I pushed open the rusted metal door that marked the first real barrier to entry for Coils underground base. It was unassuming, if secure, easy to ignore for anyone who happened to find their way underground. It swung open without resistance; unlocked.

Every door was unlocked as I made my way through the series of checkpoints and gates. There were no guards, and the cameras in the final room before I entered the base proper didnt move to track my movements.

I pushed on the final door and let it swing open. The base was empty. Except empty wasnt exactly the right word. It had been cleared out.

The on-duty squads of soldiers were gone, as were the trucks, weapons, supplies and furniture. The entire ground floor was desolate, with clean patches in the dust where furniture and crates had been.

In groups big enough for me to get full coverage of the area, my swarms took turns roving over my surroundings. They couldnt pass through closed doors, but they gave me a sense of my surroundings that my eyes couldnt. The results were almost the inverse of what I might expect from my eyesight. There was no grasp of color, beyond what I could guess from the various clues I got from my other senses, but I had a keen sense of textures. Where my eyes would have been capable of focusing on one thing at a time, my swarm-sense gave me the ability to pull together complete mental pictures from a thousand different points of focus. I could ignore line of sight, sensing around objects, and even though my bugs senses translated poorly, the sum total of their awareness gave me a sense of the little things, in addition to the big picture. I could sense where the air currents were traveling and the force with which they moved, the thickness of the dust in one area versus another, and where temperatures where higher, if even by a fraction.

None of this was new, exactly. Id always been aware of it to some small degree, but my core senses had always been there as regular, reliable fallback. Id never researched the subject, but reports seemed conflicting when it came to the topic of blindness making other senses sharper. With only half of a days experience, I was beginning to think that maybe it didnt improve my other senses, but seemed to free up the semi-conscious, semi-unconscious intake that my eyes typically used as my dominant sense. The brainpower that was usually allocated to idle glances, comparing and contrasting, or just taking in ambient sights while my thoughts were preoccupied with other things? It was freed up to be used for listening and my swarm-sense.

The Travelers were here, I noted. I wasnt startled to note their presence, but I was somewhat surprised. Theyd gathered in one room above the vault that Noelle was presumably being kept in. Theyd noticed the bugs and were venturing outside onto the walkway. I met them halfway between their apartment and the entrance.

They were in civilian wear. Trickster and Ballistic were in regular shirts, jeans and shoes, but Sundancer was wearing what I took to be pyjamas, her hair tied back in a bun. Genesis was in her chair, a blanket on her lap, with Oliver standing just behind her.

Skitter, Trickster said, Youre here alone?

My teammates are upstairs. We wanted to have words with Coil, but he wasnt free to talk until sundown, so weve been killing time and waiting around. Theres still a bit of time, I sensed some movement down here, I needed to stretch my legs to keep my injuries from earlier today from stiffening up, so I decided to take a bit of a walk.

And theyre staying put? Ballistic asked.

I can signal them in a heartbeat if I have to, I responded.

Just saying, but you know Coils dead, right? Trickster asked.

I saw it happen, I answered him. I chose my words carefully, So I have a very good idea of how dead the man is.

Fair enough.

And you guys? I asked. Youre keeping eyes on your teammate? Noelle?

Noelles fine, Trickster said, You dont need to concern yourself over her.

There was just a touch of hostility here. I turned my head to face the two girls, using my bugs to figure out the orientation so I could appear to be looking at Sundancer and Genesis. The two of them were, I figured, the closest thing to allies that I had among the Travelers. That wasnt to say I was on good terms with them; Sundancer was especially wary of me and had been since Id carved out Lungs eyes, and Genesis had been a little weird in how she related to me when Id delivered Trickster to her at the mayors house. Part of that might have been a reflection or a response to my own paranoia, where Id thought they were planning to kill me. Either way, they hadnt given me the impression of dislike or hostility to quite the same degree that I was seeing with Trickster and Ballistic right now.

This was where my current inability to see was hurting me. I couldnt read their expressions or body language, and even though my bugs were giving me a sense of how they were standing and where their head, arm and legs were positioned, I didnt have that innate human ability to instantaneously assess and process those details. Time and effort spent trying to figure it out was taken away from my ability to plan and follow the conversation. It was sort of like talking to an answering machine; I was left trying to hold up my end of a conversation without the ability to assess what the person on the other end was making of it. End result? I was left there, silent, while none of the Travelers were volunteering anything.

