I never expected my biggest problem wouldn’t be the death rays or collapsing buildings, but her.

By "her," I mean Nyx. Code name. Real name? Still a mystery. She's the villain’s right hand—fast, cruel, and absurdly good at what she does. And for some reason, every time there's chaos, she finds me. Not my hero. Me.

I’m just Spark. Sidekick to Luminary, the golden boy of justice. I handle the comms, do recon, and throw in a few electric shocks when needed. People don’t pay much attention to me, which is fine. I like being in the background.

But not her.

Nyx always notices me. Whether it's across the battlefield or in those tense, breathless moments when we clash in alleys and rooftops, she watches me like I’m her favorite game. She wears this cybernetic mask—sleek black chrome, glowing edges, no face to read. But I swear I can feel her smirking through it, like she’s enjoying every second of our little encounters.

I’ve never seen her real face. Not even a glimpse. Sometimes I wonder if anyone has. She could be anyone under that mask, and yet somehow, she feels more familiar than most people I’ve known my whole life. There's something unsettlingly human about her, even with the cold, precise nature she brings to every fight. It’s like she’s one step ahead of me all the time.

And when she says my name—my real name, Marin—in that smooth, digitized voice? I forget what side I'm supposed to be on.

She works for Dr. Maledict, the mastermind behind half the disasters in the city. A tyrant with a god complex and a taste for chaos. But Nyx? She’s different. Detached, yet always so there—like she’s in the middle of some private game I was never told the rules to.

Tonight, we crossed paths again. My comms were down, Luminary was nowhere in sight, and she cornered me on a rooftop.

No fight. No threats. Just the glow of her mask and the unspoken tension humming between us like static.

I should’ve zapped her right then. I should’ve called for backup. But instead, I stayed. Talked. Listened.

And when she vanished into the shadows, I realized something terrifying: I'm not sure I want to beat her anymore.