"We had a helicopter!" I cried in outrage, pointing accusingly.
Apollo raised an eyebrow, pulling his red lollipop out of his mouth.
And pointed it at the car behind him.
"We had a Ferrari. "
They had a flipping Ferrari.
It was Devin and the park all over again.
I try to do something right, only to have Apollo magically turn up at the scene before me.
Gritting my teeth, I refused to admit defeat.
"I don't care if you had the blasted Batmobile, Helicopter trumps Car!" I glared at him daring him to argue with me and the rules of the universe.
Apollo glared back, arms crossed and not at all swayed by my logic.
"First of all, there is a private underground tunnel connecting the Mc'Valium estate directly to the School...If you must ask, it is because my father has too much money and not enough patience. Secondly, we didn't screw around like your group did."
I opened my mouth to object.
Then... yea... Chandelier... Catapult...
"And last of all, Robin Drove."
He gestured the short girl, who had managed to escape her ball gown and was now... In what looked like her underwear.
Looking completely comfortable in black and yellow boxer shorts with a cutsie Bee print and Apollo's suit jacket, Robin raised a hand in my direction.
"Professionally trained in stunt driving." She announced.
Of course, she is.
"Maddison!"
Now that I had been rendered speechless, Nigel apparently thought that it was safe to approach.
A huge grin on his face, the giant scarecrow of a boy eagerly began to cross the gap between us.
This was the first time we had been close enough to talk since the attack on the Shrink program.
Since his fight with Artemis.
And his first agonising experience with Pain.
I smiled back.
So hard, my teeth hurt.
"Nigel!"
He stopped dead in his tracks.
Then slowly...
...took a step back.
"Maddison...?"
"What are you running away for Nigel... " I tilted my head, smile still frozen in place.
"You need to come over here."
My eyes held only the sincerest warmth.
"And explain to me how exactly Havoc ended up with the strange impression that Vain is my Boyfriend."
Nigel's golden eyes widened, and I grinned in anticipation.
Except, instead of running for his life, Nigel went bright red in the most mortified blush I had ever seen in my life.
Just like that the tables were turned.
"What did he say!"
At a speed that put his past self to shame, Nigel was suddenly right in front of me, clutching Vain's shoulder and hunching down so that he was on eye level with me.
I nearly fell off my perch at the sudden proximity of those desperate eyes, leaning back in alarm.
"What do you mean what did he say? Is there something else you guys talked about besides the fact that you think I'm so completely head over heels in love with Vain, so much so that I wouldn't look at another guy even if Adonis himself walked up to me with a rose in his mouth and covered in chocolate?!"
So not true. I would never say no to chocolate.
"Um... No?" Nigel winced, pulling back slightly.
I gaped at him, at the look of utter relief in his golden eyes.
And almost felt bad for him.
This kid couldn't lie his way out of a paper bag.
Alan snickered in agreement...or just in overall enjoyment of the situation.
But this was no laughing matter.
"I'm giving you ten seconds."
Nigel and I froze. Five Simple words marked the end of our conversation.
And possibly, our lives.
"To get your hands off me."
Slowly, we both turned to look at Vain.
Who wore the expression of a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
The cold, sinisterly insane look that promised, someone was about to die the death of a thousand cuts.
"Before I lose my patience. "
That's when I realised.
Not only was Nigel manhandling the pale boy, the height difference between the two made it, so Vain was forced up onto tiptoe.
Nothing in the universe has ever been more dead than we are about to be if Nigel didn't let go right now.
"Nigel..." my voice actually trembled slightly as I started to tell the idiot to start running.
I fought the instinct that warned me not to look away from Vain and the oncoming attack, in order to send Nigel a pleading look.
But the tall boy showed no sign of running away.
He didn't even look scared.
No, Nigel, with his face so close to Vain's, met that terrifying expression.
With a glare of his own.