Except he had a mover power now that let him get out of any situation we put him in. Gravity and intervening obstacles didn’t seem to matter.

Getting him into a position where we could exploit him seemed next to impossible.

“Glory Hole,” Tattletale muttered.

There wasn’t any ongoing conversation, and the only noise was the distant slosh of Capricorn’s water swamping the road and trees. The words hung in the air, and I was tempted to leave them there.

“Wanted to say—” she started.

“What?” I asked.

“This sucks. This hurts. Fair’s fair. If you want to lord it over me, you can.”

Lord it over her? That she was hurt?

I couldn’t even connect to what she meant until I remembered past jabs at my time in the hospital.

I shook my head. “Focus on the mission. The kids are hurt, our teammates.”

She went silent. Rachel, meanwhile, turned my way and glared at me.

Tattletale hadn’t known? How, with that power of hers?

I looked away.

It was a careful, uneasy approach to the ‘Rows’. A settlement without real streets, sprawling out at the base of a station that was far better put together than any dwelling. We had some people hang back to watch our rear while others ventured further in. The wounded stayed three-quarters of the way back, somewhat hidden. A show of strength was somewhat important.

The villains of note were all gathered around the station exit, about a city block ahead of us. Etna, I noted, was absent.

They looked agitated.

We were agitated. The mercenaries were there, following from enough of a distance that we couldn’t shoot or use slingshots.

“You can lock the doors, you said?” Tattletale asked.

I turned back to face her.

“What do you mean?” I asked Tattletale.

“You can lock the doors. You have a dimension switch.”

“Whatever it’s called. Yeah.”

“You let the villains know that?”

“Yeah. Scared them into compliance a bit. Conscience brought us the rest of the way.”

Cassie pulled the switch out, keeping it partially under the blanket. I saw her expression change.

I flew over, while she turned the thing around to show me. Swansong and Capricorn drew near to see as well.

“They might not be so compliant then,” Tattletale said, behind us.

The screen was outlined in yellow, and the readout only said ‘Error’.

I looked back at the villains at the station. Bluestocking’s group. They didn’t just look agitated. They looked energized. Invigorated.

The person who’d just come out of the station, that had gone to whisper something in Bluestocking’s ear? That had very possibly, even probably been to let Bluestocking know the portal was clear. The way out was back.

Because of Cradle.

“How?” Capricorn asked.

“Scans the airwaves to see if you have walkie talkies, comms, phones, any means of communication,” Tattletale said. “And finds that. Your key. Hacks it.”