Mhm, sure. When we get back, maybe consider taking some time off. I know it's been a while since you've had a vacation."
"Oh, I don't think I could-"
"Well would you look at that. Seems like we're about to land," Doublecross hummed at the slight jostle of the plane tilting, eyes cast out the window at the approaching cityscape, "And right on time too."
_______________________________________________
"Let me know how your work goes. Just call me if you need anything."
"Are you sure you don't want help carrying those down?"
"I'm good, but thanks."
"Just please try not to draw too much attention! And make sure to ignore any press if they spot you! And please be back before dark!"
"Yep, you got it!" Doublecross half-waved as she slipped out of the hotel room, the heavy door falling closed behind her. She shifted the gift bags she held to one arm, called the elevator, and after a moment, stepped into the ornate lobby before making her way out through the main doors.
The spring air was warm, the sun shining bright overhead as the streets bustled with afternoon noise. The pastel city greenery was dotted with brilliant pinks and yellows of new blossoms, their colors swaying lightly in the pleasant breeze.
Stepping into a small black car idling outside the building, Doublecross greeted the driver as she set the bags down. She closed the door, and in a moment, they were zipping through the once-familiar city streets.
...
"Right here is fine," she called to the driver, the car rolling to a stop in front of a small apartment building, "I'll call you when I'm done. You can go back to the hotel in case Lillian needs anything." And with a quick thanks, re-gathering the cluster of bags beside her, she ducked out of the car, stepping onto the overgrown sidewalk.
This part of the city was unfamiliar; she didn't think she had ever been here before, though perhaps she wouldn't have remembered even if she had. It was a ways from the city center, a bit quieter with a number of nondescript buildings clustered together in the space of a few blocks. The one in front of her was a simple gray building with two floors, small balconies spaced evenly along its face. Her eyes scanned over the number plates beside each door, then shifted down to her phone, then back up, before approaching one of the many sparsely-decorated doorways. After a brief pause, glancing down at herself for just a moment, she raised a hand to the light green door, took a deep breath, and knocked.
The door rattled for a split second before it swung open.
"Unknown!" Traceback squeaked, throwing her arms around the girl and squeezing as if her life depended on it, "You're really here!"
"Hey," she smiled, returning the hug. "It's been a while."
"It's been forever!"
"Well, well, well, if it isn't little-miss-big-shot. What's a beloved hero like you doing all the long way out here?"
Doublecross glanced up with a half-amused grin, pulling away from Traceback to eye the figure in the doorway, "Nice to see you too, Amnestica. I hope you don't mind the intrusion."
The girl huffed dramatically, flipping her hair back as she pushed off from the wall, "As if I didn't plan this whole thing, and no thanks to these two. Too busy with their education or something."
"Can you idiots close the door already? Do you want flies in the house?" another figure shifted into view from behind the doorway, a frown plastered on his face.
It seems these three haven't changed at all.
"Horus," Doublecross greeted, gaze angled higher than it once had.
"Come on, come on, let's talk inside!" Traceback grinned, looping an arm through hers and eagerly tugging her into the apartment.
The interior, Doublecross found, was small and well-kept, sporting just enough organized clutter for it to feel quite homey. There was a little blue welcome mat by the door, shoes pushed to one side, giving way to a cute little living room. Most of the space was occupied by a coffee table and a plush couch- which she would soon discover to be quite comfortable- with matching pillows placed neatly on either end. Three coasters sat in a neat stack at the center of the table, a floor lamp stood against the nearby wall, and a TV was mounted across from the plush seating. A low cabinet stretched along the wall as well, lined all across with mismatched picture frames, her gaze glancing over them as she passed by.
"Here, sit! I'll be right back," Traceback grinned, motioning to the couch before turning on her heel and hurrying out of the room.
"So," Amnestica plopped down beside her, an arm slung over her shoulder as she leaned in, "how's the golden life?"
"I'm doing well, if that's what you mean. America is nice- it's different over there."
"Different like...?"
"The culture, mostly. It was a bit of an adjustment, but nothing life-threatening. I think you'd like it, really."
"I guess you'll just have to take me someday. So what's the deal with that spooky little agency of yours? I couldn't find much info on it, and you know that's never a good sign."
"Well, they tend to be a little secretive, you know, just the way governments are."
