“No. But I want it,” I said. “Tell me… if this somehow wraps up, and people ask questions, it won’t be your people who are putting the screws to us or making us out to be the bad guys. Because I know that’s happened. The lines always got pushed and tested, villains and even heroes would default to what was easiest, taking a bad guy out permanently, and then when the situation was tidied up, the authorities would crack down hard on them. Because getting back to a state of normal meant removing all of the murderers.”

“I’ll do what I can, but I’m not the court and the courts aren’t me. I won’t put you there, I’ll even do what I can to discourage it, but if you find yourself there through no fault of mine…”

My expression twisted and I had to fight to get it back to normal. She did not make herself an easy person to like or even tolerate.

“Thank you, Citrine. Some people just arrived. I should look after things here.”

“Good luck.”

She was the one to hang up first.

I met Natalie’s eyes.

“Upstairs,” I said. “Before you say anything, before you make any firm judgments…”

“This would be better if I was objective about it,” she stated. “I shouldn’t get involved to the point that it colors my judgment.”

“If you don’t want to get involved, I understand. It’s an ugly scene.”

“I want to get involved. I don’t want to be overly involved,” Natalie said. “I’m worried that that’s what I’m being led to. I’m worried I started on that road when I helped Lookout. Not that I regret doing that, but—you’re shaking your head.”

I was.

“Why?” she asked.

“I get it. I really, really do. You can be proud of the course of action—and you should, you really should—but still not like where you end up because of it. That’s okay. I get it.”

“But?”

“But nothing. You earned your stripes. You get to… call in a favor, or have your turn holding up the ‘it’s complicated card’ and being unreasonable—”

“That’s not what I’m doing,” she said.

“I’m not saying…” I trailed off.

“You kind of are,” Precipice cut in.

I frowned. “If you don’t want to get involved, cool. I don’t fault you. I respect the shit out of you for backing Lookout up, going the extra mile many times. Dealing with Goddess and helping us there. I don’t hold it against you if you want to draw the line there.”

“I—”

“Can you just—sorry. I don’t want to say I respect you and then interrupt a second later, but can you let me finish?”

Natalie nodded.