𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘 .•* 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐒𝐎𝐍

𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 I

if you guys are looking for something to read in the meantime, I highly recommend Shine (a shinee outsiders au) by kikisfuneralservice and Invulnerable (another invincible fic) by pearlsoda!  I hope this chapter was worth the wait :)

Why I Hate Looking in the Mirror

•••

The drive back had a bizarre aura that I couldn't place.  It made my heartbeat erratic just to be near it, and the conversation died as quickly as it picked up.  The whole thing with Rick had affected everybody, and clearly William most of all. 

I tried to be as comforting if a presence possible, but what can you say to remedy that?  To not only go from learning superheroes lived right down the street, but also then firsthand experience the impact overnight... and be entirely powerless against it.  Nothing could prepare someone for that.

As much as I loved being with my friends, I was thoroughly excited to go home. To take a long nap, to enjoy relaxing and doing a whole lot of nothing.

"Bye guys," I said, somewhat awkwardly, departing from the back seat.  I felt like even that was too loud.

"Bye," Mark and William echoed, their voices different levels of reserved.  Part of me wanted to linger, wanted to address the elephant in the room that wouldn't ever seem to leave, but a bigger part of me knew it wouldn't make much of a difference.

The elephant wasn't going to leave, I figured.  Only shrink over time.

When I walked in the door, I was sourly greeted with an unfriendly face.

"How did you find me?" I asked, too shocked and too frustrated to say anything else.

Minta sat at my kitchen table, posture relaxed with a smug smile on her face.  Her ears were just as pointy, her skin the same shade of orange. Seeing her made my stomach churn, and if I'd ate anything earlier, it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine it coming up and onto the floor. Now, though, she had a black eyepatch.

Minta shrugged.  "You'd be surprised how easy it is to find people these days," she remarked, pushing herself lazily up and out of the chair.  "Even universally - the galaxy is a lot smaller than you think it is."

Minta crept forward, advancing on me.  I took a slight step back, peering outside to check if my friends were still there - of course, they weren't.  They must've just left.

"Why are you here?" I asked now, only a few paces in front of the door.  I was less afraid than I was aggravated.  I was less apologetic than I was apathetic.

"No warm welcome?"  Minta asked, her one eye gazing at me with fraudulent disappointment. Her outfit consisted of a full length catsuit, off white with pink decals.

"You're in my house," I stated, deflecting the question.  Arms crossed over my chest, I felt underdressed in my street clothes.

"Right," Minta said with a sinister laugh. A strange crunching noise originated from her hands, her fingers growing into jet black claws. "Welcome home, Affinity."

Minta swung at me and I did all I could to maneuver out of the way. Her claws left scratch marks on the wooden door, getting just slightly stuck. In retaliation, I threw a punch to her jaw, jostling her.

"Who even are you," I complained, feeling myself begin to charge up. Even the littlest bit of pain from hitting the door was enough to get me started. "Why are you only targeting me?"

"You've got a lot to learn," Minta replied, swinging another blow at me. It fell short as I ducked, just gracing my shoulder.

Unfortunately for me, that's what she was hoping for. Minta's other orange hand came up to grab my forehead, feeling like she was sinking her claws into my skull. Immediately, a sense of vertigo filled me.