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Chapter Text

They were thirteen and walking home from school when they saw the woman.

She was curled up in a ball on the pavement, sobbing. She was being beaten up by two figures, and as they got closer Simon could tell they were a man and woman. The worst part was that the two people weren’t masked; they were doing nothing to hide their identities. They didn’t have to. If the woman was a prodigy, and Simon would bet his life that she was, she had no rights. They could do whatever they wanted to her.

“Please, please ,” she begged. “I- I have children . Please! They need their mother, please! ” 

“Scum like you have no right to produce more of you,” the man sneered at her, not slowing his attacks. Simon knew that powers were not passed down genetically, and were seemingly random, but either the man was too stupid to know that or he didn’t care.

“Bet they’re monsters like you, eh?” The female attacker taunted. “Ya got a freak husband, or did you corrupt someone else?”

Simon felt Hugh tense beside him. Even at thirteen, Hugh couldn’t stand for any kind of injustice. Simon knew that he would charge in there to save that woman without a second thought. But he couldn’t do that without revealing that he was a prodigy, and that would lead to disaster. Simon couldn’t hide his power; though it was mostly under control, he still sometimes turned one or all of his body parts invisible when he was embarrassed or when he sneezed. Hugh, though, had kept his a secret at Simon’s insistence and so managed to avoid being registered by the government and everything that came with that- the black mark next to his name on the class register, the looks of hatred from people he had known his whole life, the fear every time someone approached him on the street.

“No,” Simon whispered to his friend.

“Si-”

“Hugh, don’t .”

“They’re hurting her,” Hugh said simply. Simon’s heart squeezed- for his kind friend, for the poor woman in the street, for the fact that they were helpless as they stood by and watched.

“Hugh, I know you’re invincible and I know you want to help her. I do too. But we can’t. At best, your secret is revealed and everyone knows you’re a prodigy. Your life would go downhill before you can say ‘I’m innocent’. And worse case you’d get arrested , Hugh.” Simon inhaled a sharp breath at the thought.

His friend growled in frustration, but Simon could tell he had gotten through to him. He had meant what he said; he did want to help the woman too. But they couldn’t risk it.

“I’m tired of hiding,” Hugh said as they passed the woman and continued down the street. Everyone around them was avoiding looking at her, pretending they didn’t see it so they didn’t feel guilty. Worse, some people were cheering or smirking. Simon clenched his fist.

“I know, but the alternative-”

Hugh sighed. “Yeah, yeah. I just…” he trailed off, but Simon understood what he meant.

“Wish things were different,” Simon finished for him.

“Yeah,” Hugh said. The woman’s cries had mostly faded into the distance. “Someday.” He said, and it wasn’t a hope. It was a promise.

Simon allowed himself to think of a future where they didn’t have to hide, where prodigies were accepted and loved for who they were. “Someday.”

Chapter Text

They were nineteen and Hugh was carrying Simon, bridal-style, to the couch.

“I’m an adult. I’ve saved people. I’m basically a superhero. I can turn invisible. I can probably beat you up. I think I can walk to the damn couch by myself,” Simon grumbled into Hugh’s chest.

“You’re sick,” Hugh replied. With his head pressed against Hugh’s heart, Simon could feel the slight rumble as he spoke. “And you could never beat me up.”

“Set me down and let me try,” Simon muttered, though in reality he could barely lift his arms.

“Sure,” Hugh laughed, laying Simon on the couch. “Do you want some water? Soup?”

“Water,” Simon croaked. Then his stomach began to churn, stirred up by the walk from his bedroom. “Look out,” he warned, before rolling over and throwing up, mostly on the ground but not missing the couch in front of him.

To Hugh’s credit, he didn’t cringe or shirk away. “I’ll be right back with paper towels and a bucket,” he said, exiting into the kitchen. When he returned, he handed Simon the bucket and sprayed a bunch of cleaning solution on the vomit, before beginning to wipe it up. Simon closed his eyes weakly, wanting to fall asleep and stay that way until he was better.

Once the job was done and the paper towels disposed of, Hugh handed Simon a water bottle and watched him worriedly. 

“‘Mm fine,” Simon slurred, raising the water bottle to his mouth with shaking arms. He was trembling so much that he sloshed water all over his face, but oh it felt good trickling down his sore throat.

“Here,” Hugh said, gently taking the water bottle from him and helping him drink. Simon, resigned to the fact that he could do nothing by himself, didn’t protest but gulped the water. “Slow down,” Hugh cautioned. “And if you do throw up again, please do it in the bucket.”

