Riley's gaze immediately fixed on Hawkins. "You know about my number!?" she asked, slightly slack-jawed.
The masked man shrugged. "Well, it was a guess," he said. "But apparently a lucky one. So...you do, in some sense, derive your power from a number?"
Riley nodded. "I am One. ...I don't know how I know that, I just knew that when we became me. When we were in Hedgeton, it was...there were two worlds, and part of ours was in part of the other one and the other way around. I couldn't separate them again, but I was able to unify them in the area around Hedgeton."
"Appropriate," Hawkins mused. "That explains the residual effects on the area's geography."
"And why people were still slipping back and forth between worlds for a while," Cecilia said. "I suppose that's probably still possible."
Riley nodded. "I dunno exactly how it all works, I was kind of figuring things out as I went. There were little bubbles that didn't want to join, and things were kinda loose around the edges. I don't know if it's ever gonna settle down completely."
Hawkins raised an eyebrow. "Do you think it still presents a danger, Riley?"
She thought among herselves for a moment, frowned, then shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "I didn't get to see much of the other world, but I heard some stories about it from my dad, from the reporters asking people afterwards. I dunno if there's anything dangerous there or not. But if you mean with the join...I don't think so. It felt like reality is pretty tough; it was harder to make the changes stick than it was to keep from breaking things."
Cecilia grinned. "That's good to hear. I'd hate to live in a poorly-constructed universe."
Hawkins nodded. "Riley," he said, "about the numbers...are you aware that there are other girls like yourself around?"
Riley's full attention was back on him, and she nodded eagerly. "Yes! There was a girl who helped my mom and dad, when my mom changed and there was that attack! I've wondered about her ever since this happened to me, but I don't know where to look..."
"We do," he said. "Her name's Jenny, and she lives in another part of town. We found her the day before the Hedgeton incident, actually. According to her, she's number Four. That suggests that there are at least a Three and a Two around, but we haven't located them yet."
"Interesting that there's two of them in the same city," Toby observed.
Cecilia nodded. "To be honest, this area has been seeing a high number of unusual events, even for the general circumstances after the sun's change. That's why we're here."
"Considering," Hawkins said, "I wouldn't be surprised if the others were here as well - we just need to find them. In the meantime, Riley, I think it's important that we get you together with Jenny; this 'Enemy' of yours appears to be picking up in its activity."
Riley frowned. "Our what?"
Hawkins raised an eyebrow. "The enemy of yours that's plotting some kind of assault on our reality. Didn't you get this information?"
She shook her head. "No, should I have?"
The masked man shrugged. "I'm not sure. Jenny has a little cat-girl that advises her on these things, she's the one we've gotten most of the details from."
The cute animal sidekick! Charlie recognized right away. The creature that inevitably provided a magical girl with her training and filled her in on how things worked in the show. I wonder why we don't have one?
Maybe it just hadn't shown up yet, Riley thought. Though it was odd that it wouldn't have shown up before their first real job. Maybe the first time they faced an enemy, had to do some actual fighting?
Or if it's all about knowing what goes on in these shows, Anna thought wryly, maybe it's Charlie. Riley smirked, then frowned. "I don't have one of those," she said, "not right now anyway. But if Four's knows what's going on, I guess I can ask her?"
Toby nodded. "If her parents will let Riley visit her, we can take her over any time."
Hawkins smiled. "I believe Jenny's in school right now, but I can give you the phone number for her guardian. And...you folks seem to have things pretty well in hand, but if you need anything, my department would be happy to offer support."
"We have a vested interest in the well-being of the universe, you know," Cecilia remarked, grinning.
"I don't think that'll be necessary," Toby said, rolling her sucker around in her mouth absent-mindedly. "But thank you."
Andy stood there, not quite knowing what to say or do. She'd never been all that great with small talk even before the sun changed and everybody was suddenly wildly different from everybody else. At least this alien-woman didn't seem offended by her unease...
"So," Alison said, after a moment, "you must be new here? I don't think I've seen you around before."
Andy nodded, ears bobbing. "I interviewed on Tuesday and got my offer Wednesday. I don't actually start until Monday, but I needed to come in anyway for paperwork, so I thought I'd try to refamiliarize myself with everything. I've...been out of practice for a few years."
"Ah," the xenomorph-woman said. "Well, congratulations."
Andy smiled. "Thanks. But, uh...if you don't mind my asking, how'd you go from TV to metalworking? They...you didn't get fired because of that one guy, did you?"
Alison shook her head. "Collins? Nah, he was too busy hassling the anchors to bother with anybody behind the camera, at least while he was still in charge. All concerned for 'the image of the station,' or so he said. But I figured he'd get around to us eventually, and it turned out that this pays better than being a gofer for the local network affiliate. I guess I must be saving us a bundle."
The rabbit-woman nodded as she got what she'd come for. "Guess so. It's...it's not uncomfortable or anything, is it?"
Alison shook her head. "Nope. A little weird being paid for a function of my body, but it doesn't hurt." She smiled. "I suppose I shouldn't keep you too long. Guess I'll see you around come Monday?"
Andy smiled back. "Yeah, see you around." She headed back over to where she'd been working. In a way, she felt a bit jealous - her change didn't come with any special abilities, or at least none with major practical applications that she could get paid for. On the other hand...well, there were ways this body could net her extra income, but she didn't want anything to do with them.
And she was glad she didn't have to worry about having a part of her body that produced industrial-grade acid, in any case. Maybe she wasn't all that jealous after all. Anyway, this body put her through more than enough strange and unnerving new experience as it was.
Her steps came slower now, her back was bent. Eighteen centuries passed by through some of the last remnants of magic in the world were coming back on Morgana with a vengeance. But she would persevere. She had to; she was needed. Here was the church; she had only to wait. The girl was coming; she had allowed herself a glimpse ahead to learn that. She would come, and time would draw her forward; then Morgana could let the light of the new sun through and open the way for herself. She felt, once again, a pang of fear at the uncertainty, at the prospect of leaving her old familiar shell; what would she become?
Morgana reflected with the wry, detached bitterness that only a very old woman knows that whatever shape her new body took, it would still be an improvement over what she was now.
