Rapscallion

My Toothbrush Bites the Dust (or Carpet)

I lean against the doorframe of my bathroom with a towel wrapped around my waist, watching the news as steam billows out behind me.

"Yet another bank has been robbed, this time at the corner of Main and Bradbury." The reporter, black haired and petite, stands in front of the aforementioned bank where caution tape flaps in the wind and police still swarm. "It has been confirmed that the suspect is indeed the notorious Gray and his companion. More information on the robbery is to come, but what we're really wondering is this—" the reporter pauses for effect, staring dramatically into the camera, "where is our hero, and will he ever catch this cunning criminal?"

I momentarily forget that I have a mouth full of toothpaste and a toothbrush hanging out of my mouth and yell, "Not today he won't!" The toothbrush tumbles to the carpet and the words come out garbled, sounding more like, "Na tada ee won!"

Ah, well. No one around to see me anyways. I lean over and pluck the toothbrush off the carpet, frowning when it comes away with hair sticking to it. I glare at the beast in question, who looks up at me with somber chocolate eyes, tongue lolling out. Okay, so maybe someone did see that.

"Now look what you've done, Edgar," I scold, but my dog only thumps his tail twice and looks at me unapologetically.

"Really though," I tell him. "I have to vacuum at least twice a week with all that damn hair on the floor."

Edgar levers his hairy self off that nasty orange couch and jumps to the floor, giving a shake just to prove my point and sending dog hair flying all over my apartment. I wrinkle my nose and do my best to look down at him in disdain, but those warm eyes and furry face melt my resolve immediately. I huff and ruffle his ears affectionately.

"You're lucky you're so damn cute," I grumble.

At first I think it's his tail I hear thumping on the ground. Then I realize someone is knocking because the door is trembling so hard I'm afraid it might bring down the entire complex.

Who in hell? It's nearly ten at night!

The door gives another violent shake.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming!" I yell, crossing to peek out the peephole. I nearly choke on my toothbrush when I see the face glaring at me.

"Gray!" he demands, giving my poor door another violent smack. "Open up or I swear I will knock this door down!"

I glance down at myself and scramble backwards from the door. I've still got toothpaste smeared all over my face and a towel wrapped around my waist. No way am I opening that door. He's just going to have to wait it out until I'm a bit more presentable.

The door gives a heave and flies inward, narrowly missing Edgar and crashing on my coffee table.

Well damn. I glare at the man who steps through the doorway in all his superhero glory like he owns the place, blond hair only slightly ruffled from his exertion. His green eyes are sparking and a dark aura swirls around him as he turns on me, face livid.

"Are you kidding me, Gray?" he roars, closing the distance between us alarmingly fast. "You scheduled a heist on the day of my wedding?"

Meet Void. He's a superhero with the power of absorption. He's also my nemesis, but when we're not working we get along great, so we can usually put our differences aside.

I shrug defensively. "What? It's not like you could have stopped me anyway."

He growls, and that cloud around him swirls faster, darker. I skitter backward through a chair to avoid the dark tendrils whipping out toward me, seeking to soak in my strength.