He knows it's a tired complaint, but Jay truly cannot get over how over-the-top and unnecessary hero outfits are. How much money is spent on just designing each one? Why don't they all just wear identical uniforms? And why do so many of them insist on wearing those stupid, hazardous, capes!?
Fashion rage aside, though, he can't deny his interest when Pixamena offers to introduce him to her designer. While his current suit is functional, the Network only allotted him a bare minimum uniform budget. The chance for a new outfit, paid out of pocket by the glamourous magical girl herself, proved too enticing to decline. So a few weeks after "escaping" Stygian, Jay is in his van driving Pixamena to meet up with the designer.
"You're going to love her, Quickwit, she's great."
"Yeah, thanks again for doing this, Pixamena. I really need an upgrade."
"Yeah you do, dork," Pixiepuff barks.
Pixamena bops Pixiepuff on the head, scowling, "be nice, Pixiepuff!"
She smiles brightly, her glittery corset reflecting starry bits of light about the van. "But he's right, you do need a better suit. Especially after—after everything that happened. You deserve it."
"Yeah—ah—anyway, I'm really excited to meet Miss Harper. I've heard so much about her work," says Jay.
A flush rises to Pixamena's face. "She really is amazing, no other designer can mix form, function, and fashion all into one!"
Jay nods, glancing at the GPS. They're pulling into one of the fancier neighborhoods in Houston. The houses here are massive, each one grander than the next. There's even shaped shrubbery in the front of each lawn, each covered in elaborate halloween decorations.
However, as the van pulls up to their destination, they're greeted with a home that rivals them all in grandeur. After pressing a buzzer, they pass a set of golden gates and into a fanciful garden. The road wanders up until they're at the front of the mansion, two marble statues of masked heroines greeting visitors at the steps.
Pixamena skips out of the van and to the entrance, knocking at the door. A man in a white suit opens the door for her, welcoming them both into the home demurely. Pixamena heads straight for the foyer, plopping down on a plush white couch with Pixiepuff in her lap.
"Celesteeee, come down already!" Pixamena cheers.
Right on cue, from the top of the grand stairs, Celeste appears.The dark-skinned woman walks down elegantly, the click-clack of her heels resounding on the white marble floors. She approaches silently, stopping right before Jay. She studies him top to bottom with cold eyes, sweeping her long braids over her shoulders.
"Um, hello, nice to meet you Miss Harper," Jay warbles out nervously.
Celeste doesn't respond, her cold eyes sweeping over to Pixamena. "Did you get my text?"
"Ah, no," Pixamena takes a moment to read through her texts, face falling dramatically as her eyes scan the screen. "Are you—are you serious?"
"Please don't make a scene. I've been trying to contact you for a while now and you haven't been answering."
"I've been busy! You know what happened Celeste! I have to bring him to justice I—"
"That's just it, Pixie. People are talking, they're asking who he was hanging around..."
"Celeste you can't—you know I didn't—"
"Do you really want to do this right now," Celeste motions to Jay, "In front of him?"
Pixamena's eyes dart to Jay, tears on the verge of spilling. Celeste sighs, grabbing him by the wrist. "I'll do this for you as one last favor. Okay?"
When Pixamena doesn't respond, Celeste drags him away from the scene and up the stairs. She shoves him into a studio, immediately rifling through fabrics with an intense look. Jay coughs awkwardly, rubbing his neck. "I didn't, uh, cause that did I?"
Celeste pauses for a moment. "No. Now shut up and take your clothes off. I need to take measurements."
Jay gawks at her rudeness, but keeps his mouth shut. He's still getting a free suit, after all. His mind wanders as she gets to work, cutting and sewing fabric to precise measurements. He tries to understand what just happened downstairs-–that conversation had to be about Gannet, right?
It did make sense, as all the news was talking about lately was Stygian and his double life, and they didn't spare anyone on the sidelines. Jay himself had been haggled by reporters multiple times, pushing through a crowd of vultures asking him to describe the details of his "close call with a villain." Even Scoops had texted him asking for an interview...
