The Betrayal of Renegade X (Renegade X, Book 3) (46 page)

“It’s more complicated than that. There are a lot of us who didn’t know that was going on and who want to make the League what we always thought it was. It’s going to take time to sort this out. There’s even talk of splitting into two factions.”

“Let me guess, one faction tortures villains, and the other one ignores them?”

“I can’t say what’s going to happen with the League. Everything’s up in the air right now, and it’s clear that ignoring the Truth isn’t going to make it go away.”

“No kidding.”

“And that goes for ignoring the truth, lowercase. I’ve made a lot of mistakes. And the two of us”—he gestures to me and him, as if I could possibly have thought he meant anyone else—“don’t always listen to each other.”

“I listen, all right? I just don’t like what you have to say.”

He laughs at that. “We’re too alike.”

“Don’t say that.” Can’t he see I’ve been through enough? Does he really have to insult me on top of it?

“It’s true. And unfortunately that means that we don’t always get along. But it doesn’t mean I don’t love you, even when we’re not seeing eye to eye. I want you to be able to trust me. I know that’s going to take time. You’ve put your trust in people who’ve let you down, and I’ve probably contributed to that more than I realize. But I want things to be different.”

“That’s great, Dad. Good luck with that.” I’ll believe it when I see it.

“Damien, I mean it.”

“Sure, you do. And I mean it when I say I want a million dollars, but it doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.”

“Maybe I can’t quit the League, but I can do my best to make sure it’s not the kind of organization that shoots at teenagers, for God’s sake, or that tortures innocent people, no matter what letter’s on their thumb. And that starts tonight, with you telling me what you saw. At that interrogation site, at the hotel, all of it.”

“Right. And have you interrupting every five seconds to tell me how the League would never do that? I don’t think so.”

“I promise I won’t. You’re going to tell me what happened, and I’m going to listen.
Really
listen. Okay?”

“Okay, but one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Can it wait until morning? It’s a long story, and I can barely keep my eyes open.”

He smiles and pats my knee. “Tomorrow, then.” He gets up to leave, but then hesitates. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“You mean my arm?”

“I mean all of it.”

“I’m—” I start to say
I’m fine
, but I stop myself. “You want the truth?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Everyone I care about almost died tonight. A lot of things are messed up. My arms hurts, and I can’t stop hearing Riley’s screams from when we had to dig him out of that rubble and move him with a broken leg. I had to zap a lot of people tonight, and I know you think I don’t care about stuff like that, that I don’t feel anything about it, but I
do
. And I don’t want something like tonight to ever happen again, but I’m pretty sure it will, because heroes and villains still hate each other. That’s not going to change anytime soon, and the heroes aren’t going to just let villains have a voice. I prevented a battle, but I didn’t prevent a war. And I finally felt like I had a future, when I was with the Truth. I was helping people and making a difference. But now I’m back to where I was before, with no future and no idea what I’m supposed to do. I’m not a hero and I’m not a villain. I can’t be part of the League, and I can’t be part of the Truth. So where does that leave me?”

“That’s... a lot to think about.”

“Well, you asked.”

“You don’t have to have your future figured out. Certainly not
tonight
. Not even this year. And you don’t have to be part of the Truth to make a difference.”

“Everyone else has a plan except me. I
always
have a plan. But Sarah’s going to college, Kat’s going to get some cool villain job, and everybody else is joining the League.” Or at least they were, before the League went all crazy. But if it’s not the League, then it’ll be something else like it. “And I’m just... not.”

“You’ll figure it out.”

“What if I don’t?” Grandpa’s right—I wouldn’t really be happy being a trophy husband/Kat’s part-time sex slave. I mean, there are worse career choices I could make, but that’s not the point.

“I may have only known you a year, but that’s long enough to know that you never settle for anything you don’t want. If the right place for you doesn’t exist, you’ll make one, because that’s just who you are. And as for everything else... I won’t pretend I know what it feels like to have gone through everything that happened to you tonight. But everyone made it out of there, and they’re going to be okay. You saved a lot of people, heroes
and
villains, and you should be proud of that.”

“Thanks.”

“Try and get some sleep, all right? It won’t feel as bad in the morning. And if you need me, you know where I am.”

“If I need you? I said I was turning
seventeen
, not seven.”

He laughs. “Goodnight, Damien.”

“Goodnight, Dad.”

He starts to leave. His hand is on the lightswitch when I say, “Dad? I’m sorry I left. I mean, I had to do it, but I’m sorry you were worried about me.”

“It’s okay.” He says it in a tone that means it’s not really, but that maybe it will be. “I’m just glad to have you back.”

R
iley’s propped up on his bed when I come in. He’s wearing an old T-shirt and a pair of sweats with one leg cut off to fit over his cast. A pair of crutches are leaning against the wall. There’s a prescription bottle on his nightstand, along with a bottle of water, a thousand-page fantasy novel that looks like it weighs three tons, a sketchpad, some colored pencils, a stack of comic books, and a couple textbooks from school. I set his phone on top of them.

“Textbooks? Seriously?” At least he’s watching TV right now and not, like, trying to do homework. Though he’s watching the news, which doesn’t really count as relaxing.

He glances over at the nightstand. “Those were already there.”

“So, you just keep textbooks by your bed, ready to go? I’m not sure that’s any better.”

The segment on the news is about what happened last night. All the news stations have pretty much been going over it nonstop. Right now they’re showing footage of all the destruction, while the Channel Four news lady says, “The League’s being charged with damages to the Grand Park Hotel, one of Golden City’s oldest historical landmarks. For the first time in the sixty-eight years since the League’s creation, the city government has had to step in and institute regulations on the once-trusted organization. Only time will tell what the repercussions—”

Riley picks up the remote and turns it off. He notices the bandage on my arm. “What happened?”

