Saving Supervillains 1 Chapter 13 (Patreon)

As Omnigirl went to throw me towards Mindfuck, she put quite a bit of power into that toss. It would have sent me across the room immediately. And I couldn’t have that happen.

So instead, I halted myself mid-air. “You’ve made a big mistake.” A savage grin spread across my face.

“I think I’m done with this tea party. I’ll be off soon. But first, let’s make sure no one else is here.” I let a little light trickle from my fingertip and turn into a sphere. I grew it until it was almost like a second sun in the warehouse.

The temporary sun banished all the darkness, confirming there were no others inside the warehouse. It looked like the space hadn’t been used in a while; metal racks were stuffed with dust-covered goods.

“Well, that’s easy enough.” I smiled, exerting pressure on all three of them. “I was worried you had another ace up your sleeves.”

It had been a long time since I’d released my abilities. I’d spent so long keeping it contained so that nobody could sense my strength. Hidden it so deep that even just this little was a freeing use of my abilities.

As I let it out, it felt so damn good.

The gravity inside the warehouse quadrupled with the release. Static energy built up in the air to the point that arcs of electricity started jumping between the corners of the racks.

The temperature in the warehouse rose about ten degrees.

“Wait, what is happening? Mindfuck shrieked. “What are you doing? I thought you said he was just enhanced?” Mindfuck turned that last question towards Omnigirl.

“I’m afraid you caught a tiger thinking it was a house cat, and now it’s ready to eat.” I floated up, carrying all three of them with me.

Omnigirl’s face had veins bulging out as she tried to fight my control of kinetic energy. “You’re a powerful telekinetic.”

“No, he’s far more than that.” Her manager was the calmest of the three. “But he’s just going to try to scare us straight. He’s a goody-two-shoes. I know the type.”

I smiled, honored she’d think that. Unfortunately, that didn’t apply to people who threaten to turn me into a mindless drone or scum who pretend to be heroes.

“I’m afraid you’re wrong. But the question is how you will pay for what you’ve done. Maybe I should wash you with radiation and have you found here dead and covered with cancer.”

The manager’s face contorted as she tried to figure out what my super power was so they could fight back. But she didn’t have a chance.

“Rai, I think we screwed this one. All because you were a horny twat.” Omnigirl tried to yell at her manager.

“Oh, don’t give me that shit you were just as—”

I mimed zipping their lips, and their voices stopped. “Please, I’m going to kill you three. I just need to decide how to do it cleanly. Your talking is breaking my concentration.”

It had been so long since I let loose the tight rein I held on my powers and I didn’t want it to end so quickly.

“I’ll serve you.” Mindfuck’s body was shifting in my kinetic grasp, trying to find a hole to slip through. “You are a far stronger villain than me. I’ll be your minion.”

“Tempting. But I’m no villain.”

Her liquid face frowned. “If you aren’t a villain or a hero, what are you?”

I shrugged. “First of all, I’d question how you define heroes, because that one is supposedly one and I think we can all agree that’s bullshit.” I pointed at Omnigirl.

“Please, I’ll testify against them. I’ll do anything. Please don’t kill me.”

I floated in the air, trying to decide the right way to serve justice to the three villains.

I noticed that the electricity running through the metal racks had built up enough that bolts were jumping between the metal racks in big golden arches.

After a minute, I finally made my decision. Rolling my fingers like I had an invisible ball, I collected many types of energy. I swirled them together in my hand until they formed a point smaller than a marble.

I let none of it, not even light, escape from that point, making it an eerie pitch black. It’s unusual to see a space with absolutely zero light refraction. It was so dark that most people got chills looking at it.

I kept going, packing in more energy until it crackled, dark jagged fangs of lighting like it was becoming so dense it was tearing at the fabrics of reality.

I stared at it, a little fascinated. But my concentration was broken when a giant explosion sounded, and it wasn’t from me.

The side wall of the warehouse blew apart, and I lowered everyone for a second, waiting to see what happened. Quickly, I dismissed the electricity and heat building up in the warehouse.

