“I’m afraid so. I found nanobytes inside of Sherman Stoop, a.k.a. Captain Kapow, and the incredible shrinking scientist, too. There were millions of them in their bloodstreams and attached to the base of their brains.”

Flinch gasped. “Brain eaters!”

“No, not brain eaters. More like tiny megaphones, all blasting a specific message into their heads.”

“The nanobytes are brainwashing them?” Ms. Holiday asked.

Dr. Kim nodded. “Yes, that’s probably the best way to explain it.”

“If these are Heathcliff’s nanobytes, how did Matilda and the others get them?” Pufferfish asked, peering into the microscope again.

“I believe he’s contagious,” Dr. Kim said. “And worse, the nanobytes seem to be infecting people with his personality. Matilda and the others all demonstrated the same symptoms: a sudden elevated intelligence, paranoia, a sense of superiority. I believe if Matilda had the opportunity, she, too, would have begun work on some kind of doomsday device. Heathcliff is turning people into supervillains.”

“How is that possible?” Ms. Holiday asked. “All the kids have nanobytes, but none of them are infecting others. None of them give people superstrength or make them crave Ring Dings.”

Dr. Kim nodded. “It seems that Heathcliff’s nanobytes have been altered by his anger. His mental stability has been in question for some time, and these things are working on his brain. Perhaps the nanobytes were built differently on the alternative Earth. We have no way of checking. There are a number of things that could have mutated them.”

“So they’ve adapted to his crazy?” Jackson asked.

“I’ll have to do more tests,” Dr. Kim said. “But right now we have a much bigger problem. They’re spreading.”

“How can you be sure?” Brand asked.

“Mr. Miniature worked in a grocery store nearly fifteen miles from here. He’s never had any contact with Heathcliff and has never stepped foot in the Playground. That means he got them from someone else. It could have been someone who works in this facility, or it could have been someone who has been in contact with an employee. They could have passed each other on the street or taken the same bus, or maybe he was infected by an unknown third party. We don’t know. But we should be prepared. All three of our infected say they felt a sudden fever and fatigue, followed by a drastic change in mood. They all say they were happy, and then all of a sudden boiling with anger.”

“Um, I had a fever,” Flinch said, raising his hand.

“When?” Brand asked.

“Last night. I was tired and angry, too. I thought people were making fun of me and I wanted revenge, but then I went to sleep and it went away. I feel like myself right now, though.”

“OK, Dr. Kim, give Flinch a thorough exam and let me know if he’s—”

Suddenly, all four of the children sneezed at the same time.

“Is that a call from the Playground?” Brand asked.

“It’s an incident alarm,” Ruby explained. “Benjamin is asking for us.”

Brand ran for the door, but Ruby stopped him. “Benjamin says to sit down at the lab tables. The new entrance to the Playground has been installed and is now ready for use.”

Flinch watched his boss hesitantly sit down.

“How does it—”

And then all of the seats dropped through the floor and into a deep tunnel.

Moments later, Benjamin hovered around their heads like an excited bumblebee. “Police reports are coming in,” he chirped. The video screen displayed a photo of a masked man. “This one is in Atlanta. He’s calling himself the Monkey Master. He’s kidnapped the mayor.”

“Any bets on what kind of animal he uses in his crime spree?” Jackson said.

“The lunch lady has the School Bus ready to go,” Benjamin said. “Ms. Holiday, I suggest your mission kit include a bunch of bananas.”

“Kids, let’s move it,” Brand said. But he snatched Flinch by the arm before he could join them. “Not you.”

“But I feel great!”

Brand had no time to argue with the boy. He could tell Flinch was disappointed, but he would have to get over it. The world was in big, big trouble.

YOU’RE ONE TOUGH COOKIE. I’LL GIVE YOU THAT. OR MAYBE I’M JUST GOING TOO EASY ON YOU. PERHAPS IT’S TIME FOR BIGGER CHALLENGES.

SWIM TEN LAPS IN THE POOL—

WHOA—CAN’T A GUY FINISH? I DIDN’T TELL YOU TO TAKE A BOOK INTO THE POOL. NOW IT’S ALL WET AND YOU LOOK LIKE AN IDIOT. HOW DID YOU GET INTO THIS PROGRAM?

FIRST, GO BUY ANOTHER BOOK AND SET IT ON THE SIDE OF THE POOL IN A NICE, DRY PLACE. SECOND, STRETCH. YOU’RE STARTING TO SEE A PATTERN HERE, RIGHT? THIRD, PUSH OFF THE SIDE OF THE POOL WITH YOUR FEET AND GLIDE THROUGH THE WATER WITH YOUR ARMS EXTENDED AND YOUR FACE POINTING DOWN. FOURTH, KICK YOUR FEET. FIFTH, USE ONE ARM TO STROKE YOU FORWARD, THEN THE OTHER, IN A CONSTANT RHYTHM, TURNING YOUR HEAD TO BREATHE. SIXTH, DON’T DROWN.

TELL ME HOW MANY LAPS YOU DID.

HUH, THAT’S IT? WELL, LET’S JUST HOPE YOU'RE NOT CHASED BY A SHARK ANYTIME SOON.

“A virus?” the Antagonist said as he walked through his fortress’s subterranean dungeon. Every one of his employees was locked in chains and raving like a lunatic. He and Miss Information were the only ones who seemed well. “You’re telling me all of my henchmen are sick?”

“That’s what my sources are saying,” Miss Information said.

“You have sources inside the NERDS organization?” he asked, incredulous.

“They do call me Miss Information,” she said. “I’m hearing that this sickness is a virus—an electronic virus.”

“It’s man-made?” he asked as he cupped the face of one of his henchmen. It was a portrait of murderous anger.

“They’re miniature robots,” she said.

“Nanobytes,” the Antagonist said, recalling his former employer’s obsession with them. “Do you think I’m ignorant? I know as much as anyone about that team.”

“Of course you do,” she said. “These nanobytes attach themselves to the victim’s brain and blast it with signals. It’s the reason why everyone is suddenly superintelligent. It’s also why they believe the world is out to get them.”

The Antagonist thought back over the past few weeks. Hadn’t he suddenly gotten very smart? Wasn’t he incredibly paranoid? … Was he infected with this bizarre illness, and if so, why wasn’t he raving like everyone else who clearly had it?

“I know what you’re thinking,” Miss Information said.

“You do?”

“You’re concerned that this infection will slow down your plans to take over the world. You wonder if you can manage the criminally insane—especially if they are more criminally insane than you. Darling, you have nothing to worry about.”

“Did you just call me ‘darling’?” he asked.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. “We hardly know each other. I don’t even know what you look like, but I know all I need to know. You’re ruthless, evil, and brilliant. And that hook! It’s not just the masks and our need to crush our enemies that match. It’s our hearts.”

“But didn’t you say you wanted to kill me and steal my empire?”

“I did, and someday I will, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be happy until then,” she purred. “For now, we should get married. We could have a family. Imagine it, Antagonist. The pitter-patter of evil little feet running through the fortress.”

The Antagonist found himself swept away by the idea. This woman in her skull mask was awfully cute. He loved the way she plotted the destruction of the world capitals. Could he dare to dream of love? Would it distract him from his plots and plans? But then his heart swelled in his chest and he pulled her close. They kissed—a wild, passionate kiss that sealed their love. When it was over, the two held hands; or rather, she held his hook and together they gazed into the masks’ slits where their eyes were.