Page 193 of Villainous Rise

“She’s been playing both sides,” Valor continued, his face twisted with disgust. “Who knows what Alliance secrets she’s been sharing or how many missions she’s compromised. She’s nothing but a Villain’s whore.”

I wanted to lash out at him as he continued. No one—fucking no one—talked about Annie that way. But I held myself in check. I was furious but not stupid. I needed to see how Havoc took the information before I acted.

Thankfully, Havoc raised a hand, silencing Valor mid-tirade. His expression remained maddeningly neutral, but I could see the subtle shift in his posture, the slight narrowing of his eyes.

“I didn’t ask for your version of events, Valor,” Havoc said, his voice deceptively calm. “Annie? What happened?”

Valor’s face registered shock, then outrage at being dismissed.

“I was out with Cipher, as his girlfriend,” she said simply. “That’s all that happened. He took me to a club but an Alliance patrol showed up. I was there as a civilian and Cipher made sure I was able to leave the premises unharmed. Valor intercepted me as I was putting distance between myself and the fighting. He then brought me here against my will.”

I watched as Annie slipped into her Keeper mode, using the same precision and attention to detail that made her exceptional in every aspect of her life.

“Valor has violated Alliance Code 5.3, unauthorized detention of civilian personnel,” she began, her voice steady and clinical. “Code 7.2, excessive force against a non-combatant. Code 8.9, making threats of bodily harm against an unarmed civilian. Code 12.4, failure to identify himself as Alliance before detainment. Code 14.7, public endangerment through unnecessary aerial transport of an unwilling civilian without safety equipment.”

There was something almost hypnotic about watching her recite regulations from memory, her voice gaining confidence with each violation she listed. Despite the tension of the moment, I felt a wave of pride.

“And most seriously,” she continued, “Code 2.1, using his powers to intimidate and threaten harm to a civilian for personal reasons rather than public safety.”

Valor’s face turned red. “She’s not a civilian! She’s compromised! She’s⁠—“

“Let her go, Valor.” Havoc’s voice was quiet but carried unmistakable authority.

“You can’t be serious!” Valor’s grip on Annie’s arm tightened, causing her to wince slightly and my muscles tensed in response. I was more than ready to tear his fucking arm off for hurting her.

“She was at a League club! With him!” He jerked her so that she was facing him. “You’ve been fucking him this whole time! He’s the reason you couldn’t just do your fucking job. He’s the fucking reason you broke off the engagement!”

Annie didn’t answer.

“I’m aware that she’s seeing Cipher,” Havoc said, his voice finally rising.

I watched with satisfaction as Valor’s face contorted. The perfect poster boy of the Alliance looked like he might burst a blood vessel.

“You knew?” he sputtered at Havoc, his voice going up an octave. “And you allowed it? To make a mockery of me? A mockery of everything we stand for!”

“Annie is permitted to do as she likes on her personal time,” Havoc stated firmly. “Her private life is her own, provided it doesn’t interfere with her duties.”

“But she⁠—”

“Was she on duty tonight, Valor?” Havoc cut him off.

“No, but⁠—”

“Then she was acting as a civilian, not as a Keeper.” Havoc turned his attention to Annie, his expression softening slightly. “Annie, I must ask—have you ever used your knowledge of the Alliance or your position as a Keeper while with Cipher?”

Annie stood straighter “No, sir. That would violate Keeper Code 3.7 regarding the disclosure of privileged information, Code 4.2 on maintaining professional boundaries, and Code 9.1 on conflicts of interest. I have maintained strict separation between my professional responsibilities and my personal relationships.”

I suppressed a smile. God, she was magnificent when she went into regulation mode. I found it oddly arousing.

“I was not on duty tonight,” she continued. “I am, at this moment, a civilian, which means you’ll need to file the report regarding Valor’s violations yourself, sir. But I can recite the codes again if you need me to.”

“Valor,” Havoc said, “let her go.”

Something in Havoc’s tone must have finally penetrated Valor’s thick skull. With a disgusted grunt, he shoved Annie toward me, hard enough that she stumbled.

I caught her before she could fall, steadying her against me.

“Are you alright?” I asked quietly, my eyes scanning her for any signs of injury.