“I’m using my power,” Monokeros said. She lowered her gaze again, so the glower of her eyes was barely visible beneath finely plucked eyebrows, the ‘horn’ of the triangle tattooed on her forehead pointed at Tristan. She moved her hand, revealing a shiv that she had been keeping in the sleeve. “Lookout.”

Lookout took the shiv.

“You don’t want to do this,” Ashley said. “I told you what would happen.”

“If they move a muscle to follow us, if they say a word, if they use a power, I want you to put that shiv in your neck as many times as you can before they make you stop. I’ll be really, really proud of you if you do.”

The group was frozen.

“Really?”

“If you can get it in there and give it a good twist, get it in there so it goes in one hole you’ve made and sticks out another, then cut out what’s in between, I’ll be extra proud.”

“It doesn’t really work that way, though,” Lookout said. Her voice was small. “I do more than I’m asked for homework and the teachers get annoyed. I work hard on my projects and my team gets upset because I’m overworking myself. Every minute I’m working hard, and it is hard, there’s this feeling in the back of my head, like I can imagine the warm fuzzy feeling when they’re amazed and happy. I’ve made them happy. That’s what pushes me to do it. But it never works out the way I hope, because I hope too much.”

“You want to impress me, don’t you?” Monokeros asked.

I found myself shaking my head slightly, as Lookout nodded.

“You can feel me, big in your head and your heart. Hold onto that feeling, and believe,” Monokeros said.

Tristan started forward. Ashley stopped him, grabbing him with both hands to haul him back, force him to land on his ass.

“Close,” Monokeros said. She said it to Lookout. “He almost took a step forward.”

Lookout nodded.

“I want you to believe. If they step forward or give you any reason, and you do as I’ve told, then this will be the time that matters. Believe that.”

“I believe you.”

“Yeah,” Monokeros said, barely audible. “This one last time. Unless they let you and me walk away.”

The shiv fell from Lookout’s fingers.

Monokeros twisted around, but Lookout was backing off too. She drew her flash gun, pointing it at Monokeros.

“That—”

Lookout fired the gun. A bright flash that seemed to illuminate the entire side of the prison complex the pistol was pointing at.

“Won’t work, I’m immune to my targets,” Monokeros said. But she backed away a step, then lunged forward another step. Bending down for the shiv.

I was already flying. I wasn’t alone in my charge.