They were beam weapons, but the beams were thin, filled with faint blue specks of light, and didn’t burn anything. I saw as needles were pulled out of the wall, the damaged segments around the part the hook had caught joining them. As they were pulled, they collected more specks on them, until they were covered. The more they collected, the less effect the pull had on them.

I began working my way to Caryatid, mindful of the Wretch’s reach.

“Frontload it!” one thrall called out.

“I am.”

“Flip the Z.”

“I did.”

“There’s another notch on the lever for hard Z.”

Behind me, the beam grew more intense, the faint blue became a dark blue, and the needles and debris were pushed closer to the wall.

They moved the beam, moved the stuff trapped in the beam with it, and then flicked it my way, shutting it off to release the material. Needles and debris were sent flying our way.

The Wretch was broken by the speed at which some of it was hurled. The back of my hood blocked a lot, but I still felt pricks at my shoulder. I reached back and pinched at the wounds, to squeeze whatever it was free.

It was wall material that had penetrated fabric, not needles.

I worked to get closer to Caryatid.

They were making their way down the hall to the intersection I’d been stuck at. One was slower than the other, using the beam to pick up more fluids, needles, and debris from the ground and wall. The other peeked around the corner.

That was important, I knew, but I didn’t have time to consider it.

Caryatid made her way to me—I reached out with a hand that had blood on it from touching my wounded shoulder, supporting her as she hopped over a pile of needles. As the next flick-throw of the beam’s contents came our way, she put herself between me and the hail, going breaker.

Which was a temporary solution at best. The one at the corner took aim and fired. Dragging Caryatid. As she was pulled, she was no longer still enough to be invincible.

“Pull back on the Z!”

The pull increased in speed. Dragging her toward needles a few inches a second.

Flying after her, I had to fly around the beam, because being stuck in it slowed me down. I caught her and pulled her out of the beam, she stumbled, and he tried to catch us again. I was more evasive, so he went right back to getting Caryatid.

The partner did another collect, flick, grab, in the span of a second or two. It was only a dozen or so needles, flying like bullets, but the movement of the beam told me the angle. Aimed at me, not Caryatid.