She was speeding up. All at once, she was at a rooftop ledge just above and in front of me—ready to leap down on top of me, despite the considerable distance to the ground. As I flew closer to a rooftop to lower my profile, she was there, within arm’s reach. I had a close-up view of her cute, smiling fox mask, bright costume with a crown and a chevron for the ‘hill’ worked into the lapel and sleeve, just above a Gold Morning remembrance armband. Her hair was tied into a lopsided ponytail, and her hands rested on the rooftop ducts just in front of her.

Her power let her pick a target. Her not-quite-teleports would position her advantageously to catch them off guard. They were not-quite teleports because she didn’t appear out of nowhere so much as she was just there, ready, when the time came.

She picked out a target and her teleports centered on them. What wasn’t on paper or available with a bit of research was the detail that she very clearly escalated. In speed, in proximity, in how there was an ever-improving edge that each location she or her power was picking seemed to offer.

Then, like a switch had been flicked, she broke away. The speed slowed and the target of focus changed to our companion. Something-kite.

I was willing to bet Foxtrot had a bit of a history as a cape, but not as a hero. The speed with which she’d assumed a place on her team and the intensity I felt as she closed in on me made me think she was more experienced than her record with the Kings suggested.

We were pulling ahead. I could hear the tires as the trucks Prancer’s hires were driving turned corners.

I pulled out my phone and plugged in the earbud to make a call to headquarters. It wasn’t Chris that replied.

“Heyy!” Kenzie answered.

“You’re supposed to be home and in bed.”

Kenzie audibly scoffed. “At eight o’clock at night? When stuff is happening? No. Don’t be silly. Listen, I’ve got the others in on conference, Swansong and… we really need that one last code name.”

“Don’t even ask,” Rain said. “The names I’m feeling are closest to right right now are terrible. For now, if you need to call me something, use Precipice.”

“Precipice,” Kenzie said. “Okay. A bit of a mouthful to shout in a big fight, but Antares and Victoria are both long words.”

I expected Chris to say something about codenames or whatever. I noticed the silence.

“Where’s Cryptid?” I asked.

“Gone,” she said. “He made the calls and then he left.”

“Okay. Can you give us eyes on things? Cameras? Specific locations on where these guys are, so we can close in?”

There was a pause. My phone started a video, then started chugging along, before seeming to stop.