The Enchantress dialled the superintendent of police. Without waiting for a greeting, she said menacingly, “Those grocery store robberies? Drop it.”

After a long pause during which The Enchantress was prepared to snarl at him again, he replied meekly, “I’m sorry but it’s out of my hands. It’s not my case.”

“I’m assuming working with The Enchantress is exactly what the people expect from their police superintendent.”

“Are you threatening me?” he sputtered.

“Just stating facts,” she replied coolly.

“Is it personal? You aren’t involved, are you?”

“Of course not!” she snapped, scrunching up her nose in disdain.

“I’m really sorry, but…”

“Ugh fine, stop grovelling. Can you keep your idiots away from the stores for tonight?”

“I think I can do that,” he sounded relieved, “About our… um dealings?”

“You’re safe,” she smirked into her phone. “For now,” she added saucily and hung up.

***

X stared at her phone in puzzlement. “You didn’t have anything to do with that, did you Addy?”

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Yeah sure, I had something to do with the fact that the police don’t want you snooping around the grocery stores tonight.”

“It doesn’t make sense though! Evan just told me about it so I assume they want me on the case. And now the Superintendent calls telling me to drop it,” she furrowed her eyebrows.

“Who cares?” he replied lackadaisically. Perking up, he wrapped his arms around his sister, “That means I get to spend the whole day with you!”

She let the frown slip from her face and returned the hug. “Let’s make those cocktails!” she laughed.

***

The Enchantress shot Elisa a tentative text. “Sorry about earlier. Got plans today?”

“Visiting my parents. Did you want to hang out?”

Letting out a breath she had been holding, she replied, “I kinda had to write a couple articles. Next weekend?”

“Sure 😉”

The heady ecstatic feeling she had grown accustomed to, took over her body at the prospect of spending time with Elisa. With a content smile on her face, she called her ex.

“Gabe? Alright. Here’s the plan. I pick you up tonight at eleven and we hit the stores. We’re gonna return what you took.”

“Return?” he said incredulously.

“Yes,” she said wearily. “At eleven. Don’t be late.”

***

Gabe was waiting out by his door when The Enchantress pulled up. She gave him a quick nod of approval at his outfit, a black hoodie over black jeans, blending effortlessly into the night. A face mask dangled from one hand, and a black bag in which he had presumably stuffed the cash, hung from the other.

“So um… If I return the cash, I still won’t have funds for my next ‘job’,” he said. “Not being ungrateful or anything,” he added quickly.

“You ask them for an advance,” she replied.

“I don’t have the standing you have. I still need to build my reputation.”

“I’ll give you a loan,” she replied immediately.

“You will?” he blinked in surprise. “Thanks.”

After driving for a bit in an awkward silence, she said, “Sorry about the handcuffs.”

Casting a look in his direction, she sniggered, “How long did it take you to get out of them?”

“Longer than it would have taken you,” he replied sheepishly. “In my defence, I’ve never had to escape from them for the two years we’ve had them. So I kinda panicked for a bit before remembering the safety catch.”

Sharing a look, they dissolved in a fit of giggles. “No hard feelings?” she smiled at him.

“Nope.” He leaned back in his seat contently, gazing adoringly at the woman he still loved.

***

“So five stores in total, right?” The Enchantress asked, pulling up at the first one. At midnight, her car sounded unnaturally loud on the deserted road. After she turned off her headlights, the moon gleaming though the tapestry of intertwined branches overhead was their only source of light.

“Yep,” he confirmed, slipping on his face mask and grabbing the bag. The Enchantress pulled on a black trench coat over her outfit, and followed Gabe to the doorway of the store where he squatted down with a huff to pick the lock.

Shining her flashlight down at him, she couldn’t help the smile that threatened to take over her lips. He did look adorable fumbling with the lock, absently chewing on his bottom lip, with his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

Cursing under his breath, he finally managed to get the door open. “After you,” he said with a cheesy grin, swinging his arms towards the door.

“Why, thank you,” she said pretentiously, a hand clasped to her chest. Giggling, she grabbed Gabe’s hand and tugged him inside. “Fill it up,” she said, gesturing to the cash register.

Wiping away a fake tear, he stuffed the cash back in. Then he yanked her further into the store, guided by the flashlight on his phone. “Where are we going?” she asked bewildered.

“If we’re gonna pass this whole thing off as a prank so the police drop it, we’ll have to make it convincing,” he said, stopping at the condom aisle. Scoffing, he picked up a box that boasted of ‘condoms so big, it’ll blow your mind!’

The Enchantress chuckled, “They ought to fire their advertisement department! What’s the plan?”

