“You don't have to hide,” Toby Johnson said as he stood by his father's fresh grave. The headstone read simply Gavin Johnson with a date for his birth and another for his death. There was no mention of him being Doctor Nocturne.

“I didn't want to disturb you,” the Other said as he emerged from behind a nearby tree.

“Nonsense, we're family. Get over here.” The Other did as directed and took his place next to Toby.

“It's such a modest grave,” the Other said, “no different from any of the others here.”

“That's all dad wanted.”

“But lesser heroes have received monuments. Captain Crusader, for example. The man has become infamous, and he still received a monument.”

“You were around when Crusader died?”

'Yes, I had been aware for nearly a year at that time. I was still concealing my existence from father, but I believe he had suspicions by then.”

“I still can't get my head around that. The totem effect isn't supposed to be so powerful.”

“Powerful enough to will me into existence? I agree. There must be something else at work. Still, if any man could do it, it would be father.”

Toby nodded. He was still hurt that his father never told him about the Other. That pain was subordinate to his grief, but it was still there. As Doctor Nocturne, Gavin Johnson had kept his professional life separate from his family life, but why didn't that change when Toby became Silver Scarab? Why didn’t his father ever confide in him?

“You are troubled,” the Other said.

“Yeah, I guess so. Don't worry about it. It's nothing. I can deal with it.”

The Other shook his head. He may have smiled, but it was hard to tell. “So much like father.”

Toby was struck by the words. Maybe that was it. Maybe the way to understand his father lay in understanding himself. He laughed. “Okay, I can see that, I guess.”

- - - - -

“I can’t believe we’re dissolving the team,” Redstone said.

“What team?” Zephyr replied. “Junior Justice Patrol is not a real team.” Her voice was comically deep in imitation of all the Justice Patrol members who ever scolded them for thinking they were superheroes.

“We were real enough, but I guess that’s behind us now, what with Richie here moving on to the big time.”

Augur gave an embarrassed smile. “Aren’t we all moving up?”

Zephyr made a wet, derisive sound. “If you call the reserves moving up.”

“First reserves,” Augur said.

“Whatever,” Redstone said. “It’s not the same as being on the core team, you lucky son of a bitch.”

“Not to worry. I predict that the four of us will all be on the core team in no time.”

“Not me,” Zephyr said.

“So, you’ve decided then?”

“Yeah, Night Watch has always been good to me. I want to help them rebuild.”

Augur gave Zephyr a hug. “You call us if you need us, okay?”

“Right,” she said with a playful elbow to Augur's ribs. “You'll need my help before I need yours.”

Living Doll had sat quietly by herself all evening, never joining in on the conversation. Something was clearly bothering her, but she gave no clue what it was.

“Sis?” Redstone said. “You okay over there?”

“Yeah, I'm just... has anyone heard anything about Bryan?”

“Mexico last I heard,” Augur said. “Seems like he's gone to ground.”

“Is she still with him?” Redstone asked.

“Sand Devil was seen with him, yes.”

Redstone began to pace back and forth. He did that when he was angry. “I hate that woman. Taking advantage of a kid like that.”

“He's just a couple of years younger than us,” Augur said.

“Yeah, but he's never had a girlfriend or anything. That makes it all the easier for that woman to put ideas in his head. We have to find him and talk sense into him.”

“Maybe, someday, but not right now. Bryan is alive and well. We know that much. There's an entire world to help rebuild. We have a lot of work we have to do first.” Augur walked over to Living Doll. “You're not just worried about Bryan. What else is bothering you Connie?”

“You're not in my head are you?”

“Of course not. I know the rules. Hell, I made the rules.”

“Well,” Living Doll said, “I really don't know how to say what I need to say, so you can get in my head.”

“You're sure?”

“I'm sure.”

Augur allowed the mental shield that kept him out of people's minds to drop for a second and he concentrated on Living Doll. Then he jumped back with eyes wide. “What? You're really.... Are you... Hell no!”

Redstone looked back and forth between Augur and Living Doll. “What? What is it? What?”

“Tell them,” Living Doll said as she resigned herself to her fate with a sigh. “Please?”

“What? What is it?”

“She's not joining the reserves. She's going to work outside the system.”

“Solo?” Redstone said. “You can't go solo. You're good, but you need backup.”

“I'll have backup.”

“Who?”

Living Doll turned to Augur with a pleading look.

“Lynx,” he said.

Caught by surprise, Redstone leaped in the air and stayed there. “Lynx? “Are you kidding me? Lynx? He tried to eat you!”

“He wasn't really going to eat me.”

“He's one of the bad guys.”

“Not anymore. He really liked working for the good guys. He wants to make a change.”

“Leopards don't change their spots, Connie.”

“Do lynxes have spots?” Zephyr asked. “I don't think they have spots.”

“It's just an expression, damn it.” Redstone turned back to Living Doll. “Why him? Why the god damned Lynx?”

“We're kind of… dating.”

Redstone dropped to the ground and was barely able to stay on his feet.

“He's really cute in his human form,” Living Doll said.

- - - - -

“Look at how strong you are,” Sand Devil said. “It’s such a crime that they hid the truth from you for so long.”

Summit, formerly named Boulder Boy and originally named Bryan, strolled across the mesa top with his gritty, immortal lady love. He currently stood twelve feet tall, much smaller than his potential. They were followed by an army of mindless, stone beings that existed only because Summit willed it.

“I’m not so sure they were really hiding anything from me. I just think they didn’t know my potential.”

“So sweet you are,” she said as she amassed enough grit from the desert landscape to make her form tall enough to walk hand in hand with her young lover, “but naive. People fear what they don’t understand, and everything else they hate.”

“People don’t fear Star Sentinel.”

“They should. He’s hopelessly flawed. His ego is tremendous.”

Summit stopped and allowed his stone army to fall into piles of rubble. “I'm not sure about all this, Sandy. I'm thinking I should maybe go back to the team.”

“Oh, why would you say such a thing? You should stay with me, my pet.”

“I'd like to, but I've always wanted to be in Justice Patrol and I think I have a real good shot now.”

“Justice Patrol? Yawn. If you join Justice Patrol your life will become rigid and structured, and would mostly consist of monitor duty and photo opportunities. I offer you true adventure. Do you know what would happen if you stayed with me?”

“No, what?”

Sand Devil pulled herself close to Summit, gave him her best come hither look, and said, “Anything you desire.” She gave the young man his first passionate kiss and the army of stone men rose once again for their master.