17. The Villain
THE VILLAIN
I fucked up big time. The next morning I slept through six alarms and woke up to Eva dumping water on me—a dull throbbing in my temples. I hadn’t been hungover since I’d become Avalanche, I’d completely forgotten what it felt like.
My loving sister tore a strip off me from outside my bedroom door while I ran around trying to rush through getting ready. She managed to track down a potential location of one of the labs supposedly running experiments on missing criminals, and I was supposed to check it out at dawn.
Luckily, Eva seemed to have a sixth sense for my inability to get my shit together and broke in (metaphorically—she had a spare key).
I only ended up being a couple minutes late, and I still managed to get everyone out before the scientists came in.
But the only thing that seemed to matter to the others was the fact that I was late at all.
I spent an hour listening to them lecture me like I was a horny teenager chasing after a girl.
It was annoying but I was dealing until Vance pulled out this line: “This is life or death. Imagine you’d been even five minutes later?
All those people could have been killed to keep this secret and you nearly let that happen.
Get over this silly volunteer or we’ll do it for you. Is that clear?”
“What’s clear, is that you make a lot of threats, Chief.
You’ll remember I made one, too. But do you know the difference between my threat and yours?
” I picked a bit of dry blood from under my nail and flicked it in his direction.
He blanched and stepped back, which only helped drive my next point home.
“I’m willing to get my hands dirty. Have I made myself clear? ”
Chang and Vance tried to posture some more after that until I gave the former an icicle cocoon—again.
This time I left him in there until his lips turned blue and his teeth clattered.
Vance insisted I’d made my point and could let him go, still I left him.
Honestly, I was considering killing them all, but Eva came over and talked me down.
“We need them to finish the list. Take a lap, then interrogate the scientist you snatched to cool off. I’ll talk to them. I won’t let them touch her. I promise.”
So I went and did exactly what she said.
I learned there were several labs hidden throughout the city, each one had a slightly different purpose.
The one I busted up was trying to give the involuntary participants superpowers by recreating the incident.
The purpose of the other labs ranged from trying to replicate existing superpowers, to trying to transfer superpowers, to trying to nullify superpowers.
It wasn’t just criminals, homeless, and drug addicts that were being targeted. All of the villains were at risk of being nabbed and experimented on.
No one was safe.
The others were right, I needed to stay the fuck away from my biggest distraction. Until I learned who was behind this and put an end to the experiments.
I had to get Violet out of my life.
I had to get out of hers.
“Stop being a mopey asshole and just call her. I’m tired of looking at your miserable face every time I come into work. If you’re going to continue to wallow, do it in the back corner.”
I scowled at Eva. She was wiping down the bar between rushes. It was 5, so happy hour just ended and it would be another hour before the rowdy crowd showed up. I’d been sitting here drinking my whisky, minding my own business. I certainly wasn’t wallowing.
“Can’t a guy sit and have a drink without being lectured? I’m not miserable. I’m staying away like you said. Nay, like you demanded.”
“My demand was that you make up your mind.” She sighed. “V deserves better than all this in and out. But you’re both fucking miserable.”
A little part of me was relieved she was struggling as much as I was.
I’d been spending the last week completely avoiding her.
No random check-in, no phone calls, no walking her home.
Cold turkey. Yes, I did just compare her to drugs and yes, I did feel like I was going through withdrawal.
But the thought of her being in the same state…
Being stabbed through the heart would be less painful.
“It’s too dangerous.”
“You’ve taken out four labs this week, the threat is shrinking every day.”
Yes, I wanted these labs gone. I wanted to protect the people in my district and the other villains that weren’t in the public like me or Hemlock or Whisper.
I rescued 500 people—430 without powers and seventy with.
Of the seventy with, half were transported from other countries.
After surviving the incident, they left to start new lives and tried to hide their powers.
They were trying to be smart.
After the superpower part of the incident became public knowledge, the government started spinning a narrative.
Anyone using powers in any capacity was evil.
Wrong. A villain. I had no idea why, maybe they were trying to discourage a bunch of superheroes trying to take over.
So we all became villains—which was fine by me, the title of hero carried too much of a burden.
But over half of the population with superpowers just wanted to get out, live like the incident never happened.
The people running these labs went out of their way to track them down, steal them from their homes, and do terrible things.
“There’s still three left, and I’m no closer to learning who’s in charge of this. It’s too dangerous.”
My sister sighed again.
“Fine, then leave ’cause I invited her and some of her friends from 49th to come drinking here tonight, on the house, of course. They’ll be here in a few minutes.”
I stared at her for a solid thirty seconds before I downed the rest of my drink and left.
She called after me, but I was out the door before she could stop me.
I was pissed off—unfairly. Violet was Eva’s first girlfriend; it wasn’t fair of me to be mad she invited V to the bar because I couldn’t be around her without losing my mind.
I was considering turning around to apologize when I hit something—someone.
I knew it was Violet before I fully registered the impact because of the heat that washed over me.
God, I fucking missed being warm.
“You okay?” I lightly grabbed her elbow to keep her upright.
“Yeah.” She gave me a polite smile and stepped out of my grip. “I should learn to watch where I’m walking. Thanks for catching me.”
