I can copy any ability I want.
Yeah… I was definitely going to have fun with that.
I can turn into a ghost, build mechanical limbs, read and control minds… and on top of all that, I have the Force.
Honestly, the fact that I had a Jedi willing to train me in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber? That was just unfair to everyone else.
The summons was also a huge bonus… well, most of them.
Daenerys Targaryen
Yeah… she was the one I was worried about.
She went… off the rails near the end. Whether it was the power, the pressure, or everything she went through, I couldn't fully blame her. Watching her best friend die right in front of her? That alone would mess anyone up.
Still didn't change the fact that she used to be a queen.
And queens don't take orders.
That was the problem.
I could already see it, her trying something. Testing boundaries. Maybe even trying to influence people.
Not that it would work.
Still… annoying.
I was pulled out of my thoughts when a notification popped up on my HUD.
Lena:How are you doing, sweetie? I'm looking forward to dinner tonight.
I felt my face heat up a little.
She was really getting into this.
A month ago, I did something really, really stupid.
A Month Ago
"Thank you for flying all this way, Mr. Valtheris," Cat Grant said, smiling like she already knew how this interview was going to go.
"Of course, Ms. Grant, happy to be here. And you can call me Ed," I replied, returning the smile.
I was in National City, sitting across from one of the most influential media figures in the country. Olivia thought this would boost my public image.
"Well then," she said smoothly, crossing her legs, "to be fair, you can call me Cat."
Yeah… this was going to be interesting.
"Well then, let's get started," Cat Grant said smoothly. "My first question: How does it feel to potentially be the first mutant mayor in history?"
I sat up a little straighter.
"I'm excited. If I win, I want to prove something: that mutants aren't dangerous monsters. We're just people. And I'm going to work hard to make sure every mutant in New York doesn't have to be afraid to walk outside."
Cat nodded slightly. "That's good to hear. What are some of your plans for New York?"
"Well, first, rent. A lot of people can't afford to live here anymore. Some are working two or three jobs just to survive. That needs to change."
I leaned forward a bit.
"Next, jobs. I've got multiple projects lined up. One of the biggest is construction; there are tons of abandoned areas across the city. We clear them out, rebuild, and turn them into something useful. Factories, infrastructure, things that actually benefit the city and create jobs."
I paused for a second.
"And I also plan on working more closely with superheroes."
Cat raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's… interesting. Most cities would rather arrest vigilantes."
"And I get why," I said with a small shrug. "But let's be honest, vigilantes have done a lot of good in New York. Take Spider-Man and his team. They've taken down drug lords, sex traffickers, organized crime."
I met her gaze.
"Now imagine if they had official support, working with police, sharing intel. A lot of operations would go smoother."
She nodded slowly. "Interesting. Would they be required to share their secret identities with you?"
"No," I said immediately. "They have loved ones to protect."
Cat tilted her head. "But the public knows the identities of police officers. Don't people have a right to know who these vigilantes are if they're working with law enforcement?"
I didn't hesitate.
"Because superheroes aren't the same as police. They fight superpowered threats. If a villain finds out who they are, the first thing they do is go after their family. Their friends. Anyone close to them."
I crossed my arms slightly.
"That's not a risk I'm going to force on anyone."
Cat gave a small nod. "That's a fair point."
There was a brief pause.
Then she smiled.
Dangerously.
"But I'm sure people are also curious about your relationship with Lena Luthor."
…That caught me off guard.
"I don't see what that has to do with me running for mayor," I said carefully. "She's just a really good friend."
"Just friends?" Cat pressed. "Because there are rumors that the two of you are dating."
"We're not dating," I said quickly. "And even if we were, and chose to keep it private, why would that matter?"
"Because," Cat said smoothly, "a lot of people don't trust Luthor. Dating her could affect your campaign."
I exhaled slowly.
"Okay, first of all, we're not dating. We're just really good frie—"
"If you're not dating," she cut in, "could you explain these?"
A small screen turned on beside her.
…Oh no.
The first picture popped up, Lena and I walking down the street, holding hands.
I blinked.
"We're just walking. What, two friends can't hold hands?"
Another picture.
Us at dinner, smiling at each other across the table.
