The Nebulous Meaning of 'Hero'

Chapter 2: Villainous

 prompt twelve: write a chapter where your female character kicks someone's butt.

     "Are you freakin insane?" hissed one of the other sidekicks as Wes went to take his seat next to Vincent. He ignored him, attempting to also ignore his own rapidly beating heart and inner voice screaming, 'THAT GUY HAS A POINT! DO YOU HAVE A FUCKING DEATH WISH??'

     Vincent just stared at him as he sat down, face having now reverted back into its permanent closed-off scowl. He was dark-haired and light-eyed; the spitting image of his father only younger, without the signature lightning bolt running in silver hairs through his curls. His glare deepened as he noticed Wes looking him over.

    "Hi," squeaked Wesley. "I'm Wes."

     For some reason his panicked mind thought it'd be a great idea for him to do a sort of frantic wave, despite the fact that Vincent was right in front of him. Said Vincent raised an eyebrow and then turned back to facing the front like Wes held zero interest for him.

     Right. Well. That could've gone worse. Good job, thought Wesley, giving himself a mental pat on the back. But the nastiest was yet to come.

     Once all the other sidekicks had chosen, Mr Blake the teacher whistled for silence and then said bluntly,

    "Right, I'm going to give you ten minutes to ask any questions you need to ask each other, and just get the whole wow-we're-a-team thing out the way. Okay? Then we'll go into the paperwork."

     Excited chatter began all around them and Wes awkwardly shimmied the books some other guy had left on the desk to one corner, piling them up and then unpiling them. Vincent didn't turn round.

     Then,

    "Why?"

     Wesley's head snapped up to find Vincent staring at him again, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

    "Why what?" he asked stupidly. Vincent made a 'duh' face.

    "Why did you choose me?"

     "Oh. Er. Right. I- because I really don't want to be anyone's sidekick- and I figured- you wouldn't want one? Because, ah, you know, villain and all that. So like, you could just, er, let me go? And then we'll both be happy?" He managed a rictus grin, feeling even as he said it that this wasn't going to work as planned. He looked up to see Vincent not glaring, but just looking at him with an utterly blank face.

    "Right," he said. There was a pause in which Vincent looked away again and then Wes said hopefully,

    "So I guess this is the end of the road for us?"

     When Vincent turned round his face was no longer blank but horribly mocking – just as you'd imagine a villain's to be – and he gave an empty smirk.

     "Come on, Wes. I'm a villain. Did you really think I'd let you use me for your convenience? You chose me. Now you have to be my sidekick for as long as I want."

     Wesley gaped.

    "What?"

    "Your decision," said Vincent with a shrug.

    "But why?"

    "I don't know. You chose me."

    "You're an ass."

    "I'm a villain."

    "Yeah, you mentioned that," Wes snapped and then paused, feeling trapped and frustrated. Why did nothing ever go to plan? And why was Vincent such a fucking prick?! And- "What even is your superpower?"