“I didn't think I would need to add ‘Do not squeeze the adorable Rabbit Girl until she blacks out’ to the rules, but here we are,” Doc said.

  Kestrel was sat in a chair, being lectured like a wayward student.

  “You don't understand!” Kestrel insisted, “She twirled!”

  “I am aware,” Doc replied, “But I am also aware that you are both a grown woman and the field leader for a team of Super Heroes. I would expect restraint.”

  “I put her down…” Kestrel muttered.

  “After you broke two of her ribs! If she wasn't as resilient as she is, she could have been out for weeks!” Doc said. She wasn't quite yelling, but even Linh felt the urge to retreat and apologise.

  To her credit, Kestrel had been very apologetic when Linh had woken up in the medbay, apparently having been squeezed until she fainted.

  “As irresistible as squeezing the rabbit is, I expect you to find another outlet. If she winds up in my lab with affection related injuries again, there will be consequences,” Doc warned, “Is that understood?”

  “...Yes ma'am,” Kestrel replied sheepishly. Doc wasn't finished however, as she whirled on Linh.

  “You. I know you regenerate, but I believe I gave you explicit instructions to avoid being injured in the future.”

  Linh withered, “I didn't plan to be hugged to death…” she muttered.

  “From now on, you are not to transform in front of the rest of the team,” Doc ordered.

  “Yes ma’am,” Linh said.

  Doc slunk down in her own chair, holding her temples.

  “I swear, you people…” she muttered.

  “Do we…” Kestrel began.

  “Out. Don't come back for a week,” Doc ordered.

  Linh and Kestrel rushed to leave, Doc muttering something about ‘Amazonian Bimbos’ and ‘Injury Prone Rabbits’ as they did.

  “I’m sorry,” Kestrel said, looking at her shoes as they walked, “I can get… excited.”

  “I noticed,” Linh replied dryly.

  Then she sighed, “It's fine, I’m used to it. Well, not the getting my ribs broken part, but my friend is… clingy at times.”

  Kestrel nodded seriously, “Can you blame her? You are just so squishable.”

  Linh opened her mouth to reply, but something in Kestrel's tone set her on edge. She ducked to the side, narrowly avoiding the woman who dove at her in a tackle hug.

  “Stop!” Linh yelped, as Kestrel chased her down the hallway, laughing maniacally the whole way. Linh retreated, but found her back against a wall, nowhere to go.

  “Got you,” Kestrel purred, approaching slowly.

  Linh waited for her to get close, then teleported right as the woman lunged for her. Kestrel hit the wall with a thud.

  “No fair…” she pouted, looking like a petulant child. A child in designer heels and the arm strength of a gorilla.

  Linh shook her head. This was the same woman who effortlessly coordinated city wide disaster responses.

  She…

  Linh was pulled off her feet, a hand wrapping itself around her ankle and lifting.

  “Gmhph!” was all she managed before she was yanked off the ground. She was flipped upside down, dangling uselessly in the air. There was a click and a pair of cold metal handcuffs were slapped around her wrists. There was a flash of light, and she reverted back to her human form. Linh’s eyes widened, power inhibitors? What? Who was..

  Her skirt! Linh desperately reached up with cuffed hands as her skirt succumbed to gravity.

  “Kestrel!” She shouted, desperately trying to preserve her modesty as the woman laughed her arse off.

  “I have caught her for you,” her captor said, with a deep male monotone.

  Kestrel stood, eyeing Linh with a smirk.

  “White hey?” Kestrel teased, “Cute.”

  Linh’s cheeks burned.

  “Put. Me. Down!” She demanded. Her free leg connected with something that cracked as she flailed, and she was dropped, landing heavily to the floor.

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  Linh rolled, trying her best to get to her feet, only to be picked up again, this time by the wrists. She glared at Kestrel.

  “Help!”

  “Grim,” Kestrel said, “Meet Jade Rabbit, our rookie. I believe you were told about her. Linh, this is Grimstep, our last member.”

  “Oh,” the man said, releasing Linh. Linh immediately dashed to hide behind Kestrel.