"Hmm, not going to elaborate on that, are we?"
"Nope."
"Fine, I guess I won't pry. But theoretically, if I did, how quickly would I end up on the hit list?"
"I guess it depends on how much you theoretically find."
"How incredibly suspicious of you, my dear Unknown. And here I thought hero work was the moral high-road."
"They all have ups and downs; you know how it is. But what about you? How's work been lately?"
"Ugh, don't even remind me. We had an inspection a while ago and they've just been on me about this thing with our books. It's this new regulation on the notation for our records or something, and it wasn't even my fault! My boss didn't tell any of us about it before- none of us knew- and now that he's in trouble, he's been blaming us for screwing up the records! I literally don't think he gets it- I can't tell my people how to do it right if he doesn't tell me how to do it right in the first place! He's such an ass, I swear, it just really gets me."
"I didn't know bank life was so dramatic."
"You have no idea. The new management is horrible. Let me tell you about the new management-"
"Don't let her tell you about the new management," Horus cut in, "She's already been complaining about it for months."
"You don't know how much they suck! You'd be complaining too if your boss was such a sleaze!"
"Then get a new job!"
"No way! In this economy? And don't act like you never complain about your job, hypocrite!"
"I don't have a choice. Someone has to pay my tuition."
"I pay your tuition!"
"And? What's your point?"
"Ok, ok, let's save the arguing for later," Traceback interjected, reemerging with a tray of tea and snacks in hand, "It's not a competition of whose life is harder, you know."
"I know whose life definitely isn't harder."
"Horus."
"So anyway," Amnestica cleared her throat, shooting him a warning look before turning back to Doublecross, "you're in town for that hero gala thing, right?"
"Yea, it's in a few days," she smiled, eyes shifting briefly to Horus, "It should be nice. They say some big names will be there."
"And you'll be speaking, right?"
"Yea, they did ask me to prepare something. They're supposed to stream the whole thing- do you think you'll be able to watch?"
"On a Friday night? I'm afraid I'll be too busy with my wild parties and countless friends, but I guess I could squeeze you in for a little bit."
"You always were so thoughtful, Amnestica. How can I ever repay you?"
"Money would probably do it. Oh! Speaking of heroes, guess what Traceback's new job is?"
"Hm? New job?" she glanced curiously over to the girl who had pulled up a chair on the opposite side of the table, now suddenly looking like a deer caught in headlights, "I thought you were still in school?"
"Oh, uh, yea! I am! I... I just thought it would be nice to get a job, you know, just to help out with tuition and all. I'm only working part-time, so it's really nothing impressive!"
"Ok, ok, but tell her where you're working," Amnestica pressed, leaning in expectantly.
Traceback fidgeted in her seat, eyes shifting downwards, seemingly nervous about something. "Oh, well, it's..."
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she reassured, "It's ok, really."
"No! It's not that! I just- well- I work at... Endeavor Agency?"
Doublecross blinked.
"I-it's really not anything important! I'm just an assistant! It's just paperwork and logistical stuff, you know? I don't even really see the heroes or anything-"
"That sounds nice."
Traceback paused, eyes wide with surprise, caught by lingering reserve, "You're... ok with it?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Oh. I just- I thought you might think it was too dangerous, or that I shouldn't be getting involved with heroes or something..."
"Well, I don't really think I'm one to argue anyway, but if it's what you want, I don't see a problem with it. It sounds like a nice place."
"You... think so?"
"Of course. Although, I remember some of the heroes there were involved in our case back then. Do they know about you?"
"They do! Actually, I was really nervous about applying because of that. Even with the new name and everything, it's not like I could change my face, and I didn't want to lie to them. I was really surprised when they hired me! I wanted to make sure they knew about everything before I actually did anything for them, you know, so I went to talk to Mr. Endeavor about it. He just said he knew and he remembered me! Apparently, one of their people really liked my application and that's what pushed me through! Honestly, I still don't know how I got in- I keep thinking they must have made a mistake or something... but it's been really nice working there! I really like it, and the people there are great too. The work isn't too stressful or anything, and I feel like I'm doing something good, you know?"
Doublecross smiled. There was a gleam of warm affection in her faint nod, her eyes curving ever so slightly. "Yea, I think I do."
"Aw, looks like we've lost another one to the good guys. I guess it's just you and me now, huh, Horus?"
