She was bothered, that much was clear. Now she was stepping away to dwell on the tinker stuff. That didn’t seem like the worst thing in the world.

On one wall, the one operating camera drone was showing a view of Cedar Point. Sunny, largely abandoned, and a little rough around the edges, covered in graffiti with broken things here and there from a riot or protest that hadn’t been cleaned up after.

The group was talking amongst themselves, about what needed to be done and arranged.

“Rain’s thing needs some attention,” Tristan said.

“We can talk some about that tonight, and talk more tomorrow. Offer for an escort stands, Rain.”

“Nah,” he said. “I don’t want to play that card yet.”

“Kenzie said she could do some of the surveillance from home, but we’ll probably want to meet here if we meet,” Tristan said. “Kenzie will be a regular. I can come once in a blue moon.”

“I’ll be here when I’m not there,” Ashley said. “If I’m holding off, then I’ll be here for the next bit.”

“Cool,” Kenzie said, turning. She’d added something to the board. ‘Name? Look-see / Looksee’.’

“I’ll be here too,” Chris said. He’d stood from his chair and was walking around Kenzie’s desk, peering at the tinker stuff. “Or around here. Sometimes I just sit around outside or find a place to read comics or watch stuff on my phone.”

I saw Kenzie nod to herself, glancing back over one shoulder at Chris.

‘Cool’, she’d said. I wasn’t sure it was. I hadn’t quite anticipated this, but with people being where they were, with the older members helping Rain, Ashley being available for surveillance, it meant Kenzie and Chris and Ashley would be spending more extended periods of time together.

Or, put another way, the ex-Slaughterhouse Nine member and the two ‘kids’ of the team.

“I’ll stop in regularly,” I said. “Keep an eye on things.”

“Yep,” Sveta said. “Rotate or something? With overlap, because you and I need to hang out.”

“Naturally,” I said, smiling. She’d picked up on the same concerns I had.

“A few of us here at any given time,” Tristan said.

There was a bit more conversation, hashing out particulars of schedule, as well as who was available on what days.

“I could stop in at Cedar Point. They know I was poking my head in before, but there’s no reason to let them think I’m gone and dealt with,” I said.

“You’ve got the hero itch,” Sveta said.

“It’s not the hero itch,” I said. “It’s that Tattletale told me to go away and it means something if I don’t.”

“It’s the—”

“Chris!” Kenzie raised her voice.

Chris froze. He was leaning close to her projector box. Stuff was piled on top.