“Is that a cooler?” said Danna, indicating the box at Genissa’s feet.
“It is,” said Oscar. “Damn her. She probably thought to bring sandwiches.”
“I don’t think it’s sandwiches,” said Adrian. “I heard she was planning to execute Nightmare with an icicle, thinking it would have some sort of poetic justice. I bet she brought one with her.”
Ruby made a disgusted noise. “That would have been so…”
“Unnecessary. And messy,” said Oscar.
“And overdramatic,” added Danna.
“Would you prefer an old-fashioned hanging?” said Adrian, his insides churning to think of how narrowly Nova had evaded this fate. “Or burning at the stake, like they used to kill prodigies?”
“No,” said Ruby. “I would prefer … I don’t know. Isn’t there a way to put someone to sleep first so they don’t feel anything?”
Adrian peered down the line of his friends and knew they were all thinking the same thing. Putting people to sleep was Nightmare’s specialty, her attack of choice. Never before had it occurred to him that it could also be an act of mercy.
“How is your dad going to, you know…,” Oscar started, “do in Ace Anarchy?”
Adrian watched Hugh for a second, still arguing with Genissa. “I’m not sure what he has planned. But … I think right now Genissa is trying to be the one to do it. She’s been threatening them all week, ever since Nova was released, saying that she at least deserves some glory if she can’t have revenge. Otherwise, she’s still saying she’ll ruin the Renegades by going to the media with her laundry list of complaints.”
Danna grunted. “That girl has a strange sense of glory.”
“People have been talking, though,” said Oscar. “I’d never really thought of it before, but … it is strange, isn’t it? That no one has ever stopped to consider what might be best for us and not just the organization? I mean, we all chose this life. We’re willing to risk a lot for the cause. But…” He trailed off.
“But shouldn’t we have a little bit more say over what that cause is?” suggested Ruby. “And what, exactly, we’re risking?”
He sighed. “I hate to sound like I’m with Genissa, but it’s made me think.”
“You don’t just sound like Genissa,” said Danna, slightly teasing. “You almost sound like an Anarchist.”
Oscar wrinkled his nose. “Now, that’s just uncalled for.”
“I think they’re starting,” said Ruby, drawing their attention back down to the field. A long stage had been erected, stretching nearly the full length of the field, and seven chairs were set up in a line at its center beside a narrow podium. The media had been sent to the box at the forefront of the audience. Adrian wasn’t sure where Genissa had gone. As the Council approached their seats, the crowd began to quiet.
The Council—Captain Chromium, the Dread Warden, Tsunami, Blacklight, and Thunderbird—was joined by Dr. Hogan, one of the lead researchers and developers for Agent N. And …
Adrian leaned forward, squinting. They were just far enough away that he felt like his eyes must be playing tricks. “Is that the Puppeteer?”
“Sweet skies, I think it is,” murmured Ruby. “But … he looks so different.”
The last time Adrian had seen Winston Pratt, his skin had been ghastly pale, almost as pale as when permanent makeup had been painted on his face, complete with rosy cheeks and black lines on his jaw reminiscent of a ventriloquist dummy. Those physical markings of his alias and superpower had faded when he’d been injected with a dose of Agent N. In less than a minute, his power—which was the eerie ability to morph children into brainwashed puppets—had been stripped away. The Puppeteer was no more.
Adrian had seen Winston a couple of times since that day, having questioned him about Nightmare and the other Anarchists. But in those meetings, Winston had been dispirited and weak, a shell of his former self. That was not the man standing onstage now. His back was straight. Healthful color had returned to his complexion.
He was smiling.
And not a cruel, preparing-to-manipulate-a-six-year-old smile, but something genuine and unexpectedly warm.
It rendered him almost unrecognizable.
As the others took their seats, Captain Chromium approached the microphone. He spent a moment welcoming the crowd and the media who had gathered for their important announcement, conveying how the purpose of the Renegades was and had always been to ensure the safety of their citizens, while working to improve the quality of life for both prodigies and non-prodigies around the world. He talked about his enthusiasm for the new asset they were