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Lux couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw it. Jinx, standing against that creature - another one of Oscorp's horrific experiments gone wrong. It was all over the news. Lux paced her room, her phone gripped tightly in her hand. Every few seconds, she glanced at the screen, expecting - hoping - for a message from Jinx. Lux sat on the edge of her bed and scrolled through old texts from Jinx - snippets of their laughter, inside jokes, random things Jinx had said that made her smile before setting her phone down.
No one knew where these creatures came from but Lux knew better. Oscorp had covered it up well, like they always did, but Lux wasn't naive anymore. She knew what they are capable of but the public would't suspect Oscorp and only saw their promises of world-changing technology.
Her phone rested on the nightstand, the screen dark, though her fingers itched to check it again. She had already sent Jinx half a dozen texts, left multiple voicemails, but there had been no response. Nothing.
"Damn it, Jinx." she muttered to herself, her fingers tightening around the blanket as if it might somehow ease her frustration.
She hated Oscorp. Hated everything they stood for. When she was a kid, she admired the company, even bragged to her classmates about her dad and aunt working there. She used to believe in their vision - advanced technology to create a brighter future. But the older she got, the more cracks she saw in their spotless facade. She learned about their 'projects' - the failed experiments, the bioengineering horrors they tried to pass off as accidents.
Cross-species experiments...
Lux still remembered the first time she overheard a hushed conversation between her father and aunt, their voices tense as they discussed a failed Oscorp experiment that had been quietly swept under the rug. She didn't understand all the details, but the words 'liability' and 'public relations' stuck with her.
That night, she lay awake in her room, staring at the ceiling. The weight of her family's privilege pressed down on her chest like a stone. It wasn't fair. People got hurt because of what Oscorp did, and her family acted like it was just another day at the office.
The guilt gnawed at her, growing sharper as she got older and learned more about Oscorp's experiments. She hated knowing that her father's and aunt's work - the work she had once thought was so noble - was responsible for so much suffering.
Even now, the thought of it made her stomach churn. Jinx could have died because of one of their experiments, and how many others weren't as lucky?
Fucking Oscorp, she still couldn't believe her dad and aunt work for them...
And Jinx.
Jinx had been caught in their web of destruction too, though not directly. That spider bite had changed her life forever, but Lux could see how Jinx used it as a way to take control. To redeem herself, to cope with everything she had lost and everything she blamed herself for. Lux admired that about her. Even when Jinx had every reason to crumble under the weight of her past, she fought back - quite literally - to make the world a better place. But it still hurt knowing Jinx could have become one of many failed experiments.
Lux's thoughts drifted back to first grade. That was when she met Jinx - a bright-eyed, chaotic blue-haired girl who always seemed to be at the center of every bit of mischief. Jinx was everything Lux had been taught not to be: messy, loud, unpredictable, and unapologetically herself. But even as a kid, Lux had been drawn to her.
Jinx and her sister, Vi, had been adopted by a family friend after their parents died in a car crash. Lux remembered the first time she met Vander, the man who had taken them in. He was built like a brick wall but radiated warmth and kindness. Silco, Vander's best friend, was another story. He was sharp, intense, and intimidating - especially to a seven-year-old Lux. She clung to Jinx and Vi's hands, hiding behind them when she first met Silco.
But they welcomed her into their little world without hesitation. For years, they were the family she wished she had. Unlike her own home, where everything was about appearances and expectations, Jinx, Vi, and their adoptive parents - Vander and Silco - offered her something real, something messy but full of warmth. So, when everything fell apart in tenth grade, it hit Lux hard too.
Her favorite childhood memories weren't the ones spent in her own 'flawless, picture-perfect home'. They were the stolen afternoons and weekends at Jinx and Vi's place - messy, loud, and filled with the kind of warmth her family never quite managed to replicate.
Vander's laugh would boom through the kitchen as he flipped pancakes for the girls, wearing an apron that looked comically small on his broad chest.
"Extra syrup for Jinx." he would announce, setting a plate in front of her. "The kid needs the energy for all the trouble she's gonna cause today."
Silco, always the quieter one, would be seated at the kitchen table, quietly reading the newspaper or sipping his coffee. He was intimidating at first - his sharp features and mismatched eyes scared her at first but it didn't take long for her to see the softer side.