“Bossy,” Simon muttered, and he was rewarded with Hugh giving him a small smile.

“Get some sleep,” he said, sitting down in the chair next to the couch. “I’ll be right here.”

Two days of fitful sleep, chicken broth and water later, and Simon’s fever showed no sign of breaking. He was delirious half the time, muttering things that made no sense and occasionally calling for his mom or for Hugh. He was so weak that he had no control over his power, like when he was younger. He constantly flickered in and out of visibility, almost giving Hugh a heart attack when he tried to stumble to the bathroom by himself and collapsed, conveniently invisible. 

He opened his eyes to sunlight streaming in through the thin curtains. The bright light hurt his head, so he squeezed his eyes shut again, but Hugh had been watching him and noticed his eyes open.

“Simon!” He cried, getting up from the chair he had kept vigil in night and day. “How do you feel?”

“Bright,” Simon choked out. Hugh rushed to the curtains and tried to cover the sun as best he could with the raggedy material.

“Ok,” he said, turning back to Simon with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Ok. Is that good?” Simon nodded weakly. “Good,” Hugh repeated to himself. “Good. Do you feel any better?”

Simon snorted, and even the little movement sent tendrils of pain shooting through his head. “Hurts,” he whimpered involuntarily.

What was left of Hugh’s smile crumbled away. “I know,” he whispered. Simon noticed through his haze that his friend looked adorable with his face all crinkled up in worry. “Do you want anything?”

“Want to die,” Simon muttered. He hadn’t meant it seriously, but Hugh looked like he was in genuine distress at the idea.

“Please don’t,” he said, his voice breaking.

“Jus jokin’,” Simon said. “Didn’t-” he collapsed into a fit of coughs, flickering invisible and then visible with each one. “I won’t,” he croaked when it finally stopped. 

“Good,” Hugh said, then shook his head. “Here,” he forced a water bottle in Simon’s face. “Drink it.”

“Don’ wanna,” Simon said, but Hugh forced the water down his throat.

“Si,” he said. “I don’t think this is going to go away on its own. I think I need to go get medicine, or something.”

Simon looked up in alarm, the fastest movement he had made in days. The world was in chaos. A prodigy called Ace Anarchy was growing more and more powerful in the growing days. The government was terrified of the threat and so were cracking down on prodigies more and more. But the police were next to useless, and different gangs grew bigger and bigger each day. It was every man for themself; most schools had shut down, and the shop owners who kept their stores open did so with hired guards or at least a gun at their sides. As for hospitals, most of them were controlled by the gangs who were quite possibly the most dangerous thing out there. Though there was a lot of competition for the title.

“You can’t,” Simon said, as clearly as he could. “You can’t .”

“Si, you’re really sick…” Hugh said, not making eye contact with him.

“Please,” Simon said, grabbing his friend’s hand. He had to make it clear; he didn’t want Hugh risking his life for medicine that Simon didn’t need. Well, probably didn’t need. He stared up at Hugh adamantly. “Don’t. Not for me.”

“I would do anything for you, Si,” Hugh smiled softly at him. 

“No,” Simon said. “Please. What if- what if you don’t come back? I’ll just be here, and I can’t do anything and sooner or later someone will come inside to steal our stuff and they’ll probably kill me.”

Hugh frowned at the thought. “I’ll be fine,” he said, but he didn’t sound convinced.

“So will I,” Simon insisted. “Please.” Hugh finally looked him in the eyes and must have seen his desperation. Simon saw in similar desperation mirrored in his friend’s eyes.

“Fine,” Hugh said. “I won’t go.”

“Promise,” Simon said, squeezing Hugh’s hand with all the strength he had, which wasn’t much.

Hugh squeezed back and looked at Simon reluctantly. “I promise.”

Chapter Text

Simon drifted in and out of consciousness. He didn’t know the day or time; sometimes he didn’t even know where he was . 

The next time he was mostly awake, it was dark outside. Hugh was asleep in the chair, his chin resting on his shoulder. He had dark bags under his eyes, and Simon wondered how much sleep he had been getting.

Not wanting to disturb his friend, Simon reached for his water bottle. Moving was hard and a small groan escaped his lips. Instantly, Hugh shot up.

“Si?” Hugh said worriedly. “Don’t move. I got it.” Simon felt detached from reality as his friend leaned over him. He noticed through the haze that Hugh’s eyes were a bright, shining blue. Now that he looked at them, they seemed to be glowing.

