Not Your Villain (Sidekick Squad #2)(35)
“Exactly,” Abby says. “The average citizen doesn’t need a MonRobot to protect their home. But the Collective has a lot of interest in this project, especially for a country that has hands in conflicts overseas and would love a new weapon.”
Something in Bells’ stomach sinks.
Abby shudders. “Okay, so my dad was against this from the start, but his partner pressured him to complete the plan. To see if it was possible. For science. But it never got developed. Or shouldn’t have. I don’t know.” She glances away. “I think when the League had my parents kidnapped they were separated. Orion had my mom in that base where she was doing her strength experiments, and my dad…”
“We’re gonna find him, Abby.” Bells can’t imagine how he’d feel if it were his parents.
The room echoes with the chorused agreement.
“So, I found out what our parents have been doing this week,” Brendan says. “They’ve been talking with Abby’s mom and have already started looking for Master Mischief.” A smug smile stretches across his face. “Mom hasn’t changed her security passwords since I was born. Okay, they’ve started a basic info search and talked to people in their networks of heroes and villains. They haven’t asked me for help. As far as they know, I’m too young and too busy. I’ve scheduled lots of appearances at academic conventions to talk about my latest article on the meta-gene, but those are pre-recorded and audio-only, since the mysterious Dr. B. Vinh Tran hates cameras.” Brendan winks. “So! I have the most time to work on this project, because all of you are still in high school.” Brendan looks incomparably smug.
Abby nods. “Shortstack is right. All of us still have to go to school.” She clenches her fists. “I don’t know how I can concentrate on anything. My mom says not to worry about it, that she’s handling it, but… she keeps getting distracted. I come home, and random things are floating around, and she doesn’t even notice. Her control has been slipping.”
Jess squeezes her hand. “Brendan, can you come up with an algorithm to look for him? Like cross reference any unusual chatter… I mean, can you get into the NAC servers?”
Brendan cracks his knuckles. “I’ll work on it. They can’t keep me out forever.”
Emma bangs her gavel. “All right, good. First item on the agenda has been dealt with. Next item… the Resistance. What do we know about them? Do they even exist?”
Abby’s eyebrows shoot all the way up into her hair. “Why is this a legitimate agenda item? There isn’t an actual group of people trying to take down the Collective.”
“There might be,” Jess says. “And they would have resources, you know, to get the truth out about the League.”
“Yeah, how much of it is the government and how much of it is the League…” Emma muses. “I’m sure if my mama didn’t know about this, most of the Council believes that the hero-villain fights are real.”
Bells starts up the stairs. This sounds as if it’s going to take a while. He’s pretty sure the Resistance is just a story, something people joke about when they’re unsatisfied.
“Where are you going?” Brendan asks. “We’re going to need your insight about the inner workings of the League—”
“Snacks,” Bells says, patting his stomach. “Or maybe second breakfast. Can’t plan on an empty stomach, you know.”
He darts up the basement stairs, two at a time, and then falls over his feet in the living room.
“Uh… Ma? Dad? What are you guys doing here?”
Nick Broussard beams at his son. His arms hold two large cases, the cooler units they use to transport vegetables. It looks as if he’s on a Grassroots run, but Bells knows the schedule. They’re not doing another local delivery until next week.
Right behind him, Collette carries several duffel bags and calls through the open door to the Trans’ garage. “Are you sure this will all fit in the Smashmobile? It doesn’t look like there’s a lot of storage space, Victor.” She spots Bells and kisses him on the forehead. “Hi, Bells,” she says, casually, as if she isn’t packing for what looks like a very long trip.
“Appearances are deceiving!” booms Victor’s voice from the garage.
Li Hua, holding more luggage and several data consoles, comes down the stairs. “Oh, hi, Bells! Are you kids watching a movie? I just restocked the kitchen; there should be plenty of food!”
From the kitchen, Ch?, the Trans’ custom MonRobot, wheels into the room with a suitcase balanced atop its little round silver body.
“Uh. What is happening?” Bells blurts. “Where are you all going?” He opens the basement door and yells down the stairs. “You guys better get up here. There are some shenanigans happening and— Emma, your moms are both here!” He glances at the two women who’ve just come down the stairs.
“Both? What in the…” Emma’s voice trails off, and she runs up the stairs, crashes into Bells, and sends him stumbling forward a step.
Samantha Robledo and Josephine Gutierrez wave at them. “Bells, dear!” Josephine says. Bells doesn’t know Samantha well; she travels a lot for work. He always is a little embarrassed by the details she does remember, especially when he was eight and she made horchata and he drank himself into a stomachache.