Page 63 of Supernova

Ruby waved her hand. “I’d do anything for Max. And you should have seen how my brothers went ballistic when they heard that a quote-unquoterealRenegade would soon be staying with them. Because evidently I don’t count.” Moving aside a stack of folded shirts, she lifted herself onto the table beside Oscar.

“They were very enthusiastic,” said Adrian. “It’ll be a big adjustment for Max, but good for him, too. He’s never had friends his own age before. I just wish—” He caught himself, clamping down on his thoughts before they could escape.

The others watched him, immediately uneasy.

“What?” encouraged Ruby.

“Nothing.” He cringed, hating the lie almost as much as he hated the truth. “I was going to say… I just wish I could tell Nova about it. I think she’d be really happy to see him free for a change.”

The team fell quiet for a long while, until Ruby’s small voice asked, “Have you talked to your dads about… about the execution? They’re not really going to… are they?”

Adrian scowled at the floor. “It seems they are. Unless she gives us something useful.”

“And she hasn’t confessed yet?” Ruby asked.

He shook his head.

“Are you going to go?” said Oscar. “To the… you know.”

Adrian peered over the frames of his glasses. “It’s not just an execution. It’s the public unveiling of Agent N. So, yeah. I think I’m pretty much expected to be there.”

“Yeah, but… people would understand if you decided not to,” said Ruby, and though she was trying to be gentle, this conversation was making Adrian’s stomach churn with every passing moment.

“Why?” he asked. “She didn’t betray me any more than she betrayed you guys, or everyone else for that matter.”

The others exchanged looks.

“I mean,” said Oscar, “she sort of did. She was, like, your girlfriend.”

Adrian’s jaw clenched. “I’m done talking about this.”

Danna’s palm settled on his forearm. He tensed, but didn’t pull away.

“I’m really sorry,” she said. “We all liked her, you know. It wasn’t just you. I can’t say that I fully trusted her, but I did like her. I’m just… I’m really sorry it was her.”

Adrian opened his mouth to reply, though he wasn’t sure what he wanted to say. He was sorry, too? It wasn’t Danna’s fault? It didn’t really matter?

He cleared his throat, eager to change the subject. “Ruby, earlier you said you’d do anything for Max. Did you mean that?”

“Anything within reason,” she said with suspicion. “Why?”

Adrian squared his shoulders. “You know how I’ve been giving myself these tattoos so I can—”

He was interrupted by the sound of clapping—slow and methodical clapping that echoed through the department store.

Adrian spun around and spotted a shadowy figure stepping down from a platform of mannequins. The mannequins were wearing ripped jeans and sleek sequined tops, but the figure was dressed entirely in black.

Black boots and pants. Black belt and fingerless gloves.

Black hood.

And a silver mask over the bottom half of her face.

Adrian froze.

He felt his team tense around him. Ruby and Oscar were already off the table, wisps of smoke pooling at Oscar’s feet and Ruby’s wire pulled taut between her fingers.

“Your sentiments areso sweet,” said… said…Nightmare?

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