Shades of Gray - By Jackie Kessler & Caitlin Kittredge Page 0,31

damn opinionated.

“We’re at the end of this discussion, Callie. There’s nothing more to debate.” Lester and Iridium were crammed into her bedroom, while the rest of Gordon’s escapees milled about the warehouse. They all had costumes now, thanks to Gordon. Except for Nevermore, they all seemed more interested in checking out her new tech than making a nuisance of themselves.

“You busted in on civilians, in their home,” Iridium gritted. “You could have killed someone, not to mention Radar torturing Screamer. That guy is a bad apple, Dad, and you know it.”

Lester cut the air with his hand. “Enough. I’m in charge of my team, and I won’t be questioned. Especially not by my own daughter.”

“That’s just it!” Iridium shouted. “You’re not in charge. Corp is!”

Her father tensed like he wanted to hit her, and the radiant panels on Iridium’s ceiling overloaded and sparked.

“You know I’m right, Dad,” she said softly. “We can’t trust Gordon. They’re going to put us right back in prison when they finish with us and Corp sends in reinforcements to take back the city, if we aren’t smart about this.”

“I’m never going back,” Lester replied, just as quietly. “And I would never let them put my little girl in prison.” He gripped Callie’s hands. “I’d die first, girl.”

“I know, Dad,” Iridium said. “I know. But can we at least get rid of Radar?”

“The team is for us and we’re for the team,” Lester said. “When we break free of Gordon’s leash, we’ll need every one of them. Including Radar.”

Iridium opened the door a crack and looked out at the villains in her warehouse again. “You know, we’d have more firepower if I commed Jet and …”

“No, Callie.” Lester’s voice went harsh—and then it was Arclight who spoke. “Not Joan. She’s not the answer to our problems.”

“How do you know, Dad?” Iridium threw her hands up. “Jet didn’t lose her mind like the others! She’s still strong, and fighting the rabids, just like we are. We’re going to need some friendlies if we plan to go up against Corp. Again. Need I remind you, that hasn’t worked out so well for our family.”

“Joan Greene is a ticking time bomb,” said Lester. His mouth set, as if the truth hurt. “It’s not a question of if she follows her father into madness. It’s when.”

“How can you say that!” Iridium’s own power caused her 3-D unit to short. “Jet is a good person, Dad.”

“I say it because I was there, Callie. I know what can happen when Shadow overwhelms a person.”

A pause as Iridium digested his words. “The Squadron could be good allies.”

“And how long would it be before our allies took issue with our methods and did Corp’s job for them?” Lester sneered. “If you’re crying over one destroyed flat, imagine those do-gooders’ reactions to some of what we do when in the field.”

“You’re an impossible old man.” Iridium left him alone, storming through the warehouse.

Protean, the huge Earth power, looked up from one of his old-fashioned paper books. “Are you okay, little girl?”

“I’m not anyone’s little girl,” Iridium snapped. “And it’s none of your beeswax.”

“Ooo … touchy.” Nevermore, smirking, glided down from a balcony, her straight black hair, black eye makeup, black everything turning her into a porcelain doll.

Iridium summoned a strobe. “You do not want to start with me, Paleface.”

“Children, children.”

The voice slithered over Iridium’s skin, low and soothing like a hypnotist’s. She shivered as Radar came from the kitchen, holding a soy chicken meal. Her soy chicken meal. He was soft and round everywhere, with too-bright eyes that lingered too long on objects he desired. He reminded Iridium of Paul Collins, the rapist she’d killed during her final year in the Academy. Both Collins and Radar oozed covetousness from every pore, like a poison.

“Don’t fight,” Radar said. “Fighting never solved anything. You girls will get wrinkles if you keep frowning like that.”

“Yeah, and I hear you prefer to kick people while they’re down.” Lionheart, the shapeshifter, snorted and moved away from Radar in disgust.

Radar grinned, showing all of his teeth. “You all should be careful how you speak to me. Everyone is afraid of something. Even heroes.”

“Think you can suck me dry before I light you up?” Kindle’s Irish accent reminded Iridium too much of her father’s.

She had to get out of there.

“Dad! Your little sewing circle is fighting!” she hollered, then grabbed her jacket and hit the release for the front door. Behind her, she heard Lester’s strident tones as he scolded his batch