“It’s been a crazy few weeks,” he said.

She considered her options. She wasn’t well enough to fight.

She would have to be subtle, then. If she could draw him in, get close enough that she could blast him before he could draw a knife—

She threw the hook back in the direction of the kitchen. It wouldn’t matter anyway.

“I’m… honored,” she said.

“Are you?” he asked.

“You’re among the strongest, aren’t you? There aren’t a lot who are as active as you for as long as you.”

She wasn’t used to flattering. It felt off, coming out of her mouth, and from his smirk, she was left worrying that it was obvious to him.

“We have a high turnover,” he said.

“You’re royalty among parahumans.”

He chuckled. “My predecessor was called King, believe it or not. Don’t parents tell their children to behave and to clean by saying, ‘what if the Queen of England came to visit’? Our unannounced visit could be like that, couldn’t it?”

Our. He’d said ‘we’ earlier too.

Sure enough, there was another. Bonesaw ducked under Jack’s arm to enter her hallway and approach the living room.

Ashley remained very still as she watched Bonesaw. The girl walked over to the kitchen, passing Ashley.

She considered her options. To blast Bonesaw out of existence.

She would die, doing that, and she didn’t want to die.

Bonesaw stood on her tiptoes for a moment before seeing the box of eclairs amid the other food. She grabbed it, then collapsed into the armchair that had been pushed into the hole in the floor. Her feet were on the floor above her and her face almost pointed up to the ceiling.

“You should ask before taking, Bonesaw,” Jack said. “If all goes well, you want to have a good working relationship.”

“Can I, please?” Bonesaw asked.

“Yes,” Ashley said. “Go ahead. Leave me one.”

“Oh, of course.” Bonesaw had to work to get out of the chair and reach the counter. She set the eclair down.

Working relationship, Jack had said.

“Someone who puts this many holes in walls has to be angry,” Jack said. “Are you angry?”

Ashley shook her head. She was, but years had dulled it. She wasn’t about to admit to weakness, either way.

“It’s no way to live,” Jack said. He touched the edge of the hole in the wall that led into the bathroom.

“You said working relationship.”

“I did. Interested?”

“I’ve heard stories. If I said yes, then… it could be a monkey’s paw wish, couldn’t it?”

“Go on,” Jack said.

“You would say you want to work with me. I would say yes, and then Bonesaw could then turn me into a gun made of meat. A living tool, working with you every time you pull the trigger. Technically there is a working relationship.”

“A bit forced,” Jack said.