"Don't slouch, Luxanna." he once said, catching her leaning awkwardly over the table. His voice was firm but not unkind. "You carry yourself with pride, or others will think you're weak. You're not weak, are you?"
"N-no..." she stuttered, straightening her back.
"Good." He nodded approvingly, handing her a cookie from the jar on the counter. "Remember that."
Vi was like the older sister Lux never had - bold and brash, but fiercely protective. She let Lux tag along whenever they went to the skate park, teaching her how to balance on a board. Lux was terrible at it, of course, falling more times than she could count. But Vi never laughed.
"Keep trying, Lux." she would say, pulling Lux up every time. "You'll get it eventually. And even if you don't, at least you can say you tried."
And then there was Jinx - always the wildcard, full of boundless energy and wild ideas. Lux remembered the time Jinx convinced her to climb the massive oak tree in the park near Vander's bar.
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"It's easy." Jinx said, already halfway up the trunk, her blue braid swaying as she looked down at Lux. "Just grab onto the branches and don't look down!"
Lux hesitated, staring up at the maze of leaves and branches. "I don't think this is a good idea…"
"Don't be such a scaredy-cat!" Jinx called back, perching on a sturdy branch and swinging her legs. "Come on, Blondie. You've got this!"
With a deep breath, Lux grabbed hold of the lowest branch and started to climb. Her movements were slow and unsure, her hands trembling slightly as the ground grew farther away. Jinx, of course, made it look effortless, hopping from branch to branch like she belonged there.
By the time Lux reached Jinx's spot, her arms ached, and her palms were scratched from the rough bark.
"This is insane." she muttered, sitting gingerly on the branch.
Jinx grinned, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "See? Told you you could do it."
The view from up there was worth the effort. The whole park stretched out before them, the late afternoon sun casting golden light over the playground and gravel paths. It was peaceful in a way Lux hadn't expected, and for a moment, she forgot about the aching in her arms.
"Okay, this is kinda nice." Lux admitted, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"Kinda?" Jinx nudged her playfully, causing the branch to sway slightly. "This is awesome! We're like… queens of the tree or something!"
Lux laughed, her fear melting away. They stayed up there for what felt like hours, talking about everything and nothing, their voices mingling with the rustling leaves.
But when it came time to climb down, Lux froze. "Uh, Jinx? I think I'm stuck."
Jinx tilted her head, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Stuck? Nah, you're fine. Just let go and land on your feet like a cat!"
"Are you crazy?!" Lux clung to the branch for dear life.
"Relax, Blondie." Jinx swung herself down effortlessly, landing with a soft thud on the ground below. She looked up, hands on her hips. "I'll catch you if you fall. Promise!"
Lux hesitated but, with no other options, started making her way down. Her foot slipped on one of the lower branches, and she let out a startled yelp. True to her word, Jinx darted forward and caught her, though the impact sent them both tumbling into the grass in a tangle of limbs.
"I knew you would be fine!" Jinx said, laughing as she sat up, twigs and leaves sticking out of her hair.
"You're insane." Lux muttered, brushing dirt off her clothes.
But she couldn't help laughing too, the sound echoing through the park.
Those moments were simple, happy, and untainted by the tragedies that would come later. Vander and Silco were the closest thing to real parents Lux had ever known. And when they were gone - taken by a senseless act of violence - it felt like a part of her childhood was ripped away.
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Jinx hadn't shown up to school for a week. Her texts went unanswered, and Lux had been frantic with worry. When she went to their home, it was empty. That same evening, Jinx sent her a message, asking her to meet up. She finally tracked Jinx down at their usual hangout - the abandoned skate park - she found her sitting in the shadows, looking utterly broken.
She quietly sits down beside her, knowing she shouldn't push Jinx. That night, Jinx told her everything. How Vander and Silco had been killed trying to stop a robbery, how she and Vi had been forced to leave their home, struggling to make ends meet. With Vi's job as a mechanic, it was hard to find an affordable apartment. Lux had rarely seen Jinx cry before, but that night they both did, holding each other tightly until the sun came up. Lux remembers the guilt she felt when she looked at Jinx's sleeping face against her chest, her tears had dried already, but the pain remained.
