A Harsh Mistress

Hey, what's up? You've had that song on repeat for half an hour.

Oh, I'm just working on a story.

Again? Geez, we get one day a week off work at the same time and you're spending it writing? I thought we agreed you'd do that when I wasn't here.

I can't help it. I had an idea.

–

It was a muggy summer night with the kind of heat that you only get in cities, the distictive combination of sunlight stored in blacktop and the sweaty body heat of hundreds of thousands of commuters. On the roof of the Bank of America building, something else endemic to big cities was going on.

"Fifty grand now, the rest when you're done," one figure, a blond man in a suit, was saying.

"I'll be counting it before I pull shit," came the answer from the tall redhead in black leather. The night around the two sinister figures darkened, though neither noticed.

"Of course. Just make sure it gets done thoroughly."

Before the man in leather could respond, a clear feminine voice echoed down to them. "Stop, evildoers!"

The men looked up to see a young woman in blue diving out of the sky at them. The one in leather produced a fireball out of the air and sent it flying at her. The one in the suit looked for the roof access, planning to run for it, but found himself surrounded by only darkness.

"What the hell?" he shouted as the shadows began wrapping around his legs.

A young man wearing a dark costume and mask stepped out from nowhere. "Superheroes. I'm Tenebras, she's Sapphire. We're stopping you guys because you're villains. Isn't it obvious?" Behind him, the suit-clad man could see the young woman, Sapphire, dropping a burning glove on the ground before punching the redhead in the face.

It only took them a few minutes to subdue the two and tie them to the railing outside the roof access door.

"'Stop, evildoers'?" Tenebras snickered at Sapphire as they stepped away.

Sapphire crossed her arms defensively. "It's a classic."

"It's a relic."

"I didn't hear you offering any witty dialogue," she pointed out.

He smirked. "That's because I was doing my job. Speaking of, do we need to call the police?" he asked, readjusting his mask.

She cocked her head for a moment. "There's an alarm going off inside, probably triggered by the movement on the roof. Police sirens in the distance. I think we're covered."

"Right. Good," he said, turning to admire the view of the city. "So, ah, what are you doing now?"

"Oh, the usual." Sapphire slipped her arm around his waist and pulled him against her. She kissed his neck, letting her blonde curls fall over his shoulder.

"I'm 'the usual' now?" he protested, laughing, as he felt his feet leave the ground. He loved it when she did that.

She smirked at him. "I could make this unusual if you want. I could drop you."

–

So who's this Sapphire person based on?

Nobody. She's just a character.

Oh, don't give me that. You told me you base all your characters on people you know.

Not this time. She's just a concept.

A concept?

A catalyst. For the protagonist to have sex with.

–

Afterward, he slipped away with only a good night, the way he always did, and usually the adrenaline and the orgasm was enough for Sapphire, but tonight she looked after him and she wondered.

Sapphire didn't look at the mailbox – somehow knowing his name seemed a far worse breech of trust than following him home. She watched as he slipped to the back, little more than a shadow. If she hadn't known what to look for, she would never have seen him.

A light went on inside the small ranch house and Sapphire landed in the backyard. She watched from as close as she dared as Tenebras – now sans mask and uniform, though she couldn't really see his face – made himself a perfectly average sandwich, poured himself a perfectly average glass of orange juice, and flipped on the living room television to watch a perfectly average sitcom.

And that was that. Nothing else moved as the show progressed, and Sapphire concluded that he must live alone. She thought he looked lonely like that, dozing on the couch with the television on, a parody of the super that had nothing in his own life worth saving. Sapphire tried the back door. It was unlocked.

He made a choking noise and nearly jumped when she laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Liz?" he said, panicked, before his eyes focused on Sapphire. "Saph! What are you doing here?" He reached for his mask, letting a shadow-shape coalesce across his face.

