DC: Crystalizing

Adrian felt like the universe was having a laugh at his expense. 

In just one night, he had discovered his powers, fought multiple near-death battles, and somehow managed to stand his ground long enough to survive Batgirl's unexpected arrival. But the confidence he'd shown her? Total bluff. His body was screaming, his muscles were heavy like lead, and if she had even nudged him in the wrong way, he probably would've face-planted onto the dock. 

Now, standing at the edge of the pier, the cold wind biting at his skin, Adrian watched as the container ship headed to the U.K. drifted farther into the distance. Without him. 

"God damn it!" he cursed, stomping on the wooden planks. He turned around to storm off and— 

"Jesus!" He jumped back, heart racing as he nearly tripped over his own feet. His hand shot out instinctively, forming bone spikes, but his exhausted body betrayed him, and they cracked before fully extending. 

Lady Vic stood just a few feet away, smirking like she'd been there for hours. Her red-and-gold suit clung perfectly to her toned figure, and the way her hair was draped over her shoulder made her look less like an assassin and more like a woman who had just stepped off a magazine cover. 

"It's you," Adrian breathed out, shaking off the scare. 

"Yes," she said smoothly, her smirk widening. "Disappointed?" 

Adrian exhaled sharply, trying to shake the fatigue from his limbs. "So, what is this? You back for round two?" He shifted into a loose boxing stance, willing the bone spikes to form properly. They struggled, splintering at the edges, but he didn't drop his guard. 

Lady Vic tilted her head, eyeing his shaky form. "Having performance issues?" 

"Oh, shut up," Adrian groaned. "Give me five minutes to breathe, and I'll show you I can perform just fine." 

"Is that so?" Lady Vic's gaze dropped slightly, her smirk turning into something more playful as she took a slow step forward. The deep V of her suit showed off enough cleavage to make Adrian's brain short-circuit for a second. "Think you can perform with me, big boy?" 

Adrian blinked, caught between exhaustion and confusion. Okay, this is weird. Very weird. Why is the assassin who tried to kill me flirting with me? 

But he wasn't about to be outdone. If she was testing him, he'd pass. With flying colors. 

"I mean," Adrian said with a grin, leaning slightly to the side, "you are a distraction I wouldn't mind getting pinned by." 

Lady Vic raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Oh? You like being pinned?" 

"Only by someone who can actually keep me down," Adrian shot back, stepping just close enough for his breath to mingle with hers. "But fair warning—I don't stay down for long." 

"Confident," she teased, running her finger along the edge of his jacket like she was sizing him up. "Too bad confidence doesn't make up for… other shortcomings." 

Adrian smirked. "Funny. I didn't hear any complaints earlier when you were running after me like I owed you child support." 

She laughed softly, circling him slowly, her gaze flicking to his still-weak bone spikes. "Cute. But if you think your limp-dick flirting skills are enough to—" 

"Hey, now," Adrian interrupted, grinning wider. "No need to get personal." 

Lady Vic rolled her eyes, but her grin stayed intact. "I'm not here to fight," she said, finally stepping back. "I'm here to make you a proposal." 

Adrian crossed his arms, but the tension in his shoulders didn't leave. "And if I say I don't care?" 

Without missing a beat, Lady Vic pulled one of her pistols and aimed it directly at his chest. "Then I shoot you." 

Adrian held up his hands with a chuckle. "That's a compelling argument. Please, continue." 

Lady Vic smirked, tossing a small diamond through the air. Adrian caught it with one hand, holding it up between his fingers to inspect it. The thing sparkled like it came straight from a billionaire's wedding ring. 

"That's a two-carat diamond, brilliant cut, nearly flawless," Lady Vic said casually, as though she hadn't just handed him something that could buy a small house. "Absorb it." 

Adrian sighed and pressed the diamond into the open wound on his arm, wincing as he felt the now-familiar warmth spread through his body. His artifact activated, drawing the crystal into his bloodstream like liquid fire. The warmth spread to his fingertips, and he clenched his fist, feeling the energy ripple through him. It was powerful—stronger and cleaner than anything he'd absorbed before. 