“Eyes,” Simon slurred.

“What?” Hugh asked, his face scrunching up.

“Your eyes,” he said. “Pretty.” 

Hugh blushed. “You’re delirious Si, just drink the water.”

His eyes continued to glow, and it slowly spread to the rest of him. His hair, already as blond as it could be, seemed to be made of pure gold. The golden light lit up his boyish face, making him look angelic.

“Shiny,” Simon said hoarsely. “You...bright...beautiful.” His tongue felt like cotton in his mouth as Hugh tilted the water down his throat. Hugh continued to ignore him. “Tired,” he muttered.

“I know Simon. You can go back to sleep now.”

“You look… li- like…’n angel,” Simon whispered as the darkness closed around him. He took one last look at his friend. “Beautiful.”

When he woke up again, he discovered with surprise that he felt...better. His head still pounded and his throat was scratchy. He was still exhausted. But he didn’t feel entirely like crap anymore. Maybe 80 or 90% crap.

He struggled to sit up. “Woah, woah, Si,” Hugh said, rushing over from his chair, discarding the newspaper in his hand. “Take it easy.”

“I want to get up,” Simon said impatiently. “I feel better.”

“You’re not entirely well yet. You still have to rest.” But Hugh helped him sit up.

“What time is it? How long have I been asleep?” Simon asked.

“It’s about five at night right now,” Hugh explained. “You’ve been sick for over a week. You’ve barely been conscious in that time. I was really worried…” he trailed off. “Do you remember anything?” He searched Simon’s face. “Anything from when you’ve been sick?”

“Uh,” Simon wracked his brain. “I remember you, a few times, sitting in that chair.”

“Nothing specific?”

Simon studied his friend intently. “...no. Why? What happened?”

Hugh avoided his gaze. “You’ve were...saying things.”

“What did I say?” Simon asked, dread creeping in.

“Nothing,” Hugh said. “Nothing important.” It was a lie, Simon knew, but he sensed he wouldn’t get anything more from his friend.

“The medicine,” Simon remembered. “You didn’t go out, did you?”

Hugh looked up and stared him straight in the eyes defiantly. “That’s not for you to worry about.”

“You did, didn’t you?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Hugh said. “Either way, we’re both fine now.”

“You’re an idiot,” Simon said. “You could have been hurt, or...or arrested or something.”

“We’re both fine,” Hugh insisted again. “That’s what matters.”

“I guess,” Simon said, giving him a weak grin. “That’s what matters.”

Chapter Text

They were twenty-one and on a mission.

Hugh, Simon, and the rest of their motley group of heroes were stealing supplies from a warehouse controlled by one of the more powerful gangs to distribute to people who needed them. By now, Ace Anarchy and his followers had overthrown the government, and if they had thought the world was in chaos before, now it was downright pandemonium. The gangs, led by ruthless prodigies, oppressed the common people. And it seemed that Simon and his friends were the only ones trying to do anything to stop it.

Simon’s job was to sneak invisibly inside and let Hugh in through a side door. Together they would pass the supplies out the window to Tamaya and Georgia, the members of their group who could fly, where Kasumi was waiting with a stolen truck. Evander, who, to put it simply, could control light, was going to cause trouble on the opposite end of the warehouse to give them time to do this.

The plan seemed simple, so of course it went wrong.

Simon snuck in easily. He had full control of his powers now- well, mostly. He tended to become translucent when he got angry. He got to the side door and let Hugh in. Hugh was definitely not stealthy, but Simon was in a good mood and only shushed him twice.

The first complication was that the window was higher than they had thought. It was an easy fix; Hugh and Simon stacked a few boxes to climb on. Simon passed the supplies up to him and he handed them to the two women waiting outside.

They had gotten in a rhythm of passing the boxes when the second complication arose in the form of footsteps heading toward them. Simon promptly turned invisible and crouched down, please with himself for reacting so quickly, when he remembered Hugh. His friend was standing frozen on the pile of boxes. He would be the first thing anyone who walked into the room noticed.

Simon shot up and dashed up the boxes. He grabbed his friend’s arm, whispered “Come on!” and scanned the room quickly for a hiding spot.

He spotted something even better. A rusty ladder bolted to the wall, rising up to who-knows-where. There wasn’t enough time to wonder if it would hold their weight; Simon pulled Hugh over to the ladder and whispered “Climb!”

