word count: 1822
this is an old ask from a while ago, but i lost all the actual asks when i deleted my account! the prompt was “i thought you were dead.”
Everything changed after the Supernova. Relationships, politics, leadership, society. The Renegades were still in action and had expanded greatly with the sudden increase in powers. The city was built up from the ruins of the battle, and life changed with it. People switched jobs, their powers granting them advantages in certain fields. Some joined the Renegades, excited to put their new powers to use. Others left the Renegades, eager to pursue a more normal life after years in their workforce.
Crime rose alongside the Renegades. Prodigy criminals were more dangerous and more powerful. Many people who had scorned the Renegades and prodigies, feared them, were found bitter and angry to suddenly become the thing they hated.
Sketch’s team remained in the Renegades, determined to help the organization as it changed with time. They all became figureheads for the Renegades organization, working closely with what remained of the Council to improve the lives of every citizen of Gatlon and assist in their transition to the life of a prodigy.
While Nova could admit that she liked Adrian, her life was too chaotic to remain anything but good friends with him. She often caught herself stealing small glances at him, glaring at other girls that would flirt with him when their team went out, or reliving every single one of their kisses when she lay on rooftops in the early hours of the morning, watching the stars. But they were friends, and Nova didn’t want to risk that just because she couldn’t get her own feelings under control. They were all too unstable to pursue proper relationships. The Supernova and all the events leading up to it had taken too much a toll on all of them.
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Even though patrol was exhausting and dangerous, it was Nova’s favorite part of the day. It gave her a strange sense of normalcy to be back on patrols, just like everything was before the Supernova. Although, now that she wasn’t worried that her identity would be revealed with one tiny slip, she was actually enjoying being a Renegade, especially now that the Council listened to her. Not only did they pay more attention to her ideas, but they took suggestions from the general public on how to help with the transition, on how to make their daily lives safer, and even on the fates of some of the Anarchists and former villains from the Age of Anarchy. Of course, the final decision was still up to the Council, but the people liked to be heard.
Sketch’s team was chasing Shockwave, a prodigy criminal that was a strange cross between the Detonator and the Sentinel. When he snapped, a ball of energy formed in his hand, either stunning anyone unfortunate enough to come across him, or sending walls toppling upon contact. Shockwave sent a volley of tiny energy spheres back at them as Nova and Adrian chased him down main street, and away from the drugstore he’d just robbed. Nova pulled ahead of Adrian, determined to reach him and send her power through the exposed skin at the back of his neck. But the villain sped up, smirking triumphantly back at her as another energy sphere was sent hurtling towards her. Nova dodged it, before realising that he hadn’t been aiming at her, but at the wall a couple of feet to her right. The ball hit the wall, and it began to crumble, threatening to topple on to Adrian, who had been a few yards behind her.
“Adrian!” Nova screamed in horror, as he stopped in confusion, before turning his head up towards the sound of cracking stone. She began to run for him, but it was too late. Adrian, frozen in shock and fascination, disappeared beneath the fallen building.
Nova let out a scream of desperation so shrill that even Danna flinched from her position at the end of the block, having just emerged from her swarm of monarchs.
“Insomnia? What happened? Where’s Adrian?”
Nova didn’t answer, sprinting to the collapsed wall and picking through the rubble for any sign of Adrian. She can’t lose anyone else. Especially not Adrian. Anybody but Adrian. She flinched at the implications of her thoughts, that Adrian’s life was worth more than someone else’s.
It was to her. She can’t lose Adrian. A life without Adrian—she can’t imagine it.
She paused. Waiting for her thoughts to catch up to her, trying to process the fear and hope and utter terror coursing through her veins.
Nova was in love with Adrian. Completely, utterly, and hopelessly in love with him. And she refused to believe that he was gone. She continued to tear through the wreckage, tossing aside what she could lift, nudging the larger pieces as far as she could. Danna appeared beside her, silently helping her lift away one of the stones. Nova gasped as her hand brushed against something wet and sticky. Blood. Her heart clenched as the image of Adrian lying under the rubble, bleeding, dying. Dead? She pulled one more stone away, and gasped as her eyes found the red and grey material of Adrian’s uniform. Danna was by her side in an instant, helping her pull Adrian out of the ruins. Danna raised her wristband to her mouth, requesting medical assistance and updating the rest of their team on Shockwave and Adrian, ordering Ruby and Oscar to continue the search. Danna rested a hand on her shoulder whispering words of reassurance, ensuring her that Adrian would be okay, but Nova hardly registered them.
