#artino

I stood there thinking of the Namreen hunting me and the rewards they would post. Or maybe they’d found my master’s plaque next to the slave dead under the rockslide and no one was looking for me at all." — Thick as Thieves, chapter 10

This work was a gift fot @kareenvorbarra and @artino-c for the @hamiathesgiftexchange!

After reading @kareenvorbarra's What We Are Allowed, I have been thinking a lot about how Laela must have felt when she heard Kamet was supposed to have died in a rockslide...

6,8k words, Teen and up Relationships: Eugenides & Kamet, Kamet & Nahuseresh, Kamet & Naheelid, Naheelid & Nahuseresh Additional tags: Slavery, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Narrowly Averted Dubious Consent, Off-Screen Mede Politics, Friendship, Canon-Typical Off-Screen Violence, Pre-Canon, Emotional Abuse Summary:

Renegades fic

It was now eleven years since that day. That day in the apartment with the hitman and Ace. Nova lay on top of a building, all the workers inside had gone home hours ago, but Nova just lay there. Nightmare lay there. She wasn’t a villain right now though, she just wanted to be incognito. She was stargazing when she heard the all too familiar whoosh of the Sentinels enchanted jumping. She rolled her eyes and pulled her hood down lower.

“This rooftop is occupied, pick another one.” Nightmare said.

“Nightmare.” The Sentinel muttered ominously, what the hell! he sounded like a freaking comic book.

“Yes, that would be me.” Nova said, “what do you want.”

“You’re not going to fight me?” The Sentinel asked, incredulous.

“No, I don’t want violence.” Nova said with a sigh.

“You didn’t seem to mind it at the parade, or from what I saw at the funhouse, or with Max” Nova started to form a retort but- The Sentinel hadn’t been at the fun house, had he? Nova though back to who had been there, for most of it it had just been her and Adrian, then the council and the team had arrived. But they had all been there at the parade, none of them could be the Sentinel, except Adrian. Nova took in a sharp breath and the Sentinel, no Adrian looked over at her.

“That was different.” Nova muttered “I’m not even bothering you, just go away.”

“How do I know you won’t start doing something villainous once I leave?”

“Fine then, you can stay, just be quiet. I don’t feel like talking to anyone right now.” Nightmare rolled over, her back now to the Sentinel, which was probably not the smartest thing, but, this was Adrian.

“What are you doing?” Adrian asked, Nova resisted the urge to snap, to remind him that she had told him to shut up.

“Remembering,” she said “and stargazing.”

“No, no, I meant what are you and the Anarchists doing.

“Oh, nothing really, I’m leaving.” Nova’s words surprised her, she hadn’t even realized she had decided until now, about a month ago she had told the Renegades that Nova McLain was moving away, but at the time it had simply been a way to make fake Nova disappear, but now it was a way to start over, free from all her Nightmares. Literal and metaphorical.

“Leaving? How.” Adrian asked

“The Anarchists offered me a chance to start over, I will be far far away from this place, I never really got the chance to do good, and now all that will change.”

“Why do you sound sad, that seems like something to be happy about.”

“Typical hero,” Nova muttered “never thinking that the villains might have friends or family, or lovers.”

“Oh” Adrian said, his head lowered, “I never thought of that. You’re uncle is Ace Anarchy right.”

“Yeah, the one you took. But I understand why, he attacked you, and you had been told all your life that he was evil.”

“Is he not?” Adrian asked

“No, not to me at least.”

“Can I ask you a question?” Adrian said

“You just did.” Nova deadpanned, eyebrows raised “but yes what is it?”

“When you said, ‘one cannot be brave who has no fear’ to me at the parade, what did you mean?” Nova was puzzled, why did he care so much, then she realized, this was Adrian, his mom had been killed by Phobia, it had been all over the news, of course that would unsettle him.

“It was sort of just,” Nova was talking with her hands now, why was this so hard “Phobia’s catchphrase.” She said

“Like the Anarchist?”

“Is there another one?”

