Secret Super (Book 1)

34. The Council Trial

Kara held her breath when she walked through the sensor. Only the soft breath on her neck reassured her that the Zadia was following behind, invisible and as closely as possible.

This had better work.

The sensor flashed blue. One super detected, the screen read. Kara released her breath. They were inside.

A guard placed gloves over her hands to prevent her from using her superpowers, then handcuffed them behind her back.

"This way." He led her towards the Council building. Kara saw a glimmer in the air out the corner of her eye, but she kept her gaze fixed forward so as not to give away Zadia's position.

"Are you sure you can delay them long enough?" Zadia had asked.

"Trust me, I know the Council. And I've been on trial before. It's gonna be at least a full twenty-four hours."

Finally, she thought, all my years of getting in trouble is coming in useful. Suck it, Harrison.

Trainees were gathering around them to gawk, even though the guards yelled at them to stay clear. People held up their devices to snap photos, light flashing in her face. Some of the trainees jeered and shouted insults, and Kara felt her face heat up.

"Hi Jason!" she yelled, recognizing one of the trainees. He shrank back into the crowd with a terrified look on his face.

"Don't address the trainees," a guard snapped, shoving her forward.

The Council began Kara's trial "right away," which was usually Council-speak for "after twenty-four hours, minimum." They must have been really eager for the trial because she only needed to wait an hour this time.

Kara had already been on Council trial once, something that not many trainees could say, and a feat that Harrison had called "almost impressive." Well, he'd also used the word "reprehensible." Still, it was a badge of honor for her.

Of course, the infraction had been much more minor than becoming an actual super villain—the trial was for "destruction and defacing of Council property" and "repeated insubordination." It'd all been erased from her record, of course, since her teachers said she showed excellent promise for the superhero path. But still, the trial had dragged on for hours.

So extending a trial for supervillainy long enough to let Zadia break into the data center should be a piece of cake.

A guard dragged her into the Council meeting chamber and into the steel prisoners' chair in the center. Around the room, all the Council members sat in a half-circle— including Davis at the forefront, staring at her coldly.

"You guys been renovating?" Kara said, craning her neck to look at the new hologram of blue skies on the ceiling. "I like what you've done with the place."

No one even smiled. Tough crowd.

Kara scanned the room and saw Eva smiling from the corner. Of course. As Kara's "handler," she had to be here to speak for Kara's integrity and performance.

Eva smiled, the jewels weighing down her hands catching light from the fake sun shining down from the holo-sky. Kara balled her handcuffed hands into fists behind her back. She'd have her chance yet. For now, she contented herself with imagining slamming Eva through the wall with a force-field.

"Six-three-seven." Davis' deep, gravelly voice echoed through the chamber. "You are charged with accomplishing two murderous supervillains, conspiring to destroy the Super Sector, disobeying the supreme rule of the Council, and general villainy and evil. How do you plead?"