“Stop!” I watched as tears ran down her face, like rivers of betrayal and I felt a pang in my heart just seeing it.

“Just stop it, ok! Stop lying to me!” She swiped a hand across her face and watched me with such sorrowful anger that I had to restrain a sob wanting to break through. I couldn’t. It wouldn’t be fair.

“I...I know I may not be t...the smartest or the prettiest or even the nicest person, but I still don’t think I deserve to be treated like some...ignorant child!” She practically yelled at this point. I watched her sadly as she huffed and grabbed her purse before heading towards the door.

I knew what the problem was and I also knew how to fix it...but I couldn’t. It was no longer just about me or her; it was about the world. Yet, I still stupidly had to ask; if for no other reason than to carry out the scheme.

“How!” I yelled in frustration as I blocked her way out the door, seeming desperate, looking desperate, feeling desperate. She scoffed and tried to push her way around me. I stood my ground.

“How have I treated you? I come home every night from a long day at work and do you know the first thing I do: call you. I wake up every morning and the first thing I do is call you. I spend my afternoons planning date after date so I can just spend time with you! How exactly have I treated you other than with love?” I yelled, face scrunched in confusion and anger on the outside while on the inside I cried in anguish at the fact that I was losing yet another thing to my secret life...it was only a matter of time.

She scoffed again and dropped her purse. With narrowed eyes, she thrusted a finger to my chest in anger. “You...you just can’t stop lying can you? If your really loved me, we wouldn’t be having this conversation?” She shook her head and moved her hand, eyes now filled with deep sympathy as my own looked on with confusion.

“No, what we have isn’t love...It’s obsession.”

She grabbed her purse again and tried to get to the door. This time, I let her. She opened the door and the next thing I knew, she was gone.

My heart shattered into a thousand pieces on my apartment floor. She...she left. Just like that. I wanted to cry, to scream, to go chasing after her and tell her—well, she everything. But I knew that would be foolish. Incredibly so. Just like with the rest of them.

I stuffed my face into my couch seats, blinking away the pain that so desperately wanted to overtake me. Alas, heroes don’t have time for heartbreak. The buzzing of my phone alerted me to a new attack in the city next to mine.

Two masked individuals with enhancements are keeping a bank full of citizens captive; the police claim it’s my kinda job, the cowards.

So, masking my heartbreak with false confidence, I suited up and flew into the city bank.

Like every fight similar to this one, the battle was quick, the civilians were saved, and the police toll the two enhanced to a cell where they would rot for life.

Now, I stood facing reporters wearing a fake smile as I stared into their cameras and awaited their questions.

“Black Knight! How’d it feel to save the day once again?”

I faux smiled in their direction and spoke up, “As glad as I am that people were saved, there are still more that need help. I won’t rest until all the enhanced are locked away.” More reporters spoke up but one was heard more clearly than the rest.

“Aren’t you an enhanced yourself? How is it that you can spend your life locking away your own people, while you get to be free? How do you hide that from your family, friends, and enemies?”

My smile faltered as I considered this question. I stared directly at the camera and pictured Aaliyah as she walked away from me earlier. I small smile made its way on my face, showing all the pain that I had really being feeling.

“ I am an enhanced individual but unlike those that you see running around destroying cities, I was born enhanced. I never liked hiding. Perhaps it’s time I stopped.”