I wanted to think we were doing what Tristan had suggested, working together. Putting emotion aside. Being removed from things with a heavy weapon in my hands helped a bit in that regard.

I saw the colors change. Shadows shifting and disappearing—and I had to find them in the gloom. I fired a brief pulse of my laser at the side of her ‘stomach’, and the light of it provided enough of a clue to see where she was going. The bridge, where capes were helping people down through the cracks.

Where she’d disappeared, capes had already positioned themselves to land on Gibbet’s crane or other constructions below. Sveta joined fliers and other movers caught some of the ones who weren’t positioned so well, rescuing them from falls or getting them to perches or safe ground.

I fired a sustained shot directly into Titan Skadi’s face. It was bright enough in the gloom that shadows chased my eye movements.

Fuck, come on! Flinch! Come for me!

She wasn’t reacting enough, and the other capes who joined me in attacking her were slowing her down, but not enough to outright interrupt or stop her.

Being flying artillery wasn’t in my skillset. In a fight where I was using my forcefield and strength, I’d usually have ideas for options. I—Victoria Dallon, Glory Girl, Antares—didn’t often run into situations where I was in position but what I could do wasn’t enough. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, if I could get up close and if they couldn’t get away, I could do exactly as much damage as I wanted to.

I needed a plan, I had to reach for examples for battle plans. I wasn’t familiar enough with Legend to be inspired by him.

Crystal then. I could remember debates where my aunt and kid cousin had been annoyed at Crystal’s habit of dipping into the fight.

I dipped. I dove, letting my laser cannon fall more than I carried it.

Cold wind whipped past me as I closed the distance on Titan Skadi, who had her back to me. I started shooting as I got closer.

Getting closer had its advantages. My cousin Eric had had the range but his beams were weak. My Aunt Sarah had been middle of the road. Crystal had the strongest beams of the three, the strongest top speed and carrying ability to her flight. So why did she get in close?

It made it easier to aim. I aimed for weak points, damage done while capes had been swarming Titan Skadi.

It made it easier to use other powers. Crystal was more of a flier, and she could create forcefields in mid-air. Part of the reason she liked to get in close was that she created forcefields at mid-to-short range. It was easier to shoot someone when you could create a wall in their way, put them up against the wall, and blast them.