Sympathy for Pixamena constricts around his heart. She doesn't deserve this, but there's nothing to be done. They both have to face the music.
"Hey, I said tell me how it feels," Celeste growls.
Jay blinks, realizing he'd zoned out. He takes a look at the mirror; his old suit was nowhere to be seen now. Taking its place is a sleek, figure hugging, navy blue uniform, complete with a utility belt, hood, and a purple mask that covers his mouth, nose, and neck.
"I like it, but could we change the hood? My balaclava—" [https://img.wattpad.com/8716b7218ae787a2f380b436e03936255cc21c00/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f314737534f4a4d2d4477584e65673d3d2d313430303732353939352e313761313361633762643835323035363833303435353733313934382e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
"I like it, but could we change the hood? My balaclava—"
"No."
Jay sighs, looking back in the mirror. His eyes catch on a particularly interesting feature of the suit. Celeste has included a handprint in the middle of his chest, the very same shape and size as the one burned into his skin.
"I thought it might be a good conversation piece," Celeste explains, "not many people have been brought back from the brink of death by a villain, and God knows you need some kind of gimmick."
jay touches his chest fondly. The old him was gone now...It was time for a change.
"Thank you, Miss Harper..."
Celeste rolls her eyes. "Pixamena! Come see it!"
After a few moments, Pixamena enters the studio. She studies Jay's new look with puffy red eyes. Celeste notices her expression, huffing as she begins to leave. "Take a moment to check it out and collect yourself. Just be gone before the end of the hour, I have another client scheduled to meet me today."
Pixamena nods silently, sitting on a plush chaise as Celeste snaps the door behind her closed. Jay rubs his neck awkwardly, unsure of what to say. Luckily, he doesn't have to figure it out—Pixamena speaks first.
"It looks good. It's a big improvement."
"Thanks...I think it will take some getting used to, though."
Pixamena nods, looking down at her hands. Jay fiddles with the buttons of his shirt, debating what to say next.
"What did you like about him?" Pixamena asks suddenly.
"Who?"
"Who do you think? Stygian."
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Jay thinks back to those first days with Gannet. "I don't know I—I think I was just flattered that I had a fan at first. Then I started to notice other things I liked about him, like his resilience, passion—just his whole attitude. He made everything seem less serious, more fun. He reminded me why I wanted to be a hero..."
"Did he tell you why he became a villain?"
Jay pauses, sitting on the chaise. He ponders if this is a chance to mend some of the damage between Faye and Gannet...
"No, well, he mentioned being homeless as a kid. He was talking about how he used to...abuse drugs to feel numb. I wonder now if he was actually doing it to suppress his powers, maybe there was never any other choice for him but to become a villain."
"Bullshit," Pixamena hisses, "He had every opportunity, every chance to fight it. Nobody forced him!"
"Don't you think that he—"
"Don't make excuses for him, Quickwit. I know he—he tricked you. But it was all a lie. He didn't care about you, or anyone."
Jay frowns at the vitriolic tone of her voice. There is no way he can fix this, not alone at least. "I know I...I'm just trying to adjust now. I'll get over it eventually. But what about you? What happened down there?"
"I'm fine, okay? It's not going to impact my performance."
"I didn't mean to imply otherwise. You just—"
Suddenly, his thoughts are interrupted by the buzz of his phone. Darius greets him as he turns it on. "Quickwit, Pixamena—Stygian and Razzmatazz are stirring up trouble at the Galleria mall. Respond ASAP."
"Got it!"
Jay runs to the van with Pixamena, heart thudding. He hasn't been able to see Gannet in person for weeks, he can't wait to see his boyfriend—even if they're pretending to hate each other.
The drive to Galleria mall is swift, and they both enter through one of the various department stores. Althought the shopping center is massive, its not difficult to find Razz and Stygian. Following the trail of shredded clothes and ransacked giant-pretzel stands, Jay and Pixamena find the dastardly duo in a trashed luxury clothes shop, both cackling loudly with various bags in hand.
Stygian slides his gaze to Pixamena, red eyes narrowing before they dart to Jay. He grins sharply, pulling out a pair of red heart shaped sunglasses and plopping them on his face. "Sorry, heroes. We're not done shopping yet. I guess they shouldn't have called the cops if they didn't want me to cause a scene..."
