"(Y/n)? Hello?" James' voice rang out again after a few seconds of silence. "Can you hear me? I said Rowan's dead."

You slowly returned to your senses, tightening your weak grip on your phone as you responded. "Uh, yeah. I'm listening, sorry."

And you were listening- you'd heard his every word. What you weren't quite doing was comprehending. As you stood in the middle of the shop James' words were starting to sink in, though what you still struggled to understand was Oakley's presence in your store- as you had felt pretty certain that he was Rowan.

Both he and Angel had turned to you when they heard your voice, trading their vexed expressions for bright smiles that you were too overwhelmed to even think of reciprocating. And to add to your current overstimulation, Piper was still by your side, gazing at you almost as expectantly as the other men. At least it seemed like Eloise and Tony were helping customers and cleaning up the mess the tour group had made, actually alleviating your stress instead of adding to it for the first time today.

Well, the first thing for you to tackle was your current phone call, so you gave your attention back to the man on the other line. "What do you mean he's dead? I don't understand... you didn't-"

"No! No. Please, you know I wouldn't ever kill a villain- even one I hate as much as him... I wasn't even there. It was all just so insane, really- everything happened before I even got the call."

"Right..." Angel and Oakley began to approach you, but put up your free pointer finger, a silent instruction of silence. "Okay, so, I mean- I have so many questions... how did he die?"

"Who's on the phone? And who died, precious?" Angel's worried face was suddenly inches from yours, but only for a moment because Oakley pulled him away and took his spot.

"Rowan! That's what I'm trying to tell you- I can be here now cause he's dead!"

Angel gasped, looking both frustrated and confused by the other man's words. "What are you-"

Oakley shot him a glare before sending you his suave grin, cutting Angel off. "That's what you said, right?"

"Who's that talking, hon?"

You sighed- far too much was happening at once. "Um... it's Angel and, well- remember that 'Oakley' guy? Unfortunately, he's here, which I don't really understand since he's-"

"He's not a threat anymore so it's safe," James cut in quickly. "Put me on speaker so Angel can hear, this pertains to his job."

"It's Megistos," you informed the group glumly as you complied with his request, knowing he was now in hero mode. Ick. "You're on speaker- what happened?"

"Thanks. Turns out that for the past week, Rowan was undergoing a huge heist- the biggest in our country's history. He was weeding out millions from the capital's bank right under everyone's noses. Ended up getting around ninety mil-"

"It was one hundred million." Your eyes snapped to Oakley confusedly at his correction, to which he shrugged. "What? I read the headlines."

"Anyways, he managed to wire out the money but today he showed up at the physical bank to reveal what he had done like the egotistical asshole he is, and he just... I don't know exactly how to explain what happened- but he's dead. I saw the body and everything, so I guess you were wrong about that other asshole Oakley."

Piper chuckled next to you at the insult, but you were too doubtful to find similar amusement, even if Rowan was the butt of the joke. "What do you mean you can't explain it? I don't see how he's suddenly just dead. You're always telling me I underestimate his abilities, so I'm sorry if I'm skeptical-"

Tony and Eloise approached you hurriedly, Tony dropping his normally nonchalant exterior to question you energetically. "Shit, Miss (Y/n)- did you hear about..." he observed your group surrounding your phone and clicked his tongue. "I'm guessing you did. Of course- well anyways- look at the footage. I have Hero Hub just posted the attack, and that bitch is gone."

Eloise nodded enthusiastically. "Like, gone gone."

Before things got too out of hand, you did a quick scan of the to see if it was slow enough for you to fully address things, and you noted appreciatively that the kids had emptied the shop of customers and momentarily flipped the open sign to display the 'closed' side to onlookers. It wasn't necessarily something they had jurisdiction over, and they hadn't been nearly as helpful when it came to their actual duties as employees today, but you still valued their awareness of the situation and your desire to have some privacy. The same couldn't be said for the men around you, however, all of them have leaned in, listening to your call with keen interest.

"The video will explain better than I can," James' commented from your device.

Tony placed his phone in your free hand and pressed play, Piper and Angel both moving in closer to watch while Oakley simply observed you three with a smirk. You found it strange that he wasn't interested in watching, but you could address that after seeing the video.

The footage played, likely taken on someone's phone due to the grainy quality, revealing Rowan's tall, masked form alone at the top of the tall steps leading up to the bank, holding two almost burlap sacks overflowing with bills. They definitely didn't hold all the money he stole and were likely just there to exaggerate his point (though it was kind of corny, in your opinion, and could only look more cartoony if large dollar signs had been painted on each bag).

