"It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend."
– William Blake
A number of things happened at once then. About half the class erupted into a cacophony as some tried swarming IH for an autograph and the other half started yelling obscenities at him, having just overheard our conversation that he was an evil dick who sold out my friends.
"Aw hell," Ashton muttered as IH teleported away from the screaming classmates and directly in front of Ciaran, "shit just got real."
Grabbing a fistful of Ciaran's V-neck and tugging him up until the two were face level, IH seethed, "you and I need to have a serious talk about the bro code."
"What's up Twinkle Toes?" Ciaran smiled a lazy grin and shot Dresden a look like can you believe this guy? Meanwhile, all I could think was that for the first time ever, I had seen Dresden Fox truly surprised. However, that surprise soon morphed into an unamused frown. Part of me hoped he was reading IH's mind and the other part hoped he was reading Ciaran's.
When I looked back to IH, it was to see his eyes blazing as he snarled, "Twinkle Toes? You're really going to regret that pretty boy." Side by side, I couldn't help but notice the stark similarities between the two boys. In fact, with their inky black hair and startling blue eyes, Ciaran and IH could easily pass for twins. Dresden may have shared eye and hair colour, but his features, like Finn's, were much sharper. Just like Finn, Dresden had high cheekbones and a jaw sharp enough to cut glass. Ciaran and IH, however, while shockingly handsome, lacked all the sharp angles that gave Dresden his dangerous edge. Although, I must say IH's ominous black mask and Ciaran's snarky attitude were doing a pretty good job of making up for what their cheekbones lacked in intimidation.
"I'm sorry," Ciaran chuckled, his eyes watering humorously as he pried IH's whitening fingers from his shirt, "I just can't take you seriously with those tights."
"It's called spandex, ass-wipe."
"It's called a leotard," Ciaran mocked.
He's winding you up!" Ashton muttered irritably.
"But I could wind you down," Nick added, wiggling his eyebrows in IH's direction and earning a smack from both Lila and Ashton.
"Weirdo," Ash muttered.
IH's fist tightened around Ciaran's shirt while the fingers on his other hand twitched, obviously itching to do some damage, but Nick apparently wasn't done.
"That's discrimination," Nick pouted.
"How?" Lila and I jumped to defend Ashton as Nick just stuck out his tongue.
"He's making fun of my gay needs!"
"Excuse me, did I call you a gay weirdo? No. So don't go throwing that homophobic prejudice bull crap at me."
"GUYS!" IH and Ciaran both shouted. We looked at them briefly before turning our attention back to each other.
"You don't have to use the word 'gay' for it to be homophobic," Nick mumbled.
"He called you a weirdo, not a fag," Lila rolled her eyes.
"Actually, he called me a fag last year."
"That was before I knew you were gay and it was because you wouldn't stop poking me!"
"So that's an excuse to use a belittling term?"
"Well no, but..."
"Are they serious right now?" Dresden watched us argue with a dazed expression on his face as he looked to Kyle for back up. Kyle just shrugged and turned back to us.
"Nick, he was just kidding around," I argued. "Weirdo isn't that offensive."
"Yeah!" Lila pitched in. "If I had a penny for every time Ashton called me weird... Well I'd be fucking broke."
"Your point?"
"You're pretty fucking weird."
"DISCRIMINATION!"
Meanwhile, IH had turned back to his victim and smirked, "I'm going to punch you now." And he did. Square on the jaw. Ciaran went reeling back, massaging his sore mouth as Mr Rye screamed a string of obscenities at the both of them.
"Nick, it's a joke," Lila groaned, oblivious to Ciaran picking himself off the ground and wiping away his blood with the back of his hand.
"You really shouldn't have done that..." Ciaran said slowly before lunging at IH who dodged expertly. All I could think was if Ciaran and Dresden were in the same room... Who the HELL was IH?!?!
By now, Ciaran had tackled IH to the ground and the two were rolling around like puppies.
"I'm the one with the balls to ask her on a date!" Ciaran yelled as he rolled so he was on top of IH. Wrapping his legs around Ciaran's back, IH flipped them over so he was straddling his opponent.
"I'm the one with the balls to kiss her," IH smirked and sent a wink down at Ciaran.
"Well I'm the one-" Ciaran managed to get back on top, "who-" he was interrupted as one of IH's clones yanked Ciaran off of the super villain. Ciaran struggled against the clone's tight grasp as IH got up and dusted himself off, sending a grateful smile to... himself?
"Boys, please stop!" Mr Rye pleaded as he watched the three of them in despair; the super and his clone stood either side of Ciaran who couldn't decide who he wanted to hit first. Would IH feel it if Ciaran kneed the clone's groin?
"Team Invisible Hand!" Nick squealed from the sidelines as Ciaran, Lila, and I shot him a glare. Ashton punched him in the shoulder, much to my relief, and Ciaran's.
"You've got a lot of nerve asking out a girl with a boyfriend," IH growled at Ciaran.
"She's not your girlfriend," Ciaran protested, tackling IH.
"She might as well be." IH rolled and stood up again. So did Ciaran.
"So?"
"So that means I have dibs."
"Boys-"
"She's not a piece of meat Invisible Hand," Ashton scoffed from the sidelines, but both boys ignored him. I shot him an embarrassed smile nonetheless.
"You're just using her!"
"Boys-"
"For what?"
"Boys!"
"You ask her out after years of being a dick? That sounds a little fishy to me."
"How do you know about that?" Ciaran blanched and shot me a withering glare and finally, I couldn't stand it any more.