“Go go go.” someone screamed and a team of heroes burst into the warehouse. I saw a flash of Stella’s red wings over the rack, and I knew I was going to have to change my plans.

I hit the three villains with hard blows to the head, driving the kinetic force straight through the skull. It was simple, but effective. The three of them fell limp in my telekinetic grasp.

Once they were unconscious, I released them, letting myself land softly while dismissing the bead of destruction and falling down to the side myself.

Now was the hard part. I have to act.

There was a little gurgle, and I saw the last of Mindfuck slipping down a nearby drain.

I grumbled to myself. I’d wondered if knocking her out would be effective, but I hadn’t had a lot of time, and with others about to appear, I had limited options without giving too much away.

“Miles.” Stella shouted.

I was ripped off the ground and smothered by her chest.

She shook me gently, and I took my cue.

“Ugh?” I groaned, sounding confused.

“Miles, it’s okay. I have you.” She pressed me deeper into her cleavage to the point that I couldn’t get a breath.

“Suffocating.” I pushed aside her breast to speak.

Stella had tears running down her eyes as she stopped squeezing me so tightly. “Okay, better?”

“Much.” I rubbed the back of my head and looked around. “What happened to the third?”

“I’d like to know what happened in general.” Kim stepped around a rack, fire almost rolling off of her.

Three other heroes were tying up Omnigirl and her manager.

“How’d you find me here?” I rubbed my head, trying to sound grateful when I was mostly annoyed. It had felt good to have a reason to use my abilities. Yet they had so rudely interrupted my moment.

“She called me.” Kim said. “Blabbering that you missed a date, and she just knew something was wrong.”

Stella kicked the ground, still holding me. She looked away from Kim.

“Don’t do that. Your gut was right.” Kim spat on the floor. “Unfortunately.”

“Put me down?” I asked Stella.

She hesitated, about to do it, but then she doubled down, clutching me tighter.

“Please put me down, Stella.” I coached her..

She put me down but held onto me to keep me steady.

Her care reminded me I should wobble at least a little.

“So, Omnigirl picked you up off the street?” Kim asked me.

I nodded. That part had been quite public. I wasn’t surprised she’d already found it. “Yeah, she arrested me in broad daylight.” My throat soured at the thought, reminded of the way others stared. I had to push my super power away before it did any damage.

“I can see how that would be frustrating.” Kim looked down at the still unconscious super. “Then they brought you here?”

“Yes. It was pretty much a straight shot. It was dark in here, and they tried to scare me a bit. The manager stepped out of the shadows.” I pointed to the manager. “And one other. She said her name was Mindfuck.”

Kim cursed. “Did you see her?”

“Yep. If you get me images, I could pick her out of a lineup easily. She’s pretty unique.”

“I’ll have you talk with a sketch artist before you leave.” Kim was already texting someone. “Now, to the main question. Who the fuck knocked out Omnigirl?”

I hadn’t quite pieced that together. Trying to keep up the act had kept me from a credible backstory.

“She’s an S grade super and stands near the top on physical toughness. Case in point.” Kim hooked a thumb at Stella, whose record-breaking punch hadn’t even knocked her out.

I shrugged. “Sorry, I didn’t see them before I got hit.” I went with the easiest answer.

“If someone is in town strong enough to knock her out, we should be aware of them, but we aren’t.” Kim bit her thumbnail in frustration, continuing her thought. “Which means we have a much bigger problem than Mindfuck. She just promotes petty theft.”

Stella perked up. “Anything you need me to do?”

Kim shook her head. “No. Get him back home safely. Oh, wait. The sketch artist will be here in five minutes. Have him work with her, and then you’re free to go. Good work tonight.”

Stella still had her arm wrapped around me. I had a feeling that I wasn’t going anywhere without her.

“Let’s go find a spot to sit.” I suggested, giving her a little tug. “Really, I’m fine. I am tough enough to bounce back from a little bump on the head.”

“Fine enough…” She paused. “That I could get a little help?”

It took me a moment to realize she wanted to drain me. “Go ahead.”

Little tingles ran along the back of my neck where her arm brushed me.

