Legato is human.

He is a crazy superpowerful human!

Knives plucks the memory of the Nebraska family right out of Zash's mind to show it to him.

...they... weren't... as bad as Legato...

The downside of arguing at the speed of thought is that she can’t help but think arguments that are counterproductive. Like ‘the bomber might have been.’

And meanwhile in boring meatspace, there is still a child standing in front of Zash. Expectantly.

He pokes the distracted gunslinger.

Zash blinks and lowers his eyes to Tonis again. "Tonis, kiddo, I, uh, I'll get you the net later but right now it is very very very important that you do that thing we practised and you go to the fortified building, okay?"

[I'm gonna go find Morgan and mobilise the Jeneorans for... whatever may be coming]

[and Knives? fuck you. we will get rid of you, and you won't be missed.]

Knives does not dignify that with a response.

Tonis pouts, but fine. Going to the fortified building. But he expects his net eventually! His mama taught him all about making sure you are paid fairly.

Morgan finds him first, or to be more precise, she calls him over the radio.

"Heeeeeeey super sentry on duty here, so I don't have a procedure for 'mass of starving refugees,' and it looks like that's what we're in for, help???"

"—wait, what? Where? How many? How far?"

"A little over a mile out, to the east. Numbers in the... hundreds? Probably?? It might also be cover for other stuff, but knowing Legato, he's using real actual people as cover for his bullshit, so. Just expect that those are real starving refugees that have been told we are the magic ticket to saving them all."

"...six plants should be able to deal with that many. We'll need to tell the Jeneorans but it's doable. So what's Legato's game?"

"They've got six plants, that can cover a looooot of humans, even if they're really hungry. How's that gonna do anything?"

"It would, if the humans behaved as worms, and arranged themselves in an orderly fashion to make sure everyone got their fair share," agrees Legato. "But they're humans. They're afraid that at any minute, their hope is going to be snatched away from them, or someone else will ruin it for them, and that there's only enough room for them, and their people."

"Besides. You don't think it's going to just be the one group of refugees, do you? Come now, Zazi, this first group is just the beginning. And, well. They don't yet know they're dealing with Zash the Stampede, do they?" He checks a small nearby device. "Oh, no. My mistake. Six sets of city authorities have been informed."