Superhuman

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"It's 65 Crescent Drive-- A sleepover sounds great, actually. My house isn't the biggest but my parents aren't there right now so it'll be fun, yeah," he nodded, turning to glance out of the window to try and deal with the lie. His parents weren't going to come back and that was something he knew he would have to deal with with the police at some point when his parents failed to return. He had, at least, covered his tracks well, even mirroring his mother's handwriting in her diary to moan about how hard it was dealing with a son who had 'problems', and how sometimes leaving town seemed like the answer to her problems. Making it out like his parents had left town to start afresh without the stress of dealing with Ethan would, he hoped, be enough when the time came for him to approach the police, worried for his parents' whereabouts, all while dealing with the truth that one accident he really hadn't meant to commit had killed them.

It was hardly easy dealing with that, especially whilst knowing he would have to somehow find money to pay for the bills and keep a roof over his head. He could get a job, but it was probably quicker for him to rob a store or a bank for the cash. Given his lack of morals lately, and the genuine thrill he had when putting on his mask and doing what the hell he liked, robbing a bank was a very possible avenue for him.

As soon as he thought he had composed himself, everything just hit back when he was stood in his parents' room, having pulled out some of the makeup left behind. Most of his parents' things had, obviously, been shoved into suitcases and dropped to the bottom of the lake alongside them to support the lie. Little bits and pieces were left behind, like a little makeup and some less important possessions, and the emptiness of the bedroom only caused Ethan to grow emotional.

"...They... they aren't coming back. My parents, I mean. I know they aren't," he mumbled, sitting on the bed with a weak smile. "They hated living with me, I... I think I scared them because they didn't know how to fix me or... or support me, maybe they felt guilty about putting me in that hospital-- I just know they aren't coming back. I-I fucked everything up, they... they were the nicest parents ever and they loved me so much and I just-- I've ruined everything. I... should go to the police, right? They said they were going on vacation but... but that's... I don't believe that."
 
"How do you know? How long have they been gone?" He questioned curiously once sitting on Ethan's mother's bed, testing it out of curiosity. It was an awkward situation to be in, naturally, and Scott sure as hell was trying his best to seem casual and calm when, in reality, the idea of the other losing his parents was more than just some random shit to say.

"Hey, you'll be fine, okay?" He reassured with a smile. "If you know your parents are gone, I'd tell someone, yeah. I mean, I don't know if you should live alone. It isn't safe, yeah? I mean, I know I definitely couldn't be left alone for very long. It gets too quiet, you know?" He babbled before pushing up and wandering to the other's side. "If it's any consolation, you can stay at my place if you'd like? I've got plenty of room and my mom would love to know I'm bringing a friend over. We can get some of your stuff and you can stay in the guest bedroom until you get everything figured out...?"
 
"You don't even know me, Scott. Not... really. We were never friends before today. I... I'm sure my parents will come back, I'm just being dramatic-- and we'll be friends in no time, I already like you a lot. You're pretty much the only person who doesn't think I'm a freak-- I mean, unless you do and can just act really well," he snorted, rooting back in his mother's makeup bag to find something to help with the bruises. He was by no means a makeup expert, but he figured that, by name alone, concealer ought to help disguise the severity of Scott's injuries.

"I just-- they never knew how to handle me after I tried to kill myself, I think they were scared I'd try again and... I'm just so angry all the time lately. I just think they don't want to deal with me, but they're my parents. I'm sure they'll be back," he confirmed as convincingly as possible, gently tilting the other's face to help apply the makeup. "...I'd love to stay over at your place when you know me a little better, though. I don't want to turn up when you barely know me yet."
 
"Trust me, my parents would be ecstatic for me to bring you home," he explained, wincing at the light dabs on his bruises and small cuts. He attempted to. Cheer the up a bit by offering a small smile all the while, though. The last thing he wanted to do was upset the other, especially in his clearly emotional state.

"Yeah, my parents are just desperate for me to have a solid friend. The guys that I hang out are cool but they don't want to be seen with me as much as you do. My parents would probably pop a blood vessel knowing I had a cool friend like you," he admitted with a nervous laugh. "That probably sounds pathetic, yeah?"
 
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"Not at all, I just... never mind. I'd love to come over tonight if that's cool? I don't want to impose, obviously, but if your parents will be cool with it, it'd be nice not to spend the night alone," he admitted, knowing full well that he wouldn't be able to cope with being alone; not when the accident was playing on his mind so much. Getting out of the house and spending time with someone who seemed to genuinely like him made far more sense.

"You can hardly see the bruises, I did a pretty great job," he grinned, leaning back to admire his handiwork. "...This makeup stuff is pretty easy, I don't see why people complain about not being able to do it."
 
