“They’re not mine. They’re a means to an end. Meanwhile, you’re an obstacle, which means you’re going to end,” Damsel said. She couldn’t look straight at Blindside, so she turned her chin up, arms out, holding the contained storm of shadows and blurs.

“If you think I won’t put a bullet in any of them—”

“I don’t care.”

“You don’t care? Haha, what?” Lookout asked. “You said I was cool! We bonded over a book! So much for you being cool!”

The gun cocked again. “I’m aiming at the kid now. Don’t think I won’t put bullets in her legs. I had to deal with the Tweens Between in New York, and that helps anyone get over the hurting kids thing.”

“What? Am I in upside-down world, all of a sudden? Damsel being hilariously uncool and people saying the T.B.T. aren’t the best?” Lookout said.

“Lookout,” Capricorn said. “You wanted to be on the front lines. You need to keep your head on the task at hand. Can’t get upset at Damsel and excited about some overrated hero group.”

“Okay,” Lookout said. There was a pause, then she muttered, “They weren’t overrated.”

“Put the power away. The noise is hurting my ears,” Blindside said. “I will shoot the kid if you don’t. In four, three, two—”

The power fizzled out. Damsel had to shake one claw to get one flicker of power to disappear, and in the midst of the shaking, her claw tip scratched concrete.

“Turn around. Go the other direction,” Blindside said.

At the front of the group, still holding his shield, Capricorn looked up at me, eye barely visible in the shadows behind the goat-styled helm. At one hand, his finger indicated the end of the hall.

Me? Going on alone?

I hesitated, glancing in that direction. I’d be dealing with Kingdom Come and a strange cape alone.

“Don’t even think about it,” Blindside said. “If you leave, Patrol girl, I’ll start shooting.”

We couldn’t fight them in close confines without hitting allies. Couldn’t use something like Tristan or Damsel’s power without affecting allies.

I did believe that they’d shoot someone.

“Alright,” I said.

“Two options,” Blindside told us. “You fuck off, or you stay until K.C. finishes what he’s doing and comes back. Which might be a while, because he’s taking his time. When K.C. turns up, you’re going to run because you don’t want him using his power on you. That’s a fast ticket to Teacher getting his hands on you.”

“Which means we might as well just fuck off,” I said.

“Good girl,” Blindside said. “You finally get it.”

“Our team,” Rain said.

“They’re in good hands.”

“Go,” I told the group. “Back the way we came. We head for the entrance, do what we can.”

“But Tress, and Swansong,” Lookout said.