“Her precognition gets better at assessing targets and threats the longer they are in range of her scream. The initial attack is key. She will not dodge everything we throw at her. You may feel the attacks don’t matter. They do! Our initial approach will emphasize chaos and disturbance. This delays the point in time where she has the ability to see everything! We will rotate people in and out, minimizing exposure. Past a certain ‘code yellow’ point you’re an increasing danger to others. Past a ‘code red’, you become her weapon to use against humanity. Play it safe, taper off, be prepared to back out, or know who you can go to to get a ride or evacuation. We will have resources as we split apart the teams.”

Narwhal added, “There will be further instructions for sub-teams and groups. Noncombat capes are being held in reserve at key locations. Team leaders will be notified about these preparations. Finally, civilians are deployed and are waiting to target specific sites in the crystal landscape. Be prepared.”

Chevalier addressed us. “I can’t say much more than that. I don’t give long speeches—”

There were a few chuckles. There was a rare smile from Narwhal.

“—Don’t panic, believe. I trust you.”

There was light applause, some whoops. Dinah Alcott rose from her seat and approached Legend and Chevalier. Giving them input.

As much as it was a speech staple for Chevalier to talk about giving short speeches, I couldn’t help but feel like they were rushing things because we didn’t have time. I could feel the touch of panic already.

⊙

Present

The scream filled my head, impossibly high and drawn out, cold and changing just often enough that I couldn’t anticipate it or get used to it.

My teeth were clenched so hard that the sides of my face hurt.

The early part of the fight was supposed to be the crucial part, where we did as much damage as possible. I could liken it to how Contessa got fatigued and needed to devote more resources to staying on task, but again, always, this Endbringer wasn’t brutish and noisy, not feral and animal-like, but graceful. There were times she moved like a dancer with wings would move. Not so much spinning and leaping, but moving in measured ways, with a full awareness of her body and an audience in mind.

The early phase of the fight was passing. In my vision, people and the powers they were using were being marked out in a dim yellow. We weren’t doing a lot of damage.

Yeah, panicking a little.

She swept her wings out, and across this stage she’d created inside the ring of broken buildings, snow and dust picked up, with a gravelly sound as it pulled free from ground, debris that hadn’t been picked up clattering back down to earth.