If youre done checking up on us, or visiting, whatever you want to call it, Trickster said, You could go. Your dutys done, youve paid your respects to the other team while youre in their territory.

Thats something were supposed to do?

I dont want us to be enemies, I said.

Were not, Trickster replied, but his tone was far from friendly. Were on the same side.

But? I asked. It sounds like theres more to that.

Were not friends, Skitter. Lets not pretend like we are. Youve got your goals, we have ours. You want to work together to tackle a situation like the Dragon thing? Fine. Great. You want to backdoor Ballistic, going to the boss to recruit that cape he was trying to take down? Hey, thats fine too.

Ballistic folded his arms.

Trickster went on, Really. Were doing what we have to do in order to make this thing work. I dont love what you pulled, Im not jumping for glee, but I get it.

So were business associates, but not friends.

Succinctly put.

There has to be more common ground there. We cant meet, share a box of donuts and talk about ways to mutually benefit our territories?

The fact that you have to ask that is a pretty good indication of how clueless you are about this. Lets count the ways. One, I dont give a ratfuck about my territory or the people in it. None of us do.

I could feel Sundancer turning slightly away from him. Was there disagreement there?

Two, he continued, We dont plan to be here much longer anyways. Either Coil fulfills his end of the bargain and were out of this hellhole, or he doesnt and we take a hike anyways. Take our chances elsewhere.

I could remember how Ballistic had talked about his frustration with the group, the idea that he might stick with this gig regardless of what Trickster and the others did. If I brought it up, would it refocus the discussion to the point that Trickster wasnt opposing me, in an abstract sense, or would it derail it with the ensuing drama?

I kept my mouth shut, and I was sort of glad that I couldnt see, or I might have given in to my impulse to glance at Ballistic and give something away.

Maybe it wasnt worth worrying about. I was wearing my full costume, including the additional pieces Id accumulated over time; I wore the tattered cape, the ragged semi-dress over my leggings, and a heavy carpet of bugs clung to the black fabric and armor panels. My goggles would hide my eyes. Nobody would see any tell, if I could see, and I doubted theyd notice I was essentially blind.

Trickster took my silence for an excuse to go on, Three, again, theres no common ground to be found, and Im not interested in hunting for it. Theres two things I want in this world, and being part of Coils thing was my way to get those things. You were useful only as far as you helped make Coils thing work, and thats over now. To put it bluntly, you dont have anything to offer me.

I get the picture, I told him, cutting him off before he could continue. Okay. Friendships off the table. Even a friendly business relationship would be pushing it.

He nodded once.

I sighed a little. Okay. That said, as one local warlord to another, Id like to extend an invitation. Were going to talk to Coil, and Im saying youre free to come.

Coils dead, Ballistic made the words a drawl.

That was getting old fast. Do we really have to maintain this charade?

Coil went to a lot of effort in putting together his grand plan. He died in a blaze of glory and violence, just like he wanted. Do you really want to spoil that by going on about how hes still alive?

Like you said, I retorted, Were on the same side. If you didnt know, youd be more upset than you are now. Why pretend hes dead when hes alive? Especially when its getting in the way of the larger conversation about the man and my invitation to come hear what he has to say?

Trickster leaned against a wall and fumbled in one pocket for a cigarette. You mean outside of the possibility that youre wired and my saying the wrong thing could out him? Whatever. I dont have anything to say to him that I havent already said. Maybe you arent getting the point. We went out of our way to help you once, rescuing Grue, and it nearly got us carved up by Bonesaw.

Your plan, I thought.

He went on, I dont care about the Undersiders. I dont care if you get a hundred trillion dollars and wind up kings of the planet, and I dont care if Coil kills you. Weve wrapped up our business with Coil, and thats as far as my interest goes.

Alright, I said, raising my hands, Point taken. Listen, I get that maybe we havent gotten along so fantastically, but I really do wish you guys luck with your circumstances, whatever they are. I hope you get what youve been looking for.