"It's because society has a weird understanding of beauty and always strives to be unique when, in fact, we live in s society that has already done everything that it can and is just recycling new ideas. Some simple concealer wouldn't cut it today, not without everything else," he explained rather quickly, though with a grin in agreement that the bruise was completely gone.

"Maybe you should be one of those MUA's on YouTube," he suggested with a snort before getting to his feet. "Ah, lets get some food and relax for a bit. I mean, I don't know what my parents are doing but they usually stop it all by 6:30 so we have a good amount of time to relax. I know it's silly but... my family is weird," he explained with a laugh.
 
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"I bet your family are lovely. My parents are too, they're just... cautious around me these days. They think that saying the wrong thing to me might send me loopy again," he smiled, taking great care to use the present tense concerning his parents. Speaking about them as though they were dead would inevitably arouse suspicion if their bodies were ever discovered. He didn't think they would be, but he knew he couldn't rule it out, so covering his back by talking as though they were alive and well was for the best.

"I'll just grab some of my things-- you sure your parents won't mind me sleeping over? They don't know me, really. We never started hanging out until today, Scott, I don't... want them to question you about me or anything."
 
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"I cannot stress enough how desperate my parents are for me to have someone over," he reassured quickly, a shy smile on his lips. "Not to mention the fact that I don't want you to be alone. If you think it's strange, we can treat it as if you were just a roommate. Hell, you can have your own room!" He gushed as he waited patiently by the door while he took in the house.

"I'm not being too pushy, right? I don't want to scare you off," he admitted, his eyes eventually drifting back to the other before offering a nervous chuckle. "I mean, ah... my therapist says I'm too demanding with... my demands, I guess. I don't want you to feel pressured."
 
"...You're not scaring me off, I think it's sweet that you care about me. I think you're nuts to invite me around after I was a dick to you in the past, but I won't turn the offer down. I don't want to be alone here-- my therapist says I need all the company I can get," he snorted, heading to his room to shove some clothes and school items into a bag, not caring how haphazard his packing was. He was eager to leave the house, for obvious reasons, and spend as much time as he could with Scott. A small, tiny part of him felt like declining the offer, but the alternative was to stay in the house he had accidentally killed his parents in, and that was hardly desirable.

"Nah, this'll be great for us both, right? And parents tend to like me, I'm pretty charming. I know the right things to say," he laughed as he threw the bag on and returned to the other's side, heading out the house as fast as he could, without looking too suspicious anyway. "The only parent that hated me was Arie's mom, but... that's not surprising, really-- god, Arie's going to rip me apart tomorrow, isn't he? After I broke his boyfriend's nose or whatever. He abandoned me but I'm the bad guy, so that's fun."
 
"I mean, it was really shitty that he hadn't shown up or whatever but I heard he's a pretty big crybaby, he probably would have just cried the whole time until someone felt bad for him," Scott replied, trying hard to hide the slight venom in his voice. After all, while Arie wasn't the type to be particularly violent, his friends tended to be pretty ruthless with their bullying which was proof by the state he was in.

"Everyone fucking loves him because he has this whole sweet kid sort of act going on but he's just using that to get sympathy for his shitty mom. Like, all of our parents are shitty sometimes. Sometimes they force you into therapy, for example. Just 'cuz his mother isn't the perfect caretaker doesn't mean he can go around trying to be all 'humbled' or whatever. It's frustrating," he admitted before exhaling hard and letting his tight fist relax a tad. "Sorry, just... that was stupid. I know you don't understand the whole bullying thing but it gets old, you know?"
 
At one point in his life, Ethan would have defended Arie against anyone, no matter how much bigger or stronger they were than him. Arie had been far more than just a boyfriend to him; he was his best friend and the only real person Ethan felt he trusted, albeit not enough to let him in on the problems he had. It was evidence of just how far their friendship had fallen when hearing Arie get insulted didn't provoke any protectiveness in him. Sure, for a brief moment he felt a tad defensive, but all he had to do was remember the months he spent in the hospital without a single visit or call to realise that Arie didn't deserve his sympathy. He deserved every vicious word Scott was throwing at him.

"...His mother's not nice to him, that's not his fault. She's a bitch, really. I guess it's a case of like mother, like son? Arie's turned out terribly, you know? I don't even recognise him. i guess I've changed, but... he's such a prick. I can't even explain how f-fucking hurtful it is for him to be acting like this to... to me, you know? It fucking hurts, and I... don't care. I don't care about him, Scott. It's over. He's welcome to cling to the arm of his bully boyfriend and enjoy his popularity. I guarantee it won't last long," he promised calmly, smiling to counteract the dark threats behind his words. As passionate as Scott seemed, he didn't want to ruin a blossoming friendship by dropping the bombshell that he planned to ambush the school dance. It was probably best for all concerned if he kept his identity a secret.

