“Okay?” Teddy said. She wasn’t too sure about that school thing. She was very not sure, but it sounded like it was a ways off.

Emily started pacing again. Teddy had thought she was done with that. “And tomorrow, we’re going to go see that Stranger person, and we’ll show them that we’re not a-afraid.”

Were they going to go see another Villain? That could be dangerous. Villains could be territorial. “Well, okay,” Teddy said. “I’ll be there to keep you safe either way.”

The pacing stopped again. This time, Emily balled her fists around the front of her pajama pants. “Thank you,” she said. “Um. I don’t . . . just— Thank you.”

“Sure thing, Boss,” Teddy said. “Now come on, you’re keeping me awake.” She raised the blankets again.

Emily’s face scrunched up bizarrely. “I could get another blanket. I . . . ah, actually, I don’t know if I have another.”

Teddy wiggled her arm.

“I’m not, um, comfortable sleeping in the same bed as someone else,” Emily said.

Teddy tilted her head so that one of her ears poked out of the blankets. “That’s weird, but okay.” The things she would do for her Boss. Teddy really was the best henchbear. With a grunt of effort, she slid off the side of the bed, blankets and all, and rolled herself up into a bear burrito.

A bearito.

“Now you can sleep on the bed,” she said.

“Um. Are you comfortable on the floor?” Emily asked.

“Yeah, sure,” Teddy said.

“Oh, well, thank you. I guess . . . we’ll buy a mattress tomorrow. And more blankets.”

“Yeah, okay,” Teddy agreed. She snaked a hand up onto the bed, tapped around, and found her book. She set it next to her in case she wanted to read on waking up the next day’s afternoon. “Turn off the lights, Boss.”

The Boss searched through some of her boxes until she found a small blanket. Soon, the lights were off and the Boss was crawling onto her bed. “Good night, Teddy.”

“G’night, Boss,” Teddy said. At last, sleep.

“Why do you call me Boss?”

Teddy opened her eyes again. The room wasn’t entirely dark, not with the occasional shifting light from the cars outside. “’Cause you’re the Boss,” she said.

“I don’t feel like a Boss,” Emily said.

“That’s okay,” Teddy said. “I’m sure you’ll grow into a big strong Boss in time. Just got to eat lots and sleep lots and, uh . . .” Teddy knew there was more to being a good Boss. “And you need to put the needs of the proletariat before your own.”

That sounded good.

“R-right. I . . . I know I’m not cut out to be a Mask, so I hope you’re not sad that I’m your summoner.”

“Why would I be sad?” Teddy asked. She got a warm place to sleep, some nice blankets, and honey-glazed doughnuts.