Page 48 of Archenemies
How do you destroy an indestructible material?
What could be strong enough to safely get past the chromium and free Ace’s helmet from its prison?
Nova still didn’t have the answer, but she knew who did. Captain Chromium. He had made the box. He must know how to unmake it. And though Nova wasn’t sure what she could say to him to get him to give up this secret, she knew she would have to try.
Before Ace faded away into nothing.
She was caught up in a very long, very clever, very imaginary conversation with the Captain when the elevator doors dinged and none other than her second riddle strolled into the reception area. Nova jerked upward. “Adrian?”
He was practically bouncing on his feet as he hurried to her desk. “It’shere,” he said, beaming.
She gaped at him, feeling like she should know whatitwas, but all she could think about was the helmet.
“Excuse me?”
“I was thinking that all that stuff from the tunnels had probably gotten thrown away after it was checked for evidence, but I talked to the head of crime-scene investigation this morning and she told me it’s all been broughthere.They don’t throw anything away until an investigation is closed, so right now all the Anarchists’ stuff is supposedly just sitting around in a stockpile somewhere, waiting to be tagged and categorized and”—he waved his hand absently toward the vault—“whatever it is that happens here, exactly.”
Nova studied him, her stomach dropping. “Winston’s puppet.”
Settling his elbows onto the desk, Adrian leaned toward her. “Exactly. On top of that, I’ve gotten approval from both the Council and Winston’s counselor. He can have the puppet in exchange for information, just as long as Snapshot checks it first to be sure it isn’t hiding some secret magical power.”
Winston’s puppet. That he was willing to trade information for.
Nova swallowed. “Oh. That’s… great.”
“Is Snapshot in?”
The door to the filing room opened, but it was Callum, not Snapshot, that strolled out. He froze as soon as he saw Adrian. “No way! Sketch in the flesh! I’m a total fan.”
“Oh, thanks,” said Adrian, accepting a firm handshake with a bewildered expression.
Nova gestured between them. “Uh… Adrian, Callum. Callum, Adrian.”
“Are you here to check something out?” said Callum. “We’ve got a feather quill that I think you’d really like.”
“Oh yeah?” said Adrian, though he quickly shook away his interest. “No, thanks. Actually, I was told there’s a place here where they’re storing all the stuff that was confiscated from the Anarchist holdings in the subway tunnels?”
“Sure, there’s a storeroom in the back. But I’m warning you, it’s a mess back there. It’s on my list to get cleaned up, but…” Callum shrugged. “Hey, maybe that’d be a good job for us to do together, yeah?”
It took Nova a moment to realize he was talking to her. She jerked upright. “Yeah. Great. Sounds like fun.”
Callum pointed at Adrian. “You know, I should probably check that you’ve been given clearance, but… bah, who am I kidding? Of course you can see it. Come on back.” He waved his arm.
Adrian flashed an excited grin at Nova and started to follow.
“Hey, wait,” she said, jumping from her chair. “Can I come too, or…?”
Callum laughed. “This girl! Her curiosity is insatiable!”
Taking that as a yes, Nova flipped over aBE RIGHT BACKsign on the desk and darted after them. Callum weaved through the front section of the warehouse, giving Adrian much the same orientation he’d given her on her first day, until they arrived at a freestanding room near the back corner, with walls that didn’t quite stretch all the way to the ceiling.
Callum thrust open the door. “All right, you two have fun. I’ll let Snapshot know you’re back here.”
Nova hovered beside Adrian in the doorway, her jaw dropping. She half expected to be overcome with sadness to see all of her things and the belongings of her family, now in the hands of the Renegades—unappreciated and unloved.
But instead, she felt overwhelmed.
And a little relieved.
