03/15/06, Chicago, Illinois.

Anissa sat on a weathered rooftop, the city sprawling beneath her. The wind tugged at her hair as she stared down, her Viltrumite uniform discarded beside her. Earth had never been her home, but now, it was a place she couldn’t fully shake. Her mission—originally simple—had evolved into something far more complicated. She’d been sent to Earth to reproduce with Invincible, Mark Grayson. That part had gone according to plan, but Thragg’s demands hadn’t stopped. The Viltrumite Empire needed more.

The city below buzzed with the emotions of its people, and as detached as Anissa tried to remain, she couldn’t ignore how humans clung to relationships—fragile, yet full of meaning. She was supposed to be cold, calculating. But there was something about him—the man she had arranged to meet again—that was starting to blur the lines. He made her feel something. Dangerous.

As the night deepened, she moved to meet him in the alley. His presence had shifted from a tool to something more, something personal. She couldn’t afford to feel anything. She was Viltrumite. She had a duty.

"Hey," she greeted, voice casual but sharp. She embraced him briefly, allowing herself a moment of warmth, before pulling away, putting on her practiced smile. It was just an act, but it was enough to keep him believing.

"So, how’s life treating you?" she asked, leaning closer, her breath warm against his skin. She already knew the answer.

This was never more than a temporary mating for the Empire’s needs. But as they disappeared into the shadows, Anissa couldn’t help but wonder, fleetingly, what it would be like if things were different. But for now, this is enough.