I should have helped her sooner...
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After that, Jinx wasn't the same. She withdrew, her spark dimmed, and it had taken Lux nearly two years to coax her out of her shell again. But no matter how long it took, Lux knew she would always wait. Jinx was worth it.
Even Lux's family, who had initially disapproved of Jinx's chaotic nature, had eventually accepted her to a certain extent - especially her Aunt Tianna. Her aunt had a way of seeing past the surface, understanding people in ways others didn't. Lux cherished that about her, but it also made her someone to be cautious around.
Her parents, on the other hand, were a different story. Her mother had insisted on raising Lux to be the perfect, proper daughter. Ice skating and ballroom dancing were non-negotiable parts of her upbringing. Lux didn't hate them, but they weren't her passions. She envied her older brother, Garen, who had been allowed to take up fencing and later kendo. She begged her father to convince her mother to let her try fencing too, and eventually, he relented.
Lux could still remember the day her aunt Tianna gave her first own épée. It had been her thirteenth birthday, shortly after her father had finally convinced her mother to let her start fencing lessons.
Her parents gift had been... expected. A beautiful white dress and a pair of pearl earrings.
"Something a young lady should always have." her mother had said, with a tight smile that didn't reach her eyes.
Lux had thanked them politely, even as disappointment swirled in her chest. But Tianna had stolen her away after dinner, saying she had something better.
"Close your eyes." Tianna had whispered with a mischievous grin.
Lux did as she was told, and when she opened them, her aunt was holding an épée - a real one. It's polished steel blade gleamed under the warm light of the hallway, and the hilt was wrapped in navy-blue leather. It wasn't new, but it was beautiful, and Lux could tell it was well cared for.
"This belonged to me when I was your age." Tianna said softly, holding it out. "I think it's time it belonged to you."
Lux's jaw dropped. "You... you fenced?"
Tianna chuckled, a nostalgic glint in her eye. "Oh, I did. And I wasn't half-bad, either." She placed the sword in Lux's trembling hands, guiding her fingers to wrap around the hilt. "Many didn't approve, of course. They thought it was 'too aggressive' for a woman." Tianna's voice took on a mocking tone, making Lux giggle.
"But you kept it?" Lux asked, her voice tinged with awe.
"Of course." Tianna said firmly. "Because it mattered to me. Just like fencing matters to you. Don't let anyone make you feel ashamed of the things you love, Luxanna. Not your mother, not anyone."
Lux swallowed hard, tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. Tianna always had a way of making her feel seen, like her dreams and interests weren't just silly whims but something worth pursuing. That moment had only deepened the divide between her parents and Tianna in Lux's mind. Her parents were always focused on appearances - on molding her into the perfect image of a high-society daughter. Her mother especially seemed obsessed with 'polishing' Lux, smoothing out her edges until she was unrecognizable. But Tianna? Tianna saw those edges and celebrated them. She encouraged Lux to explore, to push boundaries, to find her own identity rather than conforming to someone else's expectations.
Lux ran her fingers over the hilt of the sword, marveling at the weight of it. It wasn't just a weapon - it was a piece of Tianna's past, a symbol of freedom and defiance. And now, it was hers.
"You're going to do great things, Luxanna." Tianna said softly, pulling her into a hug. "And I'll always be here to remind you of that."
Lux had clutched the épée tightly that night, sneaking it into her room and hiding it under her bed, where it stayed for months, being cared for, before she was able to use it for the first time. To Lux, it was more than just a weapon—it was a reminder that she didn't have to be like her parents. She could be something else. Someone else.
And for the first time, she believed it.
Fencing became Lux's escape, her way of expressing herself. Later, she tried other martial arts in secret, dabbling in everything from taekwondo to judo. In the end, she stuck with kickboxing - a perfect blend of discipline and release. It kept her strong, grounded, and focused. A way to let her emotions loose without provoking another argument with her mother.
Lux could still remember those years when everything seemed to fall apart - not just for Jinx, but for her too. Her mother's sharp words, the constant pressure to excel, to be the perfect daughter, the perfect young lady. It was exhausting.
