Atomic: Rebooted

14. Nostalgia

CLAIRE

I was relieved when Julien's car finally showed up in the pickup lane. Without abandon, I pulled the door open just as it was rolling to a stop.

"Nice hustle." Julien nodded his approval as he turned down the radio. "Buckle up, because I'm not getting ticketed for you being stupid."

"I would've done it anyway," I scoffed as I buckled my seatbelt. "I'm not an idiot."

"You could've told me differently, since you decided to walk home all alone last night after a monorail crash," he retorted.

I rolled my eyes. "Nice to see you, too."

His expression softened. "Look, it's not because I don't care. I do— but I do think Mom's overreacting. I doubt Renegade's going to go after you or something. Even if he did, it wouldn't matter."

"Why not?"

"I'd kill him before he touched you, or anyone in this family," he said in a perfectly matter-of-fact tone, as if we were talking about the weather.

"That's sweet, although I doubt you could take him." I shuddered at the thought."

"Well, don't get too sappy on me," Julien shot back. "And don't count me out yet. I've got more than a few tricks up my sleeve."

"Don't tell me, I don't even want to know."

"That's probably for the better," Julien agreed. "And again— I don't think he's going to go after you."

"I don't either."

He glanced at me using the rear-view mirror. "Care to elaborate, Claire?"

I hesitated before my confession. I couldn't spill everything— of course I couldn't. But a part of me was itching to tell someone about Renegade.

"He escorted me home last night."

"What?"

His voice was so low and quiet that I could barely hear him.

"Renegadeescortedmehomelastnight."

He didn't ask for a repeat, he just nodded. "Of course he did. Why not. Did he say anything to you?"'

"Mostly just apologized for the whole hostage thing." I was starting to realize this was a bad idea. "Please don't tell Holly. Or Dad."

"Trust me, I have no intention of spilling that juicy detail." Julien sighed. "I'm going to be late to class, I hate this traffic."

"Sorry."

"Hey, I'm not about to go around making Mom mad," he said. "Not on purpose, anyway."

"I appreciate it, if it helps."

"It does." Julien sighed. "Look, keep your head down, let this all go away, okay?"

"Dude, I was already planning on it," I said. "I have no interest at all in staying in this super stuff. Besides, I don't have it in me to be a hero."

"I can't really explain it," he said. "But I think this was only the beginning of something bigger."

I thought to what Stephanie had said during lunch. She had pretty much implied the same thing— about the City Fire and the monorail crash being of equally great magnitude.

Tenebrous had spent all this time, making a name of petty villainy and dodging arrests alongside real monsters like Dr. Electra. But this was his first big event, the kind of thing that had everyone asking all day about it.

I looked down to my own shaking hands. I had power, like Warlock, and I could use it for more than ducking in the shadows. . .

No, I don't make the news, I just write it down.