A run back to the bathroom had her shoulders slumping as a whole heap of stress oozed off her back. The words above her head were gone. She could go on living a totally normal life. That was, if Teddy cooperated.

Emily would need to find something to do with the girl, but classes were coming up and the roiling discomfort of being late was twisting in her gut already.

“Okay. Okay. Teddy?”

“Hmm?” came the response from the not-yet-snoring girl on the bed.

“I’m going to class. You, ah, behave?”

“Hmm.”

As Emily collected her things and tried hard not to think too hard, she had the impression that she was walking along the edge of a sharp precipice. For a girl who knew that she had problems with sudden changes, all the things happening to her in one day were just too much.

But she couldn’t see a way out of her situation, not one that didn’t pose all sorts of risks.

So, determined to make the most of her day and to pretend that her life wasn’t now a nightmare, Emily picked up her backpack full of books and headed for the door.

The moment her hand touched the handle, a screen popped up before her.

You have . . . 2 pending Quests!

CHAPTER THREE

The Smallest Barbearian

The door clicked shut, and just like that, the Boss was gone.

Teddy settled into the pillow, enjoying its warmth and its smell. Something about it felt nice and warm and safe, like a cave away from a harsh storm.

She pulled her blankets closer, wrapping them over her shoulders and tucking in tight, forming as small a ball as she could make herself. It was a bit chillier in the room than she would have liked.

Teddy didn’t have many memories to rely on, just a few minutes spent with the Boss while the Boss flailed around and acted as if the world were ending. But those memories were nice ones. Especially the few little touches, and the hug she’d given to the older girl.

The Boss was warm.

Teddy liked that.

Her eyes, already heavy, started to droop down while the warm embrace of slumber crawled over her. She slid into the hazy world of deep hibernation, time moving along at a slow crawl only marked by the occasional thump of feet in the corridor or the rumble of passing trucks.

Something banged. A door, she guessed. It was enough to have her open one eye to peek around.

And then, much to her annoyance, something popped up in her vision.

New Quest!

Savage Ravage

Ravage an innocent!

Reward: +1 Skill Upgrade point per person incapacitated. +2 Skill Upgrade points per person killed. Villain +2 per success!

Accept? Refuse?

Teddy shifted in her bed. That sounded like a lot of work, and the Boss hadn’t told her to go out and eat anyone.

Quest refused!

New Quest!

A Muggy Afternoon

Mug a stranger.