Looking back at Rowan though, something seemed... off? He looked more disheveled than normal and a bit awkward in his stance, not exuding his normal over-confidence. A few civilians could be seen and heard yelling and running away from the bank, though their fear was more likely attributed to his reputation than his current, unimposing presence. You couldn't tell if Rowan was speaking or not, but considering the long distance between the camera and the actual supervillain, you doubted his voice would be able to be picked up either way.

Suddenly, two heroes you didn't quite recognize approached the scene from the corners of your screen, one flying and one on foot, both immediately attacking the villain. That wasn't usual protocol- superheroes were meant to attempt peaceful arrests before engaging in combat of any sort, but you wouldn't have been surprised if crimes involving more infamous, dangerous villains were the exception- especially Rowan with his high kill count.

As the fight commenced, the masked man dropped his two bags and began to throw out different elemental attacks rather haphazardly. He was coming across as slightly unhinged- his movements almost wobbly and uncoordinated. It was all so frantic and uncalculated like something in him had snapped. It struck you as strange- you remembered James saying that the Rowan had a frustratingly apt understanding of his powers and was always lethal in their spats, so why was he moving with the steadiness of a newly born calf?

The heroes began to gain on him, an unusually easy feat, and all the while he remained rooted to his spot on top of the steps. If you had to guess, maybe this was a pride thing. Maybe he was unwilling to 'waste his time' dodging their attacks to prove he was better than them. That wouldn't be your strategy if you were him though- not with the way it was biting him in the ass in his current, unstable state.

He took blow after blow in that same spot, but your eyes wandered to the bank behind him. The grand building was shaking behind him, likely due to the unpredictable slew of earth chunks and water vortexes being thrown at it, slowly eroding the stone materials decorating the front. The pillars that held up the marble awning were beginning to form cracks too, and you slowly began to understand where this was going and how things would end for the man. Apparently, the heroes did too, as you watched them gradually retreat and slow their attacks. Rowan remained stubbornly planted on the steps, even as the marble awning took so much damage that it collapsed right over where he'd stood.

The building itself was still mostly in one piece- only that small space before the entrance had crumbled and fallen- but Rowan was now being crushed beneath hundreds of tons of heavy, unmoving rock. You knew it was the end because James had informed you, but deep down you still expected him to emerge from the rubble for round two, commanding the earth to part for him. The fight just couldn't be over that fast- this was Rowan, the only villain to successfully evade Megistos time and time again.

So you waited. And waited. And waited. And... nothing?

That was it then, you supposed. That was how the high and mighty Rowan met his end. It was a bit anti-climatic honestly, although the few civilian spectators still in the video's frame seemed a bit more shocked due to seeing it in person, all standing in stunned silence except for- wait.

"Jesus Christ," Piper whispered, the first to break your group's silence.

"Did you see it? I still-"

"Rewind it to when he was fighting," you instructed Angel as you interrupted James.

"How come, cutie pie?" the hero asked. "You don't need to watch something so graphic-"

"Please, just do it, Angel."

"Um... okay," he complied hesitantly, pressing play.

This time your eyes were glued beneath the fighting to a certain civilian, the one who'd caught your eye earlier. A tall, dark-haired man, dressed the exact same as the man stood in front of you now. In the video, the man was on the far edge of the screen and pretty far away- closer to the actual combat- but peering back at the Oakley stood before you with a sharp, victorious grin there was no doubt about it. They were the same person.

Wanting to verify again, your attention focused on the video once more. Once you'd noticed him, Oakley somehow managed to stand out more than the superhumans and other civilians alike as his eyes remained steeled on the fight scene. His firm stance possessed the determination that Rowan seemed to lack, and his proximity to the fight itself exuded a courageousness no other onlooker held.

But why was he there? Why was he so steadfast as he observed the deadly altercation? It couldn't have been him making good on his earlier vow to be captured in a photo with Rowan to prove his innocence. Because that'd be insane. There was simply no way. Right?

As the rubble fell atop the villain, Oakley visibly relaxed. Then, startling you slightly, he turned and locked his gaze directly at the camera. His lips curled into his signature grin as he clearly mouthed words that shocked you even more: 'That's not me, (Y/n).' Your jaw dropped as you watched him stride casually out of frame, as though what he had basically just confessed to doing wasn't utterly unhinged and bizarre- as though he hadn't just risked his life just for the possibility of receiving a second chance at being a part of yours.

Now you knew why he didn't care to see the footage with the rest of you all it was because he'd lived it out already. More importantly, though, he really wasn't Rowan.

You met his triumphant gaze again. "You really aren't him... He's- he's really dead."

"Told ya," he replied. "So you'll give me a second chance now, right? I believe that was our deal."

You blinked at him in bewilderment. "That's literally the least important thing to discuss right now." You switched your attention back to the man on the phone. "Shit, Megistos- who was he under the mask?"

