Andi didn’t like the smell of burnt plastic at all but eventually her senses weren’t ass alarmed anymore and they eased into the scorched smell. Still, the puddles of melted puppets weren’t the most scenic to look at and she preferred glancing around the dusty walls around them. She chuckled loudly at his almost boisterous excitement at the aftermath of her fiery touch.
Andi pressed her palms to her hips with a confident smirk as more of his puppets stepped into threshold and she couldn’t help but find excitement in anticipation for a good release. “Grab a seat old timer”, she couldn’t help but chuckle lightly at the playful quip as flames licked her skin. Andi pulled her jacket from her shoulders and tossed it into the corner with a nonchalant shrug.
Her eyes widened slightly at the sight the strength the puppets presented. Andi’s eyes flickered over to the ceiling where dolls and action figures had a glint of dangerous mischief in her gaze. This was an excellent playground to challenge her dangerous skills and she was itching for a good fight and Rhett was an excellent sparring partner.
“Born ready”, her tone was light but there was a stiff anticipation growing along her taught shoulders. Thankfully she’d learned a few tricks over the years and while his other puppets offered a good challenge she preferred to kill off the more obvious threat. A bullet grazed her shoulder and she hissed in pain but she didn’t mind the effort of his onslaught. A stream of steady fire blew from her skin and she smiled happily at the smell of more burning plastic.
The smaller dolls were more problematic than she’d anticipated but they died down fast. When she felt the strain of her dodges getting tedious she crouched down and pulled the re hot fire from within her. The dolls closing in around her burst into flames at a single touch and she stalked to the last mannequin with a sway in her hips. Andi ducked below a heavy punch and set her palm on his chest. While the flames weren’t blatantly obvious the melting puppet was proof enough of the heat radiating off her.
Andi wiped aa layer of thin sweat from her brow and stood facing Rhett with her palms set on her hips. She was proud of her abilities and her resilience, why he was so curious to see her go at it was slightly unnerving and concerning but she didn’t mind the thrill of danger. “I haven’t had a good fight in months”, her fingers stretched and relaxed as the flames died down. The room was feeling somewhat constricting in the aftermath of her heated touch and several heaps of melted mannequins lay uselessly by her feet.
A small glob of melted plastic stained her boots and she tried rubbing it off on the bland floor beneath her. She wasn’t even sure why she was still sticking around, for all she knew she’d wake up with a mind rotten with regret. Still, there was a certain thrill about him that she appreciated. The same appreciating she found in the company of the unique, criminally inclined individuals she normally spent her time around.
For a moment she wondered what her brother was up to, if the sly bastard was still alive and kicking. She was partially certain he’d be dead when they reunited, directly because of her pent up rage for his abandonment. Still, the thrill seeking behavior she preferred was as much a part of her as the flames she could spontaneously bring to life and both made life a little easier to endure.
“Not that I’m complaining but why would you even entertain someone you barely even know?”, she pushed out of the room eager to escape the awful smell of burnt plastic. Besides, the room was getting a little crowded even if the majority of the culprits were nothing but heaps of melted plastic. Andi hoped her onslaught of fire to his puppets weren’t a deal breaker for her temporary living arrangements.
Rhett took off his silver windbreaker by time the fight was over. As he pulled off his jacket his black shirt underneath was smoking. It was heat from the fire put on the mannequins. It caused him to smoke because he was telepathically linked to them. He was in some pain, but not terrible. It was deadened alot. He didn't feel an exact same amount of pain inflicted on them it was much less. He was feeling what was equivalent to very bad sunburn all across his body.
It wa a small price to pay for a little bit of fun. He gingerly set his jackt down and turned his head to his smoking shoulders. With a slight chuckle he blew the smoke out like a birthday cake candle. It hurt to laugh and Rhett let out a slight groan. She asked him why he was being so nice to her. Honestly Rhett didn't have a fucking clue. He wasn't really nice to anyone. Rhett was kind of a crazy asshole. He was bat shit crazy and always looking for a good time, but he certainly wasn't nice by any stretch of the imagination. He supposed she was interesting and he wanted to see how much fun they could have together.
Rhett's mind wasn't wired to think about sex. He wasn't like 90% of the men on the planet. When Rhett thought about fun, he thought about blowing shit up, causing a bit of trouble and getting the fuck out of dodge to raise hell in the next town over. He looked at her square in the eye and smiled. "Why the hell not lady?" He grinned a big toothy grin. His answer was simple, but it wasn't any less valid because it was simple. "Why don't you turn in for the night. If you stick around for tomorrow you're in for one hell of a show." His message was all cryptic bullshit and no actual answers, but maybe that was what was so interesting about the old man. He was lively and fun and a little dangerous. What girl didn't like a little danger in her life?
Rhett started heading to a back room. He had another spare cot somewhere back there. In that locked room with Nina. Rhett believed she was alive. He feared what she might do if she got out. Nina was wild and as crazy as him and her idea was much more dangerous than his was. He kept her locked up for everyone's safety. Rhett was not a sociopath. He was crazy and destructive, but he wasn't actively planning mass murder. He had no interest in taking a life. Just blowing up a few empty buildings to watch it go kaboom and watch the sparks fly.
Rhett stood by the door and turned back to Spit fire. "I'll take you on a real robbery tomorrow." He said. Finally, a non cryptic answer. There was a mad twinkle in his eye as he reached in his pocket he started to chuckle. He unlocked the padlock chain that held the door from opening fully and slipped inside. The Room he retired too was pitch black. He didn't even bother turning on a light before the door started to close. "Good night, I'll talk to you in the morning." He assured her. Rhett slammed the door closed and locked it and turned around. His hand found the lightswitch. He turned on the light and Nina the doll was sitting on the bet staring at him.
Her arms were folded angrily across her chest. "Come on baby." He said in a sly tone. There was a smile on his face as he strided over to the bed and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'm just taking a young mutant under my wing. There's nothing to worry about. Me and this girl are going to make a lot of money together. That's all, there's not funny business I promise." With that Rhett commanded a mannequin by the door to flip off the light and he went to sleep, ready for the big day tomorrow.
