By early February, life had become pleasantly steady for Elizabeth.
The Mortal Kombat film she starred in—released almost a year ago on April 23, 2019—had been a massive success. Fans still talked about her performance as Skarlet, sharing edits, memes, and dramatic screenshots of her most intense scenes.
But the movie was old news now.
Her schedule was finally calmer, with fewer interviews, fewer appearances, and far more time to just… live.
People who knew her personally understood something the public didn't: Elizabeth was extremely friendly. Warm, patient, quick to laugh. Nothing like the cold, lethal sorceress she'd played on screen. She often joked that Skarlet had stolen her reputation and made her look unapproachable.
But her friends knew the truth.
It was February 7, 2020—a rare day off—and Elizabeth was determined to enjoy it.
---
"Liz, move your butt! We're gonna miss the opening!" Mia shouted from the apartment doorway, jacket half on, one sneaker untied, excitement radiating off her like electricity.
Elizabeth was crouched beside the entryway drawer, digging through it like a raccoon. "My wallet was literally right here last night!"
"That's what you said ten minutes ago."
"Because it was!"
"You lose things more easily than you kill people in Mortal Kombat."
Elizabeth stuck her tongue out as she triumphantly held up the wallet. "Found it!"
Mia rolled her eyes. "Congratulations. Now let's GO. Harley Quinn waits for no one."
They were joined by their friends Liam and Sara—Liam, who carried a notebook everywhere, and Sara, the costume designer who had saved Elizabeth's life more than once by fixing ripped clothes right before events.
Elizabeth drove them to the cinema, humming along to Mia's playlist, laughing at Liam's dramatic predictions for the movie, and teasing Sara about her crush on the actress playing Huntress.
It felt normal.
And Elizabeth treasured normal.
At the theater parking lot, she pulled up her hood and sunglasses—not out of fear, just habit. The movie had released last year, but she still attracted attention occasionally.
Walking toward the ticket counter, the teenage cashier blinked, froze, and then lit up like someone had turned on a spotlight inside him.
"Are you— Elizabeth Hart?" he stammered.
Elizabeth paused, then smiled softly. "Yeah. That's me."
His face went red instantly. "Sorry! I didn't mean to bother you. I just— I watched your movie like, four times. You were insane as Skarlet. In a good way!"
Elizabeth laughed, the sound warm and genuine. "Thank you. It still feels weird knowing people rewatch it."
"You want extra butter on your popcorn? I can give you extra butter. Or normal butter. Or— I can shut up."
Mia choked on a giggle.
Elizabeth waved a hand gently. "Relax. You're doing great. And no extra butter needed—we're already stocked with snacks."
He handed them their tickets with shaking hands.
As the group walked away, Mia nudged her with a smug expression. "See? People love you."
"They love Skarlet," Elizabeth said.
"Nope," Mia replied. "They love you. You're just too humble to notice."
Inside the dark theater, they found their seats. Elizabeth sank into her chair with a sigh, letting the chatter around her blend into a comforting background noise.
Then Sara leaned in and whispered, "So… Daniel texted you this morning."
Elizabeth froze. "How do you know?"
"You smiled at your phone in the elevator. You only do that when it's either Daniel, a cat video, or pizza on the way."
Elizabeth tried not to smile. "It was a cat video."
"Uh-huh. Sure."
She buried her face in her hands as the movie started.
Slow burn was fine.
Her friends teasing her about it?
Not fine. Absolutely unfair.
But as Harley Quinn burst onto the screen, glitter flying and chaos breaking loose, Elizabeth let herself relax. The world felt simple in moments like this—laughing with friends, sipping soda, watching a movie like anyone else.
No fame. No pressure.
No armor or blood magic.
Just Elizabeth Hart—friendly, ordinary, and perfectly happy exactly where she was.