Phobia: Reign of Terror (Renegades Fanfic)

Prologue - Terror Rises

I will once again warn readers, just in case you didn't care to read the description because you were so excited by the presence of a post Supernova fanfic to satisfy your withdrawals. There will be many a spoiler in this prologue alone. For those of you who have read Supernova, please enjoy my mind ramblings.

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It was the smell of fear that woke him up. Though, he wasn't sure if he had ever been asleep. Was that what it could be compared to? Having one's very source of existence sucked away and feeling your power crumble beneath you, only to awaken, smelling fear once again. Though, it was less fear and more. . . apprehension. Someone was scared that they would be caught here, attempting something. His senses were weak, being reborn as a force of nature does have its downsides, afterall. He could see her now. A little girl, picking through the debris around him. It was the cathedral, he realized. The place where he had died. It was here that wretched Everhart had sacrificed his powers, just to be rid of him.

Phobia became acutely aware that the girl was searching through the wreckage, though she didn't seem to be touching the crumbled stone pillars or the broken wooden beams. She simply held out her hand, her eyes squeezed shut.

The fear that nobody would appreciate her. It suddenly was so obvious to him as he slowly grew into his black, inky form. She glanced over her shoulder, staring at the far wall for a moment.

"You were brave to come here, little one," he slowly rasped.

She response was quick, whipping around to face him, her eyes searching for a moment before settling on the small form that he had.

"Your fear is not so strong as Everhart's, but it shall suffice. For now."

Several emotions crossed her face in succession, starting with confusion and concern. That soon melted into realization and shock, only to finally shift into terror. Pure, delectable terror. Phobia knew just how easy it would be to suck all the terror out of this child and end her life, but no. He had another plan for her.

He let his form shift, giving him a shape he knew she recognized. He strode towards her in the form of none other than Adrian Everhart in all his vigilante glory. She seemed to be shaking her head ever so slightly and backed away as he approached. Her foot stuck on a loose piece of debris and she stumbled, landing on her back, staring up at the form of the Sentinel. Phobia knelt over her fallen form and let the suit retract as he had seen it do more than once into the center of his form.

"Now then, little one, I don't intend to take your life, you needn't worry," Phobia growled. The voice no doubt failed to match the image before her eyes. He quickly dropped the facade of Adrian Everhart and let a bony hand reach forward to the little girl.

"Not every fear is a reason to die, and I find myself in need of an ally, little one. Tell me your name."

"I'm- I-" She stuttered before she had one skeletal digit pressed under her chin, raising her head up and stretching her neck, as though Phobia was inspecting her.

"Maggie. My name is Maggie, or Magpie, as others call me." She seemed more confident in her answer, more willing to accept that she was before the true incarnation of fear itself. He was no longer bound to Adrian Everhart.

"Well, Magpie. Please tell me what you would be doing in this cathedral. I seem to lack. . . information."

"Um, I guess I was searching for something. Something shiny."

"A fitting task for one of your name, Magpie," Phobia said. He felt her apprehension was quickly calming and he knew he had judged her correctly. This one had been born to be a villain, and she likely had come to this same conclusion.

"You're Phobia, aren't you?" Magpie suddenly asked.

"In the flesh, if I had had any." Though Honey Harper had always been the one with a flare for the dramatic, Phobia took the moment to bow before the little girl. He still felt a little stiff and powerless, but the bow was a grand enough gesture to show that he could still easily overpower the little girl, despite her uneasiness fading.

"I was actually looking for Ace Anarchy's helmet. Rumor was they buried it with him in a chromium coffin. I mean, that's the one metal I can't detect or manipulate. At least, the Captain's chromium that is. I think it might be here in the cathedral."

"It is not. I would have woken sooner with the presence of the simple fear of this place that is in the heart of every person I know, save for Ace Anarchy himself." Magpie gave him a quizzical look, no doubt she had never talked with a living incarnation of fear before. Phobia wasn't sure if this girl was simply brave, foolish, or rather just ignorant of just how powerful he was.

"How are you alive, anyway?" Magpie finally asked, "I heard you died months ago on the Day of Empowering."

"Day of Empowering? Is that what the pitiful Renegades are calling it? When all opposition to their power was beaten down again? A fitting name, full of lies." Phobia knew it seemed like something Ace Anarchy would have said, but he knew that the Renegades as a collective did truly fear that they would lose what they had created.

"Um, no. That isn't why they call it that, and I am one of those 'pitiful Renegades', technically," Magpie noted. Phobia wondered why the little girl might have just admitted to being a Renegade to him.

"It's called the Day of Empowerment because it was when Max Everhart saved the city from Ace Anarchy and made everyone on the planet a prodigy. I don't even know how he could have possibly done that, even with the helmet, but that is what happened."

"Every person? Even those who had their abilities stolen or. . . neutralized?" Phobia asked, hesitantly. This was news to him, though he didn't see just how this girl could make up something so wild.

She nodded emphatically in response, and Phobia now understood why he was able to reform. He was still tied to Adrian Everhart, however loosely, but he still needed a new source of fear to truly awaken. Magpie had been just that.

"Tell me, Magpie. Just what would you do for the helmet of Ace Anarchy?"

"Well, just about anything, I would say." She seemed almost too excited to possibly be in his presence. Nobody had ever been this chipper around him since the deranged lunatic, Winston Pratt, had been captured. It was not a pleasant feeling.

"Then I propose a deal," the shadowy reaper-esque villain said. He explained his proposal slowly to Magpie, finally coming to the end of his miniature speech and pausing. Phobia could finally feel fear from this little Renegade once more as she considered his offer.

It didn't take long until she finally came to the conclusion of whatever internal argument she was having.

"Deal."

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A.N.

Well, there you have it, my first post Supernova Fanfic. I hope you all are looking forward to seeing where this book goes as much as I am. Be sure to smash that little star to tell me just how much you loved it so far, and comments are always welcome too.

This is, of course, putting a quick pause on some of my unreleased projects, but I am still definitely taking One-Shot requests and ideas in addition to suggestions for this story as well.

Next chapter resumes standard narration pattern from Nova's point of view! Can't wait!