Aftershock

Problems

Chapter 02: Problems

Oscar and Ruby were exactly where he thought they'd be. At the burger joint down the street from Renegade headquarters.

"Shocker," Nova muttered.

"Oh...hey guys!" Said Oscar, seeing them from the booth he and Ruby were sitting in. "We didn't order anything for you guys, 'cause...you know. Anyway, here's the menu!" He shoved a piece of paper under Adrian's face.

"I'm not hungry," Nova announced. Oscar scoffed as an offended look took up his face.

"How can you not be in love with food?"

Adrian had to agree, but he could see Nova was about to argue.

"The pancakes are really good," Ruby interjected, trying to diffuse the tension.

"Wait one second," said Oscar, making his way over to the waitress behind the counter. "Can I get two orders of pancakes for my friends over here?"

"Wait..." Nova said weakly, trailing off.

"It's fine," Adrian told her. "Oscar will probably eat half of them anyway."

"Okay!" Oscar clapped his hands together. "Orders are on their way!" He slid into the booth next to Ruby and gestured to the seats across from them.  "Take a seat, lovebirds! How is your relationship doing anyway?"

Adrian slid into the booth first, knowing Nova hated feeling trapped.  Nova gave him a look as she slid in next to him.  "What's to tell? We're taking it slow," he told Oscar.

"Now the real news," Nova interjected, leaning over the table, "how is your relationship?"

Ruby blushed, hard.

"It's great!" Oscar exclaimed, oblivious to Ruby's facial expression. "She's absolutely amazing! In fact, we were at-"

"Oscar, they don't want to hear all the details," Ruby interrupted him. She turned to Nova and Adrian. "It's really good. It's strange to think we had these feelings for each other all along and neither one of us knew it."

Nova looked at Adrian, giving him her best are they serious? look. He shrugged.

"Two orders of pancakes, coming right up!" The waitress exclaimed, setting down two stacks of pancakes and a container of maple syrup on the table. "Enjoy!"

"Oh, we will," Oscar whispered, rubbing his hands together. Catching the look Ruby gave him, he amended, "I mean you guys will! I just like looking at them. Honest."

Adrian held back a smile. Of course Oscar was already hungry. He pushed his plate toward him. "Here, you can have mine. I'm not that hungry anyways." Nova gave him the side-eye, but he ignored it.

Although he had spent a lot of time with his friends at Renegade headquarters, it had been a while since they'd hung out without trying to find a way to save the world. It's not that he didn't like his friends, but he was now starting to wonder how they'd gotten along so well. Even now, the table was silent. Sure, Oscar was stuffing his mouth with pancakes, but neither Nova nor Ruby made any attempt at conversation. They'd all been reduced to two teenage couples in love. Well, not love, exactly. At least, he didn't want to think that and scare Nova off before she was ready.

Nova was still scowling at her untouched stack of pancakes, ripping a napkin, when Adrian nudged her. She slid out of the booth to let him out. "I'm gonna head home. Let me know if anything happens."

"I'll come," Nova said, setting down the shredded paper. "I have to talk to Hugh anyway. See you guys later." She waved at Oscar and Ruby.

Adrian held the door open for Nova as they exited the diner. "You know, I would have thought they'd be more physical," Nova mused, looking back at the diner as they walked.

"I think they feel awkward. You know, we've all been friends for so long that it kind of changes the dynamic," Adrian replied, casting his gaze down on her. "You came and I think that they could see us being together, but they don't realize I've thought the same thing since the first time I met them. They had this sort of chemistry." He shrugged.

They walked in silence towards his house, and Adrian was struggling to decide whether or not to hold her hand.

Who knew that relationships would be harder than saving the world?

Adrian was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't register that Nova was no longer by his side.

"Nova?" he called. Adrian began to retrace his steps for any sign of what could have attracted her attention. "Nova?"

Nothing stood out to him, and he shrugged it off. Nova had the right to go wherever she wanted. He wasn't going to pull the overprotective boyfriend card on her.

But just to be safe, he'd check her bracelet's location when he got back home...

Maybe, just maybe, she'd decided to race him back. It was Nova after all.

He picked up his pace, hoping he would see her back at his house, and ignored the pressing feeling that maybe they weren't as safe as they thought.

***

"Are you sure no one saw you?" A voice hissed, looking out the door.

"Relax," Maggie said, sitting down in a chair. "It turns out she was a lot easier to take than I thought." She reached into Nova's pocket and took out the bracelet. The gem had disappeared during the fight against the Renegades, but the bracelet still called to Maggie. "You know, I thought those goo-goo eyes at Sketch were an act, but now that I know they're real, it makes me sick."

A sinister laugh filled the air. "You are just like your mother, child. But much stronger. Yes, your mother had a soft heart. I don't see you getting distracted so easily." A scuffling sound ensued, and Maggie watched the cloaked figure make their way to the other chair in the room.

"Well?" She asked impatiently.

"Well what?"

"I held up my end of the deal. Here's Insomnia. Do what you want with her, but tell me who my mother is." When Maggie had found out that someone knew her mother, she had jumped at the opportunity to meet them. Even if she didn't know who they was.

"Why tell you, when I can show you?" The figure sat back in their chair, and Maggie held her breath, thinking that they were about to reveal themself.

But the hood stayed on, as did the mask.

"All in good time my dear. Another favor might speed up the process."

Maggie didn't care so much about having a family. No, she gave up that dream a long time ago. She wanted to find her mother, so she could make her pay for all the suffering she'd gone through. And maybe, just maybe, she'd fix herself in the process.

She stood up. "On my time. You know how to contact me," Maggie told the stranger. She slipped the bracelet back into Nova's pocket. She never knew when she'd need to find her again.

"Just remember this," Maggie said, turning towards the stranger as she stood by the door. "If you don't follow through, I will be back. And I'm not afraid to kill my conscience in the process.  There may be infinitely many heroes in this world, but I'm not afraid to be the villain."

Maggie shut the door, leaving the stranger alone with Nova.