“Some people snapped and they’re dangerous,” Vista told me. “We’re sorting through people by stress level, using the front doors by the lobby to evacuate people who can’t stick it out, but we can’t evacuate anyone upstairs until we clear the middle floors, and we can’t easily lure the compromised to one of the containment zones until we can get past them.”

“Containment zones?”

Vista nodded. “Right now we’re apparently using the dungeon, but most of that was built to work with the Custodian in charge, and she’s a Titan now.”

“She wouldn’t cooperate even if she wasn’t a Titan,” Sveta said. She winced. “I could really do with this screaming stopping.”

“If you can hear the scream, at least she’s still working on you,” Clockblocker said.

People were up the stairs. Everyone accounted for.

I used the gun to ram my way through the double doors.

I could hear distant screaming, and sped up my approach, flying while bringing the gun around to point.

The heroes were gathered on the ground level. Heroes were storming the stairs, which went straight to the upper floors, hallways stabbing out to the right and left.

“All teams, go!” Defiant called out, a wire between his teeth. He had his spear in hand, and was directing the groups. “I want a strong defensive team at our back line here! Around me!”

I moved out of the way, flying up and back, so the rest of our group could file in.

I saw Gilpatrick, wearing a full Patrol uniform. When he looked at me, his forehead lined with worry, posture tense.

I flew to him, pointing my gun in the general direction of upstairs.

“Good to see you,” he said, with genuine feeling.

“Is it?” I asked, without thinking. “I mean… I’m glad, if that’s true.”

“Gave up leading the team. Put Jester in charge, which is helping make this feel really fucking surreal,” Gilpatrick said, with some added weariness.

“I didn’t mean to put you in that position, having you go with Rain.”

“You didn’t ask. I chose.”

I looked at him, remembered how he’d backed me up, as best as he was able. Giving me a place to stay after the barbecue.

“My team was just trying to ballpark how we’re doing,” I told him. “Rating from one to ten. Ten being fantastic. One being that we’re a danger to others. Where are you at, Gilpatrick?”

“I’m not a danger,” he said. “I’ve got some training from my PRT days. I’ll last longer than most, don’t worry.”

“And your power?”

“Thinker. Best I can figure out… I see the lies people tell themselves.”

“The lies…?”

“As physical things, twisting features. It takes concentration to turn off. Took me a second, I thought it was a broken power, until I talked to my kids.”

“The Patrol block?”