Betrayal

Betrayal Parts 1&2

"Go on," Nova rasped. Her eyes intently gazed upon Adrian's newly unmasked face, her lips startlingly crimson with fresh blood. "Finish it."

Adrian's hand wavered, head spinning, adrenaline coursing through his body, making him nauseous.

Some distance away, she could hear both the Anarchists and Adrian's team fighting, slowly drawing closer and closer.

Nova's expression softened. "Finish it, Adrian." She reached up a hand to steady his, pointing at her, hesitating to shoot. "The Sentinel will be a hero, you'll finally be accepted by the Renegades, you've fought so hard for that." She sighed. "Don't throw all that away for me."

"You want to die?" His voice was shaking as he attempted to pull the gun away from her head, but she held it steady.

"I would rather die than get my power neutralized." Nova spat, the ground adopting a bloody haze where it landed.

"Maybe we could try tal-"

"No!" Nova hissed forcefully, "With the crimes I've committed against the Renegades," she paused and looked at him with remorse in her eyes. "against you and your dads. There's no way the council would be lenient with me."

His eyes filled with tears. "We have to try at least. Maybe we could get Max to vouch for you. Or the team!"

"I've wronged them too. It's over, Adrian." she slumped down in defeat.

He knelt beside her and wrapped his arms around her. "Surely neutralization is better than death?"

She pulled away and glared at him. "Adrian, every time I close my eyes I see my family's dead bodies splayed out in front of me and hear gunshots in my head. I won't sleep. If I lose my powers... I'm going to die anyway."

"How would you die, Nova?"

She looked away, annoyed, "The human body can only survive so long without sleep. My powers are the only reason I'm alive, in multiple ways, and I won't have The Renegades take that from me."

Adrian reached out for her again, pulling her against him. She pushed her arms against his chest in an attempt to escape, but he was stronger than she was.

"Let me go, Adrian. You can't do this. It's not fair."

"And it's fair to me to watch you die? Watch you waste away into nothing?"

"That's not even compar-"

Adrian cut her off with a kiss.

Great Skies, not again Adrian. Nova pulled away, tears rolling slowly down her face.

"It'll all be okay, Nova, I promise."

✽✽✽

Adrian was distraught as he carried an unconscious Nova back to the Headquarters as fast as he could. His mind was racing to try to remember what he had learned in the very brief first aid training he and his team had gotten. What caused the blood in her mouth, was it a chest injury, how do I fi-.

"What Happened?" a healer ran up to Adrian breaking him out of thought. He realized exactly how much he had completely blocked out the trip trying to remember how to help Nova.

"I- I'm not exactly sure." Adrian stumbled hastily over the lie, "I think she was in a fight with the Detonator, or maybe the Sentinel?" The Healer squinted at him, clearly not buying his story.

"Follow me." She started walking quickly towards an empty room for Nova with Adrian walking quickly after. "Put her there," the healer gestured to an empty bed as they got to a room. He gingerly set her in the bed and turned to the healer to ask a question. "Now that she's here you need to leave and let us work." She cut him off before he had even had a chance to open his mouth.

"But" He started to protest.

"I'm sorry Sketch but we need space to do a good job. You don't want to be a detriment do you?" Adrian sullenly shook his head and started to walk out of the room. "I'll let you know when you can see her, ok?" The nurse said sympathetically.

"Thank you-," Adrian paused glancing at her name tag, "Thank You Shafaa"

Adrian left Headquarters and looked at his watch, realizing that he had completely lost track of time. Shit, I'm so late! He changed into the Sentinel utilizing his jump to get home as fast as possible.

✽✽✽

"You're late" Hugh's voice broke through the quiet of the dark house. He walked up to Adrian and closed the door behind him,

"Where were you?" His dad asked as Adrian walked further into the house still desperately trying to come up with an excuse.

"I was," Adrian paused stalling, "training?" Hugh gave him a skeptical look and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I just got home from looking for you at the Headquarters." shaking his head Hugh firmly guided Adrian to the kitchen. Adrian was trying to pull away from his dad to go hide in his room, but his dad's super strength won out. Adrian abandoned his attempt to escape from the interrogation he knew was coming. "Now," Captain Chromium said, "where were you really Adrian?"

"I was uh-" Adrian stammered

"I want a straight answer, young man," Hugh said.

"I was out on- a date?" His dad's harsh expression broke into a smile,

"That's great, who was it with? Was it Nova?" Hugh questioned excitedly. Adrian sighed in feigned annoyance about the personal questions.

"I was on a dinner date with my team Dad," Adrian smoothly lied, "I didn't mean a sappy, romantic, one-on-one date." he started to slowly back up to make an escape attempt to his room when he backed straight into something.

"Hey bud," His other dad, Simon, put his hands on Adrian's shoulders, "where are you going in such a hurry?"