Nov 2023 - Side Story (Part 2)

Here's the second and last part. For the first part, click here!

* * * * *

She hasn’t told you yet how the talk went. You really hope she didn’t flake on that and that it went well.

In an attempt to curb your boredom, you decide to check what people are talking about on social media. You take a peek at Twatter trending page, and… Yup, as expected, nothing good. Disturbingly enough, you saw not a few people seem to share or at least sympathize with the Nemesis Project’s vision.

You are aware that the superheroes and the system that all of you reside in right now are far from perfect, but whatever it is the Nemesis Project is doing… It’s not the answer too.

Having enough of Twatter, you check Facegram next; It’s the platform you’re most active in right now. And oh God, your DM requests are in the hundreds and you don’t even need to check to see they’re mostly from your fans asking whether you’re doing okay and to stay safe. The comments on your latest post are also the same.

You suppose it’s kind of sweet of them to think of you when you’re not even the target right now. Hmm… Maybe you should make an update post to assuage their worries later on.

You are so absorbed in your own thoughts that you don’t even notice that someone else has arrived and sat in the armchair next to you. Glancing up from your phone, you look at the newcomer. They’re scrolling on their own phone, unaware of you inspecting them.

You’ve never seen the person around the Agency Headquarters before, not even a glimpse, and you’d know because you pride yourself on being able to recognize and memorize faces pretty well.

There’s something familiar about the person sitting beside you, you can’t really place it but some of their features remind you of someone. And you won’t lie, they are kind of hot. Maybe it won’t hurt to introduce yourself and get to know each other.

“Psstt… Hey,” you whisper-shout at them.

They look up from their phone to send you a quizzical look. You notice their eyes scanning you from top to bottom; you wonder if they know who you are. Perhaps they’re just pretending to not know that you’re ‘Phase’ so as not to make things awkward. Your pride refuses to acknowledge that they probably have no idea who you or your superhero persona is.

“You look familiar…I’m wondering if we’ve ever met before?” you hum, telling them the truth. “We must’ve not, because I’d certainly never forget someone as gorgeous as you are,” you grin, winking at them charmingly. There’s no harm in doing a little flirting.

They scoff and turn away slightly, but not fast enough because you catch what looks like a hint of blush on their cheeks. That just makes your shit-eating grin even wider. “Soo cheesy. How many people have you used this line on?” they groan, glancing at you.

"Well, you might not believe me, but not a lot, honestly," you reassure them, the infuriating smile still plastered on your face. That’s kind of half a truth; you do have a lot of other pick-up lines in your arsenal other than this. "I only flirt with those I have an instant and special connection with," you add, which is… you have to admit to yourself, not really true, but in this case, it kind of is.

The stranger scrunches their nose in response. Oops, it seems like they’re not buying your sweet talk. "Oh, yeah? Which must've been at least half of the strangers you've just met. We don't even know each other's names," they sigh exasperatedly.

Ouch, they really have to call you out like that, huh? Also, contrary to popular belief, you don’t actually flirt with any strangers you meet. Sometimes, your friendliness and charm get mistaken for genuine flirting.

"Ah, I see. I gotta admit that it's pretty smooth how you're asking for my name without asking it directly," you tease them, ignoring the direct callout.

Their eyes widen instantly and this time, it’s clear that their cheeks are flushed. "W—What?! Don't be stupid! I don't wanna know your name!" they sputter out, crossing their arms defensively.

Awww, aren’t they just adorable? You’ve met a lot of people who respond to your flirts shyly, some who manage to match your level of flirting toe-to-toe, and others who just put up with it and are a bit irritated. But this is the first time you’ve ever met someone who reacts like this--denial mixed with irritation; your flirtations seem to be working, they just don’t want to admit it and actively try to fight against it.

"Too late to take it back now!" You shake your head playfully and snicker like a little kid. "Name's Skylar Moore, or more commonly known by the city as 'Phase'." You study their face, trying to see some kind of reaction to the revelation.

They look surprised--and not really the good kind if you have to say. In fact, they look a bit shaken. That’s not how people usually react to your identity, both private and the superhero persona. And just as quickly as it popped up, it disappeared, being replaced with more irritation. "Whatever… I already told you I'm not interested in knowing your name," they grumble.

Interesting… You really have to find out who this person is exactly; the curiosity is killing you right now.

They seem to get more annoyed and agitated the more you stare at them. “What are you smiling for?” they blurt out, the words less biting than intended.

"Nothing…" You shake your head softly before continuing as you mutter, "I wasn't kidding when I said you look familiar though."You tap your chin in contemplation before perking up and holding out your hand to them. "May I know your name, then?"

“Sasha Viktorovich Morozov,” they answer gruffly, taking your hand in theirs and not even three seconds have passed, they quickly pull their hands away with an awkward cough.

Ah, you see how it is. What a cute lil reaction!

