The problem with found family is simple.

You stop realizing how insane your life sounds.

For example:

Most people define friendship as coffee.

Maybe brunch.

Possibly emotional support.

Ra's friends?

Different standards.

If she called at three in the morning and said:

"I accidentally started an interplanetary incident."

Nobody would ask if she was okay.

They'd ask for coordinates.

That was the problem.

And the blessing.

Because the people around her weren't merely allies.

They were hers.

Tyler.

Erik.

The entire chaotic collection of warriors, geniuses, monsters, and legends she'd somehow accumulated.

Ride-or-die wasn't a phrase.

It was a lifestyle.

Which became painfully obvious after the attack.

One mission.

One mistake.

One enemy decided Ra was vulnerable.

Spoiler alert:

He was incorrect.

Extremely incorrect.

Because hurting Ra wasn't like hurting a person.

It was like kicking a hornet's nest filled with emotionally unstable protectors.

The response was immediate.

Brutal.

And honestly, a little touching.

Nothing says friendship quite like multiple dangerous men volunteering for revenge.

The attack failed.

The enemy learned lessons.

Several laws of physics were violated.

Everyone moved on.

Except Sovereign.

Because while everyone else celebrated victory...

He remained quiet.

Watching.

Thinking.

Planning.

And somehow that worried Ra more than the actual attack.

Because retaliation from emotional people is predictable.

Retaliation from strategic people?

That's where nightmares come from.

Next week: The enemy discovers why Sovereign should never be underestimated.