But he hadn’t stopped the murders from happening. He hadn’t been there when she needed him most.

Nova would never forgive him for that. She would never forgive any of them.

“Thank you all for coming today on such short notice,” said Hugh. His Captain Chromium uniform was comprised of skintight fabric that made it seem like even his neck muscles had been lifting weights. The classic costumes were generally reserved for special occasions—big celebrations or big announcements. It suggested that today, the Council were not only the leaders of this organization. They were the superheroes who protected the world.

And, in doing so, controlled the world.

“We hadn’t intended to conduct this meeting for another couple of weeks,” Hugh continued, “but due to recent events, the Council has agreed that immediate action must be taken. As I’m sure you’re aware, the Renegade organization has come under recent scrutiny, beginning most notably with the Puppeteer’s attack on our parade, and more recently, the Detonator’s bombing of Cosmopolis Park.”

Nova traded a glance with Adrian, but as soon as their eyes connected they both shifted away.

“Add to this the rising crime rates and the growing black-market trade for weaponry and drugs, and we understand why the public has been demanding a response from us. They want to know how we plan to protect and defend our citizens in the face of so many threats. The Council is doing everything we can to ensure the people that their safety is our utmost priority, and that we require their continued support and cooperation in order to serve them. On that note, I must remind you all that it is of utmost importance that all prodigies who carry the Renegade banner uphold the Gatlon code authority, both on and off duty. The pursuit of justice is integral to our reputation, but the safety of civilians must always be our top priority. On that note, I want to briefly address the rise we’ve been seeing in vigilantism.”

Adrian started to cough sporadically. He ducked his head, burying his mouth in his elbow.

Nova pat his back and he winced. “I’m okay,” he muttered. “Just … inhaled wrong.”

“We want to see justice served,” Hugh continued, “but it is a thin line we walk between justice and revenge. The code is in place so that we can always know what side of the divide we must adhere to. It’s selfish to risk the lives of innocent people in order to serve our own agendas. It’s thoughtless to put civilians at risk so we might achieve glory. That might be the course of villains of the past, or vigilantes like the one who recently called himself the Sentinel. But that is not who we are.”

Adrian sank lower into his seat. Nova remembered him once talking about the code, and how the rules set forth by the Council could be hypocritical when, during the Age of Anarchy, they themselves had had no problem endangering innocent lives, so long as they caught their enemies in the end. Back then, the Renegades were notorious for causing catastrophic destruction or engaging in fights that led to plenty of innocent onlookers being wounded, but it hadn’t seemed to bother them at the time. They would have done anything to ensure their side was victorious.

Sometimes Nova felt like the Renegades of the past had more in common with the Anarchists than anyone dared to admit.

“But of course,” said Hugh, “there are times when a peaceful solution cannot be reached. There are times when a criminal must be stopped, as quickly and effectively as possible, to prevent them from causing even more devastation. And so long as stopping that criminal does not interfere with the safety of our citizens, then Renegades who embrace their duty must be celebrated and praised.” He took in a deep breath, and the furrow that had appeared between his eyebrows relaxed. “Which is why, today, we would like to take a moment to honor one of our own.” His eyes scanned the crowd. “Would Nova McLain, alias Insomnia, please stand?”

CHAPTER SEVEN

NOVA JOLTED IN HER SEAT, not sure she’d heard correctly.

Danna swatted her on the back, nearly pushing her out of the chair. The crowd was already applauding as Nova stood uncertainly in their midst. Even the Council was clapping. Captain Chromium was beaming at her with … pride?

Nova felt like she’d just stumbled into one of those bizarre anxiety dreams she’d heard people talk about. The ones where you were put on display in front of your worst enemies, only to discover you’d forgotten to put on pants that morning.

But she wasn’t asleep. This wasn’t a dream.

She blinked at Adrian, whose dark expression from before had disappeared. He was grinning—that open, heart-stopping smile that she absolutely loathed.

Oscar let out a whoop of pride, while Ruby wiggled both hands in the air.

Once the applause had settled, Hugh continued, “I am sure most of you have heard how Nova McLain subdued Ingrid Thompson, an Anarchist more commonly known as the Detonator, with a single, merciful shot to her head, during the altercation at Cosmopolis Park. Had she hesitated, or failed to strike her target, many more bombs would have exploded inside the carnival that day, and we estimate that hundreds of people would have been injured or killed. It is because of McLain’s bravery and quick thinking that this catastrophe wasn’t far worse. Insomnia, we are proud to have you as a Renegade.”

