The Tick-Captain tore free of Ferra's blades with a shriek, all eight arms swinging wild at once. Its cracked clock face spun to zero, dragging the whole room toward the start of the minute.
"Intruders will be reset to the beginning of the minute," it ground out, all eight blades rising together.
Rolling his shoulders until the joints cracked, Hajin said, "Not today, tin man."
"Boss-boy, if that thing resets us I am going to be so annoyed," Rumi called from behind a pillar.
"Kill it," Didi snapped, frost already creeping across the floor, "before it counts to sixty again."
A small gold pocket watch swung from the Captain's belt, ticking in perfect time with the whole room.
"Clever, what is that thing on its belt?"
"A pocket escapement, Boss, I believe it keeps the room's minute for the whole floor," Aria said.
"Then I'm borrowing a minute."
"Kid, whatever you are about to do with that watch, please do it in one body this time," Vella drawled from the rafters.
