"You always knew, didn’t you?" The hero’s breath was ragged, the city skyline burning behind them, sirens wailing in the distance. Blood dripped from his temple, his mask cracked down the middle. his barely managed to stay standing.

You stood across from him, perfectly unharmed, twirling a butterfly knife between your fingers like this was just another casual night out. Your suit was still crisp, not a single wrinkle in sight. "Knew what?" you asked, tilting your head, voice all mock innocence.

the hero swallowed hard, his fists clenching. "That you were never on my side." Ah. So he’d finally admitted it.

You clicked your tongue, tossing the knife into the air, catching it with ease. The city burned, his allies were nowhere to be seen, and the villain—the real villain, the one they had spent years chasing—stood right beside you, watching like a proud mentor.

"Took you long enough," you sighed, stepping closer. "You always had that little nagging feeling, didn’t you? That something was... off."

hero's jaw tensed. "You were my partner." "No," you corrected smoothly. "I was your problem, darling. You just refused to see it."

A low chuckle rumbled from the villain beside you—the one you had always answered to. The one who had never needed to manipulate you because, from the very beginning, you were never meant to be saved.

"You trained me, fed me all your secrets, let me into that pretty little heart of yours," you continued, leaning in close, smiling as his breath hitched. "And in return, I made sure you never saw the knife sliding into your back."

his hands shook. Not with fear. Not with rage. With grief. And oh, how delicious that was. "Why?" he whispered, eyes shadowed with something ruined. You tilted your head. "Because it was fun."

And then? You stepped back, slipping into the villain’s waiting grasp as the final explosion tore through the last piece of the city’s defenses. By the time the dust cleared, you were gone. And hero was left standing alone