"It's just dinner. We do that sometimes to catch up."
Next.
A café. Me holding out a fork with chocolate cake toward her.
"She wanted to try my dessert," I said quickly. "I was just being polite."
Another image.
Ice skating. Her holding my hands while I tried not to fall.
"I had never gone ice skating before, she was teaching me."
Next.
A movie theater. We were sitting… very close.
"It was a scary movie," I said. "I was scared."
Cat just stared at me.
"…What?"
Then the final set of pictures came up.
Four of them.
A fancy restaurant this time, we were both dressed up.
First image: us eating dessert.
Second: me noticing a bit of cream on her face.
Third: me leaning in to wipe it off.
Fourth…
…me licking it off my thumb.
I stared at the screen.
"…Okay, even I know what that looks like."
"So… you're admitting the two of you are dating?" Cat Grant asked, leaning forward slightly.
Yeah… there was no way out of this.
I could deny it all day, but after those pictures? No one would believe me.
Only one move left.
And I was pretty sure it might cost me a friendship.
I sighed.
"I guess… we weren't as careful as we thought," I admitted. "That's probably on me. I should've hired better security… or just stayed at my place more."
I ran a hand through my hair.
"But yeah… Lena Luthor and I are dating."
There it is.
No taking that back now.
"We met at one of Tony Stark's parties, I don't even remember what he was celebrating," I continued with a small shrug. "What I do remember is meeting Lena. We'd never really talked before that."
I glanced down for a second, then back up.
"I had invested in her company before, purely because I saw the potential. But actually talking to her? That was different. I realized how brilliant she is… how kind she is."
Cat didn't interrupt this time.
Good. That meant she was listening.
"After that, we ran into each other again at a New Year's party at my company. We talked more… danced a little."
A small smile slipped through before I could stop it.
"And a few months later, I asked her out to dinner. Just as friends," I added quickly. "Nothing serious."
I let out a quiet breath.
"But it was… really nice. So we kept doing it. Again and again."
I shrugged.
"And eventually… it just turned into this."
There was a brief silence.
"We decided to keep it private," I finished. "Just to see how it felt."
God, I was lying my ass off.
This was desperate.
And probably really, really stupid.
Cat studied me for a moment.
"Are you concerned that your relationship with Lena Luthor could jeopardize your campaign?" she asked.
I didn't hesitate this time.
"I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it: Lena is not her brother."
My tone hardened slightly.
"Lena Luthor is in a league of her own. She's not obsessed with Superman; she's not trying to prove anything to anyone. She uses her intelligence to actually help people."
I leaned forward.
"She cares. More than most people I've met. And yeah, some people don't like her. That's never stopped her before."
I met Cat's eyes directly.
"And no, I'm not worried about dating her hurting my chances."
A pause.
"More accurately?"
I exhaled.
"I don't care."
That… clearly wasn't the answer she expected.
Or anyone else in the studio, judging by the silence.
"I want to become mayor," I continued. "I want to make my city better. That hasn't changed."
My voice lowered slightly.
"But I also care about Lena. And I'm not going to betray her just to win votes."
Cat tilted her head. "Don't you think that means you're betraying the people of New York?"
I let out a short breath.
"How can I betray people who haven't even given me a chance yet?" I asked.
I sat up in my chair.
"If I win, I'll prove them wrong. I'll show them exactly who I am and what I stand for."
I paused.
"But if people can't look past who I'm dating… then they've already made their decision about me."
After the Interview
"Ed, what the hell was that?" Ashley snapped.
"I know, I know, I messed up," I groaned, dragging my hands down my face. "I haven't even called Lena yet because I'm terrified of what she's going to say."
I was back in New York, sitting in my office at Omnitech, currently having what could only be described as a controlled panic attack.
The interview was everywhere.
News. Social media. Every screen I owned.
And apparently, the internet had decided that Lena and I were the new power couple.
I dropped my head onto my desk.
"Ed, not only did you lie to literally everyone, you just created a completely unnecessary scandal," Ashley continued. "What were you thinking?"
I heard the door open.
"If you're here to yell at me, too, Olivia, I'm already dealing with one angry woman. I'd rather not deal with another." I muttered without looking up.
"How about three?"
