A hand reaches out of the shadows beneath the table and he grabs it, pulled through. Century curses, hitting the shadow just as the portal closes.
“We just showed him our ace,” Negatia says. “You meant for that to happen, didn’t you?”
“Of course I did,” Mastermental says. “Now, we sit back and see how he plays it out.”
“I won’t lie, this stuff gives me the chills,” Century says, staring at the syringe with fascination.
“It won’t work on you without the power blocking gun shutting down your abilities first,” Mastermental says, waving it off. “Now clean up there and return to your base. He’s going to go after you, first, I think.”
“I know,” Century says. “I’ve got Nico working on it.” He stands, digging out a wad of cash and tossing it onto the table before walking away. Once outside he taps the building’s door and time jerks back into motion. He’s long gone by the time the waitress realizes the table she’d been serving is now empty.
***
As soon as I take a super quick shower and get dressed I head to the science lab where Nico works. I need to tell him about Shadowman’s visit, but I can’t say anything. He’s got holograms open so they surround him, and is moving so fast that he looks like a blur. It looks like he’s a conductor, running a symphony in fast-forward. There’s no sound, but each of the screens light up as he motions to them, flashing from red to green, only to go red again a second later.
This has to be a technopath war, I realize, watching in stunned awe. Another hologram appears, making me jump back as it takes my place. It flashes quickly and I see code crossing the screen. “Rocco,” Nico says, alerting me to the fact that he knows I’m here, “get Zoe.”
“Sure, boss,” I say, disappearing through the shadows. I appear behind Zoe a second later. “Your dad wants you,” I say as she glances up. I drag her through the shadows and back to his office. She blinks for a moment, and I can practically see her mind rushing.
“On it,” she says, heading into the mess of holograms. I watch, silently, as the two start working back to back. Soon the red lights are STAYING green. Whoever is on the attack is getting shut out, and fast.
“A false front?” Zoe asks, starting to laugh.
“Why not?” Nico says. “With you doing the shutting down, it gave me plenty of time.” They turn, bumping knuckles with matching evil grins. “He’ll figure it out soon, though, so don’t let your guard down.”
“On it,” Zoe says, her eyes going back to the holograms. “Does he know there are two of us?” she asks.
“No, and we’re going to keep it that way,” Nico says, watching his side of the holograms with a hint of amusement. “Thanks, Rocco,” he adds. “I appreciate your speed. You can go back to class, now.”
“Actually I can’t—I have something to tell you,” I say. “Herold knows about me, well, maybe.”
Nico looks over, raising an eyebrow. “Go on.”
“Shadowman appeared at the force field in the Shadowlands,” I say. “He says that Herold wants him to bring me to him. He’s got me coming out of the shadows on film thanks to the Anti-Super meeting. He thinks it might be Skye that did it, but he’s still after me.”
“Makes sense, so is Shadowman going to kidnap you?”
“That’s his father!” Zoe protests. “Shadowman might be evil, but even HE wouldn’t throw his own son under the bus!”
“Actually, after thinking about it, he said it might be a good way to make him look good,” I say dryly. “You know, bring me in, let you guys come in and save me. Especially when he found out I was going to debut.”
“And how did he find that out?” Nico asks.
“He caught me running around looking crispy,” I say.
“I see. Well… why not?” he says after a moment of thought. “I don’t trust Shadowman, but that doesn’t mean we can’t use him. Tell him that as soon as the debut is over, he
“We just showed him our ace,” Negatia says. “You meant for that to happen, didn’t you?”
“Of course I did,” Mastermental says. “Now, we sit back and see how he plays it out.”
“I won’t lie, this stuff gives me the chills,” Century says, staring at the syringe with fascination.
“It won’t work on you without the power blocking gun shutting down your abilities first,” Mastermental says, waving it off. “Now clean up there and return to your base. He’s going to go after you, first, I think.”
“I know,” Century says. “I’ve got Nico working on it.” He stands, digging out a wad of cash and tossing it onto the table before walking away. Once outside he taps the building’s door and time jerks back into motion. He’s long gone by the time the waitress realizes the table she’d been serving is now empty.
***
As soon as I take a super quick shower and get dressed I head to the science lab where Nico works. I need to tell him about Shadowman’s visit, but I can’t say anything. He’s got holograms open so they surround him, and is moving so fast that he looks like a blur. It looks like he’s a conductor, running a symphony in fast-forward. There’s no sound, but each of the screens light up as he motions to them, flashing from red to green, only to go red again a second later.
This has to be a technopath war, I realize, watching in stunned awe. Another hologram appears, making me jump back as it takes my place. It flashes quickly and I see code crossing the screen. “Rocco,” Nico says, alerting me to the fact that he knows I’m here, “get Zoe.”
“Sure, boss,” I say, disappearing through the shadows. I appear behind Zoe a second later. “Your dad wants you,” I say as she glances up. I drag her through the shadows and back to his office. She blinks for a moment, and I can practically see her mind rushing.
“On it,” she says, heading into the mess of holograms. I watch, silently, as the two start working back to back. Soon the red lights are STAYING green. Whoever is on the attack is getting shut out, and fast.
“A false front?” Zoe asks, starting to laugh.
“Why not?” Nico says. “With you doing the shutting down, it gave me plenty of time.” They turn, bumping knuckles with matching evil grins. “He’ll figure it out soon, though, so don’t let your guard down.”
“On it,” Zoe says, her eyes going back to the holograms. “Does he know there are two of us?” she asks.
“No, and we’re going to keep it that way,” Nico says, watching his side of the holograms with a hint of amusement. “Thanks, Rocco,” he adds. “I appreciate your speed. You can go back to class, now.”
“Actually I can’t—I have something to tell you,” I say. “Herold knows about me, well, maybe.”
Nico looks over, raising an eyebrow. “Go on.”
“Shadowman appeared at the force field in the Shadowlands,” I say. “He says that Herold wants him to bring me to him. He’s got me coming out of the shadows on film thanks to the Anti-Super meeting. He thinks it might be Skye that did it, but he’s still after me.”
“Makes sense, so is Shadowman going to kidnap you?”
“That’s his father!” Zoe protests. “Shadowman might be evil, but even HE wouldn’t throw his own son under the bus!”
“Actually, after thinking about it, he said it might be a good way to make him look good,” I say dryly. “You know, bring me in, let you guys come in and save me. Especially when he found out I was going to debut.”
“And how did he find that out?” Nico asks.
“He caught me running around looking crispy,” I say.
“I see. Well… why not?” he says after a moment of thought. “I don’t trust Shadowman, but that doesn’t mean we can’t use him. Tell him that as soon as the debut is over, he
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