“Gimme a minute,” he said walking off, leaving her in the dark. He returned holding a mammoth of a cucumber, and laughed at her incredulous expression. Winking at her, he produced a marker and scrawled on the cucumber ‘Don’t believe us, try it out!’ He set it down helpfully next to the box of ‘mind blowing’ condoms.

The Enchantress snorted before dragging him out of the store, “We got four more to do in case you’ve forgotten.”

***

They stumbled out of the last store a little past two in the morning. “You’re so childish,” The Enchantress giggled. “You did the condom thing in all the stores.”

“I know,” he stuck his tongue out at her. Laughing, they piled into her car. That warm fuzzy feeling she had associated with Elisa, crept up on her uninvited. The meddling voice in her head decided to voice its opinion, he’s your ex you can’t fall for him again and what about Elisa? Dismissing it as usual, she started her car up only to shut it off.

Eyes sparkling mischievously, she gestured towards the high-rise building in front of them. “Come on.”

“You want to break in?! Isn’t that where all the big shots live?” asked Gabe, craning his neck up at the sophisticated looking building. Large letters proclaiming ‘GOLDEN GRAND’ glinted atop the building.

The Enchantress snorted in contempt and took his hand, leading him up to the gateway. Flashing a disarming smile at the watchman, she tightened her grip on Gabe’s hand and strolled in like she owned the place.

“Wow,” Gabe said admiringly. “They should fire their security though,” he laughed.

They took the elevator to the top of its twenty-three floors. “So what are we doing?” Gabe questioned.

“We look for a staircase up to the terrace and break in,” she smirked.

Rounding a corner, they found the fire exit. Trudging up the staircase, they stopped at the door leading to the terrace. The Enchantress huffed in exasperation as she saw the lock. “Work your magic,” she smiled sweetly at Gabe. Pouting, he settled down to pick the lock.

Opening the lock with a satisfying click, he flamboyantly kicked the door open. Clutching his hand, The Enchantress bounded in, ecstatically twirling under the stars that shimmered like sequins sewn into the inky black fabric of night.

Laughing giddily, she tugged Gabe towards the human sized letters that read ‘GOLDEN GRAND’ at the edge. “I wonder if we can get on top,” she mused.

“Do it, I dare you,” he replied cockily.

“You know I’m scared of heights!” she pouted. “You get on first!”

“But you’ll come after me.” He reached up for the top horizontal bar of E and clamoured on. He let out a gasp. Looking down at The Enchantress entreatingly, he said, “You absolutely have to get up here!” He reached an arm down for her to grab.

Wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans, she took his hand, sucked in a deep breath and joined him on the giant E. “You weren’t wrong,” she said softly, taking in the vast expanse of darkness that was only interrupted by street lights glimmering far beneath them. Her feet dangling in nothingness, she shifted her gaze skywards.

“It’s almost like you can’t tell where the sky starts. It’s like we’re in a void of blackness with a whole lot of glitter dumped in,” Gabe said in a hushed voice, draping his arm around her.

“How poetic,” The Enchantress scoffed, resting her head on his shoulder with a soft smile on her lips.

“Alright, that’s all I can take,” she said with a shaky laugh. “Let’s get off this thing.”

“Tell anyone I’m scared of heights and I will…” she began mock threateningly once her feet were firmly planted on solid ground.

“Handcuff me and leave me to die?” He teased, tugging her towards him as he walked backwards. “I know you got this whole ‘I’m invincible’ thing going on. I won’t tell,” he winked.

She playfully shoved him in retaliation. “Wrong move, Ms Invincible,” Gabe smirked and attacked her with tickles.

“I… surrender!” she wheezed out between giggles, collapsing against Gabe. He wrapped his arms around her and sighed blissfully.

The Enchantress let herself fall to the floor, pulling Gabe down in the process. “Wait a minute,” he said, yanking his hoodie over his head. Bundling it up, he made a make-shift pillow for them to lay theirs heads on.

Snuggling close to each other, they gazed at the stars. “You know what we should do?” Gabe said suddenly.

The Enchantress turned towards him.

“We should start a Villain’s Academy!”

The Enchantress snorted as he went on. He raised his arms up, gesturing a banner and said in an obnoxious voice, “Villain’s Academy. Do the wrong things the right way.”

Chortling, The Enchantress added in a greasy car salesman voice, “Want to make money quick? Villain’s academy is the right choice for you.”

“I can recruit the broke naïve teenagers; you do the teaching.”

“Sounds like we got our future sorted,” she mumbled sleepily, snuggling up closer.

Our future. The smile that materialised on his lips never left as they drifted off to sleep.