The Overly Complicated Life of a (Self-Proclaimed) Villain

Chapter 6

Elliot

I know it's a long shot: drawing out Erebus, while simultaneously looking like your about to hurt someone when the actual intent is to keep everyone safe. I knew exactly what I had to do. I had to shoot Erebus right in the chest with this gun, and hopefully, it will work.

I was jumping through the city, mask on, hair shining, ebony lab coat flowing out behind me: the normal look for Dr. Nihilistical.

I was proud of it, do you know how many authentic black lab coats exist? None. I had to sew it myself.

The arduous task of being a supervillain-- otherwise known as-- my life.

As I got closer to the meeting place, I began to hear sirens behind me. They were five minutes late. Erebus was also late. I straightened my posture when I was atop an apartment building to catch my breath. I was an evil scientist, not an evil athlete.

Suddenly I heard this creaking noise behind me, I swirl and see Erebus emerging from a skylight on the roof of the building. His back is facing me, and I make no sound.

It's not creepy at all if you think about it, I wanted to know what he'd do next. I'm curious.

He looks around, not in my general direction, and seems to have taken a deep breath. Relief? How dare he not show relief until checking in a full 360-degree circle?

And so, I tap him on the shoulder and he jumped a mile.

"You do realize that you missed an arc of 180 degrees when you refused to look at me." He turned and faced me-- it seemed that relief crossed his face.

"Oh, hey!"

Hey? What the hell is wrong with him?

"Get up, Nemesis, aren't you ready to face your fate?"

Erebus stood up and adjusted his suit, "Yeah, I guess so."

I stood back, gun at the ready when the words hit me. "What do you mean you 'guess so?'" I was looking at him closer now-- he looked exhausted, "Did you sleep last night?" Erebus stared back at me-- there was something in his eyes that said he appreciated my concern but his mouth said otherwise. "I'm just trying to see if this is a fair fight, I don't want you to just bend over easily and loose."

Bend over easily? What am I saying?

"I'm fine, you're fine, the police and news crews have surrounded the building, we might as well fight," Erebus spoke up after a minute of silence from the both of us. I backed up just as a gust of wind flourished my lab coat and aimed my weapon: it shouldn't matter where I hit him, it won't hurt him when I do because it will be me, and I can shoot up to five times, it got late last night, it was either more ammo or more sleep.

I was knocked out of my mind with the image of Erebus running for me and I shot.

Bleddyn

There was a spot open. I took it. It wasn't that hard, trust me. I had spent far too long just staring at him, but when he pointed the gun at me-- even though I was ninety-nine percent sure it wouldn't kill me-- I still ran to go and get it. It seemed the right thing to do, after all, I didn't know it would hit me and hurt so bad. After he had fired I had stopped mid-run and collapsed. I saw the look on his face-- it was not what I expected-- he was devastated. He dropped the gun, felt his face, cursed underneath his breath, and then ran over to me.

He began to pull my body behind a structure that would block us from the streets and then began looking me over muttering under his breath, "I knew I should have tested this at least once, Erebus, you'll never hear me say this but I'm sorry."

I heard him. I loved him.

Then I felt him tapping my face to arouse me from my state of wavering consciousness. I blinked up at his face, his eyes covered in a mask of dark ebony, making his topaz eyes pop with a fiery passion. I knew what the mask covered-- an eyebrow piercing over his left eye and the face of the most beautiful person I'd ever meet. His white hair spiked at the quip and now that I was this close I saw a tattoo behind his right ear, three-pointed stars, and through them lay a scar. I wanted to trace it, to feel it under my hand, but I just looked up at him, the hood of my suit had fallen off, leaving my mask covered and revealing my tied up hair that was still as messy as the night he came into the restaurant.

The sun was at the tip of the sky-- midday maybe-- I hadn't kept track of when I got home to when Chloe stopped talking with me. Is she still in my apartment? Who knows.

I broke out of my thoughts with Nihil-- Elliot-- speaking to me: "Where does it hurt, what do you feel like?"

I spout out quick quips of answers and notice that he is writing stuff down, "Are you using me as a lab rat?"

"Unintentionally, everyone who was around the building is gone, they figure the fight was over or maybe thought we moved to a second location."

"Idiots, you never go to a second location: John Mulaney said so." He laughed and continued to write things down. I sat up and peered over his shoulder to what he was writing. "Your penmanship is illegible, how on Earth do you deal with it?"

"You take a class in Evil Medical School just over the 'hard-to-read-penmanship' that all evil scientists have."

"You're telling me you went to an Evil Medical School, just like Dr. Evil?"

"Yes, however, I am not Doctor Evil, I am Doctor Nihilistical."

"Technically they mean basically the same things. But you're right, you're hotter." I started to regret this entire conversation.

"That is a true statement. I am glad you take the time to notice the pain I go through every day just to make sure I'm an attractive supervillain. We all can't be Tom Hiddleston's Loki." We both laughed.

"I know you live in this building," he added, "do you want me to help you back in?"

"Just open the skylight," he stood, I stood, "I can manage from there. Besides, a superhero never lets their villain into the lair, it may disclose their secret identity."

"We hardly have secret identities anymore, well given time, we won't."

"I guess it happens to every superhero and villain?"

"In real life it does." He opened the skylight, "Well thanks, now I know my fancy gadget doesn't work. I'll be back to test another one."

I laughed. He laughed. I gave him a wink, "Hopefully it works, I want to see what your amazing mind can do."

Then he disappeared and I entered my flat.

The next morning I would wake up in a totally different building with a totally different face.