“None,” Amy said. “What happened?”

“We have less than ten minutes before Dauntless meets your Gibborim Knight. This is a fight that seems bound to happen, unless you pull back—”

“We can’t do that in good conscience,” Amy said. “And I’ll remind you, you were the ones saying I was trying to delay or buy time, but you took a good few minutes just now to handle your issue. Don’t say there’s a time limit like it bothers us. We’re confident in what we’re doing. You’re the ones fretting.”

“Shin is concerned about the threat the Machine Army poses. We have a decision to make about what the venue will be for that intersection of two powers. A critically sensitive quarantine zone or a city where any power use could be what sets off a multi-world disaster. We should consider the city.”

“No. The quarantine zone. I know the knight’s capabilities.”

“Do you know Dauntless’s?”

“More than you would think,” Amy said.

“Then reassure me.”

“I’ve used my power to study people representing key pieces of infrastructure among powers. I can understand powers fundamentally, by touching people close enough to powers. That’s how I can do this. With Lab Rat’s help to precipitate things, I can create vessels that take the person out of the power, and leave us with incredibly powerful tools.”

“I believe you,” I said.

Narwhal stepped back, giving me a look of barely restrained patience. I could tell she just wanted to convince Amy, and she’d keep trying if given the chance.

“I hope you believe me,” Amy said, with a huff of a sound that might have been a short laugh.

“You’ve touched it, I’ve walked it,” I said.

“What?”

“I went there. Last night. To the place the powers come from. One of them, apparently. Breakthrough, Damsel of Distress, Tattletale.”

“What the hell are you doing, associating with Tattletale?”

“That doesn’t matter,” I said. “Focus, Amy.”

“I’ve wondered where you get some weird ideas in your head about me, and now I find out you’ve been associating with the queen of head-screws? It kind of really does matter.”

“Amy,” I said. “Believe it or not, I’m giving you the one damn thing you’ve been asking for. I’m kind of on your side. As of last night, I’ve been there, I’ve seen what you’ve seen, I’m pretty sure. Stop fighting me for five seconds and accept that fact.”

There was a silence on the other end.

“Assuming you’re telling the truth,” Amy said, more subdued now. “You guys are desperate. Is Tattletale there?”

“No,” I said.

“We’re getting sidetracked,” Narwhal said.