Irritation

Like a flip had been switched, relief flooded her tiny body and I could see the suspicion leave her eyes. Like a tightly wound string holding her up had finally relaxed, draining away all the tension and sharpness, leaving her soft and vulnerable.

Looking at this literal personification of childhood innocence, trusting me so easily like a gullible fool, and becoming so relaxed and completely defenceless after I promised to protect her. Looking at the silver haired girl looking at me with a brilliant smile, I strengthened my resolve for I knew, my decision was a correct one.

Finally getting my hands on the bat, I turned around and sat on one bed, waddling through the now knee level water. Ignoring my latest follower/friend, who was looking at everything I did curiously, I spread all the stuff I needed on the bed.

A watch, a knife, a pair of scissors, a black hoodie and black tracks, a small mirror, a flashlight, the bat, shoes, a pillow, a few metal nails, a glue stick, a mask and a few coins.

Now, the reason for this collection was actually simple- trying out my new powers.

No matter how calm I seemed, I was undoubtedly excited with the prospect of Superpowers.

While traditionally one started with small, controlled experiments to gain a degree of understanding of their powers, I belonged to a different category. An inherent thrill seeker, I believe in either go big or go home.

Making a silent prayer to all the RNG Gods, I thought- 'Well, here goes nothing. Hopefully, I won't have to file for a refund.'

A few deep breaths later, I closed my eyed.

Calmed my mind, emptied my mind, and focused.

Opening my eyes, I reached out, grasping the knife, taking in its shape, its texture, its existence. The very concept of that knife as per my understanding and needs.

Feeling confident in my conjecture, in my process, I whispered- "{Copy}."

And at once, it was proven true, the existence of a floating silver card in front of my face being all the proof I needed.

//[Knife <Common Item>

-A normal, basic factory made knife

-Made and owned by Alexander \\

Plain, simple, and easy to understand. Seems a tad underwhelming as compared to the buildup I have been giving, but one simply cannot undermine the infinite possibilities this simplicity presents.

A truth people forget- Simpler the explanation, greater the impact.

A voice cut through my thoughts, filled with unbridled curiosity and naivety- "What are you actually doing?"- tempered with a slight lisp felt in the r.

"Getting ready."- my reply remained curt while I fiddled around with the knife, trying to attach it to the other end of a large torch, a temporary makeshift spear.

"For what?"-she again inquired, as I handed her the knife and torch to hold steady, which she obliged with.

"For getting out of here."- I spoke while tying them together with good old duct tape.

"How long will it take?"

"Some more time."

It was challenging, not the conversation; she was surprisingly mature and obedient, and had a sharp intuition. What was challenging was the multi tasking. Holding a conversation while making DIY tools and weapons to appear knowledgeable for my age to distract the people observing the situation from multiple cameras from glimpsing at the brief moments of inactivity when in reality I was using almost all my focus on using my superpower to {Copy} those items into Conceptual Cards.

Stressful? Very.

Worth it? Absolutely.

Especially when I could feel a visible improvement in my very soul brought forth by repeated use of power, though it was too minute, and would require significant use for it to amount to something.

"What's your name?"

"Alex. Alexander Walters, but you can call me Aadi."

Decidedly trying to provoke her, I asked with a smile- "That's funny, you don't even know my name and asked me to protect you? Emily is not that bright, is she?" I completed with a laugh, fully expecting my sarcasm to go well over her head.

With a sharp glare and a pout on her face, she spoke in a low tone and with an attempted impassive face, possibly trying to imitate an adult, probably her mother, to cower me with a glare, "Emily is smart. Mamma says, Emily has a sharp..."-with eyebrows scrunched as she tried to remember the word- "Intuition! Yes! Emily can always tell who is a bad guy, and who is not." An infectious smile graced her face, with nods punctuating her sentences and overall highlighting her cuteness to the utmost.

Her eyes literally glowed, and she had a smug look as if proud of her own explanation.

The presentation was cute. Almost reached out to give her a head pat.

Content wise, a bit illogical, but it's Marvel. Here unicorns can shit plagues. Anything is possible. Another piece of information gained. A truly impressive power, but I could not for the love of everything cute remember any character in comics or movies like her.

Silver hair, green eyes, a cute little girl now but one who would surely grow up to be a beauty, plus the power of intuition- this portfolio would stand out anywhere, even in this messed up Marvel universe. Because this was the marvel universe, I was willing to bet that this was not the end of supernatural growth.

But there was an exception, a similarly found in many other things. Potential was overrated, unless it could be successfully converted to strength.

Talent was common, there were many geniuses. But not all of them could survive the trials of fate and envy, and few could actually achieve their true potential.

She was probably one of those who failed midway. Not that it would happen now, now that I was here.

But her absolute faith in my intentions and complete trust in my abilities didn't sit right with me.

I... was many things, but a liar I was not. Keeping her in the dark would be easy, and while the prospect of gaining an obedient underling sure was appealing, her nonchalance just rubbed me off the wrong way. I knew I had a somewhat skewed moral compass, actions and behavior belonging to shades of gray and not belonging to the distinct black and white. I was a bastard, who enjoyed playing with hearts and minds of people and spreading chaos in general, someone capable of taking advantage of another's weakness; one who considered limits as things to be broken, with even moral and legal obligations beings more a matter of convenience and a mild reminder of common behaviour that serious restrictions.

I was this kind of person, and this being my second chance, I had intentions of being more unrestrained. And this stupid girl- pretty, yes, pretty stupid, looked me straight in the eyes and said she trusted me even after having a rough idea due to her powers.

Considering all this, I guess you'll understand that I had the capital to be irritated.