“No, no.” Adrian said, his entire body shaking with rage, Nova decided that now was the time to leave, Adrian or not, he was mad.

“See you Sentinel.” She called bounding off. He looked back at her and asked

“Where are you going?”

[Transcript:

The first time I saw you, at the temple The plague had started, timid yet. Impossibly, you made everyone laugh, Including me.

Nova sat forlornly on her mattress, her head in her hands. A tear running down her face, Adrian was the Sentinel. Adrian, kind, forgiving, wonderful Adrian. She had kept it together through most of the day. He had revealed it to her when he decided to give their entire team vitality charm tattoos. She was immune to Agent N now. She had resisted the urge to yell at him to tell him just what she thought of the Sentinel. Luckily she had managed to keep quiet. Adrian didn’t know how much pain the Sentinel had caused her, and he didn’t need to know. That was a lie, he did need to know, she couldn’t keep lying to him. Nova stood her legs wobbly and her mind even more so. She trudged over to the dresser and picked up the jar with Danna’s butterfly. She scanned her room looking from her bag and when she found it she stuffed the jar inside and made a call.

When she found herself standing on Adrian’s door, she was asking herself for the 628th time why she thought this was a good idea. All of Danna’s butterflies were fluttering behind her and to Nova the sound was deafening. Then she knocked, hoping and praying that Hugh and Simon would be at HQ. Luckily when the door swung open it was Adrian and the team who answered, and their first reaction was about Danna.

“You found her!” Ruby said jumping up and down.

“Guys, I need to talk to you.” Nova said eyes to the floor. “Let’s go inside.” The all marched to Adrian’s art studio, and Nova marveled once again at the immaculate detail of the paint work. When they were all seated Nova pulled out the jar.

“Nova, why do you have one of Danna’s butterflies in a jar?” Oscar asked.

“Because I’m Nightmare.” Nova said with a sigh, surely it would all be over now.

“Why are you telling us?” Adrian asked. This wasn’t what nova had expected.

“Because, I can’t do this anymore, I can’t keep lying, I’m sorry.” Nova unscrewed the lid of the jar letting the butterfly flutter out rather ungracefully. In an instant Danna was standing before her yelling her head off.

“How could you! You little traitor! You kept me trapped for weeks, how could you.” Danna swung her arm back and punched square in the jaw, Nova’s head snapped back and after a moment she regained her senses. She rubbed her cheek and Danna did the most surprising thing she could have done. She hugged Nova, and said.

“I forgive you,”

“Why?” Nova asked

“Because I saw how the Anarchists treated you, Phobia and Honey are both abusing your grief and Leroy, never intervened.”

“They didn’t abuse-” Nova started, but then she realized, maybe they had.

“I want out, I want to leave.” She looked up to Adrian with pleading eyes. “We’ll both be on the run if the Renegades find out, let’s just leave Gatlon, we don’t owe them anything.”

“We can take Max and leave this all behind.” Danna said

“But where would we go?” Adrian asked

“I’ve heard Tennessee has absolutely no prodigies.” Said Oscar

“Sounds like a literal dream come true.” Nova said. And so they began to plot a break in to HQ in the basement of two councilmen. It was an odd group, three Renegades with pristine records, a golden son who doubled as a vigilante, and a villain from a family of villains, but somehow they were all working together. First the team would go into the Renegades tower, and tell Max the plan. Next they would wait for nighttime, and Nova would scale the side of the building and cut a hole in the glass. The Sentinel would guard her from the ground and handle any trouble. Danna Ruby and Oscar were all one block away in a getaway car. The night air bit at her face and she was grateful for her mask and hood. As she climbed higher and higher she filled with more and more hope, it was going to over soon. When she reached the sky bridge’s window she was greeted by a smiling Max. She pulled out her glass cutting tool and got to work, but it wasn’t working. Then she heard an alarm. She felt like she was falling which was not a good feeling since she was several floors up.

