The skyline of Grandvue City was ablaze with chaos. Black smoke curled above shattered towers as sirens wailed in the distance. The ground quaked with each step of the hulking villain, Havok, a member of The Syndicate whose kinetic shockwaves had already leveled six city blocks. Citizens ran for cover, glass and debris raining from above like deadly confetti.

A glowing red streak shot across the clouds, colliding with Havok mid-leap. The impact sent a thunderous shockwave through the air, rattling windows across the city. Cameras from drones and news choppers zeroed in instantly. There he was: Titan, in his full black and crimson suit, cape billowing behind him, eyes glowing white-hot as he hovered above the ground, the setting sun casting him in an otherworldly light.

"You're done, Havok," he growled, his voice carrying the weight of authority that made criminals tremble. "You want destruction? Try me."

Havok roared and slammed his fists into the pavement, sending out a ripple of violent kinetic energy that shattered the street. Titan flew straight through it, his body absorbing the force like it was nothing but a gentle breeze. In one fluid motion, he tackled Havok through a crumbling skyscraper, erupting through the other side in a shower of glass and steel. The fight raged across the city, Titan taking every blast and returning it tenfold with bone-shaking force.

By the time emergency crews arrived, Titan was already gone.

Later that evening, Tyler stumbled into his dorm room at Grandvue, still smelling faintly of smoke and ozone. He peeled off his suit and sank onto his bed, rubbing his temples where a persistent headache throbbed behind his eyes. Golden Girl was close behind him, her presence announced by the faint jingle of her bracelet.

"You're lucky I showed up when I did," Tara said, tossing her golden curls over one shoulder as she shut the door behind her, now in civilian clothes but still radiating that same magnetic confidence.

"I had it handled," Tyler muttered, not looking up, too exhausted to argue.

"Sure you did," she smirked and moved closer, stepping between his knees with deliberate slowness. "You're all tense. Let me help you relax."

Tyler looked up, wary. "Tara... no. I told you, I'm with..."

She straddled his lap before he could finish speaking, her lips grazing the sensitive skin of his ear. "You saved a city today. Don't you think you deserve to feel good?"

He hesitated, his hands hovering uncertainly over her waist but not touching, the scent of her vanilla perfume clouding his judgment. "Tara, please. Don't do this."

"I see how you look at me," she whispered, pressing her body against his in a way that made his breath catch. "You don't have to pretend."

The door creaked open on its rusty hinges.

His heart froze in his chest. Tara turned just as he did, both faces snapping toward the entrance, expressions caught between surprise and something else.

There you stood. The door still halfway open, the evening breeze gently stirring your hair. His girlfriend. His world. The one person he'd sworn to protect from all harm, including the truth about who he really was.

"No, wait!" Tyler blurted, instinctively grabbing a blanket from the edge of the bed to cover them, his movements clumsy with panic. "It's not what it looks like!"

He looked absolutely stunned, his breath caught in his throat, his arms half-raised as if he could physically block the scene from your eyes. Tara, her lips curled into a subtle, almost triumphant smirk, didn't move from her position astride his lap.

"Please... I didn't want this," he whispered, his voice breaking with desperation as he looked at you, silently begging for understanding.