“We could die anytime,” Tristan said.

“Let’s just be mindful of the risks. These are some unpredictable, violent, and dangerous villains. Some of them are goofballs, but not all of them are,” I said. “We’re not at the top of our game, or I know I’m not, and…”

I trailed off.

“I’m not, I’ll admit that,” Tristan said. “I’m going stir-crazy.”

“I really want to though,” Kenzie said.

“On a scale of one to ten, how are you doing?” Sveta asked her.

“…Four? But I won’t be fighting. I just want to be there and help people and then see her after you’ve all kicked her ass.”

“Making us do the hard work,” Tristan said.

“Unless you’ve got a way to age me up by six years,” Kenzie said. “Yeah. That’s how it goes.”

“I’m just teasing,” he said.

“Not super great then,” Sveta said. “Seven for me?”

“Six,” Rain said. “I prefer to tough things out than complain, but… six. Maybe seven since I’m happy to have met a guy I can talk to about workshop stuff with.”

“Putting all of us between ‘poor’ and ‘good’, with an average that’s below par,” I said. “Yes?”

“Yeah,” Tristan said.

Kenzie tapped on the computer. It brought up the meeting room, the time differential replaced with a ‘live’ icon.

Golem was knocking on the door to the room in reality and in the video feed.

“Come in,” Miss Militia said. “Hi, Golem. Problem?”

He shook his head.

“Heya,” Dinah said. “It’s been a little while.”

“Hi,” he said. “Good to see you. Been too long, yeah. I’ve been listening in with Breakthrough. They’re considering going to Deathchester, should…?”

He stopped himself.

“Sorry, that was almost a question.”

“It was a question. It clarifies the numbers,” Dinah said.

“I don’t know if that means it improves them,” Miss Militia said.

“It does. Just… working on clearer terminology and understanding of my power. Yes.”

Miss Militia looked up at the camera. She seemed to think for a long second. “I wouldn’t object. Except they need to know the rules. Did they overhear the restrictions we put on the other team?”

“Yeah,” Golem was audible through the speakers. “I’ll go over them. Sorry to interrupt.”

Guess we’re doing this, then, I thought to myself. Hearing it improved the numbers was maybe more inevitable a thing than Contessa telling us it was so. We had to.

I looked at the others. They seemed to get it too. Kenzie was bouncing.

Fuck. I’d have to get my costume.

Tristan punched one fist into his palm.

Golem was out of the meeting room, and started toward us. When we all headed his way, he stopped, waiting for us to come to him.

“What are the restrictions? Minimal power use?” I asked.