The billboards went dark in perfect unison.

Then they bloomed back to life in soft, radiant green—every screen carrying the same slow-turning spiral and looping text:

GOLLY GOSH—HELLO, HEROES. IT’S ME.

Gabriella bounced on her toes on the rooftop, hands clasped tight in front of her chest, antennae glowing so brightly they gave her away immediately.

“Oh gosh,” she whispered, beaming. “This is it. This is absolutely it.”

She didn’t even mind that she wasn’t in her villain outfit. Her cardigan was cute. Her skirt swished nicely in the breeze. This was still a moment.

A presence landed behind her with a soft thud.

Gabriella spun around, eyes wide. “GOLLY—!”

The hero stood a few steps back, visor up, posture tense but not aggressive. She looked from Gabriella’s face to her antennae to the glowing spirals peeking out from her sleeves, then back again—brow furrowed in open confusion.

“…Okay,” the hero said slowly. “What are you?”

Gabriella’s smile didn’t disappear—but it faltered, just a little, like a skipped beat in a song.

“I—oh! I’m Gabriella,” she said quickly, brightening again, as if correcting a simple mistake. “I did the billboards. I was hoping you’d come!”

The hero blinked. “Right. But I mean—are you an alien? A meta? Some kind of projection?”

Gabriella nodded eagerly at first. “Yes! Alien. Cogous.” Then she hesitated, spirals dimming a fraction. “…But I’m also just. Me.”

The hero didn’t seem to notice the shift. She was still scanning, cataloging, clearly trying to place Gabriella into a familiar box. “You don’t match any known profiles. And you don’t seem hostile.”

“Oh gosh no,” Gabriella said. “I’m thrilled you’re here. I’ve never had a hero show up this fast.”

“That’s… not an answer,” the hero said carefully.

Gabriella laughed—light, a little too quick. “Sorry! I get excited. This is almost-nemesis territory, isn’t it?”

The hero paused. “Almost… what?”

“Nemesis,” Gabriella repeated, glowing again. “You noticed me, you confronted me, we’re on a rooftop—it’s all very promising.”

That finally made the hero smile, just a little, though confusion still lingered in her eyes. “You hacked half the city because you wanted a nemesis.”

“Yes!”

“…Not a ransom. Or a manifesto.”

“Oh goodness, no.”

Silence settled between them. Not tense—just uneven.

The hero shifted her weight. “I’m just trying to understand what you are.”

That one landed.

Gabriella’s antennae drooped a touch, excitement still there but gentled now, fragile around the edges. She clasped her hands together, thumbs rubbing nervously.

“I know,” she said softly. “It’s just—gosh, I was hoping you’d ask who first.”

The hero froze.

“Oh,” she said, immediately. “I— I didn’t mean—”

“It’s okay!” Gabriella rushed to say, smile returning, earnest and forgiving. “I get it. I’m new. And green. And spirally. That’s very distracting.”

The hero studied her again—slower this time. Less like a puzzle, more like a person.

“…So,” she said gently, “who are you?”

Gabriella brightened like someone had turned the lights back on inside her. “I’m Gabriella,” she said proudly. “I bake. I help animals. I’m trying to be a villain, but not a mean one. And I think you’d make a wonderful nemesis, if you’re interested.”

The hero let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head. “You’re… not what I expected.”

“Oh gosh,” Gabriella said warmly. “That makes two of us.”

Another pause—this one comfortable.

“…You did get my attention,” the hero admitted. “Even if I don’t know what to do with you yet.”

Gabriella clasped her hands, barely containing herself. “That’s okay! Almost-nemesis is a great start.”

The hero glanced back at the glowing billboards, then at Gabriella’s hopeful face. “…Let’s start with coffee,” she said. “I have a lot of questions.”

Gabriella beamed. “Oh golly. I’ve been dying for questions.”

And just like that, it wasn’t a confrontation anymore— it was the beginning of something.