Ashley said, “They have rooms to rent, but they cornered that market. They’re welcoming newcomers, but only capes, only ones who will help them out. The businesses are struggling or closed, and nobody outside of Cedar Point is moronic enough to buy in. Cancer at the roots, the tree will die.”

Houndstooth said, “I remember back on Bet, we had a system we used for the areas where the good guys couldn’t win, or where things were too bad to recover. It was mostly small towns. Evacuating, shutting off all power and water from the outside, closing down and blockading the roads, making living there as difficult as possible, perimeter blockades, regular raids, visits from big name capes. There was serious consideration given to giving Brockton Bay that H.O.S.V. designation.”

I had to assume his attention was on me as he said that last bit.

“They said no in the end,” I said.

“What’s your feeling on that?”

“I think I would have made peace with it if they’d said yes,” I said. “It wouldn’t be what it is now.”

“It’s a pretty mixed thing right now.”

“It is,” I said. “I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer. As it is, it has its positives, it’s meant a lot to some people that it recovered as much as it did, it was a huge part of us rebuilding after the end. But I’m not at peace with it either.”

“What happens to Cedar Point in the end, then?”

“We weaken their hold, we leave room for more established parties to settle in and act as a counterbalance, instead of things all going the wrong way. You mentioned Brockton Bay. We saw what happened when the scale tipped too far one way. Too many heroes out of the picture, myself included, not enough coming in.”

“If we uncover anything particularly bad, and we might have already found something bad, we’ll strike at them as we make our big play,” Ashley said.

Tristan and I looked at her.

She added, “With the help of other groups and forces.”

“We can be one of those other forces,” Houndstooth said. “Kings of the Hill aren’t big or strong, but we’ve got our territory and we’re helping to keep the peace. In exchange, we could use help when it comes to tackling some of the other problems. Ideally, it would be you three. Not…”

“Kenzie?” Tristan asked.

“I’d prefer to say kids,” Houndstooth said.

“You’re going to have to get around to talking about her,” Ashley said. “You can’t dodge the subject forever. I’ll get irritated and walk away if you try.”

He folded his arms, walking over a little. The hill had several trees on it, and his armor panels glinted here and there as dappled light touched it.

“You said this was hard,” I said.