Anna shifted from foot to foot, trying to listen for her cue.  She stared at the wig in her hands.  If she was going to use it, she needed to put it on fast.  She looked up from the red wig to the full-length mirror in front of her.  She had to admit; the new armor Adam had made for her looked good.  

“It’s lighter,” he’d told her.

“Can it still stop a bullet?”

“Yes…  You planning on getting shot?”

“I have before.  It hurts like a bitch.”

“Well, it’ll hurt more.  But a normal round won’t pierce that armor.  I mean, I can make it more like your old armor, and then you have the weight issue, and then you can deal with Kevlar again, if you really want…”  His tone had told her he didn’t really like the idea.

“No, I like that it’s lighter.”

She liked a lot about it.  It was sleek.  It still had that green scale look she’d grown attached to, but Adam had done away with the red Kevlar vest and skirt, opting for a full body scale catsuit.  It was significantly lighter than her old armor.  Hell, it was barely heavier that the yoga pants and jacket she’d worn on the assault on the LC.  The scale armor hugged her body like a second skin.

“I can make adjustments if you need to,” he’d said while she posed and flexed, testing it out.  

“No, it’s weirdly perfect.”  She’d thought about it for a moment.  “These can’t be my measurements from eight years ago,” she’d said, glancing down at her hips, easily the most significant change from when she was last employed by the LC.  Her old armor had been noticeably snug in that department, and the new one was more than comfortable.

“Actually, I took your measurements from surveillance footage from the attack on the LC.”

“Oh…”

“Sorry…”

He didn’t really need to apologize to her, and she didn’t know what to do with it.  But in addition to making guns and possibly A.I. that outclassed what the government was working on, the LC’s resident weapon’s expert could make some damn good armor, and that was enough, for the moment.

She regarded herself.  Her hair had grown out a good bit since she’d been shaved bald, not as long as she normally kept it, but long enough for her to do something with it.  It was past that stage where it just stood up awkwardly, and she’d brushed it forward over her forehead, not quite long enough to come down over the red domino mask she sported.  The wig had longer bangs, and she’d wear it in front of her ears to help obscure her face better, but chances are she’d probably put the wig in a ponytail for convenience.

If she was going for convenience, the wig didn’t actually help at all.  It was a nuisance that protected an identity she barely had.  She’d made no effort to get her job teaching at the school for the deaf back, and the LC had a very clear policy on day jobs.  Don’t have them.  

Tyrese had been quiet since the whole ‘trying to raise Ellen from the dead’ fiasco.  Macy still didn’t know, and Macy's parents, her forced to be adoptive parents, hadn’t spoken to her in years and were content to keep their relationship that way.  And Macy, well, she’d called Macy once since she’d told her she was taking the job at the LC.  Macy hadn’t answered, or called her back since.

What identity was she protecting?

She ran her red gloved fingers through the faux red locks, and dropped it to the floor, kicking it behind the mirror with a matching red boot.

Siren had short hair now.  She was joining the LC again after eight long years.  She had new armor and a new look, why shouldn’t she have a new, short, fresh haircut to go with it?

“Eight years ago, we faced a terrible threat.”

Anna’s ears perked up.  It was almost time.

“John Cromwell posed a threat to our organization, our great nation, and our entire world,” Lady Sapphire continued.

“I’m going to address it,” Lady Sapphire had warned her.  “It’s going to bring up a whole lot of shit, and some people aren’t going to like it.  But I’m going to support you.”

Anna listened intently, but the crowd at the press conference was dead silent, no audible reaction.

“We managed to stop him, at great personal cost.”  Lady Sapphire paused.

“Callie,” Anna said to herself, closing her eyes to honor her former mentor.

“And in the wake of those events, we, no, I, made a mistake.  I listened to the paranoia and hysteria, and I forced out one of my own, Someone who used her powers for the good of this nation and mankind, and I succumbed to fear mongering and chose not to let her be the asset to this world she strove to be.  She ignored me though,” Anna could hear the smile in her voice, and she felt a strange twinge of guilt.  Lady Sapphire was making her out to be the selfless heroine, and she’d only a week earlier used her powers to try and cheat death, with disastrous results.  “And sadly it took me eight years and another great tragedy to fully realize my mistake.  But I’m proud to announce that after long last, I am welcoming Siren back to the LC.”

That was her cue.  She took a deep breath and ran her hands through her hair before walking out onto the podium behind Lady Sapphire.

