straight

at

Shell

Bell.

"Yeah," says Shell Bell, expression set. "Yeah. I do."

"You wanna share that shit with the class?"

"It was designed to work with as few as four of us, so with seven, I'll stay solo hanging out here in case something goes wrong, and the rest of you can pair off. One pair to scope out Upside because we don't know anything about it. Angela will stand out least there, I think, she's been historically harmless by their standards. Someone should visit some of the Downsiders for advice on how to present the takeover to the residents, and also make the wishes we know need making - nix torturer's control, first of all. Both of those groups should also install eyes-for-Jane as they go so she can reach in. And someone should go - cloaked as all get out - and spy on the administration."

"Upside. All right. Who's with me?"

"I'll take it."

"I'll check out Downside."

"Me too."

"Leaves me and Amariah spying on the admin, all right," says Aegis.

"And the ones who can't link are with ones who can, good, and are we all caught up on our stacks of standard powers, what else do we need to be cloaking against on Team Admin?"

"It's probably best to assume the admin has all the various powers that are assigned to anyone in Downside ever - control, immunity to same, seeing your history at a glance. Language-imprinting, if that matters. And probably a few other things up her sleeve. Maybe walk into my apartment, first, and then wish directly to be imperceptible to her."

"What does our bailout plan look like?" asks Aegis.

"If somebody goes off the grid, Jane tries first, and if she can't get whoever it is I lean into my apartment, I wish you out - with an arrow, if I have to - we all bail, and we regroup and figure out what went wrong."

"I've got four arrows. What about the rest of you?"

"Haven't gotten around to trying yet."

"Didn't even know they were a thing until recently."

"Nothing since the batch Shell Bell took."

"Don't look at me."

"Me and Sue are brand-new to this, so obviously no."

"I've got the original set of five. Let's every Bell but me have one and I'll have three because I'm anchor?" [Mine're safe,] she adds to Bells only.

Consensus is immediate; arrows - and evils - are distributed until everyone has the correct number.

"Do any of us want to stop and pick up any of our staff before charging in, or is it just going to be us seven and Sue - plus Jane and Jarvis and Juliet's Tony? I'm somewhat considering Nathan. Possibly also the Joker."