❝ you are much stronger than you think you are. trust me. ❞

chapter two | stranger danger?

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MY EMANATING SHOCK FADED MUCH QUICKER THAN HE MUST OF ANTICIPATED. my eyes narrowed, filled to the brim with skepticism. it had slim relevance whether it was some superhuman or the leader of the illuminati, an utter stranger had just flown through my room. not to mention the hardwood was wet.

upon his eyes following my small frame scrambling to grasp the fallen, newfound weapon, he grinned even farther.

❛❛ you really don't need to do that... again, ❜❜ entity-x commented casually, as if this was something he'd partaken in before this moment.

if you turned your ear you could sense the underlying tone brimming with amusement. mm, scratch that. you didn't need to turn your ear at all, it was plain as day. a deaf man could've recognized it from a mile away.

❛ are you forgetting you just flew into MY house, uninvited? ❜ i retorted, less on edge than what i felt i should've been.

❛❛ you don't think that if i truly wanted to hurt you, i could've done it by now? ❜❜ he scoffed, lightheartedly, ❛❛ props to your use of the
element of surprise, though. ❜❜ a wisp of a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

❛ that makes breaking and entering somehow okay? because you're not going to viciously attack my body and dump me in a river where fish pee? do fish pee? ❜ i rambled out as his eyes widened considerably.

❛❛ ahh? ❜❜ he mused, eyebrow raised just a tad. ❛❛ in my ever so humble defense... i didn't know i was breaking and entering! ❜❜ entity-x smiled cheekily, like we'd known each other for years and choosing to ignore my incessant words. wise ❛❛ but thank God i did, ❜❜ he winked.

❛ excuse you? have you ever heard of stranger danger? specifically towards strangers who could kill you? ❜ somehow i was managing to say all of the wrong words, for goodness sakes, he just broke in. technically? this time, it was my turn to ignore.

he still smiled, ❛❛ do we have to go through this again? i'm not going to hurt you. ❜❜ a small eye-roll followed next.

❛ why are you here? ❜

thank the heavens i'd finally formed a truly, slightly, (not really) intelligent and coherent (basic) sentence. the superhero took a few steps towards me, stopping to stretch his arms for a moment. i bit my tongue and refrained from hurling the rolling pin for the second time tonight.

❛❛ to kill you, duH. ❜❜

❛ but you just said...? ❜

❛❛ isn't that what all murderous superheroes say? ❜❜

❛ oh my God. you're dripping in MY room, you flew in from MY balcony because this is MY apartment. for the love of shawn mendes, just give me some answers. ❜

❛❛ my goodness, you're cute when you're flustered. look at your cheeks! ❜❜

when my glare seemed to take him down a peg, he held his hands up in a mock sort of surrender. my mom always told me that my glare was a power of its own. i've seemed to have plenty of practice as more idiotic boys have wormed their way around my life. they learned the hard way.

❛❛ geez, woman— ❜❜ he rubbed his hand behind his neck.

❛ don't call me that, ❜ i warned, with a smaller sort of the same glare.

❛❛ that's what you are... aren't you? my God, i didn't just assume your gender did i? i'm so stupid! it's 2020! ❜❜ he pouted, seriousness void from his voice and demeanor.

❛ you're infuriating, how on earth do you supposedly save people? i think they'd rather die if they knew you, ❜ i huffed, crossing my arms over my chest and willing the boy... the super... to talk sensibly.

❛❛ what makes you think, you know me? ❜❜ he inquired with that damned smirk of his.

❛ just shut up about that and answer me. ❜

❛❛ alright fine, fine, because you asked so nicely, princess, ❜❜

i opened my mouth to object of the next awful nickname that spewed from his mouth, before closing it in fear of what happened the last time we'd disputed over it. his eyes shone and his tone of voice suggested a silent victory as he continued,

❛❛ this apartment used to be completely empty. and it used to be my spot, of sorts, ❜❜ he flushed a little bit, like he was admitting something I didn't know.

❛❛ so because this particular apartment was empty, you decided it would be empty forever? not only that, but it was suddenly yours? and legal? and wouldn't you have seen project upon this house, showing you it was no longer empty for you to just— whew! plop onto? ❜❜ my first set of logical questions spewed out of me.

❛❛ do you stop talking for one moment? i'm trying to explain myself, like you asked, ❜❜ he mumbled out with a twinge of exasperation,
amused exasperation, nonetheless.

i pressed my lips together. stubbornly.

❛❛ anyways, it used to be a place i'd come for a moments breather. some people told me, regular me, that it's construction— the reason it was vacant in the first place— was on pause, so i thought why not? illegally, maybe, but
hey, ❜❜ he shrugged, ❛❛ i haven't had the time to be around here much, so yes, i assumed it would still be empty.❜❜

entity-x hesitated for a moment, letting a quick burst of silence fill the gaps between us, ❛❛ it was an honest mistake, ❜❜

was that sincerity i heard?

❛❛ now that this good boy learned his lesson and had his scolding, ❜❜

not for long.

❛❛ i'll go. ❜❜ he finished, again, with sincerity.

i froze for a moment, pondering over every logical scenario through my brain before letting out a sigh as my eyes drifted to the continuous streaks of white, hot flashes through the sky.

❛ don't, not even the hero 'entity-x' can withstand the storms of mother nature. my mom's not home, there's leftover takeout, and the bathroom's that way. no funny business. ❜

he seemed shocked, even through his mask and ridiculous hero-get up. ridiculous only in this certain predicament. a genuine smile found him while he nodded, appreciatively ( i think ). truthfully, i was slightly shocked at myself too.
as he moved towards and in the bathroom, my voice stopped him through the threshold.

❛ by the way, i'm leighton. ❜

i didn't expect anything in response, oddly enough, i think he knew that. he wasn't exactly at liberty for giving away secret identities. that's why they were a secret to begin with. he shot me half a glance, a salute in recognition, and shut the door behind him.

and this time? i smiled.