Enigmatic: Sapphire City Supers

Chapter 6: A Little Unpleasantness

"Well, well, Kenna. What are you doing here? Just my luck to get to see this."

I spun to face him. The Super, Cobalt, stood there with a stupid smirk on his face.

"Hello, Gregory," I spat. "I guess they didn't need you out there for long, huh? You're not really the hero of the day."

His face darkened. I could see that his ego hadn't improved over the past few years. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't call me that. And you didn't answer my question."

I scoffed. "As much as I'd love to stand here and trade barbs with you, you're actually the last person on Earth I'd like to spend any time with at all, and I don't have to answer anything to you." An energy disturbance over to my left made me pause. I looked over at the spot where I could feel the energy. "Scratch that, you're the second last person on Earth. Come out, Samantha, I know you're there. Or don't. I don't care."

The spot began to materialise into a Super in a spandex slate grey outfit. "Oh, I think you do," she purred. "And I'd prefer if you called me 'Shadow.' Cobalt loves it, as you know."

My lip curled reflexively into a sneer. "I know you think it's ironic, or whatever, that when you're invisible you don't leave a shadow, but I've told you before and I'll you again; it's not, and it's stupid. And if you think I care about anything Gregory loves anymore, you're as delusional as you are twisted."

Cobalt looked conciliatory now. "Come on, it's just Sam's sense of humour. You've been avoiding us for years; don't you think we can ever be friends, Kennie?"

"Don't you ever use that name with me again," I hissed, before turning to march past him and out the door. I was so done with this conversation, and with both of them.

I stopped dead when I saw a new figure, all dressed in black, standing in the doorway.

"Hi Kenna," Enigma said cautiously. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," I said, thankful that while he was obviously curious, he hadn't launched into twenty questions. It was unclear how much he'd heard of the conversation. "I was just leaving."

He made to move out of the way, but Shadow's voice interrupted.

"Oh, so you know the big hotshot rookie, do you?" I could tell that she was upset with him since he'd been sent in to save the hostages instead of her. Most of the Supers were egotistical babies in that way. He'd already made a nasty little frenemy in her. "You know, Kenna, for someone who wants to avoid Supers as much as you do, you sure seem to be interested in the heroes," she finished vindictively.

I shot Enigma a half apologetic, half concerned glance, but he looked a little amused.

"Sorry Sunshine, though that was charmingly expressed, I rather think you're wrong," he remarked dryly to Shadow. She made a snarling face at him.

"Enigma here was good enough to, um, help me out a mugger with a knife," I said, carefully keeping my voice neutral.

Cobalt knew all about my independent nature and abilities so, naturally, he looked sceptical. "Kenna let someone save her? That's very surprising."

"It was with the greatest reluctance, I assure you. Something seems to have put Kenna off of Supers," Enigma said mildly, with a level gaze at Cobalt.

Cobalt started to frown as we all realised what Enigma was implying, and I'd suddenly had absolutely enough of it all.

"Enigma, is there somewhere else to hang out around here? I've suddenly lost my appetite." Impulsively, I grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the green room, not bothering to say anything more to the other two. I'd sworn not to rise to Shadow's bait, or let Cobalt make my stomach churn in anger, sadness and shame, but today they'd just caught me so off guard. I should have expected it, in hindsight.