“Publicity stunt,” Six said. “People will believe anything.”

Sam shrugged. “You know what they say, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Anyway, they picked up Freakshow and Spike, and they’re in custody. Now they just have to round up what’s left of the Mogs.”

Six picked up her bag. “In that case, let’s get out of here before somebody finds another monster for us to fight.”

“I’m afraid Bali will have to wait,” said a voice with an accent Six couldn’t quite place.

An older man with slicked-back brown hair and a tailored suit had walked into the room. Six didn’t recognize him, but he looked like someone who didn’t want to be noticed or remembered.

“Who are you?” she asked.

Two more men entered the room. They were wearing light body armor and Six eyed the weapons holstered at their sides. This apparently wasn’t a casual visit. The man, ignoring Six’s question, reached into his pocket and took out a tablet, which he held up so that Sam and Six could see the screen. A video began to play. It showed Six riding the grindle up the side of the Saturn Hotel.

“And?” Six said.

“That video made it onto YouTube,” the man said. “Briefly, but long enough for certain people to see it and become very interested in what a member of the Garde was doing involved in, shall we say, unsanctioned interaction with Mogadorian rebels.”

“In case you can’t tell, I was stopping her,” Six retorted.

The man touched the screen of the tablet and another video played. This one showed Sam standing in the middle of the casino while the machines around him spit out rivers of coins.

“This one came from a security camera,” the man said. “The casino owner isn’t too happy about paying out all those jackpots.”

“Like Six said, we were fighting the Mogs,” Sam argued. “Surely you can explain to—”

“You’re missing the point,” the man said. “The fact that the two of you went rogue after you left Watchtower and didn’t let them or the Earth Garde handle this isn’t sitting well with some people.”

“What people?” Sam asked.

“People who make decisions about the future of the Garde,” the man said. “People whose job it is to enforce the Accord, and make sure the public believes it’s working. And you’re starting to give them the wrong impression.”

“Which is?” asked Six.

“That maybe the Garde aren’t as harmless as we’ve been led to believe.”

Sam laughed. “This is ridiculous,” he said. “We were helping. If anything, we prevented an even bigger disaster from occurring.”

The man slipped the tablet back into his pocket. “That’s not the way everyone sees it. Your activities have just raised too much concern.”

“Then tell us who we need to talk to,” Six said. “Who needs to understand what really happened.”

The man fixed her with a steely expression. “I’m afraid it’s the two of you who don’t understand,” he said as the men behind him stepped forward with their weapons now raised. “You’re under arrest.”