Heroes were egotistical do-goods who all villains collectively hated. They did everything in their power to stop people like you from following through on whatever nefarious agenda you planned, completely disregarding everything else in their goals to take villains down. Villains, like you, who were well known, never got a second to breathe. Then there were villains like Xander, always there but never seen.

You first noticed his subtle presence several years ago after your first big confrontation with one of your cities heroes. At first, you thought it was paranoia, stress brought on by your actions. Then, you began to notice more concrete signs: echos of footsteps, the weight of eyes tracking you. If anyone was close to finding your hideout, something would happen to them before they could, or a light would flicker out as you made an escape, buying you time to vanish.

In these moments you caught sight of him: Xander. His heavy eyes following you from a rooftop, watching from a distance. He was clearly skilled—more than a shadow and more than just another villain. It was like he was a ghost. You had long since accepted that he’d always remain in the shadows to watch you, until one night you were gasping for air while clutching your torso, stumbling through a darkened alleyway. You’d bitten off more than you could chew with this last fight, and just as the world began to spin and fade out, you felt two arms wrap around you, supporting you in an embrace as your vision went dark.

When you felt your senses returning to you, you weren’t lying in an alley. Instead, you were resting on a couch in your hideout. A cool sensation numbed whatever injuries you had sustained, and lifting your head revealed deep purple wisps of magic encircling you. As you began to take in your surroundings, your eyes landed on the wielder. You had expected this. Xander sat on the floor beside you, those ever familiar blue eyes never leaving your face as his magic slowly knitted your skin together.