In this moment, I could imagine Tristan feeling much like I was feeling right now.

“No.”

“Sveta, then?”

I thought of Sveta, of the images, and the broken-up dream where she’d fallen from the decorative rock in front of the mall to the empty parking space below.

“Smart, caring, sensitive, with a nurturing side and a sense of justice you wouldn’t expect someone with the rest of her personality to have. She knew valuable stuff about this base and the raid, she knows practical stuff about Cauldron and power interactions I haven’t run into. If you need an expert on weird power-physiology interactions like…”

I gestured vaguely toward the Nursery screen with my bandaged fingers.

“…she’s the one you want. She’s lived it. She studied it, to better care for the other Case Fifty-Threes.”

“Concerns? Weaknesses?”

“Some of those Case Fifty-Threes still hold a grudge. She’s new to her body, but you guys know that. She’s done pretty darn well, considering.”

“Precipice. Rain Frazier.”

“Tough. I’ve known capes who can take a hit. Ones with powers. Ones without. I’ve known capes who have drive to an extent that they won’t let themselves go down. With Precipice, no powers but he can take that hit, and he won’t topple, won’t fall. He fucked up, coming from a bad situation, doing something bad. He wants to make up for it enough he won’t stop or stop fighting for our side. He’s had experience dealing with and circumventing Mathers. If you’ve got a giant Mathers out there, talk to him. He doesn’t believe in himself enough.”

“Weaknesses?”

“He doesn’t believe in himself enough,” I repeated. Are you even listening?

“Lookout. Ms. K. Martin.”

“We don’t know enough. She gets us information. She cares. She wants to do right by society, she wants to be a heroine. She’s capable. I have the instinct you guys want to bench her, because she’s a kid and she’s been a bit off-rails. Don’t. Or if you do, bench all of us. If you bench just her then it’s going to destroy her a little. She needs the group, and that includes needing her new team. They’re good kids.”

“She stayed with you?”

“For a few nights.”

“Has she reached out in any way since you were told to avoid contact with one another?”

“Not that I’m aware.”

“What’s the worst-case scenario when it comes to her?”

“That an eleven-year-old girl has her heart broken yet again.”

“I think they meant powerwise.”

“I don’t know. Mental breakdown, leading to her forcing people to be close to her through blackmail and coercion. Violations of privacy.”

“How likely do you see that eventuality?”

“Not very. She’d have to feel like she has nobody. I don’t think she’s anywhere near that.”

Eric nodded. He didn’t type or record that I could see. Didn’t take notes on paper.

I didn’t miss the fact Kenzie had way more questions than any of the others. Suspicion about them wanting to bench her reaffirmed.