The thing is, sometimes kids got in the habit of shoving certain items in orifices that they didn't normally go in. I hadn't, but once they caught someone smuggling it was time to inspect all of us. And that meant every single part of us.
Like I said; you get used to being naked around people. Maybe not coated in another superhero's cum in front of authority figures, but it's not that far outside of the box.
Logan glared at Nishelle. "Regardless. You were instructed to remain behind. You were told, without a shadow of a doubt, that the Kipas would be taken care of. You did not obey that order and now some of my people are dead."
"Some of your people were already hurt or dead before we got there, sir, and it would have been much worse without our help," I said, holding Nishelle tighter. Adam took my hand when it went questing for his.
Logan Patterson began to pace the room, his hands held behind his back, eyes angled at the floor. "Be that as it may, you disregarded a direct order. Starseer said he told you to stay in the penthouse. Do you know what might have happened if the Dream had infected you again? Thousands could be dead; maybe millions if someone like Isabella Reed had gotten too far off the chain."
I tried not to look guilty, but he wasn't wrong. Still, we'd only been trying to help and being angry at us for doing our job, after not collaborating with Thomaston for years, seemed wrong. I opened my mouth to speak but he stopped and something told me to shut up.
"You're going home tomorrow. If any of my people want to help you, they're on their own. You'll get no further assistance from Thomaston and, should I see you in my city after lunch, I will have you arrested for attempted terrorism."
He slammed the door and left.
Chapter 14
It took a lot of willpower not to grab my pants and stalk out after that prick. But the others needed me more right that second.
"I'd be surprised if some of the others don't come," Nishelle whispered to me.
I shook my head. "They'll do whatever Logan tells them. Or whatever Starseer does. I don't think we can take Scribe alone and it's likely they'll all just come and clean up after we're dead or in the Dream again."
Nishelle didn't answer me and I didn't blame her. If we didn't have help, we were screwed. I ran the thoughts through my mind over and over again, looking for some sideways way I hadn't come up with to manipulate Logan into helping us, but nothing came.
We finished off the pitcher of pre-mixed Screwdrivers. After Logan left, the majority of the group grumbled for a little while but then they'd passed out in a pile. I sighed. "I think my best bet is to go after Starseer. He'll be sentimental, upset, but he won't want his people to have died for nothing. And it does back up the guess we have about Scribe being somehow attached to the Kipas, I guess. Thomaston hasn't been hit in ages. Why would they be hit now?"
"Other than us being here?" Nishelle asked. I nodded and she set the empty pitcher down. "I can't come up with anything. But that means we actually did kill Logan's people. As in; his beef with us is genuine and I don't know how we can possibly fix that."
"Probably nothing we can do except apologize and try to take care of Yarborough after we down Scribe; however that happens. I don't know. I don't really expect any of us to know. It's a disaster."
She didn't answer me. I tilted my head at her and gave her a little nudge with my elbow. No response except for a soft, tired noise and her turning her head away from me. Alright then, the others could sleep.
I couldn't.
I'd sent those drones in knowing full well that I might kill someone. I may have even killed one of my own lovers or someone important to them. You had to make decisions like that sometimes and I'd had the means, the intelligence, and the gut to do it.
Was that what Logan was doing to us? For us? He didn't think we could win, if there was a way to win something like this, so he was giving up and throwing us to the wolves?
That didn't feel right, either. My mind drifted, never quite falling asleep, until the first few rays of sunlight spread blindingly across my face. I sighed and put my arm over my eyes, just wanting to take a little nap before I got up and went off to do something incredibly stupid.
I didn't get the chance to do that. My watch alarm went off and I had to shut it up before it woke the rest of the group up. Silent, I crawled out of bed and pulled on my clothes. A shower would have to wait until we were back at Nishelle's; or wherever the hell we were staying. Those shacks in Renfield were available, but they were too close to Yarborough for my taste or my comfort.
Falling in love was rough on your nerves.
There was nowhere fancy to make breakfast in the infirmary, so I headed back to the cafeteria. It was awfully early, but plenty of superheroes got up at the crack of dawn. It was a life made for those who didn't want to meet their grandchildren, in my opinion, but none of mine were like that. I'd bring back breakfast and we'd all talk, figure out what our next move would be, and work to