“Sentinel!” Nova cried “I need help” in a fraction of an instant Adrian jumped up and was teetering on a small ledge on the building slowly and carefully he torched the edges of the space Nova had cut. Just as a group of Renegades showed up at the other side of the newly reconstructed sky bridge. Stingray and his new team, an electrokinetic and that origami dude from the trials.

“Get back Max.” Nova cried as she brought a leg up to kick the carved glass through.

“Stop right there in the name of the code!” Stingray yelled

“Not likely, I’m a villain after all I don’t exactly follow the code.” Then she kicked, the glass popped out and max crawled through on to Nova’s back. Adrian jumped down and Nightmare began the treacherous climbback to the ground. Once she was a floor down the guard team rushed through the quarantine.

“Ummmm, Nova, they have guns.” Max said his voice shaking and high pitched.

“We’ll make it Max, they won’t shoot at you.” But Nova was proven wrong when, about four floors down, first bullet whizzed past them. Clearly they had decided that a villain was worth more than a child. Nova began rushing, climbing faster and getting sloppier. Then halfway through the second floor one foot slipped, both she and Max jolted at the unexpected trip and Max let out a shrill cry. Nova carefully regained her footing and with aching muscles, (and cheek, but that didn’t matter she had deserved that) she finished the trek. As her feet hit the blessed ground one more bullet was shot from the window a few stories up. Nova fell to the ground as pain ricocheted through her leg.

“Adrian! They shot her.”

In a moment Adrian was beside her and the next she was in his arms bridal style. He was running as full speed, with max on his shoulders and Nova in his arm.

“Adrian, it hurts… so much…”

“I know we’ll get to the car soon.” He rounded the corner and there it was, a grey minivan with all windows rolled up when they hopped in Ruby and Danna were in the front, Danna was the only one with a license so obviously she was driving. Oscar was in the very back and Max climbed in with him. Adrian, who had changed out of his suit now carefully layed Nova down on the middle row, he rolled up her pant leg to see the wound. It wasn’t too serious, the bullet had grazed her leg but it still hurt like hell.

“Can you pass he the first aid?”

Ace stalked through the halls of the cathedral, his footsteps echoed throughout the entire building, near the defaced alter Ace turned left and walked about five yards down a narrow corridor. Then he came to a door guarded by two of his followers, they nodded their heads to him. He pushed open the door, feeling the cold iron on his fingers, he needed to reserve his strength mental for the final battle. He was greeted by his counsel, his group of advisors. Phobia was the first to greet him, he always was. And while their relationship had been strained recently, Ace was still glad to see him. Atomic brain was staring at the map of Gatlon, while he ran another gang Ace trusted him implicitly, the only others in the room were Blackout and Viper a couple who had joined Ace very early on before the revolution had even begun. And finally, Cyanide who was also a long time member. They were here to discuss strategies. The renegades had sent out a notice not even half an hour ago, surrender three of their main and most vital warehouses and cosmopolis park to them or they would attack the cathedral. It was idiotic, the park was safer under the Puppeteer’s control, even if he was a psychotic twelve-year-old, and the warehouses were invaluable assets.

“How about pretending to give up those locations?” Asked Viper.

“No.. that still comprises our position.” Said Atomic Brain.

“We could let them attack here.” Said Leroy. “We could set a trap for when they arrive.”

“Yes…” mused ace, “we are sixty prodigies strong whereas they barely have twelve, and they just lost Lady Indomitable.” He glanced briefly at Phobia not pleased but not the scalding look he had given her not three days ago when he had learned.

“You could send out specter, before and have her turn some of the Renegades into ghosts.” Said a young childish voice.

“Nova?” Asked Ace “how did you get in here?”

“The guards didn’t stop me.” She said. Alec peered through the door that had opened so softly that no one had noticed, outside the two guards were slumped in a heap, breathing heavily. Ace heard a giggle from the other side of the table and when he looked up he saw Viper covering her mouth.

“She is going to be one hell of a villain someday” she laughed.

Bring The Rain by Artino and Jessee Ft. Sam Welch