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Malik cast a sidelong look at Shade “The thing is, if you’re playing the hero role, you don’t actually have to beat hi” Then, to Cruz in the rearviewof typical tropes, you and I are either sidekicks or enablers I guess you’re the sidekick, since you have a power”

“Did you see the videos?” Shade de the byplay It was a purely rhetorical question—they’d all watched the YouTube videos repeatedly “That’s a big, scary thing, that Knightmare”

“With your speed?” Cruz asked “He’d probably never touch you”

Shade noisted to talk to Cruz “When you morph, when you use your powerdo you still always feel”

Noas Cruz’s turn to look grave “The dark things watching? Yes That’s why I don’t change for long I feel them, and each time it’s like I can hear them a little better, not that there’s an actual soundjust” She shrugged “What is it, they, whatever?”

Shade shook her head “I don’t know”

“Guess,” Malik demanded

Shade was quiet for so long, Malik was sure she’d say nothing But then, “I think of the that was inside that girl Gaia”

“Which tells you what?”

“I have to pee,” Shade said

“Cut the bullshit, babe”

Shade took a deep breath “You want a theory? I’ve got a theory Everyone always thought the ASOs were benign life-creating viruses, basically But what do real viruses do? They turn healthy cells into breeders of more virus And sometimes they turn a healthy cell into cancer I think somehow a consciousness is in that ASO virus, in that rock” Eyes down, she added, “I think they’re using us I think maybe we’rean experiment Unless”

“Unless?” Malik prompted

“Unless we’re just entertainment”

“And yet you think this is all still a great idea?” Malik said, harsher than he intended “It would help me to not think you’re crazy, if you’d at least ade mistake”