The Undoing Of Villains | ✓

thirty

(a/n: dedicated to HonaStab for the lovely support! now ... what you've been waiting for ;p)

thirty

I ALMOST FELT BAD. Not because of what we were doing, per se, but because of what I was going to do. I ignored it, leaned up the last bit - then pressed my lips to Vector's. It was short, sweet - I cemented the feeling in one corner of my mind, shoving it into a box of memories I wanted to keep. After a heartbeat I eased back, let a small, soft smile grow on my mouth. 

Something glimmered in his eyes. I didn't dwell on it too much, as my conscience wouldn't let me. Instead, I let my hands rest on his shoulders. Meeting his eyes, my look turned apologetic.

"That was great. Also, so sorry for this." The glimmer in his eyes turned to confusion, then alarm. He hadn't any time to act, as a figure emerged from thin air. I nodded toward the figure, who leapt forward with a syringe locked in his grip. 

Vector's eyes widened, then lost focus as the syringe was jabbed into the side of his neck. I kept my hands on his shoulders as he lost control, falling toward the ground. I lowered him gently, letting him settle against the wall behind me. A pinch of guilt raced across my mind. Instead of going with that train of thought, I focused on the figure with a now-empty syringe in his grip. 

He was grimacing, obviously uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry for making you do this." I said, scanning the lines of his grey suit, "It's not really your style." 

"My mind is spinning." Ictus said, dropping the syringe to the ground. His eyes lifted to mine, conflicted, " - I barely remember you. Xandra said I got your bag back for you, at the train station? You'd told her that?" 

I nodded, smiling. A wisp of wind blev my hair across my eyes, "Yes. Small world." 

Ictus nodded, agreeing. He glanced at Vector again. "He's my colleague, you know. It's weird seeing him without a mask. I feel awkward." 

Glancing down, I studied Vector's features. His eyelids were closed, lashes dark against his cheekbones. There was something serene about his expression, but I knew it wouldn't stay that way for long. Once he woke up he would be more than furious. I was sure he'd flatten me into the pavement, but if things panned out the way Xandra and me had envisioned .. then he would be more than grateful to me. 

When Xandra had told me Ictus was going to help, I hadn't trusted her course of action at first. Sure, I'd had a run in with the super when he got my bag back for me back when I first arrived here, but otherwise I'd seen little to nothing of him, save for some articles in the papers. Perhaps that was because he had the ability to turn invisible, but I assumed he was mostly low-key. Luckily he was more than willing to help with saving the city and all, even if it involved drugging his colleague. 

"You're doing it for the right cause." I said, " - I believe .. we'll have it wrapped up nice and tidy by doing this."

Ictus was staring at me now, the moon directly behind him, highlighting his silhouette. 

"I hope so. I'm not sure he'll let this slide. Maybe I'll get fired." He frowned, eyes switching to study Vector's face again. 

"Better being fired than dead." I moved toward Vector, hoisting him up again, "I'm going to need your help here."

Slightly reluctantly, Ictus moved toward the unconscious body of his colleague and/or boss, "I'm so fired for this."