There were a lot more people here, with shoppers and people looking through windows, and even the occasional mascot calling out for attention. A lot of the posters she saw called people’s attention toward the reveal of new Heroes coming soon. That meant that there would be new merchandise hitting the shelves in a few weeks.

New merchandise meant new books and films and toys and cartoons for the kids. New Heroes tended to hog the spotlight for the month or two after Power Day, but they faded out for old favorites soon after.

Emily wasn’t any more versed in the marketing side of things than that.

Some searching found a little dollar store that she pulled Teddy into. Emily always felt weird entering that kind of place with a backpack on, like she was there to rob the place even though she’d never had that kind of intention before.

A quick dip into the children’s section at the back found an entire wall covered in Hero stuff, from knockoff gadgets and toys to generic costumes and—as she was hoping—masks.

The masks they had weren’t anything special, just overlarge plastic domino masks and full-faced ones made to look like some popular Heroes. She recognized Silver Fox’s visor, Melaton’s sharp red faceplate, Wi-Fire’s strange angular mask, and a few others besides.

“Look, a bear!” Teddy said. She was arm-deep in a rack filled with the more generic sort of mask.

“Can-can I see?” Emily asked.

Teddy nodded along and let go of her hand to better pull out the mask she’d found.

It was a big cartoonish bear face, done in browns and blacks with paint that had run a bit on the edges. Teddy pressed it to her face and looked up at Emily. “How do I look, Boss?”

“Intimidating,” Emily lied.

“Cool. We should get this one.”

She nodded along, then picked a few plain cloth domino masks, too. Then, because she was there, she went around and bought a few other things she kinda needed for the dorm. Mostly more utensils and some sealable containers that would inevitably find their way into the trash.

Emily didn’t want to arrive at the counter with nothing but masks; that would have been far too suspicious.

Once everything was paid for, they left the store and shoved everything into Emily’s backpack a few feet away from the entrance and off to the side where they wouldn’t be in the way of the passing crowds.

“Okay,” Emily said. “That’s all we need for that. Now, um . . .”

“Now what, Boss?” Teddy asked.

“Now, I suppose we go find Melanie and see what we can do about . . . that man.”

“You mean Homie?” Teddy asked.

Emily sighed and nodded. “I was trying not to say his name,” she said.