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Glancing at Mark, Joan said, “We’d split up and make a big fuss at one end of the city. Then the real crime would take place without anyone noticing, or before you could get there to stop it.”

“But they don’t think like us,” Mark said. “They want people to see all the shit they’re doing.”

“True. These are different Villains.”

“Think like them,” Otis said. “What would you want to destroy next?”

“Well, they hit Friendship Park,” Joan thought aloud. “That was personal. Everything else has been strategic to disrupt our everyday lives. Gus, was there someplace Big Quake targeted but never took out?”

“We stopped him from ruining Vulture Stadium.”

“That could be another spot.”

“No.” Gus looked up from her notes. “It’s not baseball season. It wouldn’t disrupt anything.” She looked down again. “I know what he wants to take out.”

She scribbled for a few moments. Then she pointed her pen at the ceiling. “This building. Our headquarters.”

“Did he ever try?” Zee asked.

“Oh, he tried. This is the most stable building in the city. It was quite literally built to be quakeproof. He gave up rather quickly.”

Mark wagged a finger at Gus. “If he’s got these new cronies, he might be able to take it out this time.”

“We don’t want them attacking our base of operations,” Darlene said.

Joan shook her head. “No, that’s perfect. Lure them here and turn on the power blocking.”

Darlene gave her a look. “It mutes our powers, too.”

“You think we can’t take out an old man who can barely walk and two dudes who rely on their powers for everything? The only real threat is Prowl. She’s just as nasty without jumping on people like a bobcat. But we can take her out.” She had to force the last word. “Together.”

Her former archenemy slowly thawed. The rest of the room looked at each other like That’s not a bad idea. A prickle of pride flickered in her chest.

“There is one small problem with that,” Otis said. “Ward, don’t type this.”

“Yes, sir.” Ward dutifully clasped his hands.

“It doesn’t have a very far reach.” He hesitated to elaborate.

Gus huffed. “He means it only works within the confines of this building.”

“It’s like Wi-Fi,” Zee said. “It has a certain radius that works best in an enclosed area.”

“Ahhh.” Mark nodded slowly. “That’s why you never used it on us. You can’t beyond these walls.”

“Other than in specially-designed transport vehicles, not really.”

Perry leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “Why haven’t you perfected it?”

Otis made a widely exaggerated face. “What a terrific idea. Why didn’t we think of that?”

“It’s a highly debated topic in the Superhero community,” Zee said. “How much we want the norms to know it exists.”

Darlene shot them a glare that they smirked at.

“Like it matters what we tell them now? They’re on our side.” Zee continued to the former Villains, “If we used it in public, the people who have issues with superpowers would know there’s a way to prevent us from using them.”

“It’s as much a way to protect us as to keep Villains under control,” Otis admitted.

Kade came into the room with a big grin that morphed into worry. “Uh-oh. Am I late? I had to change my clothes. What did I miss?”

“Nothing, buddy,” Mark said. “Just that we’re luring the Villains here to take them out by turning off their powers.”

“Oh, okay.” Kade paused mid-stride. “But that turns our powers off, too.”

Joan understood why this tech wasn’t public knowledge, but… “It has to reach a little bit outside. Like how home Wi-Fi doesn’t stop at your front door. We just have to get them right up to the building.”

“It is risky.” Zee shrugged like But what’s the alternative?

“This is a prime target. It’s worth the risk.”

Darlene stood, almost knocking into Kade as he passed. “How are we going to get them to come here when we’re ready and waiting for them?”

She gazed around the room. It felt kind of nice to be included. Then again, they needed all the fighting bodies they could get.

“We fake a news story,” Mark said.

A smile tugged at Joan’s mouth. One of their tried-and-true maneuvers.

“Yeah. We make up a story that the city’s Superhero headquarters is extremely vulnerable to attack. It’s unstable. These Villains aren’t local. They won’t know it’s not true. Quake will think it’s the result of age and wear and tear.”

“We leak it strategically so it just gets to them,” Joan said. “We don’t want the public to freak out.”

“How are you going to do that?” Otis asked.

“Can you leak something false just to the Villains?” Darlene said.

Joan and Mark shared a grin. “Remember the supposed armored car robbery a few years back?” Mark said.

“Or the warehouse allegedly filled with stolen art?” Joan added. “Or the break-in at the botanic garden that ended up being a false alarm?”

Mark sent the Supers a knowing look. “We know how to fake a news story for our enemies.”

Otis and Darlene clearly didn’t know how to react, and Kade was obviously confused.

Zee, however, burst out laughing. “You assholes,” they said.

Mark chuckled in return. “Yeah, well, these assholes are gonna save your assholes.”

