“Having to keep all that neat and tidy would be a nightmare. I’d rather spend that time on my cameras. But she looks awesome.”

“Beside her is Flechette. Was Flechette. Foil, now that she’s gone over to the dark side,” Victoria said.

“Dark side?” Chris asked, from the other end of the room. He snorted.

“Get out of the damn corner and join the conversation, you goon,” Tristan said.

“The corner is comfortable. I can see everything.”

See everything.

Rain was aware of Mama Mathers, standing on the edge of the group, watching, paying mind to the others.

“Good boy,” Mama Mathers whispered in his ear. “We’ll be ready for them.”

He crossed his arms. Erin wasn’t around, but it was habit, and he worried his hands would shake if he wasn’t careful.

Knowing what he’d done to those people in the mall ate at him. The woman with her hair in the door hadn’t survived. Others had died in the crush. Some were children.

But Rain knew. He’d have to kill Mama.

He’d have to kill Snag. He’d have to kill Love Lost. He’d have to kill Cradle.

“I don’t want to go inside,” Bitch said, on the screen.

“You came all this way, and you don’t want to go in?” Tattletale asked.

“Across universes,” the girl with the very ironic demon mask commented.

“Across parallel worlds,” Tattletale clarified.

“I came all this way because you said I had to.”

“I said it would be a good idea,” Tattletale said.

“And I came.”

“It’s a good idea because we all need to be on the same page, and we need intel on all these people we’re going up against. I meant for you to come to the briefing.”

“Briefings are important,” Foil said. “Especially for something this big.”

“Tattletale can tell me before it happens,” Bitch said.

“Or you can come in, and you can listen. It’ll be good for people to know your face.”

“I don’t care about those people. It’s a nice night. I’ll sit with my dogs and stand guard.”

“She’s right,” the girl in the demon mask said. “I’ll come with you and hang out, if that’s cool.”

“No,” Tattletale said. “For you, it’s absolutely mandatory.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Life isn’t fair. Go. Inside. Rache, find a nice seat by the water. Everyone, again, I shouldn’t need to repeat myself, but your antics are making me worry, watch what you say. They’re listening, and they’re watching.”

“You sound paranoid,” Foil said.

“Deservedly so,” Tattletale said. “If you have to say anything about the job, say it indoors.”

“Or I can not talk,” Bitch said.

“Or that. Go. Shoo. You guys, indoors. Snuff, watch the cars.”

Rain watched as Tattletale herded everyone.

“Jesus,” Tristan said. “These are the guys who took over a city?”