The Titans had gathered and stood as a defensive line, spaced apart like each one’s position mattered on some fundamental level. Four of the Titans had powers that drilled, dug, or carved. Titan Amenonuhoko, Titan Auger, Titan Drillbit, Titan Ghast. All four Titans were tearing up the crystal landscape below them, aiming for specific paths and locations.

If there was a point to it that wasn’t making it hard for parahumans to get close, he couldn’t fathom it.

Both he and Dragon were keeping an eye on ongoing events, in part because the Simurgh had shut down most communication networks. Stonewall was back at the Wardens’ base. He was recovering from a hit he’d taken from a parahuman ability during the raid on Teacher’s base, and he had enough authority to be the person making calls—both in the sense he was using the phone and he was having to make decisions.

They’d reached out to people overseas. The European settlement had seen the first cracks cross their territory, extending across the ocean to where they were. They were offering their assistance, but they lacked the ability. Too many of their capes had died in Gold Morning. Too many others were spread out across other Earths. Getting them from there to here would require hours.

They had minutes.

“Are you getting lost in thought, Defiant?”

“I’m—no. Yes. What was the question?”

“Do you think we can rely on him?”

“I can remember seeing his son during events. He was there when Tattletale’s group raided a fundraiser my team was hosting. He was invited to attend, but I sent Dauntless out on patrol that same night. When he heard his first thought was whether his son was alright. His second thought was about keeping the Undersiders from getting away.”

“So yes?”

“I think so, but I’m really hoping it doesn’t come to that.”

“Defiant, sweetie. It’s coming to that.”

“There are options.”

“You’re tunnel-visioning in, Defiant. We’re not doing well. Look for yourself.”

It took effort to remind himself he had a body, that he was more than a heavily armed vehicle flying through hostile airspace.

He turned his focus to the other calls. To Stonewall’s computer, where Stonewall was reaching out to more groups, trying to find the combination of moving pieces and powers that would bring much-needed reinforcements to this battlefield in the timeframe they needed.

He watched through cameras as Antares had a conversation with her team. Little Lookout was at the computer, and was using the computer to manage a line of communication he didn’t have the resources to tap fully into. They were still waiting for a proper reply.

Sleeper was at the horizon, south of the Simurgh and Titan Fortuna’s small army of Titans. Thirty-five Titans now, and the number was growing, the accumulation speeding up, not slowing down.