Galaxy Girl sighed in disappointment as they stepped off the lowest tier of the podium.

"Hey leave being blue to your costume. At least we know who they are now." He optimistically nudged her in the side. He wore a genuine smile. Those stormy villainous eyes that the rest of the world saw as cold and unfeeling, she saw sparkling with the warmth of excitement.
"Sir and Lady Issencourt of the Netherlands."
He read out loud the names at the top of the board. They had also placed first in Italy.
"Yeah if they are Dutch, I'm Martian." She shook her head.

They slowly forced their way through the barricade of bejeweled bodies that blocked their way to the exit, clinging to each other for the safety of their mutual power drain. Her claustrophobia was held at bay when he wrapped his arm tightly around her waist. They had almost made it to the elevator doors when the super strong hero felt a hand tap her on the shoulder. She would have surely grabbed it and thrown whoever it was either through a wall or on the floor in surprise if Toxic didn't have her torso firmly held in place.
"We will see you at the after party, of course?" It was the German woman.
"The after party?" Asked Toxic.
"You know; the one the remaining competitors have after every round?" replied the tall and bubbly German beauty.
"Uh no..." Toxic started to say before Galaxy Girl squeezed his hand so hard that he winced in pain. "Do all of the competitors attend this party?" Galaxy asked in what she thought was a light-hearted tone but would later be reminded sounded more like a terrorist interrogation.

"Ja, everybody!" the lady replied enthusiastically.
"We will be there," she promised, pulling Toxic into the awaiting elevator.
"But..." He protested, so she squeezed his hand again. "We will be there."
"You want to willingly put yourself in a crowded room with your super villain as your only backup?"
He asked rhetorically once they were back inside their room.
"Yes." She answered.
"And what gives you the impression I'm just going to go along with this."
Toxic crossed his arms. His Hero turned around and looked him dead in his eyes.
"Because I need you."

That's not a sentence a villain hears every day. He thought to himself as chills ran up his spine.
"Look, I need to do this, and I need your help. I'm no good at parties; you know this. I'm claustrophobic and socially awkward when in alter ego..." Galaxy admitted, eyes downcast.
Toxic didn't know if he was ever going to get used to listening to her admit her faults. This was way too far away from their usual conversations.

She had always played her part so well. The prideful hero, always ready with a tacky pun or witty comeback.
"I don't need Toxic's help, I need Sylvester's. I need the smooth-talking billionaire side of you. You are really good at this, and when you drain my power it takes my focus off not hurting people, and I can perform better incognito. Help me please?" She begged, making big blue puppy eyes. Something inside him just gave way, and it worried him.
"Fine... But don't ever do that again." Toxic unwillingly agreed.
"Do what?" Galaxy asked innocently.
As if she didn't know... Cute nemesis, real cute.
"Bat those pretty eyes at me and think I'm just going to go along with whatever you want!"
He warned, wagging a finger out in front of him.

"I have pretty eyes?"
She cocked her head at him.
"Just go get dressed; we don't want to be late!" He shooed her off, changing the subject.
What on earth was that all about...? Toxic puzzled quietly to himself as he pulled off his tie and threw it on the bed for the maidbots to pick up. Then he remembered he didn't bring any maidbots.
Sighing and giving into his obsessive compulsion for perfect neatness, he snatched it back up and neatly folded it into the corner of the antique dresser drawer.

He laughed to himself at the irony. He's OCD, and she's claustrophobic.
They were both more human and more imperfect than either of would ever admit.
Toxic changed into his favorite black button up shirt, tailored black jeans and his black leather long coat.
He missed his green one so much; he missed being able to flip the high collar up dramatically.
The Villain let out another one of many sighs since he'd been on this mission.
What he really missed most was havoc-wreaking.

"Oh no, you can't wear that much black; you look like something from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. You are such a Goth!" Whined his nemesis from behind. He turned around ready to argue but when he caught sight of her, only one word seemed to be echoing through his mind. Woah...!

She was wearing quite the dress. It was midnight blue, made of chiffon, and without straps; golden hair cascading in huge curls around her face. She had used his hair mousse, he just knew it.
"I am not a Goth!" Toxic finally argued back, snapping out of whatever that was. "I'm more of a closeted emo. Learn the difference"
She crossed her arms and scoffed sarcastically.
"There is a difference I'm sure."

"I just like black, it's dark, evil, not to mention slimming, and it gives this alluring feel of me being taller," he explained.
"Why on earth would you, of all people want to look taller?" She shook her head, thoroughly puzzled.
"Because I'm not exactly what you'd call muscular." He motioned down to his beanstalk physique.
"Understatement of the century."
Toxic heard her chuckle under her breath; but he chose to ignore it.

"So I'll take being ridiculously tall. That's actually one of the reasons I'm glad I have you as my arch rival. You're relatively short for a hero, even a heroine. So when our fights are televised, you make me look even taller." He said glowing with some sort of self-aggrandizement. She tried to get him to change his outfit, and they argued a bit before eventually reaching a compromise, Toxic changed out of the black velvet button-up, into a simple purple V-Neck tee, he kept the dark wash jeans and coat, but donned on a silver scarf. Once they were in the elevator, he decided to bring up a point.

"You know you're going to have to drink alcohol tonight right?"
Toxic said whilst casually leaning against the elevator wall.
He pressed the ground floor button, and the doors dinged close.
"I will do nothing of the sort, that is illegal, and I don't care if our royal identities are of legal age. I am not."
She crossed her arms defiantly.

"Ah but France has different laws! Drinking age here is 16." Toxic said through a grin.
As far as he knew, Galaxy Girl had never broken a law, EVER. For that reason, Toxic never could tell if the reason for him being unable to read her guilt was due to her powers, or because she simply had none to read.

She turned to face him and put her hands on her hips. "That is with permission of a parent or legal guardian. The legal drinking age in France after it was revised in 2013 is 18."
Did she just tell him a fact he didn't know? Wow, how was that even possible, he thought, speechless for a moment.

"Aha, Toxic! You may know everything else on the planet, but I know the law, I spent years studying it."
She told him as the doors slid open and they stepped out into the carpeted hallway.
Toxic could hear music streaming from the nearby club room.

"Awe come on Star, a little booze never killed anybody." He nudged her in the side with his elbow as they walked.
She gave him a look that clearly stated: "Did you just say that?"
"I know what you're trying to do. You are trying to see if you can read my guilt if I break a law. You know I've never broken a law, and I don't intend to start now just to be your lab experiment."

"But aren't you breaking the law now? I mean, conferring and accepting aid from a wanted terrorist, isn't that a pretty big legal no-no?" he teased, speaking quietly so as not to be overhead.
Toxic could see the large wooden doors of the club entrance ahead, and just in front of them stood two burly hotel guards. Galaxy Girl stiffened a bit but kept on walking; but not before Toxic could tell that she had been thrown off guard.
"No, I feel no guilt for that, as it is for the greater good. Need I quote Spock here? As an enforcer of the law, I can temporarily pardon and deputize you for the duration your assistance is required."
We both know that logic exists only in old western movies. I'm one of the most wanted criminals in the world." Toxic chuckled, shaking his head. He wrapped his arm across her shoulder and whispered into her ear.
"You made your bed, and I'm sleeping in it."

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