The Undoing of Sidekicks | ✓

twenty nine

twenty nine

WE ALMOST had our plan detailed down to the last second. We'd gotten the results from Hyde's lab, and now we had a list of locations where her HQ might be located, based on the strange chemical runoffs from the chemical agent she was producing. All we needed to do now was cross-reference it with sightings of Mistress, which required us to break into police records and actively violate the police force of San Helios.

"It's really not a big deal," I said, attempting to at least semi-convince Josh that the law was flexible, stretching at times of distress, " — besides, do you have a better idea?"

Our gazes locked in a silent stare-off, while Zuri rolled her eyes at us both.

"You know I don't have a better idea." His voice was a low, sour grumble.

"Then why bother arguing against me?"

"Because it's not right."

"What, you think Mistress will play along with the rules?" I raised a brow, fisting my hands on my hips as I stared him down.

"I know she doesn't. Damn it, Leo, I'm still trying to be the good guy here." Josh ran a hand through unruly hair, fatigue dragging at his eyes. We were both exhausted, though we'd caught a few winks of sleep when we'd returned home from Hyde's lab. We needed to see this through, or we'd both fall into heaps of overworked bones.

"I know you are, Josh, but it won't work. Not here, not with her." I softened my tone, resisting the urge to reach out and place a reassuring hand on his shoulder, " — we've known that from the start."

"What does that make us, then, if we sink to her level?"

His eyes lifted, dark and filled with turmoil, as they met mine. He seemed to be seeking an answer, though I was far from sure he was searching in the right place. I did not have any proper response to his question, mostly because I was aware I'd do whatever it took to make sure Mistress ended up behind bars, or somewhere she could do no harm any longer.

"It makes us even, at the very least." The response I offered made Josh scoff lightly, turning away to glance at Zuri. Zuri, in turn, was doing her very best to appear as if she was not listening in to our conversation.

"We can't just become bad guys to beat them. We shouldn't have to." Josh sighed, hand clenching and relaxing with a regular pattern. He was anguished, understandably so, and so was I.

We'd been running on fumes for a long time, though now, finally, we had the end in sight. We'd put a stop to Mistress, and I was damned if his morals were to skew us from that path.

"You don't have to, Josh, but I will do it — will gladly do it — if it means getting rid of her. We've been over this."

Our eyes met again, and this time I didn't stop myself from reaching out to grasp his shoulder, squeezing lightly as I held his gaze.

"I know you're looking to be righteous and fair here, but when you're up against Mistress that's just a way of opening yourself up to further harm. I know her, I know how she thinks, operates ... if you can't handle that, then maybe I should go alone." I swallowed, hard, throat closing.

Josh's eyes snapped to me.

"I'm not letting you go alone. Are you crazy?"

I shrugged, "I'd say I'm toeing the line, most of the time."

Shaking his head, Josh reached up to touch the hand I'd clasped his shoulder with. His fingers lightly tripped along the ridge of my hand, before he exhaled.