Before straightening, he aimed his phone at the ground. I could see that he’d modified it, with a chunk of what looked like battery with wire wrapped around it mounted on the top.

“Scanning?” I asked, quiet.

“Trying. I used Lookout’s numbers as a model. Our—that other tinker’s scanner we found earlier, I looked at that too. But it’s mostly noise, I don’t know how to use it yet.”

“Okay,” I said.

“You’re right,” he said. “Walls are more intense than floor.”

“Good to know,” I said, my expression serious. I put a hand on Parian’s shoulder as I passed her. “It’s probably going to be a little while before we need to worry about stepping into a hole. Let’s get out of here before it’s a real problem.”

“Good plan,” she said.

I nodded. I flew ahead. As tense and borderline sick as I felt, my gorge not in my throat but definitely ready to go there, I felt a bit happy that my little bit of cape knowledge from a paper I’d skimmed years ago had been relevant and validated here.

Feeling sick with mixed feelings did provoke another thought.

“Candy talking about emotions is reminding me,” I said, fibbing about the source. “Precipice? We need to figure out how you’re handling your power in a fight. Friendly fire.”

“Ah. Shit.”

“Last few times, it’s been a problem. Nothing big enough it’s changed the outcome, but it came close. Sorry to bring it up here, but—”

“But if you didn’t you might forget, or it might change things now. It’s fine.”

“Sorry,” I said.

“I can take my lumps. It’s about all I’m good for, a lot of the time.”

“You’ve got a lot of good points,” I said. “Don’t undersell yourself.”

“What’s the power?” Chastity asked.

“Shame and regret thing. I’ve been meaning to figure it out, so I’ve been trying to use it more often.”

The music box sounds were fading, but the thudding was heavier. I wasn’t sure how to interpret it, but there was enough of a distinction in play that I was pretty sure there was a pattern to be deciphered.

“You used it at the hospital,” Candy said.

“Yeah, on its lowest setting. I thought it might help make you guys go away,” he said. He was holding his phone up to the wall as he jogged by it, the top and bottom thirds of the screen filled with numbers, the middle section showing a graph. “Sorry.”

“Apologize when your power actually does something. You used that emotion power on us.”

“I’m trying to figure it out,” he said.

“Let’s stay focused,” I said. “We’re close to the hole, so keep your voices down.”

“Right,” Precipice said.

“We’ll figure your thing out,” I told Precipice. “When things are calmer.”