"Don't bother," Sapphire said, taking her own off. The name, Liz, echoed around the back of her head, but she pushed it away. She bent over Tenebras and kissed him, giving him a slow, deep kiss instead of the fast, hot ones they usually traded after a mission.

Tenebras hesitated at first, but soon he was offering her hands, legs, shadows, and then they left a breadcrumb-trail of clothes to the bedroom.

He woke to a woman shouting.

"What the hell is this, Dylan?" His eyes were wide in an instant and there was Liz at the foot of the bed, suitcase in hand.

He blinked and looked at the blonde woman next to him, naked and exposed. "Um, this is Sapphire. I told you about her." It felt strange to call her that when she looked like any other woman.

"This isn't–" she looked at Sapphire and looked away. "This is not acceptable."

"You said you were okay with this!"

"I was okay with this because I never had to see it," Liz turned back to the door, still carrying her suitcase. "It was just part of your work. Now it's in my bed! So yes, now I care!" She slammed it shut behind her. Dylan wondered if he should go after her.

–

Is that me?

… no.

Well, I hope that blondie isn't me.

I already told you she isn't. Neither of them is you.

You're using your "I'm lying" voice.

I am not!

Then why did your voice just crack?

Okay, maybe she's based on you.

Which one? Liz? The one that's leaving?

Yes.

And he's got your name.

Yes.

Do they have to break up?

–

"I was okay with this because I never had to see it," Liz let her suitcase drop to the floor. "It was just part of your work. Now it's in my bed! So yes, now I care!"

"You weren't supposed to be home until Friday! You wouldn't have seen it!"

"And were you planning to tell me?"

"I always tell you."

"Do you think that would have been better, then?"

"Yes!"

"How?"

"She wouldn't be sitting here, naked, two feet away from you!"

"Well, there is that," she conceeded, biting her lip. "I'm going to turn around, close my eyes, and count to ten. When I finish, there had better be only one superhero in my bedroom, and I'm sincerely hoping it's the one I'm engaged to."

Sapphire left without a word, grabbing her mask and costume from the floor. When Dylan tried to say something, she only shook her head. He sighed, but it was probably for the best. One thing at a time, and after the door shut, Liz opened her eyes.

Liz sat on the bed. "You've been spending too much time on this. It wasn't supposed to take away from us or your work and it has."

"Which part of 'this'? The superheroing or the sex?" Dylan asked. He wondered if there was a graceful way for him to get up and retrieve a pair of boxers, but if there was, he couldn't think of it.

"I don't know. Maybe all of it," she said with a sigh.

"I'm sorry. This is just something I have to do."

"Which part?" she echoed.

"I don't know," he answered, his voice hollow.

–

That's so depressing. Is that how you feel with me?

… no.

There's that voice again.

Sometimes.

About what?

–

"Superheroing is what I live for," Dylan said, his voice heavy with the feel of confession.

Liz looked sad at that, but not surprised.

–

I want you to give them a happy ending.

It doesn't work that way.

Why not?

Because nothing's been resolved.

They understand each other a little better.

That's true, I guess.

Please?

–

"Do what you have to," Liz said after a long minute. "Just don't leave me behind."

"I won't."

–

That's a happy ending?

What do you want?

–

"You're right, Liz. I shouldn't let saving people get in the way of my relationship with you anymore. From now on I'll behave and never look at other women or natural disasters," Dylan promised.

–

You don't have to ruin it. Geez.

Stories just happen. They're organic, like real life. There's no guarantee of a happy ending.

Just do your best, then.

–

"Look, Liz, I know I haven't been… I know I've been distracted lately, and I'm sorry. I'm letting a lot of things get wrapped up together, and that's not good," Dylan told her.

Liz looked up at him, meeting his dark eyes. "Promise me you'll try. Try to keep it straight, try to keep yourself straight. For now, that's enough. Okay?"

He nodded and hugged her, trying not to notice the flash of blue against blue sky outside the window.

Sometimes, he thought, it was best to let something go. He wondered if he could. He supposed he would try.