Lim glanced off to the side, adding, “I really should go now. I’m going to assume that explaining what’s going on with Ray’s corpse and the Xiniti is one of those things that would cause more problems if you explain it than if you don’t. Tell me if that changes.”

“Sure,” I said, intending to say nothing forever unless Ray reappeared on Earth.

Lim stared into the camera for a moment, giving the impression that he was studying me even though I knew he was just getting a still of the Rocket suit in his video feed.

Despite that, I felt a little guilty about not telling him much. It was probably a parental tactic—that or something he’d gained after years of handling supers for the feds.

“Okay,” he said. “Please don’t let it become a problem. The Xiniti aren’t going to make a clone army using his DNA, right?”

“No,” I said and checked my implant. It did not have a specific record of Ray, but the Xiniti avoided creating clone armies as a matter of policy. According to my implant, exceptions to that rule existed, but not on a wide enough scale to be called an army.

Though it would be the most honest response, I decided not to inform Lim that the Xiniti wouldn’t ever use Ray to create a clone army, but might create a clone unit if it were the only way to meet important mission objectives.

“Good,” Lim said. “One of him was bad enough. Okay, unless you’ve got something you need to tell me, I’m signing off.”

“I’ve got plenty,” I said, “but none of it’s urgent and it would take a long time.”

“I don’t doubt it,” he said, shaking his head, “and knowing what superheroes face, I’m going to bet that it will make me more nervous about the future instead of less. Anyway, I’m out.”

We said goodbye, and closed the connection, leaving me to pay attention to the world around me.

“What did Lim want?” Haley asked on the team implant channel.

“Mostly to let me know that the Xiniti took Ray to space—which is good. It means that I managed to fulfill my promise, but also that he’s off Earth, hopefully forever. And,” I added, “he also wanted to know what was going on and how much we were involved in the attacks on the Nine that apparently went on all over the world.”

Haley sighed, “I think you did the right thing, but it’s sad that Ray gets another chance and Travis doesn’t.”

I sunk a little inside myself. “I tried. I looked into a bunch of ways to bring back Travis. I even enlisted the machine to see if I’d missed any options. I couldn’t find any. Well, I found one. I could have done it if I stayed on the GCD, disappeared from this timeline, and let another version of myself replace me.”

Her eyes narrowed, “You didn’t, did you?”

“No,” I said. 

Then she turned to Daniel, asking, “He didn’t, right?”

Meanwhile Amy said, “You can’t do that kind of thing. I’ve felt guilty about you almost killing yourself to save me for years.”

A few of the symbols on Amy’s spear glowed with an inner red light.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I underestimated how hungry that thing is.”

Daniel shook his head, telling Haley, “He decided not to. He kept on looking to see if maybe there was another option, though.”

“Good,” Haley said, grabbing my arm. “You’re not replaceable. Neither was Travis, but swapping yourself for him, even if I never know, isn’t an option, okay?”

“I know,” I said, deciding not to mention that technically, if the universe would simply slip another Nick into my spot, I absolutely was. Saying so wouldn’t calm the situation down though, so I didn’t. 

I have learned at least a little about how to handle people.

Jaclyn reached out to pet Tiger, who’d cocked his head to look at me. “I missed even knowing that was an option on the table,” she said.

“I’d frozen time when I was looking into it, so I didn’t discuss it with the group. Anyway, I didn’t like that option.”

“You’d frozen time like Kee froze time?” She turned away from the dog to look at me. “That’s impressive. Seriously.”

I shrugged, “I did it with a device she designed, so maybe not as impressive.”

Jaclyn laughed, “Maybe, but I can’t do that even with the device. Either way, we need to get back up to the surface. The way we came down is filled with rubble now. Even if it wasn’t, I don’t think we should assume the weapons don’t work.”

Izzy stepped through the doorway into the control center, as tall and as powerful as ever, “We can get out. There’s another stairway up.”

“It’s Rook’s,” Amy said. “I asked Blue to check it out after we got everything under control here.”

“Good,” Jaclyn said, peering past Izzy toward the chaos killing Rook and his minions had left. “Let’s go home.”