Page 54 of Renegades

Without looking at his teammates, Adrian grabbed the tablet. It was instinct, not logic, that forced his hand. The inexplicable certainty that she was meant to be there. With him.

Well—no, not withhim.But with his team. And with the Renegades.

A bell chimed. His response popped up on the scoreboard—ACCEPTED.

Nova turned and stared at the board, as if in disbelief, and there was that suspicion again when she looked back at Adrian.

“Oookay,” said Oscar. “You go ahead with that. Not like we should discuss this as a team or anything.”

“Trust me,” whispered Adrian. “I have a feeling about her.”

On his other side, Ruby snickered. “Yeah, I can tell exactly what kind of feeling you have about her.”

Adrian turned toward her, annoyed. “Not likethat.”

She raised a suggestive eyebrow.

An ear-splitting horn blared over the noise of the audience. Adrian jumped and glanced around, bewildered. It took him a long moment to understand what the horn meant.

Their decision was being challenged.

A few tables down, Genissa Clark stood, hands on her hips.

Adrian groaned and leaned back in his chair, dragging his palm over the top of his close-shaved hair. “Seriously, Clark?”

“The acceptance of Insomnia has been challenged!” said Blacklight, to a roar of glee from the audience. Adrian glanced at Nova, but she was so lacking in expression he wondered whether she knew what that meant.

“Oh, comeon,” Ruby yelled. She pushed back her chair and stood, craning her head to look at Genissa. “You’re only objecting because it’sus.”

Genissa sneered. “Don’t flatter yourself,” she yelled back. She pulled the microphone closer, allowing her voice to be amplified to the stands. “We challenge the acceptance of Nova McLain on the grounds that there is no way for us to validate the truth of anything she’s said. We can’t prove whether or not she sleeps, nor have we seen any evidence that she knows about electronics or physics or… any of that other stuff she said. We object to this acceptance on the basis that, from what we’ve seen from Nova McLain today—which is preciselynothing—we cannot determine that she is worthy of the title of Renegade.”

It was everything the crowd had come for. Drama. Doubt. A potential duel.

Adrian sighed and tried to catch Nova’s eyes, apologetically, perhaps, though he wasn’t sure what he had to apologize for. But her attention stayed fixed on Genissa. She didn’t look upset. If anything, a spark of excitement had entered her gaze that Adrian was sure hadn’t been there before.

“There has been a challenge!” Blacklight repeated, for anyone who wasn’t paying attention. “Insomnia, in order to take your place among the Renegades, you must defeat one member of the challenging team in a one-on-one duel. You may choose your opponent. Do you accept this challenge?”

“Wait,” said Adrian—so loud that his own voice booming back at him made him jump. “Frostbite, listen.” Genissa turned a haughty gaze on him, one eyebrow lifted. “I know we can use skills like hers, both on my team and in the broader Renegades organization. I respectfully ask that you retract your challenge.”

Genissa laughed. “News flash, Everhart. The rest of us don’t sleep for sixteen hours of the day, either. It’s not exactly asuperpower, and besides, how can any of us be sure she’s telling the truth?”

“Why would she lie?” he said, the question echoing through the stadium.

“Because she wants to be one of us,” responded Genissa. “Because theyallwant to be one of us.”

“Then why wouldn’t she make up a more…” Adrian flipped his fingers in the air. “…supersuperpower? Why not—”

“I accept the challenge.”

Adrian’s attention darted back to the field. Nova was standing with her hands clasped behind her back, chin lifted as she stared at Frostbite. “I accept the duel.”

Smirking, Genissa Clark pushed her chair back from the table, ice crystals already forming along the knuckles of her hands.

“Not with you.”

Genissa paused.

Nova pointed a finger at the enormous figure lurking behind Genissa’s table—too big to sit with his teammates, his body too heavy for the collapsible chairs. He lumbered forward and the bright lights of the arena reflected off the rough stones implanted along his gargantuan arms.

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