“Are you hiring yourself out?”

“No,” Foil said. “But there are a lot of capes out there who are worried about the winter. Most costumed stuff doesn’t pay. The guys you’re dealing with are hiring mercenaries. This Order of Four, the Case Fifty-Threes. If you’re really pressed for manpower, we can send you a list of people.”

“A mercenary we hire is someone the other guys can’t,” Lark said. “I can look into that.”

“We’ll send you the list, then. I can send copies to anyone else who asks. You can tell us if you know something about the potential hires that means they can solve a problem we have or if they’re going to be a problem.”

“I’ll talk things over with Countenance,” Relay said. “My gut feeling is that I’m worried you’re getting mired in something personal, while we’re sticking our necks out with something that thinkers can’t vet.”

“If you have any suggestions or alternatives—” I started.

“I’ll talk to Countenance,” Relay stated. Firm, final. He did with me what he’d done to Foil, angling his head so he looked up at me more than he looked at me. The brow and a partial view of his eyes dominated his expression, as a result. He took notes on the pad in front of him, as if he was leaning forward to write.

But he still studied me.

Nobody else was willing to commit, with the largest and most influential hero team in our group that wasn’t the Wardens being unwilling to do more without checking with the boss. The Wardens were too caught up in other things to dedicate themselves unless it was something on the scale of the prison or the Fallen camp, but I was reserving hope that Cinereal would talk to others about the time bubbles.

“We’ll touch base again soon?” Weld asked. “If you’re approaching the same problem from two directions, you’ll want to compare notes.”

I looked at Relay, who nodded.

“If we’re getting involved in the time bubble issue,” Relay said. “But we’ll meet soon regardless.”

“Capricorn Red will represent us for the next meeting,” I said.

That was it. For lack of a better word, the room dissolved, with everyone shuffling around, splitting up, or leaving the area.

Weld signaled for my attention.

“You good?” I asked Precipice.

He nodded.

“Foil?”

Foil glanced at Jeanne, who was walking toward her.

“You want backup?”

“No. I know what this is about. Old alliances and favors owed. Tattletale told me to expect her to show up and to expect this. I’m just the middleman.”

“I’ll stick around,” Precipice said.

I had to wonder if Foil was happy like this. Having to go out of her way to even collaborate with the heroes, and then being questioned when she did.