'The Justice League of Chicago?' Will asked, smiling slightly.
'Dibs on Batman,' I said.
His smile turned into a real grin for a minute. Then sobered. 'You really think we can do it?'
I nodded firmly. 'We'll cover his beat.'
'That will be a neat trick, if you can do it,' Will said.
'If we can do it,' I corrected him. 'I'll need a deputy, Will. Someone I trust. You.'
He was quiet for a moment. Then he nodded. 'I'm in. But you're talking about some very, ah, disparate personalities. How long can you keep it up?'
My answer surprised even me. 'Until Dresden gets back.'
Will frowned. 'You really think that's possible?'
I shook my head. 'It doesn't seem to be. But… There's this voice inside me that keeps pointing out that we haven't seen a body. Until I have…'
The sun rose over the horizon, burning gently through the morning haze over the lake, and golden light washed over us, warm and strong. We turned to watch the prisoners, and as the light touched them, they began to shudder. Then they began to stir. The first to rise was Georgia.
Will sucked in a long, slow breath, his eyes shining.
'Until I have,' I said quietly, 'I can't believe he's dead.'
We walked back to the warehouse together, to see to the business of getting the prisoners safely home.
