The Undoing Of Villains | ✓

epilogue

(a/n: here we go guys!)

epilogue

THE BAFFLING part about summer ending was the abrupt drop in temperatures. Within a week, the weather had flipped from lingering July warmth to the nipping chill of autumn. I'd wrapped myself in a thick coat, shoving a scarf around my neck and slipping my hands into gloves in order to endure the colder temperatures. 

"Is it always going to be like this?" I asked, my breath coming out in puffs of smoke as we stepped outside, "I thought Dynamo was a 'summer' city." My air quotes entertained my partner, as the corner of Declan's mouth quirked. 

"No, the winters are pretty cold. Makes for a hellish time when you spend half of it on rooftops." He glanced down at me, stopped and reached for my neck, "This bugs me." Declan reached for my haphazardly wrapped scarf, and rearranged it until it lay in snug circles around my neck, fingers brushing against my cheek. 

"Thanks." I said, cheeks warming despite the cold. Declan only smiled, glancing away. The pair of us were headed to school — of all places. Turns out Declan Hayes was enrolled as a junior biochemistry major, but he'd shamefully admitted he already had a doctoral degree in computer science. Apparently, Vector was a huge nerd. I'd teased him endlessly for it, until I was certain he was about to blast me out of the window.

Despite that, he'd wanted to walk with me to the first day of classes. It was so normal (which wasn't very on brand for us, if I was going to be honest.) but in a nice kind of way. Apparently Shade and Nightspark were able to keep up a sort-of normal relationship despite their alternative careers. I knew this because of a very ... interesting dinner conversation. I didn't know who'd been more surprised, me or Declan, when Nightspark had invited us to dinner one night after we'd run into her on the literal streets, where she'd been busy kicking some guy clean off a bridge. 

She'd watched him for a second, angrily struggling in the water, then turned and asked us to dinner. It had been fun, despite the craziness, and seeing her and Ethan get semi-along (the bickering was honestly kind of cute.) made me hopeful. 

As we walked through the gates to the university grounds, my eyes swept across campus. Brick buildings, trees with leaves clinging onto their summer vibrancy, lawns already heavy with students — yes, I just might enjoy myself here. My eyes did another sweep to further study the buildings, when I spotted a familiar redhead.

I waved, calling his name: "Hey! Granola-guy! Sports-magazine-guy! Josh!" Declan snickered.

The redhead flinched, stopping in his tracks. Of course I'd recognize him — the unmistakably childish face, the mop of red hair, the freckles, the abhorrently nerdy backpack ... it was Brann, in the flesh, without the suit. Declan had been kind enough to fill me in on his name, but I'd had yet to meet the guy after our previous encounter. 

When he didn't move, I frowned, cupping my hands around my mouth. 

"Hey! Ginger granola-guy over there!" Declan squeezed my shoulder, shaking his head. 

"I think he gets it." he muttered, watching the redhead turn around and stalk toward us. I had a big, goofy grin on my face when Josh neared, nearly giddy with seeing the little kid again. 

I suppose you can't call him a little kid as he's going to college at 15. With you. 

"I can't believe you guys." Josh came to a stop in front of us, eyes analyzing the intimacy with which Declan was holding me, " — you blow up a bunch of stuff and you don't tell me?" He sounded stricken, a defiant look overcoming his face despite the sad tone of his voice.