“Yeah. Dug myself into a hole and kept digging down, and the power situation didn’t help. I’ve always been good at what I do. Sometimes it takes time to learn, but if I have the chance to practice, I’ll practice like hell, and I’ll be kicking ass in no time. It’s why I’m grinding my teeth over the driving. Nobody’s around to teach me and I don’t have a car I can use to practice. I’m really worried I’m going to break Kenzie’s parents van, here.”

“It’s okay,” Kenzie said. “It’s not a big deal. The van was kind of a present to me, to help move my tinker stuff around. I really appreciate you taking us.”

“It’s your family’s van,” Tristan said. “You’re the one that’s being a big help.”

“What about your parents? They can’t help with the driving?” Kenzie asked.

“It goes back to what happened with Reach. I tried to do it all and when I couldn’t do it anymore I let something slip, I became a villain and didn’t even realize it. I got arrested, I lost most of my friends from back then, my team, my academic record, and I lost my family. My dad doesn’t want to do dad things with me. My mom is really careful around me, like it’s all forced. They don’t call me, it’s always me calling them.”

“You go to church with them,” Sveta said.

“It’s bittersweet,” Tristan said. “They’re almost normal when we’re at the church, but I think it’s because they think I need redemption.”

“Rain and Ashley are looking for their redemption by turning themselves in,” I said. “Would you do the same thing, or am I missing something?”

“Rain is,” Tristan said. “You’re right on that one. Ashley?”

He made a creaky sound, moving his hand.

“Not redemption?” I asked.

“I don’t think that’s so on the nose for her. I could be…”

Traffic was moving, and Tristan was going a decent speed, and this time, as something moved across the road, it was real, and not a phantom shadow. Tristan hit the brakes, and I could immediately tell it wasn’t going to be enough.

I flew, rising up in my seat, and activated my defenses for a moment, pushing back against my seat. I could hear the metal where it attached to the rest of the car protesting, and the entire van lurched. A sharp sound to my right marked the Wretch whacking at the door.

We stopped with a few inches to spare. A group of people were running across the road. Many had masks on, of the mundane sort.

“Thanks, Vic,” Tristan said. “Good move.”

I checked the coast was clear, opened my car door, and flew out, closing it below me before giving chase.