Nova tried to look pleased while cheers started up around her again, but she thought it might have come off as more of a grimace. The look Hugh Everhart was giving her, she couldn’t help but notice, seemed borderline … fatherly.

He had no right to be proud of Nova or any of her accomplishments, when it was because of him that she didn’t have her own father to look at her that way.

We are proud to have you as a Renegade.

Her skin prickled.

She knew she should feel elated—she had earned the trust and respect of her enemies, just like she’d wanted to. Like Ace wanted her to. But in this case, their admiration wasn’t due to her cunning and duplicity. It was actually warranted. She had been a Renegade that day, hadn’t she?

The Detonator was an Anarchist. They had been on the same side. For a long time, Nova even would have called her a friend.

But in that moment, Nova had sided with the Renegades.

She hadn’t just betrayed Ingrid. She had killed her. She could call it self-defense, but there had been more than self-preservation in her mind when she’d pulled the trigger. She’d been afraid for the children and families at the carnival. She’d been furious with Ingrid for tricking her, again.

She’d been worried for Adrian.

Nova knew that sometimes sacrifices had to be made to force society down a different path. She knew thousands of people had died when Ace started his revolution. But Ingrid’s casualties wouldn’t have been sacrifices. Those would have been murders.

Nova couldn’t have stood by and done nothing.

In the weeks since, Nova had retraced her steps from that day a thousand times in her mind, trying to determine if there was something she could have done differently.

Except … she didn’t regret killing Ingrid.

She wasn’t proud of it. Her stomach curdled each time she recalled the squeeze of the trigger and how, for the first time in her life, she hadn’t hesitated. The words had been in her head, as they had been since she was a child, staring at the unconscious body of her family’s murderer.

Pull the trigger, Nova.

The next thing she knew, Ingrid’s head had snapped back and she was dead.

The most surprising thing was how easy it was. If that made her a Renegade, fine.

Because she believed it made her an Anarchist too.

The applause died down and Nova collapsed into her seat. Her cheeks were hot. Two aisles ahead, she caught sight of Genissa Clark and her minions: Mack Baxter, Raymond Stern, and Trevor Dunn. Or, as the world knew them, Frostbite, Aftershock, Stingray, and Gargoyle, whom Nova had had the great pleasure of defeating during the Renegade trials. All four of them were sneering at Nova, and Genissa didn’t hide her disgusted eye roll as she turned to face the front.

Danna must have seen it, too, because she made a face at Genissa’s back. “Jealous,” she whispered.

Nova smiled faintly in response. Genissa’s team was one of the Renegades’ most well-known patrol units and also the squad that Nova despised the most. Not only because they were cruel and arrogant, but also because they exemplified the corruption that came with handing a bunch of superheroes too much unrestrained power. So Genissa’s hostility hardly fazed Nova. If anything, she would have been more concerned if Frostbite actually liked her.

Oscar reached around Adrian and knocked his knuckle into Nova’s chin. “I remember when she was just a fledgling Renegade wannabe, getting challenged at the trials. And look at her now.”

Nova pulled away, but she couldn’t quite get her scowl right.

Onstage, Hugh Everhart cleared his throat. “One more order of business before we get to the reason why we requested you here today. As you know, there was a recent theft at Gatlon City Hospital, in which life-saving and expensive medications were taken. We’re doing everything we can to find the perpetrator and retrieve the stolen drugs, but in the meantime”—he gestured at Blacklight—“Evander has had the brilliant idea of including a fund-raiser portion to our annual gala next month, where we will be raising both money and awareness for the growing need for medications, especially as our pharmaceutical industry continues to flounder without proper funding. I know there’s a … a preconception among our civilians that prodigy healers will be enough to aid them should they require medical treatment, but … well, there simply aren’t enough of them to go around, and their abilities can be limited. We need to put more focus on our medical field. As such, we’ll be asking for memorabilia donations for a live auction in the coming weeks. Please mark your calendars if you haven’t already, as I hope to see strong support from our entire community.”

Nova frowned. If prodigy healers weren’t enough to cure the sick and injured patients at the hospital, why didn’t they just say that? Why didn’t they encourage more civilians to study medicine? Why were the Renegades so determined to act as if they really could save everyone, when they knew perfectly well they couldn’t?