War came on a Tuesday.
Figures.
Most disasters do.
The skies over Neon City cracked open, not from thunder or weather—but from Spire-Grade Dropcrafts, black as void and shaped like falling swords. Sleek. Silent. Lethal.
They didn't come alone.
Inside?
The S-tier heroes.
Every last god, demigod, science experiment, and accidental celestial still on payroll.
Led by Valor.
And by his side—
Titania.
---
You're probably wondering why now?
Why send Earth's deadliest do-gooders to kick in my glass walls today?
Well…
Apparently Valor had enough.
Enough watching. Enough waiting.
Enough letting me build my little kingdom of violence and vice.
He wanted to make a statement.
So he brought everyone.
Hyperion, the living star.
Wraith, the assassin who bends shadows.
Seraph, the winged empath with eyes that burn truth into bone.
And of course—
Titania.
Floating inches above the rooftop, armor gleaming, golden eyes unreadable.
Dr. Quantum didn't show.
He was probably still locked in a lab somewhere, calculating how to solve world hunger with moonlight and nanobots. Classic.
---
Down below?
Me.
Leaning back on the penthouse railing. Shirtless. Again. Drink in hand.
Nova stands to my right, cracking her knuckles, fire trailing down her arms.
Lilith to my left, silent, unblinking, aura like ice before a blizzard.
And at the corner of the rooftop?
Cassie.
Lounge chair. Sunglasses. Phone pointed right at us. Live.
> "Hey lovers and haters, tune in now because it's about to get real bloody up here. Like, demon orgy at a rave level of bloody."
She gave a wink to the camera.
> "Team Spire just showed up with a suicide wish, and I for one am thrilled to monetize it. #TeamSentinel #WatchHimWork #YesImStillSleepingWithHim"
The chat exploded.
Hearts. Fire emojis. Bets.
Trending within minutes.
---
Above, Valor's voice boomed through an augmented vocalizer.
"SENTINEL. THIS ENDS NOW."
I raised my glass. "Hey, Val. Missed you."
> "This isn't a joke."
"Funny. Looks like one from here."
He stepped forward, air rippling with contained force. The rooftop trembled.
> "Stand down. Or be taken down."
Nova laughed. "Did he rehearse that in the mirror?"
Lilith didn't speak. She didn't need to.
She was already holding a blade of voidlight. Ready.
I smiled. Calm and unbothered.
"Titania," I called out.
Her helmet hissed as it retracted, revealing that infuriatingly perfect face.
"I assume you voted for this?"
She didn't answer. Just stared.
I raised a brow. "No last-minute switch of conscience? No 'he's still in there somewhere' speech?"
Silence.
Then:
She hovered down.
Slow and controlled. Feet touching the rooftop with barely a sound.
Cassie zoomed in. "Oooooh baby. This is about to get dramatic."
Titania took a step closer.
I could feel Nova tense beside me. Lilith narrowed her eyes.
She was unarmed. Visibly, anyway.
And then she spoke.
Quiet. Directed at me.
> "You crossed every line."
I sipped my drink. "I drew new ones."
> "You used to protect people."
"I still do. Just not the ones you think deserve it."
> "You're a danger to the world."
I smiled wider. "No. I am the world."
She looked like she wanted to scream.
Instead, she said:
> "I'm giving you one chance."
"Funny," I said, tilting my head. "That's what I told you when I offered to let you stay."
She flinched. Just slightly.
Behind her, Valor raised his fist.
"Engage," he ordered.
And all hell broke loose.
---
Hyperion screamed down like a comet, aiming straight for me.
Lilith caught him mid-air, slamming him sideways through a reinforced statue of myself. It exploded on impact.
Nova lit up like a sun, fire turning white-hot as she went toe to toe with Seraph, heat vs purity, rage vs discipline.
Cassie kept filming.
> "This is cinema, babes. Don't forget to like and subscribe if you think Sentinel looks hot throwing your tax-funded heroes into buildings."
I cracked my neck, dodged a flying spear from Wraith, and caught it mid-spin.
Snapped it in half.
"Sloppy," I muttered, and turned, throwing the pieces through two drones mid-hover.
Laser fire lit up the sky.
The roof turned battlefield. Explosions. Collisions. Bodies moving faster than the human eye could track.
And then—
Titania charged.
Not with fury, with purpose.
She came at me hard—fists first, a blur of gold and speed and raw willpower.
I blocked. Barely. Slid back across the rooftop from the force.
Our eyes locked.
I grabbed her arm, twisted, threw her into a wall.
She recovered mid-air. Landed. Gasped. Blood on her lip.
I slowed. Just a step.
She looked at me. Something burning behind her eyes.
Then—
Her communicator sparked in her ear.
Valor's voice: "Status?"
She didn't answer.
I tilted my head.
Her eyes flicked to Nova. To Lilith. To Cassie.
Back to me.
And then...
She turned, blasting Hyperion mid-strike, sending him crashing into Seraph.
Valor shouted from above: "Titania?!"
She looked at me. No smile. No words. Just a long, hard stare.
I smirked.
Cassie zoomed in.
> "Oh... my... god. Did we just get a heel turn? Plot twist, bitches!"
---
And then the feed cut.
The sky shook. A second wave was coming.
But Titania?
She stood in front of me now.
And nobody—not Valor, not Hyperion, not the entire world—knew which side she was standing on.
---
To be continued...