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

Part 4 - Is a Chance to be Brave

    Nova opened her eyes to be greeted by a white room, crisp sheets and several monitors surrounding her. There was an empty chair next to her bed, likely for visitors. She felt something jabbed into her arm, and she reached for it. Yanking out the tube, she found herself surprisingly weak. She pushed the covers to find herself still in her Renegades uniform, though her belt had been removed. She spotted it on a chair across the room, and swung her legs to the floor. She pushed down the sleeve that had been rolled up to insert the needle that had been in her arm.

    Nova had almost reached her belt when the door swung on its hinges. In strolled Adrian, eyes fixed on a lunch tray. He walked through the room without taking notice of Nova at first. He sat down in the empty seat, his face was plain and almost sad. He reached for the bed, about where Nova’s left hand had just been. Nova felt the heat rising to her cheeks for a second when she realized that he had likely been sitting for a while, waiting for her to get up.

    She left her belt where it was and crossed the room to his side. He still didn’t make a move to eat his food or even look up at her. Nova realized that he thought she was still in the bed. She had thrown the covers back over the bed out of habit. She set a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. He didn’t look up.

    “You really are worried about her, aren’t you?” Noa said, deciding to get a good laugh out of this.

    “Yeah. I… I don’t know what I’m going to do if she doesn’t get up. Not after Max was in the same situation for so long…”

    “Don’t worry, she’ll wake up. I know she will,” Nova reassured him. She took her hand off his shoulder and walked back to her belt. She strapped it on before Adrian responded.

    “I hope she will.”

    “I mean, I’m standing right here, aren’t I?” Nova finally said. Adrian took the cue and looked up at her. The shock and surprise on his face simply made Adrian laugh.

    “Nova!” Adrian stood so fast his gray plastic tray hit the ground with a clatter. Before she could say or do anything, She was wrapped in his arms. She felt the warmth of his entire body, his muscular form supporting her weak legs.

    “Nova, I’m so sorry. I should have beaten Phobia faster. I should have been brave sooner. I-” Nova was too tired to hear his apologies that they both knew he couldn’t have done anything about, so she pushed her toes into the floor and rose up to meet him. He silenced as her lips met his. Lightning sparked through all of Nova’s skin as she kissed him.

    “Nova?!” Nova knew she turn immensely red as soon as she heard her name. She quickly separated from Adrian, though she stumbled in the process. In the door stood Hugh Everhart, the last person she had seen beside Adrian, though she knew she was only seeing what Phobia had known was her greatest fear. That she had been wrong to betray the Anarchists. That the Renegades had actually been to blame for her family’s death

    “Um…” Nova didn’t know how to respond to Captain Chromium staring at her and Adrian with a stupid grin on her face. It was a grin she wanted to wipe off his face.

    “Am I interrupting something? I don’t know, maybe a little celebration of Nova finally waking up after three days?” Nova suddenly realized he didn’t even know what day it was, or why she had been in the bed. The last thing she remembered was seeing Hugh shoot her.

    “I… I think there’s something we need to talk about. Is Simon nearby too?” The Dread Warden chose that moment to appear in the doorway, though he hadn’t been invisible.

    “Yup, I know, I know. Speak of the devil. Ha ha.” Nobody was going to say anything about it, so Nova continued.

    “Adrian and the rest of my team already know this, but…” Adrian reached for her hand, despite both his dads being right in front of them and what she was about to reveal.