Super

18 - Don't Brag Drezzy-Poo

"Do I get up every morning and ask: am I doing the things that I believe in and am I doing them for the best possible motives? Yes. Unambiguously yes."

– Nick Clegg

Annie's P.O.V.

Seven lines were carved into the stonewall next to me to match my striped jumpsuit (totally cliché, by the way). The rest of the small cell stank like pee and my cellmate was watching me with an expression very similar to one I'd seen on Discovery Channel of a lion eyeing up its prey. I gulped.

Outside the cell, Finn paced impatiently, raking his long fingers through his strawberry-blonde hair. It didn't help that all he seemed to be able to mutter was obscenities. His brother had left ages ago, giving up on trying to get Finn to leave me, but being the sweet guy he was, Finn stayed glued to my cell bars. Finally, there was a loud buzz and a door next to Finn slid open with a screech. He didn't even flinch. I, on the other hand, cowered further into the wall, finding refuge in the jagged lines carved next to my ear.

"Annabelle Collins?" A scratchy voice asked. The man it belonged to didn't bother looking up from his clipboard as he stood outside the holding cell. Even my cellmate had stopped licking her lips at me to watch him in curiosity.

"Um, y-yeah?" I stuttered, trying to sound composed, but instead sounding like I was standing in the frozen tundra in nothing but a bathing suit. That's how badly my teeth were chattering.

"Someone's here for you."

Seven Hours Earlier...

"First things first," Finn said, raking his long fingers through his hair. "We need to rescue the other supers. Or at least your friends."

"And how do you propose we do that?" I asked. "The address Obsidian Black gave me wasn't even the right address!"

"That's easy," the Claw said, "go meet Arson again."

"Are you bipolar?" I squealed, "you're the one who yelled at me for meeting him in the first place!"

"Because you sold out your friends!"

"But you didn't know that," I countered.

"But I did know something was wrong," the Claw cocked an eyebrow. Both hands were placed lightly on her hips, but I knew her well enough to know she was gripping her sides, digging in her nails as she tried to concentrate.

"What makes you think he'll even come? We've made the exchange."

"Look, they obviously bugged it the first time to know when you'd show up. If I had to bet, I'd say they're still watching that damn café."

"Fine."

"Fine?"

"I'll meet him."

"That's my girl!" Claw momentarily forgot her annoyance to squeeze me in a tight bear hug.

"Yeah, yeah," I laughed, shooing her away. Secretly, I was terrified to meet Arson. I was scared he would laugh in my face and tell me there was no way he would give them up. Or worse, he could tell me it was too late to save them... And then there was always the case of the Invisible Hand. What if Arson told IH? What if IH showed up to stop me? I knew for a fact that I wouldn't be able to keep it together if he started flirting with me. Villain or not, there would always be a small, stupid part of me that was still crazy about the spandex-clad teenager.