“We’re hopeful that it will,” Dr. Fenris said.

The excitement that had been building in Max suddenly lessened. If the antiserum didn’t work, that meant that Six and Sam would die.

“There’s every reason to think it will work, Max,” the doctor said, placing her hand on his shoulder.

Max nodded, but inside he was still worried.

“When will you take the thing out of Max’s head?” Nemo asked.

“Soon,” said Dr. Fenris. “If we take it out, his body might stop producing antibodies, and we need him to keep making those for now.”

A dinging sound rang out, and Dr. Fenris pulled a phone from her pocket and looked at it. “Nine would like the two of you to come to his office,” she said.

Max looked at Nemo. Something was up. “Let’s go,” he said.

When they arrived, they found Nine with Lexa, Dr. Goode and Peter McKenna. There was also a surprise visitor.

“Bats!” Max exclaimed when he saw the teen from Utah sitting in a chair. She stood up, smiling, and Max went and hugged her. “How did you get here?”

“Nine sent a team to secure the bunker,” Bats said. “They got me out. I just got here a little while ago.”

Max’s happiness evaporated. “I’m sorry we left you,” he said. “Everything happened so quickly and I didn’t know where you were.”

“It’s okay,” Bats said, hugging him again. “I know. When everything went wrong, I found a place to hide and waited there until I thought it was safe to come out. Of course, I hadn’t counted on Magdalena’s little pets.”

Max shuddered, remembering the dragon-like monsters that had chased him and Nemo through the halls of the bunker.

“The important thing is, she’s here now,” Nine said.

“What about Lava?” Max asked.

Bats shook her head. “I’m the only one who was left behind,” she said. “As far as I know, anyway.”

“Nobody else was in the bunker,” Nine confirmed. “But we do know Six and Sam are in Vegas.”

“We don’t know that Sam is still there,” Dr. Goode said, sounding concerned about his son. “The Mogs might have moved him again after separating him from Six.”

“Until we have other information, let’s assume he’s there,” Nine said. “Which is why we’re going there.”

“We?” Max said. “As in all of us?”

“Not all of us,” Nine said. “But me and you and Nemo are.”

“I thought I had to stay here,” said Max.

“Do you want to stay here?” said Nine.

“No,” Max said quickly. “I just thought you needed my blood here.”

“And maybe we’ll need it there, too,” Nine said.

“I still don’t like this,” McKenna said tersely.

“I know you don’t,” Nine replied, giving him a dark look. “But you’re not in charge here. I am.”

“Why not call in Earth Garde to handle it?” McKenna suggested.

Nine sighed, as if this was a ridiculous suggestion. “Six is fine,” he reminded McKenna. “And there are only a handful of Mogs left.”