"Hey, Arie's a jerk and he's bringing us down. I happen to want to talk more about you, Scott. You're far more interesting, yeah?"
 
Taken aback by the other cutting to the chase to instead focus on him. Almost immediately did his cheeks grow red as he bashfully rubbed the back of his neck, trailing Ethan out of the house before fiddling for his car keys.

"I'm really not that interesting," he insisted with a nervous chuckle. "I mean, nothing you'd probably like. I'm a 'boring freak', as everyone says. I mean, you can ask anything you want but I'm sure you'll find yourself unpressed ."
 
"Have you ever dated anyone before? I never saw you with anyone when we were younger, you know? I had Arie -back when he was a decent guy- and I know we weren't friends back then, but I would have noticed if you had a cute guy on your arm. You've never been with anyone, huh? That's not a bad thing, I'm... jealous, maybe? I wasted so much energy on Arie and he ended up being an asshole," he pointed out as he climbed into the car, holding his bag of clothes close to his chest. He had no issue talking about Arie, but he wasn't going to pretend that he could do so without growing angry about the situaton.

He also couldn't deny that a small part of him still cared deeply about the boy. He couldn't stand being n his company, and he felt like he wanted him to get hurt as much as he did with everyone else in his old friendship group who had abandoned him, but if it came down to it, he knew he couldn't see Arie get hurt. Arie was his first real best friend and someone he had invested years in. Just because their friendship had ended didn't mean he could stand back and let him die, however much he wished that he could switch that concern off.

"...Would you ever want to really date me?" He continued curiously, turning his head to examine the other teenager. "I mean, I know we've discussed it, but... I guess I want to hear you say it again. I'm an attention whore, I like being complimented. I don't get to hear nice stuff that often anymore-- and hey, if it helps, I think you're cool. I'd date you."
 
Scott's face couldn't have gotten any redder. It was big enough to be next to the (formerly) most popular guy in school and being friends, and having the whole 'dating' thing tossed around a bit, but it was all just hypotheticals. To hear the offer come up again turned his nervous chuckles to downright giggles as he tried to subtly hide his face.

"Ah, no... I mean, at least not in real life. I had a girlfriend online for a few years actually but she decided to ghost me. I don't know why but it's probably because I'm too needy or something," he admittrdvquietly as his free hand gripped the steering wheel. "I mean, if you're serious about it, I would love to go out with you. I don't want to rush, though, because I know I'm pretty easy to dump. I don't really want that, to be honest."
 
"I mean, I'd be nervous about dating someone after Arie, but you seem like you're just as fucked up as I am-- that's a good thing in my book, Scott. We can be fucked up together, it's kinda cute. Besides, I think it's helpful to date someone who understands what I'm going through, if only a little. It helps that you're my type, too," he grinned, clicking his seatbelt on before taking a peek out the window to give Scott time to calm himself down, even though the sight of him blushing madly was almost too cute to ignore. With all the talk of the mutual attraction between them and his emphasis that Scott understood him, it was tempting to reveal to him what the truth was; about what he could do and what crimes he had committed, accidental or otherwise.

The fear that he'd be yelled at and abandoned (again) was the one thing stopping him, however, and after a few seconds of psyching himself up and avoiding the urge to blab out his secret, he offered a grin back across at the other in an attempt to move on from the desire to reveal everything.

"Well, you should introduce me to your folks as your boyfriend. And... we can introduce you to my parents when they get back."
 
"Oh, my parents will love you," he reassured easily and, once his cheeks softened to a light pink, started up the car. Giving a quick smile back at the other, Scott pulled from th driveway, putting on the radio for quiet background noise in an attempt to at least keep him from having to talk and inevitably babble out something embarrassing... though it was bound to happen.

"Ah, y-yeah. My parents are pretty desperate for me to have a real-life, meaningful relationship with someone. I mean, it's bad enough that they think I'm crazy so the fact that I don't have many friends in real life kind of scares me. I've heard what they say, they think I'm going to shoot up the school or something - that isn't true. Just the sight of a gun makes me freak out," He babbled out quickly as he locked his eyes on the road.
 
"My parents are always more concerned over me hurting myself, rather than others, but I guess they have a reason to worry. Mind you, I'd love to get back at my old friends, I think they deserve to... get hurt. I get it, I should be the bigger person, but that's not-- it's not fun letting them get away with it, you know? It was good seeing Jason get hurt, wasn't it? Didn't it, like, make you just a little happy?" He questioned quietly, his brow perked curiously. There was no way he would tell Scott what he was planning, or even what he could do, but he was at least a little interested in how Scott felt they ought to proceed. Regardless, he planned to still make them pay, just for some entertainment at the very least, but he'd feel much better about it if Scott was even a little supportive of physical punishment.

