The Masked Virtuoso

Ethan slumped into the worn-out chair at his desk, staring at the shard that still pulsed ominously in its glass case. The faint glow painted the room in shifting shadows, but for once, it wasn't the shard's mysterious energy that had his mind racing—it was the woman sitting on his couch.

Mia Harper, former Council operative, current mystery wrapped in leather and attitude, was typing away furiously on her sleek tablet. Every so often, she'd glance up at him, her lips pressed into a thin line, as if daring him to interrupt her train of thought.

"So… when you said 'we move at dawn,'" Ethan began, his voice breaking the tense silence, "did you mean literal dawn? Because I'm not exactly a morning person."

Mia didn't even look up. "Yes. Literal dawn. The time when the sun rises. You've heard of it, right?"

"Funny," Ethan muttered, leaning back. "You seem like someone who reads instruction manuals for fun."

"And you seem like someone who's never read one in his life," she shot back.

Ethan opened his mouth to retort, but his stomach growled loudly, cutting him off. The sound echoed in the small apartment, followed by a Awkward pause.

Mia raised an eyebrow. "When's the last time you ate?"

Ethan scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh… does caffeine count?"

"No." She sighed and set the tablet down. "You're supposed to be this big, bad vigilante, and you can't even remember to feed yourself?"

"Hey, I've been busy," Ethan said defensively. "You know, fighting off assassins, keeping Arclight safe, and having mysterious strangers show up and turn my life upside down."

Mia rolled her eyes and stood up. "Where's your kitchen?"

Ethan blinked. "You're cooking?"

"No, I'm going to see if you even have food," she said, heading for the small kitchenette.

Ethan watched as she opened the fridge and recoiled slightly. "Is… is that pizza from a week ago?"

"Three days," Ethan corrected quickly. "Four tops."

Mia gave him a look that could have melted steel. "I've seen better survival instincts from people who've never left their basements."

Ethan smirked. "So you're saying I'm a work in progress?"

Mia ignored him and started rummaging through his cabinets. "If we're breaking into a high-security Council facility tomorrow, you're going to need real food. You can't fight on caffeine and leftover grease."

"Challenge accepted," Ethan muttered under his breath, but he stayed quiet as she moved efficiently around the kitchen. Watching her was oddly fascinating—she was precise, methodical, as if even searching for something to eat was part of a mission.

"Do you even know how to cook?" he asked after a moment.

Mia pulled out a can of soup and a bag of rice. "Basic survival training. Unlike you, I don't live off stale carbs and bad decisions."

"Harsh," Ethan said, though he couldn't keep the grin off his face. "You know, this whole 'breaking into the enemy base' thing is sounding less intimidating by the minute. At least they won't criticize my diet."

Mia shot him a withering glare as she lit the stove. "Keep talking, and I'll make you eat that week-old pizza."

"Three days," Ethan corrected again.

Mia didn't respond, but the faintest smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.

---

As the aroma of freshly cooked food began to fill the room, Ethan leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "So, about tomorrow. What exactly are we walking into?"

Mia's expression shifted back to business. She poured the cooked rice into a bowl and set it on the counter before pulling her tablet back out. "The facility is one of their data hubs. They store information on artifact hosts there—profiles, patterns, weaknesses. If the Council is tracking you, that's where we'll find out how and why."

"And let me guess," Ethan said, "it's not going to be as simple as walking in and asking nicely?"

"Not unless you want to get shot," Mia replied dryly.

"Fair point." Ethan grabbed the bowl of rice and soup she'd handed him and took a bite. "So what's the plan?"

Mia pulled up a schematic of the facility on the tablet. "We go in during a shift change. Security will be light, but we'll still need to avoid detection. You handle disabling their cameras and patrols with your shadows while I access their servers and download the data."

Ethan frowned. "And what happens if we run into trouble?"

Mia's smirk returned. "That's why I brought you."

Ethan gestured to himself dramatically. "Oh, great. I'm the muscle now?"

"You're the one with superpowers," Mia pointed out.

"Fair enough," Ethan muttered, though he couldn't help but feel a tiny swell of pride.

---

As the night wore on, Mia finalized their infiltration plans while Ethan cleared the table and cleaned up—mostly to avoid feeling like a useless sidekick.

At one point, he caught Mia watching him with an amused expression. "What?"

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head. "I just didn't expect you to actually help."

"Hey, I can be a team player," Ethan said, tossing a dish towel over his shoulder. "Sometimes."

"Good to know," Mia said with a chuckle.

For the first time since she'd barged into his life, the tension between them seemed to ease. It was strange, but in that moment, Ethan realized that as much as he hated having his routine disrupted, there was something… comforting about not being alone in all of this.

He still didn't completely trust her, but for now, he was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.

---

As dawn began to creep over the horizon, Ethan grabbed his jacket and checked the shard one last time. Its glow was steady, almost calm.

"Ready?" Mia asked, standing by the door with her tablet in hand.

Ethan grinned, his shadows flickering faintly around him. "Always."

And with that, they stepped into the cool morning air, ready to face whatever the Council had waiting for them.