She blinked against the onslaught of shutter flashes as she took the stage for the first time in nearly a decade as a member of the Legendary Consortium.  She waved, careful to keep putting one foot in front of the other as she made her way across the stage to Lady Sapphire.  They embraced quickly.

“Losing the wig was a good choice,” Lady Sapphire whispered in her ear.

“Thank you,” she whispered back.

She turned back to the crowd, waving and smiling.

“Keep your mouth shut,” Lady Sapphire had warned her.  “We’ll work up to you talking to the press.  For now, let me do the talking.”

“Siren, were you involved in the attack on the LC?”

“Do you have any comment on your forced retirement from the LC?”

“What of reports of your criminal activity in relationship to the Sea Witch?”

Anna took a nervous step back at the rush of questions she didn’t know how to and wasn’t allowed to answer.  Lady Sapphire’s hand against her lower back steadied her and calmed her.  A quick look out of the corner of the sorceress’s deep blue eyes told her Stephanie would take care of it.

“Can I say ‘no comment’?” Anna had asked her while they were prepping.

Lady Sapphire’s lips had pulled back in an uncertain grimace.  “Best not.”

“Work up to that too?”

“Yes.  I’ll handle questions.”

Lady Sapphire put her hands up.  “For understandable reasons, at this time, Siren won’t be answering any questions.  But I will say she was not involved with the Sea Witch, but Siren’s help was instrumental in stopping her and putting her behind bars, where she’s safely locked up in Lighten Prison.”

Anna felt another twinge of guilt.  Lighten Prison, where she’d practically broken in to learn dark magic from the witch.  Yes, she was still safely locked up, but her indiscretion still weighed heavily on her.

“What assurances do we have that she won’t be another Cromwell, or a Sea Witch?” a reporter asked.

Both Siren and Lady Sapphire paused, and the other reporters stopped peppering them with questions, waiting for this response.

Anna looked at Lady Sapphire.  Every second the leader of the LC didn’t respond, she felt a growing pressure to answer herself.  But she didn’t have an answer.

In truth, it was only seven seconds before Lady Sapphire responded, but those seven seconds felt like an eternity to the newly reinstated super heroine.

“The same assurances that I will uphold the law and moral code of the LC.  The same assurance that every member of the Legendary Consortium vows to protect you and the greater good to the best of each and everyone one of our unique abilities.  I’ve personally vetted every single one of my members, and I assure everyone that Siren is a heroine, pure and simple.”



“You did good.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Anna replied, taking her mask off.

Stephanie smiled at her from across the town car taking them back to the LC tower.  “You said yes when I asked you to come back, after what we did to you, after everything.  I asked you to come back to be a heroine, a force for good.  I didn’t and I won’t ask you to deal with all this PR bullshit.  That’s my job.  You’re back on my team now, and having that buffer between you and the press is one of the benefits.”

“I think you might have oversold me a little bit,” Anna said with a smile.  She tried to make it come off as joking, but there was more than a little truth to her observation.

“That’s public relations 101,” Stephanie returned the jokey smile.

Anna got a sudden sick feeling in the pit of her stomach as she was suddenly very certain that the Sorceress of Sapphires knew all about her recent dealings with the Sea Witch and her dabblings in dark magic.

The feeling was gone quickly, as Lady Sapphire’s smile didn’t break, and she continued.  “We just have keep you out of the public eye until the whole controversy blows over.  Ideally, I would have waited until something else big happened to distract focus from the Sea Witch before announcing your return, but that wasn’t fair to you.  It is what it is, and you’ll keep a low profile until the media and public eye turn their attention elsewhere.”

“Alright.”

“Trust me, they won’t need eight years to move on.”

Anna laughed.

“I am truly sorry, it took me eight years to right that wrong.”

“Don’t worry about it.”  She almost said it wasn’t just Stephanie’s decision, but passing blame the the late Aegis seemed in poor taste.  “Retirement wasn’t so bad.  For a few years.”

“What I wouldn’t give...”

Anna raised an eyebrow.  “It gets boring.”

“I have no doubt.  But you’re right, a few years, wouldn’t be so bad.”



Tyrese’s phone buzzed in his pocket.

The deaf gym teacher took a deep breath, taking his eyes off his students who were playing basketball.

“Did u see the press conference?” the text read.

“No,” he texted back.  He knew what press conference Macy was asking about.  He was curious, and he’d probably check it out during his lunch.  “In class,” he typed out quickly as he saw the notification that she was typing.