  The man was tall, dressed entirely in black, with long, straggly hair. He was also bleeding from his nose.

  “Nice to meet you.” he said, “I am sorry for the capture. I thought you were a suspect.”

  Linh blinked. They were in the base…

  How dense was this guy?

  “Sorry about your nose,” she replied instead, feeling only slightly guilty about it.

  “My nose?” Grimstep lifted his hand to his face, “Oh, I didn't notice. Excuse me, I must go to medical.”

  He turned and stepped through the wall. Vanishing.

  Linh stared.

  “What the fuck?” she asked.

  “That's Grim,” Kestrel explained, “He’s weird.”

  “I noticed,” Linh said. Then she froze, looking down at the cuffs on her wrists.

  “Please tell me you have a key for these.”

  “Right,” Kestrel said, turning to the team. They were all gathered in the big meeting room, a space filled with monitors and an actual round table. Linh sensed a sense of humour was responsible for that one.

  The whole team, including Doc, but without Beacon, were present, seated around the big table. Kestrel stood at one end, in front of a big touch screen like a university lecturer. Grim lurked in a corner, nose freshly plastered (Linh was terrified to look at Doc). Douche reclined lazily, while Sentinel and Skip sat upright with perfect posture. Skip had even brought notes.

  Linh herself was embarrassed to find her feet dangling off the floor, forcing her to sit forward in her seat in an attempt to preserve dignity. It helped that Kestrel had managed to find a spare set of keys to the cuffs Grim had slapped onto her, so Linh was back in Rabbit mode.

  “Let's begin,” Kestrel said, tapping the screen. Four mugshots were displayed, one of which Linh recognised as the guy she had fought.

  “All four suspects were successfully apprehended," Kestrel began.

  “All sustained minor injuries, with the exception of the one Rabbit and Dude confronted. He required minor hospitalisation.”

  “Good,” Douche said, “Prick deserved it.”

  Kestrel glared at him, “True as that is, our job is to bring them in as gently as possible.”

  Douche shrugged, “I was nice. I should have vapourised him.”

  Kestrel sighed, “It's fine, just make sure you reign it in a little.”

  “No promises,” Douche replied.

  “What about civilians?” Skip asked, and Kestrel tapped the screen.

  “Again, a few minor,” Kestrel said, “With two exceptions. One security guard is still in the hospital, but stable. He was injured during the initial robbery, before we arrived on scene.”

  “As for the other,” she continued, looking at Linh, “The woman in the car. She sustained a broken wrist and a mild concussion. She is otherwise healthy.”

  Linh nodded, she had been a little worried.

  “Which brings us to the property damage.”

  Linh paled. Her guy had crashed through a lot of buildings…

  “It was pretty bad, but within acceptable limits,” Kestrel said, “Most of it occurred during Rabbit’s pursuit.”

  Sentinel grunted, “This is why we don't let rookies take the lead.”

  Kestrel shook her head, “No, that one was my mistake. I should have anticipated that Rabbit would need to engage.”

  Kestrel shot an apologetic look at Linh, “I threw under the bus a little there, I’m sorry.”

  Linh shrugged, “He did most of the throwing actually. It's fine, we got him.”

  “True as that is,” Kestrel replied, “we have areas to improve, and things to learn.”

  They all nodded, even Douche.

  “First of all,” Kestrel said, “Thunderdude. We need to fix your mobility problem.”

  Douche snorted, “Hey, it's not my fault assholes don't know how to drive,” he said, defensively.

  Kestrel sighed, “No, it's not. But you're out heaviest hitter, we can't have you stuck in traffic every time we need backup. Sentinel can’t go full force in the city, Rabbit lacks high end punch and Skip and I… Well, we may as well not be there against threats like that meat head.”

  “So what do we do?” Skip asked, “I can't just spend all day ferrying Dude around.”

  Kestrel nodded, “I agree. Nor do we want to just restrict him to base and the transport. That is a terrible idea for all of us.”