"Why can't you be more like your brother?" her mother's voice echoed in her mind. "Focused, disciplined, respectful. Instead, you run off with that… that girl every chance you get!"
'That girl' being Jinx, of course. Her mother's tone always turned bitter at the mention of her name, and it took everything Lux had to bite her tongue. Jinx needed her, and Lux refused to abandon her, no matter what her mother thought.
Still, the fights at home left their mark. There were nights Lux would slam the door to her room, collapsing onto her bed in tears, wondering why she couldn't just be enough for her mother.
Garen tried his best to cheer her up in his own way. He would peek into her room after the yelling stopped, a bag of her favorite snacks in hand.
"Hey, squirt. Wanna watch something dumb?"
She would sit beside him on the bed, leaning into his comforting presence as they watched old action movies. He never talked about the fights, never stood up to their mother on her behalf, and for a while, Lux resented him for it.
But as she got older, she understood. Garen carried his own burdens - the weight of family expectations, the pressure to succeed. He did what he could to keep the peace, even if it meant staying silent.
"I'm proud of you, you know." he told her once, during one of their late-night movie marathons. "You've got more guts than anyone I know, even if Mom can't see it."
His words stayed with her, a quiet reassurance on the days when her mother's criticism felt unbearable.
And through it all, Lux had Jinx. Even when Jinx was struggling with her own grief and anger, Lux found comfort in being there for her. Helping Jinx gave her purpose, a distraction from her own pain. And somehow, knowing they both had someone who wouldn't give up on them made it all just a little more bearable.
And Garen had always been her biggest supporter. He had been the first to nudge her toward fencing, sharing stories of knights and honor, of wielding strength to protect others. She would hang onto every word, her young mind painting vivid pictures of him as a modern-day knight.
"You have the heart for it, Lux." he told her once, ruffling her hair with that easy grin of his. "Strong. Brave. You'll make the world better one day - I just know it."
Those words echoed in her mind, fueling her determination. But there was a bittersweet edge to it all. Garen didn't know - couldn't know - about the rest of her life. The kickboxing sessions, the bruises she would patch up after Jinx's late-night escapades. And most of all, the part of her heart that wasn't drawn to boys.
Even after joining the military, he stayed in touch, calling her whenever he could. "You’re going to do something amazing one day, Lux." he told her once again. "I'm so proud of you."
She loved him for that. Even if he didn't know everything about her, his unwavering support meant the world. One day, she will tell him. One day, she will show him the full truth of who she was. And when that day comes, she hopes that he will still see her as his brave little sister.
Lux sank more into the soft cusion of her pillow, her thoughts drifting to her aunt again. Tianna had always been a pillar of warmth and understanding in her life, offering a sense of stability she would often craved. But lately, Lux couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that had been growing in her chest.
With her aunt working for Oscorp, she couldn't help herself. The shady dealings, the bio-experiments, the hidden agendas. They were the kind of company that thought they could control everything, including people.
It made her sick to think that Tianna, someone Lux had always admired, could be so deeply involved with them.
Every time they spoke about her work, there was a polite distance Lux couldn't ignore. Her aunt had never openly discussed what she did at Oscorp, but the quiet, guarded expressions were enough to speak volumes.
Lux tried to tell herself that Tianna wasn't the same. That maybe she wasn't as deep into the muck as the rest of them. She had to believe that. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to face the woman who had been more of a mother to her than her own mother ever was.
But the questions lingered. Could she trust Tianna? Could she ever look at her the same way again if she learned the truth about just how involved she was with Oscorp's darker projects? Lux wasn't sure. The more she thought about it, the more it felt like a trap she couldn't escape.
Despite all this, every time her aunt smiled at her, every time she gave her that knowing, gentle look that had always made Lux feel safe, she couldn't bring herself to turn away. She just couldn't.
Maybe that was the hardest part - Lux loved her aunt too much to see her as anything but the person who had given her everything, even if that meant ignoring the things she didn't want to know.
Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, breaking her train of thought. She grabbed it, heart leaping, only to find it was a notification from one of her apps.
"Ugh." she groaned, tossing it aside.
Tomorrow. She would see Jinx at school tomorrow.
