Chapter Text
A door slammed.
Nova awoke with a start. Evie huffed and rolled away from her. Groggy and Disoriented Nova sat up and shook out her arm, which had fallen asleep beneath Evie's head. The shadows in the room had shifted; there were low voices in the hallway. Papà sounding tense, her mother murmuring "please, please..." she pushed off the blanket that had been draped over her and tucked it around Evie, then crept past the table where a delicate copper-coloured bracelet sat abandoned, an empty space in the filigree waiting to be filled with a precious stone. She reached the front door, she turned the knob as slowly as she could prying the door open just enough that she could peer out into the dim hall.
A man stood on the landing stubble on his chin and light hair pulled back into a sleek tail. He wore a heavy jacket, though it wasn't cold outside. He was holding a gun.
His indifferent gaze darted to Nova and she shrank back but his attention slid back to her father as if he hadn't even seen her.
"It's a misunderstanding." Papà said he had put himself between the man and Nova's mom, "let me talk to him. I'm sure I can explain..."
"There's been no misunderstanding." The man said, his voice was low and cold. "You have betrayed his trust Mr Artino. He does not like that." "Please." Her mom said, "The children are here. Please have mercy." The man cocked his head, his eyes shifting between them. Fear tightened in Nova's stomach.
"Let me talk to him." Papà repeated, "We haven't done anything. I'm loyal I swear. I always have been. And my family... please don't hurt my family."
There was a moment in which it looked like the man might smile, but then it passed. "My orders were quite clear. It's not my job to ask questions... or have Mercy." Her father took a step back "Tala get the girls." "David..." her mother whimpered moving towards the door. She had barely gone a step when the stranger lifted his arm.
A gunshot.
Nova gasped. Blood arced across the door, a few drops scattering across her brow, she stared unable to move. Papà screamed and grabbed his wife. He turned her over in his arms. He was trembling while her mom wheezed and choked. "No survivors." The man said in his even quiet voice. "Those were my orders Mr Artino. You only have yourself to blame yourself for this." Nova's father caught sight of her, his eyes widened full of panic, "Nova Ru..."
Another gunshot.
This time Nova screamed, her father collapsed over her mom's body, so close Nova could have reached out and touched them both.
She turned and stumbled into the apartment, she stopped in the dining/living room to grab Evie, and then went to her bedroom. She slammed the door shut still cradling Evie close, she thrust open her closet holding Evie close she climbed over the books and tools and boxes that littered the floor. She yanked the door shut and crouched down in the corner gasping for breath, the vision of her parents burned into her thoughts, every time she shut her eyes. She hugged Evie closer trying not to cry. To late she thought she should have run to the fire escape. She wondered if she could get there unseen.
The front door creaked open, paralyzing her; she pulled her hand back against her mouth.
Evie murmured Nova started rocking her praying she wouldn't wake.
"The renegades will come." She whispered to herself. "They will come." Her voice little more than a breath in the darkness, the words came unbidden into her head but they were there all the same. Something solid to cling to.
Bang.
Her mother's blood.
She cradled Evie closer trying not to cry.
Bang.
Her father's body crumpling in the hall.
A sob scratched at the inside of her throat.
"Please let the Renegades come."
Distantly she heard movement.
Suddenly Evie woke up and started Screaming. Nova instantly started rocking and shushing her trying to make her sleep again.
The closet door was thrown open and Nova looked up at a man. She had expected to see the man who had killed her parents but instead she saw...
"Guys I found them." The Dread Warden shouted over his shoulder, he crouched down so that he was eye level with Nova and held out his hand "Are you ok?" Nova nodded and took his hand, he pulled her to her feet, and still rocking Evie Nova watched as the Dread Warden looked over his shoulder, "Guys in here." Evie was still screaming and Nova was still trying to quieten her, then Nova saw Lady Indomitable walk into the room, followed by Captain chromium, Lady Indomitable raced over to Nova and held out her arms, "her sweetie let me take the little one." She said Nova handed her Evie and Lady Indomibull stepped back rocking Evie in her arms Captain Chromium knelt in front of Nova and put a hand on her shoulder "are you get hurt?" instead of answering Nova started crying, everyone suddenly looked worried, "what's wrong?" the Captain asked, Nova gasped for air "he k...Killed th...th...them." The Captain pulled her into a hug, "I know, I'm sorry but your safe now." He picked Nova up and held her close.
Nova then realised that Evie wasn't crying anymore. She looked round and saw her sister curled up sound asleep in Lady Indomibull's arms, Nova sniffed "is she ok?" Lady Indomitable nodded "she's fine, don't worry. Now my name is Georgia, what's yours?" "Nova." Nova said, "Ok Nova." The dread warden said "we are going to take you and your sister to my house, you will both be safe there." Nova nodded "ok." She said the dread warden, Lady Indomitable and the captain all smiled at her. She lay her head on the Captains shoulder as they all left the apartment, the Captain making sure Nova couldn't see her parents body's. Nova closed her eyes knowing nothing could harm her while she was with the Captain.
Seven months later.
Nova pushed her way though the crowd pulling her grandfather behind her, they had left Evie with her grandmother at the safe house they had been staying at while the battle had be raging, her grandmother had told Nova that she should stay with her and Evie but she had wanted to find her dads.
They reached the edge of the crowd and Nova saw them, they were standing not far off with Lady Indomitable, Thunderbird, Blacklight and Tsunami, she waved her hand trying to get their attention.
Simon noticed her first and smiled at her waving back at her. Nova ducked under the police tape that was holding people back, Police tried to stop her but she dodged and ran into Simons open arms. "Hey Nova, you ok." Nova nodded "uh huh." Then Hugh was standing next to Simon nova wiggled out of Simon's embrace and into Hugh's, he pulled her into a tight hug, and kissed her on the top of her head. Then Simon wrapped his arms around both of them, and Nova yelled at Blacklight, Tsunami, Lady Indomitable and Thunderbird "group hug." Then Nova was wrapped up in five different pairs of arms. When they all let go, Nova looked up at the Captain "can we go home now." She asked the Captain was about to answer when the Dread Warden nodded towards the banks of waiting press and photographers Hugh pressed a kiss to the top of Nova's head "soon Nova, soon." With that the Captain still holding Nova, the Dread Warden, Thunderbird, Blacklight, Tsunami and Lady Indomitable walked towards the press.
One hour later.
Nova walked hand in hand with her dad's Lady Indomitable, Tsunami, Blacklight and Thunderbird walking behind them.
They walked into the safe house; they had been staying here for the past few months with the Renegades, "Mom." Nova smiled at the sight of her best friend Adrian Rawles as he came running into the room and into his mum's arms, "ova." Nova turned her head at the sound of Evie saying her name, Evie toddled into the room, Nova picked her sister up. "Miss you." Evie said, Nova kissed Evie "I missed you too." Nova put Evie down and Hugh and Simon picked her up. "Do I get a hug?" Nova smiled and turned round to face Adrian "if you really need one." She joked Adrian smiled and the two of them hugged, "I saw the news Nova." Adrian said as he let Nova go, "you and Evie officially Everhart's." Nova smiled "yep, that we are." Adrian looked at Evie who was giggling as Hugh and Simon tickled her "the good times are coming Nova I can feel it." Nova smiled the good times; she put her arm around Adrian's shoulders "I can live with the good times!"