Archenemies (Renegades, #2)(56)
Nova dug her fingers into her elbows. Our scientists have found …
She thought again of the criminals locked away in Cragmoor Penitentiary. How many had been used as lab rats while the scientists perfected this weapon?
Stingray lifted a finger. “What if a prodigy is cold-blooded?”
“Or doesn’t have blood at all?” added Gargoyle.
Nova squinted at him. Trevor Dunn’s—Gargoyle’s—skin might be able to mutate into rock, but she was still fairly certain he had blood. Maybe a day would come when she could test that theory …
Beside her, Danna muttered, “Or what if they don’t have a brain?”
Nova’s cheek twitched and she momentarily forgot that she was supposed to be wary of Danna.
“Those are good questions,” said Thunderbird. “There are many exceptions and unusual circumstances in the wide array of prodigies, and we will be covering those during your second training session. For today’s purposes, know that more than ninety-five percent of all prodigies will be neutralized within one minute of having the serum administered. As I said, it must enter the bloodstream, and due to its density, it will be ineffective if applied topically. You do, however, have a few options. The most obvious is through an injection directly into a vein or artery. A shot into the heart will be particularly fast-acting. You can also administer the serum through an open wound, though this may slow the process. Additionally, the serum can be taken orally, to then be absorbed into the bloodstream through the lining of the stomach. However, as we don’t expect many prodigies to willingly imbibe the serum, we don’t expect that to be a viable option in most cases.”
“What if it’s inhaled?” a girl called Silver Comet said. “Can it be made into a gas?”
“In theory, yes,” said Thunderbird. “The liquid can be vaporized and, if inhaled, will eventually reach the brain. However, it’s important to remember that we are all susceptible to the effects of Agent N as much as our enemies, and at this time we don’t have any way of protecting ourselves. Attempting to weaponize the serum with something such as, say, a gas bomb, would be too risky.”
Thunderbird put the vial of Agent N back in the case, then drew a small dart from a pouch. Nova swallowed. The dart was almost identical to the poisoned projectile she had once used to try to kill Captain Chromium. Nova’s hand went to the pen she always wore on her weaponry belt, the one she had designed a long time ago with a secret blow-dart compartment inside. She couldn’t be sure without closer inspection, but she suspected one of the Agent N darts would fit inside just right.
“Once your training is complete,” said Thunderbird, “and we have publicly unveiled Agent N, you will be outfitted with special handguns and darts like this one. Today, the darts are empty, and the guns by the practice boards”—she gestured to the firing range—“have been preloaded. Now, I’ll have everyone pick a—”
“I have a question,” said Nova.
Thunderbird nodded at her. “Go ahead.”
“Will there be consequences for Renegades who abuse Agent N?”
“Abuse?”
“This is an enormous responsibility,” she said. “I’m not convinced that we, as individuals, are qualified to make the life-changing decision of whether or not a prodigy should be allowed to keep their powers, even those who have been found breaking the law.”
Thunderbird gave a smile, but it was close-lipped. “There is no greater responsibility than protecting and serving the citizens of this city, and the rest of the Council and I fully trust the judgment of our patrol units.”
“Yes, but shouldn’t there be some sort of limitation? A way to counter anyone who might decide to use Agent N as a punishment, or for their own gain, or in a situation where it was unwarranted? What if a Renegade neutralizes someone for, say, stealing a candy bar? That’s an abuse of power, isn’t it? So I just want to know what the consequence for something like that would be.”
Thunderbird held her gaze for a long time. “Your concerns are relevant. I’ll discuss potential consequences with the rest of the Council and we’ll make sure to have a memo distributed with our decisions.”
“A memo?” said Nova, with a guffaw. “Oh, good. Because those are always taken seriously.”
“What is this, Ethics 101?” Genissa Clark muttered, just loud enough to make sure everyone heard.
“Also,” said Thunderbird, her tone stern, “during your next training session we will discuss what factors we expect will be considered during an altercation before Agent N is administered. We do trust your judgment, but we will offer some guidelines to follow when considering whether neutralizing an opponent is the best course of action to take.” She regarded Nova, as if waiting to see if this answer was adequate.
It wasn’t, of course, but sensing Danna’s eyes on her, Nova held her tongue.
“Now then.” Thunderbird gestured to the firing range. “Everyone, please take a weapon.”
The teams started to drift toward the firing range, claiming their positions in front of an array of targets.
Everyone except Genissa Clark. Nova’s eyes narrowed as she left her group and approached Thunderbird. The tips of Thunderbird’s massive feathered wings dragged on the floor as she and Genissa peeled off toward the side of the training hall. The two tilted their heads together, and Genissa began to whisper something, gesturing occasionally at the briefcase full of Agent N.