"Don't drag me into this."
"See what I have to deal with? Can you believe I'm even still alive after all this stress?"
"With how much you complain, I'm surprised you still have the lung capacity to breathe."
"Huh? What was that? I could have sworn I just heard a delinquent trying to bad mouth me."
"It was one class. And you sure have a lot to say for someone who's never gone to school a day in her life."
"Well excuse me for making money to feed you guys and put a roof over your heads. I guess I should have just left you to fend for yourselves back then, huh?"
"As if you could survive by yourself. When was the last time you touched a stove, huh? You don't even know how to turn on the washing machine."
"Hey! I don't have time for all the little things! I'm a working professional!"
"Professional my ass. You cried because you dropped a bag of popcorn."
"It was a bowl of popcorn, and I did not cry-"
Amidst the light-speed bickering, Doublecross could only blink in half-concerned, half-amused silence, eyes following as they spat back and forth, neither side faltering even once. It was only upon noticing Traceback's beckoning that she looked away. The girl sent her an apologetic smile, motioning for her to follow as she stood, grabbed the near-empty teapot, and shuffled towards the adjoining room.
"Sorry about them. They're not usually like that. Well- at least they don't mean it," Traceback smiled sheepishly as the other girl stepped into the kitchen. Behind them, the arguing hadn't slowed at all, their absences seemingly going unnoticed.
"It's fine. It's nice to see them doing well," Doublecross smiled, her eyes wandering around the small kitchen.
Traceback nodded as she filled up a kettle, then turned to place it atop the stove. "Horus might say a lot of things, but Amnestica really has done a lot for us. We were separated after you left. They gave us new identities, put us in different foster programs and everything. Over the years, both of them were shuffled around a lot- it was hard, and some of the families weren't so great, but when Amnestica got out, the very first thing she did was apply to take us in. She even got a job and started renting out this place because they wouldn't let her take us without an income and housing. It took a while, but eventually, somehow, it went through. She still works a lot just to make sure we have everything we need; she wasn't even upset when Horus and I said we wanted to go back to school. She hardly has time for anything besides work, really, and she pretends she doesn't care, but I know it's hard on her. And Horus has been working for a while now too. He says it's so he can have some of his own money to spend, but he actually gives every bit of it to Amnestica. They might argue sometimes, but in reality, they're really good to each other. Oh, and to me too, of course!" she laughed faintly, eyes focused on the kettle that had just begun to whistle. "When we first heard about you a few years ago, I was so relieved. We didn't really know what had happened to you, but I always hoped you were out there somewhere and you were ok. I never could have guessed you would become a hero! It's still hard to believe you're such a big deal now, you know? It feels like just yesterday we were kids stuck in a bad place, and now you're... huge, people love you. And I know Horus can act a little cold at times, but he was actually just as relieved as we were to find out you were ok. Don't let him know I told you this, but he looks you up all the time! He reads a ton of those online articles about your missions and all, and he even visits your fansites sometimes! He thinks he's good at hiding it, but he's really not," she laughed, shifting her grip on the kettle to refill the glass teapot, "So don't take his words too seriously. He really doesn't mean any harm."
Doublecross remained quiet for a long moment, eyes appearing to scan her over thoughtfully. "You've grown up."
"Oh," Traceback glanced up in surprise. In a second, her surprise turned to laughter as she scratched the back of her head, turning away in embarrassment, "I guess so! It's been almost five years, after all."
"Hey! What are you two whispering about in here?" Amnestica demanded as she popped her head into the doorway, quickly pointing an accusatory finger at the older girl, "And you! You're staying for dinner, right?"
"Ah, I mean, if you don't mind-"
"Good! Then we can all stand around together and watch Traceback cook!"
"Hey! That's a lot of work! You could help out a little!"
"And I would, but according to someone, I don't even know how to use the stove!"
"When's the last time you touched anything in the kitchen that wasn't a microwave?"
"Stay out of this! No one's talking to you!"
"Just admit you're useless!"
"Horus!"
"What was that, Mr. I-failed-my-entry-level-economics-class?"
"Amnestica!"
"You stay out of this!"
"Don't yell at her!"
"Don't yell at me!"
"It's not all about you!"
"Well who's it about then?!"
"Guys!"