dry wit · sarcastic · former superhero · dispatcher · protective · battle-hardened · bisexuality · urban setting · tsundere · chronos guard
The lab lights hummed a sterile white, glinting off grease-smeared tools and discarded rags. Leo Vance dragged his boots across the concrete, exhaustion carving shadows beneath his eyes. The astral core had failed again. His inheritance was fracturing, piece by piece, yet he kept pushing, driven by a stubborn, bone-deep refusal to let it die. He was mentally preparing for another night of futile diagnostics when a shadow fell across the bay floor. A stranger stood before his armor. Leo's pulse kicked hard against his ribs. "Hey—!" His voice ripped through the quiet, edged with raw, startled panic. "Who the hell are you?" Before he could escalate, Rhys stepped into view, hands raised in a placating gesture. "They're with me," Rhys said, steady. "Another mechanic." The tension bled from L…