Sure, Trickster said. He turned to leave, making his way to the doorway that led to the pseudo-apartment they stayed in when they werent in their individual headquarters. He beckoned for his teammates to follow, and they did.

Only Genesis lagged behind, her hands on the wheels of her chair. After Trickster had rounded the corner, she said, Hes tense. Too much comes down to what happens in the next forty-eight hours.

Believe me, I replied, I get that.

Then good luck with your thing, she said. Dont take this the wrong way, but I hope I never see you again.

How the hell am I supposed to take that?

I didnt respond as she wheeled herself to the corridor.

Okay, I thought, learned what I needed to.

Whatever the terms between Coil and the Travelers were, he hadnt seen fit to invite them to the meeting place. Id had to think for some time before making the offer to join us for the meeting. I knew that whatever Coil had planned, inviting the Travelers wouldnt hurt.

If Coil fully expected to cooperate, to give us the answers we needed and hand Dinah over, then it didnt matter if the Travelers were there. If he was expecting conflict and he had planned to invite them, then we only gained the benefit of knowing in advance that theyd be there. Finally, if hed expected trouble but he hadnt invited them, there was probably a reason, and that reason would be something we could exploit in a pinch.

They hadnt accepted my invitation anyways, and I hadnt sensed anything sinister when Trickster had rejected the offer. Hed been too self-centered.

Funny, as I thought on it, how easily he seemed to slip between talking about I as in himself to talking about we, the group. It was as if he assumed everyone in the Travelers was on the same page as him, and my discussions with Sundancer and Ballistic had suggested anything but. Even Cherishs taunts had pointed to some strife within the ranks.

The second major piece of data that Id gleaned from my detour was that Dinah wasnt here. There were a handful of locked doors my bugs hadnt been able to slip past, but the room Dinah had been in when wed first visited was empty. I wasnt a hundred percent sure that Dinah wasnt still in Coils underground base, but I had a hard time believing that Coil would leave her there with no armed guards. She was too valuable to risk losing her to one of his enemies or losing his bargaining chip he had in his dealings with me.

Wed agreed that if I could prove myself as a valuable asset, hed accept my fealty in exchange for Dinahs freedom. I hadnt earned him any money, not directly, but that had never really been his goal. He had money, and he could get more by exercising his power in some high-risk, high-reward ventures. I had gathered more followers under my wing than all of the others put together, with the possible exception of Tattletale. Id put life and limb at risk, partially for his benefit. Id proved myself as a leader, a soldier and a problem solver. Id put up with every challenge hed set in my way: the false death threat hed put on my head, convincing the mayor, dealing with Dragon and going up against the Nine. Hell, Id tended to my territory while my dad lay bleeding in the hospital.

I couldnt say for sure whether Coil would actually follow through with his end of the deal. In his shoes, ignoring what the right thing to do would be, if only because it was pretty fucking obvious he didnt put much stock in right and wrong, I wasnt sure Id give Dinah up. For a guy like Coil, who did things from behind the scenes, playing the long game and orchestrating events to get the best possible results, Dinahs power was invaluable.

Trickster had used a chess metaphor, back when the thing with the Nine was just beginning. Would I be considered a bishop? Hell, even if I thought of myself as a queen, I wasnt sure Coil would value having me on his side of the board over having Dinah.

Dinah let him rig the game.

I ventured outside and made my way to the flights of stairs for the building that was still in progress. It had proceeded nicely in recent days, and the outside was partially complete. The sun was setting, and my bugs could see and feel the warm light that streamed in through the openings in the outside, where tarps had come free. The thick dust of concrete and shorn wood layered the area and formed clouds wherever the wind made its way inside.

Id climbed the stairs to the meeting place only an hour ago, and Id ventured all the way to the bottom to investigate Coils base. That made this my third trip over the twenty flights of stairs, accessing the roof. On my third trip, my aches and pains from being tossed around by Coils explosion were most definitely making themselves felt.

In a way, I didnt mind. I felt restless, and moving made me feel better. Nervous wasnt the right word. Nervousness implied there was uncertainty, and I was pretty sure this wouldnt go the way I hoped. Trepidation wasnt right either. I might have settled on a sense of encroaching doom but that felt over the top.