The ladder creaked and groaned loudly, but Hugh made it up unscathed. Heart racing, Simon grabbed the ladder and started to climb when the door burst open.

Immediately, he froze. The ladder gave a final squeak and Simon winced as the gang member whipped a gun out and pointed it in their direction. Simon held his breath, squeezing the ladder so tightly he would have indents in his hands when he pulled away. He saw Hugh’s worried face looming from the catwalk above.

The gang member lowered his gun and Simon let out a breath. Then another gang member entered the room. 

“They got an invisible man,” the gang member grinned, and Simon’s heart sank. “Shoot up the room.”

Simon’s heart thumped in fear. There was no way he could out-climb the spray of bullets. He was going to die. He was going to die. He started to shake when a sound above reminded him of his friend. He looked up, wanting Hugh’s face to be the last one he saw before he died, when Hugh reached down and gripped both of Simon’s forearms.

“Trust me,” he whispered. With a BANG the first gun went off. Simon squeezed his eyes shut, preparing to feel a bullet pierce his skin, when suddenly he was yanked into the air. The bullets ricocheted around the room, the guns loudly spraying everywhere, and Hugh yanked Simon up the ladder and onto the catwalk.

Simon crashed to the ground on top of Hugh and lay there for a second, letting his heart rate slow and marveling at the fact that he was still alive. Then it reached his brain that he was on top of Hugh and he scrambled to get off his friend, blushing.

“I can see through you a bit,” Hugh said with a grin.

Simon glanced down at his slightly translucent body. “Can not,” he said, willing himself to become solid again.

“It’s ok, that was scary for me too,” Hugh said, mistaking the reason why Simon’s power was activated. Simon didn’t bother to correct him.

“We better get out of here,” Hugh said, glancing down at the room. The bullets had stopped, and it was only a matter of time before the gang members realized that they weren’t there. “Come on.”

Simon became invisible and followed Hugh down the catwalk, walking as silently as he could. For once, his friend wasn’t a lumbering giant either. They both knew what would happen if the gang found them.

At the corner of the building there was another ladder. Roof? Hugh mouthed to Simon, who shrugged before he realized Hugh couldn’t see him. His friend scaled the ladder and Simon followed suit.

They were indeed on the roof. The wind whipped around them as Simon stared out at the city. It looked almost beautiful from up above. Normal. Like the city they had grown up in.

“Should we call for Georgia and Tamaya?” Hugh asked.

“We don’t want to risk the gang members hearing us,” Simon replied. As if they had heard him, there was a sudden clambering from the ladder. A man’s head poked out from the top and Hugh ducked behind the only object on the roof, a broken down air conditioner. Simon crouched next to him, still invisible, but he had forgotten about the guns. And they were hiding behind the most obvious place to hide on the roof.

Hugh had evidently not forgotten about the guns, because he yanked Simon behind the air conditioner too. “It’s no use,” Simon whispered. “They’ll find us in seconds.” They both scanned the surrounding area, but there was nowhere else to hide.

Then Simon had an idea. They were close to the edge of the building, and there was a faint ledge about six or seven feet below. If they could drop down and balance on the ledge, the gang members might not find them.

“Down there,” Simon hissed. “Ledge.” Thankfully, Hugh understood him. They both laid on their stomachs and slowly lowered their legs down the side of the building. Gripping the edge of the roof, Simon held on for dear life as the wind speed seemed to multiply. Finally, his feet touched the ledge and let some of his weight balance on his toes. The ledge wasn’t very thick however, and Simon didn’t think he could hold on for very long.

Carefully, he turned his head to check how Hugh was doing. Hugh was taller than Simon, so he had to duck his head to be completely out of sight. The position looked very uncomfortable.

They heard footsteps on the roof, coming closer and closer. A few gunshots hit the air conditioner. Luckily, the gang members seemed to think only Simon was there. They were more likely to give up looking for an invisible person than a visible one.

Simon looked up and stifled a gasp. The first man they had seen was standing right above them. If he happened to look down, he would see them--or, Hugh--desperately clinging to the building.

Then the third, or maybe fourth, or even fifth thing went wrong. The man walked away, but as soon as he lifted his foot, Hugh yanked his hand back. It took Simon a second to realize that the man had stepped on Hugh’s fingers. Though his friend was invincible, it still had to hurt.

The moment from his arm caused Hugh’s body to sway dangerously, and he was now holding onto the ledge with one hand. Simon flicked back into the visible world and grabbed his friend’s loose arm. He grunted under his friend’s weight, and his own fingers started to slip.

