I paced the hideout anxiously, chewing at my bottom lip beneath my mask. This was the day Jupiter had chosen for our meeting, early on Sunday, and I was beyond uneasy. Somehow I was more nervous about this than I was about fighting Impact.

  “Would you quit pacing?” Foresight asked without looking up from his phone. “It’s bugging me.”

  “Oh, well, pardon me for being worried about being face to face with the fucking kingpin of Argent City!” I hissed, glaring at him. “Fucking hell, do you take anything seriously?”

  He didn’t answer for some time, and I saw his shoulders hunch a bit. “Some things,” he grumbled.

  “Let’s uh...” Dynamo cleared his throat. “Let’s not worry too much, yeah? Come on, if he wants to meet with us then it must be for something good.”

  “How can you be so sure?” I asked, snapping my gaze is way.

  “Well, if Jupiter was unhappy... he wouldn’t organize a meeting. He’d just send a lightning bolt down and flatten the whole building with us inside.”

  I stared at him for several silent moments. “Are you trying to freak me out?”

  “Toys, relax. It’ll be fine.” Cheshire managed to keep a level tone, but I could see her feet shifting anxiously as she busily tossed chunks of steak into Rover’s gaping maw. He sucked each lump down with a wet, slobbering sound. In the days that had passed since our battle with Impact, his body had returned to his normal appearance. He grew stronger and smarter with each battle, but specific adaptations seemed to fade away if he no longer needed them.

  “Good boy, goooood boy,” Stretch said, elongating one arm up and patting Rover on the head.

  “Nghud... nghhoy...” Rover hissed, licking his chops.

  I frowned to myself. Maybe I had made a mistake hitching my wagon to these people.

  Rover perked so fast that, for a moment, I feared he’d developed some kind of mind-reading power. Instead he turned, glancing to the nearest window. Cheshire puffed over, peering into the parking lot below. “Company in a big fancy jeep,” she said

  “Guess that’s them,” Foresight said, grunting as he rose from his chair. “You figure they already have another gig lined up? I really need the money.”

  I moved to the window in time to see Furnace emerge from the back of the car, dull sunlight blinking and glittering on the metal highlights of his outfit. He was followed by a stocky woman I hadn’t seen before, dressed in a red and white costume.

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  “I think that’s... Zipcode,” Cheshire murmured, rubbing her chin.

  “Never heard of her,” I said.

  “Eh... I think she’s only been on the job a couple of years, and she’s not much of a frontline Apex. Some kind of Transporter that’s evacuated Jupiter’s people from trouble.”

  “She’s probably our ride, then,” I said. It beat a car trip, or a ride in the van for that matter. And the van still stank of blood and ash from our bout with Impact anyway. “Rover, stay here and guard the office.”

  We met the two in the entryway of the office. Zipccode grimaced, twisting the fabric of her mask, as she surveyed their surroundings. “Nice place,” she said flatly.

  “We’re high schoolers, this is the best we’ve got for now,” Dynamo replied, rubbing the back of his head.

  “I’m sure you’ve made enough money by now to buy a dust buster, at least.”

  Furnace grunted, motioning us over. “Zipcode, pipe down. Set your psychic pin, or whatever, and take us back to the tower?”

  I cocked my head, glancing between the two older villains. “Psychic pin?” I asked.

  “It’s how my power work.” Rings of red light flickered between Zipcode’s eyes. “I can instantly teleport between a few locations, but I have to manually go to a place to set them. I keep the boss’ tower as one of them. Others end up fading from my mind over time. Get closer, you gotta be in tight for me to teleport all of us.”

  We did so, clustering around Zipcode until it felt downright awkward. He air flickered around her, a crimson hue dancing around us. Our surrounding changed in a flash, the dusty and worn-down office replaced with an opulent hallway with a plush black carpet and stark white walls.

  Fine portraits were framed on either side of us, dating from an assortment of eras and art styles. A lot of them, ironically enough for a crime boss, depicted noble and heroic scenes from history. Mahogany double doors loomed at the far end of the hall.

  “He’s through here,” Furnace said, motioning toward them. “It should go without saying that you treat the man with due respect, and don’t speak until spoken to. No interrupting him, no snide remarks, none of that. This meeting is only happening because I talked you up, so your conduct reflects on me. You get what I’m saying, yeah?”

  “Don’t sweat it. We won’t do anything stupid, will we?” Cheshire’s gaze swept over us. I gave her a nod, trying to ignore the anxious thudding of my heart.

  Furnace nodded slowly. “Good. Then let’s get to it.”

  “I’m gonna go get a bite, lemme know when it’s time to send these kids back,” Zipcode said, striding through one door.

  Furnace led the way to the end of the hall, footfalls silent on the carpet, and pushed the way inside. The room beyond was a vast one, the entryway flanked on either side by large fishtanks fitted into the marble walls that had schools of tropical fish swimming about. The windows at the far end of the room were vast and sunlit, giving a decent view of the spires and towers of Argent City.

  And there, seated at a vast desk, sat Jupiter. His white suit was finely tailored but it was obvious, even at a glance, that he was not a particularly large or muscular man. His mask was jet black, covering his head and face entirely, his eyes hidden glowing white lenses.

  On one side of his desk stood a strange man comprised entirely of a doughy grey sludge, nearly seven feet in height. On the other side was a young man in a black costume, and I could feel him watching us behind the golden visor of his mask.

  Furnace moved ahead of us, motioning for our group to stand in place. I watched him go, frowning behind my mask. The doors clicked shut, leaving us firmly in the heart of his lair. “Your guests are here, Jupiter,” Furnace said, adding a little deference into his tone. He even stood up a little straighter in the other man’s presence.

  Jupiter leaned forward in his chair, pressing his palms onto the varnished wood of his desk. “The Devils,” he said, his voice oddly soft and calming. “Good to finally meet you.”

  Cheshire took a step forward, lightly clearing her throat. “It’s... an honour to meet you, Jupiter. Sir.”

  “Please, relax. I know I have a reputation, but you’ve no need to be so tense. Parody,” he gestured toward the walking pile of grey sludge. “Get our young guests something to drink. Let’s stick to soda and fruit juices, eh? After all, it would be a crime to give you alcohol.”