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Yeah, that was definitely smart given she was in a professional suit and everything. I had to change as well and didn’t hesitate, racing to the trauma department’s locker room where I now had a designated locker.

Right as the National Guard showed up, all hell broke loose with more portals opening. Apparently, magics from all over South America had gathered at the site and were breaking international law to get as many people out of the area as they could.

“The ground is still unstable, and people assume the sinkhole will grow in size,” someone from ASH announced loudly, clearly understanding… Portuguese? I was fairly sure it was Portuguese.

I pulled out my phone and called Da. “You’ve heard of the sinkhole?”

“I just caught part of it now,” he muttered, sounding like he had a million other things going on.

“Magics helping from all around South America are bringing people here—injured anduninjuredto get them out of range to somewhere safe.” I nodded when Da swore under his breath. “Yeah, you see the problem with that.”

“The traumatized uninjured who are worried about their family are going to get in your way and that could cost lives,” he said, cursing again.

“Yes, and while understandable, we’re—a warlock opened a portal to a falling bus full of kids to save a field trip. Guy probably won’t make it. That’s the chaos here.”

“Okay, we hear you, Hugo. We’ll enact our phone chains and get help there to manage the uninjured.”

“Thanks, Da,” I said, sighing in relief.

“Your heart is always in the right place and that should be supported.” He hung up before he said more, probably having lots to say about the execution of my plans or intentions.

Which really wasn’t unfair given what he thought I was up to with announcing I would eventually take over the pack. I should probably be disappointed he hadn’t figured out my true intentions, but… No one was perfect.

And it was better for my own sanity to not delve deeper into too much. At least when I could let it go.

The disaster in front of me was one of the many things that kept me busy and distracted. There was never a shortage of people to help or work to do at a hospital after all.

9

Ellie

I was beyond furious that the magics helping in South America made the call all on their own to bring the uninjured to ASH. And then they had the balls to demand we feed and take care of them. We were a hospital, not a fucking motel.

And who the fuck were they to tell us what to do about shit? We didn’t answer to them. We were a separate fucking country—continent even if they broke up into countries. Most still referred to the United States as the United States even if we were technically the country of North America.

Old habits died hard. And that was the country when supes took over. Nothing was ever simple.

But this was citizens of another country, breaking international law without any kind of permission and facing huge problems later just ordering us around. A few smirked at me like they dared me to argue when they brought children through.

“So they want medical personnel from another country that they don’t know to drop everything and take care of scared children without their parents?” I asked the translator. “That’s their plan? Who will help the injured arriving who havepermissionto come to this hospital to get care? When thosepeople die—probably some parents of these children, they’ll handle it?”

The translator looked less than thrilled to have to say it all for me, but what did he want me to do? I couldn’t accept this situation. He sighed and looked at me after they spoke. “They ask if you preferred they left the children in a dangerous situation, and would you have taken responsibility later if they died?”

I lost patience and fisted the shirt of the warlock in the front of the group. “We are not responsible for your fucking country’s lack of emergency planning, asshole. You’re saying there wasn’tanywhere elsein all of South America to take them? Take them to your president! Take the uninjured to your own damn hospitals to get checked out and help.

“We’re trying to help save the dozens who have already arrived and you’re taking us away from doing that!” I gestured to the new group who arrived, our soldiers acting as medics and helping several heroically. “Medical personnel is needed to save them. Not babysit people and kids. Take them to a fucking daycare!”

The warlock got pissed that I was challenging him even if he didn’t know exactly what I was saying. He went to use magic against me so I let go since he couldn’t overpower me… But nothing happened. My magic automatically blocked it which was why I normally avoided powerful magics.

I simply smirked and let him go, nodding for the translator to do his thing. He didn’t even get the chance to, two aides of our president’s who I recognized arriving. I filled them in and was glad when they were furious and promised to handle it, update the president—everything.

Ha-joon came jogging over. “Sorry to interrupt, but my family’s pack activated the phone chain to get bodies here to handle the uninjured. They can get names and—Da takesemergency training and management seriously. I should have gotten permission first.”

“See, this is a plan that doesn’t involve keeping fucking doctors from treating patients,” I said to the warlock, annoyed when I saw he fully understood me. Asshole. He was wasting time using the translator for… Asshole.

I thanked them both and headed to handle what was next.

Which was too much. I was beyond relieved when it was the same military contacts who had helped us as the last catastrophe. They had been fantastic and didn’t fuck around.