Powerless

The supers find Clay at the junkyard. Daniel explains the situation, and when Clay asks why he should help, Daniel says, “If you help us rescue Eric, you’ll be able to stay strong for the rest of your life” (222). Clay begrudgingly agrees to help.

The kids bike to the quarry, and on the way, Daniel tells Mollie he feels responsible for Eric’s situation. Daniel is jealous of everything Eric can do, and he believes the lies Plunkett told because “it felt good to be the center of attention for once” (227). Mollie refutes this, blaming Plunkett and reinforcing that Daniel was brave for investigating the Shroud. The rest of their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of the Shroud, who drags Daniel away.

Daniel wakes in the cave behind the door he and Mollie found when they explored the quarry. Plunkett is there as the Shroud, and Eric is unconscious. In a monologue, Plunkett reveals his backstory. The orphanage fire 70 years ago was caused by a meteor strike that gave all the survivors, including Daniel’s grandmother, superpowers—except Plunkett, who was in the outhouse when the meteor struck.