CLAIRE

I sprinted down the hallways in my mother's costume, past the students and teachers fleeing, and past the chaos caused by the various minions of different supervillains throughout the city.

I don't know how to explain it, but I just knew somehow that Tenebrous was behind this—and exactly where he was.

In the chaos, no one really noticed a hero making her way towards the library. It was there that my suspicions were confirmed, when out of the back-corridors strode an angry Tenebrous.

He held up a ray-gun and surveyed the area just as I did.

Part of the roof had been blown-off entirely—that was how Tenebrous had gotten in. Scorch marks stained the walls and carpets, shelves were toppled and books were everywhere, the smell of burning paper and wood enveloping the room.

The students and librarians were alike hiding under tables and behind chairs. They clutched copies of the Harry Potter series and War and Peace, readying to throw them at the attackers and invaders of their sanctuary of knowledge.

Daylight and snow fell through in columns of white, stark against the yellow incandescent lighting.

"Stop right there," I said. "You won't find what you're looking for there."

Tenebrous turned. Recognition gleamed in his dark eyes from behind the mask. Up close he was very tall— almost like Renegade as he popped into existence beside me. He wore a black mask and clothes I couldn't see beneath a black duster with red cracks in it, like lava or the shatter patterns he created. They glowed with a sinister energy, even though they had nothing to do with his powers.

"I should have known that you would find the artifact first," Tenebrous snarled, pointing his ray gun for straight between my eyes. "I'm sure your mother left instructions— interesting, considering that she wouldn't even tell those she fought alongside what she had done with it."

"My mother?" I was taken aback by the implications— how did he know any of this—

"I fought along Psyche almost twenty years ago." His voice was filled with sorrow-tinged bitterness. He holstered his weapon. "She was a good hero, a brave warrior. Just like the others on my team."

"You were a Crusader?" My mind whirred, trying to recall them all.

"I know it must surprise you, that I used to be a hero, just as naive as you." He looked both me and Renegade up and down. "That was before I understood the way this world works."

That's when I remembered, from the database that Stephanie had shown me, and the page it had on the Crusaders. The image of a hero in red and orange flashed into my brain—one with powers all too similar to the ones wielded by the villain standing in front of me.

"You're Crucible."

He held a gloved hand up to his face, inspecting it. "Once. Before I learned the truth."

He looked up, the sorrow turning to pity, as strange as it was that it was coming from him. "Let me warn you now—leave, give up the mask, hang up your cape. This isn't worth it. This city does not deserve your salvation."

"Oh, so now you tell me." Renegade rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Look, we've got you outnumbered, two to one, and the superweapon isn't here. You've lost."

Tenebrous inspected his glove again, turning his hand over and splaying his fingers. "I did hope to find Dark Titan's weapon—but unlike Titan, I am not one to hang my plans on one errant piece of technology. Besides, we've been able to recover other artifacts from the Titan War, thanks to the inheritance his faction left for his heir."

A chill went down my spine—Renegade and I shared a glance as we recalled the fight with Titanio just four nights ago.

"And even that boy doesn't have the power I do." He pulled a little computer chip from a hidden pocket in his coat. "Heretic and I found this little trump card years ago. Funny to think, isn't it? That this will be the thing that topples the world, mark my words."

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"We can't let that happen." I dropped into a fighting stance. "Stand down, this is your last chance."

"No," Tenebrous said sharply, and with a flourish, the chip in his hand disappeared completely. "This is yours. Go home, Psyche. The last thing your father needs is another tragedy. And as for you, Renegade—"

"I've got nothing to lose." There was fire in Renegade's dark eyes. "There's nothing you could do to me, nothing you could say—"

"Not even as your father?"

I expected some kind of Empire Strikes Back moment. You know, dramatics, the wailing, all of that.

Renegade just snorted. "You're not my dad."

"We have the same powers," Tenebrous said. "Have you ever wondered why?"

"I know who my father was." Renegade stood a little straighter. "And he's dead."

Tenebrous arched an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"I'm not going to entertain this." Renegade looked to. me. "Come on, we've got to—"

He was interrupted as Tenebrous touched the help desk, just as Warlock and one of the Sentinels came running in.

