Lookout followed me down, hopping down from the short ladder with a ‘hup’ sound. She was small in the shadows of Monokeros and Damsel, who were right behind her.

“I hope you’re not claustrophobic,” Rain murmured.

I glanced at the walls of the tunnel. It was narrow enough that the lights on the left side were only six feet or so from one another. Because it was a tube, the path was only two feet wide or so, before it became a curved slope that couldn’t really be walked on.

No room to fly or to maneuver if it became a fight. No real ability to throw ourselves to the side if there was trouble. Dropping to a position where we were flat against the floor meant we’d be lying in a row, because the sloped floor would just see us rolling down toward the path at the center. No cover to be had.

If anything, the open space extending both front and back was more… concerning than the unyielding concrete and dense earth to either side, above, and below us.

There was another impact. Bugs fled cracks in the walls, tracing crazy paths in their search for hiding places that weren’t anywhere to be found.

“How are we doing this?” Byron asked.

“I have some experience in leadership, if you guys need some direction,” Damsel said, from the back.

“I—” I started, pausing to double-check myself. “I know the team better. I’ll give some direction, if that’s okay? I have ideas.”

I saw her shrug. Her gaze was cool, but her mannerisms nervous as she shifted her weight to her other foot, claw hands twitching.

“Byron,” I said, even as my thoughts were trying to judge that nervousness in Damsel. “If it’s okay, we could use Tristan right about now.”

“Sure. Why?” Byron asked.

“He can give us cover, and I know Blindside carries a gun.”

Byron nodded. He blurred.

“I could lead if you wanted,” Tristan said. “I led Reach for a while.”

“If it’s okay… given what we talked about just outside the headquarters, I’ll take point.”

“Because I said I didn’t trust myself.”

“Sure,” I said. I hadn’t wanted to just volunteer that, with so many listening in.

“Do you trust yourself?” he asked.

I hesitated. Then I shook my head. “I don’t know.”

“Ahem,” Damsel cleared her throat. She raised a hand, the claw-tips scraping the concrete wall. “I trust myself.”