Pixamena throws the spear, causing Razzmatazz to jump forward and catch it nimbly. She giggles, twirling the weapon with a wide grin. "You missed!
Pixamena charges aggressively, Pixiepuff yelling encouraging words from where he's flying above them. Stygian takes that as his cue to dart forward toward Jay, red eyes gleaming. He swipes a claw at Jay's face, missing only by inches as Jay jumps back and swings his staff. A heeled boot kicks the staff with superhuman strength, causing it to fly out of Jay's hands and embed in the wall.
Jay gapes for a moment before a clawed hand grabs him by the bicep and flings him like a ragdoll. He grunts at the impact of the floor, feeling the pain radiate down his back before it's quickly assuaged by his invulnerability. However, before he even has a chance to get up, Stygian's shadows wrap around him, levitating him in the air.
Stygian grins, pulling a sugar and cinnamon pretzel out of a bag and taking a bite. "That was fun. I needed some cardio today."
"Damn, is this because of what I said last time? Did you really used to go easy on me?" Jay gasps.
Stygian cocks his head. "What do you mean?"
"At our last...battle. I said I beat you many times. Remember?"
"This is our first time fighting. What's your power, by the way?"
Jay stares blankly for a moment. "Are you messing with me? You know I don't read sarcasm well."
"No, I don't know anything, I don't know you. You're a new hero, right?"
"I—wait, is this because I'm in a new uniform!?"
"New uniform?"
"Stygian, look at my chest."
Red eyes dart down.
"Shit!"
"You seriously didn't recognize me!?"
"You look way different!"
Jay lets his head drop, hoping it looks like defeat and not him fighting off a huge laughing fit. Suddenly, he yelps as Stygian pins him to a wall, obscuring him from the camera drones which buzz about walkways.
"Well, now I feel less guilty about thinking you were really hot," Stygian whispers, leaning in.
"You can find other people attractive. I don't care," Jay grins, pretending to struggle in the tight grasp.
"Okay, good, because I still think Delta is like the hottest woman in the city."
"I already knew you thought that, fanboy."
"She's a milf."
"She is."
"You're kinda dilf-ey, too."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"You got those responsible dad vibes."
"...we should go back to fighting. I think Pixamena is going to blow a gasket."
Stygian looks over his shoulder to spot Razzmatazz dancing around with Pixamena, claw like hands latched around gloved wrists and spinning rapidly. Poor Pixamena looks green around the gills, eyes crossed. She yells as Razzmatazz lets her go, causing her to stumble and drop onto the floor.
"Okay, kick me in the stomach and pretend to win," Styigan whispers.
"Won't have to pretend next time," Jay grins, kicking.
Stygian falls to the ground with a fake groan, allowing Jay to run over to Pixamena. He helps her up off the floor, heaving her up by the armpits.
She wobbles unsteadily but still goes for her weapon. In her hands, her bow materializes as she knocks an arrow and draws her arm back. An arrow flies loose toward Stygian, but it's neatly caught mid-air by Razzmatazz once again.
She twirls the arrow, a new transformation taking place; A long whip-like tail grows outward, two horns sprout from her head, her nails sharpen, and her eyes turn a vibrant glowing red.
"It seems we have come to an impasse, Pixamena. Will you allow us to go willingly? or will it take you facing your worst fear?"
"You think you two can terrorize Houston and get away with it!? You don't scare me, give it up now!"
"Terrorize? I just paid 40 bucks for overalls. They're terrorizing me!"
"You've made your choice. Quickwit, you handle Stygian!"
Jay follows her command as Razzmatazz goes on the offensive once more. She bounds forward, launching herself into the air with a clenched fist.
