"Dang. Wouldn't work in a Super Soaker then, no."

"I'm still not confident enough that the foam itself could be reverse engineered."

"Up to you."

"So I assume I'm a mover, but there are numbers too?"

"Yeah. You might rate Brute 1, too, for your basics, and I dunno how to factor in the twining or healing things because interdependent powers aren't so much a thing where I'm from but you could call it changer and possibly master in the sense that someone could construe you as deploying your sister if you did that. I'm not sure how to number you. I mean, I assume you're higher up than Dad because your power is strictly better than his unless you sometimes land in unsafe locations and can't correct, and your power has tactical value in a fight and sometimes it's all he can do to be strategic. But your special feature isn't your ability to teleport into people's faces and punch them, it's your complete ability to run away, probably even out of containment foam. You might not beat up a squad of PRT but unless they managed to knock you out or kill you it would be hard for them to say you as a threat had been 'addressed'... Basically you are a major security risk and very hard to put down for good but you can't actually do very much once you have arrived at a place. How that would shake out would probably wind up depending on your actual demonstrated inclination to punch people and teleport into secure locations. Like, you and a kitchen knife could slaughter a city block of civilians if you wanted, and that would get you an eight, but I'm guessing that is in no way your style."

"Not that I or anyone else I willingly associate with would consider that enough, but don't you think giving people higher ratings if they're more willing to be a threat might create a certain...incentive for some kinds of people?"

"Actual capes don't give a crap. I mean, usually, there might be oddballs. The ratings aren't secret, but it's mostly for the fan crowd to misinterpret and ooze over. Also, if someone wants to be a psychopath, it's to their advantage to hold back some of what they can or will do, or hide it, so the PRT will be less prepared."

"Fair enough. Of course, some people aren't sensible enough to keep aces in their sleeves when they could be grandstanding instead, but those people are usually all other things being equal less of a threat."

"Exactly. I mean, unless they're in a team with a smart person and/or a Thinker."

"Wouldn't a Thinker automatically be...no, you said precogs counted."

"And even the Thinkers with actual smartness-helping powers can be incredibly tunnel-visiony and stupid in other ways."

"There is a difference between intelligence and common sense even in more mundane geniuses."

"Is there ever."

"And of course the smarter you are the more destructive your lack of common sense can be."

"I mean, at a certain point people can sort of substitute intelligence for common sense, if it's conventional intelligence. Does not work for Thinker powers or Tinker ingenuity, too specialized. I'm glad I was smart before I triggered."

"Aha. Yes, that would be helpful."

"Sure. On my tab, please, Bar."

"Hey, pleasure's all mine," says Flicker.

"Well, hey, if we're ever in Milliways at the same time again and you need some kind of atmospheric alteration you know who to ask."

"I'll recommend you to my friends."

"Sweet." And the two of them depart.