4.09

The Undersiders dashed down the alley, escaping the explosive onslaught of the new ABB leader, Bakuda. Regent clutched his shoulder, admitting his power had backfired, leaving his arm useless. Tattletale revealed a crucial lie: Bakuda wasn’t the true leader of the ABB, merely a figurehead.

As they ran, a rocket propelled a freezing bomb, creating a towering ice sculpture that shielded them from the blast. Tattletale continued, exposing Bakuda’s method of detonating the bombs in her people’s heads - toe rings. She described Bakuda’s narcissistic personality, suggesting that even a small victory would trigger a disproportionate reaction, her ego a “glass jaw.”

Grue, slowed by an injured ankle, decided to buy them time. He confronted Bakuda’s approaching Jeep head-on, seemingly sacrificing himself as the vehicle slammed into him. However, Tattletale and the narrator realized there was no damage to the car. A cloud of darkness enveloped the Jeep, and when it emerged, the passenger was gone.

Regent, despite his pain, used his power to force the Jeep driver to swerve, causing the vehicle to crash and spill Bakuda and her explosives onto the road. Regent collapsed, his powers spent. Grue emerged from the darkness, revealing he had used a shadowy feint to fool Bakuda.

Relieved, the narrator rushed to hug Grue, expressing her fear and relief. Grue suggested they restrain Bakuda to interrogate her about Bitch and the missing money. But before she could complete her thought, a searing agony engulfed her, signaling that their luck, after a series of close calls, had finally run out. The chapter ends with the chilling realization that all it took was one good shot to bring them down, leaving the reader in suspense about the source and nature of this devastating blow.