Adrian waved, trying to disguise his disappointment. It wasn’t unusual for Hugh to visit Max, and he knew it was good for the kid to have some human interaction that didn’t involve syringes and hazmat suits.
Still. The medallion was heavy around his neck and he was eager to test his theory.
“Hold on,” said Max, lifting a finger in Adrian’s direction. “I’m about to kick his ass.”
Hugh looked back at him, aghast. “Don’t say ass.”
“Fine. I’m about to kick your donkey.” Max laid down one card, then shook out his shaggy hair. They were sitting cross-legged in the middle of City Park, and Max, who was already small for his age, looked downright infinitesimal next to the Captain, whose effortless muscles had long served as inspiration for superhero comic artists everywhere.
Hugh laid down two cards. “You know, you’re not supposed to let your opponent know that you have a good hand.”
“Maybe I’m bluffing,” said Max.
Hugh eyed him. “That’s not really how bluffing works.”
“Are you sure?” said Max, taking the new card he was dealt.
Hugh met Max’s bet, throwing a couple pieces of candy into a pile that sat between them. They showed their cards—Max won with two pairs. Hugh had nothing at all.
Max sighed, almost as if disappointed in the exchange as he pushed the pile of candy toward the park’s carousel. He looked up at Adrian, shaking his head. “He can’t resist seeing a good hand, even if he knows he can’t beat it. I think it could be a diagnosable disorder. Like a psychological need for closure, along with an aversion to ambiguity and an authoritarian demeanor.”
Hugh scowled. “What? I’m not like that. Am I?”
“Eh,” said Adrian, avoiding comment.
Hugh scoffed and gathered up the cards. “Maybe I just like seeing my younger son winning at life.” He pointed at the pile of candy as he stood. “Can I take one Choco-Malt for the road?”
“No,” said Max, sweeping the pile out of reach. “But you can go to the corner store and buy some more.” He pointed toward a small glass strip mall. “I’m pretty sure the nearest one is on Broad Street.”
“Fair enough.” Bending down, Hugh gave Max a squeeze around his shoulders. “Thanks for making some time for your old man. I’ll see you later.”
Max leaned into the embrace. “Night, Dad.”
Hugh grinned at Adrian as he emerged from the quarantine. “Are you back on patrols tonight?” he asked, giving Adrian a quick sideways hug.
“Yeah, but we’re only supposed to be called out for minor disputes for the next few days.”
“How are Danna and Ruby?”
“Fully recovered,” said Adrian. “Ready to get back work.”
“Well, I know you’re all young and eager, but I think this break might have been good for them, for all of you.” He yawned, though Adrian could tell it was fake. “I’m taking off. Been another long day on the Council. You boys stay out of trouble now.”
As soon as he had gone, Max groaned. “Sometimes I think he really does believe he lives in a comic book.”
“If anyone did, it would be Captain Chromium,” said Adrian. He watched as Max lifted up the roof of Merchant Tower and started loading the stash of candy into it. “Listen, Max, I have something to show you. Something kind of huge. At least, if it works it will be kind of huge.”
Max turned to him, interest piqued. “Are you drawing me a dragon? Because Turbo is cool, but a dragon…”
As if recognizing his name, the tiny velociraptor crept out from beneath the Stockton Bridge, where Max had made him a small nest out of shredded newspaper.
“Uh, no,” said Adrian.
Max wrinkled his nose. Popping open a bag of gummy worms, he fed one to the dinosaur. Adrian noticed the white bandages crossed over the back of his hand.
A prodigy doctor would have had that wound fully healed weeks ago …
He sighed. Max was fine. It didn’t matter.
“Go stand over there,” he said.
Max looked at where Adrian was pointing, but didn’t move. “Why?”
“Don’t argue, okay? If this works, it’s going to be the best thing that’s happened in headquarters since…” Adrian trailed off, stumped.
“Since they upgraded the virtual reality simulators with flight capabilities?” suggested Max.
Adrian cocked his head. “How’d you know about that?”
Max just shrugged and went to stand where Adrian had pointed. He picked up a tiny street sign as he passed Burnside.
“Okay,” said Adrian. “You have your emergency call button?”
Max’s thick brows furrowed with suspicion, but he lifted his arm, revealing the wristband he had worn ever since he’d crashed onto the city and driven the glass spire through his palm. He’d had it before, but until that night it never seemed important for him to wear it.
“Good. Wait there.”
“Where are you going?”
Jumpy with anticipation, and a bit of pride at his own intrepidness, Adrian headed toward the antechambers that separated the quarantine from the laboratories where Max’s blood and DNA had been studied, tested, and altered to make Agent N.
Through the glass, he noticed Max frowning. Adrian flashed him a thumbs-up that went unreturned, then pulled the door open to the tertiary chamber. In the next room, he bypassed the racks hung with protective suits, each one outfitted with chromium cuffs to offer some protection to the prodigy scientists and researchers who had to get close to Max on a regular basis.
Adrian approached the sealed door to the quarantine, where new signage had been added since the fiasco when Nova entered the quarantine in an attempt to help Max, the placards warning prodigies to stay away unless they had followed all required security measures. Adrian took a moment to reflect on whether or not this was a horrible idea. He was hopeful, but it was still a risk. A huge risk, if he was being honest.
What if the nature of Max’s power rendered prodigy artifacts useless?
Lifting a hand, Adrian pressed his fingers over the charm, tracing the symbol of the open palm and the curled serpent.
“Please let this work,” he whispered, then yanked open the door.
Max’s eyes went wide. He pushed himself off the wall, as if he were preparing to dive out of Adrian’s path, but there was nowhere for him to go that wouldn’t bring them closer together.
“What are you doing?” he yelled. “Get out of here!”
“Trust me,” said Adrian, taking a cautious step. Then another over the Scatter Creek bus terminal, which set him on a straight path down Drury Avenue. “I’m testing a theory.”
“A theory?” Max barked. “What theory? That you’ve lost your mind?” He reached for the call button on his wrist.
“Hold on! Don’t push it yet. I think … I think I might be immune to your power.”
Max laughed, but it lacked amusement. He pressed his back against the glass as Adrian took another step forward. “We know you’re not immune. So, come on, get out of here. This isn’t funny.”
“No, see this?” He lifted the charm. “It was in the artifacts warehouse. I think it might protect against powers like yours.”