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Translated to refined but smug, and I don’t know the name of what I like to drink, but I want people to know I’m worth it. Heavy on the pour was patron speak, for I want two drinks for the price of one. Don’t piss off your bartender. We have our own superpowers.
Sitting amongst the top-shelf booze are bottles of house liquor, decoys for our problem customers. I grab a bottom-of-the-barrel whisky and pour freely. It tastes like ass, but this man wouldn’t know quality alcohol. I toss in a couple of ice cubes to add insult to injury. I repeat, don’t piss off your bartender.
“Enjoy.” No flare, no effort. The man deserved less, but Scarlet would have my head if I spat in his drink.
“Any big players tonight?” Even his voice was harsh, like he’s using a modulator to make it extra gravely. I’d bet when he gained his powers, he watched superhero movies and took notes.
“Just the usual patrons.” I might chase heroes into the bedroom, but this guy wanted to find the most well-known hero for fame by association. For a man with no reputation, he wanted to climb the ranks with the least amount of work. I wasn’t going to help him.
“You know some of the big names in the game? You’ll have to introduce me.”
His cronies stood at his back, surveying the club. Three men and a woman acted less like a team and more like accessories. None of them ordered drinks, so they weren’t my problem. Scarlet would be proud of how I held my tongue. They needed to leave before my resolve faded.
“I know youknowplenty of heroes…” Was I about to get slut shamed by a man who hadn’t had his penis played with by another person in a decade? So what if he had mystical abilities? The bile rose as I prepared to hurl a string of insults that’d leave him scraping his ego off the floor.
“Why don’t you—”
The portal opened to the side of Eclipse. EO stepped through. “You would not believe how hard it is to keep a snake woman in prison. I couldn’t finish the paperwork before an officer screamed about her slithering away.”
The moment Eclipse saw the fluids on EO’s body armor, he stepped away. Heaven forbid his immaculate suit got any amount of wear. I handed EO a towel from behind the bar. He did his best to clean up, but he’d need a shower before he got all the gunk off his suit. He dropped the towel, and it vanished through a portal to some unknown location.
“You definitely don’t want that.”
After rescuing me, I was glad to see EO emerge victorious. But the grin stretching across my face was thanks to the disgust plastered on Eclipse’s face. It was the little things in life that kept me amused.
“Sorry about leaving you on the roof. Looks like you don’t need rescuing.” He pauses before eyeing Eclipse. His face remained neutral as he stared down at the leader of the Guild. “Or do you?”
Eclipse took his drink off the counter and put down the exact change. “We can finish our chat later.” Chat? I assumed that was a two-way street instead of being on the receiving end of a monologue. But I gave him a nod before I returned to EO.
“Midnight Alley custom.” I grab a bottle of tequila off the top shelf. Filling two shot glasses, I put a lime next to each. “A shot on the house for saving one of the staff.”
He laughed. “In Vanguard? You’ll go broke with a policy like that. I’m sure half your wait staff got kidnapped by lunch.” He grabbed the glass and held it up in a toast. “May all the men I save be as sexy as you.” We clicked glasses before slamming the drinks.
He wasn’t coy. My cheeks turned red. Thankfully, I could blame the alcohol. I admired his forearms and the dusting of hair disguising the muscles. I always wondered if they were strong before heroes acquired their powers or if it was a byproduct of their origin story.
“Thanks for the rescue earlier. I should have known better.”
“Don’t go into alleys,” we said in unison.
“Yup, I remember that lecture in class. And what’s with villains hiding in alleys, anyway? Do they think it’s adding to their mystique?” EO asked the important questions.
“Right? Who wants to smell like trash?”
I held up the bottle of tequila, ready to pour another shot. “I don’t need to be drunk for you to take advantage of me. But I’ll take a beer though, dark, preferably Belgian.”
No words. I stammered as I set the bottle down. He could tear open holes in reality, but Bernard would declare hisactualpower was silencing me. I might not be speaking, but I was aware of the tightness in my pants. Thankfully, the bar hid the growing erection, though part of me wished it didn’t.
“Who is that asshat?”
“Eclipse? Poseur. He wants all the status with none of the work. The HeroApp™ says he’s done zero heroic deeds. Instead, he comes here trying to climb the social ladder. You’re much better company.”
“And here I am, covered in snake venom.”
“Speaking of,”—I pulled a beer from the cooler, popping the cap on the side of the counter—“I haven’t seen you in here before.”
“I’ve been here about a month. My alter ego got transferred from Guardian City for work. Every city needs saving, but a paycheck is important. With any luck, one of the superhero teams is looking for an addition.”
I handed him his beer, watching closely as he took a sip. I wanted to see his face without the mask. It covered his eyes, and I wanted to see if they sparkled as much as his personality.
