The Undoing Of Villains | ✓

ten

(a/n:  tysm for reaching the goal again! you have me killing my keyboard ... either way, here's the new chapter, do enjoy!)

(a/n 2: also dedicated to MstryGrlOfficial for the votes, comments, and reading lists you're kind enough to dedicate to me! much love <3)

ten

BRANN was still knocked out cold when I got home. It felt surreal, after the night's events, to return to my tiny apartment. It seemed so .. normal, in a way. At the same time, incredibly unrealistic as I had been doing my best Spiderman impression up a forty story building a mere hour before. Jon Watts would've been impressed. 

And now I was cradling the city's best super's sidekick in my arms. He was probably around fourteen, so naturally I felt bad for him. I had a few shirts which would probably fit him - considering he was a scrawny thing - but I would never in my life change his unconscious form myself.  That was one, two, four thousand steps too far. 

I settled for dumping him on the sofa, then stretched and resisted groaning in relief when a locked muscle in my neck popped. I was halfway asleep, but I needed to be awake for when scrawny Brann woke up. 

His spike updo, presumably done with gel or wax of sorts, was halfway melted, and I saw that it had a reddish tone. Crossing the room to turn the lights on, I got a better look at his face - 

Round cheeks, round nose, round, closed eyes. Blonde lashes, reddish-brown hair. There was dust clinging to virtually every strand of hair on his head, and I winced, imagining I'd have to clean that up later. 

What a mess you've made, all on your own. Fancy trademarking it?

I really didn't, and settled for turning on the cheap coffee maker I'd actually made the effort to invest in, brewing the strongest possible cup I could. No way I would fall asleep before the little sapling woke up, if I let that happen the stars only knew what'd happen to me. 

However, I really wanted to shower. And change. Maybe I did have time for that, if I executed the world's quickest scrub-and-clothe. 

Drumming my fingers against the counter, I waited until the light turned off on the coffeemaker, then blew lightly on the cup. Chugging it in one go wasn't the most gentle course of action for my throat, but the scalding warmth did wonders to shake me out of my tired mindset. 

"Holy-" I choked out, forcing myself to swig the rest. The caffeine would hit me like a punch to the face, I was sure. Glancing at the boy on the couch, I watched how his chest rose and fell evenly. 

The light from a passing car crept through my half-closed window blinds, illuminating his half-tarnished suit, the various patches of dirt and soot accumulated on his body after the eventful night. In the quick light from the passing car, I saw he had a belt wrapped around his waist - 

It seemed filled with gadgets of different kinds, and I frowned, dumping the empty cup in the sink. The belt proved far from easy to remove, but after a few twists and turns with the magnetic lock it loosened with a click, allowing me to pull it off him. 

Entertaining myself with Brann's Vector-given gadgets? Jackpot!

Before I could play with the belt anymore, I heard my phone ping from my bedroom. I fetched it quickly, glancing at the notifications lighting up my screen. The family group chat - of course. Austin O'Hare -  the youngest family member, ever the worrywart - had sent well over a dozen messages, linking the news of the skyscraper's collapse. Connor, a year younger than me, had joined in.