Page 143 of Archenemies

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 shefell, 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 couldhave 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.

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