“I said this was a waste of time ten minutes ago,” Shortcut said. “I think I’m right.”

“You are so right,” Disjoint said.

I bit my tongue.

“She’s dealing with an anti-parahuman group,” I said. “How does that make sense?”

“Pretty sketchy,” Sidepiece said. “I wasn’t about that. Stayed home, diddled my boyfriend.”

“Don’t say diddled,” Capricorn said. Tristan, this time.

“Sketchy and it doesn’t make sense,” I echoed her words.

“It’s sketchy. That’s all. It makes plenty of sense, even if I don’t agree with it. And no, I’m not sharing no details, so go fuck yourselves. I don’t love what Love does all the time, but I respect her enough to keep my gob shut or otherwise occupied while she’s doing the shit I disagree with.”

“Sounds like a compromise,” Swansong said. “I thought you didn’t believe in compromise, only conquering?”

“Fuck you! I also believe in fucking class, which is why I gave your skinny white derriere the benefit of a doubt. It’s why I’m behind Love all the way.”

“You’re white too,” Capricorn observed.

“And I have an ass.”

“Betrayal and undercover action is fair in the game, Sidepiece,” Swansong said. “But the guns aren’t supposed to be part of it. You know that.”

“The game’s done, Damsel. The game got fucked backwards when the world ended. And you, doing this? You’re fucking it worse.”

“How does that make sense?” I asked.

“Coming after us? Look at what’s happening everywhere! Fucking heroes banding together under the Wardens? You’ve got the four teams that nobody really cares about, some corporates, some mercs who are the only ones I could maybe respect. You assholes. And then the villains. Everyone under one banner, and the ones who aren’t signing up with Brattletale, Goddess, Teacher or the evil Mayor? What do you think happens to them? To us?”

Her toe moved, indicating Disjoint and herself. Shortcut’s weapon moved in reaction to the toe moving.

“Us,” I said.

“Fucking you! Fucking heroes! Leaving us no choice but to band together with the top tier organized crime. They’re the groups that know who to put where and how to stay out of your sight or keep their people out of the way. And the rest of us get picked off. You wanna fuck us? Then you perpetuate a survival of the unfucked!”

“I did miss you,” Swansong commented.

“Well fuck you, it’s your own fault you don’t get any of this for company.”

Sidepiece wiggled on the spot. Shortcut moved his polearm in a warning.

“I missed your brain and your wit. That belongs to Disjoint,” Swansong.

“This belongs to me.”

“I stand corrected.”

Spright cleared his throat. “Let’s get back on track.”