spin_kick_snap | Koreatown, Los Angeles, Wednesday

After discovering that Anders could heal the infected, the heroes of LA had been buoyed up by the knowledge that they could stop the spread of the zombie virus. Regenerator couldn't change anyone who had become of full-fledged zombie, but he was able to heal those they got to in time. It helped that the victims tended to have as much as a whole day between when they were bitten and when they turned. Stealth got word out to the populations that were most vulnerable, promising 'free and discreet care' to anyone who needed it, for whatever reason, and soon people were coming to them, either to be healed by 'Genny or two get heroes to help transport the infected back. 'Genny set up a walk-in clinic in a warehouse Stealth had procured and rather than patrolling, Banzai had started helping him there. She was fast, she was agile, she was good at calming people down--she made an excellent assistant and a new rapport sprang up between them.

They were saving lives. They were making a difference. It even made having to move back in with her family (under the guise of visiting for 'spring break') more palatable.

This rush of good feeling lasted for three days. Just three days. They knew they weren't stopping new zombies from turning, but between the people they were healing and the zombies the rest were killing, they really thought they were making a difference.

They were wrong. They were so wrong.

It was Sarah who woke Kathy up from her nap, eyes wide and a little scared. The fear alone had the bottom dropping out of Kathy's stomach; Sarah didn't do scared. She'd gone to school everyday through Seventeen territory and hadn't even flinched. "Sarah," she said, holding out a hand. "What is it?"

"Something's happening," Sarah said, going to sit on Kathy's bed and curling up against her big sister. "Something big. There was some kind of terrorist attack today--like a biological thing. People were screaming and rioting and attacking one another on Hollywood and Highland. Just out in the street in the middle of the day! Like--people ripped one another's throats out and stuff. It's all over the net--people were taking videos and running and screaming--they attacked little kids! And the way they looked--!" Sarah shuddered, hiding her face. "It was awful. Like a horror movie but for real. I watched people die. It looked like some were getting eaten."

"You shouldn't be watching this kind of stuff," Kathy said absently, stroking her sister's hair while her mind whirled. "It's just going to freak you out. Don't worry, the superheroes will fix it."

"I hope so," Sarah said, cuddling close. "Cause the videos I saw? It looked like the end of the world."

[NFB, but Kathy's going to be calling people. If you want her to call you (or want to call her), ping in and she did!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I feel like using superpowers for good should count really high on an application. Like, don't-need-any-other-extracurriculars high."

"Agreed," Kathy said fervently. "Like, being a superhero doesn't leave a lot of time for extracurriculars!"

"And it incorporates all sorts of skills. If only it didn't have the whole secret identity component, you'd be set."

"On the plus side, it does mean that I'm awesome enough to have gotten into Stanford regardless," Kathy said, trying to preen. She wasn't really in the mood, but that kind of banter was almost expected at this point in the conversation. "Surely they can forgive a little bit of summer school!"

"I can sneak in disguised as the Dean and change their records, if they don't," Raven offered. Someone was watching Benny Hill or something really loudly, all of the sudden. She could hear it through the walls. "It's a foolproof plan."

"Raven, you're a genius!" Kathy said, laughing--a real laugh and it felt so good to do. "There go pretty much all of my academic worries! How did I not think of that?"

"You just have the wrong kind of genius. That's what you need me around for."

"I need you around for lots of reasons," Kathy admitted. "Your sneaky kind of genius is only one on the list."

The opening riff for Queen's You're My Best Friend sounded, almost too quickly to be noticed.

"Well, try to hold out until Saturday at least," Raven said. "And then you'll get as much of me as you need."

"And that gives me a few days to come up with a story to spin Mom and Dad why you should get to stay over. They think I'm on Spring Break right now. Maybe I'll say the dorms need to be fumigated? That's why I'm still here and you need a place to stay."

See? She could be sneaky, too! She just needed a lot of warm up and a bit of handholding.

"Sure, so long as you don't think that'll freak them out about you going back for the summer."

Charles would be appalled at the idea of her living in a place that ever had to be fumigated. Though, of course, he grew up in rather a different environment.

"Our building has to be fumigated once a year or so," Kathy said wryly. "We've never had much of a problem, but not every apartment can say the same. And you can't only fumigate, like, half a building."

Sorry about that Charles.

"So long as it's not bedbugs, it'll be fine. My mom has a horrific fear that bedbugs'll get in the building some day. We'll have to pick something else if they ask. Silverfish, maybe? Or mice?"

"I guess we can't say gremlins," Raven said. "Roaches seems pretty traditional."

"Ugh, I just hate roaches so much," Kathy complained. Again, city girl, she'd learned to co-exist with them. "I mean, it makes sense, but ugh. At least mice are cute."

"Mice poop everywhere." Raven may have grown up in a big country manor, but before that, she was a girl of the streets. "And bite. Roaches are just creepy looking."

"Roaches lay eggs," Kathy said, sounding grossed out. "And multiply by the hundreds. Ick."

"Soooo perfect candidate for fumigation."

"Ughhh, okay," Kathy said. "Though I want the record to show I am conceding the point with reluctance, because, again, super-gross."

You know, for the fake infestation they were making up.

Koreatown, Los Angeles, Wednesday

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