Then again, this was someones life on the line. Maybe our lives too. Was it possible to be over the top when the stakes were this high?

The others had arranged themselves around the roof. Bitch was in a half-sitting, half-lying down position, leaning back against Bentleys side, Bastard sleeping on her lap. Tattletale and Regent were having a discussion at the top of the stairwell, while Grue and Imp were at the edge of the building. Imp sat with her legs dangling off the side of the building, while Grue showed more caution, standing a distance behind her.

You should be careful, I spoke up. If youre standing too close to the buildings edge, youre making yourself a prime target for a sniper.

You said these suits were bulletproof, Imp said. I noticed how she didnt move.

I said they might be. But judging by the fact that mine let some non-metal shotgun pellets through, I dont think theyll stop a bullet. Either way, Id really rather not start experimenting tonight.

Imp pulled herself to her feet and retreated from the edge of the building. I could feel Grues shoulders drop slightly as he relaxed.

Grue and Tattletale drifted my way, while Regent, Imp and Bitch each sort of moved to the periphery of our huddle. It was Grue who asked, You think hes going to take shots at us?

I feel exposed, I said. If he opens fire on us, are we really in a position to take cover? Or if he bombs out the first floor of the building? Or calls in the teams of heroes hes in charge of? Could we really get down?

Im not getting that vibe, Tattletale said.

But hes figured out how to trick your power, I pointed out.

Any solutions? Grue asked.

Yeah. Ive been working on one, but Im not sure itll work.

Share?

I extended one hand, and a wasp took flight, bearing a trio of spiders. It was forced to turn and fly in circles to slow its forward movement to account for the speed at which the spiders were spooling out thread. The ends of the thread were already wrapped around one of my fingers.

It took a minute before they reached the other formation that was doing the same thing. I began reeling in the thread, until Id raised a length of cord to the edge of the roof.

Bitch ventured over to see what was going on, and then spun around, No.

My first night out in costume, I got stuck on top of a building. Im not going to make the same mistake twice. We called Thomas Calvert, he agreed to meet us, but just in case he decides to level the building rather than have a conversation, I want us to have a way down.

A way down? Grue asked.

Im pretty sure I got the lengths right. I hope I got the lengths right, because I used up a lot of silk here. Eight cords, we each hold one, or tie one around our waists, and then jump off the side of the building. Swing out over the intersection.

Awesome, Imp said.

Pretty sure? Grue asked.

Pretty sure, I admitted. Ive tried to stagger it, so the silk stretches out over horizontal lines I set out between buildings, so we arent just dropping straight down to the street. But its elastic, and I cant account for how much stretch therell be in the material. Or how much stretch wont be there.

And if hes got gunmen, too? Were left there dangling out over the middle of a street?

Its one option, I said. One. Well have your darkness so they wont necessarily have clear shots.

And you have your bugs, Regent said.

Our opponent here knows exactly what we can do. Hes worked with us and observed us for weeks. Excepting Imp and I, hes worked with you guys for months. Over a year. So no, hes not going to do something like underestimate the range of my bugs. Hes going to have snipers that are just beyond my usual range and I wont be able to fight back.

Your relay bugs? Regent suggested.

Dying. But yeah, Ill bring them out. I suppose a night like tonight warrants using up the last of their reserves.

And you can fly, he said, pointing straight up, where Atlas was in the skyline, circling around a stationary Shatterbird.

I can, but Id almost rather use the cords and swing down to the street level. If Im flying and they get a lucky shot off, Im pretty fucking screwed. They hit me, Atlas wont ease me to the ground. They hit Atlas, nothing I can do to stop falling. Besides, being on the ground means I have the utility Atlas brings to the table. Being mounted on him means he and I are essentially one unit.

I think youre overthinking this, dork, Regent said.

No, Grue and I said together. Grue didnt say anything more, but I added, We plan for every possibility and were wrong? We dont lose anything. If we plan for a situation that does come up? Well be glad we did it.

Youre going to drive yourself insane worrying about it, he retorted.

If she hasnt already, I dont think she will in the next ten minutes, Tattletale said. You sense them on the ground, Skitter?