They were both barely holding on to the building, but Simon still clutched Hugh’s arm tightly.

“Let me go,” Hugh said. Simon couldn’t do anything but shake his head. “Si, if you don’t let go you’ll fall too!”

“I don’t care,” Simon said fiercely. “I won’t let you go.”

“Simon Westwood, look at me,” his best friend said, his other hand barely holding the edge of the building now. Simon stared at the familiar blue eyes that were, and always had been, home. “I love you,” Hugh said, and Simon almost let go of the building in his surprise. “I love you, and I don’t want you to die. Let. Me. Go!”

“I love you too,” Simon said as Hugh’s grip gave out. Now holding both of their weight, Simon’s fingers slipped easily off the building. With his other hand free, he grabbed Hugh, holding him tight. “And I will never let you go.”

The freefall made Simon’s stomach drop, but he focused on his friend in front of him. His sweet, brave, maybe-more-than-best-friend, who had been by his side his entire life. And Simon was suddenly angry. How was this fair? The man he had been in love with as long as he could remember had just told him that he felt the same way, and now they were both going to die? Simon knew the universe had it out for him, but this was beyond ‘not fair’.

Suddenly, something gripped his arm. He was yanked away from Hugh and...up? Getting his bearings, he realized he was being carried by a figure, dark against the sun, with large black wings.

“Tamaya!” he whooped. “It’s about time!”

“I don’t remember ‘fall to your deaths’ being in the plan,” she shot back.

Simon glanced behind him and let out a laugh. Georgia was gripping Hugh’s leg, and Hugh was hanging upside down looking like a huge blonde doll. “Why do you have to be so damn heavy?” she grunted.

Simon laughed and saw Hugh, red-faced, grinning back at him. Even Georgia had a relieved smile on her face, and Simon guessed if he looked up at Tamaya she would at least not be glaring at everyone for once. They were alive! And though they were still being hunted by the most dangerous gangs in the world, and the world itself was still a mess, for the moment everything was ok.

Chapter Text

They were twenty-four and finally married.

The war was over. Ace Anarchy was dead. Soon they would have to deal with the aftermath--rebuilding the city, tracking down and capturing the last of the gangs, setting up schools and post offices and libraries, getting the economy running again… Simon hoped they could just elect a government and then sit back and relax. It wasn’t too early to retire, right? They had earned it.

The wedding itself was small, just the way they liked it. Surrounded by their close friends. No one pointed out that it was too small. They had lost so many people, most notably Georgia. Simon’s heart ached at each little gap in the seats, where one of their friends once stood.

Little Adrian had been the ring bearer, and now he was running around, stuffing desserts in his mouth and playing tag with some of the other heroes’ kids. The sight caused Simon to grin, shaking away the sad feelings. Adrian hadn’t been this carefree since his mom died.

Simon and Hugh were making their way around the room to greet their guests, fingers entwined. Simon couldn’t keep his eyes off his husband. His husband . He marveled at the thought. Surely this was a dream, surely he would wake up and there would be another battle to fight. Everytime he looked at Hugh, he was still nineteen and sick on the couch with Hugh taking care of him, or fourteen and realizing that he loved his best friend, or eleven and devising a clever plan to fight back at the bullies who plagued them, or eight and meeting the other little boy for the first time. All those little moments in their past, all leading up to this moment, here and now, when they were finally bound together for life.

They didn’t separate all night. Side by side, shoulder to shoulder, like it had always been and always would be. They chatted with friends, drank wine, danced with Tamaya and Kasumi and Evander, their best friends, and with Adrian, their unofficially adopted son, and the whole time they were touching in some way. 

Simon didn’t know the exact time. It was late, and almost everyone had left the party. Kasumi and her boyfriend were slow dancing, the only ones left on the dance floor. Tamaya was sitting in a chair and sipping a glass of something, still looking as regal as the moment she had walked into the party hours ago. Adrian was curled up in a chair, asleep, and Evander was passed out next to him. Simon let out a small laugh at the sight, and his heart swelled with love for his friends. His family.

And for the man next to him. Every time he looked at Hugh, he loved him even more.

“Come here,” Hugh said, taking his hand again. He led Simon out the double doors to the garden outside. It was pitch black, the only light from the stars that were pinpricks of light in the sky and from the moon, full and bright and illuminating Hugh’s face.