"That's not really public information yet... but it'll come out soon enough. I'll just say this- allegedly he was a billionaire politician with no previous superhuman activities on public record. However, they've already been uncovering his private accounts on some elitist blog forums liking the type of shit that Rowan would likely spew. That'll all be hitting the press soon, I'm sure, so for now, that's all I'll say."

"Not surprising that a politician was a supervillain and ableist, to be real," Piper muttered beside you. "Was probably racist and sexist too."

You hummed in agreement. You hadn't really gotten a racist or sexist vibe from the now-deceased man when you were his captive, but you'd barely gotten to know him at all. Still, politicians were oftentimes pieces of shit who openly committed absolute atrocities, so who were you to say one wouldn't commit villainy behind closed doors, or rather, a mask.

"Wait- so did they find the stolen money in his accounts then? I don't get why a billionaire would need to rob a bank..." you mused, still feeling slightly skeptical that Rowan was just gone. You could admit he wasn't Oakley after seeing the cold, hard video evidence, but his actual death was a harder pill to swallow.

"They've just started the case so the money's unaccounted for right now. Speaking of which, I'm getting called to help with the investigation, but I will talk to you later to discuss further what this means for you- because no, this does not mean that you're entirely safe again, and no, this also does not mean you can go back to living so carelessly."

"Hey," you pouted. "I wasn't living carelessly..."

"You're fooling no one, (Y/n). And Angel- no more babysitting. You can start back up on normal hero work tomorrow. I'll get you back on the schedule once I'm back in my office." A few muffled voices from his side of the call were followed by a large sigh. "Gotta go. I love you, hon, be safe."

The call ended and you allowed yourself to take a deep breath. You didn't know what James was on about with his ominous warnings- as far as you were concerned, you were safe. And while you weren't going to celebrate anyone's death, you felt an intense wave of relief now that there was no longer a looming, supervillain shadow hanging over you and threatening your wellbeing. You weren't aware of the toll that having a potential murderous stalker had taken on you until the problem disappeared.

Unfortunately, Angel was not feeling the same emotions after James' call. "I don't have to... but I wanted to be- I, um... precious?" he mumbled as he tugged on your shirt, voice so small and weak it physically pained you, and the look of utter despondency in his eyes wasn't making you feel any better. "I'm sorry..."

"Aw, Angel, don't be sorry," you cooed, cupping his face and rubbing his cheek with your thumb gently. "I'm glad you enjoyed watching over me, but the fact that you're done means I'm safe now, which is a good thing, right?"

"Well, yeah.. but what if we don't see each other anymore and... and um, what if you..." he trailed off glumly.

"Nope, not gonna be a problem," you said, shaking your head adamantly. "We can still hang out tons. And we can have lots of sleepovers when we're both up for it, too. But now things can go back to normal. This was always your original dream, anyways. Working with Megistos."

"What if I have a new-"

A dramatic yawn interrupted Angel as it exited Oakley's mouth. You sent the man a quick, irritated glance before doing a doubly take and dropping your hand from Angel's cheek, realizing you'd missed something crucial.

"Fuck, Oakley- I am so so sorry for profiling you as a- well, um... as a murderer," you smiled apologetically. "Don't get me wrong, you were definitely douchey- but that's an incredibly serious allegation that I placed on you and that was... it was really shitty of me. And you actually went to the scene of one of his attacks to clear your name? That's ballsy as hell and freaks me out a bit, but- well, I hope you'll forgive me."

The man's previously bored expression morphed into a soft smile at your words. "Oh sweetheart, you'll never cease to amaze me with your pure little heart. I would risk my life again if it meant that you would let me be a part of your life. So no, I won't forgive you- because there's no need to apologize to me at all. I was a 'douche' to you, so I don't want to hear that you feel bad. I only hope that you're... still willing, perhaps, to give me a second chance?"

He seemed sincere and genuine for once, which you appreciated, but something about his new demeanor still sort of made you want to gag. He was gonna have to work hard to escape his regrettable first impression. Or his first couple of regrettable impressions, when you thought about it... yikes. This man was a real piece of work, but luckily for him, your soft heartstrings were quite easy to be pulled at.

Angel huffed at your side- still pretty despondent- but peering at Piper, you found him cringing at the man's seemingly unvanquishable sliminess just as you had, and you felt a strange sense of validation as he met your eyes. You chuckled softly, Piper raising a curious brow your way as you responded to Oakley's request. "Sure, man. I'm trying to make more friends these days, anyway. Did you wanna grab coffee or something sometime? I don't know how to organically go about this..."

You sighed and averted your eyes from his in embarrassment. Your lack of friend-making experience had never been more apparent, solidified by Piper's light snickering at you and Tony and Eloise's whispering about your hopelessness.

