He loves me. He loves me not.

“And does the happy couple of heroes have anything to say? Some romantic details, maybe?” The interviewer asked the two people sitting on the couch. That beautiful woman laughed, her angel wings–the only truly pretty thing about her–fluttering.

Every other part of her body was…wrong. Average, she had been told all her life. But those wings.

Those wings won her everything.

The woman leaned her head into her love. Her only love. He had smiled, and draped his arm around her. She’d felt so special, so safe, wrapped in his warm grip.

“Well,” she said, with a soft smile on her rosy-red lips. “Aescendant and I have been working perfectly in sync. I can’t say we’d be able to save all of you the way you deserve, without each other.”

Such a silly, foolish, woman she was.

“Aww, isn’t that sweet?” The interviewer said, looking at the camera with a wink. “And what about you, Ascendant?”

The man that everyone worshipped finally spoke. He looked at her, his green eyes crinkling, and she remembered how she felt.

Like someone finally saw.

What a joke.

“It’s hard to describe it,” He cupped her cheek. “But all I can say is that I love her more than the heavens and the earth–”

CRASH.

The TV’s glass shatters before Anna-Liese even realizes she’s got up from her couch. She stares without seeing, her breath clouding up the now dark screen.

His face is gone, so it should be over, but she can’t stop the scene from playing out in her head.

“I love you, more than the heavens, and the earth. More than the sun and the moon, and everything else.”

Alexander had said it to her so often she’d actually…thought it was true.

Because why would she doubt him, when all he had to do was love her. Love her like she loved him.

She rubs her eyes, blinking back those tears he had never shed for her, wrapping the one wing that’s still there around herself.

The adrenaline wears off, and she feels her knuckles aching. It’s night. She needs to go to bed–

Ring. Ring. Ring.

It’s dark, so the only light in the room is her cellphone going off on the couch.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Her heart drops. She knows who it is. Slowly, she straightens herself. The entire world feels like it’s underwater, as her bare feet tap against the wooden floorboards.

But she has the power now, she reminds herself.

Anna-Liese is the one in control here, not him.

She grabs it, and with shaking hands, answers Alexander’s call.

“Hey, Annie, is that you?”

She clutches the phone so tightly her knuckles go white.

It’s the same, tired voice he'd used that night, just slightly different from his usual, playful tone, and for a moment, it makes everything stop.

She takes a shaky breath and forces those emotions away.

“Hello, honey!" Anna-Liese’s voice is as sickly sweet as she can get it, making sure not to call him either Aescendant or Alexander, just as he told her. In case someone taps it, he had explained. Yes, what a shame that would be.

“I was just waiting for you to call me, because I’ve missed you!”

“You are…very sweet, my love.”

Something boils, deep inside of her, spreading throughout her entire body, and it feels good.

“Too sweet for your own good.”

“I…try to be. I learned it from you.”

He lets out an exhausted laugh that would’ve made her blush a year ago.

Now, she just collapses down on her window-seat, leaning against the icy glass, hearing the soothing sound of rain pouring down against it. But she stares straight ahead, not daring to look at her own reflection.

“How has your day been, Annie?”

“My day has been fine, but I missed you. Yours?”

Get to the point, Alex.

“I…missed you, too. Mine has been…well. No fighting today, so that’s a good thing, huh?”

She lets out a practiced, sweet laugh.

“We take our wins where we get them, don’t we?”

“We do.”

He stays silent for so long Anna-Liese has to check to see if he hung up.

There’s absolutely no way he called her just to talk. She knows him–the real him, and she knows he doesn’t talk to people unless they have use to him. So what’s the point of this–?

“A-Annie, can you--come to my place? Tonight? I need to talk to you about something…important.”

A crazed smile comes over her face, her breath quietly hitching in a mix between a sob and a laugh.

“Of course, love, I’ll do whatever you need.”

“T-thank you. Just…show up whenever you can.”

“I’ll be there in an hour.”

Click.

The very second he’s off the phone, Anna-Liese is already dialing a new number, her chest tightening in exhilaration.

Of course, The Doll picks up before even the first ring. Never did bother to learn her true name.

“Heyyy there, lovely!” The voice on the other end is cheerful, and high pitched. Anna-Liese used to find it annoying, but now, she finds herself relaxing at the sound of it. Doll’s one of the only people Anna-Liese…actually talks to.

“Loveee to see ya calling me, I really do!”

There’s not even a one second pause before Doll continues. “More so when I hear the sound of your voice, speak up!”

“I was trying not to interrupt–anyway, I want you to come over for coffee with me tomorrow,” She says, her voice flippant.

They both know what it really means.

“Coffee? Oh, how exciting! Is it gonna be the good stuff?”

A boom of thunder very nearly makes Anna-Liese drop the phone.

“Something I can take home to my friends, maybe?”

“I don’t know yet, but it’s gonna be something, alright.”

