For this reason, there have been times when Jay has felt superior [https://img.wattpad.com/d9e47bb6a519918ec106806cb44b5ff08ac3f250/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f5943456f564364333169564643413d3d2d313334313137303130342e313737303065393639663964333238343830303936353133303831302e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
For this reason, there have been times when Jay has felt superior. It's only natural he does since he is the only person who is able to take the most logical course of action. Of course, though, there have also been times when Jay has been humbled for assuming his superiority.
As he observes Gannet sleeping soundly, clinging to the hero in the nude, Jay realizes this is one of those times—he is not superior, he is an idiot. How did he end up here?! Literal bedfellows with a villain?
One might think it was just a momentary lapse of judgment, a bad choice caused by alcohol...but Jay had only been drunk on words, last night. He shivers as he remembers—I'm sorry, but that's not enough for me.
Looking back at their interactions, it probably should've been more obvious how Gannet felt. It probably wouldn't have been hard to ignore it and have them continue as friends...but Jay had mucked it all up by accepting the villain's advances. Now, the universe was punishing him for thinking poorly of all the other supers by entrapping him in the villain's iron grip.
Jay sighs, glancing at the sleeping man. He flushes as he notes the hickies which speckle Gannet's neck. He grits his teeth, resisting the urge to run his fingers over the evidence of his misbehavior.
Soon though, the hero is rescued from the clutches of the villain by an unlikely source—Java.
The cat leaps onto the bed, landing on Jay's chest with a trilling "mroooow!"
Gannet releases Jay from his hold, turning his focus to the black cat. The feline squeaks in protest as the dark-haired man pulls it into his arms.
"Good morning kitty," he coos groggily, burying his face in fluff.
Jay clears his throat, causing Gannet to jolt and flick his eyes open.
"Oh," the villain purrs, "I thought I just had a really good dream last night. You're really here..."
A laugh is startled out of Jay. "Yeah, ah, good morning."
Gannet sits up, stretching sinuously. "Mmm, are you hungry? I can make you some breakfast?"
"No, I have to get to work. Can I, uh, use your shower?"
"Go ahead."
"Thanks..."
Jay absconds to the bathroom, sighing as he's finally alone. He pulls his mask off, relieved to finally let his skin breathe. His hair is totally askew–standing at strange angles, stiff from sweat.
He starts the shower, sighing as he steps under the hot spray. As he observes Gannet's impressive collection of hair-care products, he can't help but begin to overanalyze what happened last night.
Most people would probably just say they'd given into temptation and had a one-night stand. But Jay, as a rule, doesn't do one-night stands. He only sleeps with people he's formed a close connection to...so what does it mean that he felt so comfortable with Gannet?
The blond groans in dismay, roughly lathering up his hair with something scented like lavender. This is the last thing he needs in his life. He needs to set the record straight with the villain—he has to make it clear that their relationship is platonic, and there would be no repeat of last night.
After washing the suds out, he dries off and dresses himself, entering the living room. Gannet is humming to himself on the couch, eating a red apple with an ecstatic grin.
"Are you heading out?"
Jay swallows nervously. Okay, now was the time, he had to tell Gannet. "Yeah. And uh—"
"Okay, hold on, I have something for you."
Gannet jumps up from the couch, skipping to the kitchen. He returns a moment later with something in his hands—a can of cold brew and a banana.
Jay's face heats as he accepts the items. "You noticed these are my favorites, huh?"
Gannet beams, bouncing on the balls of his feet giddily. "I took a guess. I wanted to know what to keep in stock in case I ever met my favorite hero. I guess I had the right idea!"
Fuck. Jay can't bring this up now, when Gannet looks so happy...he'll give the villain some time on cloud nine before breaking the bad news...
"Guess I'll have to learn your favorites too then. I know you like sweet stuff..."
Gannet smiles bashfully, a flush rising to his cheeks. "I'd love anything from you..."
