Hero & Villain

Macer | 1682w

  As soon as Masquerader's car is out of sight, I start walking towards my house. Now that I don't have Calen to worry about, I have no reason to run. They will pay for trashing my house. They will pay for thinking they could ever overpower me. And believe me, they will pay for trying to hurt my Kitten.

  Bradley tries to stop me by grabbing my arm. I whirl around and close my hand around his throat, squeezing harder than I ever did to Falcon. His eyes widen and in them I see the glowing reflection of mine. He tries to get away from me as he gasps for air, but I don't let go until his eyes are glazed over with fear, when I drop him unceremoniously to the ground.

  I turn and stalk away, growling as I do. "Don't follow me.

  When I make it back to my house, having walked above ground, I stalk right inside and toward my five fellow Villains standing in the wreckage of my living room. They shut up fast when they see me, their hands shifting closer to their weapons.

  "Who's idea was this?" I snarl, watching sharply as they all shuffle and avoid my glowing gaze. I clench my fists at my sides, feeling the pleasant warmth of flames licking at my knuckles. "I will not ask again."

  Finally one of them speaks up, though not with the answer I want. "We all agreed we needed to get rid of Falcon, he's been terrorizing us for too long!"

  A low growl rumbles from my throat as my gaze flicks between them. "Tell me where he is," I demand, snarling it again loudly when they don't answer the first time.

  One I recognize as Timer, or Gabe as some people know him, bravely steps forward. "We don't know where he is, we still assumed he was with you."

  I let out a huff of annoyance, the warmth on my knuckles slithering up and over my wrists. "Masquerader took him," I say as I flex my hands a bit, knowing drops of fire are falling from my hands, only to be extinguished before they hit my floor. "and I want to know where," I finish, my voice dropping into a chilling calmness, one I always feel right before executing a mission.

  The flames turn a raging blue as I begin stalking toward them. They scramble backwards, but I don't stop until they're backed into my kitchen and I'm blocking their escape.

  Timer speaks up again, sounding much less confident than before. "Probably the... the Guild." His haze flicks worriedly to my forearms, which are completely covered in my flickering blue flames.

  I snarl and whirl away from them, stalking toward the door. "I'm no fool, and neither is she. I'll find him myself, and when I do you better pray there is no hair on his head misplaced," I don't turn around as I stalk out the door and to the road. With a flick of my wrist the door slams shut behind me.

  I retrieve my emergency suit from the trunk of my car. It's a simple black trench coat and mask, not stylized like my favorite suit but it will work. I flip the deep hood up, move to the middle of the street, and start floating into the sky.

  I can't fly in the same way Falcon can, nor as fast, but it will be quicker than walking or driving. Even though I know Masquerader won't stop at the Guild, that is where I will start my search.

***

  I could instantly feel she wasn't at the Guild, but more importantly I could feel Calen wasn't there either. It must have taken me half an hour to get to where I am, standing on the highway going out of the city. I feel a tugging sensation, like I'm being pulled away from the city. I'm not unaccustomed to this feeling.

  It comes when I'm tracking my prey, a constant reminder I'm going in the right direction to find them, that I will catch them soon. Normally the feeling brings me satisfaction, but now I just feel a grim sense of determination.