Page 10 of Archenemies

Down the street, he saw the cleanup crew awaiting instructions. Adrian was glad to see Magpie among the crew. It would be good for her to apply her powers to something more productive than pickpocketing. The kid had potential, he knew, even if her personality was as prickly as Hawthorn’s extra limbs.

As if she could hear his thoughts, Magpie spotted Adrian across the street and her bored expression turned sour. He waved jovially and she turned his back on him.

A white tent had been erected in front of a small electronics repair store. Oscar, Ruby, and Danna were each on a stretcher,being attended by the healers who had arrived on the scene. One of the healers was pulling encrusted jewels from Ruby’s thigh with a pair of heavy-duty pliers. Ruby flinched each time a new one was pulled, the wound immediately covered with thick gauze to stanch the bleeding and keep new bloodstones from sprouting.

Danna was lying flat on her stomach. The back of her uniform, from her neck to her hips, had been cut open, allowing a healer to access the wounds crisscrossing her flesh. Her back looked like it had been mauled by grizzly bear. Adrian suspected that Hawthorn’s barbs were to blame. At least the healer working on her appeared to be practiced in flesh wounds, and even from a distance Adrian could see the cuts slowly knitting together in the top layers of her skin.

“Adrian!” Ruby shouted, startling the healer who was trying to extract the final bloodstone from her leg. Ruby yelped in pain as the gem dislodged. She scowled at the healer, who scowled back. Ruby grabbed a roll of bandaging and began wrapping the wound herself. “What happened?” she asked, returning her attention to Adrian and Nova. “Where were you?”

Adrian opened his mouth, prepared to give his explanation again and hoping it would become more believable with repetition, when the healer held up his hand, still gripping the pliers. “There will be time for reunions later. We need to get all of you back to headquarters for follow-up treatment.”

“Has Smokescreen been cleared?” asked Tsunami. “We’d like him to debrief the cleanup crew.”

The healer nodded. “Yes, fine. His injuries were negligible.”

“Negligible?” said Oscar, holding up his forearm, which was wrapped in white bandages. “Their getaway driver scratched me when I was getting out the handcuffs. What if the guy had rabies or something? This could be a mortal wound here.”

The healer eyed him warily. “You can’t get rabies from fingernail scratches.”

Oscar huffed. “I said,or something.”

“Have you checked him for an overinflated ego yet?” teased Ruby. “I’d hate for him to float away on us.”

Oscar cut a glare toward her. “You’re just jealous.”

“Yes, Iamjealous!” said Ruby. “I helped rescue that girl, too, but she didn’t even notice me. She was just all—Oh, Smokescreen! I’ve been dreaming of your smoldering smokiness all my life!”

Adrian’s cheek twitched. Ruby’s impersonation wasn’t exactly how he remembered the barista from the café, but close enough.

Oscar nodded. “I’ve found that my smoldering smokiness does have that effect on people.”

Ruby snorted, and Adrian sensed that she was trying to annoy Oscar and was frustrated that it didn’t seem to be working.

“What girl?” said Nova. “The hostage?”

“Yep,” said Oscar, idly swinging his cane. “She’s pretty much in love with me.”

“Who isn’t, right?” said Danna, flashing a cheeky grin.

“Exactly. Thank you, Danna.”

She gave him a thumbs-up from the table.

“Oscar is always telling us that these uniforms are a love beacon,” said Adrian. “I’m surprised it doesn’t happen more often. Although… no girl has ever swooned over me like that. And now I’m jealous too. Thanks, Ruby.”

“It’s not just the uniform,” said Oscar. “I mean, I did save her life.”

“Wesaved her—” Ruby started, but it fizzled into an angry growl.

“Maybe I should have asked for her number,” Oscar mused.

Ruby gaped at him, cheeks flushing, and Adrian felt a little badfor her. But then, she had been the one to try to tease Oscar in the first place, so maybe she deserved it.

Slamming her mouth shut, Ruby turned her head away. “Maybe you should have. I’m sure she would love to date areal Renegade.”

“Who said anything about dating?” said Oscar. “I just thought she might want to be the president of my fan club. Good help is hard to find.”

Ruby guffawed, but as she looked back at Oscar, her expression softened with suspicion. “Are you saying youwouldn’tgo on a date with her?”

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