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before that, since Paul first instituted rules about the newest person always sticking around home base. “Fire spells and that kind of thing aren’t going to work on him. What have you got?”
    I dropped my bags and patted my pockets. “I don’t think I brought much. I wasn’t expecting armed robbery by a guy in a robot outfit.” My fingers found a small round button in my pocket, which I pulled out. “Oh. I brought a disabler.”
    “What does that do?” Lainey glanced over to where Robot Man was making his very slow getaway. Cop cars roared up at the end of the street.
    “To a human, it’s a bit like a Tazer: shocks them so they can’t move. Don’t know what it will do to his suit. Might short-circuit it temporarily so he can’t move.”
    “He can barely move as it is.” We turned back just in time to see the cops open fire, but their bullets ricocheted off his plates. The man in the suit retaliated by blowing up one of the cop cars. “It’ll have to do,” I said.
    “Hit him with it, I’ll see if I can’t pry the armor apart.” Lainey tagged a woman with two small kids who was backing into one of the stores. “Hi, can you watch her for just a moment? I’ll be right back, thanks.” She pushed Emily’s stroller inside, along with the shell-shocked woman and her kids, and shut the door behind her. With a few quick mumbled words in Italian that I barely caught, she locked the door with magic. “The protective ward will hold, but not for long. I’m still learning. How close do you have to get to hit him with the disabler?”
    “A few feet away.”
    “We’ll have to fly, then.” Lainey grabbed me by the arms and lifted me up. We were soon flying into the war zone where bullets flew.
    “Schermo,” Lainey said, and several bullets hit an invisible wall around us.
    “You’re going to have to set me down and get away before I shoot this thing off; it’ll hit anyone within radius,” I said.
    “No problem,” Lainey replied. She reached down and touched the disabler. “Spinta di potere.”
    “What did you just do?” I asked.
    “Gave it a bit more kick. Good luck.” She dropped me down behind Robo-Dope.
    I pushed the button before he could turn around, and a shock wave burst out from me, pushing me back with its power. Lainey wasn’t kidding when she said she gave it a power boost! I was barely able to retain my footing.
    It hit the criminal’s armor square in the back, visibly weakening the seams. Making a strange creaking noise, the guy did a face-plant onto the ground. Looked like he was decommissioned.
    Lainey landed next to me. “Shall we see what’s inside?” She rolled the guy over on his back and, using her overly strong fingers, she pried the helmet off, revealing a very sweaty and very geeky-looking teenager.
    Lainey looked up at me. “It’s a kid?”
    “I’m impressed. Did you make this yourself?” I asked. It was bit comic-book, but not bad.
    “It’s my dad’s,” the kid admitted. “He’s an engineer. I thought it would be fun to try it on, like in a video game.”
    “What kind of video games do you play, kid? Street Villain Seven?”
    Lainey sighed. “This is what I have to look forward to. Or worse, this is who’ll want to date my daughter.” She reached down and pried the hands of the armor open, taking back the goods that had been stolen.
    “My dad’s going to be so pissed,” the kid whined.
    “Gee, ya think?” I might have become a rebellious teen, but at least I never stole my parents’ inventions to go on a joyride-and-robbery spree. They should thank their lucky stars. This kid even blew up a cop car!
    Several officers had swarmed into the jewelry store and returned, and a few others now surrounded us.
    “Gentlemen, I believe this is what you want,” Lainey said, holding the kid up by his arms as he squirmed and tried to get away. “Go easy on him if no one was hurt. He’s young and not too bright.”
    The police told us they’d just lost a