It all happened so fast.

I threw my hands up, tried to create a shield and ducked. Shards soared over my head as the Sentinel charged at Tenebrous. She wasn't fast enough, though—both she and Renegade were impaled with thousands of shard wood shreds.

I can still hear the screams, sometimes.

Both the Sentinel and Renegade were down.

Warlock simply flicked his fingers, and magenta energy rippled around him as the shards went right back at Tenebrous.

Tenebrous reached out, flexing his fingers as he regained control of his shatters. I took this as my chance, recalling the Winter Festival.

I created a ball of light in my hands, then moved my hands apart to stretch it out, to weave my weaponry.

"Watch out!" Warlock cast a magenta shield in front of me, before Tenebrous could hurt either of us. He glanced at me. "We're in this together now."

"Yeah." I didn't know what to say, okay? Don't blame me for not being quippy. Plus, Warlock was never really the quippy type.

I wound my energy, my power around my hands. It crackled like electricity—something I'd never done before.

I heard Warlock mutter a curse—his shield was flickering, Tenebrous's assault was relentless.

"Not used to doing this," Warlock muttered. "Never used this power before."

I never knew how Warlock did it, how he had so many abilities.

It was unnerving, to learn that there were weaknesses.

Now was the time to act—I shot my hand out and made a looping motion. The energy-rope I created, like I was Wonder Woman or something, wrapped around Tenebrous.

He strained against it, and his shatters went towards trying to break the bond. I hung on, unsure of what I needed to do beyond this point, to stop him.

I could feel blood trickling down my face, I was light-headed.

It was enough to break my concentration—I let go and raised a hand to my nose. I was bleeding again, I'd overdone it.

I looked to Warlock, who was looking rather strained, too.

"We've gotta get out of here."

"My thoughts exactly." He reached to help first Renegade, then the Sentinel to their feet.

"I can help, just a sec—"

Warlock and I turned to create another shield as Renegade made a portal—then we were out of the library and in the middle of an alleyway.

My bag was there— and two other backpacks. I recognized the political pins on one of them—that was Tristan's. The other was brightly colored and had a few enamel pins for Mage Sword and other games. I knew that one too, I realized.

My thoughts were jarred by Renegade hitting the ground.

I looked to Warlock and the Sentinel, who he was supporting with her arm slung over his shoulder. I didn't want a Sentinel to be following us, but I realized we didn't have a choice.

"We can't stay here." I looked around wildly, expecting Tenebrous to jump out and attack us at any second. I glanced back down to Renegade and knelt beside him. I could barely stand to look at where the wood had cut through his clothes and skin. Blood was everywhere—and Tenebrous had removed the shards.

He knew what he was doing.

I ripped at my cape and folded it, then pressed it to Renegade's abdomen. He groaned, his face a pale greenish—gray beneath the mask.

I looked back to Warlock—the Sentinel was also bleeding out.

"We have to get them to a hospital—"

To my surprise, goody two-shoes Warlock shook his head.

"Not a good idea. The authorities can't know about either of them."

I frowned. "But the Sentinel should be fine—"

Warlock shook his head again. "Look, its complicated— but she's one of us now."

I knew better than to question it, at least for right now. We had bigger problems for both of them. I looked back to Renegade. For all that our relationship had been complicated, I didn't want him to die. Especially not like this.

"Then we need to go somewhere safe—" My thoughts were a scattered mess.

"Your attic—no one's home right now, right?" Warlock glanced over his shoulder—sirens were blaring in the distance.

We didn't have much time left.

"How do you know about—" I stopped. "Fine, whatever. I know we don't have time—what do you need from me?"

"Get him— we'll have to be quick, I don't think I can keep it up, I don't have much practice with his power," Warlock panted.

"Okay, hang on." I struggled to lift Renegade. He tried to help, to support himself, but he was also hanging onto me like I was a raft keeping him from drowning.

I grabbed onto the Sentinel's other hand as Warlock created the portal, and then I felt this vertigo.

In a flash of light, we were in my attic bedroom, and we all crashed to the floor.