Arch Frenemies

Part 25: Fright Flight

After one of the fastest changes in recorded history, she was ready to take off. "Try to hold your breath when you fight them." Her odd ally advised when she opened the balcony door.
"Why?" she questioned.

"Because that's how they weakened you during your last battle. I watched the security footage of the fight." Toxic explained. "They encircled you at such speeds that they removed the oxygen from your perimeter. So like I said, hold your breath."
"Thanks." She sent him one last smile before taking off.
When her feet had left the balcony; and the hotel was behind her, she remembered how good it felt to be off the ground again. These past few days had been the longest period she’d been grounded.

After Galaxy Girl had taken off, Toxic changed into his regular costume; savoring each part of the process that he had missed so much. From applying his heavy dark "Guyliner" as his rival called it, to the feel of his skintight black shirt against his lanky torso; there was so much he ached to return to. The teenaged villain didn't have his shoe boot to lace up his patent black combat boots like usual, but he managed. The admittedly vain villain pulled his hair out of the baby pony tail that kept it at the nape of his neck. His mother was Romanian, and he had inherited his curly, raven black hair, and dark brown eyes from her, but not her bronze skin. His ghost-like complexion he owed to his father's gene pool.

Once he’d finished, he finally stopped to take one final glance in the mirror, admiring the striking figure he thought that he cut. From the Radioactive symbol on his chest; to his knee length, bright green, spike studded long coat; how could he not be pleased with how he looked?
Toxic pulled on his gloves and picked up his silver radiation blaster gun.

It's good to be back, and baby, I'm back. He thought to himself with a grin, walking towards the balcony to admire the beautiful city that he felt would soon be his. He did not step out onto it though, his fear of heights deterred him from that idea. After a few minutes, he began to grow increasingly bored.
He knew he couldn't make his grand entrance until his nemesis had defeated her new foes. If he did, it wouldn't have half as much of a dramatic effect, and Toxic would forever be a sucker for the dramatic.

 Another surprisingly human thought occurred to him. What if, after she did win, she was too tired or too beat up to fight him? He'd have to give her a chance to recuperate. It would only be fair. Toxic shook his head. Why couldn't he be like other villains and just crush the hero when she was down? It would be so easy. Why couldn't they be like every other set of Arch Nemeses? I'm evil. He reminded himself. It was plain and simple. He enjoyed causing others hardship, and just plain wreaking havoc for no other reason than a simple want to. What was so different about her? Why did he always have to be fair to her? Why was their relationship so simple, yet so incredibly complicated?

Eventually boredom overtook him, he just had to go and do something. Even if he couldn't unveil his presence to the capital of France just yet, he could at least go watch the battle. Maybe see how those Speeders managed to defeat her the first time? The thought of watching his lifelong enemy getting kicked around sounded like so much fun!  

Now how to get out of here undetected? He thought to himself; bravely peering over the balcony’s edge from his 7th floor room. The image of that crazy Frenchie so easily sliding down the side of the building with his grappling hook.
"Nope, that's not going to happen." Toxic mumbled to himself, taking a huge step backwards because his crippling fear of heights had gotten the better of him.

Following the moving blip on the high-frequency distortion tracker that her nemesis had let her borrow, Galaxy Girl traced the signal as it zipped around the city.  Eventually it stopped at a location marked on the screen as Ve'ree Experimental Laboratoire. Obviously they were there to steal tech, something she'd stopped Toxic from doing loads of time. This should be easy. She gave herself a little self-encouragement.
"Time to dish out a little justice," Galaxy smirked aloud to herself.