Nova sat beside Adrian, cradling his head in her lap. He was unconscious, but breathing steadily. His face was covered in tiny scratches and bruises, his hair covered in a fine layer of dust. The blood had come from a gash on his leg, still bleeding profusely. Nova cut a strip of fabric from the leg of her uniform, wrapping it shakily around the wound. She didn’t even realise she had been crying until she noticed the spots from her fallen tears. Wiping her eyes, Nova examined Adrian’s face. He looked calm. She would have thought that he was sleeping if not for the current situation. Hesitantly, she rested her hand on his shoulder, tapping him gently. When he didn’t wake, she shook him, harder than she had meant to, but Adrian groaned as his eyes flickered open.
“Nova?” Adrian croaked, his voice rough from the dust he inhaled. He coughed, and the sound sent such a flood of relief through her that a small sob burst from her mouth. She buried her face in his chest, clutching at the material of his uniform.
“Nova, are you okay? What’s wrong, are you hurt?” Adrian began to sit up, shifting them so that she was cradled against his chest.
Something inside Nova broke. “I thought you were dead.” She whispered, her sobs dying out. Adrian’s hand found its way into her hair, running his fingers through it as his other hand rubbed her back.
“I’m fine, Nova. We’re superheroes. We all get hurt sometimes.”
“If you say it’s in our job description to worry people sometimes I am going to punch you.”
Adrian laughed quietly, and the sound sent a rush of relief coursing through Nova’s veins. Adrian was okay.
“I’d probably deserve it.”
Nova hadn’t felt that helpless since Adrian had cared for her after Honey’s bees and wasps had attacked her. In the moments after, when Adrian had carefully bandaged every sting, she had realised that they might be okay. And when he confirmed that he still cared for her, she knew, that if they lived through the rest of the battle, they would. But everything had fallen apart after the Supernova. Nova wasn’t quite sure what had happened, but she regretted it. She wanted him back. A couple of times she thought that she may have caught Adrian watching her with the same wistful expression that she recognized from her own face, but always passed it off as wishful thinking.
“Nova?” She turned her head, looking up to face him, and the kindness and worry and caring in his eyes melted her heart. She wanted to kiss him. But, she had been the one to break up their relationship all those weeks ago, and she knew that it had been hard on him.
But before she could weigh the pros and cons of her decision and determine how much Adrian might hate her if she did, he was leaning down, his soft lips brushing against hers. Her eyes fluttered shut and she leaned into him, her arms winding around his neck.
Nova shifted in his arms a little bit, deepening the kiss, and Adrian hissed as she elbowed one of his bruises. The situation was so familiar that Nova almost laughed, but instead she pulled away from Adrian, asking if he was okay. Before the words could come out of her mouth, Adrian cupped her cheek and pulled her mouth back to his.
Adrian broke away after a few minutes, his eyes shining.
“Promise you won’t put me to sleep this time?” Nova gaped at him, landing a light shove on his shoulder.
“You promised you wouldn’t bring that up. I didn’t want to stop that kiss and you know it, there’s no reason to keep bringing it up.”
Adrian kissed her cheek, his eyes full of laughter. “I need some way to blackmail you, you’re already better than me at so many things. I need ways to distract you.”
Nova considered what he’d just said. “Well, you can always use the time I tried to assassinate your dad and take down the Renegades.” Her tone was joking, but her eyes betrayed her.
“The Council also tried to execute you just for the purpose of pleasing Genissa. I think you’re even.”
Nova opened her mouth to apologize, something she found herself doing whenever someone mentioned her past.
“Don’t apologize, Nova. We’ve all done things we’re not proud of, and you’re no different.” He laced his fingers through hers and brought her hand up to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles. The touch felt so intimate that Nova felt her face flush down to her neck.
“I love you.” Adrian started, his eyes snapping to her. It took Nova a second to realise that the words had come out of her own mouth. She shrank away from Adrian, the surprise on his face eating away at her soul.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything, it just slipped out,” Nova began to slide out of his grasp, moving to sit beside him. “You don’t have to say anything. The medics should be here soon. I’m going to go watch for them.” She stood up, turning away from him, her face burning.
“Nova?” She tensed preparing for the rejection that was sure to follow. Just because he kissed me doesn’t mean he loves me again.
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