Stella let out a soft sigh. “Much better.”

I hadn’t realized that she needed to top herself off quite so frequently, but I certainly wasn’t opposed. The tingle it gave me was growing on me.

We left the warehouse and found a bench that was liberally littered with cigarette butts. Clearly, it was someone’s favorite place to smoke.

She didn’t let me sit down right away, brushing the bench clear before sitting me down and scooting up close, pressing into my side. “I was really worried.”

“I know.” I wrapped an arm around her, hesitating before replying. “But I wasn’t in any danger.”

Stella frowned.

“Have you forgotten what I can do?” I snapped my fingers. “Just like that, I can make them powerless.”

Her eyes went wide.

“I couldn’t do it in public, but once we were back at the warehouse, I had it under control.”

“Does Omnigirl know?” Stella leaned in and whispered.

“Yeah, she knows. So do the manager and Mindfuck.”

Stella nodded gravely. “I’ll do everything I can then.”

Putting a hand on her knee, I shook my head. “Don’t get into trouble on my account. Let’s work with this sketch artist, but then I’d like to see if we can find an open restaurant on our way back to my place.”

I paused, not used to having to ask a woman out. “That is… if you are still interested in a date.”

Stella wrapped me in a hug that nearly had me squirting blood out of my mouth. “Yes.”

“Tight. Too tight.” I wheezed.

She let up the pressure, but she didn’t release the hug. Instead, she laid her head on my shoulder, just taking in my warmth for a moment.

“Ahem.” A throat cleared.

I looked up to see a woman in messy paint-stained jeans standing nearby. She was holding a clipboard and had a pencil sticking out from behind her ear.

“Kim said you had a sketch for me?”

“Yeah, sit down.” I scooted Stella down the bench and made room on my other side, getting right into it. “She was short. Her body was some sort of viscous liquid she could control.”

The sketch artist did a double take. “Wait, what? She was a slime girl?”

“More like mixed paint. Opaque, mostly a lavender and pastel green in color.”

“Okay, let’s start with the face. Even with an intense mutation like that, people keep their sense of self in the face.”

The sketch artist pulled a pencil out from behind her ear and started out with the face shape.

***

Stella flounced into my apartment, carrying a brown paper bag. We’d picked up Chinese food on the way back.

I was happy to be back home. If I was honest, I wasn’t interested in going out.

Stella didn’t seem to mind. She was quickly making herself at home, laying out plates and silverware as she unpacked the Chinese food.

I walked over to the fridge and pulled out a white wine. “Unfortunately, I don’t have any red on hand. White works well with chicken, though.”

Stella shrugged. “Works for me.” I knew she didn’t care what we drank, as long as we were having dinner together.

Fishing around for the wine opener, I plucked the cork out and filled two glasses. “I haven’t said it yet, but I wanted to apologize for missing the date.”

“You didn’t exactly have much of a choice.” She shrugged, absolving me of any wrongdoing. It was incredible how content she was just being with me.

“Still needs to be said. I was looking forward to it.” I placed the glass down in front of her and sat down, sharing a corner with her at the table.

Her leg brushed up against mine, and I could feel the tingle of her ability.

“Do you still need more?” I figured she would have been topped off now.

Stella blushed, moving her leg away. “I just like to feel you. It’s comforting.”

I shrugged; it wasn’t really affecting me, and I was happy to help if it brought her comfort. “Go on then.”

Her leg came back over, pushing aside the hem of my pants. The skin contact magnified her slight ki draw.

“So.” I took a deep breath. “I invited you on a date to talk.”

She nodded happily, not yet touching the food. “About us?”

“Something like that.” I went ahead and picked up the little paper folded boxes, identifying which was which. “What do you want out of life?” I decided to go big.

“Going heavy from the start, huh?” She picked up her mushu pork and used a pair of chopsticks to shovel it out onto her plate. “It’s nothing special. I want to continue life, get a job, get a man.”

“Do you want to be a hero?” From my perspective, she’d been thrust into it without much of an opinion.

