Rain stuck with Narwhal’s group, and even contributed some of the suppressive fire. As I flew around the treetops to keep an eye on things from above, I saw the occasional tree topple, as Rain’s power and something else hit a tree around the same time.

Trees falling was good. It helped to cover our retreat in the same way Capricorn’s walls did.

He kept giving me looks. I couldn’t read his expression while his mask was on, but I could make assumptions. He hadn’t liked leaving, or even pretending to leave, and I knew he wanted to help Erin.

Mama Mathers was powerful. It wasn’t that she had the clout some other top tier capes did, but her existence created a blind spot where we couldn’t keep tabs on the Fallen’s side.

Another wall snapped into existence. Fluke gave the call to move on, and the group ventured further into the woods, away from the area where the Fallen camp was nestled. Narwhal’s offensive team followed behind the retreat, with Fluke staying back to report to her as she caught up with him. Weld was hurrying forward to stay near the front of the group, taking on a semi-leadership role.

With each phase in our retreat, Capricorn’s walls went up faster and bigger. Vista was sticking by him, and from what little I could see as I used my advantage of mobility to check on everything, they were getting along great.

Yeah. I needed to have a chat with her.

Sveta was sticking with Weld, even though they had different focuses in the moment. Weld was directing people and making sure the coast was clear, while Sveta had Weld’s phone in hand, a brick of a thing with push buttons that she needed two hands to hold. He would have dialed for her, or answered for her while Looksee called. Our kid tinker was on the other end.

My phone was in my pocket, the cord of my earphones running up beneath my armor and hair to my ear, where it was covered. I was looped into the conversation.

With the rain pattering down around us, cool but not cold, my setup meant I could keep my hands and face dry, without risking that my phone might get wet.

“I had my moment of heroism, I even caught some bad guys,” Looksee said. “It’s probably kind of lame compared to what you guys are doing, but it’s my first win!”

“Your first win,” Sveta said.

“Mine and mine alone, yes! I was keeping an eye on everything around the camp and the moment things started, a bunch of people in the town got in cars and raced off in your direction. I told my friends here and they told Narwhal and her group, but nobody was in a good spot. So I programmed like lightning, and repurposed the projector box.”