The music was faintly drifting from inside and Simon realized that they were alone for the first time since that morning. And then Hugh grabbed him and they were face to face and then they were dancing, swaying beneath the stars. It was as if they were the only two people in the world; just him and Hugh and that was how it was supposed to be. It was good, it was right, it was home.

“I love you,” Simon said. He had said it a million times but this time it felt different. Hugh seemed to know it, too.

“I love you too, Si,” Hugh said. “Always.”

Chapter Text

They were thirty-four and their younger son was bleeding to death.

All Simon knew was that Max had been stabbed right through with a spear and the Sentinel had run him to the hospital and no one would tell Simon anything and he couldn’t go see him, he couldn’t go see his son when he might be dying . Hugh was in there, with Max, and that was a small comfort but Simon wanted to be there too. 

He sat down on the cold plastic hospital chair and wrapped his arms around himself. He wanted to kill Nightmare. He wanted to find her and rip her apart, limb by limb, to stab her as she had stabbed Max, he wanted her to feel even a fraction of the pain he felt right now.

A figure moved behind the glass across the room, coming his direction and he stood up. As Hugh approached him, he studied his husband’s face for any indication of Max’s condition. Hugh looked about as put together as Simon felt; he looked a mess.

A million questions swirled in his head, but all he could get out was “Is...is he...how is he?”

Hugh looked at him with tired eyes. “They put him in a medically induced coma so his body can heal itself. Right now they don’t… they can’t tell right now if-” his voice broke and Simon wrapped his arms around his husband, comforting him with a squeeze.

“Si, he looks so small. Fragile,” Hugh said into his shoulder. Simon could feel wet tears soaking through his shirt, and his own eyes were far from dry. “He’s so pale, and the… the wound… I just….” The invincible Captain Chromium dissolved into tears in his husband’s arms.

“He’ll make it,” Simon said, though he was partially trying to convince himself. “He’s strong; he can get through this.”

Hugh sniffled. “You’re right, he… he will. And we have to be strong for him. For Adrian, and for the whole city.”

Simon sighed. He wished they didn’t have to be the strong superheroes, leaders of Gatlon City. He wished they could sit by their son’s bed until he woke up. But they were heroes and Simon couldn’t go near Max anyway unless he wanted to lose his powers.

Right now the idea didn’t seem so bad.

For the moment, though he could hold Hugh and they could drop the facade. They could fall to pieces if they wanted too. As the years went by, the number of people they could stop pretending with grew smaller and smaller. Even Adrian needed to think they had it all together, and with the stress of the job their once tight-knit group of friends had started deteriorating. But no matter how hard governing the city was, they could always be themselves around each other.

Simon didn’t know how long they stood there. All he knew was that he never wanted to leave.

Chapter Text

They were still thirty-four, and Simon’s worst fears had come true.

Evander was dead. He and Tamaya were powerless. And now his husband and son were going to take on Ace Anarchy.

They had all thought that the war was behind them. That Ace was dead, even though there was no body. They had foolishly hoped that there could be peace and the city could be rebuilt. That maybe the villains were defeated for good.

Look where that had gotten them. Evander--charming, spirited Evander who loved nothing more than practical jokes, who had always been like Simon’s younger brother--was dead. Tamaya, arguably the most powerful Renegade, would never fly again. And he would never be the same either. He hadn’t realized how much he loved his power, how much he relied on it, until it was gone.

Hugh wanted him to stay behind with some of the other prodigies who had lost their powers. They had reinforcements from around the world, his husband argued. It was too dangerous for those without a super power. Like there was any force, on Earth or otherwise, that could keep him from being with his family for this battle. 

So he marched with Hugh and the other Renegades up to Ace’s cathedral, trying not to think of Adrian and his team, who were somewhere inside and who they hadn’t heard from.

He gave his husband’s hand a last squeeze before stepping back, letting Captain Chromium lead the march. Chromium pike in hand, he was ready in case Ace was waiting for them.

Hugh marched inside the cathedral’s outer wall, and Simon prepared to follow him when BAM! The wall slid shut, trapping Hugh inside and them outside. There were outraged yells around him, but Simon ignored them to charge at the wall. He desperately pounded his fists against it, though some part of him knew it was hopeless. It had been a trap. 

Some of the Renegades were running around the exterior of the wall, trying to find some other breach, but it was no use. Ace had them exactly where he wanted them. More importantly, he had Hugh exactly where he wanted him.

And Simon was powerless to do anything.