“No,” she said. “That’s the kind of thing that makes me throw myself past these spikes of yours and take your head from your shoulders.”

“Then I won’t do it again, Damsel of Distress,” he said. “Sorry.”

A moment passed. She wanted to pace, but she worried that would be the trap, a bit of forcefield created at a level to trip her up, create a weakness that he could use.

The idea nettled her. She remained where she was, imagining what she might do if an opportunity came up.

“You’ve never beat me,” she said. “You never found me. And I’m your full-time job?”

“Well, I help the police and things. Ah, there they are. See?”

Dovetail and Aerobat. The pair dropped down from the sky, rejoining the two in the background. They were looking more at the giant in the water than at Damsel.

“They could have already caught my friends. Doesn’t Dovetail make forcefields? This is clearly a trap. You wouldn’t call them back for nothing.”

“I called them back because I promised that I would if you stopped and talked. Which you effectively did.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“How about this? You can use my phone or you can take a burner phone. Call your group, confirm they’re fine. But also call Director Armstrong. If you take the burner phone, you call him at your leisure,” he said, tapping his belt. “I brought it for that express purpose.”

“With a tracer in it? No. Stop acting like I’m stupid, Licit.”

“We don’t think you’re stupid, Damsel of Distress. We do worry about you.”

“As you should. I’m dangerous.”

He sighed.

His phone illuminated, buzzing silently in his hand.

She stared him down.

“Can I answer, Damsel? It’s… the team back there.”

She didn’t answer. She would give her team a bit longer to get away, then she would act. She would have to deal with two fliers. That would be a pain.

There was a building nearby. She could blast a hole in the wall and force them to maneuver in an area they couldn’t fly up.

If need be, she would bring parts of the building down behind her.

He pressed the button on his phone without raising it from where he held it to his side. He glanced down and hit another button.

“Licit,” a female voice came over the phone’s speaker.

“Dovetail,” Licit said, looking at Damsel. “That’s Dovetail. What do you need?”

“Do you need us to stick around? We’re wondering if we should go after the giant. Just in case.”

“Go,” he said. “I think I’m fine. De-escalating might be good.”

In the background, the two fliers took off. The other one ran toward the water, in the general direction of the giant. It had to be a mile and a half away.

“No witnesses,” Damsel said.

Licit hung up the phone.