“I would like you to take me at my word,” Candy said. “Please.”

“These things are complicated, Lookout,” Aisha said. “There’s history… I think it would be good to let things be. This isn’t the time for distracting things.”

“They’re priority things for me,” Lookout said.

“Even so.”

“Maybe you didn’t understand, Candy,” Lookout said. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed. “I like you.”

“I understood.”

“You can feel it. You can feel my heart pounding.”

“I know.”

“And yours is. And my cameras… they see you, they can read emotional responses in heart rate, temperature, breathing. I know you’ve looked at my face and you liked what you saw and that’s great! It’s a happy thing!”

“Sorry,” Candy said. “No.”

“Yes!”

“Lookout,” Aisha said. “Listen, Candy has history, I know you saw some of it… let it be.”

“But…” Lookout said. She clenched both fists into balls, so tight her hands trembled.

“I don’t like… liking things too much,” Candy said, quiet. “I don’t like anyone liking me too much.”

Lookout’s head snapped up, staring at her friend. She took a step forward, and Candy took a step back.

Lookout looked like she’d been stabbed, with the way the hurt crossed her face, the smile faltering.

“Everyone has a reason,” Lookout said. “It’s always really good reasons, too.”

“Yeah,” Aisha said.

“Did you ever love someone and scare them away?” Lookout asked. “Because I keep doing that. They keep dying, or leaving me behind, or I scare them off.”

“My problem was always the opposite. It’s hard for me to get to the point of liking people. But I really love them once I do.”

“It’s so unfair,” Lookout said. “That I can do everything right, I can be a good student and a friend, and a teammate, and… I still end up alone. Always. They die. My best friend died, and there’s still a sorta-copy of her alive in this world and she hates me. And Tristan’s gone, and my team’s away, and I can’t contact them… what do I do?”

“I don’t know,” Aisha said. “One thing at a time.”

Lookout balled up her fists, again they shook violently. Candy clasped both hands to her heart, taking a step so Aisha was between the two of them.

“I could make you,” Lookout said.

Aisha looked back at Candy.

“How?” Candy asked.

“Blackmail you. Or your team. Everyone here.”

Aisha used her power. Lookout backed away two steps, reached under the pillow, and pulled out the gun. She didn’t look at Aisha, but she trained the gun on her.

“Reappear!” Lookout ordered her. “Or I blind Candy and you!”

Aisha stopped, rematerialized.

“Is that really how you want to do this?” Candy asked. “Forcing us. Hurting us?”

“I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do!” Lookout raised her voice.