Arch Frenemies

Part 25: Masked

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The guards offered them polite nods before scanning their fingerprints and letting them in.
Galaxy's hand quickly snaked its way around the crook of his arm, pulling her body right next to his. Toxic didn't mind; it was nice not to hear everyone's guilt rattling around in his cerebral cortex, for once, it was soothing to be just to be alone in his own mind. The place was crowded, dimly lit, and popular music was blasting from the speakers onto the small but densely-packed dance floor. "Eyes peeled." She recited.
Together, they pushed through the mass of sweaty and intoxicated bodies, looking for the Speeders. But they had no such luck, they Speeders weren't anywhere to be found.
"They are not here; I guess we should just go back to the room." She sighed disappointedly.
"Or maybe they are not just here yet..." Toxic started to say before a heavy German accent called out towards them. "Hallo, little Liebhaber, happy to see you made it. Come, we saved you a seat." It was Ambassador Hans; he sat beside his wife and nodded to the empty seat beside him. Not letting go of Galaxy's hand, Toxic plopped down onto it.
"But there is only one chair..." Before she could finish, in one swift motion Toxic pulled her into his lap. She gulped; eyes widened in surprise and a little bit of fascination at Toxic’s liberties. How dare him!  
"We only need one seat my love, all the better for me to have you in my arms." he mocked affection, wrapping his arms around her waist and shooting her a just go with it look.
"So does anyone know if the Cha-cha champions will be making an appearance?" She asked leaning back against his chest. "Who cares about those two, let's talk about you two. You make the cutest couple. Look at you both, young love." The German Woman beamed. "You both look just made for each other, but is it true you were arranged? How did that happen?" Another woman possibly Polish, asked from across the table.

Toxic and Galaxy shared a worried look; this was unfamiliar territory.
"Well... His dad knows my dad, our father’s kind of go way back." She answered in what unknown to the others, was actually the masked truth. "So you've known each other for a long time then?" The Woman asked again. She was really nosy for someone who had yet to introduce herself.

"Actually yeah..." The hero on his lap turned and looked at him.
"I don't actually remember a time before he was a part of my life, a big part."
She added sincerely. Toxic was stumped; he was never good at faking the touchy feely stuff.
He barely even understood it. They tried to grill their table companions for a little bit of information on The "Dutch" couple, but nobody seemed to know anything. After a few drinks, virgin ones for his "lady love" of course, they admitted defeat and hand-in-hand, exited the club. Once in the elevator, her hand still clung onto his; it was as though she had simply forgotten she’d been holding onto him. Toxic said nothing until the elevator reached their floor.

"You know you're still holding my hand," he informed her. Instead of dropping, it she placed both arms back into the crook of his elbow. "I know, it's just nice not to have to worry about breaking things if it bothers you..."

"No, not at all. It's nice to be alone up here." he tapped at his temple with his free hand.
Her body was still tingling when they reached the room. It started when he pulled her into his lap, back at the club. Must be some weird side effect of them being in prolonged contact with each other's power. She guessed, but it didn't worry her much. As if on a timer, Toxic's laptop began to vibrate violently by his bedside, buzzing so much that the whole dresser it rested upon started to shake. Like a worried parent, he ran to it.

"It's the Speeders!" his eyes lit up with excitement. "My Mass Acceleration Displacement Scanner has picked up on their trails again. They are zipping through Paris as we speak!"
"I'm going after them!" Galaxy Girl declared eagerly.

"Not dressed like that; you're so not!" He looked up from his laptop and gave her a quick glance over.
He's right. She thought to herself, there is a reason respectable crime fighters don't work in ladies’ evening wear.
"But my costume... it was utterly destroyed in my last battle!"
"Hold that thought." He held up his hand. He nearly jogged to his giant stack of silver suitcases that occupied a corner of the room, livid with excitement. He ran his hands down the pile; as if searching for a particular piece of clothing.

"17, Number 17... Ah, here it is!" He slid a small silver case out from within the stack and slammed it onto the bed. He pressed his thumb against the fingerprint scanner and with a click, yanked it open.   
"True, I had to cut you out of the costume, but not all of it was destroyed, I did manage to save these."
At that, he lifted her mask, belt, and boots out of the box.

As Galaxy took them from him, her heart warmed at the sight of her old companions.
"I missed you." She greeted the objects out loud, as she ran her thumb over the double engraved G's on her belt buckle, her Hero initials. gifted her by her father when she was officially made a member of The Peace League.
"The boots are a little scuffed, but I did my best to remove the bloodstains from the belt." Toxic shrugged.

Reaching back inside, he pulled out a folded stack of blue and gold fabric.
As it was unrolled, and he held up an exact recreation of her official and legally trademarked costume. A full-length light blue body suit, her father's trademark star stamped across the chest, complete with the attaching long flowing golden cape. "But how... why... when?!?" Galaxy Girl stuttered in awe at the perfect copy.
"Three very excellent questions." He chuckled at her dumbfounded expression.

"When I was programming your measurements into my Sewgo machine back at the lair, this was what I first created, to test it out." He explained, placing the costume into her arms, somewhat triumphantly.
"Thank you so much!" She shrieked excitedly before turning and high tailing it to the bathroom to change.

"Oh, and Galaxy..." he called out just as she reached the bathroom door.  She turned halfway back to listen.
"As soon as you defeat those Villains, I'm taking over Paris; then I'm going to destroy you." He promised; a wicked grin spreading across his face. Yeah, he can try...

"Great, Can't wait!" She called back excitedly before slamming the door