“You’ll do that anyway, you mangy foreskin,” Imp said.

“No,” Contessa said. “You’re right.”

Teacher smiled. “This is the best option. You’re on my side.”

“Objectively, it’s so close to the best option it’s almost indistinguishable. But it’s not one of the options I gave them.”

Teacher’s face fell a fraction. “What—”

“I gave them the options they would be happiest with. I picked one. I’m done with the objective best, with the ugliest path to getting there.”

Swansong fucking died and my brother might be joining her, and this isn’t the ugliest path?

Tristan felt bitter, and he looked to his teammates to see they felt the same way. He saw glares and anger, but no expressions perfectly reflected his bitterness or resentment.

Teacher swayed, like he was going to step back into that darkness.

“You don’t want to do that,” Contessa said.

He hesitated, staring.

Contessa turned her head a fraction, and Teacher followed that fraction, his eyes falling on Breakthrough. Studying them. Antares floated above the computer terminals, still holding the guns. Rain sat in the chair. Sveta had her arms folded. Tristan clenched a fist, while studying the man.

Teacher took a step forward. It put the door behind him. Like he had abandoned the notion of stepping through it.

What had he seen or figured out?

Teacher addressed the room. “Within a very short time, the city will break down. Nothing to do with the recent car bombing of its parahuman mayor. You’ll wish you’d sided with me. If you kill me, you’ll regret that I can’t help you find sanity in the madness, when our world becomes theirs. If you imprison me, you’ll be coming to my cell to beg for help. Let me go free, and I’ll have things in place.”

“We’re not going to let you go free,” Chevalier said. “We can talk about whether execution or prison are more appropriate.”

“It’s all going to go to pieces,” Teacher said.

“And you’re going to go into custody,” Legend said. “Are you done? You’ve said your piece. There aren’t too many who are willing to listen when you’ve killed or hurt our friends and subordinates.”

Teacher held out his hands. The other thralls in the room did much the same.

It was Chevalier who slapped on the cuffs, dragging Teacher toward the door. The crowd parted.

With nearly every back turned, only a few were looking the other way. Rain was among them, and the way he startled made Tristan turn.

The doorway to the shard realm flickered, and then it went out.

It was a trick of layers. While eyes were turned toward the door, someone stepped out of the crowd. One of the younger capes from the Wards. They put an arm out, grabbing Teacher, and it was Legend who was fast enough to grab the two of them.