PETER WAS BACK in the apartment building, but something was different. The two children stood before him, though their faces were plain to see, unobstructed by his helmet's thermal vision. With a jolt, Peter realized he wasn't wearing his helmet or any of his armor. He looked down, gasping at his mangled arm in its old sling and the thin hospital shift tied at his back.

"Why?" The children spoke in unison, their voices calling up from a pit of despair Peter's mind could only ...