Rain hopped down, straightened with a stretch, and then shook his head. “Yeah, no, that’s not better. Let’s get where it’s warm.”

“Let’s,” Erin said.

Byron, a little off to the side, was smiling, perfectly content in the twenty-three degree weather.

“Let’s go,” I said. “And let’s talk mission plan.”

“Is this a mission now?” Rain asked.

“Only if it keeps us organized. We’re splitting up, but I want to touch base, especially before any big purchases. That’s partially so we don’t lose track of each other. And also because I’m really, really curious what some of you are after. As far as split-up teams go, I’m with Sveta, because I owe her and we’re ridiculously overdue for this.”

“Yes,” Sveta said.

“I’m with the boys,” Erin said. “They wanted help because they’re hopeless.”

“And I’ve got the best two people to keep me company,” Kenzie said.

“Perfect,” I said. “We have practical reasons for this and those reasons include updating our costumes for the winter. You do that, we can dip into the team funds, consciences clear. Within reason.”

There were nods all around.

“Let’s stay out of trouble,” I said.

Polarize 10.2

“Here,” Kenzie said. She held out her hand, and I took the little gift.

I turned it over in my hands, as Kenzie skipped over to Sveta, to pass Sveta something similar. A hair-clip. Mine was sun-shaped. Sveta’s was a sea-shell spiral. The others were walking and talking, as we all headed into the mall.

“I thought since you guys are sort of recognizable, you might want to keep things subtle. Yours isn’t very fancy, but it should change up your look a bit, like we did for the others. Sveta, you should take one of these packs. I gave one to Rain, and I’m carrying one for the Ashleys.”

“A pack?”

“We’ll go to the bathroom so you can change serptish—surveillish—”

“Surreptitiously?” I asked.

“Yeah. I’ll give you something, or I’ll give it to Victoria, and you can stay close to Victoria.”

“Okay,” Sveta said, leaning on me.

“You aren’t overworking yourself?” I asked.

“Only a tiny bit. These are easy, it’s tech I already had. The issue was getting somewhere I could work on it in peace, now that I’m at the institution. I ended up going to the headquarters.”

“Alone?” Sveta asked.

“Yeah. Turns out I can do what Chris did, leave and nobody asks questions. Part of it is that they think I’m a good student and I’m obedient so it’s okay.”

“Yeah, that’s… not Chris,” I said.

“No, I know. He was creepy-scary when he wanted to be. I’m creepily good-nice. Same thing in the end. It just feels kind of lonely, you know? Bathroom’s this way.”

“I can see it being lonely, yeah,” I said.