Secret Super (Book 1)

38. Nobody

Zadia didn't wake up so much as she drifted into consciousness. Her entire body ached. Her mouth felt fuzzy. She tried to think, but it was like trying to remember a past life.

At some point she had a memory of being hauled to her feet and stabbed with a needle, watching amber liquid drain into her skin. But she wasn't sure if that was a dream or not.

When she woke up for real, she scrambled to her feet, panicked. A wave of nausea hit her, and she leaned against the wall.

She looked around. Oh no, no no no . . .

She was in a small white windowless room. The only entrance was a metal door with no handle.

All her memories flooded back. She ran to the door, tried to pry it open with her fingers. Then she banged on the metal.

"Help," she said in a hoarse whisper. Then, louder, getting her voice back: "HELP!"

No one replied. Her hand flew to the back of neck, and with relief she noted that Xavier hadn't put another tracker in her skin. The relief didn't last long. Through the haze, anxiety seized her..

Where was Kara? And how the skies were they supposed to do anything now? The superheroes would find this place, they'd shut it down, it'd be a blood-bath and she'd never be able to get rid of Smog, she'd fail everyone in the City the same way she had failed Em— and Kara, where was Kara—

She kept banging on the door.

And now she remembered— it was Smog that allowed her to use her superpowers. The very thing that she'd been fighting for years made her strong. Who would she be without superpowers? Nobody. A quiet girl accomplishing nothing in a useless government agency, still stuck with years-old grief. She would be nothing.

Her insides were ice-cold. Sliding down to the floor, she let her head fall against the wall. What would Em think of this? The thing that had murdered Em had made Zadia into somebody, a person that took action and could change things. The thing that might kill her mother made Zadia powerful.

She felt sick to her stomach.

Who would she be without Smog?

Nothing.

Zadia didn't remember exactly when she passed out again, but she was jerked awake by the sound of the door slamming closed.

Her eyes snapped open. Someone was standing at the entrance . . . Zadia blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision.

"Who are you?" she called out. "Help me!"

The person barked a laugh. "I'm Mira, and I am not here to rescue you." It was a girl, towering over Zadia, arms crossed. Giant gleaming weapons hung off her belt and there was fury in her eyes. She bent down and snapped handcuffs around Zadia's hands. Zadia's limbs felt so heavy and useless she couldn't even resist.

"What do you want?" Zadia rasped.

Crouched down, Mira looked Zadia in the eyes, her own eyes burning and eyebrows drawn into a scowl. "I want all you supers gone," she spat, every syllable deliberate.

Zadia narrowed her eyes. "You're part of the A.S.A." She remembered this girl, the same girl who'd she'd talked to while pretending to be Xavier, the same girl who had pursued her and Harrison when they were going to find Andrea. Tall, brown-skinned, with long curly hair, but where was the short boy who'd been with her the last two times? "Where's the other guy? With the scars?"

"Anthony? He's not here. I'm not gonna involve him in this." She tossed her head, curls bouncing. She leaned in close and lowered her voice to a sarcastically conspirational whisper. "I'm not supposed to be here either, but Xavier won't find out. You might have gotten away from me twice, super scum, but not this time. Get up." She stood and yanked Zadia to her feet.