Arch Frenemies

Part 32: Planning Is Everything

As if reading her thoughts, Toxic called out to her,
"Don't punish yourself Star, what happened last night... With the speeders, with..."
He paused for a second, as if searching for the right word.
"With that rat Dauntless... It wasn't your fault okay?"

She ignored him and stepped into the shower.
Aluminum Dials.....
She groaned to herself, furiously snatching a towel off of the rack, wrapped it around herself, and pushed the door open just a crack as she peered up at her rival. Taking a deep breath, and as calmly as possible, she asked him to turn the tap on.
When he tried to continue, she held her hand over his mouth to shut him up.
"The tap, just the tap." She hushed.

"Fine." He grumbled and stepped inside.
Toxic twisted the knob and hot, steaming water streamed out of the silver shower tap.
He reached in to feel the temperature and she found her gaze to be completely captured by the view of Toxic's back. He was still shirtless, wearing only his black silk pajama bottoms.
His back was bare, just like his chest.
Toxic wasn't one for much body hair. From his just barely toned shoulders, her eyes trailed down his spine, to his waist that tucked in ever so slightly. Suddenly a strange but easily identifiable emotion took over, it was guilt. An emotion as strange to her, as it was strange for Toxic to detect to be coming from her.

His body, which was leant casually against the shower frame suddenly stiffened.
The guilt empath turned around and stared at the first time offender suspiciously.

"It is my fault." She admitted, desperate to end this uncomfortable silence, and to rid her insides of this new emotion. "I didn't even try to fight Quickstep and ChaCha. I just ran... Heroes don't run, EVER." The hero shifted her weight, clutching the towel tightly around her.
"Then I run into... him."
Galaxy hissed, avoiding saying her attacker's name.
"And I couldn't even fight him off. Him, the guy I used to wipe the floor with in the training ring! I practically just let him take advantage of me! I am stronger than all of that!"

The suspicion in his eyes faded and he stepped closer, placing a hand firmly on her bare shoulder, causing her to let out another sigh; though she wasn't sure it was the loss of her power or just his touch that caused it.
"Don't say that. Don't even THINK along that line, okay?!"
He stared intensely at his childhood companion with big stormy brown eyes.
"You were in shock and it threw your powers off. He took advantage of you. You are not the one to blame here!"

He was right, as usual. Though that didn't help much with her self-loathing.
Toxic crossed his arms.
"Now take your shower, get dressed. After that, we'd go downstairs and kick some ballroom dancing ass, and then we'd plan on how to kick some real ones."
The criminal prodigy smirked encouragingly.

"Plan?" She raised an eyebrow, causing the corner of his mouth to twitch into an arrogant grin.
"Yes, planning, the thing one of us is actually good at. We will plan your next battle down to the detail, without leaving any loophole for fear. You are a champion, you know; but let me help you my dear hero."
She crossed her arms to match his.
"But that's cheating. I have to do it myself or else my 'redemption' won't count, right?"

"True..." He grinned.
"But I wouldn't be who I am if I followed rules right? They didn't, why should I? Besides there's two of them, and only one of you. I'm just evening out the playing field from behind the scenes."

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A/N: I will forever love Toxic with all my heart. So much of my innocent teenaged self is in him, in both of them actually, and I'm so happy I finally get to share them with you guys after so many years.
Happy Sunday y'all.

-QueenOfGeeks