some of the moves!”
Butler laughed. “Who feels brave enough to take on the shrimp?”
Niall gave him a dirty look. “I know I’m small, but I won’t always be! One day I’ll be a superhuman too, like my dad was!”
“Yeah, but your dad was one of the
bad
guys. How do we know you won’t be just as evil as he was?”
“That’s enough, Butler!” Cord shouted.
Oh hell
, Colin thought. To Yvonne, he whispered, “Didn’t anyone tell him that Niall doesn’t know?”
“Josh told us yesterday.”
“What are you saying?” Niall demanded, marching over to Butler. “My dad used to be
Quantum
! He was the best!”
“Kid, that man you call your dad was never Quantum. He was Façade. He worked for the bad guys.”
Niall clenched his tiny fists and made a run at Butler, but Danny stood in his way.
He put out his hand to calm his brother, then turned to Butler. “Tell him that’s not true.”
Butler smirked. “But it
is
true. He’s got a villain for a father and a murdering cripple for a half brother.”
“Redmond!” Cord said, advancing on him.
Butler turned to Cord and gave him a look of contempt. “Stay out of this, Solomon. This is between me and Lefty here.”
Colin moved closer to them.
If Butler’s as strong as he says he is, he could knock Sol’s head clean off his shoulders. He knows it, too. They
both
know it.
“What is your problem with me?” Danny demanded.
Butler’s force field suddenly appeared around him and expanded outward, forcing Danny to step back.
Butler sneered. “My problem? My problem is that you’re a nobody, Cooper. You don’t have any powers. Sure, your old man was something else in his day, but he’s doing the pine-box waltz now. And
you
put him there.
I
got sent to military school because I beat the crap out of a guy who was trying to mug me, but you murdered your own father and no one has done a thing about it.”
“That was an accident!”
Enough!
Colin decided. He walked over to Butler and stepped between him and Danny. “I don’t know whether you’re stronger than me, Redmond, but we’re going to find out if you don’t back away right now!”
“Hey, I’m not going to touch him! It wouldn’t be right, him being a powerless cripple and all.”
“Hit the showers, Redmond,” Cord said. “You’re done for the day.”
Butler looked around at everyone, then nodded. His force field disappeared. “Whatever you say, boss.” As he marched out of the room, he turned and winked at Niall. “See you, shrimp.”
Danny turned to Colin. “I don’t need you to fight my battles for me!”
“I was trying to…”
But Danny just turned his back and walked away.
Colin looked over at Niall, who was now standing next to Renata, holding her hand. “What did he mean about my dad being evil?” Niall asked.
Dioxin woke as the car slowed to a crawl; it was approaching a pair of gates set into a four-meter-high steel fence. “Where are we, Laurie?”
“Northeast Wyoming.”
The unmanned gates swung open and they drove through, the car plowing furrows in the snow. They drove along a short treelined road and into a small town square. “There’s no people,” Dioxin said. “Stop the car a minute.”
Laurie pulled the car over to the side and Dioxin got out. He took a deep breath, the ragged remains of his nostrils flaring. “Fresh-cut timber. Drying plaster. These buildings are all brand new.” He leaned back into the car. “You built this place?”
“We did. Right now, there’s only a handful of people here. We’re expecting the first citizens to arrive in the next couple of months. This will be your base of operations while you’re dealing with the Paragon situation.”
Dioxin looked around, his breath misting in the air. “I was expecting an underground lair at the very least. Man, this is one creepy little town…” He pointed toward the roof of a nearby store. “Hidden camera…Another one over there…High-tech alarms on all the
Butler laughed. “Who feels brave enough to take on the shrimp?”
Niall gave him a dirty look. “I know I’m small, but I won’t always be! One day I’ll be a superhuman too, like my dad was!”
“Yeah, but your dad was one of the
bad
guys. How do we know you won’t be just as evil as he was?”
“That’s enough, Butler!” Cord shouted.
Oh hell
, Colin thought. To Yvonne, he whispered, “Didn’t anyone tell him that Niall doesn’t know?”
“Josh told us yesterday.”
“What are you saying?” Niall demanded, marching over to Butler. “My dad used to be
Quantum
! He was the best!”
“Kid, that man you call your dad was never Quantum. He was Façade. He worked for the bad guys.”
Niall clenched his tiny fists and made a run at Butler, but Danny stood in his way.
He put out his hand to calm his brother, then turned to Butler. “Tell him that’s not true.”
Butler smirked. “But it
is
true. He’s got a villain for a father and a murdering cripple for a half brother.”
“Redmond!” Cord said, advancing on him.
Butler turned to Cord and gave him a look of contempt. “Stay out of this, Solomon. This is between me and Lefty here.”
Colin moved closer to them.
If Butler’s as strong as he says he is, he could knock Sol’s head clean off his shoulders. He knows it, too. They
both
know it.
“What is your problem with me?” Danny demanded.
Butler’s force field suddenly appeared around him and expanded outward, forcing Danny to step back.
Butler sneered. “My problem? My problem is that you’re a nobody, Cooper. You don’t have any powers. Sure, your old man was something else in his day, but he’s doing the pine-box waltz now. And
you
put him there.
I
got sent to military school because I beat the crap out of a guy who was trying to mug me, but you murdered your own father and no one has done a thing about it.”
“That was an accident!”
Enough!
Colin decided. He walked over to Butler and stepped between him and Danny. “I don’t know whether you’re stronger than me, Redmond, but we’re going to find out if you don’t back away right now!”
“Hey, I’m not going to touch him! It wouldn’t be right, him being a powerless cripple and all.”
“Hit the showers, Redmond,” Cord said. “You’re done for the day.”
Butler looked around at everyone, then nodded. His force field disappeared. “Whatever you say, boss.” As he marched out of the room, he turned and winked at Niall. “See you, shrimp.”
Danny turned to Colin. “I don’t need you to fight my battles for me!”
“I was trying to…”
But Danny just turned his back and walked away.
Colin looked over at Niall, who was now standing next to Renata, holding her hand. “What did he mean about my dad being evil?” Niall asked.
Dioxin woke as the car slowed to a crawl; it was approaching a pair of gates set into a four-meter-high steel fence. “Where are we, Laurie?”
“Northeast Wyoming.”
The unmanned gates swung open and they drove through, the car plowing furrows in the snow. They drove along a short treelined road and into a small town square. “There’s no people,” Dioxin said. “Stop the car a minute.”
Laurie pulled the car over to the side and Dioxin got out. He took a deep breath, the ragged remains of his nostrils flaring. “Fresh-cut timber. Drying plaster. These buildings are all brand new.” He leaned back into the car. “You built this place?”
“We did. Right now, there’s only a handful of people here. We’re expecting the first citizens to arrive in the next couple of months. This will be your base of operations while you’re dealing with the Paragon situation.”
Dioxin looked around, his breath misting in the air. “I was expecting an underground lair at the very least. Man, this is one creepy little town…” He pointed toward the roof of a nearby store. “Hidden camera…Another one over there…High-tech alarms on all the
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