"It has to end."
You jump a little at the growling announcement and look down from the fire escape to see two shadowy silhouettes. The moon is half covered by clouds, painting a dim picture of two strange figures. One is short but broad, with one, no- two sets of arms. They are imposing and you mentally run through the costumed heroes and villains currently running through the city.
Four arms really shortens the list and you begin to stand when you see electricity crackle. It hurts your eyes as the purple energy briefly lights the pair up and suddenly, you know exactly who is across the way.
"What do you mean it has to end?"
The voice is unmistakable and you make the split second decision to not move and try to act like you haven't noticed the pair. Megalodon is the smaller one, the shark themed hero with super strength, four arms and a crazy bite. The other figure was just as intimidating, especially with the palmate antlers and bad temper. Taller but thinner than the hero is Fallow, the bio-electric villain and the energy coming off of her is truly frightening.
Inhale. You feel like you're smoking for the first time again with the way your nerves are going. Their voices get soft and the cigarette burns for the first time in years. You are scared you'll cough and that's when the silhouettes become one shape. It's fast and you do cough, but they luckily don't seem to hear you.
Smoke sputters out in front of you and you watch the shape change. It's like watching ink over water, they shrink and grow and come apart before coming back together. You think you can hear words exchanged but they are below you on another rooftop. Usually a hero against a villain feels like a big production, but this? This was simple, a violent back and forth that seemed so intimate you are ashamed to be watching.
"Stop!" The shapes pause, the smaller figure seems to be connected with the other, four arms holding Fallow down to the rooftop.
"Just stop Siobhan! They know! It's done!"
The electricity surges up those arms, lighting them up again, Fallow's velvet is shedding, blood streaks down her face in this horrible light and you hear them both scream.
"Let me take the fall Pritha! You did nothing wrong!"
You see the smaller figure get thrown a little ways away and Fallow stands. You watch Megalodon get up and scramble, the shadow strange with too many limbs and the shapes come together again. Bitten off cries and rolling around. The moon gives away nothing with the cloud cover still prominent.
Finally you think they are distracted enough for you to stand. The fire escape is a loud traitor, the metal squealing as you stand and suddenly the sound below you stops. You look and the two silhouettes are looking at you and you feel your stomach drop.
"Archos?!"
Your former colleagues exclaim angrily as if it's your fault that they were playing out this drama behind of your apartment. You had tried so hard to keep your life private after all. So hard that you faked your death when people had gotten too close.
You put out your cigarette and gesture grimly for the two to come over, they would break in anyway, might as well save yourself a broken fire escape.