I shook my head. My powers radius is like a bubble, and the bottom end isnt covering that much ground. I should have been waiting at a spot lower in the building.

Theyre on their way up.

I could sense them as they reached the base of the building. Thomas Calvert would be the man who led the way, and the men who followed him were outfitted in PRT gear.

It took time for them to ascend. The building was only partially complete, with floors, some walls and the steel skeleton of beams with tarps stretching between them for the remainder, but no elevators.

Without discussing it, we arranged ourselves on the rooftop, preparing to meet them. I was a little surprised that Grue and Tattletale positioned themselves so they were each just a little behind me, with Imp, Bitch and Regent behind them. Bentley prowled at the perimeter of our group, three-quarters of the way to his typical monstrous size and slowly growing.

Thomas Calvert was the first to cross the threshold. Annoying that the first time I would see Coil unmasked, I would be blind. He waved one hand to brush away my bugs as they passed over him, but I managed to pick up the essential details. Close cropped, coarse hair, trimmed eyebrows, thin lips and a cleft chin. He wore the body portion of a PRT uniform with an insignia stitched onto his sleeve that I couldnt make out with my swarmsense.

Most of the squads remained below, but he was joined by a handful of soldiers and three young men in plainclothes, one of whom looked like a bodybuilder.

Yo, Frenchy, Tattletale said. Sup?

One of the uniforms nodded a slight response. Was he backed up by a PRT squad or two consisting of his hired mercenaries?

Undersiders. After your last interaction with Director Piggot, I assumed you would want to speak to me and try establishing ground rules?

We know its you, boss, Regent said.

My bugs caught the slightest exhalation from Director Calverts nostrils, a minor expression of annoyance. The Travelers were a little more circumspect.

Circum-what? Imp asked. I couldnt tell if she was genuinely wondering or if she was being intentionally obtuse.

Tone it down, guys, I said. Theyre the types to go after any weakness in authority figures. Theyll nettle him until someone gets in trouble. Director Calvert. Would it be too much to ask for you to ask your squad to wait downstairs?

There was an extended pause before he offered a slight nod to one side. His squad turned to return downstairs, and I followed them as they took position by the base of the stairwell.

I asked you to stay out of costume until further notice, he spoke.

With all due respect, Director, I said. Tattletale had coached me; I would stroke his ego by reinforcing his new position. I was injured as a bystander in Coils attack. I wouldnt have been hurt if Id been costumed. Until everything cools down, I think my team and I will play it safe.

I see. I can respect that. Nothing serious?

Serious? Yes. But its nothing life threatening and nothing that cant be fixed.

Thomas Calvert reached beneath the armored panel of his vest and withdrew a small remote. He stared at it for several long seconds before putting it away. That done, he clasped his hands behind his back. It was a position that was very Coil. It was obvious and direct enough that I suspected he was dropping his Director persona and admitting his true nature. My apologies. I am not infallible.

You let a dozen or more people die and left twice that many people injured in some way. No, youre not infallible.

I kept my mouth shut.

I just checked for listening devices. You arent recording this, which means I can answer any questions you have.

How much of that was planned? I asked.

More than you might suspect. Every person in that room who was not in the audience was accounted for. Mr. Grove and Mrs. Padillo were selected and recruited well in advance. Circus and Chariot were hired nearly a year and a half ago, their actions and development in the public eye carefully orchestrated. ber and Leet were recent acquisitions. I needed a heavy metal suit that could carry a package, and Trainwreck died at an inconvenient time. Most reporters were selected and stationed well in advance, claiming the rear of the room where they would bear the brunt of the attack, so to speak.

They didnt die? I asked.

As with Circus, ber and Leet, Director Calvert nodded in the direction of the three individuals in civilian clothes.

Wait, Circus is a guy? Regent asked.

Depends on your definition of guy, Tattletale said. If youre talking biological or what Circus identifies as. Not that I have it pinned down; I cant tell if youre a guy posing as a girl when in costume or a girl who poses as a guy when in plainclothes.

Circus spat, directing a loogie to shoot a horsefly out of the air. Ill take that as a compliment, I guess.