“It’s fine if it’s rotten, love, it’s still coffee, ain’t it?

The Doll bursts into a high pitched cackle, as lightning flashes through the window.

“I suppose you’re right.”

“Either way, it’ll help the both of us feel energized, right, honey?”

Anna-Liese lets out a low chuckle, sheer delight trickling through every part of her, warming her on this cold night.

“True. That does make it all worth it, doesn’t it?”

“Sure does! My friends tell me to say thanks by the way. For the stuff you’ve been bringing back.”

For a moment, something twists in her chest, but the next, it’s gone.

“Of course.”

She has to do this. She can’t just let him get away with it!

He took everything from her, he… made his choice when he left her there.

And now she’s made hers.

Too late to turn back now, and besides, everyone’s already seen the headlines.

The supervillains take their fifth victory, and citizens of Lin fear for their safety! Is Aesendant losing his touch?

Another shout of thunder reminds her where she is. Right. She forces herself off the window-seat, the floorboards creaking under her as she walks, phone still pressed to her ear. The Doll is chattering about random things that don’t matter but it at least gives some noise to this empty place.

She gets to her bedroom in three strides, beelining it straight to her closet.

She has to be beautiful. Well. She has to…try to be beautiful….

The stump of her right wing aches.

“Pink or red?” Anna-Liese asks, glancing at two different outfits.

“Is that even a question, lovely?”

“Pink it is.”

She grabs the beautiful thing off the hanger. A short, pastel dress with a heart cut out in the front.

“Send me a picture of you in it!”

She gives a small smile.

“I will. Don’t forget to come over tomorrow.”

“Trust me love, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

—

Alexander has a mansion so big she can see it from a mile away, because God forbid a narcissist live in a normal house.

Anna-Liese shivers, but the icy water hitting her skin keeps her grounded at least, as she struggles to walk up the driveway.

She swallows back the lump in her throat, sucks in a deep breath, and goes up the concrete steps to his door.

But before she can even knock, it swings open. And she has to see him.

He looks so…normal. How is that fair? How is it fair she will never be able to see her reflection again, when nothing happened to him? The only thing that’s even changed over the last ten months is the dark bags under his eyes.

“Come in, Annie, or you’ll catch a cold,” he says, gently, taking her hand to lead her inside. His touch makes a shiver run down her spine, regardless of how warm it is now.

The scent of lavender diffusers almost chokes her, as he leads her to his grand living room, that’s completely filled with luxuries she can’t afford anymore.

He’s filthy rich off of blood money.

“My love,” He whispers, cupping her cheek in his tan hand, and she forces herself to not flinch. Lightning flashes from the ceiling high windows, reflecting off of his eyes that are filled with an emotion she’s only ever seen in them once.

“I need you to stay behind, my love," he had told her. "Wait for us. You’ll… be safe, here.”

And she can’t do it, she can’t look at him anymore, she can’t! She yanks away from his touch without thinking, holding her hand to her face like she’d been hit.

She can’t even say anything, because her throat is clogged with tears.

“I’ll–” He hesitates for a moment, his voice seeming genuinely surprised. “I’ll make us some tea, alright? You sit down.”

“Okay, Alex… thank you.”

As soon as he leaves the room, she collapses down onto the familiar, leather couch, burying her head into her hands, trying not to think about blood soaking white snow until it’s crimson and–

No, no, no, this is all going to be worth it, once she sees those new headlines that have been getting more and more aggressive.

Once she sees Alex fall apart finally.

It’ll all…be worth it. It has to be.

Anna-Liese forces a smile on her face as Alex comes back.

Silently, he sets down a cup of tea on the glass coffee-table, and then, thank God, sits in the chair in front of her instead of by her.

So, the show begins.

She takes the hot cup of tea in her hands but is too nauseous to drink it.

Anna-Liese waits for him to say something.

And waits, and waits, and waits, tapping her foot against the marble floor. She just wants to get the information and go home, what is taking him–?

“I–I need to tell you something.”

And as soon as she hears his tone, she knows something is very wrong.

“What is it, Alex?

“I… love you.”

The lie makes bile rise in her throat.

He stares down at the floor, his face completely unreadable. “And I thought I was protecting you…but I–I wasn’t. You deserve to know.”

He takes in a sharp, shuddering breath, raking his hands through his blonde hair.

She wants to leave. She needs to leave.

But she can’t. She’s glued to her seat, frozen, staring at him.

“When you got left there. With Ink. It wasn’t an accident.”

Her tea spills across her lap, falling and shattering against the ground. She still can’t make a sound. Why is he telling her this? How does it benefit him?

Her body goes numb, and all she can feel is that pain, when Ink’s dark tentacles had wrapped around her wing and ripped.

“I–left you there…I needed someone to be there, so the rest of us could…could…stop them from destroying the city.” His breath shudders in a sob, as if has any reason to cry. “I knew you--you would die.”

