Page 28 of Seductive Architect (Grunts of Vanguard #2)

“I think I need a uniform.”

“We’re not having this debate again.”

“It’s not a debate, it’s a statement.” Janet had found my swords and strapped them to her back. “I’m going to report the lack of equity to Human Resources.”

“Good,” I said. “Then they’ll stop asking me for nudes.”

We stood in front of the water fountain.

Janet dropped the kickstand of her motorcycle as Hudson climbed off.

In the middle of the night, the building appeared quiet.

The lack of movement made me nervous. I had no doubt that Apex knew we were coming.

He’d have predicted a heroic rescue and had cameras following us for miles.

“He’s watching,” Hudson said.

Janet climbed off the bike, standing between us. “How do you know? ”

Hudson continued tapping into his programming. The assimilation had begun, and with it came certain perks . I still couldn’t hear his thoughts like other machines, but I could sense the change. The barrier preventing him from his primary purpose had all but fallen away.

“He’s right,” I said.

“You two and your techno babble.” Janet reached into her shoulder holsters and pulled out her guns. When she caught me staring, she waved them about. “Tranquilizers. I’d never hurt that beautiful brute.”

We were a ragtag group of three up against one of the smartest machines in the world.

I should know, I stupidly created it. That meant I knew its flaws.

Because of that, I couldn’t have picked a better team.

The man exploring what it means to be human and the personification of a hurricane.

It wouldn’t be easy, but we stood a chance.

“They’re here,” Hudson said, pointing to the sky.

Janet jerked her head to the side, cracking her vertebrae. Taking a step forward, I envied her confidence. Even as Wyatt lowered from the sky, holding Arthur and Drew, she believed she’d be able to take them down without breaking a sweat. Right now, I needed her confidence.

“Turn back now,” Arthur said. It sounded like him, but I knew the words came from Apex. “Your resistance is futile.”

“We ready, boys?”

No. Not in the least .

“Wyatt’s mine,” she said. Uh, that wasn’t the original plan. “Try to keep up.”

Janet let out an ear-piercing scream as she charged forward. She fired, but Wyatt stepped in front, the tiny darts bouncing off his chest. As I anticipated, Drew was the first to act. Surrounding us in darkness, I switched to infrared.

A missile shot from my suit, speeding toward the big guy. Bursting open, the net surrounded him. The tiny drills would anchor him to the pavement. Not a victory, but it gave us a few seconds to deal with the others.

I launched upward, exiting the black space Drew created. Janet continued walking forward, pistols leading the way. When a dart struck Arthur in the shoulder, she turned her attention to Drew. He jumped behind Arthur, using him as a human shield.

When Hudson emerged, he charged Drew. A second later, he tripped and fell. I was about to question what happened when my heads-up display turned black. Dammit. Either he blacked out my suit or my eyes. For a man with such a simple ability, he had learned to use it to his advantage.

We only had a second before Wyatt broke free. Closing my eyes, I forced my powers outward. “Stupid computer,” I chuckled. Apex had infected them with his code, and I could see every equation surging through my friends as if they were glowing. Relying on my abilities, I didn’t need eyesight.

I landed and raised my hands. The gloves vibrated as they released a supersonic blast. Drew clutched the sides of his head as he fell to his knees. “Sorry, buddy.” The next blast, and the darkness in my helmet vanished.

“I’ll owe you lunch,” Janet shouted. A tiny dart sank into Drew’s neck. “Two lunches.”

When I spun, Wyatt had broken free of the net and held Hudson by the neck.

I readied every weapon at my disposal. Hudson reached up, pulling back Wyatt’s fingers.

When he fell, he spun, sweeping Wyatt’s legs out from under him.

Even as Wyatt tumbled, Hudson grabbed his arm, wrapping it behind his back, landing on top of him.

“Wow.” Hudson had bested our heavy hitter.

Wyatt launched upward, spinning quickly enough to throw Hudson. Dammit, I remember teaching him that move. I tried the subsonic blast, but it didn’t cause the brute to flinch. Janet helped Hudson to his feet. As long as Wyatt stayed airborne, I was our only defense.

“Wyatt, are you in there?”

When he turned his attention toward me, there wasn’t an ounce of our happy-go-lucky co-worker. In that moment, I hated Apex. Not a dislike, no awe at his ability to self-propagate, but genuine hate. He had fucked with my friends, and he was going to pay before the night ended.

I launched forward, ready for a beating. Arms wrapped around Wyatt’s waist as he slammed his fist against my spine. My suit held… for now. I grounded him, but when I tried to retreat, he grabbed me by the arm. No matter how strong my blasters were, they’d never loosen his grip.

I flinched as a baseball bat splintered into a thousand tiny slivers. Janet had come prepared, grabbing anything useful in a fight. Next, she’d break out the brass knuckles. When Wyatt tried snatching her, even his speed could match how fast she tucked and rolled backward out of his reach.

The top of my gauntlet opened, spraying Wyatt in green goo.

Hudson’s slime had inspired me to create a non-lethal method of restraining our friends.

I coated his legs, and when he tried to take off, the cement slab under his feet held him in place.

Bracing a foot against his chest, I launched backward.

“Go!” Janet shouted. “I’ve got them.”

Drew sat upright, shaking his head. I had to give him credit.

While his powers weren’t flashy, he had more resilience than any of us could have guessed.

Janet was already ducking under Wyatt’s arms. She jabbed at his armpit and then gave him another jab to the side.

Before I could ask what she was up to, Wyatt froze.

She flashed a grin. “A little something I learned in Beijing.”

Janet never ceased to amaze. She reached behind her back, pulling out the batons. With a snap of her wrist, both extended. I had an entire suit filled with weapons, and she stopped Wyatt as if it were barely an inconvenience.

“Let’s see if he paid attention during training.” She pointed with her chin toward the building. “Go save my girl.”

One non-powered Janet versus two superheroes and her younger brother. The odds were against her, but I’d bet on Janet every time. Once this was over, I’d take her training sessions a lot more seriously.

Hudson hurried to my side. “Do we leave her?”

I nodded. “In a world full of heroes, be Janet.” I’d be making t-shirts after this. “Ready to face whatever’s inside?”

Instead of answering, he grabbed my hand. With a squeeze, he flashed a smile. Even with the mask covering his face, I’d recognize that furry face a mile away. The old me would have tried to save them alone. Now, I had people who’d fight with me. For me.

“I’m with you… always,” Hudson said.

Orion squeezed his hand. “I know.”

Into danger, we ran.