Finding Mr. Superhero

Chapter Sixteen

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Dedicated to AloneInWonderland for the incredible banner. Thank you!!

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"This is the most ridiculous idea you've ever had," I informed Chloe that afternoon as we walked across the concrete pavement under a blistering hot sun. "And I was there for the hot-dog-and-chocolate-sauce debacle of 2010."

Chloe threw me a dubious look over her shoulder as she marched purposefully past furniture stores and gas stations. "Hey, for the record, that did sound like a good idea at the time."'

"What about this?" I replied, gesturing around us. And she knew I was talking about more than cracked brick walls and garbage cans. "Does this seem like a good idea now?"

She spun on me, and I fell back slightly. When she wanted to, she could use her tall height and strong face to her advantage, and she had no trouble employing those tactics on me. I was helpless compared to her imposing figure.

"Yes. Because I don't know what he's done to you, but I want some answers."

"Chloe..."

"Look, Violet, I get you worship the ground this guy walks on, but he is dangerous. And you were terrified last night, for whatever reason. And now you can't even remember why, because he took it all away. And he obviously did it for a reason! And now you're getting dizzy spells and talking like Robocop. So, yeah, you could say I want some answers. Come on."

She turned down an alley, and I gasped as I looked around at the graffiti-stained bricks and pungent dumpsters. I leaned against the moist bricks and bent over, overcome by yet another vision. I saw a black-clad figure, felt blood rushing in my ears and heard my pulse racing in my ears. I heard myself gasping; saw the mask come off, though behind it was a faceless person.

I felt Chloe crouch beside me, one hand on my shoulder. "Violet, talk to me. What do you see?"

"I'm in this alley," I told her, wondering if my speaking was as garbled as it sounded to me. "This is where I found out who he was. I took the mask off myself."

"What does he look like?" she persisted, squeezing me. "Who is he, Vi?"

I shook my head, trying to strip down the facelessness and reveal someone beneath. But I saw nothing. "I don't know. I can't tell."

"Then it's past high-time for some answers," Chloe replied as the dizziness subsided and I was once again faced with the same lonesome alley.

She helped me stand, and I shook my head. "Chloe, please don't. It's better if I don't know. I know that."

"No, you think you know that," Chloe told me, and I could tell she was unmoved by my plight. "Because it's what he wants you to think. But I'm not gonna let him do that. You don't have to find out who he is. But talk to him. Figure out what's going on."

With that she ducked behind a couple of dumpsters, and not a single ginger lock could be seen. I looked around, waiting for him to turn up. Of course, I knew he wasn't looking over me twenty-four seven, but I still had no idea how to get his attention.

"This is not working, Chlo," I hissed, letting out a sigh. "This is ridiculous."

"Scream," she replied.

"I'm not gonna scream," I informed her. My dignity couldn't take a hit like that.

"I wasn't asking," was her saucy reply, and I knew there was no getting out of this.