C’s eyes narrowed, “They don’t have a daughter nad Joan.”
My grandparents turned to look at each other and back to everyone else as Grandma said, “But that is a na we were talking about. Joan, if we had a girl, and Stephen, if we had another boy. So, we’re going to have a daughter?”
“Stephen?” My eyes darted toward Grandma’s belly. She wasn’t showing, but maybe that hint of a curve was Uncle Steve? Even in the 50s and 60s, superhero costus didn’t leave a lot to the imagination. “Well, if you haven’t had a Stephen yet, no. My mom was born in 1963.”
Grandpa glanced over at the ntalist, and Daniel’s grandfather nodded, his top hat making the nod more obvious. Though I’d never told him, I’d always thought the ntalist’s era of magician-thed costus looked silly.
In the 60s, he’d emphasized psionic powers, and his look improved.
The ntalist glanced in my direction and smiled, telling the group, “He’s telling the truth. I know it because his surface thoughts confirm it, but also because his ntal shield uses the sa design I created for the team, except for a few interesting changes.”
I nodded. “Your grandson did most of it. I think he got help from his dad at points.”
Night Wolf glanced from the ntalist to Grandpa. “I can’t sll him, but if you trust him, I’ll give him a chance.”
The ntalist touched his shoulder, “I do. I also see the sa hints that he’s spent ti with Lee that I’ve noticed in our thought patterns over the years.”
Behind him, Red Lightning frowned for the briefest of monts before saying, “Oh.”
Thin-lipped, Captain Commando gave a nod, “Alright, then. What do you want?”
“I’m not sure where to start and what you know, but we’re within a massively powerful weapon that Lee stole from his own people. A supervillain nad Magnus has almost figured out how to control it. My team, a group of your grandchildren, isn’t here yet, and there are too many people for to handle. Since you’re the only people I can trust here, I’m asking you for help.
“There’s a wrinkle to keep in mind, though. If any of you die, it changes my past and your future, which ans maybe my friends don’t get born. So, I'm asking for help, but if you can help without drawing attention to yourselves, that would be best.”
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Captain Commando regarded , nodding along as I talked. “We know about the device. We helped Lee find it, and we’ve hidden the doohickey that allows you to control it when we get out.”
Grandpa’s helt turned in Cap’s direction. If I had to bet, I’d have bet he was giving him side eye through the helt. He said, “Doohickey?”
Cap shrugged, “I don’t know why you think I’m going to call alien technology by the right na when I don’t even know ours.”
“You know what?” Grandpa said, “I don’t either.” Then he laughed, and the rest of the team chuckled. It felt good, reminding of the picnics when I was a kid. They’d been comfortable with each other.
I didn’t have ti to dwell on it, asking, “You hid it? Oh. Well, I think Magnus has it, or maybe there’s more than one. Either way, that’s what we’re facing.”
Night Wolf shook his head, “Magnus? We may have heard the na. He’s not alone, is he? Who’s with him and what can they do?”
I replied, “I’ll say their nas and describe them and let the ntalist grab whatever he can from my thoughts. It might go faster, and I’ll miss less.”
Grinning, Night Wolf said, “That’s what I was thinking, but it’s good to have permission.”
The ntalist said, “I don’t read everyone’s mind all the ti.”
No one on the team said anything, but Captain Commando smirked.
“I don’t,” the ntalist stated.
I went down the list, sotis checking the implant’s mory of the tower's dark room and everyone in it to make sure I didn’t miss anyone.
As I did, the ntalist spoke in my mind, Thanks for that picture. I’ll share that with the team too.
“One more thing,” I added when we were done, “I’m going to have to give you a way to resist Colette’s commands.”
C nodded, “We’re aware. Isaac shared that with us as well. Bring us through.”
Knowing that I hadn’t shared that intentionally, I wondered what else Daniel’s grandfather caught and passed on. Even for him, it wouldn’t be easy to go past Daniel's ntal shield.
Keeping the portal’s opening below the top of the railing, I angled it so that the original League could step out while keeping their heads down.
Ray’s eyes widened, and his hand went toward his pocket as the portal opened and they joined us on the balcony. He turned to , “I thought you were going to teleport them in behind .”
“They needed anti-voice buzzers,” I said, hoping he wasn’t nervous enough to reflexively attack.
He scowled. “So they’re not going to be close when I need them?”
C t his eyes, speaking slowly and carefully, “We know the plan. We’re building on it. You won’t be alone out there even for a second.”
He watched Ray, unblinking. At least to, , it was clear that he wouldn’t take any argunt about this.
As long as I’d known him, Jaclyn’s grandfather always seed good-natured on the surface, but hard-nosed when necessary. In that mont, it struck that he may have llowed with age.
“You,” he said to Prentkos, “are with . Red Lightning and Rocket Junior need to go for the Cabal soldiers the mont the fighting starts—lasers and lightning. Got it?”
He kept on talking, but as he did, I couldn’t help but notice Red Lightning eyeing Ray. Ray’s father, I rembered, had been part of Red Lightning’s power juice-using gangs.
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