"Good luck. If you need anything you know who to call. ...wait, do you, I don't know if you have my email—"

"I have your PHO account? And you still have one of my radios, but that's probably on its last legs by now, if it's not totally fried."

"I can give you my phone number, and my public email is attached to my PHO account yeah."

"Then that'll do. All will be well in the end, hopefully. Just doesn't look very likely right now..."

"It will," they reassure her. "I'll PM you my number when I get home."

"Don't expect to hear much from me for a while. Got stuff to salvage and fix. And- parents. So. Yeah."

...Awkward silence will ensue if Glam doesn't fill it.

Glam can always be counted on to fill awkward silences: "I'll let you get home, then. Good luck with your parents and salvaging."

"Yeah. Good luck with... Whatever you're going to do now."

The next day, Waltana Hampson is absent from Winslow High School. That afternoon, she posts on the Endbringer memorial board.

Viewport, the thinker-mover I worked with. Didn't even learn her name until after. NC.

She also posts a few pictures of utterly trashed gear and her half-smashed mask - strategically angled not to reveal anything about her workshop - on the Endbringer discussion thread. 

That much water hits like concrete. [pic][pic][pic]

The memorial post is strictly names, no comments, so the replies to it are only other names. The other board has more messages, though:

holy shit are you okay?

Oh hey it's Vertigo again, guess you're for real, huh?

I survived.

Guess so. I might be quiet for a while. All my most useful stuff is either a) smashed beyond repair, b) fried from overuse, c) water damaged, or d) all of the above.

Good luck.

hey guys good news my cousins alive!

hey, congratz, man, happy for you!

Grats! Sis still hasn't replied but she was in the outskirts, I'm sure shes fine.

That's great!

I handed out these high-power radios. They were pretty useful for coordinating. I got pointed to a bunch of different places to search-and-rescue by giving one to a thinker. I'm definitely going to be making more.

think you'll be able to make more for next time?

Not that many, not on junkyard scraps anyway.

Junkyard scraps?

(And she receives the 'verified cape' badge on the next refresh.)

Not to get off topic but it's not like I have any actual budget. So, junkyard.

maybe you should get with toybox

Guys, let's get back on topic?

Most conversation's dead anyway.

...Toybox. Well, it's probably an option. She'll have to throw in with someone eventually. The Protectorate still wants to lock her up for the accident, probably.

Just a little longer on my own? A few more months? A few more months after that? Will I keep pushing it back until I get in over my head and die?

She messages Magnet Master.

Hi. Thinking about trying to join up with you guys again. Think you can try to arrange for someone who's not Armsmaster to talk to me about it?

Magnet Master doesn't reply immediately.

...Time to go back home and back to being "grounded until you're 18", then. They'll relent inside a week, she predicts. She hopes.