Somehow Oakley only seemed endeared by your inexperience, grinned down at you fondly. "I was thinking of something else... I happened to see that you're hiring. Is there still an open spot?"

"Well..." you began hesitantly.

And 'well' indeed. There technically was an open spot- one you were dreading having to fill. You were lucky enough that someone basically fell into your lap to fill the first open spot (although that person was Piper Greene... so maybe you weren't all that lucky) but you felt it was too convenient to have another applicant handed to you so easily. Oakley wouldn't be your first choice to hire under normal circumstances either, seeing that the way he dressed and acted exuded the aura of someone too wealthy to need to hold an entry-level job as a florist. Also, there was the whole him-being-an-asshole thing that you had yet to fully recover from...

You closed your eyes tightly as you mulled over the decision, though making up your mind only took a couple of dreadful seconds. Because once again, what other options did you really have? Dammit.

"Yeah, okay, fine. You're hired."

The group surrounding you erupted into a series of varying reactions to your words all at once- "If you hire him now that I'm gone, how can I protect you from him, precious!" "Finally you hired a hot person!" "I don't really wanna work with this guy, (N/n)- guy seems like a real piece of work." "You're gonna hire the bitch that didn't even remember my name? Of course you would." "Divine. When do I start?"

"You're all doing way too much," you said, staring blankly at the group as you began to address their bitching one by one. "Angel- he's confirmed not a supervillain, so I think I can handle him from here on out. El- girl. You're sixteen, enough said. Piper- no matter how valid your assessment is, you haven't even started yet so you don't get to make demands. Tony- I will ensure he uses your correct name from here on out, lest he face your wrath. And Oakley- I don't have a solid answer for you right now, but if all of you'd just give me two fucking seconds to breathe, then maybe I could help you out."

You took a deep breath as the group blinked at you and mumbled "sorry"s and "yes, ma'am"s, a bright smile finding its way to your face at their newly found decorum.

"Great! Is that all, or do you guys have more fuckass comments and questions for me? I do sorta have a shop to run, here." They all shrugged at you sheepishly, and you nodded as you began to move things along. "Wonderful. Oakley and Piper- you guys still gotta fill out applications so I can get your contacts and availability. As for you kids, hmm, I don't know... oh- what was that? You should do your jobs...? I love that idea- let's put it into action."

Eloise and Tony sent dirty looks your way that you felt were hardly warranted given their performances as employees today, grumbling to each other as they turned the open sign back around and immediately began attending to customers. Brushing off their coldness knowing you'd all bounce back to your normal, grudge-less dynamic by the time their shifts were over, you made your way around to the employee side of the checkout counter to grab paper applications. Angel followed closely behind you, looking like a kicked puppy with watery eyes, his apparent despair next on your list to tackle once you were done with your new hires.

You hastily handed them their papers, instructing them to fill them out at home and bring them back tomorrow. They left after slight reluctance (mostly from Oakley) and you grabbed Angel's hand and guided him to the back.

Closing the door behind you, you sent him a soft smile. "Okay, sunshine, it's just you and me now. What's going on?"

He met your gaze pitifully. "I don't wanna leave you, precious- I wanna stay with you here."

"Angel, you're not leaving me. You're still here- I'm still here. You can even still stick around the shop for the rest of the day- like it's your final shift!" He giggled softly as you gave his hair a playful ruffle. "But also, we don't have to be physically together all the time to be close. Especially since we've bonded so much already. And I'm serious- we can have tons of sleepovers and hang out outside of work. It's okay, I promise. Are you still scared about my safety- is that part of it?"

He shook his head. "I mean, a little bit- but not much. I know you're really capable! I think I'm scared about the safety of... us, I guess?"

You tilted your head slightly in confusion. "What d'you mean, sunshine?"

"I don't want those new guys to replace me..." he whispered bashfully.

You frowned at his state, berating yourself for not understanding sooner. Angel was feeling insecure. And of course he was, he was used to romantic, exclusive relationships- and unhealthy ones at that. And here you were, having to send him away while simultaneously inviting two other people into your life- if you were him, you'd probably feel insecure too.

You sent him a sad, understanding smile, and pulled him into a tight hug. "It's okay, sunshine. I couldn't dream of ever replacing you with anyone. Every relationship is different, so don't think of it as though you're being replaced. I'm just making new friends, and maybe they can be your friends too!"

He melted into your touch and sighed deeply. "No, I don't need other friends. Just my cutie pie."

You pulled away and shook your head with a light laugh. "Hey, never say never."

He returned your smile, his looking more wistful than yours, and the two of you made your way to the front to get back to work. You really did believe in what you said, and you hoped that maybe as you let more people into your life, it wouldn't just benefit you, but it might also provide Angel with a much-needed support system too. The thought of growing together made you feel hopeful, and you were sure Angel would come to feel the same eventually too.