“I don’t think that’s as big a difference as you’re pretending.”

“It’s the biggest difference,” Aroa said, with maximum condescension. “On and off. What’s the fun in kicking someone in the tits, pushing them down or setting them on fire if they’re cold and dead, or if you kill them and that’s the end of it with no potential for the future?”

“True,” Candy responded.

“I’ve got your back,” Chastity was telling Precipice. “Whatever happens, I’m going to protect you and protect those feelings, now. We’ll get you back to this girl you like.”

“I don’t know if anything’s going to happen there. It’s complicated.”

I rolled my eyes. Maybe he needed to get stuff off his chest, and for some reason was deciding on this venue.

“Unrequited or complicated sorts of love are still love and love is the most important thing,” Chastity said. “Without it there’s no point to anything.”

It was dawning on me just why Tattletale had looked so damn exhausted when I’d seen her, the last few times.

Above us, Foil whistled. Parian was making the spider form a bridge. Foil was halfway across that bridge. Very deliberately, she put the folded-up crossbow down on top of the spider. She pointed at it.

The crossbow disappeared as cloth wrapped around it. Attaching it to the spider.

Foil bowed, flourishing, before skipping up the spider-bridge to the next rooftop.

“She’s such a ham sometimes,” Parian said.

“Ham can be nice,” I said. I was glad to get away from the other discussion. “Ham can work.”

“I think she’s happy, hanging around with heroes again. Old teammates.”

“Good,” I said.

“We need to do this more often.”

“Why not always? What keeps you with the Undersiders?”

“Resources. I still have family who need medical attention,” Parian said, quieter.

“Ah. I remember. I’m sorry.”

“Sometimes you make deals with the devil because the alternative is not dealing at all,” Parian said.

“You’ve been with them for how many years, now?”

“Four and a half.”

“And you still refer to them as the devil, huh?” I asked.

Parian snorted or sniffed behind her mask—the material distorted the sound and I couldn’t see her face to know which it was.

“Don’t try to convert me,” she said. “Life’s too complicated as it is.”

“Okay. No conversion.”

We walked in silence for a minute. Chastity was still engaging with Precipice, but it seemed a bit safer than before now. More normal than I’d seen her act, now that she wasn’t aggressively teasing and flirting.

“I like your costume,” Parian said.

“High praise, considering who it’s coming from.”

“I’m nobody special. Who made it?” she asked.

“Me, teammates. Weld did the metal decorations.”