“Do we try this?” Capricorn asked.

“We might have to. I don’t like leaving her alone like this.”

“Okay.”

Capricorn put a hand up. Disjoint was watching us, and nudged Beast of Burden.

Their group went quiet.

I was well aware that Love Lost was a danger to Rain. I was aware of how dangerous these guys were in general. Beast of Burden had killed two members of the Fallen’s inner circle, it sounded like. They’d been people Valefor was close to.

We approached, slow and steady.

“Can we try this a second time?” Tristan asked. “Truce? We deal with this whole situation. There are hostages we need to rescue and we can’t afford to fight.”

“I like the idea,” Disjoint said.

“Backup would be awful nice,” Sidepiece said. She had a really annoying voice. I’d noticed it earlier. A bit of the teenage vocal fry, trying a bit to sound cute, but she wasn’t a teenager and I didn’t think she was cute.

“Not your call,” Beast of Burden said.

“Is it supposed to be yours?” Damsel asked.

“You can be quiet,” Beast of Burden said. “I’ve heard too much from you today. Earn your stripes first, then talk.”

“Hey, Damsel of Distress,” I said.

She turned to me.

“You good? Any lingering compulsions?”

“No. I don’t have much goodness to go around, but I don’t have any compulsion either. I don’t have friends.”

“You gave me a look,” Sidepiece said. She had hair over one side of her face, but she didn’t take very good care of it, and a mask in the same cut as the phantom of the opera one, albeit cruder, covered part of her face. Black makeup filled her lower eye socket and distorted the impression of her eyeshape. “A very flattering murderous look.”

“I thought about it,” Damsel said, imperious and proud, chin rising a bit. “I don’t know if you qualify as a friend, when I barely know you, but I don’t mind your company, Sidepiece, and I can respect a lady with the discipline to have a… twelve inch waist?”

She smiled a bit. Her arm sparked, her power ripping between the wound at her forearm and her fingertips, and she stumbled into Disjoint. Frowning, she backed away until she was a short distance from everyone else.

“Sixteen inches, last I checked, but thank you. You’re a dear,” Sidepiece said, ignoring the power misfire and maintaining her intentionally frayed voice as she feigned higher class.

“Will you help us?” I asked.

“No,” Beast of Burden said.

Nailbiter and Damsel exchanged a look. Nailbiter looked over at Sidepiece.

“Yes,” Nailbiter said, voice whistling slightly.

Beast of Burden wheeled on her, finger pointing. “Not your choice.”

“Democratically?” Sidepiece asked. “I think most of us want the help, Bob.”