Page 16 of Archenemies

“Do you think that would be best?” he asked.

“It would be easiest,” Max said. “Also… highly disappointing.”

The corner of Adrian’s mouth twitched. “That would be the worst thing of all.”

Max sighed. “No Sentinel, no patrol… you’re going to be so bored.”

Adrian cast him a weak smile. “That’s not entirely true. I have… some idea of how to fill my time.” At Max’s curious expression, he leaned closer to the glass. “There are still three Anarchists out there, right? Queen Bee, Cyanide, and Phobia. I may not be on the officialinvestigation team, but with all this free time, I figured maybe I could do a bit of side research.”

“Have the patrols found anything since they abandoned the subway tunnels?”

He shook his head. “No. But they’re out there somewhere.”

And with the Nightmare investigation gone cold—what with her probable death and all—he needed a new direction if he was ever going to find his mother’s killer. The Anarchists were his best hope for bringing the murderer to justice.

Adrian’s wristband chimed with an incoming message. He tapped the screen and Oscar’s text started to scrawl around his arm.

Ruby just got released from med-wing. Heading to meeting room. Any word from Nova?

“I have to get going,” said Adrian. “The Council called everyone in for a big meeting this morning. You don’t happen to know what it’s about, do you?”

Max’s expression turned strangely vacant. “I might,” he said.

“Oh?”

Max shook his head. “I might be wrong. I don’t know. Come tell me when it’s over, okay?”

“Can do.” Adrian pulled a new marker from his back pocket—a replacement for the one that had fallen into the river—and sketched an earthworm onto the glass wall. He pushed it through, sending the wriggling creature into Max’s open palm. “A snack for Turbo when he wakes up.”

***

HE FOUNDOSCAR,Ruby, and Danna in the hall outside the grand meeting room. “You’re free,” he said, beaming.

“I know!” said Ruby, throwing her arms gleefully into the air. “I should have gone home yesterday, but there’s that antiquated twenty-four-hour waiting period. I don’t understand why the healers think they know how our powers work better than we do. My grandma was worried sick.”

“Well, you look good,” said Adrian, inspecting the place where Ruby’s leg had been covered in bloodstones last time he’d seen her. Though she was wearing denim shorts, there was no longer any sign of her wounds. Not even bandages, for that matter. “Being covered in vicious rock formations is cool and all, but I prefer you without.”

“Aw, you’re making me blush,” said Ruby, though one look at her freckled cheeks proved that he definitely wasn’t.

Danna, on the other hand, kept flinching when she moved, and he could detect a white bandage peeking out of her sleeve.

“I don’t want your pity,” said Danna before Adrian could say anything. “I’m actually becoming fond of the covered-in-bandages look. It’s like a fashion statement.”

“Is the statement that you’re a total badass?” asked Oscar.

“Do you even have to ask?” she said, grinning at him. “Anyway, the cuts were deep and not all of them were clean, but another couple of days and I’ll be fine. Besides, those injuries were nothing compared with the burns from the Sentinel.”

Adrian winced and immediately hoped that no one had noticed.

It occurred to him that the strangest thing about seeing his teammates right then wasn’t the fact that their severe wounds were nearly gone—the Renegades kept the best prodigy healers in the world on staff—but that they were all wearing civilian clothing. Even Oscar was in a vest and dress shirt, his sleeves cuffed at his forearms.

Together they seemed almost… normal. It was actually kind of nice, for a change.

“Oh! Before I forget…” Ruby pulled a handful of cards from a pocket. “You’re all invited.”

Adrian took the card from her and flipped it over. It was an announcement for the annual Sidekick Olympics happening that weekend at City Park.

“Sidekick Olympics, awesome,” said Oscar. “I’ve been thinking the superhero gig has gotten to be too much pressure. A sidekick role sounds much more laid-back.”

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