She seemed cold, distant. Like we didn’t even know each other. Then I heard a giggle. Her friend Maddy was standing next to her, and I hadn’t even noticed.
“No problem. I’m half to blame there.”
“Well… Thanks again, have a good night.”
Then she was walking away, at least she tried to. Maddy grabbed her arm and held her in place instead.
“Hey, handsome saviour, we’re just on our way to a bar around the corner. You should join us. Let my friend here buy you a drink for keeping her ass out of this slushy snow.”
“You don’t—”
“How could I pass up a free drink in this economy? I would love to.”
Violet closed her eyes, took a silent breath, then met my gaze with a forced smile. “Sure. Yeah, why not.”
Maddy grinned. “Excellent.”
I followed them back in the direction I’d just left. Their heads were bent together in a hushed conversation. I fell a few steps behind them, but obviously I was listening.
“Mads, what are you doing?”
“Are you kidding me? You should be thanking me. He’s fine.”
“You and Amber are going to be the death of me.” Violet sighed. “She’s throwing me at Officer O’Neill and you’re throwing me at random strangers.”
“The fact that you’ve been out with him twice—”
Twice? I was going to kill Eva. How could she not tell me?
Because you’re going cold turkey, remember?
The taunting voice in my head sounded a bit too much like my sister. And it was right. Every time she had even tried to bring up Violet, I did exactly what I did two minutes ago—downed a drink and left.
“—is answer enough that it’s not going anywhere. You need to get laid. You’ve been hopped up on smut, lusting after a supervillain for months. Time to let yourself have a little fun.”
“Madeline,” her tone sounded exhausted. “I’m not doing this with you right now and I’m not doing that with him ever. Drop it.”
The red-headed woman huffed. “Well, if you don’t want him, I’ll just shoot my shot.”
“Whatever.” That was the most genuinely irritated I’d ever heard V sound.
We arrived at Crossroads, ending their conversation. Violet pushed the door open—violently. Then she stomped over to Eva—who already had shots lined up. Maddy sighed and turned to me.
“Sorry about my friend, she’s been in a mood all week. I practically had to drag her out of her apartment.”
“I don’t mean to intrude. I can go.”
“No, no. I promised you a drink, let’s get you a drink.”
An hour later, two more of Violet’s friends showed up, but she was sitting alone at the bar not participating in conversation. I did let Maddy buy me a drink then I fucked off to the corner, hoping Violet might perk up. She didn’t.
“V, you could at least pretend to be having fun.” Her friend Ashley slung an arm over her shoulder. “He’s not worth it.”
“I don’t know why you all think it’s because of a guy and not the fact that I’ve been dragged out for the third time this week, I have a headache the size of Nunavut, and none of you will leave me alone to read a book or binge watch my favourite show.
I appreciate all your concern, but I just want to go home, have a glass of extra fruity wine, and read a book. ”
“We keep dragging you out because you’re miserable. You need people, social interaction!” Amber was tipsy. She stumbled over to Violet and crushed her in a hug.
“No, you need people. I need quiet and space.” She shrugged off Ashley’s arm and pried herself out of Amber’s grip.
“Where are you going?” Amber whined.
“Bathroom.”
She started to follow, but Maddy grabbed her arm.
“Amber, drop it. Just because you need to be around people when you’re sad, doesn’t mean everyone else does. Let her be alone for a minute. She needs it.”
That was great advice. Amber took it, I didn’t. I was waiting outside the bathroom when she walked out. She saw me but she didn’t engage.
“Violet, wait.”
She ignored me.
“Violet, please.” I went to grab her arm before I could think better of it. She ripped out of my grip and kept walking. “Violet—”
“What’s your game, Blondie?” She whipped around.
“You go around handing out my information, we spend over two weeks basically attached at the hip, you bust me out of jail, I spend almost two weeks trying to distance myself from you but your relentless phone calls finally wear me down. Then you spend a week being distant and weird, call me and act like a jealous and possessive asshole when I tell you about my date and Hemlock’s relentless flirting, list every physical trait I have as your type, then radio silence for another week.
What’s your game? Why don’t you just leave me alone?
Stop playing with me like I’m some kind of toy you can pull out whenever you’re bored.
I’m exhausted. I tried, Av. I really tried to move on like I never met you but every time you pop back into my life like you never left and it hurts.
So either you stay or you stay gone. I’m done playing. ”
“I…”
I’m just trying to keep you safe. Every second I spend with you makes people wonder.
Wonder about my feelings for you. Wonder if they can use you against me.
They could. They so could. If someone got ahold of you, I would do anything to make sure you got back home.
And if anything happened to you, I would destroy this city and everyone in it.
Don’t you see? Don’t you see that I’m so fucking in love with you that it hurts to breathe?
That staying away from you is the hardest thing I’ve ever done?
“Whatever. Let’s keep this professional going forward. Do your check-ins, and I’ll call you if anyone wants to meet you. But other than that, stay out of my life.”
She turned on her heels and walked back to the bar. So calm, like she’d just given up caring. It didn’t matter how fast she moved because I didn’t matter. I was just a stranger.
A stranger not even worth the energy of running away from.