The Undoing Of Villains | ✓

fifteen

(a/n: dedicated to the ever wonderful NeedToRead321 for the endless support<3<3 hope you keep liking the story ;) ! xo, cleo )

fifteen

A RED COMET would've been considerably more stable flying through the air than what I was. My flying was choppy and unfocused, showing how truly traumatized I was by the night's life-changing events. First of all - I had an official arch enemy in the mysterious grey lady. Second of all - my powers had nearly spiraled out of control, making me almost kill her. 

That'd make me no better than the villains I was so intent on chasing after.

Focus, Charlie - you need to get to the bottom of what is going on here. And I would, as soon as I got back home - whenever that was. I didn't want to think of not getting back home. In all honesty, I couldn't be sure anymore - my existence had taken a turn for the dangerously dramatic.

The further I flew, the further I fell down the spiral of dangerous thoughts questioning what'd happened. It seemed I had more than one arch-nemesis, considering the other super she had under her thumb: Ningen. I'd need to look into that, but I'd wager a guess he was a type of shape-shifter. And borderline psychopath - they probably went hand in hand. 

My powers were nearly drained, but I was still nowhere near home. I couldn't show up on the bus, with dried blood and still running blood coating my skin, the open rips in my suit and my face. I looked as if I'd strolled straight out of a slasher film, which I had. Drowned by a humanoid fish creature, nearly squashed to death by a woman and her many alter egos, and then having to crash through a boat's hull?

Shaking my head at myself, I could feel the speed I had in my flight diminish. I needed to make a temporary landing - quick. Aiming for the nearest, tallest skyscraper, my landing was far from elegant -

My knees buckled, and I fell forward, sprawling over the gravel coating the rooftop. A groan escaped me as an intense headache started growing, effectively telling me that if I attempted using my powers again anytime soon my brain would most likely implode. Each time I learned a new trick - flying, analyzing other people's synapses, firing bolts of energy - I felt my strength being zapped at twice the usual speed, as if the action exhausted me more than using my powers to just ... try and deflect or rewire the usual signals sent to and from synapses. 

It was evident, to me, that I was still very much in knee-deep water when it came to matters regarding my powers. What I truly needed to do was swim out until my feet no longer touched the bottom, but the only time I'd learned more about my powers was in moments where my life was threatened - I wasn't sure how many more of those situations I could handle. 

Rolling slowly onto my back, a pained grunt emanated from my throat as my aching back rubbed against the gravel. A few sharp stones poked into an open rip in my back, digging into my back. Yes, to top it all off, my suit needed some immediate TLC. I wasn't sure how much I could do with a sewing kit, but if Xandra couldn't help ... 

You shouldn't get yourself involved with her again, Charlie, came my subconscious, reprimanding me for even having the thought. It was true - she'd said she couldn't wait to see what I'd make for myself ... did it mean she was intent on returning to demand of me a favor I morally objected to ?

The headache worsened, as if spurred on by my ethical dilemmas and general life troubles. What surprised me the most was the fact that I only wished to discussed it with someone. And not just any someone.