"I'm not doomed," says Sue. "You can be doomed if you want."

"You know," she says, "I'm not sure where I want to be in seven years. I guess the IF count on that, so they can just be the most convenient thing to do after we get out of our secondary schools and we're allowed to go if we want to."

"The yous think you're probably gonna take over the world," offers Sue.

"That sounds messy. I could run for Hegemon, but it's an empty title, and even a harmless kind of mutant like me would have a public relations nightmare anyway. And the military record doesn't help much unless I actually engage and splat some buggers first."

"You could stick to your game people, then," he says, grinning. "Until you graduate and can't play the game anymore."

"I'm going to ask for my save file and see if I can set up my own server of it or something," Aegis says. "I don't want to lose all my work, that would be really sad. Unless I grow up and decide everything I've been doing is stupid kiddy stuff, I guess, but I don't think so."

"Could you even run that thing? It must take a shit-ton of computer."

"We're accumulating pay here and we'll be able to use it when we're sixteen. I guess it'd depend on how expensive it was, though. I'd still ask for the save file. Storage is cheap and then if I ever come into more money I could see about starting it up again."

"Maybe my mom'll pay for that, too," he jokes.

Aegis giggles. "Do you even write to her? Half the kids I know don't bother to write to their parents anymore. I still write to mine - and I get lots of letters, especially from Renée - but I could see the appeal of quitting."

"No, why would I?"

"So you could go on having grounded expectations like that she might buy presents for your school friend? I don't think I'd expect that from anyone I hadn't talked to in years."

"No way she wouldn't throw some spare change at me if it made her look good. Especially to herself."

Aegis blinks. "Uh, okay then."

He cocks his head. "What?"

"I dunno, that's an awfully confident character condemnation for someone you last talked to five years ago?"

Sue shrugs. "It's true."

"How do you know she isn't different now or only acts like that around small children or something, though?"

"Just do," he says.

"You weren't even manifested then, you can't say you read her mind or anything."

"Wonder if I could push her right now," he muses. "See how she's doing."

"Have you tested your range?" asks Aegis curiously.

"Not really." He grins. "Should I?"

"I can't believe you didn't! You've had the powers for years! Yeah, try to push somebody on Earth," laughs Aegis.