“Team,” Rain called out, raising his voice to be heard over the screams. “There’s one Fallen that isn’t here. Mama Mathers. She’s close. You can’t look at her without her infecting your mind. Her voice and touch does the same thing, but gives her other avenues of attack. Mentioning her gives her a big opening, it’s why I couldn’t say anything earlier.”

Well, that cleared up something that had been plaguing the good guys for a long time.

“I saw a glimpse of her,” I said.

“You see things?” he called out.

“Yeah. Some. She got our changer worse. He seems to be dealing alright, though.”

“He’s enduring because he’s weird,” Capricorn said. “What can we do here? These people—”

“You don’t do anything,” Valefor interrupted. “They’re ours.”

“Yours!?” Tristan-as-Capricorn asked, voice raised, blurring. Byron-as-Capricorn shook his head, and offered a more sedate, “No.”

He was almost drowned out by the shouts and screams from the people on the ground.

“Where is Mama Mathers?” Rain asked.

“You should ask her, Rain,” Valefor said. “Let her in, let me in, and pledge to obey. We’ll let you drag these people away, so long as you stay. They’re expendable, you’re blessed.”

“How are you immune?” Tristan-as-Capricorn called out.

“Friends,” Rain said. He created blades of silver light in each of his hands. “Found these guys while researching powers and options. March put the pieces together about who I am and where I’m from.”

He’d indicated the woman with the bunny mask. March continued pacing around the group. Her rapier’s tip dragged along the ground. It left a trail behind it, like the water rippling in the wake of a stick being moved in it, and that water had hues of blue, purple, and black running through it for a second or two after the contact.

“I thought it was another kind of brainwashing after I heard about Valefor’s exploits in Brockton Bay, with the arrest and trial,” March said. “It’s a good thing that my group has a lot of powers to work with.”

A lot of powers. Cluster capes?

“A good thing, yeah,” Rain said.

“I’m not poaching him,” March said. “He’ll help me out in exchange for this, here, but he can stick with you guys.”

“With the heroes here, not the Fallen,” Rain clarified.

“Oh yes,” March said. She nodded and the one ear at the top of her mask bobbed where it was folded at the tip. “I should’ve been clear.”