It almost distracts you from the fact that the name Morozov gets brought up again, but this time, it is actually a Morozov sitting in front of you, in the flesh. You immediately know who they are as soon as they say their last name.“Oh! You're my mentor's child!” you exclaim excitedly.

So, this is the ‘young Morozov’, the one who just became one of the most sought-after bachelors/bachelorettes in the city.

But most importantly, they’re also Yvette’s estranged child. Huh, it seems the talk Yvette was dreading actually worked out pretty well. That’s the only reason why Sasha Morozov is sitting here right now, right?

“I should've figured that one out,” you continue before grinning, “After all, you're just as pretty as your mother! And that's saying something because she's one of the most beautiful superheroes in North America!”

That’s the truth. She has been mostly dominating the beauty section of Superhero awards for decades. No other superheroes, young or old, can compete with her so far. Her beauty is also one of the biggest draws of her superhero persona, turning a lot of people into her diehard fans.

"W—What are you—" they stutter, the flirtatious compliment taking them by surprise and flustering them again. "A—And no, she's not my mother…" they blurt out. "Well, not really anyway…"

“Oh—I’m sorry. I just thought that since she gave birth to you…” you trail off awkwardly.

They shake your head lightly. "Being a mother is not simply giving birth to someone…" they sigh. "No more questions, please. I don't wannna talk about it."

That’s fair and you understand what they meant. It amuses you slightly how both mother and chid are just as unenthusiastic to talk about each other, which is a shame because you’re really curious about what happened between them, the rich history. But you’ll still respect their wishes and stop prodding.

Maybe once you’ve befriended or dated Sasha—and yes, you will achieve both—they’d be more willing to open up to you.

“Of course! Of course! And I can see your point,” you quickly reassure them. “But still, my compliment stands true.”

They pout at the firtarion and turn away—probably to hide their reddening face again. "Thanks… I think you look decent as well," they mumble quietly, so quiet in fact that you almost fail to catch it—but you don’t. And thank God, because you’d be so pissed off at yourself if missied that little concession.

"How about we take a selfie together right now and I'll post it on my Facegram story and maybe we can let the people vote on who's prettier, hm?" you tease.

"What? No way! I'm not taking a step near you," they scoff. "Also, your diehard simps will vote for you anyway. So, it's not fair." They cross your arms in indignation.

You ought to be at least slightly offended that they just called your fanbase simps, but honestly, they’re not that wrong. Most of them are attracted by your charm and looks, and some by the status if your family, instead of your awesome powers.

"Haha! I'm just teasing you," you chuckle, although deep down, you’d really be down for the little friendly competition.

Maybe one day…

You continue, “So, you're here for the meeting too, right?”

“Yeah, but it seems like your CEO is still busy, huh?” They click your tongue in annoyance as they check the time.

You check your phone’s homescreen. It's 1:03 PM. You’ve been waiting here for a little over half an hour.

“I don't think it'll be much longer,” you hums. “I say, let's use this time to get into the next step in our relationship. How about you ask me questions now to get to know me better?"  you offer, flashing them one of your most charming smiles, ones that are meant for TVs, ads, and interviews.

They blink in surprise as they stare at you. Not to feed your ego, but they might be a bit dazzled by your smile. And then they pout again, which is such an adorable expression on their face, as they contemplate on your offer.

Ever since you become a superhero, you haven’t really had the time to actively pursue a serious romantic relationship. Not really out of fear of your career’s downfall, which is a concern that a lot of your colleagues seem to have, but more because or business and no one in particular have really caught your interest. Until now.

Maybe some people would call you privileged for being so financially secure that you don’t really care to be particularly careful about your career. Honestly, your reason is simpler; you just refuse to let these unhinged and parasocial ‘fans’ dictate how you live your life. You just want to be happy doing what you want.

And right now, one of those wants is to woo and hopefully have a serious relationship with Sasha Morozov—who also happens to be your mentor’s child. You’re pretty confident Yvette would approve, but for the Morozovs, it’s harder to say since you’ve never interacted with any of them before. But you’re sure you’ll be abe to charm them—it always works!

As for your parents… They’ll be ecstatic as hell, probably gonna throw a big party to celebrate you gettinf together with the supposed Morozov heir. Ughh… You can already see your mother’s smug face and your father telling you that he and your mother have always known what’s best for you. The image almost makes you shudder.

But you’re nothing if not determined and you won’t let these little roadbumps get in the way of love. Okay, there’s also a major roadbump, namely Sasha’s mother being targetted by the group, but you’re positive and confident that your little task force group will be able to stop it before the two-week deadline—or at least keep Yvette alive if the deadline passed.

Either way, whether you’ll succeed in your little quest for love, it should prove to be an interesting and memorable experience.

Finally, Sasha seem to make up their mind, and you can practically feel the questions just dripping on the edge of their tongue as their own beautiful grey eyes swirl with as much curiosity that you have for them. You just smile wider as you patiently wait for their very first question—the first step towards a friendship… and maybe even a relationship.