Renegades Shorts- Confessions and Confrontations

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Adrian woke up in a foreign place, instinctively looking around. He'd had the renegade rules drilled into his head.


Renegade rule number one, scout your surroundings. 


He surveyed the premises, noticing he was strapped to a chair, and still disguised as the Sentinel, without a scatch, and luckily his helmet was still on. His first instinct was to scream and kick when he suddenly stopped. It wasn't because of the ratty old couch, or the numerous bee hives buzzing in the room. It was because of the table in front of him, with a vase and roses that were a bit too perfect. He suddenly realized why. They were too perfect because he made them too perfect. These flowers were born from his hands- he'd drawn these for Nova. NOVA. This was NOVA'S house.


Adrian started to panic, but not for himself. Where was she? Is she okay? Is she dead? Is she hurt? A million thoughts rushed into his head of her laying limp on the ground, her eyes wide open and her mouth in an still, petrified O. He became suddenly alert and filled with adrenaline. If it weren't for the binds around his wrists and feet, he would've run out of the room, and trampled anything in his path. Suddenly, a girl with a low hood and mask that was sculpted right over the bridge of her nose appeared, her jacket zipper zipped all the way to her chin. He knew who she was. It was the one person who made him doubt every choice, think out every decision. 


"Nightmare," Adrian hissed, voice oozing venom. 


"Sentinel," she hissed. She walked a full lap around him, staring at him, as if expecting him to bust out of the chair and attack her. Finally realizing that he had little chances of escaping, she sat on the couch across from him, and looked at him nonchalantly, as if he were a statue. 


"What. Did. You. Do." Adrian spat. She just cackled. Under his mask, he raised an eyebrow. 


"You think you're so brave. I feel bad. Given such false information and hope." She seethed at him, only a few inches away from him. Her hood raised the tiniest bit. She walked toward him and bent on one knee, looking straight at him. "My family was killed by a gang, and none of you're so called 'Superhero' friends saved us. I believed in you, me, my whole family, all believed  you would help us! My baby sister, shot. Mom? Shot. Dad? Killed immediately. And I," she paused. "Was there, to witness. It. All." 


Adrian gasped in horror. The greatest assassin was a monster of their own making. She believed in them. He thought back to the children he had met at the carnival. Their awe struck faces. Their hopes and dreams of one day being heroes. She used to be one of those children. She used to be an innocent child, who had faced so much trauma, so much hate, so much death.


"And now," Nightmare started, "I will find out whoever you are, and I will kill you." She shot at his base of his suit, and the entire item collapsed. His mask fell off with a metallic clang, and Nightmare was now staring him in the face. Her hood was off, and just like him, she had revealed her true identity. 


"Nova?" Adrian gasped. It had all made sense. The ability to not go to sleep? Getting rid of it by giving it to others. Thinking quickly on the spot? The same as tryouts.
"Adrian?" Nova gaped. He should've known. Her voice, her eyes, her hair, her height, everything. EVERYTHING MATCHED. 


"How," his voice broke. So much for love. "How could you do this?" A tear slid down her cheek.
"You, you, you tried to kill my father! You knew how much I was set on finding Nightmare, and you sat back, and lied to me." A gun was in her palm, ready to shoot.

And to think if it were anyone else, they'd be dead. 


She fell to her knees, sobbing. She walked over and untied his ropes, letting him go free.
"Go." She whispered. "Before they find you." She showed a sad smile and handed something to him. Her Renegades wristband. Adrian thought back to everything that they'd went through and shook his head. 


"I can't." He said, exasperated. A tear trickled out of his eye. "I can't. This is the Renegades' fault. This is their fault! You can't just, give up, Nova!" Nova shook her head.

"No one will believe me. I'm an assassin, and you're suit has a bounty on its head. I can't go back. Besides, you don't even know me."


"Yes, I don't know you." Adrian started. "But I do know, you have a heart. You're brave, and willing to put yourself for what you see as the greater good. Those are things that I know about you, and to me, are what makes a hero, not a Renegade." Nova stood up and faced him.

"Well, what if this hero was the niece of Ace Anarchy? Related to an unrivaled Anarchist? Would she still be a hero then?" Nova screamed.

Adrian shook his head. This was too much. His love was this hero's greatest mistake. "Come with me," He begged. "Come back to the Renegades! Please!" Tears ran down Nova's cheeks.

"I was six years old! Six! My baby sister was less than five years old! She never got to live a life! Grow up, go to school, we didn't even know if she was a prodigy! My dad was a weapons maker for a gang! He stopped making weapons because the RENEGADES promised protection if he stopped! When he did, the gang sent a hitman! We would've been fine if it weren't. For. RENEGADES!" Nova cried. Tears dripped down her face. "I WAS ALL ALONE! WHAT OTHER CHOICE DID I HAVE!" She screamed. She dropped to the floor, weeping.


Adrian now understood that things weren't pure justice. Nightmare wasn't an assassin. She was the child of unfortunate events. It isn't just black and white. Good and Evil. 


Adrian gazed out the window. He saw an old, weathered Renegade trials sheet, barely hanging onto the wooden electricity pole.


BOLD. VALIANT. JUST. DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?

 Adrian looked and patted Nova on the back, trying his best to soothe her pain. If only it were that simple. 

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HELLO EVERYONE! I know I already published this, but I decided to tweak it a little bit because I realized how, over the top it is. Nova wouldn't cry just to cry. Adrian wouldn't just sit there. Stuff like that and such. Any who, I hope you enjoyed this! If you read the original one, do you think this one is better? 

Cora: Pssst. Hey. You can still read the original one on my old account. I wasn't here. 

Please comment, vote, and see you later! 

*gives hug*



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