"Wantin' to fight-" if you didn't have to, "'s a good way to end up dead." Or with a nasty fucking scar that fucked up your face, making it impossible to hide who and what you were, among other things.

Mildmay knew from smart people, though. Hard not to, with Felix being smarter than just about anybody in the Mirador and maybe the Institute too. And dark, fuck. He knew about that too. Vax, Mildmay decided, was easier to understand, and maybe Kashaw too.