Though he and Macy couldn’t talk to each other, she’d gotten his number, and his phone had been buzzing constantly since.  He didn’t want to come in between what was going on between the sisters, but he hadn’t minded providing an ear for the angry and grieving Macy, a metaphorical ear anyways.  Of course, he knew one the of the real reasons Anna had put distance between her and Macy had been because she’d tried to bring Macy’s late girlfriend back to life, with disastrous results, and couldn’t bring herself to tell her.  Of course, that left Tyrese in the uncomfortable position of having to keep that secret as well while being Macy’s support network.

“She did it!!!

“Part of me rly thought she wouldnt

“But she did.”

He sighed and looked back out at his students.  In the handicapable sports world, the deaf were pretty much the red headed step child of the disabilities.  If you weren’t ramming someone on a special wheelchair, no one cared, and as much as he did really like his job and the kids, most of the time he really was a glorified babysitter during an extended recess.

“Give me a second, I’ll watch it,” he texted as he saw she was still typing.

He googled “LC press conference” as more texts blew up his phone from Macy, going off on Anna.  There it was, first thing on the page, a picture of Anna in a new, sleek Siren costume, standing next to Lady Sapphire.  He couldn’t find a video with closed captioning yet, but he got the gist.

He had to admit, she looked good up there.  Despite the onslaught of Macy’s venting texts, he couldn’t help but think that Izzy had been right.  Maybe it was a good fit.

“u see it yet?”

“Yes.”

“Can u beleive it?”

He paused, looking for the response Macy wanted.  Generally, she just wanted someone to talk at, and as long as he confirmed that he was still reading her texts periodically, it was enough.

“She did it,” he texted, echoing her initial text.

“I cant believe it.  All that apology BS.  

“Lady Saph is full of shit.”

He hesitated again, glancing at the clock.  Class was almost over, and he really should be paying more attention to his kids.  He’d seen plenty of Lady Sapphire’s press conferences as of late.  Surviving a fight with two Legends had sparked something that was bordering on an obsession in his spare time with the team of super heroes.  He was very well versed in the leader of the Legendary Consortium’s facial ticks and expressions, and that apology might have been the sincerest he’d seen her since he’d watched footage of her at Aegis’s funeral.

“She doesnt need this,” Macy continued when he didn’t respond.

It wasn’t his place to argue with her.  “Sorry, need to pretend to teach,” he wrote, hoping the joking tone would be a subtle reminder that he was actually busy.

“Oh, right.

“Sorry.

“TTYL”

“Later,” he texted back before putting his phone away and focusing his attention back on his students.



The room seemed very different to Anna.  Granted, she didn’t remember the last time she’d been brought in here, unconscious and out of it after her stint as an unwilling prisoner in a deranged asylum, and the time before that, she’d been forced to wear a humiliating gag and communicate through a tablet.  Still, the LC conference room was somehow different from what she recalled.  There were now 16 Legends in the room including herself, five more than the last time she was there officially, and still, it seemed empty.  There was no chair or pedestal denoting Aegis’s spot in the corner, but the spot where he stood next to Lady Sapphire was a gaping hole, a vacuum of power that was impossible not to feel.  

She’d chosen a simple chair for her seat for the time being, a wooden, straight backed chair that wasn’t particularly comfortable but helped reinforce her posture.  Probably a wise choice, given that even Izzy was sitting up straight and attentive in his comfy old leather couch he was usually reclining in.  Everyone seemed to be sitting at attention as Lady Sapphire collected herself, waiting until the last Legend, Impaqt, made her way in, still limping a little from where Izzy had broken her leg, but the cast was off.

“Thank you.  As you all know, Siren has officially been reinstated in the LC.  Welcome back.”

Lini started applauding, the cold emanating heroine sitting next to her on her pedestal of ice.  After a few claps when no one joined in, she stopped.  “Oh, not a clapping thing.  Sorry.  Welcome back Anna.”

“Thanks,” she said.

Lady Sapphire waited patiently before continuing.  “As always, I’d like everyone to avoid the press on this issue.  She’s part of the team, we’re glad to have her back, end of story.  I’ve said everything that needs to be said on the issue, and the sooner this is a nonissue, the better.”

There was a general murmur of ascent.  There wasn’t a one of them who particularly liked dealing with the press anyways.

“The same goes for the Sea Witch and the attack on the tower.  Again, I’ve said everything that needs to be said.”

There was a silence.  A silence Anna quickly deduced was for the third thing not to be mentioned to the press.  Anna watched as everyone eyes flitted to the empty space next to Lady Sapphire.  She, nor anyone else, noticed the brief moment where Lady Sapphire looked directly at Israel, or him quickly looking at the ground, unable to maintain her gaze or look at the hole Aegis had left.