"INVISIBLE HAND!" I yelled over the chaos. Everyone in the room was talking by now, making bets on who would win, debating on IH's morals, or yelling at each other for shipping one boy with me over the other. Now, every single pair of eyes turned towards me as I stalked towards the super who still held a fistful of Ciaran's shirt and wore a smug, but innocent smile. Yanking the surprised clone off of Ciaran's back, I shot him a guilty smile and whirled on the Invisible Hand. "What the HELL are you DOING?"
IH shrugged, a detached look invading his face and sealing off his emotions, "fighting for you. Isn't that what all girls want?" He raised his eyebrows at Ciaran and for once, he seemed to agree. The clone nodded too, but as soon as I turned my glare on him, he disappeared with a poof.
"No," I turned back to IH and shook my head angrily, "wrong answer." And I punched him square on the nose.
***
The girl's bathroom was quiet save for the sound of running water as I tended to IH's swollen nose. He sat on the marble counter top as I nursed his injuries, praying the meagre lock on the bathroom door was enough to keep out screaming fan girls and angry mobs alike.
Ashton had been kind enough to supply his gym tee shirt, but not before sending IH a death glare and an I'm watching you gesture and stalking off. Nick had done the same. Tease as he might, Nick was only joking around and would never actually date a super villain. Besides, he resented anything that resembled ballet and Ciaran's "leotard" comment had driven a little too close to home on that one.
"That's kind of a major turn off," he had muttered as Ash stomped away.
Now, I switched off the faucet and wrung out the damp tee shirt, lifting it to IH's bruised nose, or what I could see of it from under the edges of his leather mask.
"God damn woman," IH moaned, taking the cloth from me and pressing it against his injury. "You're worse than a fucking cell phone!"
"Yeah, that joke got old when you turned bad," I rolled my eyes.
"I was always bad," IH disagreed, "you chose to believe otherwise."
"Shut up!" I snapped, "I wouldn't have believed otherwise if you hadn't used me!"
"Annabelle-"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT."
"What? You mean your name?" IH scoffed, "get off your high horse princess. Evil villain or not, I can call you what I like and there's nothing you can do about it unless you want a reality check."
"A reality check?" My eyebrows shot into my hairline as I crossed my arms in disbelief. "What's that supposed to mean?"
IH snorted. A sharp pain shot across my cheek as his hand blurred and I turned to look in the mirror to see a large, red welt from where he had slapped me. Shocked, my mouth dropped open and I looked at him. He did look a bit guilty, but mostly he looked smug.
"ANNIE WHAT WAS THAT?" A voice screamed in my ear and I winced, having forgotten I kept my ear chip on this morning. I guess that slip triggered some nausea considering my close relationship with the boys.
"Nothing Bat Boy," I sighed.
"Tell that ass wipe that if he doesn't tone things the fuck down, I'll come over and-"
IH laughed, pulling out something small and white from his own ear and I realised he still had the ear chip we had given him before he had been labelled inherently bad. I scowled and pulled mine out as well before pocketing it and watching IH fit his own in place again. I needed to get that ear chip away from him lest he listen in on our future plans and always end up one step ahead of us. Either that, or we'd all have to get new ones. Or something cooler like Walkie Talkies. Then we could look all bad ass. If I died, they could come to my funeral and start muttering code words into the Walkie Talkies and I'll look like I led a really cool double life or something (which I kind of did, but I digress).
"Earth to Wonder Woman," IH scoffed and snapped his hands in my face. Luckily the slap didn't really hurt; it just stung a bit, but I still glowered at him nonetheless.
"I just have one question," I said, my tone clipped, as I made sure to keep my voice even and measured. IH raised an eyebrow, motioning for me to continue. "You only cloned yourself once in there and I know you can clone yourself twice, so why didn't you?"
"What?"
"You had two of you when you could have had three."
"So?"
"So you're not that stupid." I thought for a second before adding, "or modest."
IH only shrugged.
"You want to know what I think?" It was my turn to smile that easy grin as I reclined against the counter next to him, IH's swollen nose forgotten as I allowed a smug expression to grace my features. "I think that you only had one clone because the other was already in the room."
"What?" IH blanched, his face emotionless, but I could tell he was trying to hide something. Maybe it was the way his contacted eyes darted back and forth uneasily that tipped me off, but I knew he was in that math room, pulling that little stunt to try and trick me into thinking neither Dresden nor Ciaran was his secret identity. Unfortunately for him, I wasn't falling for it.
"I think..." I continued to speculate, "that you're the other clone. The real you was already in that room and you were just trying to throw me off the scent of who you really are."
"Annie, don't be ridiculous," IH sneered.
"So who is it then?" I asked, ignoring him.
"Annie, don't-"
"Dresden?"
IH flinched.
"Ciaran?"
IH rolled his eyes.
"Kyle?"
"Oh please!" IH threw up his arms before shooting me a glare and hopping off the counter. Anger flashed across his face as he opened his mouth to say something, but I'd never figure out what because IH pressed two fingers to his ear, eyes drifting away from mine as he concentrated before snapping up again to meet my gaze and vanishing before my very eyes.
Guys.... Shit goes down in the next chapter....
And I kind of hate myself for breaking my number one rule, but it's important and it's the only way to go about what happens....
BTW I BROKE IT IN A GOOD WAY DON'T WORRY lol so stay tuned ;)
And make sure to vote and/or comment :) thanks to everyone who has been doing so :D