One Cannot be Brave... (A Renegades Fanfic)

Part 1 - One Cannot Be Brave...

“Shall we go then?” Nova offered, pushing her chair back to the original desk as she stood. She offered him a hand as they walked toward the elevator. It was still so strange having her be so open around him. He grasped her hand as they walked and he hit the elevator button for the lobby. The doors dinged and closed in front of them.

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    Nova strolled up to the Everhart mansion, Adrian by her side. Nova had been trying to divert Adrian’s attention away from Nightmare for the past two weeks, since he arrived at her broken down house, and  he announced that he would kill her if he found her. Adrian opened the door and announced their presence to whomever was home at the time.

    “Hey, I’m back, and Nova tagged along. We’re gonna be in my rooms, looking for something, so just holler if you need something.” Adrian moved quickly for the basement door, clearly trying to avoid an awkward dad situation while Nova was there. He managed to get the basement door open without incident, but when Nova glanced around the door into their kitchen, she could see Simon Westwood, grinning and shaking his head. She even caught Hugh muttering something and chuckling to himself.

    “Looking for something? Good one.” When Nova realized what they were thinking she couldn’t stop the heat rushing to her face. Instead, she ducked back behind the door and started to descend the stairs into Adrian’s room. She glanced at the couch where she had put Adrian to sleep to steal the protection medallion. It was also where she kissed him. Where he kissed her.

    “So, what are we looking for exactly, or are we actually doing what your dads seem to think we are?” Nova joked. It seemed awkward and foreign to her tongue, but she pushed the feeling down to her gut..

    “Oh, here it is.” he grabbed one of his older sketchbooks, full of different drawings. He flipped through the pages of the sketch book, scanning for something.

    “Adrian, what are we looking for, and what does it have to do with your mom?” Nova was more forceful this time, hating being left in the dark when it came to anything relating to Adrians investigations.

    “Just a sketch of… Aha!” He evidently had found the sketch he had been looking for, and quickly turned the book over so Nova could see it. It was a detailed sketch of what appeared to be Phobia himself, though lacking his usual scythe.

    “That’s Phobia, isn’t it? Didn’t you say your first time seeing him was when you guys caught Ace. The pain behind her words as she remembered the Sentinel’s hand in subduing her uncle. Phobia was supposed to be watching Ace! Somehow their stories just didn’t add up with what Nova knew was true.

    “Yeah, but this isn’t Phobia, Nova. This is one of my drawings of the monster.” Adrian said it matter-a-factly, but Nova knew what he was implying. Adrian’s childhood terror was Phobia, and his nightmares had come true. The monster had killed his mother.

    “Adrian…” Nova wanted to comfort him, but didn’t know what words would possibly help. She tried to think of the words she had wanted to hear when… when her parents had been killed. The only ones that came to her were those that she had heard. Ace’s words still echoed in her head.

    “I know. I know, sweet, dangerous child. But you’re safe now. I’ll protect you.”

    Nova elected to say nothing, but rather opened her arms, her own pained past quickly running to the forefront of her mind, like a floodgate had broken. She found herself repeating the same words six-soon-to-be-seven-year-old Nova had heard come from her uncle, but this time with more meaning.

    “I know, Adrian. I’m here. I’ll help you find him.” It wasn’t a promise she could keep, and she knew it. More empty words from the mouth of a liar. Nova just held Adrian until he finally let go, and she found herself staying close.