Mom, I'm Bulletproof

Chapter 20.10: Phenomenal

The next morning, the news reported an earthquake striking underneath northern London. The whole city had felt it, with the British Museum being the focal point of the quake. Newscasters theorized that recent incidents around the museum – the fire and the bizarre animal attack – were due to an undiscovered fault line under the building.

Amy snuggled in bed next to Sam in his tiny flat as they watched the news. The night before, the Ergosphere made his way back down into the Temple's giant underground chamber where he, History Girl, and Future Girl's friend Marci used the last remaining artificial sun to eliminate the last remains of the Temple's neural network.

As the artificial sun's heat and gravity destroyed the chamber, the city above shook with the damage. But this was London. It had endured so much, it could endure this.

Sam was all too happy to talk Amy's ear off in bed that morning, sharing all his knowledge and trivia about the city.

"This is something else," Amy said. "You're an American who loves London, and I'm supposed to be the all-American girl. How did we end up together?"

"You're Boston Irish. That doesn't represent all Americans."

"Hey now," she said, resting her head on his bare shoulder. "The Warrior-Shamans who gave me my powers are totally multicultural."

"If you want multicultural, go walking down any street in Soho."

She smiled and rolled over, so that her naked body was on top of his. The comforter and sheets slipped off of them as she did so, but she didn't mind.

"You say the silliest things," she said.

"So do you."

They kissed, wrapping their bare arms and legs around each other.

* * * *

Future Girl spent the night on one of the couches in the Accretion's main room. Her roommate Marci slept the other couch, making Future Girl feel like she was back in her Mirai Academy dorm room. The Ergosphere had a bedroom of his own inside the ship, and he stayed in there for hours at a time.

Proscenium spent the night exploring the shadowy backstage areas of various West End theaters, long after they had closed for the evening.

At noon the next day, the Accretion materialized out of nowhere in a burst of green fire right over Sam's building.

Amy wore her uniform, complete with bloodstains all over it from the fight the night before. The blood was not her own, but Sam's from she carried him when injured.

Sam once again donned his white scarf and black cape, again bemoaning the loss of the old-fashioned top hat.

Proscenium appeared out of a purple mist alongside them. His tarnished bronze armor looked dark brown in the sunlight.

"I'm not accustomed to being out in the day," he said. "It is... exhausting."

The Accretion hovered just over the roof. The ship's side door opened. Future Girl, Marci, and the Ergosphere stepped out to greet everyone.

"How are your eyes?" Amy asked the Ergosphere. "We've been worried about you."

He tapped the side of his round-rimmed sunglasses. "Never better."

"Are we ever going to learn about you?" Amy asked. "Where you come from, and who you really are?"

He shrugged. "You never know."

Amy looked around. "We're missing the newbie. Where's History Girl?" 

"Wandered off again," Future Girl said. "I don't think she's one to stick around."