Skitter's throne room had been built with intimidation in mind. The dim lighting, lamps in the terrariums barely fighting the gloom. The shadows of bugs danced around the walls where those lights cast them. It occupied the entire floor, spreading wide to make anyone who came in feel small by comparison. At the end of a long carpet was the sole chair in the room, and its sole occupant.

  It had been a while since I'd seen Skitter in any kind of friendly way. Whatever warm feelings had been transferred via the other's memories were burned away by betrayals, fights, even just interacting with her on truce terms. Looking at her on a dark throne, one leg crossed over the other, totally at ease, I sure didn't find any more.

  But I was here for a reason. Whether I liked her or not, whether she was a warlord or not, I had to prevent the future disaster from unfolding. It was probably going to cost my career, which sucked. Though technically I wasn't breaching any secrecy shit by doing this, since as far as I and the PRT knew I had no idea about any ops tomorrow, but that wouldn't matter to a review panel. Still, in for a penny... I took a deep breath and walked up the carpet towards Skitter.

  “Stop,” she barked. I took a step more, then did. “You said you had information.”

  “I do,” I replied, trying to steady my voice. “And it's vital you believe it, your life sort of hinges on it.” The bugs in the room hummed and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

  “Is that a threat?” Skitter droned.

  “Is it a threat when the smoke alarm goes off for a fire?” I countered. “You've done a lot of stupid shit Skitter, but you're not an idiot. This is a warning to prevent something from happening, not tell you to pay your protection money.”

  “So talk,” she snapped. “I don't have time for a bunch of cryptic bullshit.”

  “Okay. The Protectorate is going arrest you at school tomorrow, as Taylor Hebert.”

  The room went black, and I stood as still as I could while her swarm poured over me. I could feel bites and stings fail to get through my projection, and made damn sure to keep my mouth shut. I probably could have worded that better, in hindsight. Maybe come up with a way to say it that wouldn't make her freak out. I rapidly vibrated my projection around my body, shaking off some of the bugs clinging to me.

  “Let me talk,” I said, before clamping my mouth shut and standing still again. The bugs around my mouth and eyes cleared, and I flinched back as I saw Skitter's knife an inch from my eye.

  “Thirty seconds before I see how well my bugs can keep you quiet, permanently.” I swallowed.

  “This is gonna take more than thirty seconds,” I snapped. “Fuck, listen, I didn't ask to have your identity jammed into my prefrontal cortex like an awl. Can you at least take the knife away? You can't hurt me but it makes me nervous.” After a few seconds, she did. “Thank you.”

  “Talk.” Skitter growled.

  “I don't have a perfect picture,” I explained quickly. “Call me a precog, or something like it. But Greg Veder ties you, Skitter, and his classmate, Taylor Hebert, together. Then you go to school to stop him from blabbing about whatever and the heroes try to arrest you. I'd rather not have a confrontation between the heroes and the worst warlord in the bay happening on the first day of class.” She stared at me silently for a minute.

  “Greg Veder?” I groaned.

  “Look I don't know him either, I just know it's him.” I swallowed against my dry throat. “But you can't go to school tomorrow, okay?”

  “How does the Protectorate know my identity?” Skitter demanded. “And how do you know...all of this?”

  “I don't know and...” I sighed. “I don't know, not exactly. But I remember some things that haven't happened yet and I don't want to happen. I'm sorry Skitter, I won't say a word about your identity but I can't really help knowing.”

  “You'd better not,” she said, raising the knife again. “I don't know who you are, but my people will find you, and we'll make damn sure you don't talk.” I stared at her quietly for a moment, then shook off her swarm with my projection.

  “You're right, you don't know who I am. That's...” I bit the inside of my cheek. Why was I even considering this? Because she had to take this as seriously as I was. “That's not fair, so.” I pulled down my mask, heart pounding in my chest. I shook off her swarm again, then unzipped the jacket of my track suit and dumped it on the ground. “Now, you know me.”

  “Amaranth,” Skitter snapped, knife and baton both in hand now. “I thought it might have been you, since my bugs couldn't bite.”

  “Call me Lia,” I said with a cottony tongue. “And now we're on a level playing field. Don't go to school tomorrow Skitter. I'm sticking my neck out for you because I think their plan is absolutely fucked, and if I was me...I don't know what I'd do and-- put your fucking weapons away dipshit I'm not here to fight.”

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  “How do I know I can trust you?” I felt my eye twitch.

  “Sorry, a Ward comes into your lair, tells you you're going to be arrested and unmasked tomorrow, then unmasks to you, and you want to know if she can be trusted.” I shook my head. “Jesus fuck, you're going to make me regret this, aren't you? You can trust me because now you know who I am. And don't tell Tattletale, would you? God only knows what she'd do with it.”

  “How do I know you didn't inform the Protectorate?” Skitter barked. “You said you already knew, you could have passed the information along before coming here.”

  “If that's what you want to believe, I don't give a shit. Just don't show up for school tomorrow.” I snapped my fingers. “Oh, and tell me what Greg looks like. Don't know the guy personally, but I'll make sure he doesn't get too chatty either.”

  “I can handle that.”