The three of them and most of the reporters were removed from the premises in time, Coil said. The reporters, as I said, were plants. I needed news reporters in place who would be sure to catch the details I wanted them to catch. Some editing of the footage just prior to it being sent to the news stations served to smooth rough edges and highlight key points.

Making Piggot look worse, for example, Tattletale said.

Among other things. Appearances are one of the most important things, here. With Chariots help, we created a rough emulation of Tricksters power. The reporters were swapped out, a sufficient amount of raw biological matter was swapped in.

Human matter? I asked.

That is what the paperwork will say, which is the most important aspect, Director Calvert answered me. Rest assured, no serious harm was done. Circus abilities allowed us to place the knives in nonlethal areas. Better that Director Piggot looks as ineffectual as possible than simply perish. The same applies to the mayor. Thomas Grove and Mrs. Padillo will recover, but Thomas Grove will concede the election, supporting Mrs. Padillo, despite his strong showing. It will help shake the notion that things were staged.

But they were. Every part of it, Tattletale said.

Every part of it.

The bomb? I asked.

The sabotaged power supply was real, but bers metal suit housed a teleportation apparatus to detect when it was removed from the premises, so a replica could be brought into the lobby. The initial detonation was little more than light and a shockwave primed to make the most of the Manton effect, leaving my agents with little more than bruises and scratches. They were teleported out, as I already said, just before the final, true detonation. We estimated how fast the evacuation would proceed and calculated a blast radius that would leave the building standing and the crowd largely untouched.

I could remember Tattletale mentioning how there were less killed or injured than I might have thought. Had she guessed this much?

Every action Ive carried out has been carefully weighed, with attention given to the aftermath. Circus, ber and Leet will be leaving Brockton Bay with a sizable reward for their efforts. I dont expect they will need to return to a life of crime, but I believe they will use a different identity and modus operandi if they do?

Hed made it a question, and ber answered, Yes, sir. I could feel Leet and Circus nodding.

Good, Director Calvert spoke. To us, he said, It just isnt worth killing good help. Should my ultimate plans here fall through, its better to have individuals like them on reserve.

And us? Grue asked.

Your part in Brockton Bay isnt entirely over, yet. I established you here for a reason. As Director, I will lead a slow but successful campaign against Brockton Bays villains. The Travelers will be the first. I expect a strike squad of my PRT agents will catch them off guard, but they will ultimately escape capture.

How unfortunate, Tattletale said.

Indeed, Director Calvert replied. Doubly unfortunate if other villains should establish a presence in Brockton Bays south end, forming a loose alliance with the Undersiders, who maintain a firm hold on the flourishing North end. Oh, rest assured, you Undersiders will lose your hold on this city over the course of months, but it wont be quite as bad as it sounds.

Well avoid being captured, probably, Tattletale said, Or well get captured and break out before theres an issue. And then we dont come back to Brockton Bay. We wind up establishing presences in nearby cities. One or two Undersiders with a firm grip on a given city with other villains under us, establishing a new kind of villainy, and you, Director, as the valiant hero on the opposing side. Your power grows in a way the public is very much aware of, and, well, were not losing quite so much as it seems, so your power grows in other ways too.

Thomas Calvert spread his hands, It seems you have a firm grasp on whats going on. I wont waste our time reiterating. Any questions?

Why become PRT director? Grue asked. Why not mayor?

All eyes will be on the mayor after the recent fiasco. Mr. Grove will serve as a red herring, drawing all suspicious eyes to him before he defers the election to Mrs. Padillo. Besides, who would you rather rule? A dozen capes or fifty thousand unpowered civilians?

I see, Grue said.

The fear this event creates among the public will make requisitioning additional capes and resources that much easier. The remnants of Coils personal army will remain in the city, a sub-gang of highly trained individuals who will serve as an excuse for why the forces of the Undersiders do not grow beyond a certain point.

You said the Travelers will be the first to be ousted, I said. Does that mean youve found a solution to their problem?

No. But we have several last resort answers, and those will be exhausted soon.

With my bugs, I noted Tattletale making a hand gesture. Left index finger and middle finger pressed together, she tapped her thumb against the tips of the other two fingers.

Any other questions? he asked.

