Now alone with me, Ecto adjusted the screens to his liking. The main video feed was trained on the portal at Boundary Bay, but other screens showed footage of Angelina, Heidi, and Sarah live as they flew through the rain, though Nep was conspicuously absent. In the sub-displays, I could see little vantages from all around the city, snippets of the streets and roads and daily goings-on of people unaware of the imminent disaster.

The waters stirred again. Though the nursery’s entrance was closed, huge waves emanated from the centre, rippling out and splashing high against the shores of the bay. On the side cameras, it was clear that Heidi and Sarah had noticed the movement, video feed following them as they hurried towards the crashing waves.

This was all her fault. She’d tricked me. How easily those words had fallen away when push came to shove. She hated Ecto? She didn’t want this? And yet she’d tied me up here, listened to his every command, left me here to die. And now I was watching as Ecto unveiled his master plan.

But maybe, just maybe, I could distract him. Maybe I could... escape? And then what? Return to Sanctuary 73? Get grounded again? Still... it wasn’t like I had anything better to do. “The video is from the pigeons?” I asked.

Ecto nodded. “For you. I, of course, can simply see what it sees. But it’s been converted to a form that you can understand.”

“Seems an awful lot of work just to show off to your enemies.”

“I like showing off. Perhaps it’s my flaw.”

It sure seemed like it. He hadn’t noticed the blade poking out of my palm. Slowly, carefully, I let it shimmy out. Just the blade would be enough to cut the restraints and get me free. After... after getting out of here, I’d be able to think of something.

On-screen, the water parted. Deep cracks split the seafloor, sending the water rushing into a whirlpool, thundering down into the gaps. Steam hissed as it reached the heat within and vaporized, casting a mist over the area.

I could feel the serrated edge of the blade poking against my carapace and tried to twist my arm enough to get it against the fabric. Just a little further...

Heidi and Sarah were approaching the waters, the cameras following them merging with the main feed as they reached the bay. By this point the people who were still out in the rain had scattered, running inland from what they must have assumed was a freak storm surge or tornado. Between the steam and surf, black tendrils reached out into the sky, much as I’d seen before.

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“Watch,” he said.

“I’m watching.” I felt the edge catch on my restraints, the blade slowly cutting through them.

Following the black tendrils were white blades that pierced the water’s surface, glistening, crystalline. Ice. As the Echo broke the water’s surface, it became clear just how large it was. A huge mass of obsidian, covered in smooth but sharp edges, giving off steam as it rose up and up out of the water. Pillar-like legs thundered with each step towards the shoreline.

“It’s an elephant,” I said.

“Correction,” he shouted. “It’s a mammoth.” He cackled as more echoes began to emerge from the water, swimming to shore. Heidi and Sarah zipped around them, doing what they could, but there was little they could do alone against such numbers.

My blade cut through the last strips of fabric. Now freed, I carefully moved my hands, slowly so as not to draw his attention. The glaive slipped out of my palm and into my grip just as I swung around to slash. Glass shattered. Vespa was free. Hooray. I already dreaded the coming lecture. But for now, she was oddly silent.

He stepped out of the way. “Oops.” He seemed completely unconcerned about my weapon and freedom. Taller than ever, his skin tinged bluish, he only smiled. “I guess that’s my cue to go.” A gust of wind blew the windows open. The blinds rattled as he dove through down into the streets.

Go? Where do you think you’re going?” My wings burst to life and I flew after him.

Where had he gone? I dove out the window but was blinded by the snow. Snow? The sudden cold and bright reflections sent me hurtling to the ground. I fell into a snowbank. How could there be snow? The torrential rain had stopped, replaced by a blizzard howling outside. The ground was icy. The streets were filled with Echoes, a myriad of strange, rocky forms swarming about and destroying everything in sight. Cars screeched on the ice to avoid them, drivers panicking and pedestrians scattering in confusion. But standing still, at the end of the street, stood Ecto, wearing a white suit, his icy demeanour matching his surroundings perfectly. Behind him, the mammoth Echo stood, four stories tall and towering over the street. It picked him up with his trunk and set him on its head before vanishing into the storm.

“This might be a problem,” said Vespa, helpful as always.

I crawled around in the snow, trying to find my bearings. The city I knew had been swallowed up by snow and ice, and it was cold. So cold. I felt the wind cut through my exoskeleton, threatening to lock my muscles in place. My carapace cracked and shattered, my human body breaking free. I was only wearing a thin jacket, but at least I could move. I blew into my hands to warm them, already feeling numbness creeping into my fingers and toes. I had to get somewhere warm, and soon.

It was a long crawl back to Sanctuary 73.