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“Ha!” Nick crowed. “See that? That’s how I get thingsdone—”
For an older woman, Martha Gray certainly knew how to throw a punch. Nick learned this firsthand, her fist colliding with his cheek, knocking him back as his vision exploded in stars. Before he could recover, Martha’s hands were around his throat, grip tight, cutting off his air.
He struggled against her, but he couldn’t hurt her. This wasMartha,the woman loved him almost as much as she loved Seth.
The spark in his head pulsed, and he managed to say “Please don’t hate me for this!” before hepushed.The air around him grew thick, and then Martha flew back, hitting the wall near the door and slumping to the floor in a heap, head lolling to the side as she blinked rapidly. “Nick?” she asked, voice faint. “What… how did I get down here? I…” Her vision began to cloud over. “Cookies. I brought you cookies.” She rose slowly, using thewall to push herself up. “Also, I want to see what yourinsides look like.” Fingers hooked like claws, she began to advance toward them.
Gibby grabbed Nick’s hand, pulling him around the desk, keeping it between them and Martha.
“We gotta get out of here,” Gibby said, pulling Nick back as Martha tried to reach them across the table. “I can hear her. In my head.”
Nick ducked as Martha swiped at him. “We can’t hurt her.”
“I know,” Gibby ground out. “Good thing my girlfriend is rich.” With that, she let Nick go before upending the table toward Martha as hard as she could. The table flew up, the monitors and keyboards crashing against Martha, the impact forcing her to her knees. “Go!”
They went, both of them leaping over Martha as she tried to stand again. Nick leaned down and grabbed his backpack by the strap, never slowing. They hit the stairs, thundering upward, Martha shouting after them. They reached the first floor, slamming the door shut and locking the knob, followed by the dead bolt.
“In case I haven’t said it today,” Nick said, “I really hate the Burkes.”
“Ditto,” Gibby said. “Come on. I don’t know how long that’ll hold her. We need to get out of here before Bob comes home.” They headed for the front door, Gibby pulling out her phone and opening the app.
“Anything?” Nick asked, stopping at the front door, peering out the glass to make sure no one they loved was waiting outside to try to kill them.
“No,” Gibby said, shoving her phone back in her pocket. “Nothing. This isn’t good, Nick. I can still feel her in my head.”
Nick no longer could. Whatever hold she had over him was gone, or she’d given up trying to control him. “Can you handle it? If you can’t, you have to stay here. It’d be safer for both of us.” He shuddered at the idea of Gibby turning on him. Even with powers, he’d probably get his ass kicked.
Gibby shook her head. “I’m good. I know it’s there, thatshe’sthere, but I’ve got it. If that changes, I’ll let you know.”
“You better,” Nick told her, looking out the window again. Nothing. No one waiting. Thinking fast, Nick dropped his backpack, ripping it open and pulling out the Guardian costume. He handed the bundle over to Gibby before kicking off his shoes. “You don’t get to make fun of my underwear.”
She rolled her eyes. “We don’t have t—nope, we have time. Nick, honestly. You are seventeen years old. You need underwear that doesn’t have cartoons on it.”
“Cartoons? How verydare you.These are comic-book symbols! See?Blam! Pow!” He turned to show her.
“I can see your ass crack.”
“We don’t have time!” he cried, kicking off his shorts as he pulled his shirt up and over his head.
“Thank you, though,” Gibby said, handing over his costume.
“For what? Rescuing you? Dude, I think you saved me, so—”
“Not that,” she said, eyeing him up and down as he shoved one leg inside his costume. “I can see the outline of your testicles, and it reminded me why I’m a lesbian.”
“Gibby!”
“Don’t yell at me. I’m not the one who brought them out.”
“It’s not my fault they’re so big!”
She turned her face toward the ceiling. “How is today not over yet?”
Costume on, Nick picked up his helmet off the floor. He slid it over his head, and the screen inside burst to life.WELCOME, GUARDIAN.
“Let’s go,” Guardian said. “It’s time to take out the trash.”
They stepped outside, and Guardian groaned. “Goddammit. I forgot I don’t know how to fly. What the hell. How is today notoveryet?”
