“You show your work,” I said. “And you show it in a way that makes people believe you’re doing a good job. Bringing in bad guys, getting on the front page, that’s a big one, but you have to factor in the work of maintaining a relationship with the media, marketing, on top of the work you’re already doing. You can also get into fights the public is aware of, while not putting that public in danger, because putting people in danger means getting sued.”

“Which detracts from the finances,” Chris said.

“In a big way,” I said.

“Like prison rep,” Ashley said. “Having to show you’re not to be messed with, without making such a mess that you add to your sentence.”

“Yes,” I said. “Not an analogy I would have jumped to, but it’s a good one.”

“I wasn’t aware you went to prison,” Sveta said.

“I didn’t,” Ashley said, fixing Sveta with a level stare. “I watch TV and read books.”

I was going to reply to that, but Tristan was already talking. He said, “I’m not worried about the money side of things. P.R., rep, image, media, I had advice and lessons from masters in the field, when it came to that.”

“From what I remember of Reach, I believe you,” I said. “I do think that there’s a ton of difference between launching a new team and capitalizing on an established brand like Reach had, and between being the man in front of the cameras and the person in the background paying the bills.”

“I have to ask,” Ashley said. She waited for me to look at her before speaking. “What are your qualifications exactly? You were on a struggling team?”

“I don’t want to bully Victoria, please,” Sveta said.

I was feeling the numbers disadvantage, with many things I was saying having two people responding, a number of changes in direction, and the periodic challenging questions. Mrs. Yamada hadn’t spoken up recently.

“I’m a cape geek,” I said.

“We’re all cape geeks,” Tristan said. “It comes with the territory of being a cape.”

“Then I’m a cape geek of a tier higher,” I said. “Listen, my mom and dad were capes and they were talking shop around me since I was born. My aunt, uncle, cousins—my entire immediate and pretty much my whole extended family, they were all capes. I was giving interviews about what it was like to grow up with hero parents when I was ten.”

Tristan cut in, “Okay, but that doesn’t—”

“Hold on,” I said. “I was asked, I’m answering. I triggered at fourteen, I was patrolling within six months. I had three years of time as Glory Girl, one Endbringer fight, and—”

I paused.

Sveta squeezed my hand.

“—And one run-in with the Slaughterhouse Nine, followed by almost two years in the hospital.”