Pixamena stands firm in the face of the A-class menace, only darting to the side at the last minute to swipe the upper limb of her bow at Razzmatazz [https://img.wattpad.com/ae5d7a365591bc29dfe526f8654a7df8ef521a14/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f527a666a476d42524c50326151513d3d2d313430303732353939352e3137396639333431653435393936613936303833373935303134352e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Pixamena stands firm in the face of the A-class menace, only darting to the side at the last minute to swipe the upper limb of her bow at Razzmatazz. She catches the weapon, tearing it out of Pixamena's hands and tossing it away. She kicks a boot forward, aiming for the stomach but missing by just a few precious inches. Pixamena catches her by the ankle but makes the grave mistake of underestimating her opponent's strength. Razzmatazz rips her leg away, causing Pixamena to fall forward with a yelp. She makes a sound of outrage as Razzmatazz takes hold of her, grabbing a fistful of pink hair in one hand and a shoulder in another.
"Let me go!"
Razzmatazz cackles, her tail swaying like a mischievous cat as she leans her face closer. "You're an inspiration, you know. I always thought nobody would take me seriously as a villain if I dressed the way I liked. Then I saw you, being a badass pixie princess on the battlefield..."
"Oh so you're taking a page out of his book? Pretending to be a fan to try and get to me? It won't work!"
"There it is—you're different. You used to be so fearless, now you're scared. Scared of him. What changed?"
Pixamena struggles futilely, squeezing her eyes shut as she tries to keep Razzmatazz out of her mind.
"He hurt you. He lied to you...?" Razzmatazz asks.
"Stop it!" Pixamena screams.
Above them, hundreds of Pixamena's weapons and items manifest from thin air and fall down around them like a deadly rain. Simultaneously, all the supers take cover best they can. Razzmatazz jumps away, morphing into a small fuzzy creature as she scampers to the safety of Stygian's shadows. Jay is forced to dart around, nearly being speared by multiple sparkly sharp objects before he's able to nab a pink shield. He runs to his partner to shelter under it with her.
"Pixamena! Snap out of it!"
Pixamena freezes, the storm of weapons ending abruptly. She looks around, observing the mess she's made everywhere,
"Pixamena, are you okay?"
"I—"
She hiccups, a tear rolling down her cheek. The floodgates open and she begins to cry in earnest, hands going to her eyes as she futilely tries to stymie the flow.
Jay glances at Stygian and Razzmatazz. They're both frozen, watching Pixamena break down. But what really makes his stomach drop is Razzmatazz's expression; She looks distraught as she reads Pixamena's mind. She turns to Stygian, face full of anguish.
Jay can tell the exact moment that Razzmatazz reveals Pixamena's identity; there's a split second where he feels a sharp heat in his chest and faster than the blink of an eye, all 3 million square feet of the Galleria Mall is consumed by impenetrable shadow. Pixamena gasps, her sobs ceasing as she realizes they've fallen into complete, impenetrable darkness. In the black, Jay can feel her hands latch onto his bicep.
Right where Stygian was before, Jay sees two pin-pricks of red glowing in the inkiness. He remembers the discussion they had at the farmhouse: when I'm agitated enough my powers react. Was this Stygian reacting to the news his best friend was a hero, one who had been viciously attempting to take him down?
Stygian takes a step forward in the dark, causing Pixamena to stiffen further. "He's going to kill us," she whimpers.
He stops in his tracks. His expression is unreadable in the dark, but Jay knows perfectly well that Stygian is upset—if not having a full-blown panic attack. This is what he fears most: losing control and being seen as a monster for it. Jay knows he needs to intervene. He chooses his words carefully, hoping their true meanings get across clearly;
"I'm not afraid of you, villain!"
I'm not scared.
"You may be in control of this situation, but heroes will always prevail!"
You're in control.
"I'll take you on, face me!"
I'm here with you.
It seems his words get through, because the shadows sharply recede and allow the light to return. Stygian is breathing slowly now, eyes closed. When they open, he smiles at Jay for a moment before he locks gazes with Pixamena. They stare at each other intensely before Stygian hooks an arm under Razzmatazz'. His wings open wide and he breaks through the skylight and into the blue expanse above them.
Pixamena's bow clatters to the floor as she sobs into Jay's shoulder. He attempts to comfort her best he can, looking up at the shattered window.
Things were only going to get more and more complicated, weren't they?