Jay snorts, heading toward the door. "What if I got you something gross, like vegetable juice?"
"I said anything!" Gannet giggles, "I'd have to drink it, because it's from you!"
"Okay, now you're seriously tempting me to find the nastiest drink I can find."
"Wha—do you mistreat all your fans like this?!" The villain laughs.
"No, It's just fun to mistreat you."
Gannet flushes, giving a crooked smile as his hand comes to smooth over the necklace of hickies around his throat. The action makes Jay blush, realizing what he just said. He needs to go, before he makes another bad choice.
"Well ah—let's hang out again soon. I'll see you later..."
"Bye, Quickwit. Have a good day protecting the city!"
"Bye Gannet," have a good day terrorizing the city, he thinks.
A few moments later, Jay jumps into his car, speeding off to his destination. He doesn't want to be late—he's had a pretty okay partnership with Scoops, all things considered. He doesn't want to muck it up.
Still, he can't get used to being on camera all the time...
"Goooood morning Houston! I hope you had an amazing Fourth of July! I know I did—how about you Witty, was it worth the wait?"
Jay jolts as the golden microphone is held to his face, compelling him to tell the truth. "It exceeded all my expectations. I'm gonna be thinking about it for months..."
He groans internally, face pink. There was no way that Gannet, who watches his every move, will miss that.
Scoops must catch on, because he grins salaciously. "Dang Quickwit, good for you! Glad you had a nice holiday, you deserve it! But moving on..."
Scoops floats off the ground, gesturing to his surroundings. "Today we're in a very special location—the Houston tunnels! This network of expansive shops, restaurants, and plazas, serves not only as a hub of industry, but also as a safe haven against villain attacks. Witty, can you tell us a little about it?"
Jay perks up. He loves being able to ramble about stuff like this. "Sure, Scoops. The Houston tunnels are a network of reinforced underground passageways that lays 20 feet under the streets of downtown Houston. It was credited with saving the lives of countless citizens during the attack of 12/20, where the city was decimated by Alphaman's nemesis, Calamity."
Scoops nods. "That's right. And even twenty-five years after that tragic event, the tunnels still stand—here for citizens just in case."
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Jay opens his mouth to add on more about the construction and history of the tunnels but is cut off by several screams echoing down the tunnel. Immediately, the super duo is alert.
"Hold on viewers, it appears something is happening—let's go, sidekick."
Jay mumbles something about his name being Quickwit not sidekick, but runs after Scoops anyway. They find their target in a small plaza, surrounded by a small crowd of citizens.
The sidekick recognizes her immediately—Influentia. The villainess appears to be holding her phone up high, live-streaming in front of a bubbling fountain as a crowd of her mind-controlled fans gather around her.
The villainess appears to be holding her phone up high, live-streaming in front of a bubbling fountain as a crowd of her mind-controlled fans gather around her [https://img.wattpad.com/3b7ae0c8a1a8d16347446f0595a675322c5a080c/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f4f667a754e554e79713642646e413d3d2d313334313137303130342e313736666362333339613833323663623730363134313531323732382e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
"Influentia!" Scoops growls, "why have you taken these innocent citizens captive? Release them immediately!" [https://img.wattpad.com/dc84e2d72e06ba31fe9684ad8d1243b9c08c0cb8/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f33464242435847463735565542513d3d2d313334313137303130342e313737303065393135343331306463353835333138303530383132302e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
"Influentia!" Scoops growls, "why have you taken these innocent citizens captive? Release them immediately!"
Influentia pays no mind to the heroes, completely captivated by her phone. "Hey guys! I'm here in Houston's downtown tunnels—my nemesis Scoops just appeared!"
The woman cackles, waving a glowing pink hand. Immediately, the crowd surrounding her turns to the heroes, snarling with rage. "So cute that he thinks he can take me here, where he can barely fly. At least he has his new sidekick with him. What's his name again? Quickwiz?"