He flexed his hand, cracking his knuckles as he eyed Lady Vic suspiciously. "Okay, so clearly you know way too much about how my powers work. Did you spy on me?" 

"Yes," she said without hesitation, her smirk growing. 

Adrian narrowed his eyes. "You didn't think to help me while I was running for my life and getting shot at?" 

"I would've stepped in if you'd been in any real danger," Lady Vic said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "But you kept yourself alive, so why interfere with the show?" 

"Uh-huh. And did I look good while I was fighting for my life?" 

She tilted her head, doing a 'so-so' motion with her hand. "You looked like a pig on its last breath." 

"Ouch. Remind me never to ask you for compliments." 

"If you want lies, date someone else." 

"Noted," he muttered. "Okay, so I can confidently say you didn't just hand me an extremely powerful crystal out of the kindness of your heart. What's the catch?" 

Lady Vic crossed her arms, leaning against a shipping container. "Simple. You scratch my back, I scratch yours." 

"Are you inviting me to have sex?" 

She snorted, shaking her head. "No. But…" She shrugged, her lips curling into a teasing smirk. "That can be part of the package deal if you want. What I'm offering is a bit more practical. You work for me—create valuable crystals I can sell. In return, I give you what you're desperate for." 

"And what exactly am I desperate for?" 

"A safe place where you're not constantly looking over your shoulder, training to get revenge on the people who experimented on you," she said smoothly. "You'd have freedom. Security. And you'd have the resources to actually control your powers instead of stumbling through them like you are now." 

"And I become your personal crystal factory, huh?" 

Lady Vic grinned. "Seems fair to me. I provide the security and the resources. You get the crystals you need—diamonds, emeralds, quartz, you name it—and access to a team of scientists who can help you unlock your full potential. Or you can keep running from one deathmatch to the next, hiding in containers and hoping you don't get caught. Your choice." 

Adrian exhaled sharply, weighing his options. As much as he hated the idea of being used again, she wasn't wrong. He couldn't keep this up forever. Eventually, he'd hit a wall—or a bullet. And if she was offering a chance to grow stronger without the immediate threat of Cadmus breathing down his neck… 

"Fine," he said at last, meeting her gaze. "But let me be crystal clear—if you try anything that screws me over, anything that puts my life in danger, I'll make sure you regret it. I'll become your biggest nightmare." 

"Ooooh, scary. Should I be trembling?" 

"Depends on how much you like sleeping at night," Adrian said, smirking. 

"Anything else, big boy?" 

"Yeah, actually." He tilted his head, his grin returning. "What did you mean by sex being part of the package deal?" 

She leaned in close, her breath brushing against his ear. "Keep up the good work," she whispered, "and maybe you'll find out." 

With a wink and a playful smirk, Lady Vic turned on her heel, strutting off with a confidence that could stop traffic—or cause accidents. Her hips swayed in a way that felt almost choreographed, the tight red-and-gold suit hugging her curves and making sure Adrian couldn't look anywhere else even if he tried. Which, to be fair, he wasn't trying. 

He swallowed hard, blinking as if to reset his brain. "Jesus Christ," he muttered under his breath. 

Lady Vic glanced over her shoulder, catching him staring. "You coming, big boy?" 

Adrian cleared his throat and quickly caught up, stuffing his hands in his pockets as if that would help him look less flustered. "Yeah, yeah, just trying to figure out which chapter of bad decisions my life is on right now." 

"Hopefully the exciting one," she said with a mischievous smile. 

Adrian exhaled, shaking his head as he fell in step behind her, watching as the night swallowed them both. 

And with that, he followed Lady Vic into the unknown, his gut telling him he was either on the verge of something brilliant—or really, really stupid. Probably both.

Author's Note:

If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead or support my work, you can check out my P@treon at [email protected]/LordCampione. But don't worry—all chapters will eventually be public. Just being here and reading means the world to me. Thank you for your time and support.