Ah. Fruit. Sweet. Got it. “I didn’t know he was queer,” Joan said.
“Yeah, he’s bi.”
“Cool.”
Mark snorted. “You know Vector City is gonna boast about having the most queer Superheroes now.”
“Something to be proud of, I guess. As long as it’s not exploited.”
Applause broke out in the lobby. Joan caught sight of Otis waving to the office workers. Padma stuck her head back in. “Okay, you two. Let’s go.”
Joan’s stomach churned. She could flee. Bust through a window and get out of there.
Her feet dragged like cement bricks. Ward gave Mark a fist-bump, then Joan.
The noise dipped the second they hit the marble-tiled lobby. Faces pinched, eyes narrowed in suspicion. Okay, so not everyone was excited. To be expected.
Kade—bless him—came over and gave them his signature high-five, thankfully muted through their gloves. Zee smirked likeGet ready for this.
Otis pushed through the double doors to the roar of the crowd. How many people were out there?
Darlene followed, then Zee, then Kade.
Joan couldn’t make her legs move.
A hand slipped into hers.Mark.
He gave a reassuring squeeze. Joan squeezed back. They shared nervous smiles, and then walked into the bright light of day.
And promptly hid behind everyone else on the wide landing.
As Otis stepped to the podium and greeted the fine citizens of Vector City, Kade shifted and made room for them. Darlene and Zee spaced themselves so they could all stand in line. Together.
Then Joan saw the full magnitude of the crowd—the news cameras and microphones and rapidly clicking digital cameras and way too many people. Mayor Thorpe stood off to the side in a blue suit that made his spray tan really pop.
Beside him, Padma waved to get her attention. She moved her hands in front of her face and mouthed, “Smile!”
Joan clasped her hands and kind of wanted a Supervillain attack to distract them all.
“Before we begin,” Otis said, “I am happy to share that Amazing Woman is recovering well. She sends her thanks for your support and well wishes. She has gone back into retirement now that Quake is no longer a threat.”
Joan sought out Sadie and Perry. They’d been given VIP access so she could find them in the front of the crowd.
Ah, there Sadie was in her easy-to-spot lime-green trench coat, grinning from ear to ear. Joan’s heart rate went down a notch.
Sadie winked at her and mouthed, “Love you.”
Joan smiled back gratefully.
Perry looked too cool for school in his sunglasses and overcoat, but he couldn’t hide the joy pulling at his mouth from his kids doing well. Gus was back at his condo, healed but weakened. Feeling her age and damn grumpy about it.
Otis went on with whatever talking points Padma had coached him to say about infrastructure repairs. He gestured back at City Hall with its boarded-up second-floor windows. “This building symbolizes that we may face adversity, but we always overcome it.”
Someone staring very pointedly at Joan caught her attention. Off to the right, in the sea of faces…
Greta.
She tilted her head, dryly amused. But her eyes were sad. Joan lightly shrugged one shoulder. This was not a day either of them had ever expected.
