Atomic Rebooted

53. Revelation

CLAIRE

I sprinted down the hallways in my mother's costume, past the students and teachers fleeing, and past the chaos caused by the various minions of different supervillains throughout the city.

I don't know how to explain it, but I just knew somehow that Tenebrous was behind this—and exactly where he was.

In the chaos, no one really noticed a hero making her way towards the library. It was there that my suspicions were confirmed, when out of the back-corridors strode an angry Tenebrous.

He held up a ray-gun and surveyed the area just as I did.

Part of the roof had been blown-off entirely—that was how Tenebrous had gotten in. Scorch marks stained the walls and carpets, shelves were toppled and books were everywhere, the smell of burning paper and wood enveloping the room.

The students and librarians were alike hiding under tables and behind chairs. They clutched copies of the Harry Potter series and War and Peace, readying to throw them at the attackers and invaders of their sanctuary of knowledge.

Daylight and snow fell through in columns of white, stark against the yellow incandescent lighting.

"Stop right there," I said. "You won't find what you're looking for there."

Tenebrous turned. Recognition gleamed in his dark eyes from behind the mask. Up close he was very tall— almost like Renegade as he popped into existence beside me. He wore a black mask and clothes I couldn't see beneath a black duster with red cracks in it, like lava or the shatter patterns he created. They glowed with a sinister energy, even though they had nothing to do with his powers.

"I should have known that you would find the artifact first," Tenebrous snarled, pointing his ray gun  for straight between my eyes. "I'm sure your mother left instructions— interesting, considering that she wouldn't even tell those she fought alongside what she had done with it."

"My mother?" I was taken aback by the implications— how did he know any of this—

"I fought along Psyche almost twenty years ago."  His voice was filled with sorrow-tinged bitterness. He holstered his weapon. "She was a good hero, a brave warrior. Just like the others on my team."

"You were a Crusader?" My mind whirred, trying to recall them all.

"I know it must surprise you, that I used to be a hero, just as naive as you." He looked both me and Renegade up and down. "That was before I understood the way this world works."

That's when I remembered, from the database that Stephanie had shown me, and the page it had on the Crusaders. The image of a hero in red and orange flashed into my brain—one with powers all too similar to the ones wielded by the villain standing in front of me.

"You're Crucible."

He held a gloved hand up to his face, inspecting it. "Once. Before I learned the truth."

He looked up, the sorrow turning to pity, as strange as it was that it was coming from him. "Let me warn you now—leave,  give up the mask, hang up your cape. This isn't worth it. This city does not deserve your salvation."

"Oh, so now you tell me." Renegade rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Look, we've got you outnumbered, two to one, and the superweapon isn't here. You've lost."

Tenebrous inspected his glove again, turning his hand over and splaying his fingers. "I did hope to find Dark Titan's weapon—but unlike Titan, I am not one to hang my plans on one errant piece of technology. Besides, we've been able to recover other artifacts from the Titan War, thanks to the inheritance his faction left for his heir."