The Prospects (Book 2): Nothing Poorer Than Gods Read Free Page B

they?”
    “Why do you say that?”
    “I only made past a few levels on each test before wiping out.”
    “A normal person wipes out at the first level on those tests. You scored above average in all areas.”
    “Really? Even fighting?”
    “That was your best score.”
    “That lady mopped the floor with me. Literally.”
    “You lasted longer against an Olympic-level judo practitioner than most people. But you didn’t get ultra-athlete or genius levels in any area.”
    “So I’m only above-average at everything. Does that mean I’m cut from the team?”
    “If I said yes, would you leave peacefully?”
    “You know I wouldn’t.”
    Alex closed the tablet. “The tests don’t measure why you’re a Prospect.”
    Bart said, “Wait, she’s a Prospect?”
    Alex ignored him. “Last month, you knocked out two Shade Blades, Big Bad Roy, and Asura.”
    “I helped with Big Bad Roy,” said Kayleigh, “and Asura was a wimp.”
    “And you stayed by Jenny’s side when the Micro-Sapiens came down from the roof. Deon and all of the MAB agents ran away.”
    “You know, I’m a test-confirmed ultra-athlete,” said Bart. “You want to work out together?”
    “Agent O’Farrell is my trainer,” said Kayleigh.
    “He couldn’t pass the ultra-athlete test,” said Bart.
    “But he’s not creepy.”
    Bart recoiled.
    “That’s what I’m talking about, Kayleigh,” said Alex. “If you don’t give up, I won’t give up on you.”
    When they were far from Kayleigh, Arbalest said, “I didn’t think you were a sucker for a big rack.”
    “That’s all I saw the first time I met her. Then I saw how brave she was in the face of danger and how loyal she was to her team.”
    “So what’s she going to do? Pose until the villains drool to death?”
    “We’re not remaking old ideas. The point of the Prospects is to develop new types of heroes.”
    “Bullshit. She’s the kind of person we rescue.”
    “Let’s give her time.”
    Alex parted ways with Bart and went into a square white building on the edge of the beach. Inside, Steve punched a heavy bag while the stone-skinned Pete bench-pressed a fully loaded free-weight rack.
    “Agent O’Farrell.” Steve rubbed the sweaty buzz cut that replaced the teased hair he had a month before. “Check out what Sunray from the Miami Magics taught me.” Steve clasped his hands together and pointed both index fingers. A beam of light shot from his hands. Smoke rose from the spot where they hit. “If I think real angry thoughts, I can focus my photokinetic energy to make a laser.”
    Alex flipped through the tablet. “According to the tests, not a strong one.”
    “Well, I can light a villain’s cigarette, maybe give him lung cancer.”
    “Keep working on it. Pete, welcome to the Prospects.”
    Pete extended a giant stone-covered hand. “Thank you for accepting me.”
    “Kayleigh and Steve recommended you. They didn’t do the same for Stardancer.”
    “If you knew her you wouldn’t recommend her either. We like Cantrip, or Ira, but we agreed we can’t count on him to do anything right.”
    Alex flipped through the tablet. “The test results show you’re strong enough to lift a car, but the sparring didn’t go well. The tester said you can’t land a punch on a moving target.”
    “I’m not a tough guy.  I was a scrawny bookworm before my skin turned into organic stone.”
    “The tests also showed you’re smart enough to get into Mensa, yet you didn’t get past the first level of fast-paced decision-making.”
    “I know. I freeze up under stress.”
    “And we end up in stressful situations all the time.” Alex closed the tablet. “We’ll find something you can do well. Do you guys know where Trista is?”
    “Her cabin is two buildings down,” said Steve.
    The wind picked up sharply when Alex left the gym. Against the sky he saw a heavyset woman in a bulbous helmet, flowing skirt, cape, and scarves fly in from the ocean and circle along the coastline. The