[Entry 09] Glass Houses
Challenge: [186] Black and White
Title: Glass Houses
Word Count: 466
Notes: ...we have nine entries already? I have absolutely no clue where that title came from. Aaaaand this makes more sense if you've seen The Incredibles and Lilo & Stitch. And even then, I doubt it works, what with my annoying habit of being ~*vague*~.
PG-13 for the mention of a violent death (?).
A Nobody, a Super, and morality issues.
~~~
“You aren’t seeing things.”
He shook his head lightly and grinned. “You’re going to have to prove it.”
The woman smiled and looked out onto the pool beyond the glass walls. She looked like a dream standing there, sunlight refracting off white hair. Green eyes, dark skin, pink lips, stick frame. The only thing that grounded her to reality was the heavy grey sweater she wore over a casual sundress.
“You must be here to see Edna,” she continued as though not hearing him.
“E? Yeah. We need a uniform in size shrimp for our newest member.” He shoved his hands into his jeans and leaned his shoulder against the pane of glass. The sunlight warmed his leather jacket and t-shirt underneath.
“No more Organization XII?”
“Thirteen of us now.” His grin stretched. “Familiar with my work?”
“I’ve read your file. Only villains Edna Mode has ever dealt with.”
“Oh dear. I think you’ve got the wrong impression. We’re not all bad.”
She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, a silent consent to continue.
“There was this one time, in Kauai. I was tracking this alien. Turns out he was best friends with this little surfer girl. She was what, five? She went up on this killer wave and I saw this Heart- this shark coming out of the water at her. Shot it in the head. She deserved that wave.” He laughed. “Guess that’s nothing next to you hero types.”
Now she laughed, quiet and derisive. “And you thought I had the wrong impression?” She turned away from the window view, smiled. But something in that smile had teeth. Sharp ones. It stopped the man’s breath short.
She paused, looking at him from beneath a white sweep of hair, then continued. “Once upon a time, a little girl’s mother didn’t want anything to do with her boss’s disgusting advances. So he shot the little girl’s mother.”
Her heels click-click-clicked on her way to him and he was reminded horribly of the sound of no bullets, the desperation and panic he could feel once. He gulped, Adam’s apple bobbing.
“One day, the girl grew up and found the man. And during their little chat the man became so overcome with guilt, the girl suggested he end all that pain. He did.” Her eyes were startlingly green this close, glinting in the sunlight. They were the green of an oasis in the middle of a desert: everything he could ever want, anything he could ever believe, gone in an instant.
“Bang,” she said, and the power in her eyes was gone. Her smile curved wide as he shivered; rolling his shoulders back as though in preparation.
“Ooh, I like you,” he said. He offered a hand to shake. She took it.
“Xigbar.”
“Mirage.”
Title: Glass Houses
Word Count: 466
Notes: ...we have nine entries already? I have absolutely no clue where that title came from. Aaaaand this makes more sense if you've seen The Incredibles and Lilo & Stitch. And even then, I doubt it works, what with my annoying habit of being ~*vague*~.
PG-13 for the mention of a violent death (?).
A Nobody, a Super, and morality issues.
~~~
“You aren’t seeing things.”
He shook his head lightly and grinned. “You’re going to have to prove it.”
The woman smiled and looked out onto the pool beyond the glass walls. She looked like a dream standing there, sunlight refracting off white hair. Green eyes, dark skin, pink lips, stick frame. The only thing that grounded her to reality was the heavy grey sweater she wore over a casual sundress.
“You must be here to see Edna,” she continued as though not hearing him.
“E? Yeah. We need a uniform in size shrimp for our newest member.” He shoved his hands into his jeans and leaned his shoulder against the pane of glass. The sunlight warmed his leather jacket and t-shirt underneath.
“No more Organization XII?”
“Thirteen of us now.” His grin stretched. “Familiar with my work?”
“I’ve read your file. Only villains Edna Mode has ever dealt with.”
“Oh dear. I think you’ve got the wrong impression. We’re not all bad.”
She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, a silent consent to continue.
“There was this one time, in Kauai. I was tracking this alien. Turns out he was best friends with this little surfer girl. She was what, five? She went up on this killer wave and I saw this Heart- this shark coming out of the water at her. Shot it in the head. She deserved that wave.” He laughed. “Guess that’s nothing next to you hero types.”
Now she laughed, quiet and derisive. “And you thought I had the wrong impression?” She turned away from the window view, smiled. But something in that smile had teeth. Sharp ones. It stopped the man’s breath short.
She paused, looking at him from beneath a white sweep of hair, then continued. “Once upon a time, a little girl’s mother didn’t want anything to do with her boss’s disgusting advances. So he shot the little girl’s mother.”
Her heels click-click-clicked on her way to him and he was reminded horribly of the sound of no bullets, the desperation and panic he could feel once. He gulped, Adam’s apple bobbing.
“One day, the girl grew up and found the man. And during their little chat the man became so overcome with guilt, the girl suggested he end all that pain. He did.” Her eyes were startlingly green this close, glinting in the sunlight. They were the green of an oasis in the middle of a desert: everything he could ever want, anything he could ever believe, gone in an instant.
“Bang,” she said, and the power in her eyes was gone. Her smile curved wide as he shivered; rolling his shoulders back as though in preparation.
“Ooh, I like you,” he said. He offered a hand to shake. She took it.
“Xigbar.”
“Mirage.”