Their best laid plans didn't come to pass, however. When she didn't show up as promised, they swallowed their pride and went looking for her.

Chelsea Dagger was unable to be found. Eventually a note was left on the windshield of the van under a wiper; it read that she had a great time, and she loved all of them and would never forget them, and she hoped that her possible Dad (Hannibal) wouldn't be too broken up that his little girl had to go make a life for herself instead of just following in his footsteps.

It was signed in flawless calligraphy and the press of lip-sticked lips at the bottom. The lip mark had made a perfect heart shape.

All four of them breathed a sigh of relief.

Later on, in odd increments, there are rumors of her. Hannibal still had contacts throughout the military who passed on information, Face always had his ear to the ground in the seedy underbelly of crime, Murdock got lots of news from crazy people, and B.A. had his old friends and neighbors from back home.

The rumors run the gamut of bizarre: one, that she appeared in Gotham City, assisting the vigilante known as Batman; two, that she had been found to have latent mutant abilities and joined up with Chuck Xavier's crew; three, that a mysterious blue police box had landed near her once and she took off with a tall, specky git who sounded like but was most definitely not British; and finally, that she took part in some wizardy war and help bring down someone called You-Know-Who.

That last one was reported by Murdock, who got it from another inmate, and therefore was deemed unreliable.

Whenever a rumor surfaced, the guys looked at each other and shuddered. They were happy she was gone, but none of them were heartless enough to wish her on anyone else. They also wished feverishly on every falling star, every four-leaf clover they found, every eyelash they lost, and all the birthday candles they blew out that she never, ever, ever return.

Amen.