Many thanks to Assembler, themanwhowas, skyrunner, and BeaconHill for betareading.

Many thanks to MugaSofer for fact checking.

Flicker 8.4

I stared down into the empty Jewelry Box in my hands. My body was slumped against the brick wall behind me. I wasn't sure my legs would carry me now.

The Box rattled slightly in my shaking hands. The world around me was a flurry of activity. PRT officers were running around, shouting, getting in and out of vans, trying to salvage the situation, even as a few continued processing enthralled civilians.

"Annatar," Sophia murmured beside me. "Are you okay?"

"It's gone," I mumbled. I could barely hear my own voice. "Narya's gone."

She reached out and gingerly closed the empty Jewelry Box. Her hand lingered on its lid. "We'll get it back," she said. "I promise."

The Box fell from my nerveless fingers with a clatter. My hands dropped to my sides as I raised my head to look up at the sky. The first stars were just starting to peek out from behind the haze and smog. The last light of the sunset was painting the world like a coating of liquid gold.

"The sun is setting," I murmured. "It's going to be a long night."

Sophia's hand slipped into mine and squeezed. It wasn't very effective, through my gauntlet, but I appreciated the gesture. "We'll be all right," she told me.

I squeezed back, but Vilya thrummed forebodingly on my finger, and my heart did not rest easy.

"Whoever it was got away." Armsmaster's voice broke through the haze over my mind as he turned back to me. His hand dropped from the side of his helmet. He had been speaking quietly with someone over the radio. "Annatar, can you see anything with Vilya? Panacea, are you getting anything with Nenya?"

Panacea shook her head. "Nenya's only giving me vague impressions when I search for Narya."

"Rings of Power are hidden," I said. "Even Nenya can't find Narya as easily as that, unless Narya's Bearer wants to be found. And Vilya can't see its future unless Narya's Bearer wants it to be seen."

Armsmaster's jaw worked for a moment, as though he was chewing his tongue. I got the distinct impression that he was holding back a curse.

"Do we even know who it was?" Sophia asked. "What power did they use? Did anyone recognize it?"

"No," said Armsmaster, "but I've contacted Dragon, and she has Tattletale working on it right now. We should—"

He broke off. His head turned slightly, as though he was looking at something in the periphery of his vision. "Okay," he said. "Tattletale believes the culprit to be one of the Travelers."

"Aegis mentioned them," Clockblocker said. "They were at the meeting about Bakuda. Nomadic villains, right?"

"Supposedly, but they've been in the Bay for nearly two months now. Tattletale claims they're in Coil's employ," said Armsmaster. "We'll have to launch an offensive against Coil to get Narya back, if this is true."

"Coil's been operating for years," Aegis said. "We don't have time for a protracted fight. Valefor can enthrall more people every day he's free!"

"Which is why it's important that he stay contained," Armsmaster said, tapping the side of his helmet, near his ear. "Protectorate, how is containment going?" His voice echoed in my radio as he communicated over the Protectorate/Wards public channel.

"We've secured the location Dragon pointed to on the west side," came Miss Militia's voice. "Assault and I are in position to intervene if Valefor and Eligos make an attempt to escape their shelter."

"Good. And the north side?"

"Velocity here. Battery, Triumph and I are in position. We've secured the north exit from the shelter."

"Good. I've got the south exit under control, and Dragon will come reinforce me here as soon as she and Tattletale are finished." Armsmaster turned to us. "Wards, you should all get back to base. We can secure the area from here."

"Yes, sir," said Aegis. He turned to me and Sophia, then hesitated. "Shadow Stalker…" he sighed. "Just help her."

Sophia nodded beside me. "Come on, Annatar," she said gently. "Let's get back home."

I swallowed and realized that I was shaking, and had been for quite some time. I forced myself to fall still. "I'm okay," I said. "I'm fine."

She looked at me. I couldn't see her face under her mask. "I know," she said. "Come on." She pulled me into a van by the hand, sat me down in a seat, and held the door open for Panacea.

"I knew this might happen," I said quietly. "I knew, and I didn't—I should have done more to protect them. Narya."

"Hindsight's 20/20," said Sophia, her eyes on me as she held the door open for Clockblocker. "Don't beat yourself up over it."

I stared at her. "A villain has a Ring of Power," I said hoarsely. "And it's my fault."

She shut the door and turned to me. "No, it isn't," she said. "It's theirs. Maybe you could have done better. So could everyone. That doesn't make it all your fault." She sighed and shook her head. "You're shivering."

I forced myself to grow still again. "I'm fine."

She looked at me doubtfully, then sighed. "Okay, I'll take your word for it. Just… take care of yourself, Taylor. We have time."

"How much time?" I asked. My chest felt tight, my lungs didn't seem to want to inflate properly. I looked down at the floor. "How long do we have, until Coil learns to use Narya properly? How long until he rallies an army to his cause? How long until we're embroiled in a war, Ring-Bearer on Ring-Bearer? How long—"

Then Sophia's arms were around me, pulling me close. "Long enough," she said.

"So," Piggot said grimly. "Coil has Narya, and we don't have a way to counter master effects."

"I'm sorry," I said. My voice sounded weak, like a child's, even in my own ears.

Piggot didn't reply. She just closed her eyes and rubbed at her temples.

"If it helps," said Sophia, "We're all basically immune to master effects. It'll take a lot more than Valefor to break any of us."

