(We find Omen and Arco in about the same place as we left them, at around the same time. Omen’s looking around, his eyes glowing as he tries to sense his surroundings beyond what he can see.)

Arco: What do you think just happened?

Omen: Who knows. He’s inexperienced with his powers now, maybe he just lost control of them.

Arco: You think?

Omen: Like I said, who knows. This is all kinds of weird.

Arco: It kind of reminds me of a video game.

Omen: What?

Arco: It’s like, there’s always that level, you know? The one where it’s all dark and spooky and the ground’s just a bunch of levitating rocks and you gotta jump from rock to rock.

Omen (has totally seen that before): … that’s actually a pretty apt comparison. (His eyes stop glowing) This weird storm thing seems to only cover the docks and some of the river. It shouldn’t take too long to get out.

Arco: Okay. Which way?

Omen: Good question.

(He pulls out his phone and starts fiddling with its GPS app.)

Arco: What, you can’t use your powers to sense which way to go?

Omen: This whole… thing… is interfering with my powers. All I can sense is where it ends… but I rather we not take a chance and end up bumping into the river, especially since the ground can up and attack us and drop us in at any time…

(He fiddles some more)

Omen: Damn, it’s messing with my phone reception too… ah! Here. (He points) East. I think that should be the shortest path.

(They start walking. Omen continues playing with his phone.)

Arco: So… you carry your phone around when villain-ing?

Omen: Why not?

Arco: I dunno. Kind of ruins the illusion, don’t you think?

Omen: Thus why I keep it on silent.

Arco: Hm. You know, you use the same kind of phone as this friend of mine…

Omen: That so. (He dials Ira’s number and puts the phone to his ear.)

(It rings a few times, then Ira picks up. On the other end is all static.)

Omen: Ira? You there? Hello?

(More static. He can barely make out Ira’s voice, but can’t hear what she’s saying. Eventually, the call drops. Omen sighs and puts the phone away.)

Arco: Well?

Omen: Well, I know Ira’s alive. I’m sure the Baron’s okay then, too. Now come on, move faster.

(The two keep walking. Eventually they find themselves forced to start climbing various outcroppings of asphalt, and even jumping from floating rock to floating rock to get past obstructions, just as in Arco’s video games. As they walk across a larger hunk of floating ground, Arco speaks up again.)

Arco: So uh… I’m sorry about that whole… you know.

Omen: Hm.

Arco: I followed your advice. I started looking at other boys. I fell for this one guy, but he doesn’t like me… I’m dating this other guy now. I think you know him. His name’s Cath.

Omen: Yeah, I know.

Arco: He told you?

Omen: Something like that…

Arco: Oh. How awkward.

Omen: Yep.

Arco: It’s not really serious yet. We’ve only been on one date.

Omen: That’s nice.

Arco: You okay?

Omen: Just fine.

Arco: I still wish I could’ve gotten to know you though. (She laughs) One of my friends thinks that maybe I already know your alter ego and don’t realize it.

Omen: Ah. That’s funny.

Arco: It’s… not true, is it?

Omen: No.

(They get to the end of the landmass. They look down to see no other stones to jump onto, and the ground is a long way down.)

Arco: What now? I guess we could go back and go around that pile of rubble…

Omen: Hold on.

(He concentrates. A few boulders from the ground float up under his power and form stepping stones.)

Omen: You first.

(She hops down, stone by stone, until she’s on the ground. Omen then follows suit until, about halfway through, the weird dark wind kicks up and the stones he’s on go all haywire and fling him around a bit. He falls to the ground, rolls a few times and stops. He groans.)

Omen: Ugh… that sucked…

Arco: You okay?

Omen: Yeah… just a bit bruised. (He gets up and dusts himself off) Nothing to worry about. (He notices that Arco’s looking at him funny) What?

Arco: Your scarf…

Omen: Huh? (He puts a hand to where his scarf goes—it’s gone) What?! (He looks around to find it caught on some debris nearby—it must have come off while he was rolling around) Shit!

(He runs over and grabs it. He hurriedly puts it back on.)

Arco: You… wait. What?

Omen: No use dawdling, start walking.

Arco: You just said I didn’t know your alter ego!

Omen: You don’t!

Arco: Yes I do!

Omen (facepalming): Okay, I lied! Supervillain, secret identity! What do you expect?

Arco: But if you’re… then… all those times I… oh jeez. (her face turns bright red) Just… just leave me here to die now, okay.

Omen: Don’t be a drama queen.

(He starts walking. She follows.)

Arco: But… but you work in a shop! You’re a supervillain, you rob banks every day, you have all these powers… and you just work in our little shop?

Omen: I’m an underachiever, sue me.

Arco: You could at least, I don’t know, work as a psychic or something!

Omen: And draw attention to myself?

Arco: Oh. Good point.

Omen: Besides, then I’d end up with some crazy cult following. I’ve already got fangirls, like I really need anything worse.

Arco: What—hey, fangirls aren’t bad.

Omen: Man, I’ve seen your website. I know what they post there.

Arco (blushing again): Oh jeez, a lot of that fanfiction seems so inappropriate now… also inaccurate. You know fanon has you living in a mansion?

Omen: God, I have fanon?

Arco: A whole wiki category full of it.

Omen: Like… a small category, right? Full of stubs?

Arco: A very robust one.

Omen: Fuck my life.

(They arrive at what looks like a wall of swirling energy. They stop, looking at it.)

Omen: That should be the end of it. Past that, things are normal.

Arco: Thank goodness. (She tries to walk through, but bumps into it. Turns out, it’s solid.) Ouch!

Omen: Uh oh. (He puts a hand to it) I, uh… I hadn’t accounted for that.

Arco: So we can’t get out?

Omen: Seems not.

Arco: What now?

(Omen sighs and runs his hand through his hair)

Omen: Guess I gotta kill this thing at its source.

Arco: Aw man, that sounded really cool.

Omen: It’s not cool, it’s annoying and really dangerous.

Arco: Well, maybe Ira and the Baron have the same idea.

Omen: I can only hope. Anyway, you stay here. Besides that hiccup there, it seems kind of stable around here and if the barrier weakens at all you can make a break for it.

Arco: Okay.

Omen: See you around.

(He turns away.)

Arco: Hey, wait.

(He looks over his shoulder at her. She grabs his arm, turns him towards her, and plants a small kiss right on his lips. He backs up, looking pretty shocked.)

Omen: What the hell was that?

Arco: For luck, you know?

Omen: Don’t do that!

Arco: Sorry.

Omen: Ugh… well, I guess it’s not too bad. At least if I die, I’ll have gotten some action beforehand… (he shakes his head) But we aren’t making a habit of it!

Arco (laughing): Okay. Just don’t die and we can proceed with not making a habit.

Omen (annoyed): Right. Anyway. I’m off.

(He turns and leaves, for real this time, heading for the epicenter of the storm.)

—End: Episode two hundred two