Beside Countenance, Anelace was nodding. Anelace was a young guy, his costume the opposite of Countenance’s in how it was tighter-fitting, his mask bearing a dark gray dagger illustration on the right side of the white surface in the same exaggerated style the ‘4’ was drawn on the emblem on his chest. The knotted area where hilt, blade, and the two prongs of the guard all met was located where one of his eyes would be.

“You said you know how we operate?”

“Support work with the Megalopolis and police, patrols and events for the day to day. Several times a week you make calculated, strategic strikes on priority targets. It’s like what the Wardens are doing with the big, scary threats, but you’re more city-focused than whatever’s going on outside of Gimel. A lot of your members go on to work with them, which is why you have openings.”

“She does her research,” Anelace said.

“She does,” Countenance said. He said it in a way that suggested he was admitting it, almost reluctant.

My heart sank.

I looked over my shoulder. The two at the side of the room were Effervescent and Relay.

Effervescent was an emotion manipulator with an emphasis on stunning people. Relay was capable of some complex moves with teleportation I wasn’t sure I had a grasp on, most of which seemed to amount to them teleporting to where others were, shunting that person to a random position elsewhere, and he also had some ability to communicate without words, both sending and receiving.

“Can I ask?” I asked.

“Ask?” Countenance asked me.

I indicated the pair. “I get the impression they’re communicating something to you, and you sound like you’re winding up to tell me no. Both took some shifts at the portals, watching the refugees as they came in to make sure there was no trouble, which makes me think they’re thinkers, they read people, and they’re reading me.”

Countenance turned his head to fix the cyclopean, drawn eye on the pair.

“I can’t get a consistent read on you emotionally,” Effervescent said. “It’s repressed.”

“My long-time boyfriend was an emotion manipulator. He had a hard time getting a read on me too,” I said.

“I’m better than most when it comes to getting reads,” Effervescent said. “No offense, but it’s what isn’t as repressed that concerns me.”

“Enough you’d say no,” Countenance said.

Effervescent nodded.

“Relay?”

“My read was fine. Minimal secondary noise.”

“Sorry,” Countenance said. “For reading you without permission. It’d be a point in your favor that you caught on, but—”

“But you have to put stock in what the others say. No hard feelings,” I said. I made myself smile as I stood from my seat. Countenance stood too. He shook my hand. “I’ll see you around, I hope we can work together then.”

“I hope so too. Good luck,” Countenance said.