Page 59 of Supernova

Nova bit down on the inside of her cheek. She was still gripping the broken fork handle and found herself tempted to leap over the table and stab one of those guards in the eye. She didn’t even particularly care which one.

But movement caught her attention. What was left of the food on her plate was rearranging itself. The bread crumbs, the potato peel, a few strings of what she had come to determine was probably boiled cabbage. They dragged together and twisted into familiar shapes, spelling out a message.

It read, simply,Don’t.

She swallowed and looked up.

Ace wasn’t watching her. If anything, he kept his focus resolutely away from her the whole time he was being dragged through the cafeteria and forced down onto the stool at the lone table.

The warden clapped his hands, three times, loud and slow. “Always one to make an entrance,” he said with a disdainful sneer.

Ace ignored him. He was still breathing hard, half collapsed over his table. The way the nearby guards trained their weapons on him was almost comical.

Until Nova looked down at the word on her plate and remembered that, even in this state, Ace wasn’t helpless.

“I’ve been informed by Renegade Headquarters,” said the warden, “that at the end of this month, we will all be going on a little field trip together.”

A rustle of interest passed through the inmates, coupled with suspicion.

“During this excursion, we expect total cooperation. You will be shackled together for the duration of the trip. You will all have your hands subdued. We have specially designed masks and blindfolds for those of you with abilities that function beyond the limits of your limbs. Special arrangements will be made for those with uniquely unrestrainable talents.” His voice dropped warningly with a glance toward Ace. He might have been glancing at a corpse for all the reaction his words got.

Nova bit the inside of her cheek.

The public reveal of Agent N. The neutralization. Her execution. It was happening, and soon.

“We will be bringing in reinforcements to assist with added security,” the warden continued. “If at any time, any one of you so much as blinks in a way we don’t like”—he paused dramatically, his glower bearing down on them—“we will not hesitate to kill you where you stand.”

No one spoke. No one moved.

“I’ll admit,” said the warden with a smug smile, “I’m sort of hoping some of you will test that promise.” He nodded at the guards and started heading toward the cafeteria exit.

“But where are we going?” one of the inmates asked. “And what for?”

The warden paused, gloating. “You’ll see soon enough. I’d hate to spoil the surprise.”

He left, and the guards wasted no time in hauling Ace back out of the room. Nova’s breaths quickened as she watched him go.

When the door had slammed shut behind them, she sank into her seat, miserable all over again. Lonely and helpless all over again.

Silence hung over the tables as the inmates exchanged baffled, curious looks. A guard barked, “Two minutes! Bring up your trays if you’re done, come on now!”

“Might wanna take some more bites,” her neighbor muttered. Nova snarled and wanted to tell him she’d lost her appetite. But his yellow eyes dropped to the tray and she realized what he meant. The message was still there.

Still holding her fork handle in a death grip, she pushed the food around until the word was unrecognizable.

A few inmates got up and started stacking their trays, but most stayed put, pretending to finish their meals. Nova noticed more of those minuscule gestures happening, almost in tandem now, while the guards talked distractedly among themselves.

She watched the prisoners sourly, wishing she knew what everyone around her was saying.

“Hey,” muttered her neighbor.

“What?” she snapped too loud. A guard glowered their way, before nodding at whatever his peer was saying.

Beside her, the man with the neon eyes took his spoon and tapped the back of it one time on the table next to his tray.

Nova glared. First at the spoon, then at him.

His smile was wide and a little crooked. “Means we’re united,” he said. “Villains to the end.”

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