How To Be a Super-Villain {an origin story}

3 • Acquire Mortal Sidekicks

"Don't stress over me, Henderson. I know you are in love with me and all, but frowning too much will give you wrinkles." Austin says lazily, folding his raised arms behind his head and getting as comfortable as he can against the brick wall, not caring if the grass leaves stains on his burgundy graduation gown with all his wriggling around.

Myra lets out a frustrated snort, "In love with you? Keep dreaming. And I know you dream about me all the time, you dumb horny boy."

Austin slides her an amused look and winks, "Well let's make that dream a reality, shall we, Princess?"

"Don't look at me like that. And don't call me 'Princess'. I'm a fucking queen."

"I know you are. And you know that I'll treat you like my goddess if you only let me."

I crack my neck and cut in languidly, "Simmer down, kids. I swear to God if you two start having sex right here and now I will cut you both."

That does the trick, and they both turn to me with varying levels of mortification and "Whaaaat? No...." faces. 

"Why on Earth do you think I'll ever sleep with this thing?" Myra scoffs at me, but I can sense her mind going haywire and I have to concentrate so that my mind doesn't enter hers in her state of vulnerability.

Austin takes offense at that and fires back an insult, and the two are launched back into another sexual-tension-riddled argument. I let out a tired sigh, bringing my legs up against my chest again, and rest my elbows on my kneecaps as I tune them out.

Myra Henderson and Austin Rivera have been my best friends since we met in kindergarten. Being in a private school all our lives helped us develop and strengthen our bond. As that bond strengthened, my mental bond with their minds did as well. I can enter their minds the easiest, and read and manipulate their brains with no trouble at all.

I try not to make close friends. Two is enough for me. Two brains that can too-easily succumb to my will is enough for me. It's all I can handle at this point.

I lift my head and look at the parking lot across the front lawn of the school campus, where the stage and seats have been set up. Cars are just beginning to pull in, and I know the event coordinator hired just for this occasion will be rounding up the students and herding them back inside the gym so we can march out uniformly and fill our seats in a bit.

Just as I predicted, the event coordinator power walks towards our trio, but doesn't bother to slow down as she orders us to get in the gym and then passes us to move onto other clusters of lazing graduates. Obediently, we push ourselves off the grass and make our way towards the gym doors. Myra chatters excitedly about some new topic as Austin pretends to listen. I'm just nervous to get this day over with and get on with the more exciting night. My real graduation.

As we squeeze through the double-set doors into the gym with the throng of burgundy-clad students, I feel a probing gaze burning into the back of my neck. I've felt that foreign and inexplainable sensation a few times in my life, but I've never found the source. Lately its been happening a lot more. I know it's a person though. There's always a stronger mind that I find in the crowd of minds, but every time, before I can figure out the secrets that that mind holds, it always vanishes. This time, I'm determined to figure out what is going on.

I force myself not to turn around, and then slowly reach out with my mind. I stumble on the back of Austin's dress shoes but ignore his joking jibes at my coordination. I need to focus. Allowing Myra and Austin to guide me to wherever we have to go, I slowly reach out with my mind, letting the energy move like tentacles. Sifting through dozens of minds nearby me, I start to get a little frustrated when its been too long. The heat is dissipating - which means the person is either leaving or not concentrating on me as much as before. Both is bad news, because I still haven't found the usually prominent mind that's controlling the focused stare.