I walked into the apartment building, still trying to brace myself for what i was about to do. I felt unsure, but i couldn’t keep lying, it just wasn’t fair. She deserved to know the truth. She deserved to make her own decisions. She deserved to be able to walk away and move on, without ever thinking of me again.

I walked into the elevator, and it felt like the longest ride of my life. I was still trying to figure out how to break the news. Should i tell her i was a hero, that i saved lives everyday. But she would see through me, straight through me, and know that as many lives as i saved, i also risked.

Fighting superheroes wasn’t easy, but being moral had long since become a second thought to them. They lorded their superiority over others, demanding things, and barely saving anyone at all. Before i had stepped in, there was talk of the superheroes slowly becoming the things they vowed to protect others from. It still wasn’t a very popular way if thinking, but i had my own following from it that loved what i did, admired it. But there were still so many more who disagreed.

I wasn’t sure what my girlfriend thought of things like that, because she never brought it up, and would change the subject when i tried. I knew she had opinions, and i couldn’t for the life of me figure out why she was hiding them. Did she already know? Or was my curiosity so off putting she just suspected something was wrong? I’ll admit, i’ve pried a lot trying to get her to tell me what she thought, and she seemed very averse to the idea. I guess soon i would find out why.

I walked across the hallway and knocked on the door. She opened it and smiled.

“Hey! You didn’t tell me you were coming by.”

“I…” i’ll admit, i faltered here and i’m not proud of it, but right now all i wanted to do was run away. “We have to talk. We need to have a serious talk.”

Her smile faded and she looked concerned. “About what?”

“You’ll see, just… can i come in? So we can talk in private?”

She let me in and shut the door. We sat down on her couch and i worked up my nerves to break the news. I was ready. I was ready. I wasn’t ready, but here we go.

“What is this about?”

“Do you know… i mean, have you seen those news stories about this… person. Running around in a mask, hindering the superheroes, standing up for people they try to arrest.” I took a deep breath. “That’s me.”

She stared for a minute and her expression almost looked… incredulous?

“You… run around… annoying superheroes? For fun?”

She looked kind of disgusted with me, and i had no idea what to say.

“I mean… it’s not like that… I don’t... It’s to defend people.”

“Sure, i mean, i’m sure you think that way i just… i think you should go. And… i don’t think we should date anymore.”

I stared at her. I had been preparing myself for this, but it still hurt.

I silently got up and left. I thought that might be the end of it at first, just two sentences to end a two year relationship. That was fine, i would get past it. Little did i know in less than two hours every cop and hero in the city would be after me. I fled, i’m still fleeing, but i had to fight one of them. I won… and he’s dead. I never thought i really would become a villain. But now there were news reports bashing my name and everyone still associated with me. When i looked back on all that had happened, and how optimistic i had tried being going to meet with her that day, i realized one thing. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was the villain now, and everyone would have to live with that.