“Then tell them, Lookout,” I said. “Let’s not have them commit to a fight they can’t win.”

“I’ll tell them.”

“Get your people,” Goddess said. “Lookout and the unpowered girl stay with me. The rest of you—gather your forces. I don’t care how you do it, but do it fast. You know Teacher’s key players?”

“Yes,” Capricorn said.

“We’re doing what I did when I claimed my Earth. Start from the top. A prison warden has to be easier than a collection of world leaders. You can manage this? Remove Teacher’s pawns, that would give him control.”

“Would help,” Lookout said, her attention back on her phone. “I’m spending half my time keeping these guys hemmed in, now that they’ve split up. They’re gathering guards too.”

We don’t know what Teacher’s people are going to do. They could blow up everyone not on his shortlist, and that could include Ashley and Rain. It could include Crystalclear and Foresight’s other people. Or they might do something that isn’t using the ankle bombs.

“We can manage,” I said.

“Um, here,” Lookout said. She had her bag slung over her back, and she retrieved one of the projection discs. “It’s kind of broken since last time. But it has enough charge to draw lines. It’s hooked up to the computer at home, the surveillance—”

“Short version,” Goddess sounded testy.

“Points at people!” Lookout said.

“Good!” Capricorn answered her, before bumping her shoulder with one fist. She laughed in response, but we were already heading away. Further into the prison complex.

I did glance over my shoulder at Natalie though.

She’d been silent, quiet. What was she thinking or doing? Did she have a plan?

If she just looked after Lookout’s welfare, I would be happy. But there was a chance that wouldn’t be enough. There was a good chance that we needed more than that. Master–stranger protocols. We needed one level head in our group.

Fifty or sixty eyes were at windows, staring down at us. We were in the sixes, the buildings with six ‘apartments’ each, where the minimum risk prisoners were. There weren’t many. The fours were more numerous. More dangerous prisoners who were deemed cooperative enough to have full privileges.

Sveta, Capricorn and I jogged.

“Rain and Crystalclear first,” Capricorn said. The disc he held had lines extending from it, and some of those lines lit up.

“Yes,” I said.

“I can’t figure you out, Victoria,” Sveta murmured.

“Master–stranger protocols,” Capricorn said.

Sveta looked at him, “What?”

“Master–stranger,” I said. “We’re under the influence of a power. We can’t trust our own judgment.”

“And you’re on board with this, Capricorn?” she asked. “You’re okay with this?”

“Do you trust me?” he asked.

“Not like this!” she exclaimed, stopping in her tracks.