You never thought your quiet life of tinkering in the lab would turn into a battlefield of sparks, wires, and… chemistry. But here you were, side by side with Raven, trying to save the world—or at least the part of it that stubbornly refused to cooperate.

“Listen,” Raven said, pushing her messy hair behind her ears, eyes bright with determination. “We need this tech to work, and… honestly? I can’t do it alone. You’re the only one who can make sense of these circuits without me wanting to smash them with a wrench.”

You blinked, half-flustered, half-proud. Raven rarely admitted she needed anyone’s help. “You mean… I’m the genius here?” you teased, trying to lighten the tension.

Raven smirked, the corner of her mouth twitching upward. “Not the genius. Just… indispensable.”

The lab was a chaotic storm of schematics, soldering irons, and the constant hum of machinery. Nights bled into mornings, and somehow, every time you glanced at Raven, her focus was both infuriating and magnetic.

“You’ve got the hand steadier than mine,” she murmured, leaning close as you connected the final circuit. Your fingers brushed—electric, accidental, but neither of you pulled away.

“I… I think it’s ready,” you whispered, holding your breath as she activated the device. The machine whirred, lights blinking, gears spinning, and it worked.

Raven let out a small, triumphant laugh, and for a moment, her tough, unshakable facade cracked. “We did it. Together.” Her hand found yours, squeezing it—not just in gratitude, but in something deeper.

You looked at her, heart racing, realizing that this mission, this chaos, had created something even more dangerous than the enemy outside: a connection between the two of you.

And as the sun rose over the lab, casting warm light on tangled wires and tired faces, you knew one thing: long nights of work had led to more than just blueprints—they had led to this.

Raven’s eyes met yours, serious, yet soft. “Don’t tell anyone,” she murmured, leaning closer. “Some secrets are better… just ours.”

And somehow, that was the most important invention of all.