Page 116 of Supernova

“Adrian?”

He jolted and was relieved to see his friends tromping toward him through the debris.

Adrian beamed, overwhelmed with joy to see them all alive. He met them halfway, accepting a tight hug from Ruby, a clap on the back from Oscar. He wrapped an arm around Danna’s shoulders, each of them leaning into each other, sweaty, stricken, and exhausted.

With a groan, Oscar collapsed onto a bench that had once been in the upper stands, but was now on the field, sunk halfway in mud. He started massaging the joints of his legs, which Adrian had never seen him do in public, no matter now tough a fight had been. This battle had pushed them all to their limits.

“Ruby, how are your… wounds?” said Adrian, not sure how to distinguish between old wounds and new. Ruby had taken off the gray uniform jacket, revealing a plain tank top and the bandages that she had always kept wrapped over her arm and shoulders. She had never stopped bleeding, not since the attack that had first awoken her powers years ago, but this was the first time Adrian had seen those bandages soaked through with actual blood.

“No more crystals,” she said, and he couldn’t tell if her tone was sad or simply truthful. “Now they won’t stop bleeding. I’m fine,though. I’ll talk to one of the healers after they take care of the people who really need help.”

“Here,” said Adrian, taking out his marker. “I can stitch them up for you.”

Ruby hesitated, but then nodded. Danna helped unwrap the wounds, revealing the deep gashes that had been there, unhealed, for years.

“Do they hurt?” Oscar asked as Adrian wiped away what blood he could and started drawing stitches onto her skin.

“They’ve always hurt,” Ruby said quietly, watching, expressionless.

Oscar started in surprise. This was news to Adrian, too, who had never once heard Ruby complain about her injuries. She had always focused more on the results. The bloodstones she had weaponized, the superhero she had become.

“That will do for now,” said Adrian. “Keep you from losing too much blood before the healers can get to you, at least.”

Ruby tenderly touched the black lines that had become black thread holding her wounds shut. “Thanks, Sketch,” she whispered. Her lip began to tremble, but she hastily covered it up with a brilliant smile. “I don’t know how I’m going to tell the twins. Being a superhero was the only thing that kept me even remotely relevant in their eyes.” She chuckled, but it sounded forced.

“That is definitely not true,” said Oscar.

She cut him a sideways glance. “You’ve met my brothers, right?”

“Yes, which is how I know they idolize you, and not just because you’re a Renegade or because you bleed rubies.” Oscar gestured at Ruby, sweeping one hand from her dyed black-and-white pigtails to the toes of her muck-covered boots. “It’s because you’re, like, the coolest big sister any kid could ask for. You can hit a target with a dagger from fifty feet away. You’re proficient atthree different kinds of martial arts. You know how to use agrappling hook.”

“Oh.” Ruby sighed longingly. “I’m going to miss my grappling hook.”

“I will get you another grappling hook,” said Oscar, reaching over to take her hand. “You’re still Red Assassin. You’re still a totally kickass superhero.” He must have noticed the way Ruby’s eyes had started to shine, because he went on, growing more emphatic with each word. “You’re still the coolest person I’ve ever met, except for maybe Captain Chromium, but that’s not really a fair comparison.”

She chuckled. “Oscar…”

“And you’re beyond relevant. You’re, like, the thing that other things try to be relevantto.And you’re fierce and loyal and crazy adorable when you’re playing Battle to the Death, and I’ll even admit, okay, it’s not easy to say this, but you’re right. You beat me in that last game, fair and square, even though I—”

“Oscar, stop!” she said, laughing outright now. “I get it. Thank you.”

He paused and cleared his throat. “Right. Yeah. Sorry. Just saying.” He hesitated, his focus landing on their entwined hands. He gulped. “Just… one more thing?”

Ruby faked an exasperated eye roll. “Oh, if you insist.”

Oscar lifted his head. “You’re the girl of my dreams.”

Ruby’s head swiveled toward him, the nonchalant smile evaporating.

“With or without superpowers,” Oscar added, holding her gaze.

Color bloomed in Ruby’s cheeks. Fresh tears started to gather in her eyes until, without much warning, she grabbed the front of Oscar’s uniform and kissed him.

Adrian’s eyebrows shot upward and he spun away, meeting Danna’s amused gaze for half a second before they both spent some time inspecting the damaged roof overhead.

“Adrian?”

Adrian spun around to find himself face-to-face with both of his dads. Their features, at first, were unreadable. Weary. Cautious. A little relieved, a little disappointed, but notangryas far as he could tell.

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