Page 98 of Secret Spark

The sidekick’s eyes bulged behind his glasses. “Wait, what?”

“I’ll go in first,” Zee said.

“By all means.” Mark did a broad arm gesture.

Joan’s pulse kicked up another notch. This better not backfire. Sadie needed her. Getting detained would waste precious time.

She followed Zee into a large, well-lit room. The other three Supers lounged on couches and armchairs, also in casual wear. Flight read a book while Catch and Lunk played on their phones. It was a bit jarring to see them so relaxed.

“I’m terribly sorry,” Ward said from the doorway. “Spark and Ice somehow got in.”

The Supers quickly jumped to their feet. Joan conjured a fireball by habit.

Darlene fisted her hands. “What are they doing here?”

Zee held their arms between Mark and Joan and an approaching Lunk. “I said to give them a chance. Let’s listen to what they have to say.”

Flight soared above them, his bald ebony head shining against a nearby light. “You’re not welcome here,” he boomed in his mighty voice.

“Yeah, no shit,” Joan said. She kept her focus on Catch, who looked every bit as prissy as she’d imagined with her pinched face and brown hair slicked into a high ponytail.

“We know what Trick is up to,” Mark said. He shot a spray of snow at Lunk. “Did you miss me, sweetie?”

Kade looked like a big, confused, curly-haired palomino.

“Stop,” Zee said. They held a hand up to Flight. “You, too. All of you.”

Darlene fixed her intense gaze on Joan. Joan gave it right back.

“No powers,” Zee said. “Everyone.”

Shit.Joan had to be the one to make a good faith gesture. She stepped back and waved out her fire.

Zee gave Flight a look. Flight—Otis—glided slowly to the laminate floor.

Darlene crossed her arms. “Why should we trust you? We believe in justice. You don’t believe in anything.”

I believe in Sadie.

“We don’t want anything to do with you, either,” Joan said. “But Trick needs to be stopped.”

“What is his grand plan?” Otis asked, crossing his arms.

Kade looked at his cohorts, then crossed his bulky arms, too.

“He doesn’t have one,” Joan said.

The Supers erupted in disbelief.

“He wants me and Mark to come up with something. He can’t think of anything, so he needs us to do it for him. He tried to get us to join him. When that failed, he kidnapped someone close to me.”

“Do you honestly expect us to believe that?” Darlene said.

“It’s the truth,” said Joan.

“If he kidnapped someone close to you, that person is obviously a criminal.”

Angry flames flared from both palms. Catch lunged at her, but Zee stepped between them and speed-waved Joan’s flames out.

---