"I've got you this time," Poe said with a cough.
"What do you want with me?" Violet asked, trying not to sound as afraid as she really was.
"I told you before, I'm trying to help you," said Poe.
"Yeah, right. That's why you sent this rocket thing to attack me and capture me. What is it, anyway?"
Poe reached over and pushed a button on the back of the device that was still gripping Violet. Its five metal gripping arms let go and it retracted into a ball. Poe picked it up.
"It looks a bit like a tiny Omnidriod," Violet said.
"It was made by the same guy. I told you, Count Buddy is a government contractor. He calls this a RetrievalBot."
"I knew it! You're on the same side as Syndrome!" Violet said.
"I'm working against him." Poe gave another loud cough, which was unusual for him.
"How did you get that thing to track me down?" Violet asked.
"Last time I saw you, you wouldn't listen. You turned your back on me. That's when I tossed a tracking clip that hooked into your hair. I got the bot to trail you from a distance, and to grab you when you were separated from the others."
"I was falling out of a dirigible when it grabbed me," said Violet.
"I saved your life?" Poe asked.
"I would have saved myself, or someone else would have," said Violet.
"Maybe," said Poe. "What matters is saving you now." He coughed again, a long spasm.
"What do you mean? You want to send me to an internment camp or worse, don't you?" asked Violet, referring to the villain village where Poe had last placed them.
"I had to do it," said Poe. "The law was clear. Supers who fight crime in public or are a public menace have to be interned. But then I found out something that changed everything. They kept me out of the loop because of my sympathies for you supers."
"What did you find out?" asked Violet.
"I don't have much time," said Poe. "I see you have the sugar bowl. You need to read what's in it."
The sugar bowl was on the beach beside Violet, still in a force field. She dropped the field and opened the bowl. Inside was a roll of microfilm.
"I should read this?" she asked.
Poe waved a hand dismissively. "Not that. That's a decoy, what the V.F.D. members thought they were protecting. The real secrets are in a microchip embedded in the base of the sugar bowl."
"How can I read it?" said Violet.
"You need an advanced computer. There's one at Prudence Prep," said Poe. "You need to get into Nero's office without him catching you. Watch out for him. In fact, watch out for everyone. No trust."
Poe gave another series of racking coughs. After he wiped his mouth, Violet saw there was blood on his sleeve.
"What happened to you?" Violet asked in horror.
"Got shot... Someone found out I was... going to help... supers," said Poe.
His voice was getting weaker. Violet saw blood seeping through the front of his coat.
"Mr. Poe, can you tell me who shot you?" Violet asked.
"I can..." said Poe, but he couldn't go on. He collapsed to the sand.
Violet felt for his pulse. Poe was gone.