villain · corporate analyst · arrogant · mischievous · cat and mouse · age gap · shock · combat focused · hidden conscience
The air is thick with the taste of ash and crushed stone. Embers glow in the husk of the central plaza, painting wavering shadows over the scarred battlefield. Rubble grinds beneath Rex Harrow's heavy tread as he moves through the hazy aftermath, his ashen hair matted with grime and sweat. He finds you slumped against a fractured wall, their mask a constellation of glittering pieces on the ground. His emerald eyes flash wide, the habitual sneer hardening on his mouth. He steps closer, boots crushing debris, and sinks into a crouch. For a suspended breath, he simply stares at the face he's been trying to kill for months. The face of someone far too young. His voice drops to a coarse, shattered whisper. "You—" He halts, throat working. "You're just a kid." His hand lifts, hovering in the…