Dinah, I said.

Mr. Groves concession to Mrs. Padillo will involve an offer. He will push for his constituents to support Mrs. Padillo if she accepts his terms. Among these will be a restoration project for the North end, employment stimulation for the laborers and a restoration of the ferry service. In exchange for your continued cooperation, I can give you executive powers in naming the measures youd like to see pass. I am well aware of what I agreed to, but I would offer this as a compromise in exchange for a one year delay on that term of our contract.

No, I told him. Im sorry, but youve got to let her go.

Then I will. Im disappointed, but I wont have it said that Im not a man of my word.

My heart was pounding. Just like that?

Director Calvert clasped his hands in front of him, How would you have us resolve this? I can return her to her family, or pass her on to your custody.

I didnt think this far ahead. Her family, then.

Very well. With your permission, well release her to her parents, with some covert surveillance to ensure she does not reveal any details of my greater mission.

Okay.

My officer will take you to her.

I hesitated.

Your teammates can join you, if you dont feel secure.

Grue placed a hand on my shoulder.

Thank you, Director, I said. I dont mean to impugn your sense of honor, but I didnt expect this.

I have a healthy respect for paranoia, Skitter. Go. Tattletale, could I borrow a few minutes of your time? The Travelers grow anxious, and you can offer some more answers about Noelles situation.

Tattletale turned our way, Your call, guys.

Take Regent and Shatterbird with you, Grue said.

You sure?

If he respects paranoia, hell respect the fact that Im as worried for your well-being as I am for Skitters.

Aw, Tattletale gave Grue a pat on the cheek, Youre not a very good liar. I appreciate the sentiment, though.

I felt entirely out of my element. For weeks, months, Id been bracing myself to hear Coil say no. To hear him say I promised Id consider it or I promised to release her when my plan reached its conclusion, and that wont happen for another year. I didnt know what to do with my hands. If Id had pockets, Id have jammed them in there, but I didnt. My belt didnt really suit itself for me hooking my thumbs in there. I didnt even trust myself to speak, with the possibility that I could say something to ruin this.

No, it was better to be on my guard. I swept the area for threats, with bugs on every set of gloved hands and every weapon.

But the PRT uniforms climbed into their vans and the doors slammed shut.

Director Calvert stayed at the gates that marked the construction site from the roads beyond, Tattletale and Regent beside him.

In the truck, the remaining PRT officer told us.

If its alright, I said, Well ride.

He looked to Coil, who nodded.

I climbed onto Atlas, and Grue settled behind Bitch on Bentley.

It was a fifteen minute flight, following the truck, and I was on edge for every second.

We stopped outside of a brick building, and the driver of the truck stepped out. I swept the area with my bugs, then swept it again. The interior featured modest living accommodations, a squad of armed soldiers, a man who wasnt armed and a little girl.

I set Atlas down and waited outside, bugs poised to attack. The door opened, and the soldiers stepped out, parting to let Dinah go free.

The little girl stepped out, hesitant, then stopped. Nothing gave me any indication that she was unhealthy or hurt, but she wasnt lively either. She was dressed in a skirt, sweater and uggs, her hair thick with chemical smells that told me it had been recently washed.

Want to go home? I asked. I reached out.

Her hand found mine, and I clutched it tight.

Couldnt leave on Atlas. I turned, and she stepped to follow.

Through my bugs, I could feel the thrum of the truck as it started up, I could feel the mild heat and see the flare of light as the highbeams shifted on. If I could see, they would have been blinding.

I tried to squeeze Dinahs hand, to reassure her, and found myself clenching an empty fist.

My bugs werent where they were supposed to be. I was momentarily disoriented as I tried to map my surroundings. When I felt hardwood beneath my feet, I scattered the bugs from beneath my costume. Containment foam, all around me. Id been teleported.

And Calvert. Calvert and a squad of his people.

You bastard, I said.

There was no response. I could feel how his arm was outstretched, sense the general shape of the weapon in his hand. The others had weapons too. I could attack, but it would only make them open fire.

No monologue? I asked, Youre not going to explain how you did it? How youre going to deal with my teammates or explain what happened to me?

He answered with a pull of the trigger.