This was a good plan. Joan adjusted in her seat, ready for action. She could have Greta spread the word among the criminal element?—

Nope, that wasn’t an option.

Gus set her pen down. “Big Quake knows how secure this building is. We can’t get him here unless there’s something he wants more than destruction.”

Perry raised his eyebrows. “Revenge.”

She nodded at him. “He wants me. I’ll come forward as being back in Vector City.”

“No. You don’t have to?—”

“Yes, I do. I’ll appear on video first for confirmation. That’s how you young people communicate these days. Then we’ll pretend to schedule a press conference in front of this building. A fake one you can leak to…” She waved a hand. “Whomever.”

“You could get hurt,” Kade said. “Your powers will be turned off.”

“We won’t let that happen,” Darlene stated.

This was a brave-as-shit move from a ninety-year-old woman. Literally putting herself out there. Probably why she’d come back—she was Quake’s ultimate target.

“A press conference feels a little too on-the-nose,” Joan said. “It sounds like a trap.”

“Then think of something else,” said Gus. “We’ll work out the details.”

“Are you sure?” Perry asked, worry coloring his voice.

“I’ve been living in seclusion so he can’t find me. This is what Big Quake wants more than anything.”

Oh. Oh. That was what all the secrecy was really about. Damn.

Mark released a long breath. “Wow, Gus. I’m sorry.”

“It wasn’t the only reason,” Gus said. “I was quite done with a life in the spotlight. But it was certainly something I considered when relocating.”

“We can think of an alternative,” Darlene said. “You shouldn’t have to?—”

“Kiddo, my work isn’t done.”

That made Darlene smile. “You will get justice this time. For everything. I promise you.”

Gus pushed back from the table. “Less promising, more doing. Where’s my Super suit?”

* * *

Whatever Joan thought about Gus before had totally gone out the window. The old bird was still a hero.

Otis was flying over to Destine to get her bodysuit from the National Museum of Superheroes. It had to still fit—she’d only aged a little since retiring. The other Supers were preparing to go out and insinuate they had some big news to share very soon.

Since Spark, Ice and Breeze were not trusted sources, they were planning on splitting up and going to a few dive bars to spread gossip the old-fashioned way.

Gus didn’t want to sit around, so she was tagging along with Perry.

Ward was staying behind to monitor any activity from the control room (once he escorted the guests out, of course).

“Come along, twins.” Gus walked out of the conference room. “You too, Perry.”

Mark hopped up. He glanced at Gus’s notes, ever the Nosy Nelly. “Those are pretty.”

It turned out Gus wasn’t taking notes—she’d been doodling flowers. Irises, lilies, things with long, sweeping petals.

“These look like that painting in your bedroom, Per. The one of the field of flowers.”

“They do,” Joan said. Wait—the painting he said he’d acquired from some up-and-coming artist, signed AA . “Augusta Abernathy. Why didn’t I pick up on that? Gus did that painting.”

“She did.” Perry pushed his chair in.

“You love that piece,” she couldn’t help saying. Perry never wanted art that wasn’t a masterpiece and/or worth a lot of money. She’d never quite understood why he’d fancied that one.

“Is that a real place?” Mark had also picked up on the deeper meaning.

“It’s near where she lives.” Per headed for the door. “Let’s go. She’s not waiting for us.”

“I bet it’s outside her house,” Joan muttered to her brother.

“Totally.”

Ward couldn’t resist checking out the drawings. “I’ll bet it’s a happy place for both of them. Somewhere with good memories.”

They used the back stairs to get to the inconspicuous rear entry. Mark gave Ward a smile. “Go take a nap, man. We’ve got this.”

“I wish,” Ward mumbled, then quickly added, “I need to monitor all the activity feeds. Best of luck out there.”

He did the slow fade-out, half watching them, half tapping on his tablet. Joan said, “When this is over, let’s send him on a nice, long, tropical vacation.”

Gus pulled a pair of black-rimmed glasses from her inside jacket pocket. “Time to go incognito.”

Hmm. She was from a time when Supers and Villains only wore a simple eye mask. “Won’t you be recognized?” Joan asked.

“This has always worked,” Gus said, settling the glasses in place.

Mark screwed his face up. “You just put on a pair of glasses and nobody recognizes you? That actually works?”

“An unassuming woman gets overlooked all the time. Especially one of a certain age.”

Swinging his gaze to Perry, Mark said, “Is that why you wear glasses, Per?”

“It’s something I started doing when I became Breeze,” Perry said.

The twins cackled at the simple solution to anonymity.

“I do need them. They’re prescription lenses.”

“So ridiculous,” Mark muttered.