“I will. But the last twenty-four hours have been utter insanity. We need to make sure people are safe. It’s going to distract him. I know this is bad and it’s against every rule in the superhero magazines and Saturday morning cartoon shows, but…”

“Lie?” Swansong asked.

“Please. For now.”

“He worked hard on that,” I said.

“I know, but—” Sveta said, her voice muffled.

“Can we compromise? Bring them, but have them detached?”

“The material is good, even if the intent is overeager,” Ashley said.

I heard a ‘tuk’ sound. Sveta’s forehead striking the lid of the sphere.

“I should, shouldn’t I?”

“Your body, your call,” I said.

“That’s the issue at its heart, isn’t it?” I heard her. With the muffling effect of the sphere and how quiet she was, it was hard to catch all the words.

A forearm of pale flesh, a loose length of dense black netting that connected it to another forearm of pale flesh, all in sequence. Some metal framework within provided a loose skeletal system with levers and pullies. The locking mechanism involved getting some concentric rings lined up and sliding a bolt through them.

I hefted it over one shoulder, holding it there in a fireman carry. With my free hand, I combed fingernails through wet hair. Wet costume, armor, and Sveta’s body were all heavy. Crystalclear lifted the tentacles, wrapping them around his shoulders like a scarf.

We reached the hole. Tristan had made a ladder. The group was huddled. Thane and Monokeros stood off to one side.

We emerged, each of us in turn, with me steadying Ashley so she could ascend with her hands both full and not at their peak.

Lookout sprung to her feet, and Monokeros reached out for her—missing Lookout’s shoulder.

She bounded to Ashley, and stopped short of giving Ashley a hug. Ashley adjusted her grip on Sveta, and pulled Lookout into a one-armed hug, arm at Lookout’s head.

Interesting, to see how Damsel observed that, the fidgeting with claw-fingers, eye contact not leaving that scene. I wasn’t sure if it was a terrifying interesting or a positive one. Figuring that out required resources I didn’t have.

In a similar vein, I saw Rain look at the tentacles Crystalclear carried. He didn’t remark at anything, instead turning to survey the situation, almost the opposite of what Damsel was doing.

The prison was quiet. Not a shout, no movement. Many buildings had been pulled down, the staff buildings in particular.

“We lucked out with the bombs, it seems,” Ashley said.

“Not luck,” Tristan said. He indicated Thane, who sat slumped against a wall, a short distance from Monokeros.

“The situation in emergency controls went bad,” Thane said. He talked like he had a mouthful of tobacco, all mush and sloppy syllables. “I had to work remotely. Not nearly so fast as I would be. But I turned off the fucking bombs.”