Midnighter has holed himself up in his bed in the interim, trying to decide between a cold shower and waiting eagerly by his phone. The phone wins, and he grabs it immediately off his bedside table, just as Marcus activates the SmartMark.

He laughs, the warm sound of a trash-compactor. "I could be freer," he murmurs, fond. "Bed rest is a pain in the ass. Dunno how you guys do it. How you been, babe?"