(Max's POV)
"So what's your big plan for finding the Institute?" Iggy asked.
"I'm tired of walking," Nudge said. "Can we just sit for a minute?" Without waiting for an answer, she sank onto some broad stone steps in front of a building. She rested her head in her hands and closed her eyes.
"Uh…" Just walk around until we see it didn't seem like a good response. But Iggy had hit the nail on the head: I didn't know how to find the Institute. I didn't know what it looked like or even, really, if it was in New York City.
The Gasman, Cookie, and Angel sat down next to Nudge. I was struck once again by what incredibly cute kids they are-for mutants.
"How about a phone book?" Fang suggested. "Every once in a while I see one."
"Yeah, that's a possibility," I said, frustrated by not coming up with something better. We needed an information system of some kind-like a computer we could hack into. A large marble lion caught my eye; this building had two of them. Very fancy-schmancy.
I blinked and saw four lions, like images superimposed on one another. They flickered in front of my eyes, and I shook my head a bit. I blinked again, and everything was normal. A heavy weight settled on my chest-my brain was malfunctioning again.
"So what are we going to do?" Iggy asked.
Yeah, leader, lead.
Stalling for time, worried that my head might explode at any moment, I looked up at the building in front of us. It had a name. It was called the New York Public Library of Humanities and Social Sciences. Hello. A library.
I jerked my head at the building. "We're going to start in here," I said briskly and clapped twice to get the younger set on its feet. "I figure they've got computers, databases…" I let my voice trail off and started purposefully up the steps. Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel followed me.
"Her thoughts are weird." Cookie said trying to climb the steps.
"How does she do that?" I heard Fang ask Iggy.