Brand was very aware of his own limitations. The odds of him noticing something useful while wandering around campus were slim to none.

Instead, he was the backup. The library was positioned close enough to the center of campus, and nobody would question a student-aged individual quietly sitting on his computer all afternoon. If something went extremely wrong (or extremely right) with one of the others' investigations, he'd be able to reach them fairly quickly. And if not, well, he was in the middle of a school library with free internet and hours on his hands. The perfect opportunity to get ahead on his own coursework.

And so the days passed. Teaching the teammates that showed up the basics of martial arts and surviving a fight in the morning. Finishing his homework, working ahead on assigned readings and projects, and trawling YouTube during the afternoon. Reconvening with the team for dinner. Volunteering at a local soup kitchen for an hour or two before sleep.

It was a pleasant enough way to spend the time. But the fire inside of him itched for more.