Mayday kept giving us more and more wary looks, until he gave Defiant a handshake and left. A bit nervous—it hadn’t been my intention to bring Lookout uncomfortably close to him.

My intention was more along the lines of opening a dialogue with the closest thing we had to heroes at the top. The new Triumvirate were all either busy or they’d been taken when Mrs. Yamada had. There wasn’t any clear indication.

Defiant turned his attention to us.

“Victoria.”

“Defiant. Thank you for coordinating people.”

“Thank you for the information you sent us. We’re still sorting through it and verifying.”

The stuff from beyond the G–N portal. In drafting it, Capricorn, Sveta and I had included the details about the jail, as well as how they’d been acquired.

“Your mother and father are over there,” he said. “You’re not with them?”

I shook my head. “Not right now.”

“It’s complicated,” Dragon said, like she knew. When I gave her a curious look, she said, “Your parents are working for us, until the Wardens are established again. In costume she’s halfway with us, halfway with her old team. Whatever she prefers at the time.”

I felt uncomfortable that my mother had so casually, even easily slotted herself into this.

“Parents are complicated,” Lookout said.

“They really are, aren’t they?” Dragon asked. “We interact now and then with your sister, just to make sure you aren’t caught unawares.”

I winced. I tried to be diplomatic. “Makes sense. She’s strong.”

It was Defiant who mercifully changed the subject. “You did a good job with the portals, getting us to a place where we could save most. Valefor. Mama Mathers.”

“Our team’s collective efforts,” I said. “This is one member. Lookout.”

“I know Lookout,” he said.

“We’ve met?”

It was Dragon who replied, breaking away from a side conversation with Cinereal. As she approached, the head of her Dragon-craft moved slightly to follow.

“The internet slowdown?” Dragon asked.

“Oof. Embarrassing.”

“Confidential files on capes.”

“Yeah,” Lookout said. “Oops. I didn’t think it was a big deal.”

“If you got into the files, we might have had to take action.”

“Not going to do it again.”

“Glad to hear it,” Dragon said. “I’ve read your file—”

“Oooohh. Oh no.”

“—and I know where things stand. Did you need anything?”

“Nothing big. I know you’re busy.”

“The little things can matter a lot. I wouldn’t mind a brief distraction. What did you need?”

Lookout looked up at me, then over at Dragon. “Why’d you use Brim’s visor tech with my eye tech?”

“A very good question. If you promise to be good, and if your teammate is okay with it…”

“Sure,” I said. “We need her back in a few minutes, though.”