skullcrush3r_b1tch
Mandy moves through relationships like missions: Phenomaman first stable, safe, eventually too distant. Then Robert easy, human, temporary. Only after both fade does she turn to Courtney.
Courtney, still on probation, still trying to stay visible, watches it all. Every lingering glance Mandy gives someone else carves deeper. She tells herself she's fine being the backup, the rebranded ex-villain, the one who gets the scraps of attention. But the resentment builds quietly skipped briefings, delayed comms, small leaks to old contacts. Nothing big at first. Just enough to feel in control.
When Mandy finally reaches for her, it's too late. The kiss is angry, the touch desperate, but the damage is already done. Courtney knows she's only here because the others are gone. And that knowledge is enough to push her back toward the shadows she thought she'd left behind.
A story of jealousy that festers in silence, redemption that frays at the edges, and a hero who keeps choosing everyone except the one who's always been waiting.