Interlude - Glowbug

“Mum, I’m going out now,” says Nic as she walks towards the front door of her home, “I’ll be back later.”

“Nicola Katherine Hatheway!” shouts her mother as Nic walks past her, “Whether exactly are you going at this time at night?”

“Oh don’t act like you’re not assuming worse,” sneers Nic at her mother, “I’m just going to meet a friend. No need to get your knickers in a twist.”

Mum and I haven’t gotten on since my transformation. Neither she nor Dad like what I have become. At least Mum and I are still on speaking terms unlike Dad and me.

“Don’t talk to me like that young lady!” bellows her mum as her face goes red, “I am your mother!”

“Uh-huh,” mutters Nic as she opens the door, “Then please accept the fact that I am your daughter even if I have changed. It wasn’t exactly like I got a choice in whether not or did.”

“Are you two yelling at each other again?” asks her sister Emily as she pops her head into the room, headphones in one ear, “So where are you going Nic?”

“To meet a friend Em,” answers Nic.

“Charlotte?” inquires Emily.

“Nah,” says Nic, “Though I might see her out and about. I often do.”

“So a boyfriend then?” suggests Emily is jokey tone.

“She is too young to date!” declares their mother, “Even if she does look like...that!”

Nic frowns. Her mum just can’t accept how her new appearance.

I didn’t get to choose to look like this you know! That said, I would have chosen to if I was given the choice. Not that mum needs to know that. My powers and the body that comes with them are both awesome!

“I don’t have a boyfriend,” says Nic, “Not that I care what you think if I did. For that matter, I’m aiming to get a girlfriend.”

As their mum gasps in horror, Emily puts a hand to her forehead and groans in annoyance.

“Don’t you dare get yourself involved with that sort of sinful-” shrieks her mum as Nic steps out the door.

“And I’m out of here!” shouts Nic over her mother’s screaming voice as she slams the door shut behind her.

Best get out of here before Mum comes out after me.

Nic encases herself in her yellow energy and zooms off into the air.

Since she isn’t on patrol, rather than wearing her costume, Nic has chosen some black skinny jeans and a pink sweater that both hug her awesome curves.

There is nothing wrong with being beautiful and there is certainly nothing wrong with embracing your beauty.

Plus I want to get Guardian’s attention if I can find her tonight. I really like that girl even if she isn’t an Aphrodite or even a parahuman. Not that I’m convinced that she is a space alien rather than a parahuman.

I wasn’t exactly serious about asking Guardian out at first, I was just teasing that girl. But now after seeing her in action, well, it has just gotten my sights locked onto her. Especially after kissing her earlier today.

While she might not be hot and powerful like me, Alexandria or most Aphrodites, Guardian is most certainly cute and dangerous. And that last part is most certainly attractive.

I still need to consider the possibility that Guardian doesn’t feel the same about me. She is, apparently, an alien hybrid from another dimension who can only remember the last month and a half. Regardless of whether that is true or not, Guardian most certainly doesn’t think like a normal person.

Nic flies towards the Battle-Zone, the centre of Guardian’s territory. The rebuilding is coming along very nicely with about fifty percent of the work being done. And the fact that has happened is due to the efforts of several supers partaking in the construction and clean up.

There is even talk of people calling it New Town instead of the Battle-Zone due to how modern and futuristic it looks. And all thanks to the efforts of Techno, the gadgeteer who has put countless hours into the designs for the construction.

Oh look! There’s Guardian!

Nic lowers herself towards Guardian as the vigilante battles three men. Nic can’t help, but notice that Guardian is wearing a different set of power armour, definitely using lower tech materials then usual with it being made out of conventional sporting and combat gear.

Guardian jabs one hard in the chest with one of her stun batons before punching another in the gut and grabs his arm. She yanks it hard, twisting it hard. The man cries out in pain as his arm is dislocated.

The last one tries to flee, but Nic takes him out with an energy blast before he can get even a couple of metres away.

“Hello Glowbug,” says Guardian, “Is there a reason you are here?”

Yes, I want you to become my girlfriend and ask you out on a date.

“Yup, but I want to ask in private,” answers Nic, “I’ll wait until you’re done with your looting. And you can call me Nic or Nicky or Nicola instead of Glowbug.”

“As you wish,” replies Guardian as she gets to work taking the electronic gadgets of the men, their money and destroying their illegal drug products.