Stella paused, tapping her chopsticks on the plate. “I think so. If you’d asked me back at the manor when you found me, I would have said no only because it would have seemed so far out of reach. It hadn’t even occurred to me. But… I feel like I’m redeeming myself. For everyone I hurt, I’m turning my abilities around. Everyone I saved from the bactimen was sort of like atonement for the damage I’ve caused.” Her voice trailed off as she started wandering down those memories.

I remained silent for a moment, filling my plate, before I spoke. “There will be people who don’t see it that way. Hell, there will be people who hate you just for the horns.”

She shrugged it off before she touched the horns, a slight concern flitting across her face. “You don’t mind the horns, do you?”

“Nah, the whole succubus thing works for me.” I gave her a wink. I didn’t have a problem with any of the mutations, even Mindfuck’s.

“Then it doesn’t matter what anyone else says.” She smiled so wide that her eyes pressed shut.

I reached over, holding her hand and rubbing my thumb along the top of her hand. “I believe you can do it. Redeem yourself.”

Stella nodded happily. “And then we can focus on you.”

My finger froze, and I stared at her incredulously.

“Miles, I’m here for you. Whatever the world did to you, whatever you’ve done, it doesn’t matter to me. All that matters is that the man who went out of his way, risked his secrets to save me from myself still exists.” She held onto my hand for dear life.

I wanted to toss her words to the side. I could have blamed them on some sort of savior complex, but Stella’s eyes bore into mine. She truly believed what she was saying.

She saw something in me that I couldn’t see myself.

“Fine.” I let out a sigh. “There are things you don’t know.”

“Rule number 2. Don’t try to figure out your power.” She repeated what I’d said the other day. “Make as many rules as you want.”

Stella was smart enough to know something was up.

“And what do you get in return?”

“Dates. You keep going on dates with me. I know you are hiding things. I’m accepting that for now. But no lies. And you should be my manager again.” She hesitated as she said the last part, hope filling her voice.

I leaned back, taking a bite of the Chinese before it got cold. It was no good reheated. “I won’t lie to you, and I will keep my word, but I might obfuscate what I say.”

“That’s fine.” She was quick to agree.

“Manager…” I chewed it over as she stared at me. I couldn’t believe I was actually considering it. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she had some of Candice’s persuasion ability. “I have too much PTO, anyway. I’ll take a week off and give it a chance.”

Stella’s smile couldn’t have gotten any wider as she scooted her chair around the corner of the table and threw her arms around me. “Kim said if I could poach you, she’d give you everything you needed to get started.”

“Kim is in on this?” My voice had a little edge to it.

Stella’s body stiffened around me. “She’s part of the problem, isn’t she? I couldn’t help but notice you were cold to her.”

“Yeah.” I pushed food around on my plate for a moment. “She’s part of the problem, but different from what I expected.”

Stella let go of me and ate off of my plate. “Kim is good to the heroes, but I could see her doing something questionable to protect them. Want to become supervillains instead?”

I laughed. Just because I had a problem with Kim, Stella was ready to jump ship and fight for the other team.

“No. I was very bad in the past. But I think that’s behind me.”

Stella speared more Chinese food and held it up for me to eat.

Taking the offered bit, she gave me a grin like she’d just won.

I rolled my eyes, but I realized that she really might have won. I’d never felt so comfortable with a woman before. She was poking holes in my walls, and I wasn’t even sure I wanted them back.

“So.” She put her tongue in her cheek. “Do I get a happy ending to this date?”

I laughed, the tension broken.

I went to respond yes. After all, I wouldn’t hesitate for any of my previous dates, but it felt different with Stella.

“If by happy ending you mean a nice night's rest, then yes. If you want me to be your manager, I’m going to need some sleep before I crack that egg tomorrow.”

As I said it, I pulled out my phone and sent Candice a request for my time off before I forgot. I knew she’d be upset about the late notice, but she’d be all bark and no bite.

“That’s fine! But I’m sleeping in your bed.” Stella announced, getting up and cleaning up our dishes.

I hesitated, but nodded. I’d pushed her away, and we’d ended up here. There wasn’t much point in trying to keep fighting her, so I gave it a chance.