Lauren stood near Iron Meridian while another officer photographed the damage. Sadness crossed her face the moment she saw the two headsets, though it vanished almost immediately.

Luke still caught it. He placed his headset beside hers, met her eyes, and gave her a small nod. When Lauren frowned, he glanced toward the ceiling before looking back at her.

She understood quickly. He had not told them about the other two.

Relief softened her face, followed by a brief spark of excitement. Luke had lied to the police for her.

Lauren knew she should correct him and surrender the extra systems, especially when neither of them understood what Powerforge had done to their bodies. Keeping them hidden could create serious trouble if the authorities discovered them later.

Instead of speaking up, she felt a thrill run through her.

Luke had protected something that belonged to both of them without being asked. For a few seconds, they stood in the middle of the ruined café and shared a secret no one else knew.

Iron Meridian interrupted the moment.

"We’ll take both of you to the hero hospital," he said. "Your injuries need to be examined, and the awakening response unit will want to speak with you."

Lauren’s excitement faded.

"Awakening response unit?" Luke asked.

"Medical staff and psychological specialists," Iron Meridian explained. "Anyone who develops an ability after a traumatic incident has to be evaluated. With Powerforge involved, those evaluations are mandatory."

Luke immediately disliked the last word.

"Mandatory?"

"They need to make sure the abilities aren’t harming us," Lauren said before he could argue.

Iron Meridian nodded. "Exactly. Cooperate with them, and this should go quickly."

Luke looked at Lauren. She seemed ready to fall asleep where she stood, so he swallowed his objections.

"All right."

The rear compartment of the police vehicle had been designed to transport injured civilians, but it still felt cramped.

Lauren sat beside Luke on a padded bench while the city passed beyond the tinted windows. Red and blue emergency lights flashed across the glass, briefly lighting her exhausted face.

For the first few minutes, neither of them spoke. The adrenaline that had carried Lauren through the attack was wearing off, and her shoulders lowered little by little as she adjusted her arm to avoid putting pressure on her side.

Luke watched her closely.

A bruise darkened the skin around her wrist, and a shallow cut crossed the back of her hand. Dust clung to her clothes, while the torn sleeve of her blouse hung loose around one shoulder. The faint scent of smoke and broken plaster still followed her into the vehicle.

Seeing her like that made his stomach twist. He should have reached her sooner, and he should have been stronger.

Lauren caught him staring.

"Luke."

"Does it hurt?"

"Not much."

"You’re lying."

Her mouth curved into a tired smile. "You’ve become rather confident about accusing me of that."

"The Dungeon of Truth gave me plenty of practice."

Warmth entered her expression at the mention of the dungeon, but then her eyes moved over his injuries.

Luke had taken the worst of the fight. Bruises covered his arms and ribs, dried blood stained one side of his shirt, and the cut near his temple had begun bleeding again. Every time the vehicle turned, his body tensed before he could hide the pain.

Lauren’s chest tightened.

A few days ago, she had found him in an alley, blinded by pepper spray and abandoned by everyone who passed. Today, he had thrown himself between her and a criminal with an awakened ability.

"You saved me," she said.

Luke looked away. "I nearly killed him."

"You stopped him before he could hurt me."

"I barely knew what I was doing."

"You still protected me."

Lauren shifted closer, and Luke noticed immediately.

She examined his side, carefully searching for a place where she could lean without pressing against his wounds. After finding a mostly uninjured spot near his shoulder, she rested against him and wrapped one arm around his.

Luke went completely still.

Her warmth pressed into his side. The curve of her breast rested against his upper arm, and her black hair brushed beneath his chin.

His face turned red.

"Miss Lauren?"

"Let me stay here for a little while."

Her voice was softer than usual, with none of its normal confidence.

When Luke looked down, he noticed the moisture in her eyes. Lauren had been scared, even though she had thanked him calmly inside the café, answered the officers’ questions, and acted like the responsible adult everyone expected her to be.

Only now, when no one else was paying close attention, did she finally allow herself to lean on him.

Luke forced his body to relax, and Lauren settled more comfortably against his side.

"My hero," she whispered.

For a moment, Luke forgot about the pain in his ribs.

Yvonne had called him that after he carried her away from the Dread Devourer, but hearing the words from Lauren in the real world filled his chest with a warmth no victory had ever given him.

Before he could decide how to answer, her breathing began to slow. Her grip on his arm loosened, but she remained tucked against him and soon fell asleep.

Luke barely dared to move.

She had been the one to save him when no hero came. She had cleaned his injuries, fed him, and given him a place to live. Now he had protected her, and the realization filled him with a fierce sense of pride.

Until recently, Luke had survived because he refused to give up. Stubbornness had carried him through hunger, cold nights, rejection, and his father’s cruelty, but Lauren gave him a reason to want more than survival.

She rested against him because she trusted him, and he wanted to deserve that trust.

Whatever Powerforge became, whatever the authorities discovered, and whatever was happening to his body, Luke knew he needed to become stronger. He wanted that strength for himself, but he wanted it even more for Lauren.