Anna-Liese knows this. She's known this for months. but hearing the words come out of his mouth hits her like a blow to the gut.

“Why–?” She swallows, her throat as dry as sandpaper. But she already knows the answer to this.

“I just wasn’t important enough, right?”

“No! I mean, yes! Yes, you were important-- you are!”

Why is he pretending…? Why can’t he just tell her the truth?

“I–Anna, I–it’s my fault. It’s all my fault. I wanted to do the right thing, but–”

Anna-Liese lets out a sharp, hysterical laugh, tears slipping down her cheeks.

“was so stupid. I can’t believe I actually thought that for once in my life, somebody loved me.”

“I do love you, Anna, I–!”

“Don't you fucking lie to me, Alex!” She screams, slamming her palms on the glass coffee table, her voice unrecognizable to her own ears, as she stares at him, the man who had ruined everything.

“Anna you–you don’t need to forgive me, but please, let me explain–” He reaches over the table, grabbing her hands for one moment before she rips away from him.

“Explain? Explain? You think I’m an idiot?” Her vision blurs, as she gets up from the chair, throwing her arms out. How dare he try this?!

“I called for you! I called until my voice went out! And you want to explain?!” A sob wrenches its way out of her throat.

Alex gets up from his seat, taking a step closer, and she backs up farther, almost hitting a wall. She can’t stand to see him, but she can’t look away either.

“Annie, I-I’m so sorry! I wanted to save everyone, but I was wrong--!"

She can barely even see him through the distorted view of tears.

What’s the point of this…? Why is he still pretending?

“And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner!”

And all she thinks, in that one, single moment, is that she wants him to hurt. She doesn’t care about anything else.

She just wants him to feel the same way she had felt when she screamed his name to no one.

“You think I didn’t already know!?” She wipes the tears from her eyes, and watches him freeze.

“What…?”

“I’m not an idiot!”

“Then why would you stay…” A sick satisfaction rises in her chest as she sees his eyes widen with realization.

“You’re the spy.”

She doesn’t respond, because she doesn’t need to. She can already see all that emotion flitting through his eyes and it makes delight coil in her.

Anna-Liese knows what will happen next now he knows.

She waits for him to hit her. To finally drop his act, and hit her, or kill her, or scream, or something.

Something to prove he didn’t love her. Something to prove she had been right.

She just…wants something.

Instead, he grabs her hand gently, carefully, and this time, it startles her so much she doesn’t pull away.

“What are you doing–?”

“I know I deserve this, Annie,” he whispers, making something inside her breaks further. She doesn’t know why he’s doing this, why he keeps hurting her worse.

She doesn’t know why she wants his touch.

“But they don’t. They didn’t do it. The other heroes, the civilians, they didn’t know!” He wipes her tears away with his thumb, and she still doesn’t leave.

“You–you still only care about them.” Her voice is no more than a whisper.

“No, no!” He shakes his head, his blonde hair covering his eyes.

“It’s not just them! I don’t want you to throw your life away for this!”

She backs away from his touch, pinning herself against the cold wall, and her back knocks into a picture of them together.

Anna-Liese just…wants him to be cruel. She wants things to be simple.

“I don’t–I don’t have a life after this.”

“What do you–?”

“Look at me, Alex! Look at me!”

Scars cover her face, head to toe, her beautiful wing cut off and ruined, no one will love her again.

No one.

Even before that. There was something wrong with her, wasn’t there? Something that made it so people treat her…different.

But does Alex–?

“Oh Annie, I-I’m so sorry, but people will love you, you can have a good life! A better life than you ever would have had…with me! But this, it’s not worth it!”

She holds onto his words, not even knowing why, as he lets out a soft breath.

“I’m not worth it.”

Her whole body trembles, her good wing wrapped tightly around herself. Anger and something twisted, something that feels like love, coats the entirety of her, blinding her.

Hasn’t she sacrificed enough? Why does she have to keep trying? Trying to have a life, trying to make other people love her, why can’t she just be cruel without regrets?

“ I–I know you, and I know you’re kind, and I don’t deserve you throwing that away!”

“Stop–stop pretending you care. Please.” She slams her face in her hands.

“It’s not pretend!” Alex says, desperately, genuinely.

“I don’t want you to think I never loved you, because I do, I just–please. If you want to hurt someone. Hurt me. I did this to you.”

She sucks in a deep, shaky breath, not knowing what to say or what to do. And she can see it in his eyes.

He did love her, didn’t he? But that just…makes everything worse.

“You can–tell whoever it is you're talking to my address. I’ll…let them hurt me. If it’ll make you stop hurting the others.”

–

Late that night, Anna-Liese sits there, hollow, on her couch.

And she dials The Doll’s number, not knowing what she’ll do. Because she’s the only friend Anna has left.

She’s not surprised that even at 10:00PM, Doll picks up immediately.

“Hey there, love! What do ya need me for?”