  Linh shuddered. The idea of Douche always being around? That was a horror movie plot if she had ever heard one.

  “So, congratulations Douche,” Kestrel said, “Your request for a Hovercycle has been approved.”

  “Fuck yeah!” Douche yelled, punching the air, “Time for the Gash Blaster to hit the streets!”

  Kestrel shook her head, “I am afraid you have been expressly forbidden from naming it. It's one of the conditions.”

  “Fucking narcs…” Douche muttered, as the rest of the team sighed in relief.

  “Next, Doc would like me to inform you all to stop getting hurt. Especially in the face,” Kestrel said, and Doc nodded, with a glare towards Grimstep.

  “Learn to duck people,” Doc said, “Especially you Skip.”

  Skip blushed, “Yes ma'am,” he muttered.

  “Third,” Kestrel continued, “Rabbit, we need to get you some hands on experience. You did well, but you made some mistakes.”

  Linh blushed, but nodded, “Okay, what does that mean?”

  “It means you’re going on patrols, paired with some of us,” Kestrel said.

  “Okay, when?” Linh asked.

  “We start tonight,” Kestrel replied, “Grim wanted a hand with something.”

  Linh blanched. Her impression of Grimstep so far had been… concerning.

  “Don't worry,” Kestrel said, catching the look, “Grim’s a professional.”

  Linh looked at the man, who was not paying any attention at all, instead fiddling with a pen. One that she recognised.

  “Hey!” she said, and Grim’s eyes snapped up.

  “Oh, sorry,” he said, moving over to hand Linh back her pen. It had bunny ears on it. It was her favourite.

  “Finally,” Kestrel said, “We have the charity ball next month. Attendance is expected.”

  “Can we bring dates?” Douche asked.

  “Only if you're not paying them,” Kestrel responded, causing a few of them to snort.

  Douche muttered something that they all chose to ignore, and Kestrel moved on.

  “Unless anyone has anything to add, we’re done here.”

  No one did, so they all filed out of the room, Linh dreading the night ahead. But first, she had to call her Mum and explain that she wasn't going to be home until late. That was the real threat here.

  Linh was just hanging up the phone when a knock came at her door. She was in her dorm room at the HQ, retreating there for the privacy to make a call.

  “Come in,” she called, sitting up from where she lay on the bed. She made a mental note to decorate this place if she was going to be spending any time here in the future. Right now it was almost painfully sterile in decor.

  The door opened, and to her surprise Thunderdouche entered. Linh was immediately on edge, being stuck in her bedroom with Douche was not exactly a pleasant fate.

  “Hey Rabbit,” he said, with an awkward wave. Linh frowned, something seemed… off with him.

  “Hey Dude,” she said carefully, “What's up?”

  “I wanted to make sure you were okay after yesterday,” he replied. “Doc said you were, but, you know.”

  Linh stared. Was Douche… worried about her? That was almost sweet.

  “Yeah,” she replied, “I’m all good. Not even a bruise.”

  Douche nodded, “That's good. I uhh, sorry that I was so slow.”

  Linh shrugged, “Not your fault. Besides, you bailed my ass out.”

  Douche smirked, “It's a nice ass, be a shame to lose it.”

  Theeere it was. Linh gagged.

  “Thanks for checking in Dude,” she said, the moment thoroughly spoiled.

  “No worries Bunny,” he replied, “Gotta look out for the babes.”

  He then, thankfully, turned to leave.

  “It's a shame he’s such a sleaze” Linh thought. She could almost see why Kestrel had dated him. Almost. He was actually kind of nice, in the most disgusting way possible.

  That seemed to be pretty on brand for the team though. Now that she had finally met Grimstep, Linh was acquainted with all of them, and with the exception of Skip? Well they were all weirdos.

  Sentinel had a stick the size of a city bus up his ass, Douche was a sleaze, Grim was… something, and Kestrel swung wildly between hyperactive hugger and serious professional.

  Still, they were her team now, even Douche.

  “Right!” she said, standing, “It’s time for patrol!”

  Surely it couldn't go as badly as the rest of the day.