“I agree. It’s not the kind of thing we need these days. But I’m upset,” I said. “We just had to play a lot of our cards that I really would have rather kept up our sleeve. I’d love to know why.”

“Spright said he explained.”

“But he couldn’t tell us who gave you the okay.”

“We had messages. Cedar Point was asking for help, Civilians asked us. It’s not a shock. We’re prominent,” Mayday said.

“Can you forward those to us? Help us trace them?” I asked. “I think it’s more likely a mastermind in the background pulled this.”

“Believe it or not, we’re prominent,” Shortcut said. “It’s a hell of a lot more likely people thought they needed help and called us than this conspiracy idea of yours.”

“Did you talk to Foresight?” I asked, ignoring Shortcut.

“We did,” Mayday said. “The leadership is wrapped up in a war—”

“Thought so,” Sveta said, voice soft.

“—and we communicated with one of their lieutenants.”

“Communicated how?” I asked.

“Oh my god,” Shortcut said, his head rolling back.

“Email,” Mayday said. “One phone call.”

“Can you verify those exchanges for us?” I asked. “I know someone who saw two attempts to hack their email.”

“Some people in the Wardens had the same,” Mayday said. “Legal.”

“Same people,” I said. “It’s not out of the question someone managed to spoof something at you, threw out bait.”

“That we bit?” Spright asked.

I shrugged.

“We’ll look into it and let you know,” Mayday said. “We’ll figure this out.”

Looksee wiggled, sitting on the curb. “I’m psyched to be working together again.”

“We’re not working together, Optics,” Mayday said.

“Looksee,” she replied, quiet.

“Looksee,” he said. He paused, then said. “No.”

“You need to explain this to me,” Flapper said. “Because as far as I can tell, you’re being uncharacteristically shitty to a kid, and you’re good with kids.”

“He’s not being shitty,” Looksee said. “He’s nice. No need to get into it.”

“I think there’s kind of a need to get into it,” Flapper said. “Please. This is going to bother me.”

“This is the kid,” Spright said. “Cost him his promotion.”

“Not directly,” Mayday said. “Flapper, if you’d just take my word for things and leave this, I’d appreciate it.”

“I would if it was the only thing that went sideways today,” she said. “I’ve seen teammates compromised, acting strange. Some were because of drugs, others were strangered. Two things in the same day? Just… explain?”

Mayday folded his arms. “She went from institutions to being a PRT focus in Baltimore. Not a concern, not an asset… something between. She went from there to training camps, moving her around so she couldn’t get too attached to anyone. San Diego included. Signal Fire?”