New minor villain time?

A few days passed without much of note. Nothing superhero happened, nothing romantic happened, yada yada.

Honestly, the lack of happening is what was weird. Vanessa still hadn’t shown back up. There was still unresolved tension between Ava and I. Kate and I texted cutely, but we didn’t have any dates or anything. Life just sort of… moved on.

I was taking a walk. I wanted to start getting in better shape but I was too lazy to get on a treadmill, so I decided I’d walk instead. That’s better than nothing, right?

It was my night to provide dinner, so I was keeping an eye out for any good restaurants. I eventually stumbled on a small Indian restaurant. Despite the futuristic vibe that Lovus had, this restaurant looked quaint. A very mom-and-pop shop vibe.

I took a step inside and asked the cashier for a menu. The man (likely the owner) was very nice, offering me a drink on the house while I ordered and waited for the meals. This was definitely becoming a regular spot for me.

I ordered way too much stuff since I wasn’t sure what people would and wouldn’t like back at the apartment (I’d happily eat any leftovers, so it’s at no real loss). I made small talk with Adhiraj. He explained to me that the restaurant was one of the first places to open back before Lovus was even the name of the city. It had been passed from generation to generation, and he was finally reaching the age for his own child to take over. His daughter, Kali, was the one cooking my meal in the back.

The pride on his face made me wonder if I’d want kids. Was I allowed to at this point? Hell, could I with the fucked up DNA I have now?

It was wonderfully serene. I’d had constant stress, but being in this small slice of normality pulled me down and reminded me of the good parts of life.

That is, until the car smashed through the wall, killing Adhiraj before he could even realize what happened.

One moment he was there, the next he was red mist.

I was in shock. I couldn’t hear anything but static. It took me a moment before I could even move my eyes from where the man that was alive moments ago had stood.

I looked towards the hole and sound returned to me. I watched as a hulking mass of pale flesh picked up another car and threw it into another building nearby.

I had to do something, didn’t I? Fuck.

I didn’t have my costume, obviously. That means I couldn’t just run out there and expose myself, lest I get killed for my vigilantism. I looked around for a way to conceal my identity, and saw the red-soaked apron that Adhiraj had been wearing. Ew….

I had just finished wrapping it around my head when Kali finally entered the room, holding her head to conceal whatever gash she’d gotten from the rubble.

“What the fuck?!” She yelled (which was fair, as I was looting the puddle that was once her father).

I put my hands up, the blood dripping from my make-do mask onto my clothes. “I know this is fucked up, but your dad was a great man and I am going to go avenge him now.”

She looked down at her father and screamed. I ran towards the thing outside.