“I’m doing a lot better than I was. Funny thing, if you make the right contacts, meet the right people, you get healing, you get help. How’s that foot of yours?”

“Oh, it’s sore. A small battlefield injury. But in a matter of days, you’ll be dead after pissing yourself in a nightmare-filled sleep,” she told me. “And I’ll mend, waited on hand and foot, dressed in the finest clothes available.”

“Fucking city in ruins, not much available,” one of the Wardens said.

“I’ll manage. I’ve always managed.”

“And do what?” I asked her. “Your team? Deathchester? Are they sticking around?”

“They’ll come around. We did well enough while I led. They’ll come back.”

Four members of Deathchester had agreed to make contact. The rest had left, frustrated with Damsel’s ranting. I hadn’t asked that question without knowing the answer. A good rule of thumb for a lawyer, taught to me by a lawyer parent.

“Back!” she barked out the word. Her power lashed out, and she made a quick circle with her claws, shaping it as it rolled out. It became a circular whorl, spinning about twenty feet down the other end of the hallway before losing momentum and dissipating. The edges of it had raked floor, ceiling, and walls, damaging a door.

“But what comes next?” I asked. “After you rule the ruins? A bit of petty looting? Running from the heroes and authorities? All it takes is one bullet.”

“I’ve been shot before, I’ll live.”

“There’s an alternative. Tea. Chats.” The voice that spoke wasn’t mine.

“Fuck you, child. There’s a reason you’re so unloved.”

“Hanging out, using tech to work out the coolest costume stuff. Glowing, smoking eyes, I could do stuff with your claws, giving them cool effects…”

“I’ll keep my response succinct, have they taught you that word in school yet, brat?”

Damsel used her power. A lash. I pulled back, dragging one of the more heavily armored capes back and away. Kenzie remained in the line of fire.

The power licked her, grazed her.

She flickered, and remained where she was.

Kenzie continued, “There’d be no running, not much danger. Same deal I offered Swansong.”

Damsel used her power again, lunging forward. A beam from one of the capes clipped her, knocking her off course, but her forward momentum was a lot.

I sent the Fragile One forward. Low and close to the corner. Invisible. Beneath the Fragile One’s fingernails, I had my own blood. It should transmit the effect, but…

She blasted the projection of Kenzie, and everything near Kenzie.

It did nothing.

“Ashley, come on!” Kenzie said, sounding mildly put out at worst. “This is not a hard decision!”

Damsel raised a claw, poised like she was going to slash Kenzie.