Phobia: Reign of Terror (Renegades Fanfic)

Chapter 2 - Fears and Failures

    Adrian found himself on the ground faster than he could believe, but Nova was even faster. She reached down and pulled him to his feet. Nova pushed a finger to his chest with a knowing look. Adrian hadn't become his alter ego in the past months, but she was right. Adrian hated the idea of depending on the suit of armor ever since he had lost his powers temporarily. Ever since Honey Harper had stripped him of his strength.

He reached for the zipper tattoo with Nova's encouragement, but even thinking about the ink in his skin made the scar tissue on his arms hurt. The patches of skin had only barely grown back and were horribly scarred. They had once held his concussion beam and flames and now felt as if they were being cut away again. He since had replaced the missing tattoos, of course, though he hadn't added any new ones since the barrier tattoo. Now his drawings were coming back to haunt him once again.

Ruby and Oscar were both just as ready as he was to face the menace that had appeared, but Phobia didn't make any aggressive movement. He simply stayed, seeming to bask in the glow of the stadium. Adrian pulled down the zipper and let himself feel the comfort of his armor for the first time in months. Still Phobia didn't react. What was that monster doing?

Adrian aimed his right arm at Phobia and fired his new concussion beam. The power felt really good, he had to admit. Despite his apprehension about turning into his alter ego, he did feel himself settling into the armor again.

The beam he had fired did just about as much as he thought it would. It passed through the vaporous form of Phobia, striking the far wall. Phobia, however, did finally react. His dark shape turned in the air above Magpie and muttered something. Adrian felt a tug on his armor, and he knew something was wrong. It felt just like when he was down in the catacombs beneath the cathedral, fighting Ace Anarchy the first time. When he lacked his helmet. When Adrian had won. But there was no more Ace Anarchy. There was only one person who could be doing this, but...

Why would Maggie be working with Phobia? She was a Renegade.

He felt a lurch as Magpie finally took over his armor. He flew forward towards the young girl, crashing through the table. Poor gummy worms and licorice ropes. It was a senseless waste of good snacks. Adrian finally came to a rest sprawled on all fours before Magpie and Phobia. Something smacked into Magpie as Adrian came to a rest. Nova must have come to the same conclusion he had. Maggie was helping Phobia.

Despite the shockwave round smacking into Magpie, Phobia still hovered in front of him. Adrian slapped a hand to his chest and let the suit collapse. It wasn't going to help if he was against a metal manipulator. Still he noted the pale metallic scythe hanging in front of him. Bony fingers wrapped around his neck, pressing into the base of his skull.

"The only reason you remain alive, Everhart," Phobia growled in his disembodied voice, "is because my life is connected to yours. That does not mean I will not make you suffer." Another shockwave hit phobia, and he dropped Adrian, his cloak billowing with the wave-like projectile.

"Nova, no!" Adrian shouted as Phobia darted for her. Her power wouldn't work on his monstrous creation. Luckily, their friends were on top of it. A white fog covered their section of the field, and Adrian caught sight of another figure running across the far side of the field. Hugh Everhart, Captain Chromium, running for the cloud on the field. Adrian knew the fog would delay Phobia long enough for his dad to get there. Maybe even his dads, as the Dread Warden was nowhere to be seen.

Adrian turned his attention to Magpie, who was lying unconscious across the field. He wondered, just as he had when he had shot Ace Anarchy, if perhaps the attack intended to stun was too much for her and caused permanent damage. It would be truly unfortunate if Magpie had suffered some lasting injuries from the shockwave gun. He noted that she was breathing steadily in and out, a clear sign that Nova had not, indeed, accidentally killed her. He drew a pair of handcuffs on the nearest wall and pulled them into reality. After he clamped them over Magpie's thin wrists, he wondered how the others were faring with Phobia. His thoughts were answered with a scream.