From what Alexandria says, Guardian always loots her enemies if she can and nobody even tries to stop her. Then again, who wants to try and stop her? Not me.

“I’m done,” Guardian informs Nic after almost a minute and a half, “My apologies about the wait.”

Oh I don’t mind. I enjoy standing back and watching you work cute stuff.

“Don’t worry about,” replies Nic, “I would like a private talk so could we head up high?”

“This armour lacks flight capabilities,” answers Guardian.

“What is that armour anyway?” asks Nic, “It isn’t your normal one.”

“It is the first set of power I made,” replies Guardian, “While I do have a spare of my main set, I don’t want to risk it unnecessarily until I made a replacement for the one that Dancing Queen destroyed.”

“That makes sense,” says Nic, “Grab a hold of me and I’ll fly us up.”

“Okay,” replies Guardian as she hops onto Nic’s back, the vigilante wrapping her arms around her waist in the process.

“Great,” says Nic with two different meaning to that one word as she lets her energy field surround them and take them up into the early night sky.

“So what do you wish to talk about?” inquires Guardian as Nic sets them down on a roof of a nearby building.

“Ah, well,” says Nic, stumbling over what do say.

I never actually thought this far ahead. How do I ask the freaking Guardian out on the date? What if she says no?

Guardian just silently watches Nic as she puts her thoughts together.

That...that is really unnerving.

“Could you take your helmet off first?” requests Nic, “I want to speak with you face to face.”

“As you wish,” replies Guardian as she pulls off her helmet and Nic looks into those pretty eyes of her crush.

Now for the hard part of actually asking her out. Heck, I don’t even know if Guardian is into gals like me. I should find that out first before I make a fool of myself.

“So Guardian,” says Nic hesitantly, “What exactly are your dating preferences?”

“I don’t understand the question,” says Guardian with a frown.

“Do like boys or girls?” clarifies Nic, “Or are you like me and don’t mind which you date?”

“Oh,” says Guardian and is silent for a moment, “I don’t have those.”

“Huh,” says Nic blankly.

I was not expecting her to be asexual. But given her personality and activities, it does make sense. Kinda.

“What I mean is that Deltaen, even only partial ones such as myself, don’t take physical factors into account when deciding with whom we want to be with,” explains Guardian with a shrug, “Necessity forced us to take in spiritual compatibility as the primary factor in relationships and our technology made it possible. Is there a particularly reason you wish to know this?”

Why on Earth would a species end up like that?

“Yes,” answers Nic swiftly, “I want you to be my girlfriend.”

“Oh,” says Guardian again, “Might I ask why Glowbug?”

Calling me Glowbug instead of a more personal name. Not a good sign.

“Because you’re cute and so very dangerous,” replies Nic, “I don’t know why, but I just find that so alluring. The fact you can just good out and take on pretty much anybody, even those who should be far too powerful for you to even stand a chance against. Plus you grown on me since I first made the offer to you jokingly.”

“You did kiss me earlier today,” notes Guardian and Nic blushes at the moment, “And parahumans do have an sub-conscious attraction to powerful and/or dangerous people.”

I was under Dancing Queen’s control at the time, but I still only did it in the first place because I wanted to. And how does she know that last part?

“So what do you say?” asks Nic nervously.

“I would be willing to try it out,” answers Guardian, “However, I should warn you that I am not an actively romantic person. You may end up disappointed as Deltaen as aren’t very passionate when it comes to love.”

“I’m already figured that you weren’t exactly normal,” replies Nic with some relief, “I don’t see any way you could be normal.”

“So it is agreed then?” inquires Guardian, “We shall engage in courtship to see whether we will end up in a long term relationship.”

“Yes!” exclaims Nic, “Oh most definitely yes! And we call it dating by the way.”

“So what now Glowbug?” asks Guardian.

“We arrange a date at some point,” answers Nic, “And call me Nic when I’m not in costume. My name isn’t Glowbug.”

“Okay Nic,” says Guardian and Nic smiles at Guardian using her real name.

“Great,” says Nic cheerfully, “What should I call you? It would be too awkward to call you Guardian all the time. What was your name? Legacy or something?”

“It is Legacy,” answers Guardian.

“Still too awkward,” says Nic.

“You may call me Legs if you want,” suggests Guardian, “It is the name that Sentry and I use for me in public to avoid unwanted attention.”

“Okay Legs,” giggles Nic as she feels giddy with happiness, “Let’s discuss our plans for our first date.”