"We, as in Annatar's Ring-Bearers," Piggot grunted without looking up.

"Yes."

"Yes, ma'am," Piggot corrected, looking up at Sophia for a moment before turning back to me. She just watched me for a moment before speaking. "You look pale."

"I'm fine."

"She's in shock," said Sophia beside me. "She needs to rest."

Piggot sighed and nodded. "Even you're human, I guess," she said dryly. "Okay. We need you on alert, so I don't think I can send you home, but I order you to get some rest. Shadow Stalker, see to it that she does."

"Yes, Ma'am," said Sophia gratefully.

I gritted my teeth for a moment. Narya is gone, in the hands of the enemy, a madman is running amok in my city, people are being imprisoned to keep them from triggering compulsions, and you want me to get bedrest?

There was a rattling in my ears. I looked down. My hands were shaking. Slowly, I forced them to still. I clenched my fists once, and then released them. "Okay," I said. "All right. Lead the way."

Sophia led me back down to the Wards HQ. The others were all there. The door to the console room hung open, and Carlos was at the seat, his headset askew so that one ear was free to hear the rest of us.

Everyone was looking at us when the elevator door opened. I had the distinct impression that they had been talking about me.

Sophia nudged me. "Get out of that armor," she said. "Clear off the couch, everyone. Taylor needs to lie down. Director's orders."

"Shock?" Amy asked. "I might be able to help."

"Please," I said. "We don't have time to waste."

"We also don't know what to do," Carlos told me. "We know where Valefor is, but we haven't even been able to confirm that he and Eligos are the only capes they have, let alone how many hostages they might have. We have no idea where Coil or the Travelers are, except that they're probably south of Downtown. And we don't have the manpower to mount a search."

"Finding Narya is important," I said furiously. "More important than making sure we have an army at the perimeter—"

"We don't have an army," said Aegis grimly. "I don't think you get it, Annatar. When Valefor crashed your van on the way to the fight, earlier, he crashed almost every PRT van we had in the field. Almost a third of the local PRT's field personnel were either killed or put out of action in about a minute."

I stared at him. Swallowed. "I didn't realize it was that bad," I said.

"Can we stop," said Sophia forcefully, "stressing Taylor out before Amy's either healed her or she's had some sleep? Please?"

"Thank you, Sophia," said Amy. "Get your armor off and then come lie down, Taylor."

I allowed myself to be led to a changing room. I was left alone for a minute to change, and then brought over to the couch. Amy laid me down and set her hand on my cheek. "This won't take long," she promised.

It was true. Almost at once, I started to feel better. The cold, clammy feeling that had been encroaching upon me for the past hour faded. The fog that seemed to fill my head dissipated, and with it the faint beginnings of a headache I'd been feeling.

"You're a little dehydrated," said Amy absently, her eyes closed. "Get some water once I'm done."

"Okay," I said. "Thank you, Amy."

"Don't mention it. I'd rather fix shock than a gunshot wound any day." She pulled her hand away. "You should be better now. Go grab a drink, and then we can talk plans."

I nodded and stood up. As I crossed the room towards the sink, I heard Carlos' voice at the console. "Wards are all back at HQ, Ma'am. Panacea just cured Annatar's shock. We're ready if you need us."

"What's going on?" I called back to him as I filled a glass.

"All the ongoing hero operations are checking in," Aegis said. "Standard M/S procedure."

"Can you put it on speakers?"

A moment later, Armsmaster's voice filled the room. "Dragon and I have the south side of the perimeter under control. Tattletale was escorted to a rendezvous with Faultline. They're open to assisting with the Fallen, if we hire them."

"Good." That was Piggot. "We'll probably do that. I'll try to negotiate terms with them as soon as I have a minute. West perimeter, check in."

"Miss Militia here. Assault and I have control of this sector. We've isolated the locations Dragon marked. M/S procedures are unbroken."

"Good. North side, check in."

There was silence.

"North side?" Armsmaster's voice was sharp. "Velocity, Battery, Triumph. Report in!"

"Wards console, I've granted you access to Protectorate helmet cams," said Piggot. "Access Battery's helmet feed now."

Aegis fiddled with the console. "Working on it, Ma'am."

Soon an image appeared on one of the screens. The night sky twinkled merrily above the discarded camera. There was no moon tonight.

"Ma'am, this camera was removed. Battery isn't wearing it."

"The sun has set," I found myself murmuring.

A couple of the other Wards looked at me. Their faces were pale.

"What's happening?" Vista asked softly.

"Aegis." It was Amy speaking. Her eyes were downcast, and a curtain of mousy hair hid her face from view. "Call a master/stranger alert. Now."

He glanced back at her. "Did Valefor break through?"

She shook her head.

"What the hell is happening, boss?" That was Assault's voice. I hadn't spoken to him often, but I didn't need to know him well to recognize the fear in his voice, sharp and deep. "Where's Battery? What's happened?"

"The north side perimeter has been compromised." Armsmaster said grimly. "I'm ordering an increase in M/S threat level."

"We need to call everyone back," said Panacea, looking up. Her face was practically grey, so pale had it become. "We need to call them back now."

"What is it?" Aegis said sharply. "I need a reason, Amy! I need to know what's happening!"

Vilya was cold on my finger. A long, dark night was ahead.

Amy swallowed. "It's not Valefor," she said hoarsely. "It's Heartbreaker."