"Quickwit," Jay sighs.
"Ew. Anyway—a few days ago SuperNewsDaily released an article ranking villains by attractiveness, and they ranked me third. How? Even that emo-kid wannabe Stygian ranked higher than me?!"
"Maybe you should try black," Jay deadpans.
"Ugh! No way!" Influentia spits, "I need my revenge—and who better to receive it than SuperNewDaily's favorite reporter?"
The woman raises her hands, smiling maniacally. The crowd surges forward, running toward the heroes. Jay dodges a wide-eyed man, kicking him away just before he's tackled to the ground. He clutches his weapon tightly—he can't retaliate! These are all innocent citizens!
He glances towards Scoops. Just as the woman planned, the hero is unable to fly away from the clawing hands. Thinking quickly, Jay rushes to help him. "I'll hold them off, you stop her Scoops!"
Scoops nods, struggling free as Jay pulls a rabid woman from his cape. The super-powered hero weaves through the crowd toward Influentia as Jay formulates a plan.
"Hey! Fanboys! Influentia is a boring excuse of a supervillain, and those "tummy teas'' she promotes on her social media just make you shit all your water weight!"
The fans scream with indignation, surging toward Jay. Not even attempting to fight off the rabid crowd, he flees, searching for somewhere to take safe-haven.
He finds his answer—there's a sunglasses stand, now lying empty of the pushy salesman. Jay scales the side of the structure, standing on the mock straw roof.
The mind-controlled citizens scream with rage, shaking the support beams. Damn—is this what it means to have thousands of devoted fans? Jay's glad he just has to contend with just one of them...
He glances over to where Scoops is battling Influentia. Despite having an advantage due to his strength and size, she's not so easy to defeat. She nimbly dodges each attempted blow, using her remaining fans as human shields so Scoops can't get any hits in.
Jay opens his phone, opening his social media—he finds her livestream immediately. He presses the comment now button—
Quickwitted2050!: What a pathetic villain.
Quickwitted2050!: She can't even catch me with her powers, and I'm a sidekick!
Jay watches as in unison, the crowd of raging fans peer down at their phones, typing furiously.
Villianfan101: @Quickwitted2050! you did NOT just disrespect the queen like that
Supegirl222: @Quickwitted2050! U think u can mansplain villainy to her?! I'm going to kill you!
Mrfan20: @Quickwitted2050! We'll see howe high and mighty you are wehn your dead, sidekick!
StygWit5Ever: @Quickwitted2050! Spitting facts! Get them, Quickwit! 💜
His plan works. All of the fans rush toward the stall, causing the sidekick to yelp as the structure begins to sway dangerously.
It doesn't last though, as finally, without her bodyguards, Influentia is restrained by the hero.
"Release the citizens from your thrall, villain!"
The young woman grimaces, struggling in his hold. "Gah! You're ruining my hair! Fine!"
Jay sighs with relief as the fans finally stop their tantrum, looking dazed and confused.
The cops arrive soon after, toting the whiny villain away. Scoops slaps Quickwit on the back as the sidekick approaches, grinning at the camera.
"Once again Neo Houston is protected, thanks to the Network! Hope the folks at home enjoyed that show, be sure to come visit us at Post Oak Plaza in 20 minutes where we'll be doing our meet and greet!"
The drone buzzes, turning off. Scoops turns to Quickwit with a grin. "Nice work! You did great out there, way to go!"
Jay smiles. Finally, someone acknowledges his usefulness as a sidekick! "I'm really glad you think that, it was touch and go for a moment...but uh, if you think I did well, do you think maybe you could tell the Network to make this a permanent arrangement? We make a pretty good team, I think."
The dark-skinned hero coughs awkwardly, rubbing his neck. "Ah—sorry, like I said, I'm not really looking for a sidekick. If I had to, I would probably choose someone who fit my brand more, you know?"
