Max cried out and flickered back into view as they both tumbled into the destruction. Again, the helmet was sent flying.
Leaving Max sprawled across the ground, Nova pushed herself up and leaped forward. She landed on top of the helmet and curled her body around it, securing it tight against her body before Max could use his telekinesis to snatch it out from under her again.
“No!” Max yelled. A small café table hurtled at Nova’s head and she blocked it with her elbow, but the jolt shoved her hard into the ground.
Nova lay there, momentarily stunned, out of breath, covered in sweat. The helmet was pressed into her stomach. Her head was spinning from exhaustion and pain.
But the exit was close.
She was so close.
She would not fail when she was this close.
She dug deep into what reserves of strength were left and pushed herself to one knee, then the other. She stood, fighting against the wobble of her legs.
She had taken a single step when an arm wrapped around her throat, drawing her against a solid chest.
“I’m going to kill you,” Trevor hissed in her ear. “For what you did to me, I am going to kill you.”
“Get in line,” spat Frostbite. She was standing in the doorway to the nearest exit, blocking Nova’s chance of escape. Captain Chromium’s pike was in her hand, covered in a thick layer of glistening white frost.
Nova, unwilling to release the helmet clutched in both arms, leaned into Trevor’s body, letting him support her as her knees threatened to give out.
“Sorry,” she said, her voice slurred more than she would have liked. “But no one’s killing me today.”
She grasped the forearm around her neck and drove her power through him. His grip loosened and he fell back, scattering the debris with a solid crunch. Nova stumbled and leaned forward, bracing one hand on her knee to keep from falling herself, the other still clutching the helmet.
“Wha—what?” Frostbite stammered. “But you’re … I…”
“Oh, right, this,” said Nova, plucking the emptied dart from her chest. “I’d almost forgotten all about that. Looks like it didn’t work.”
Frostbite’s bewilderment changed to rage. Screaming, she gripped the pike in both hands and charged at Nova—a jousting knight ready to impale her opponent.
Nova swiveled to the side. The pike missed her by inches.
A gasp—horrified, shocked—sucked the air from the lobby.
Nova spun around in time to see Max appear again. Genissa had been aiming for Nova’s heart, but Nova had dodged, and Max … Max was right behind her. Sneaking up on her. His hand even now was stretched out, trying to grab the helmet from her hand.
The chromium spear was driven clean through him.
A scream was ripped from Nova’s mouth, splitting into the air. She could do nothing as Max stumbled back. His hand fell to the pike jutting from his abdomen. His eyes were wide, his face contorted in shock.
He fell to his knees.
“No,” Frostbite said, her voice etched with panic. “No, no, no!” She released the spear and stumbled back. Her legs shook and she fell, then started scraping against the ground with her heels, scrambling away from the boy. “No! You can’t have it!”
And Nova realized that she wasn’t worried about Max.
She was worried because she could feel the Bandit stealing her powers.
Ignoring Frostbite, Nova dropped to the ground beside Max. The helmet thumped at her side. The iron pendant felt hot against her sternum. “You’re okay. You’re going to be…”
She trailed off. The wound around the pike was blue and sprouting ice crystals.
Ice.
“Take it … out…，” Max gasped, wrapping a hand around the pike. His eyes were round and his cheeks were wet.
“No, don’t,” said Nova. “It’s stanching the bleeding. If we—”
“Take it out,” he said again, more insistently. The ice was frosting over the pike.
Nova gulped. He had gotten some of Frostbite’s power. Maybe …
“Please,” he begged.
“Okay,” she said, her voice warbling as she gripped the pike. “This is going to hurt. I’m sorry.”
He stared at nothing. He said nothing. But when Nova slid the pike from his body, his scream curdled in her veins.
Then the pike was out and he fell to his side, blood soaking his pajamas. Nova’s hands shook as she reached for the salve and bandages in her pouch, but when she rolled up the bottom of Max’s shirt, she saw that the skin around the wound was covering over fast with small ice crystals. He was stopping the bleeding himself. She wondered if he even knew he was doing it. His eyes had closed, his face white as the broken tiles all around them. His body could have been acting on instinct, using whatever powers he had begun to gather from Frostbite to numb the area and stop the bleeding.
It would not save him, but if it could protect him until he could get to help—
Nova lifted her head. Frostbite had swooned and appeared only half conscious, but Aftershock was there, his arms wrapped around Frostbite’s waist as he dragged her away from Max.
Nova didn’t think as she grabbed the bloodied pike and charged toward them. Aftershock, startled, dropped Frostbite in a heap and prepared to face Nova’s attack.
But the Agent N had taken effect and he no longer had any powers. Without them, he had no idea what to do.
Nova jumped forward, preparing to slam the pike against his temple. He cowered, raising his hands in a pathetic attempt to defend himself.
Nova stopped the side of the pike half an inch from his ear.
Lowering the weapon, she pressed her forefinger to Mack Baxter’s forehead. He crumpled.
She spun back to Frostbite. The girl was on her hands and knees, attempting to crawl away from the Bandit. Nova pointed the tip of the spear at her nose. Frostbite paused.
“Go back,” Nova growled. “You’re giving him your power. All of it.”
Frostbite lifted her eyes, but nothing else. “Like hell I am.”
Nova snarled. Max was dying. Dying. And she didn’t care if he was a Renegade, an Everhart, the very prodigy who had taken Ace’s power and ruined him almost ten years ago. It was Max, and she would not let him die. “It could be the only thing that saves him.”
“It’s mine,” Frostbite growled.
“Fine,” said Nova. “I gave you a chance to be noble about it.” Reaching down, she scooped her fingers beneath Frostbite’s chin, gripping her throat. A startled groan escaped the girl and for half a breath she struggled to get away.
But then she fell limp. Fast asleep.
Nova dumped her beside Max. She couldn’t gauge how fast he was absorbing Genissa’s power, but the ice formations over his wound started to thicken.
She thought he was unconscious, but then his eyes fluttered open, meeting hers. She couldn’t tell if there was recognition there, but she knew there was a question.
Why was she helping him? She had the helmet. Why was she still there?
“Get away from him!”
Her head snapped up. Her pulse jumped.
The Sentinel stood inside the main entrance, his armored suit haloed by the moonlight reflecting off the glass doors.
Nova stood. Her heart felt brittle, her body on the verge of collapse. But her mind was sharp again, jolted awake when that pike had been driven into Max, and already she was assessing her options.