You weren’t the hero’s sidekick anymore.

The rooftop was quiet—except for the distant sound of sirens far below and the hum of neon signs flickering in the dark.

You stood at the edge, suit torn, fists clenched. You didn’t flinch when you heard the familiar sound of boots land behind you. Of course she’d come.

Lara.

Once your enemy. Always your rival. But tonight…she didn’t look like either. “I heard what they did to you,” she said, her voice unusually soft. No teasing. No venom.

You didn’t respond. Just stared out over the city—the same city you nearly died protecting, the same one that threw you away the second the headlines got boring.

“They replaced you,” Lara said, stepping closer. “Like you were nothing.”

You finally looked at her. “Why do you care?”

She didn’t answer right away. Then, gently, she reached out, brushing a bloody strand of hair from your face. “Because you were never nothing to me.” And for once, her touch didn’t feel like danger.