How could Summer even begin to explain everything that had happened? She felt Ashton’s expectant gaze on her more the longer she hesitated, and the guilt of how this whole mess had started began to well up.

  “Everything that happened is probably my fault,” she began, “When that reporter followed us from the cafe to the restaurant I panicked, and I blamed the one person who is usually at fault. Just this time, he wasn’t.”

  Once she got started, everything began to pour out as if she had been waiting for the chance to tell someone. She told him about Claudia, and about her idiotic challenge to Maskz. She told him about the suspicious way the guards had interjected and the deal they had made to protect Kayla’s secrets. Ashton listened to her story seriously with occasional interjections and clarifying questions.

  “So you will be meeting him again,” Ashton concluded, “When? Before you try to get out of this, I am coming too.”

  Summer gulped. “Are you sure?” she asked, “Out of all of us, Ned is the most interested in you.”

  “That interest harms those around me more than it harms me personally,” Ashton pointed out, “I won’t change my mind.”

  That much was obvious. Summer caved and agreed to bring him with them whenever they met MysteriousMaskz next. If Ned was listening in on her phone again, or however he eavesdropped, he was probably thrilled. Just in case he wasn’t Summer pulled her phone out to ask if Ashton could come too.

  “No reception,” she realized.

  “That is part of why I chose this place,” Ashton explained, “I know you said not to worry about him listening in, but I wanted to see if it could prevent him. So far he has only been able to spy on us using tools and technology that were already being used for similar functions.”

  That was actually a good idea. Summer had given up on trying to avoid his surveillance, but knowing the ways to avoid it was always a good plan. Still, there was no way she would have thought that an arcade of all places would have no reception. How would all of the games work without it?

  “What now?” Summer asked. She couldn’t contact Maskz without reception, but she didn’t want to leave this safety bubble quite yet.

  “Now we think about how we should use this meeting to our advantage,” Ashton replied, “This is an excellent opportunity to explore the enemy’s home base. I won’t avoid bringing the power suppression serum just because he might expect me to have it.”

  The power suppression serum? Again, Summer felt like her views were being shifted. She had been so focused on making deals she had forgotten to try to find ways to take their enemy out once and for all. That being said, this plan was uncharacteristically reckless for Ashton. Now that she looked closer, he seemed fairly stressed.

  “Taking action is a good thing, and bringing the serum as a backup isn’t bad either,” Summer began, “but I don’t think that should be our main goal. We don’t know how he will retaliate if we take his power and we would be surrounded by his people. We could try to focus on information. Maybe trick him into revealing something?”

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  “He might be willing to spill hints to me, but I doubt he will talk with the bodyguards present,” Ashton considered, “They have to be there for your plan to work.”

  That was true. Maskz talked pretty openly around them but he had even donned a costume when facing the guards. There was no way he would spill secrets in front of them. Especially not his own. A brilliant idea suddenly came to mind.

  “What if we use his own tricks against him?” Summer suggested, “We could bug his private room in the Golden Club, or maybe even stick one onto his belongings.”

  “We would need more time for me to get a hold of something like that,” Ashton considered. He seemed to like her suggestion.

  With a goal in mind it was easy to plan. The two of them talked for a while longer. Part of it was hashing out the details, but they also just took some time to enjoy each other’s company. It was one of the first moments of Summer’s self declared vacation that she had actually been able to relax. It was odd to think that this moment came in an abandoned mascot arcade that was once used to train villains.

  Once they left and were back in cell service, Summer reached out to MysteriousMaskz according to their plan. It was the sort of plan that should work to the benefit of everyone involved. For Maskz she asked him to get in contact with the bodyguards to arrange the meeting, but to draw things out. Seem hesitant, be demanding, and even rip them off if possible. Since he was doing this for entertainment, Ned seemed delighted by the idea, though he did hint that he knew Summer had made some sort of secret plan with Ashton.

  Ashton would be in charge of gathering the bugging equipment. He seemed fairly confident that he had an idea of where to get it. Summer had the hardest role of all. She had to act, even in front of Kayla. For them to be able to fool Maskz, they couldn’t reveal the real plan even in front of Kayla. The same with the bodyguards. Summer might be able to fool them but they were far more familiar with Kayla’s habits.

  That was why when the bodyguards got their first message from MysteriousMaksz, Kayla was genuinely just as surprised as they were. Unlike the generosity he had been treating Summer with recently, this message reminded her of the way he spoke when he was in work mode.

  “I am thinking of rescinding my offer,” it read, “Even if I help these higher ups of yours there is nothing in it for me. I’m not in the habit of bowing to higher powers. Better luck next time.”

  The only reason Summer knew what it said was because the guards approached her to confirm if it really was a message from Maskz. As usual it came from an unknown number with no attempt at introductions or explanations.

  “That is definitely from MysteriousMaskz,” Summer confirmed, “I’d ask how he got your number, but that kind of thing never seems to stop him.”

  Just as she expected, the guards couldn’t give up and began to attempt to negotiate. Even Kayla who wasn’t in on the plan seemed to find it amusing to watch them stuck in the middle as the so-called higher ups engaged in a mental battle with a self proclaimed mastermind supervillain.

  Watching this really made Summer realize how easy Ned had been going on her and Ashton. She didn’t get to see any more of the messages but the torment lasted for days instead of mere hours. Every time the guards relaxed even a little, a new message would come in giving them no time to rest.

  It was only after a whole week had passed that Ned reached out to Summer again with the date and time of the meeting, along with a note thanking her for the fun experience. Of course Ashton was invited as well. He must have gotten into contact with Maskz somehow during the week since Summer hadn’t mentioned it.

  Could they really pull this off? Summer could feel the anxious nerves running their course, but somehow she wasn’t nearly as nervous as when she had met Ned at Heroix. Was it because Ashton would be there?