Archenemies (Renegades, #2)(68)
“Skies, Max, maybe it would work on you,” said Adrian, eyes brightening again. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of it until now. I was so excited about the charm, but … why couldn’t we just inject you with Agent N? You wouldn’t be a prodigy anymore! You could…” His words dwindled off as Max shook his head.
“They tried that already,” he said. “It doesn’t work on me.”
“They tried to take away your powers?” Nova gasped. “Why? Because you’re a threat?”
Max laughed at her obvious disgust. “No, because I asked them to. After they had their first few successes on prodigies at Cragmoor and it didn’t, you know, turn them into big piles of radioactive sludge or anything, I asked them to use it on me. I wanted it to work. It’s not really that much fun to be a prodigy when you’re trapped in a place like this.” He gestured around at his glass prison.
“Oh,” said Nova. Her vehement anger on Max’s behalf faded. “I guess I can understand that.”
“Nova is concerned with prodigy rights,” explained Adrian. “She’s worried we’re going to start abusing the power of Agent N.”
“If I recall correctly,” said Nova, “you weren’t exactly convinced that it would be handled with the utmost responsibility either.”
“Why?” asked Max. “It’s only for bad guys. They would never neutralize a Renegade.”
Every muscle in Nova’s body tightened, eager to argue the distinction between Renegade and bad guys. “They’re planning to dole it out to every patrol unit, to be used however we see fit. I guarantee mistakes will be made and this power will be mishandled. How long before innocent prodigies are being threatened or blackmailed, just because they haven’t been conscripted into the Renegades yet? This life isn’t for everyone, you know.”
“Threatened and blackmailed?” said Max. “By who?”
“I don’t know, how about Frostbite and her goons?” said Nova, remembering a time, not long ago, when she had witnessed Frostbite trying to bully Ingrid into making a false confession. “Or thieves like Magpie? Not every Renegade is as chivalrous and upstanding as Adrian.”
She made the mistake of glancing at Adrian as she said it and saw surprised flattery flash across his face. She jutted a finger at him. “Don’t take that the wrong way.”
“Is there a wrong way to take that?”
She glowered and Adrian lifted his hands, still beaming from the compliment. “All right, I agree that restrictions need to be in place, and I don’t like the idea that they’re going to start injecting every questionable prodigy out there with it either. In my opinion, someone like the Sentinel definitely doesn’t deserve that sort of punishment, without even being given a chance to explain himself, first.”
“Oh, please,” said Nova. “He’s the least of my concerns.”
Max’s expression brightened into an odd, goofy grin. “Of course you’re not concerned about him, now that he’s fish food and all. Right, Adrian?”
Adrian’s lips pinched. “Right. My point is, there are still some kinks that need working out with the Agent N thing, but it has potential. I’m glad we never have to worry about the Puppeteer anymore, and we would have saved ourselves a lot of headache if the Detonator had been neutralized before Cosmopolis Park happened.” He turned to Max. “And now that they have Agent N figured out, they don’t still need you and your blood samples, right? You’re done with testing?”
“I think so,” said Max. “They haven’t taken any in a while, and … I don’t think they would have agreed to try to neutralize me if they still needed my powers to work.”
“Right. See? No more testing, no more samples, and now this.” Adrian tapped the Vitality Charm. He pulled Max in for another exuberant squeeze. “It’s like the Bandit hit a jackpot.”
Max groaned loudly and squirmed out of the embrace. “You know, you like to make fun of Hugh for being so corny, but sometimes you’re just as bad.”
Nova felt again like she was intruding on something. “I need to get ready for my shift in artifacts. See you both later, okay?”
“Your shift?” said Adrian. “It’s the middle of the night.”
“Prime work hours,” agreed Nova, with a carefree smile. “I like the peace and quiet.”
She waved and headed toward the elevator, her grin fading as soon as her back was turned. There was a charm that could protect Max. A charm that could maybe protect from Agent N.
Her nerves vibrated with the possibility.
She wanted that charm.
But not as much as she wanted Ace’s helmet. And tonight, that was exactly what she planned to get.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
IT WAS JUST past one in the morning when Nova scanned her wristband against the digital lock and entered the vault. A handful of sparse lights flickered on down the rows of shelving units, one after another, lighting the corridor with a dull, eerie glow. Nova shut the door behind her and settled the large plastic tub she’d brought on a waiting cart.
She ignored the security cameras, though she could feel the lens watching her as she pushed the cart down the main aisle. Looking at the cameras always garnered suspicion, so she kept her expression neutral. Her pace casual.