Mallory woke up to the sound of the apartment's intercom buzzing incessantly. Her first instinct was to roll over and pretend she was still asleep, but the persistent noise made it impossible to ignore.
"Who installed that thing again?" she mumbled groggily.
Altair's voice crackled through the intercom. "Rise and shine, Mallory! Team meeting in five! We've got big news!"
"Can't it wait until… I don't know… never?" Mallory groaned.
"Nope!" Altair replied cheerfully.
Sighing, she dragged herself out of bed and shuffled into the living room, still in her mismatched pajamas. The rest of the crew was already gathered, including their new guests, Vanessa, Marcus, and Jules.
Greg looked pale, even for him, while Zara was pacing back and forth with her bat in hand. Altair stood at the center of the room, grinning like a kid who'd just discovered a new toy.
"What's so urgent that it couldn't wait?" Mallory asked, flopping onto the couch.