“The idea has good parts to it,” Byron said. “It’s even cool to see people like Ashley and Kenzie talking about team names, getting excited about costumes. But that’s where they’re at, Rain. They’re still figuring it out. Victoria is focused on that right now, I think. A lot of talk of costumes and names.”

“We talked about that a fair bit,” Ashley said.

“The shitty part of the idea?” Byron asked. “The thing that worries me? It’s the idea that the worst things might bubble to the surface and get in the way of this being genuine or good. Chris is talking about Kenzie making components or alerts for traps that are going to potentially maim? No. That’s… really not right.”

“You’re talking about me?” Kenzie asked, smiling as she asked it.

“Maiming?” Sveta asked.

The pair were rejoining the group, after their heart-to heart.

“We’re talking about how far we’re willing to go to save Rain,” Byron said.

“Oh. That’s obvious. All the way,” Kenzie said.

“No,” Rain said. “Not if it compromises stuff. Byron’s right.”

“If you’re going to take serious measures, I think it should be separate from the team,” Byron said, quiet and serious. “Let them be heroes. Be a hero with them, with that other stuff being secondary. Keep it away from the hideout and headquarters.”

Rain nodded.

“It doesn’t mean these guys can’t help you,” Byron said. “It means that if you’re planning on matching your enemy in preparing to go to war, you can’t ask others unequivocally to come with you.”

Rain nodded again. He felt something bitter well up deep inside, and his expression twisted as he looked away.

“I missed stuff,” Kenzie said.

“I’ll tell you after,” Ashley said.

“Sorry Rain,” Byron said. “Take that as advice from someone in the diminishing population of people with reasonably clean hands. Advice from someone who had a very close up view of hands getting unclean.”

“I shouldn’t ruin them,” Rain said, looking at the group.

“Escalate if you have to, but don’t make it part of how the team operates,” Byron said. “Because yeah, that might ruin them.”

“You’re overestimating how intact we were when we started,” Chris said.

“I’m estimating that the team started from a place of healing and support,” Byron said. “If this is going to work out at all, and I really don’t think it is, sorry Tristan, it needs to hold on to that.”

“I like that,” Kenzie said.

“Thank you,” Byron said.

Ruined. Rain had a sick feeling in his gut. He looked back at Erin.

“I’ve spent nearly two years living with the Fallen,” Erin said. She smiled, but her heart wasn’t really behind it. “Don’t go thinking you ruined me, because they’ve got dibs.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better,” Rain said.