Mind Over Mask

9. Angie

Man this guy is so dense. The Howler had proceeded to make a mess of my shop, haphazardly picking up objects and dropping them with a shudder.

Isn't he supposed to fight villains? And a fake skull scares him?

On top of that, he has to be one of the most egotistical people I've ever been around. His thoughts flowed into my mind with ease, no matter how hard I tried to block them out. I couldn't take any more of his perfectly aligned teeth, or his charming demeanor, and I certainly didn't want it invading my brain with the force of a thousand armies. I gritted my teeth and tried to focus on anything but him.

"Hey, have you ever seen a girl named Arya around here?" he looked Arya in her disguise up and down. "She has shoulder-length hair, gorgeous eyes. About your height actually, but a little thinner."

"Never heard of her," she muttered, suppressing a smirk.

"Well, anyways, tell her I said hi if she pops her head in here," he said. "So what's your power, Windstorm?"

Before she could say anything, I cut her off. "Not that you care, but I'm Angie," I said coolly. "And if you're not planning on buying anything, I suggest you leave."

His face darkened, and a thought of his came to the forefront — I don't trust her.

Pfft. He doesn't trust me? What a goof.

"Actually, I think it's important to get familiar with the newest super," he said, staring at Arya. "What with all the supers going rogue and all," he said, shifting his focus towards me.

I sensed something beneath all the nonsense his brain was vomiting at me. A guarded thought, under lock and key. Hmm... maybe I don't trust him.

"I'm not really a super," Arya chimed in after a silence that felt like a decade. "My powers are kind of unreliable," she said, looking down at her new costume.

"Well then," the Howler said as he pursed his lips. "Perhaps we should train."