Jay's positive feelings sour. He tries to not let the anger show in his eyes. "Yeah. I get it..."
Scoops slaps him on the back, grinning. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find the partner right for you. But c'mon, we're going to be late to the fan meet."
The sidekick sighs, following the hero as they head toward the exit of the tunnel.
At the fan meet twenty minutes later, Jay's dark feelings continue to build as he's yet again sidelined by another flashy hero.
Scoops soaks up the attention of his fans who flock to him eagerly, greeting each one with a broad smile and a handshake.
What's worse is that Scoops isn't even cocky or rude about it like Massasauga, he seems genuinely pleased to meet his supporters. He even tries introducing a few of them to Jay. The sidekick gets a few pity smiles out of it, even a few "good work today's," but nobody is actually here for him...
Nobody but Gannet, of course.
"Bored, Quickwit?"
Jay turns his gaze from where Scoops is posing for a selfie. Gannet is leaning on the table, looking mischievous.
The hero huffs, eyeballing the pair of socks Gannet has clutched in his hands. "A little. You here to get something signed again? You could always ask me when we hang out, you know."
Gannet giggles as Jay pulls out the Sharpie, signing each sock. "There's more challenge if I have to hunt you down. Plus, I have an excuse to bother you at work."
Jay smiles, handing the socks over. "You're not bothering me. Do you see anyone else here as excited to see me as you?"
The villain grins brightly. "If that's the case, you wanna bail? We can do something more fun..."
The blond huffs. "I can't just leave—"
He's interrupted as Scoops slides over, leaning his arm on Jay. "Witty, you're not going to introduce me?"
Jay jolts at the contact, trying not to scowl. "This is Gannet—my number one fan and friend."
Scoops holds his hand out to Gannet, eyes darting between Jay and the villain. The sidekick flushes, hoping his partner doesn't notice the marks on the dark-haired man's neck.
"Nice to meet you Gannet! You have good taste, Quickwit helped me out a lot today."
Gannet grins, shaking the offered hand. "I know, he's a top-tier hero."
Jay groans, covering his face. He's not used to so much praise. Gannet giggles at the action.
Scoops releases Quickwit from his hold, patting him on the back. "If you wanna leave to hang out with your friend, you can. You already made your obligatory appearance, so nobody is going to care."
Jay's mood brightens immediately. "Really?"
Gannet grabs him by the arm, pulling him away. "You heard the man, let's go!"
The sidekick laughs as he's dragged away. "Uh, bye Scoops. I guess I'll see you if Darius calls me..."
Scoops smirks, waving. "Have fun, Quickwit."
Jay walks with Gannet to his car, jumping in and buckling up. However, his excitement is squashed when he remembers—they need to have a talk. He grips the steering wheel, preparing himself for the hard conversion—
Gannet leans over, locking the doors and grinning deviously as he presses the "tint windows" button.
"Wait, what are you doing...?"
The villain giggles. "Innuendo kinda flies right over your head sometimes, doesn't it? You thought we were going to go somewhere after I said we should go have fun?"
Jay flushes. "You—you wanna do something right now? In my car? During a meet and greet?!"
Gannet grins, hand tracing patterns into Jay's thigh. "Only if you want to...we can go to a cafe or something, if not."
Okay. This is where Jay needs to set a boundary—he needs to tell Gannet that they're just friends and that's it!
"I really did intend to just get my signature today. But after hearing what you said on TV, that you're gonna be thinking about last night for months..." the villain grins, slipping his fingers under Jay's mask. "I wanted to make some more happy memories for you to look back on."
Oh God...
"What were you thinking...?"
Gannet's uncanny grin deepens.
Gannet's uncanny grin deepens [https://img.wattpad.com/846d9be6e69dccaf1330bc31ec9a12c1eca5faaf/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f4870755f367451736247614638513d3d2d313334313137303130342e313737303065393865663236626166353435323639333631313838302e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]