“I asked for the reality check earlier,” Rain said. “And I asked if anyone was above a seven or below a three, because feeling too good is a concern.”

“Fuck me, that’s being used against me?”

“Master–stranger protocols,” Rain said. “At least until we get a good explanation.”

I grit my teeth. I had no idea how bad the bleeding was, I didn’t like any part of this, and it just felt like the Simurgh was scoring a win.

But the protocols overrode any sentiment or logic. That was how they worked.

Byron leaned hard into the railing by the set of stairs. There was more commotion upstairs, and we were only at the third floor.

“Byron needs help,” I said. “And I don’t know how bad this wound at my neck is. I don’t think us getting moving hurts anything. And I think if anything, we should stick to the orders. Dinah.”

“Come,” Sveta said. “Let’s go. Bring her, Victoria? Or should I?”

“I can.”

“Come. And stay where we can keep an eye out?”

I was okay letting her take the lead for now.

The forcefield grabbed the woman by the waist, still holding her arms. I lifted her. She shrank to tiny size, and I shifted my grip, still holding her. She grew again, and I didn’t lose my grip.

Her screaming became a kind of screaming-sobbing.

Who was she, and how had she been this close to the edge, that she was this badly off now?

I held one hand to the wound, while the Fragile One dragged the woman.

“The labs will have first aid,” Cryptid said.

“But a detour—” Sveta said.

“The bleeding is bad,” Rain said. “I vote for medical care.”

We made our way up the stairs to the next stage, where hallways branched off to the left and right. I saw Juliette and Chastity with Mapwright from Advance Guard. They were dragging two people behind them.

“Hey Rain, hey Breakthrough. You’ve got one too?” Chastity asked.

“Yeah,” Rain said. “We got one.”

“Some no-name cape,” I said.

“That’s Bloodplay,” Chastity said. “She’s a villain slash rogue. You can guess what she does from the name.”

“I absolutely cannot,” Rain said.

“You’re cute,” Chastity said.

“Or your sense of what’s easy to guess is messed up,” Juliette said.

“Maybe,” Chastity said, frowning. “But Rain’s still cute.”

“Eh,” Juliette said.

“Not that I mind, but… our guys are hurt.”

“Shit, yeah,” Chastity said, looking at us. At Byron. “I’m not focusing, with this screaming. Um—”

Mapwright reached out, touching Byron’s hand, then Sveta’s…

Chastity looked over at me. “—we’re taking them to the Mathers Giant. She’s incapacitating them and shutting off all incoming signals.”

“Is she behaving?” Cryptid asked. He scowled with his ratty, crooked-toothed face as Mapwright touched him.

“Is there a chance she doesn’t behave?” Rain asked, with a note of alarm.