“Yes. The Clans spread out across multiple cities, and would funnel anyone who got powers over to the Empire Eighty-Eight core group, back before Leviathan broke the group’s back. They were a background element in my childhood and cape career.”

“Ahh. Was that a factor in your wanting to join?”

A very carefully neutral question, that. I wondered if she was prodding me, not declaring a stance while feeling me out. I was still an unknown, in a way.

“Violent racists on the team? Definitely a factor, big point against. Question is, are they ex-violent, ex-racists? Gets muddier. Even then, I might draw the line there, and not join. If they were contrite? I could roll with that, I think. Barring one or two especially scummy individuals. Interview didn’t get far enough for me to raise the subject.”

Tempera nodded, not saying anything.

“I think… maybe I’m being unsubtle, saying it, but I think there’s a big difference between who those guys were and who Fume Hood is.”

“I think so too.”

“How is she?”

“She’s hurt by what happened. It’s hard, to put yourself out there, face your shortcomings, try to be better, and get shot for it.”

“Partial facing of shortcomings, from what she and I talked about,” I said.

“It’s why I said face, instead of ‘admit’,” Tempera said. “But I don’t want to quibble. Change of subject. You said your meeting went badly. Can I ask what happened?”

“Fallen,” I said.

“Did you get in another fight?”

“No,” I said. I sighed. “No. They did what they often do, they caused a disruption, and that’s a playing field that suits them well. I’d call it a draw, but I’m pretty sure they’re still out there recruiting and I’m not out there counteracting that.”

“There will always be bad guys. They will always be out there. There will always be murders, there will be theft, there will be drugs.”

I nodded.

“Question is,” Tempera said. “Where do you want to be, in relation to that, as it happens?”

“That is a deceptively tricky question,” I said.

“You definitely put yourself out there, backing us up when things went sideways at the community center.”

“I really appreciate that you see it that way,” I said.

“You put yourself in front of Lord of Loss. I don’t know how your power works, but it’s obvious you can bleed. There was some danger there.”

I acknowledged that with a small nod.

“And now you’re interviewing for teams? So soon after? It sounds like you want to be out there, helping.”

“I do. I’m zero for three, though.”

“You don’t want to be independent? Hold on a second. We’re nearly at the room, but let’s finish talking before we go in.”

We stopped midway down the hallway. A nurse’s station was a short distance away.