  “You can handle staying the fuck home,” I growled. “Because they're looking for you, he's looking for you. No one will even notice me, until I make them. Skitter I get it, I'm your enemy and can't be trusted. But we've worked together before, when we've had to; if you're worried about me, at least trust that I stick to truces.” She studied me silently for a moment.

  “You're different,” Skitter said at last.

  “People keep telling me that,” I replied, a little irritated, then sighed. “I don't know, I guess they're right in a way.”

  “I mean from the other heroes,” she clarified. “When we were fighting the Nine, you convinced Panacea--”

  “Amy.”

  “You convinced Amy to help. You gave us information we needed to take on the Siberian. You argued for us against the Protectorate.” She cocked her head. “Tattletale said she couldn't make heads or tails of your motivation, beyond you liking Amy. Frankly, I can't either.”

  “Well, now you know how the heroes feel about you,” I retorted. “I'm not here to join you, in fact when we finally counter attack I really hope I get to take you down myself. But there's a right way and a wrong way to do things, and what I know they're going to do...it's wrong.”

  “A lot of the things heroes do are wrong,” Skitter said flatly. “You think the way they dealt with the Nine was right? Turning part of the city into a uninhabitable, radioactive wasteland? You said you know what they're doing is wrong, why not make the right choice?” I snorted.

  “That's why I'm here,” I countered. “Joining you though? Yeah, the heroes might be bad Skitter, but they're nowhere near you and your Undersiders.”

  “We're helping rebuild the city.”

  “Only the parts you control.” I stared at one of the terrariums. “Had to walk through no man's land to get here you know? Lots of people just outside your territory are suffering, and because it's so close the crews won't come. And yeah, I saw you've got your own, but like I said: outside your territory.” I sighed. “I asked you a while ago where this road ends. Now that Coil's dead and Dinah's rescued, do you have an answer?”

  “We still need to beat the new gangs coming into town,” she said tersely. “The Fallen, the Teeth, and more after them. The Protectorate can't do it, they're falling apart right now, so we need to step in and--”

  “And what, Skitter?” I demanded. “Then you'll need to cement your hold on power to provide for 'your' people, since we still can't send aid here. You're going to need money, since your boss is dead, and it's not like you can flip burgers at Fugly Bob's can you? And god only knows where that'll come from, probably not stock and bonds, hm?”

  “And what would you suggest?” she bristled. “Sit by and do nothing while people get hurt by villains worse than us? Would you rather we not help people where we can?”

  “I'd rather you turns yourself in,” I snapped. “We've fought enough that I know I don't enjoy being piled by bugs.”

  “So you want me to abandon the good work I've done here?”

  “I want my fucking home back!” She started. “All this fucking bullshit needs to end, and it fucking won't until you stop.” I shook my head viciously. “Whatever. You have your warning Skitter, now tell me what Greg looks like so I can fuck off and get back to trying to keep the peace.”

  “You know,” Skitter said thoughtfully. “We're not that different.” I felt my eye twitch.

  “Don't bullshit to try and get me on your side,” I bit out through clenched teeth. “You're a villain, Skitter, and I don't want to be. This isn't a favour to you, I'm doing this for everyone.”

  “Fine,” she said, shaking her head. “Don't blame me when they throw you out and you have nowhere to go. Greg's a little shorter than I am, blonde. Last time I saw him he had a bowl cut.”

  “What, like a five-year-old?” I scoffed. “Okay, well, shouldn't be too hard to find him. What year?”

  “Freshman,” she replied. “Don't hurt him.”

  “What?” I glared. “Why the fuck would I do that? I'm not a villain, I'm just going to make sure he understands why you shouldn't pry into a warlord's identity and definitely shouldn't talk about it.”

  “Okay.” A beat. “Thank you.”

  “Yeah, whatever,” I grumbled, pulling my mask back on and retrieving my jacket. A moment later, I was disguised again. “Try and remember, if you don't know that what you're doing is the right thing, you can just stop.”

  “I'll keep that in mind.” Yeah, sure. “I...won't out you to my team.”

  “That's the least you can do,” I said, turning around. “Goodbye Skitter.”

  I left her headquarters and headed back up the roads towards home. The sun had set while I'd been talking, leaving the streets dark and uninviting. Despite my near-perfect shield, it made my heart beat a little faster. I removed my mask once I'd left Skitter's territory and changed direction, heading west first; didn't want to be caught coming back from her place.

  With a small detour to get around a checkpoint, I was back inside the Blue Zone. Again I was struck by the contrast with the city just outside. I knew Skitter and her gang were partly responsible, but I couldn't help a note of resentment growing in my chest. Standing down while the villains dug in, even if it was for a monumentally stupid operation like arresting Taylor, helped nobody.

  I slipped back through the connector and into the Ward quarters, returned like I'd never left. I sighed and sat heavily on my bed, stomach churning. Talking to Skitter got to me, she seemed so fucking earnest. I knew what she did, what she would do, and what it cost. Despite that, seeing her territory and people, I couldn't help thinking she might actually be doing some good. The heroes were too, of course, and I was part of it. But I knew we weren't doing everything we could either. I hated that, despite everything, I couldn't totally disagree with Skitter.

  I hated that I could see myself in her.