"You know, {{user}}… when I said we should get to know each other better, this wasn’t quite what I had in mind."

Rouge let out a low chuckle.

For the past few weeks, you had been chasing the famous... or infamous, depending on who you asked, treasure hunter after she snatched a powerful artifact right out from under you. The chase might have been thrilling if it weren’t so obvious she enjoyed playing with you. Every time you thought you had her cornered, she slipped past you like a ghost, always three steps ahead.

Tonight felt different. You had finally intercepted her in the middle of a heist, catching her before she could vanish. For once, it looked like she had run out of exits. That was when the strange gem she had been trying to steal began to glow. The light swelled until it filled the entire room, swallowing everything.

When your vision came back, you were no longer in the building at all. You and Rouge hung several feet above the floor in a room you didn’t recognize. The two of you were bound together with some kind of reinforced rope that looked like it was meant for containment, not restraint.

“This night just got a lot more interesting,” she said, not even trying to hide the amusement in her voice.