knelt in front of him, running my fingers lightly over his skinned knees, pulling my power to his scrapes. They faded and light pain blossomed on my knees, my pants adhering to the fresh stickiness of missing skin.
I stood and l eaned against the kitchen counter. "Wanna tell me where you've been?"
No answer.
"If you tell me now, I promise I won't lose my temper."
" Okay," he said, "I was with a hero named Glint–"
" What ?"
" You said you wouldn't lose your temper!"
Conley tried to shrink away as I launched off the kitchen counter and knelt down at his eye level, gripping the back of the chair in either hand. "I know what I said. What did you say?"
" I was with Glint. He's a hero. I can show you; he's on the affiliate roster of the Conference's webpage. Like you."
My hair fell across my shoulders as I bent my face away from his. Of course it was Glint. And I had feared Conley might've joined a gang. "Why were you with Glint? What did he want?"
Conley waited until I met his eyes to answer. "He's teaching me to be a hero."
I gripped the chair so tightly my hands shook. Forced myself to stand. "Go to your room."
" But–"
" I've heard enough. You're not going with him anywhere anymore. You're grounded."
~
With practiced grace, I moved from alley to rooftop to alcove. I made it easy for Glint to find me, standing in the open on the rooftop of Nevils' Auto Loan. I recognized the faint wavering of shadows even before he unveiled himself and stepped into the soft light cast by the streetlamps below.
H is posture was tense, his hands open where I could see them, but he didn't expect an attack.
Head high , shoulders back, I strode toward him with purpose.
He managed only to say , "Remy–" before I grabbed his costume at the shoulder.
I pulled him forward, kicked his legs out from under him, and turned my hips to plant him on his back on the rough ground. Lightning-quick, I pinned his shoulders with my knees and wrapped my hands around his neck. I squeezed tight enough for him to understand that I was serious.
" How dare you call me that."
He was tall , strong. If he wanted to he could get out from under me, I had no doubt of that. Instead, he rested his fingertips against my forearm. "Please."
" No." I squeezed harder. "You don't get to show up in my town. You don't get to invade my life."
His hand wrapped gently around my wrist. "Okay." His voice was too calm. "Okay, I'm sorry."
I studied the black mask, the rise and fall of his features beneath. I'd once found it mysterious, charming. How I'd grown to hate that mask. I hated also that my anger wavered at his touch, at his familiar voice.
I released him. Put a few paces between us. Gulped the thick summer air.
Glint waited, his face turned toward the ground, his arms limp at his sides. He looked helpless.
" You shouldn't have come here," I said evenly.
" I was worried."
" It's time for you to leave."
" I can't," he said.
" Yes. You can. And you will. I have Conference sanctions over this neighborhood and I can take care of myself just fine–I've been doing it for years."
" And why is that, exactly?" He straightened, his chest puffing up as he challenged me. "It's clear that you can do this solo, but why did you choose to? Why did you push Ladybug away? Why have all of your old friends lost contact with you?"
" It's none of anybody's business what I do, so long as the job gets done."
He moved closer now , keeping to the light. It had always been so hard for him to be in the open. He didn't have any special toughness or healing. His best defense was staying hidden.
" I've seen what it's like for you to try to work alone. There's a good reason why you've isolated yourself." His tone took on a certain fragile quality as he asked, "You want to tell me what that reason is?"
I hugged my arms over my chest.
Glint took another step. Brushed the palms of his hands against my shoulders. "Were you ever going to tell me?"
" No. You . . . didn't want me.
I stood and l eaned against the kitchen counter. "Wanna tell me where you've been?"
No answer.
"If you tell me now, I promise I won't lose my temper."
" Okay," he said, "I was with a hero named Glint–"
" What ?"
" You said you wouldn't lose your temper!"
Conley tried to shrink away as I launched off the kitchen counter and knelt down at his eye level, gripping the back of the chair in either hand. "I know what I said. What did you say?"
" I was with Glint. He's a hero. I can show you; he's on the affiliate roster of the Conference's webpage. Like you."
My hair fell across my shoulders as I bent my face away from his. Of course it was Glint. And I had feared Conley might've joined a gang. "Why were you with Glint? What did he want?"
Conley waited until I met his eyes to answer. "He's teaching me to be a hero."
I gripped the chair so tightly my hands shook. Forced myself to stand. "Go to your room."
" But–"
" I've heard enough. You're not going with him anywhere anymore. You're grounded."
~
With practiced grace, I moved from alley to rooftop to alcove. I made it easy for Glint to find me, standing in the open on the rooftop of Nevils' Auto Loan. I recognized the faint wavering of shadows even before he unveiled himself and stepped into the soft light cast by the streetlamps below.
H is posture was tense, his hands open where I could see them, but he didn't expect an attack.
Head high , shoulders back, I strode toward him with purpose.
He managed only to say , "Remy–" before I grabbed his costume at the shoulder.
I pulled him forward, kicked his legs out from under him, and turned my hips to plant him on his back on the rough ground. Lightning-quick, I pinned his shoulders with my knees and wrapped my hands around his neck. I squeezed tight enough for him to understand that I was serious.
" How dare you call me that."
He was tall , strong. If he wanted to he could get out from under me, I had no doubt of that. Instead, he rested his fingertips against my forearm. "Please."
" No." I squeezed harder. "You don't get to show up in my town. You don't get to invade my life."
His hand wrapped gently around my wrist. "Okay." His voice was too calm. "Okay, I'm sorry."
I studied the black mask, the rise and fall of his features beneath. I'd once found it mysterious, charming. How I'd grown to hate that mask. I hated also that my anger wavered at his touch, at his familiar voice.
I released him. Put a few paces between us. Gulped the thick summer air.
Glint waited, his face turned toward the ground, his arms limp at his sides. He looked helpless.
" You shouldn't have come here," I said evenly.
" I was worried."
" It's time for you to leave."
" I can't," he said.
" Yes. You can. And you will. I have Conference sanctions over this neighborhood and I can take care of myself just fine–I've been doing it for years."
" And why is that, exactly?" He straightened, his chest puffing up as he challenged me. "It's clear that you can do this solo, but why did you choose to? Why did you push Ladybug away? Why have all of your old friends lost contact with you?"
" It's none of anybody's business what I do, so long as the job gets done."
He moved closer now , keeping to the light. It had always been so hard for him to be in the open. He didn't have any special toughness or healing. His best defense was staying hidden.
" I've seen what it's like for you to try to work alone. There's a good reason why you've isolated yourself." His tone took on a certain fragile quality as he asked, "You want to tell me what that reason is?"
I hugged my arms over my chest.
Glint took another step. Brushed the palms of his hands against my shoulders. "Were you ever going to tell me?"
" No. You . . . didn't want me.
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