Tie Die was skeptical. “You think we can get the two of them into the same room?”
Horrible shrugged. “We don’t really have a choice.”
“So which one do you want to get?”
“Well, I figured I’d take Hammer, of course; he is my nemesis…”
“Exactly.” She thought. “Maybe we should go for the surprise factor. He knows how to fight you, how to psyche you out. I’m a stranger.”
“Ever since the incident at the homeless shelter, he’s been completely gutless. I can take him!”
“Better to be safe than sorry, Horrible,” she said. “Besides, now that he’s trying to get back to villain-fighting, he’s going to be a challenge again. A severely brain-damaged idiot of a challenge from what I’ve heard, but still a challenge.”
“It works both ways. I know his moves better than anyone.”
“Then you can tell me his moves and I’ll tell you Bad Horse’s.” Tie Die took out one of her stun rays to make sure it was charged up.
Horrible paled considerably, though his voice gave no indication. “I’m going to be trying to knock out Bad Horse?”
She faced him. “Horrible, this is going to involve risk. You knew that when you started.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s just… the name ‘Bad Horse.’” He chuckled hollowly. “Kinda makes everything sink in.”
“Yeah.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. Can’t back out now. “You got your phone?”
He pointed to his seemingly inconspicuous black duffel bag near the door. “Along with the stun gun and some reserve…” he paused to chuckle again, “toys I packed ‘cause I thought I’d be getting Hammer.”
She tried to ignore the slight queasiness she felt at the discordantly malicious expression on Billy’s face. “Look, just wear protection over your ears for the Death Whinny and you’ll be golden.”
“Sure,” he said. Tie Die picked up her own bag of supplies first and went for the door of the apartment, but she stopped when she heard Horrible’s low murmur of… longing? She turned around. He had already bent down for his own bag. She smiled sadly and reached a hand out to touch his shoulder. His head twisted around to look at her as she bent to the ground, too. His mixed expression probably mimicked her own as they both leaned in slowly. She tilted her head a smidge at the last minute to let their lips come together softly, her forehead rubbing against his goggles and his hands gently gripping her arms.
He pulled back slowly, their lips letting each other go after a moment. “So you forgive me for the other night, I guess?” he whispered.
“I guess so.” She smiled.
“Good.” They brought their lips together again and Tie Die closed her eyes to savor the closeness for as long as she could before Horrible slowly stood up with his bag.
“I’ll, um, see you soon?”
“Yeah. Back here in the lab at ten?”
“Right.”
As Horrible left through the door and Tie Die followed, she saw a dark-haired man leaning against the bedroom’s door, grinning. Moist. She rolled her eyes but grinned back as she gave him a thumbs-up and took the bag, leaving the apartment behind and getting in her car on her way to a certain hero’s lair.
Next chapter (Chapter 15) A/N: Reviews are for writers like chocolate is to… anyone who likes chocolate. A lot. My point is-- they’re the reward of the labor. Please drop a note, whether it be a compliment or a criticism!