I froze.
That voice.
I shot up.
Lena stood in the doorway… with Olivia right behind her.
…Yeah. I was dead.
I exhaled slowly.
"Okay. I can make a hundred excuses, but that's just the coward's way out," I said.
"Good," Olivia snapped. "At least you recognize that, now what were you thinking!"
I straightened in my chair.
"Here's the thing," I said. "I wasn't thinking."
They all just stared at me.
"They had all those pictures," I continued, gesturing vaguely. "And let's be honest, they made it look like we were actually dating. So I panicked… and said the first stupid thing that came to mind."
I looked directly at Lena.
"I'm really sorry. I'm not trying to use you or drag you into anything. I just… messed up."
There was a pause.
Then Lena gave me a soft look.
"It's fine."
"…It is?" Ashley and I said at the same time.
"Ed," Lena said gently, "I've known you for months. I know what kind of person you are. You're not someone who would use people like that."
I let out a breath I didn't even realize I was holding.
"Okay… wow. Thank you. Seriously."
Then I glanced at Olivia.
"So… how do we break up?"
"What?" Lena blinked.
"I mean, we're not actually dating," I said. "So the obvious move is to 'break up' in a way that doesn't make either of us look bad."
Lena looked away slightly.
"Oh…"
"Too late for that," Olivia cut in, already walking over to my desk.
She grabbed the remote and turned on the screens.
One showed the news.
Another, social media.
The third is my campaign metrics.
"All of this?" she said, gesturing. "This exploded the second you 'announced' your relationship. There's fan art, fanfiction, every news station is covering it."
She pointed at the last screen.
"And your numbers? They're going up."
I blinked.
"…Wait, what?"
"You've just been rebranded," Olivia said. "You're not just a candidate anymore, you're the man in love who's willing to stand by his partner no matter what."
She folded her arms.
"We can't walk that back."
My stomach dropped.
"So what are you saying?"
"We lean into it," she said bluntly. "It's the only way to fix this mess and keep your campaign alive."
"…No," I said immediately. "I'm not asking Lena to do that."
"I will."
I turned to Lena.
"What?"
She met my eyes, calm and certain.
"Ed, I believe you'd make a great mayor. You want to help people, and that matters."
She took a small step forward.
"If pretending to be your girlfriend helps you do that… then I'm okay with it."
"I can't ask you to do that," I said.
"You're not asking," she replied softly. "I'm choosing."
I hesitated.
"But—"
"Enough," Olivia cut in. "It's decided."
She pointed between us.
"You two are now the perfect couple. Public appearances, dates, photos, we control the narrative. Hold hands. Smile. Look at each other like you actually like each other. Maybe a kiss or two if needed."
I choked.
"What—"
"After you win the election," she continued, as if I didn't speak, "you break up in a few months. Amicable. 'Things didn't work out, but we're still friends.' Clean. Simple. Effective, got it."
Silence.
"…Got it," I said slowly.
"…Yeah," Lena added.
Olivia turned to me, eyes sharp.
"And Ed?"
I straightened instinctively.
"If you ever pull something like this again, I'm out. I am not a miracle worker. You don't get to hand me disasters and expect magic."
I nodded.
"Understood. And… thank you. For sticking with me."
Present Day
Ever since then, Lena and I have been pretending to date, and somehow, it's been… working. Better than working, actually.
She dove into the role like she was born for it. Weekend dates, Thursday dinners, always somewhere public where cameras can catch us at just the right angle. Smiles, laughter, the whole picture-perfect couple act.
And yeah… we've kissed a few times. For the cameras, obviously. Just to sell it.
…But I won't lie, I enjoyed it.
I rubbed the back of my neck, exhaling slightly.
I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.
Which… might be a problem.
My HUD pinged, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I glanced down at the message and smiled.
Lena:I hope you're not working too hard. Dinner tonight—don't be late.
I quickly typed back.
Me:Wouldn't miss it for the world.
There was a pause.
Then I added
Me:Looking forward to seeing you.
Yeah… I probably shouldn't have added that last part.
Too late now.
After I texted her, I teleported back to sanctuary.
Still thinking about her.
Yeah.
This fake relationship?
It was starting to feel a little too real.