“It’s nothing. How’s your leg?”

“Sore, but better than last night.” He sighs. “They had to do surgery on it to screw the bones back together. I won’t be able to walk on it for a couple months. So, fieldwork is out.” He sounds pretty upset about that.

“I can say firsthand that the alternative assignment sucks, but at least you won’t have to do it alone.”

He perks up. “You’re coming back to school?”

I shrug and sit down at the foot of the bed. “The news said we were heroes. They even said I was ‘largely responsible for preventing a massacre.’” They heard that from Amelia, who has a big mouth, plus mentioning my name kind of guaranteed that her interview ended up on TV. You’d think mentioning that she’s the daughter of the Crimson Flash—which she did about five times—would have done it, but no. “So, I think there’s a good chance Heroesworth will take me back. Plus, I never officially left. I’ve just got two weeks’ worth of unexplained absences, and probably a whole lot of detention.” And Gordon said he would talk to them if they gave me any trouble.

“Does this mean you’re home, too?”

“Since last night.” I still need to get my stuff from Grandma and Grandpa’s house. But staying with them has lost its appeal, for obvious reasons. Plus, the League’s not allowed to haul in random villains off the street anymore, thanks to the city stepping in, so my family should be safe again.

“What about your dad? What about all that stuff he said? Are you—”

“Look, Perkins, I just came by to see if you’re okay. You kind of scared me last night.”

He swallows. “Thanks, X. For everything you did. You saved my life.”

“I didn’t abandon you, like that douchebag Mason, but you would have been okay.”

“No, I wouldn’t.” He grips the bedspread beneath him and stares at the edge of the bed. “There was another cave-in last night while we were all knocked out. More of the roof fell in, and if I’d still been in the hallway, I would have been crushed. So, um...”

“Where’s Sarah? I thought she’d be here.”

“Hey. I’m trying to tell you something important.”

Zach comes in from the hall. “Sarah
spent the night
. She went home to take a shower.”

“
Zach.
” Riley glares at him. “Shut
up
. Mom might hear you.”

“Wow, Perkins.” I raise my eyebrows at him. “And after they had to screw your leg back together.”

His face turns bright red. “We didn’t
do
anything. Sarah was worried about me and didn’t want to leave, so...” He clears his throat. “Nothing happened. And I was on a lot of painkillers. I fell asleep right away.”

Me and Zach exchange a look. He rolls his eyes.

“She should be back soon,” Riley says. “And, anyway, I just wanted to say that you’re, um... You’re my best friend, X. And maybe, if you’re coming back to school, we could be partners again?”

“I should go. You’re probably tired or something.”

“X. Come on.”

“You really want to do this right now? You’re pretty messed up, and you’re supposed to be taking it easy. So don’t make me have to say it.”

“Have to say what? Isn’t this what you wanted?”

“If me saving your life is the reason you want to work together again, then the answer’s no.” He only wants to work with me because Mason let him down. And by
let him down
, I mean
totally screwed him over
. But I’m still his second choice.

Riley shakes his head. “That’s not—”

“What the hell is he doing here?!” Curtis suddenly appears in the doorway, looking seriously pissed to see me. “Didn’t you learn your lesson last night? This”—he waves at Riley’s cast—“is exactly why I didn’t want you hanging out with him!”

Riley gapes at him, taken by surprise, but Zach looks like he’s
this close
to punching Curtis in the face, even though he doesn’t even come up to his shoulder. “You don’t know anything!” Zach shouts. “Damien didn’t do this!”

“Zach,” Riley says.

“What? You know he didn’t! Are you just going to let him say that?!”

“You think I don’t know anything?” Curtis folds his arms. “I’m trying to teach you boys something. Your mother and I told you we didn’t want you hanging out with him for a reason. He’s a villain, and he’s working for the Truth. You saw what they did last night. You can’t count on someone like him. Not when you’re out in the field.”

Riley sits up a little higher against his pillows. He glares at Curtis. “
Villains
didn’t do this to me. Heroes did.”

“Heroes who saw you with
him
. What were they supposed to think? Everyone in Golden City knows what he is. I’m so disappointed in you, Riley. I thought I was finally getting through to you, and then you go and put your trust in him again, and look what happens.”

“
Curtis
.” Their mom comes in from the hallway, along with Sarah, who must have just gotten back. Her hair’s wet and she’s changed into jeans and a sweater. “Riley’s supposed to be resting. Is this really the time?”

“Yes, Win. I know it’s harsh, but the boys need to learn.” He turns to Riley again. “Heroes, your own people, couldn’t trust you because you were working with him. That should tell you something.”

“Damien isn’t the reason I got hurt.” Riley’s voice is low, and he sounds really tired, like all this stress is wearing him out.

“You stayed behind to protect him. You had his back, but he didn’t have yours.”

“That’s not—”

“I don’t want to hear it! I know I’m not your father, but I’m the closest thing you’ve got. Your dad and I worked together for years, and I know he wouldn’t want this for you. You were there last night because you got nominated for an award at Heroesworth, and you’re lucky the school isn’t suspending you or reporting you to the scholarship committee.”

“Suspending me? For what? Getting shot at by the League?”

“They must have had a reason. And you’re already on probation. You’ve only got that scholarship because of Miles’s sacrifice. You don’t seem to realize that.”

“Yes, I do! You only remind me every chance you get.”

“And I’m going to keep reminding you until it sinks in. What are people supposed to think when they see his son working with a villain? What kind of legacy is that? You’re one step away from getting kicked out of school, and now you almost get yourself killed fighting for the wrong side.”