"...I dunno, it's probably not good for my progress in the long run, but it'd feel amazing in the short term to see them get what's coming to them. I'm sure they'll beat us up at any chance they get, Scott. I don't see why we can't... give them a taste of their own medicine."
 
"Like you said, it would only be good for the short-term," he replied quietly as he absently drove. "Nothing but pain can come out of it for everyone involved and the pain we cause them will only make us feel bad afterward. Sure, I'd love to punch Jason and Arie straight in the face but I know that I would not only get in trouble but they'd probably just punch is back twice as hard. They're stronger than us - well, at least me. You're pretty buff," he commented with a cheeky smile towards the other.

"I can't stop you from whatever you're planning, but I just want you to know that we can be better than them. There's better ways to get everything fixed, you know? We can talk to them, or talk to the principal... or just avoid them, that's my suggestion. You seem like the stubborn type, though, so it doesn't matter what I say, does it?" He questioned with his own raised brow.
 
He knew it was a reach, but he took Scott's admission of his own stubbornness as the go-ahead to execute his plan. He knew that Scott probably wouldn't be so accepting if he knew what Ethan had up his sleeve, but telling him would ruin it, so he chose instead to keep the other in the dark and simply go ahead with what he had planned, convincing himself that Scott supported him. It made life easier to deceive himself, rather than realise that nobody would support the way he chose to act out.

However, he did feel he genuinely needed to do something. Pretending to be normal and the pressures that came with it had left him attempting suicide and spending a year inside a hospital. He didn't want that again, which left the option of actually accepting who he was and not holding back - surely that was more healthy than pretending to be someone he wasn't?

It was precisely why he decided to do what he wanted -and needed- to do regardless of the potential repercussions. The vitriol spat at him and the bullying he and Scott endured over the following few weeks at the hands of Jason and his friends only strengthened Ethan's decision to take his anger out in the worst possible way, even if it meant discovery and rejection from Scott. He was confident that he could get away with it, but there was always a small risk he would be found out by everyone and have to spend the remainder of his life hiding away from the public eye.

When the dance came around, he made sure to act as normally as possible around Scott, despite knowing what he was going to end up doing. He had a spare change of clothes and his mask already placed in his locker for later so, for a good hour, he did exactly as expected - he hung out with his boyfriend and their friends and did as much as he could to make the night fun for them. He wasn't planning on letting any of them get hurt, after all, so it was at least important to him for them to have as much fun as possible before he set the plan into motion.

Eventually, after convincing his friends to head outside for fresh air away from the crowded hall, he initiated everything. He changed into his black clothes, tugged up his hood, placed on his mask and proceeded to calmly lock the doors of the hall with the keys he had stolen from the janitor. By the time people realised something was happening -after he had abruptly pulled the plug on the music-, it was easily too late, with Ethan calmly sat on the stage, swinging his legs as chaos erupted around him. It was entertaining... until spotting Arie, anyway. After weeks of bullying, he was determined to let him suffer as much as Jason, but seeing him instantly made him grimace and, despite everything he had had to deal with, he pushed himself from the stage and calmly made his way through the fire and injured students to approach his ex-boyfriend.

"Fucking go already," he gestured, having opened one of the doors leading out of the hall with an irritated grunt, if only to disguise his voice a little. "Unless you wanna die of smoke inhalation, obviously. Get a fucking move on, Arie, before I change my mind, yeah"?
 
He didn't even want to go to the dance but Jason had insisted on it, saying it would be cheesy and fun to celebrate their last dance in high school. Hell, he hadn't even really dressed up bar some vampire teeth because he not only didn't have the money but he just didn't care enough. Despite managing to keep the fire away from him with a suspiciously perfect ring, Ethan was right about the smoke as he was wheezing heavily, crouched over to steady himself. It didn't help that he had left his inhalor in Jason's car. He was capable enough to realize what was happening, though, and grabbed Jason's hand to tug on his arm hard, pulling him out of the door. Once getting out, he locked eyes on the masked villain as he tried to clear his throat and bring attention for the crowd to follow.

This attracted Scott's attention. Dressed in his Dungeons and Dragons character (an elf), he had set up a plan to do just that with the others after the dance. His laughing and generally good mood turned sour when seeing the flames. Of course, when not seeing Ethan, he dared to hurry to the door only to peek through and see the fire.

"Ethan?! Shit, a-Ah..." stammered Scott in clear anxiety. What else was he supposed to do, just accept the fact that his boyfriend might be burning to death? That being said, he didn't have the powers like Arie to help lead anyone out nor could he even really see anyone to begin with past all of the smoke.
 
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