Page 194 of Villainous Rise

Annie nodded. “I’m fine.”

I pressed my lips to her forehead in a gentle kiss, breathing in her familiar scent. “Good,” I murmured against her skin. “Go inside.”

Annie’s eyes widened and her lips parted to protest, but I was already moving.

I launched myself at Valor. I deactivated every safeguard on my suit, everything that kept my true power caged. I barely registered Havoc swearing before I collided with the golden boy.

The impact drove us backward across the rooftop. My fist connected with his jaw and the wet crunch of bone sent a dark thrill through me. For all his posturing, Valor had no idea what actual violence looked like and I was more than happy to educate him.

”You don’t touch her,” I growled, driving another punch into his solar plexus just to hear him choke. “You don’t breathe her air.” Another blow caught him across the temple, splitting the pristine skin. “You don’t even look at her.”

But I wasn’t prepared for how quickly Valor recovered. One moment I was raining blows on his perfect face, the next he caught my fist mid-swing, his fingers clamping around my knuckles with crushing force.

He snarled, his perfect teeth stained with blood and I barely twisted away from his counterpunch, the air crackling as his fist passed inches from my jaw.

I had underestimated the Alliance fuck boy. For all of his stupid posturing for the cameras, he knew how to actually throw a punch. But it didn’t matter. Just because he might be a better fighter than I anticipated didn’t mean I wasn’t going to strip away every ounce of his golden perfection and leave him a broken, unrecognizable mess on Havoc’s roof.

“You think you can just waltz in here?” Valor spat, circling me. “This is Alliance territory. She belongs here, not with League trash.”

My peripheral vision caught movement. Havoc had pulled Annie safely away from our fight and was checking her arm where Valor had gripped her. His voice carried across the rooftop as he spoke to Helios.

“Stand down. Let them sort this out.”

The solar-powered Hero looked conflicted, his hands glowing faintly as he watched us, clearly itching to intervene. He must have moved to join the fight because the next thing I saw was a field of chaos energy surrounding the Hero, holding him in place.

Valor lunged at me again, moving with the unnatural speed only Trueborn Supers possessed. The world slowed around me as I considered his trajectory and prepared my counter.

I adjusted my stance as Valor charged, his fist glowing with that self-righteous golden light. It didn’t matter if he could throw a punch. He’d kissed Annie. Violated her. Made a mockery of her position. Then he’d hurt her. He’d degraded her. Called her things that made my blood boil.

He didn’t get to do that. He didn’t get to fucking do that.

And so, he had to die.

I caught his punch, the impact reverberating through my bones, and twisted, using his momentum to slam him into the rooftop. The concrete cracked beneath his perfect face.

Valor bucked beneath me, throwing me off. I rolled and sprang back to my feet as he wiped blood from his split lip.

“She ruined everything,” he spat.

I laughed, the sound cold and hollow. “Is that what this is about? Ratings and reputation? Or is it knowing she willingly chose the Villain while you have to force women to look at you?”

His eyes widened fractionally and I launched myself at him again, my fist connecting with his jaw. I wanted to break him slowly. Make him suffer like he’d made Annie suffer when she had to pretend to be his.

“Cipher, stop!” Annie’s voice cut through the haze of my rage, but I ignored it. I was aware that this wasn’t the first time she’d called out for me to stop. But I wouldn’t. I couldn’t.

Valor recovered, his fist catching me in the ribs. Pain flared, but I pushed through it, grabbing his perfect golden hair and smashing his face into my rising knee.

“Havoc, you have to stop them!” Annie’s voice again, desperate now. “He’ll kill him!”

She wasn’t wrong. Every thought running through my mind was focused on one outcome: Valor’s permanent removal.

Valor staggered back, blood streaming from his broken nose, his perfect face marred by my handiwork.

“You’re nothing,” he gasped, spitting blood. “Just a tech Villain playing at being powerful.”

I smiled. “You have no idea what I am.”

I ducked under Valor’s glowing fist, the air sizzling where it passed over my head. His eyes had changed, the emerald green now shot through with gold, pupils constricted to pinpoints.