Talon went back to base, changed into his black costume, and took the hovercyle out. He found a good view of the AMP building and located Peter's office with the binoculars. There were workmen in there, doing something in the ceiling, but Peter was still at his desk even though it was after five.
    He saw the man talk on the phone, do some sketches, go through files. The guy liked to work late. Talon decided this would be a good time to practice his ninja patience, and eventually as the guy refused to leave he called Rick.
    "Never mind routine matters," the kid told him. "We have a situation."
    "What?"
    "I noticed this when you were originally in Houston, and then I didn't have a chance to tell you about it, and then you were gone for a while, and then the last time I saw you everyone was so happy and stuff, I didn't want to bring it up."
    "Yeah?"
    "I did a little bit of checking after something turned up and got me worried. Stu can... bench press 950 pounds right now," he said seriously.
    "He's been working out." Now this was an interesting development.
    "Stan's a little stronger."
    "Just those two?"
    "Yeah."
    "Have they been working out?"
    "Uh, no," Rick informed him. "Originally Stan thought that with the gravity stuff we've been doing with the boards, that maybe it was just a gravity field effect. Not like he's a physicist or anything, but Stu hasn't been skating as much and he's... he also said that there are other things. His endurance has improved."
    "Anything else?"
    "Well, I didn't want to bring this up, 'cause I wasn't sure. You remember the day when we kicked the Alley Cats' ass, and there was the big fight, and I found Stu and Stan in the hospital, and Dawn was there with them?"
    "Yeah."
    "So I called the doctors and the doctors came up. Well during the time I was calling the doctors it kind of looked like... y'know, when I first got in... that Stan was dead, and Stu was dying. And then I turned my back and called the doctors, the doctors came up, and Stan and Stu were both slightly wounded. Maybe I was wrong, but y'know... Dawn was there."
    "Yeah...." The implications were clear.
    "I don't like... thinkin' this, but...."
    "I don't know if it's a bad thing," Talon judged. "It's definitely in the realm of Weird Shit."
    "That's why I'm talking to you."
    Peter was moving. "Okay, Rick? We definitely gotta talk about this more, but unfortunately something's come up."
    "You've got an ass to kick," Rick interpreted. "Okay, I'll talk to you later."
    "Tomorrow."
    He kept a close watch on the door near the parking garage. Saw Peter exit the building, walking with a spring in his step despite the late hour. He dropped some change in a panhandler's cup and walked down to the subway entrance.
    "Shit," Talon said aloud. They were downtown; he could get anywhere from that station. Paulson's address was outside the city; he might have left his car at the commuter lot at the end of the Green Line. Or maybe he was just heading out to pick up a movie, or get some dinner.
    He decided to leave it until morning. He could check out Peter's house then, when he knew the man would be at work.

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