The air outside the embassy felt strangely still. Alex blinked, looking at the building, then at the small, mismatched group beside him.
"Alright, I get why I'm following you," Alex said, keeping his voice low. "Sort of. But why drag my kid and her buddy into this? Couldn't we have just… talked first?"
Adam glanced at him, then at Annabeth and David, who were staring wide-eyed at their new surroundings. "Think ahead, Alex. You and me, we're checking out soon. Off this rock. Maybe way off. Someone's got to keep the lights on down here, make sure everything doesn't fall apart. That's them."
"Babysitting the planet?" Alex muttered, running a hand through his hair.
"More like… management. Making sure Michael does a better job than the last guy. And every good leader," Adam said, nodding towards Annabeth, "needs someone to tell them when they're being an idiot. A conscience. That's Fatimah."