“It’s a light week,” she continued, drawing everyone’s attention back to her.  They’d had several of those since the attack on the LC.  At first, they were convenient, practically a necessity with most of them injured in the aftermath of the Sea Witch’s influence and Anna and her allies’ assault on the controlled Legends.  Now, the Legends were getting antsy, ready to get back to what they did best, and, more importantly, starting to really think about why their services hadn’t been requested lately.

“There is a rogue unit of army rangers that have taken a small town hostage in Townsend, Tennessee.  The group went MIA and were presumed dead two years ago in Iraq.  As of yet, they’ve made no demands, but local law enforcement is not equipped to deal with them, and the army hasn’t moved in yet.  Adam; you, Impaqt, Lini, and Sirius and Cygnus, get in there and bring them down.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Adam said, glancing around at the others on the assignment.  “How long…”  ‘Have you known?’ was the rest of the question, but he didn’t ask it.

“This morning.  I’ll brief you after the meeting,” she said.

He nodded.  Him running point made enough sense.  He was army before a dishonorable discharge.  But still, this job seemed urgent, and was usually the kind of thing that she would have had him and whoever else on as soon as she found out about it, rather than waiting, even if only a few hours, for a meeting to assign it.  Unless it was the only job, which as Lady Sapphire went on, he quickly realized it was.

What was more troubling was the choice of the team.  In a hostage situation, yes, the twins were the perfect choice.  Impaqt and Lini were, while not useless, not ideal for the situation.  If he was being honest, this was a perfect opportunity to get Siren back in the field.  Just tell the rangers to surrender and go home.  He saw it as a good chance to prove her effectiveness as an asset, but a practical part of him understood Lady Sapphire’s decision to keep her out of the field until the attention on her died down, in case things went awry.  She would naturally be pinpointed as the cause of problems should anything go wrong.

But still, there was going to be a firefight, he was almost certain of of it.  A heavy hitter would have been nice.  Specifically, Barrage.  A shootout with the army’s finest, that was definitely up the cowboy’s alley, but as the meeting went on, Adam noted that there was no job for Izzy.  Maybe Lady Sapphire had stuff for him off the books.  Either way, it would have been nice to have him for the job.

Their lack of inclusion was not lost on Siren or Barrage.  Neither was particularly surprised, and as Lady Sapphire dismissed everyone, they both got up and headed for the door.

“Izzy, can I talk to you?” Anna asked, catching him alone as he made his way back towards his room.

“Nope,” he said, brushing past her.

She stopped and watch him go.  He hadn’t spoken to her since the night she’d tried to bring back Ellen.  She’d hoped he would talk to her once she joined the LC like he told her too, but apparently that wasn’t to be.

She could tell him to stop.  She could make him listen as she apologized and told him that he was right, she’d fucked up, big, but she was doing what she was supposed to, and right now she really needed him to forgive her.  Macy wasn’t talking to her.  Tyrese had been supportive of her rejoining the LC after the events that night, but they hadn’t really talked much after that.  She was part of the team now, she’d gotten the apology she deserved, but somehow she felt more alone than ever, and her closest friend on the LC wouldn’t give her the time of day.

She watched the rest of the LC make their way past her.  Suddenly, she really missed Callie.  Yes, she’d gotten to be friends with her teammates eight years ago, but it was always because Callie had pushed her.  Everyone had loved Callie, she’d gotten on with everyone, but now, eight years after her death and Siren’s forced retirement, she had nothing to say to her teammates, and they had nothing to say to her.

She sighed and made her way back to her own room.  Apartment, really.  It was bigger and nicer than her apartment in Bristol, and with her salary on the LC, she could more than afford her old rent she was struggling to pay before on her teacher’s wages.  She had her own bedroom, office, kitchen, and living room within the LC, all fully furnished, including a budget she hadn’t used yet to personalize it to her tastes.  When she’d first joined the LC, she’d only gotten her own bedroom and bathroom, having to share a kitchen and living quarters with the rest of the LC.  Still, she’d personalized it, and it had felt like home for the two years she’d lived there.  Now, the place felt like a nice hotel she was stuck in while on a business trip she didn’t really want to be on.

She went into her kitchen, staring into the empty fridge.  There was still the communal kitchen, and it probably had alcohol, but she didn’t trust herself to drink in the company of others.  Not being in total control of what came out of her mouth, and while no one had hinted that they didn’t trust her, it was a bad idea.  

She shut the fridge and went into her room, collapsing onto her unmade bed.  

Day two as a Legend, check.