Jason's POV
I hear a soft thud behind me and turn around. Katelyn had climbed into the mech. She crosses her arms and looks around.
"So this is how you're going to destroy the city, huh?" Katelyn asked, her voice tinged with sarcasm.
I snort. "Yeah."
I swear if she calls this a disappointment—
"Not really what I expected," said Katelyn.
My ears perked. "Well... What did you expect?"
Katelyn shrugged. "Something more menacing I guess."
I scoff, turning back to the control panel. "Oh, don't worry, Katie. This thing may not look terrifying to you, but once it starts moving? The whole city's gonna be shaking in their boots."
Katelyn leans against the side of the mech's interior, arms still crossed. "Uh-huh. And what happens when the humans fight back? 'Cause let's be real, Jason—you may be strong, but you're not invincible."
I narrow my eyes, flipping switches as the mech hums to life. "That's the thing, Katie. I don't plan to lose."
She lets out a heavy sigh. "Right. Because that worked out so well the last time you tried."
My hands tighten around the controls. "This time is different."
Katelyn tilts her head, studying me. "Is it?"
I glare at her, my red eyes flashing. "Yes."
She doesn't flinch. Doesn't back down. Just keeps staring at me with those stubborn green eyes. And for some reason, that gets under my skin more than if she had argued back.
Finally, she exhales and looks away. "Whatever you say, Jason."
I turn my attention back to the mech. The systems are all online. The power core is stable. Everything is ready.
I smirk. "You might wanna hold on, Katie."
With a loud thud, the mech lurches forward. Trees shake as I test the movement, metal limbs shifting smoothly. This is it.
The city won't know what hit them.
Katelyn's POV
I glared at Jason. "Don't you have another seat that I can sit in instead of trying to hold on to the walls?"
"Of course not! I wasn't expecting a someone to be with me when I built this perfect weapon," said Jason. "But if you want, you can hold onto me."
"Yeah, yeah. Watch it become the perfect disappointment," I muttered. "And I'm NOT going to hold on to you!"
Jason shrugged. "Suit yourself."
Jason's POV
I grip the controls, testing the mech's movement as it stomps through the forest. Every step shakes the ground, and the hum of power beneath me fills me with a thrill I haven't felt in years.
Katelyn, on the other hand, stumbles again when I take a sharp turn. She yelps, barely catching herself on the wall.
I smirk. "You sure you don't wanna hold onto me?"
She growls, her arctic blue hair a mess. "No!"
I chuckle but focus back on the mission. The city is just beyond the ridge. Finally.
Katelyn shifts behind me, still trying to get her balance and throws her arms around me.
Villains don't belong in romance novels.
Villains don't belong in romance novels.
"VILLAINS DO NOT BELONG IN ROMANCE NOVELS!" I barked.
Katelyn gives me a weird glare. "Actually—"
"No!" I barked.
Katelyn rests her head on my shoulder. My brain completely shuts down. WHHHYYY? OF ALL TIMES WHY?
Katelyn's POV
"You're being a puppy again," I teased.
"I'm not being a puppy! I'm...I'm thinking!" Jason argues.
I raise an eyebrow. "Thinking? About what? How to destroy the city in the most dramatic way possible?"
Jason scoffs. "No! I mean—yes! But also—" He groans, his ears twitching wildly.
Jason mutters something inaudible that I couldn't catch even with wolf ears.
Jason's POV
I cleared my throat. Focus. The city lights glow just beyond the trees, and my heart pounds with excitement. This is it.
But then—
A small, barely noticeable weight remains on my shoulder.
Katelyn.
Still leaning against me.
Her arms are still wrapped around me, her warmth pressing against my back like she belongs there.
I growl under my breath. "Katelyn."
"Hmm?" she hums, not even lifting her head.
I tighten my grip on the controls. "You're still holding onto me."
She shrugs. "Well, you did ask me if I wanted to hold onto you instead of stumbling around."
My ears twitch.
Katelyn smirks. "Aww, is the big bad villain getting distracted?"
I bark out a laugh. "As if! You think you can break my focus that easily? Ha! Nice try, fluffball."
She chuckles, her breath warm against my shoulder. "Fluffball? That's rich coming from you, Mr. Overgrown Puppy."
I snarl playfully but keep my eyes on the city. I will have my revenge.
The mech's heavy steps vibrate through the ground as it makes its way toward the heart of the city. I can already smell the fear in the air, hear the distant cries of people fleeing in all directions. The thought of it sends a surge of dark satisfaction through me.
Buildings crumble under the weight of each step, windows shattering like glass bones. Cars flip and crush underfoot, their alarms screaming in protest. The city is nothing more than a toy to me now, something to tear down and leave in my wake. I let out a low, rumbling laugh, my red eyes glowing as the destruction continues.
"This is it, Katelyn," I growl, my voice laced with dark amusement. "Watch the world burn."
But as I glance to the side, I catch her expression out of the corner of my eye. She's not smiling. She's not laughing.
Katelyn's gaze is steady, almost... disappointed?
"Jason..." she starts, her voice surprisingly calm. "Is this really what you want?"
I freeze for a moment, the mech's steps slowing. The weight of her question hits me like a punch to the gut.
I grit my teeth. "I want revenge, Katelyn. I want them to pay for what they did."
She looks at me for a long moment, her eyes searching mine, like she's trying to figure me out. "And after that? When it's all gone—what then?"
I don't answer right away, my fingers tightening on the controls. The laughter fades, replaced by the sound of the mech's powerful footsteps.
"...I don't know," I admit, the words coming out harsher than I expected. "Maybe I'll just... make the world burn."
Katelyn sighs, a sad smile tugging at her lips. "You could do so much more than that, Jason."
I ignore her, focusing back on the destruction around us. She doesn't get it. No one does.