I thought of the people who’d been in the crowd when the pillar had been hit. I could picture it.

“Just that they’re hiring people?” I asked.

“From one of the more distant settlements. Police know and are taking precautions, hero teams have been notified, but it’s messy.”

“Messy how?” I asked.

“Jurisdictions. Our apple heroine is on a new team, announcing themselves in a new jurisdiction…”

“…It makes them look bad if they accept outside help or have other teams elbowing in on their big first day.”

“Something like that,” he said. “Apple girl is getting a lot of serious hate thrown her way online. If you can tell us anything about how she might react to this situation, or anything else, that’d help.”

“That I can do.”

He went on, “And if you could captain a squad of some new guys I’ve got from another school, let me know if they’re decent and trustworthy, and just do a bit of standing guard, giving advice and information to the officers at the scene, it would be a massive help.”

I gave Gilpatrick my best angry glare, hands on my hips.

“I won’t force you,” he said. “Superiors are pressuring me to handle this. If you say no then I’ll figure something else out.”

“You know I’m taking it easy with all this stuff. I told you on day one I wouldn’t be one of your patrolers. I’m only here to dispense some advice.”

“Yeah,” he said.

“I’m not frontline. I can’t be frontline.”

“You’re a natural leader,” he said.

I shook my head.

“I really didn’t want to use Jasper. He was joking about my speech, so I’m going to make him deliver it to the recruits,” he said.

I smiled, despite myself. That would be partially my fault, for reminding Jasper.

“Can you do the briefing, at least?” Gilpatrick asked.

“Yeah,” I said. I dropped my hands from my hips. “She really called herself Fume Hood?”

“Yeah,” Gilpatrick said. “I don’t take many of the names seriously. This doesn’t seem much worse.”

“It’s really terrible,” I said. “A heroine calling herself a hood? As in a gangster?”

“I think she has an actual hood as part of her costume.”

“I really hope so,” I said. I sighed and looked at my shelves. “Give me a second to review files? I’ll be right downstairs.”

“Just one second,” he said. “I’m going to have Jasper start with the recruits. Try to be done before I send them scurrying off.”

I checked the papers. Forum transcripts, some intercepted emails, some notes on Fume Hood.

I had a folder on my shelf. Notes from home. She was from Boston, among other places. Itinerant.