Hero & Villain

Macer | 1365w

He can't just do that. There's no way he just did that. Oh my god he really did that.

I dive after him, staying in front of him as he plummets toward the ground. It seems like far too much has passed, and I'm about to grab him again when his wings unfurl slowly, gliding him in a gentle arc through the air. I follow closely, still feeling nervous that his wings might disappear. Maybe I even wish it would happen.

He is going to be the death of me, I know it. I can't even kiss him back because he won't remember kissing me in the first place! I am so going to get him back for that after we find the kid.

Finally Falcon comes to a stop and I'm able to hover in front of him. He shakes out his arms, looking me up and down with a frown, then folds his arms in a copy of my stance. "You didn't have to drop me so suddenly," he snaps.

I blink, then roll my eyes. He doesn't even know he changed? "I didn't drop you," I reply, a smirk settling onto my face.

He scowls even deeper, but otherwise ignores me as he starts flying again. A second later when he realizes I'm not following, he whips back around to hover in front of me again. "What is it?" He snaps, obviously annoyed at me.

I raise an eyebrow, my lips quirking in amusement. "Just because you know my identity doesn't mean everyone else does."

He seems to consider that for a moment, then sighs. "Do you need me to get your suit from somewhere?"

"No, I can get it, I just don't want you going by yourself," I explain, picking at my fingernails to avoid his glare.

"I can handle myself just fine, if that's what you're worried about," he hisses, hands balling into fists by his sides.

"It's not you I'm worried about, I just... have a hunch who might have taken them," I explain, looking up from my nails and frowning. "Actually, I am worried about you now. Are you okay?" I ask, concerned. The great swooping of his wings seems a bit weaker, and he's moving in the air more than before.

He groans, dropping almost ten feet when his flapping falters for a split second. "I have trouble hovering, my wings weren't really made for it."

"Why didn't you tell me? Is it painful?" I ask as I glide closer to him, fully intending to gather him into my arms and carry him to the ground, but he drops down again to avoid me.

"I said it's uncomfortable to hover, not to fly!" He snaps, before sighing. "I'm a bit on edge. I really just want to find the kid before anything bad can happen to them."

I agree, and we both agree on a plan. Falcon will go to the kids school where they were last seen, to find out everything he can, and I will get my suit then meet him there.

***

"Find anything?" I ask as I land silently behind Falcon. He starts, obviously not having heard my approach.

"Nothing about where they could be. She was in the waiting area with some other kids and teachers, then she wasn't. Nobody noticed at first, and when they did they assumed her 'parents' had come and picked her up," he informs, completely skipping over a key detail.

I clear my throat, causing him to look at me. "She?"

He has the grace to look chagrined, though he tries to hide it. "Uh, yeah. She's a girl," he pauses. "She's six."

I grimace at the thought. "Six? I don't know much about... them, but... six?"

I see Falcon shiver as he peers over the edge of the roof we're currently perched on. "I was only eight, you know. That's still better than six, but I heard her birthday was only a few weeks ago. The couple only took kids six or older, so I doubt she's been there long. And I think over half of what they put me through was solely because they knew about my kitty form." He says, sounding as sad as I've ever heard him as Falcon.

I manage to run my fingers through his hair a few times before he realizes what I'm doing and jerks away with an insincere snarl. "Come on, I know someone who can help us find her," I tell him as I step off the edge of the building.

He reluctantly follows me across town, and when we land on the sidewalk he looks around with a startled look. "I was here before, wasn't I?" he asks, sounding distant.

I study his profile until he turns to look at me, and I nod. "Yeah. This is where you finally figured out I'm Macer."

A grimace takes over his face, and he slowly walks over to the spot I left him before. He stares down at it for a bit, then plops down and pulls his knees up. Falcon's fingertips brush over the ground, a frown still adorning his lips. "I remember feeling... overwhelmed and confused. Scared maybe? Definitely sad." He looks up at me, gaze a bit accusing. "Was that your fault?

I saunter forward and crouch in front of him, letting my eyes rove over him consideringly. His hands still rest by his sides, his knees pulled up but legs limp, his wings loosely pulled up to his back, but obviously relaxed. He's not uncomfortable being this close to me.

I slowly nod, waiting for him to tense and become guarded. It doesn't happen. Instead, he just tilts his head inquisitively. "On purpose?" A shake of my head. "When I found it you were Macer?" I nod, then reconsider.

"Some of it was from that," I say carefully, wondering how much I should say.

His eyes narrow slightly at me, but it's not as intimidating as he obviously intends for it to be. "Some? What was the rest from?" He demands. When I don't answer immediately he shifts impatiently and huffs out a breath. "Tell me."

I roll my eyes at his impatience, then quickly lean forward and brush my lips over his before he can either move away or shove me back.

I've resolved myself to the fact that if I care about one part of him, I will care about the rest exactly the same. It wouldn't be fair or healthy for me to somehow choose only one part of him to be with. All of his forms are still him, in their own ways, and I can't let myself be biased toward only one aspect of him.

Falcon blinks at me, a look of disgust crossing his face for a second. I feel my heart squeeze at the expression, then he speaks up and my fears are abated. "That scared me? God, I must wimpier in my other forms than I realized."

My low chuckle in response to his words is cut short when Falcon slaps a hand over my mouth. "Did you hear that?" He asks. I try to resist the urge to lick his hand, really I do, but sometimes things are just too tempting to resist.

He jerks his hand back with an angry grumble, frantically wiping his hand off on his pants. "I heard somebody talking in there!" He hisses, pointing to the building.

I roll my eyes a lot when I'm with Falcon. "Yeah, this is where the woman who can help us lives," I explain, standing and holding out a hand to him.

He ignores it and stands on his own, slapping it out of the air in the least threatening way possible. "She another Villain?" He asks curiously.

I nod and walk beside him towards the door. "Retired, actually."

He seems a bit surprised. "Did she retire to take care of her kid?"

My hand freezes an inch from the door, and I look at him with wide eyes. "She doesn't have any kids."

The door swings open, both Falcon and I whirl around to look inside, and before I can get a word out Falcon is launching himself forward.