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Lux's fingers drummed on her desk as the bell rang, signaling the end of first period. She didn't bother packing up immediately, letting the chatter of her classmates fill the room as they filtered out of the classroom. The day had been dragging. Every conversation, every comment, felt trivial, meaningless, compared to what Jinx was dealing with. It was hard to focus, hard to care.Her thoughts kept drifting back to the night before, to Jinx and then… nothing.
When the bell rang for the next class, Lux pulled herself out of her daydreaming. The hallways were packed, students pushing past her, lost in their own worlds. Conversations were a blur - talk about parties, tests, and the usual drama. Lux couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration.
Was this really what they were concerned about? How to pass the next test? What to wear to the weekend party? Did any of them understand what really mattered? Did any of them understand what Jinx was up against every single day?
Her stomach twisted in a mix of irritation and concern. She should be focused on her own problems, but every time her phone buzzed, she hoped it was a message from Jinx - some kind of sign that she was okay. Nothing.
When Lux finally spotted Jinx across the hallway, her heart skipped a beat, watching the familiar figure stroll into the hallway with her usual devil-may-care attitude. Jinx's hair was messy, her knuckles wrapped in fresh bandages, and she had a slight limp - nothing Lux wouldn't notice.
"Jinx!" Lux called, striding over to her.
Jinx turned, flashing a grin. "Hey, Blondie."
Lux narrowed her eyes. "Don't 'hey' me. I called, like, a hundred times. And texted."
Jinx winced, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yeah, uh... sorry about that. My phone kinda... broke during the fight."
Lux folded her arms. "Broke? Really?"
"I sent you an email." Jinx said, as if that made everything better. "Didn't you see it?"
Lux couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out. "An email? Seriously, Jinx? Who even checks their email these days?"
Jinx shrugged, the corners of her lips twitching into a sheepish smile. "Hey, it's not my fault my phone can't take a punch."
Lux rolled her eyes but softened when she noticed the faint bruises on Jinx's face. Reaching out, she gently traced a finger over Jinx's bandaged knuckles. "You've got to stop doing this to yourself." she murmured.
Jinx tilted her head, her expression softening as well. "What can I say? Someone's gotta look out for this city."
Lux shook her head, but she couldn't hide the small smile tugging at her lips. "You're impossible."
"Not all of us had a safety net, Blondie. Some of us had to learn to fall without breaking."
Ouch, that was a low blow, but still the truth...
From the outside, Lux's life seemed perfect. A sprawling home, an elite education, a family name that carried weight in all the right circles - she had every advantage a girl could ask for.
But to Lux, it often felt like a cage gilded in gold.
Her family is the embodiment of privilege, not just wealthy but powerful in ways that made people stand up a little straighter when their name was mentioned. Her father's work as a lead scientist in genetics, her aunt's position as Head of Robotics and Engineering at Oscorp, and her mother's relentless social climbing gave them influence that few could match. And they expected Lux to play her part in maintaining their spotless image.
It was suffocating.
The privilege her family carried came with an unspoken set of rules: don't ask questions, don't stray, and above all, don't cause trouble. Lux had been raised to smile politely and follow orders, to say the right things at charity galas, and to always present herself as the perfect daughter.
But the older she got, the more these rules contradicted the person she wanted to be.
It wasn't just the pressure to be perfect - it was the way her privilege was weaponized, used to shield her family from the consequences of their actions. Lux's privilege shielded her from so much, but it couldn't protect her from the truth.
Sometimes, she resented it. She hated how her last name opened doors and silenced criticism, how her mother's connections allowed her to coast through life without facing real consequences. But other times, she felt guilty for resenting it. So many people would give anything to have what she had, and here she was, wishing it away.
Tianna was the only one who ever acknowledged the burden of their privilege.
"It's a double-edged sword." her aunt had once told her. "It can give you power, but it can also blind you if you're not careful. Don't let it define you, Luxanna. Use it for something good."
Lux held onto those words like a lifeline, especially on nights like this, when the weight of her family's privilege felt unbearable. It wasn't always easy, but she was trying. She gave her time to volunteering, tried to be kind to everyone she met, and did her best to stay grounded despite the world her parents had built around her.
And then there was Jinx.
Jinx, who came from nothing and carried scars that privilege could never hide. Jinx, who had lost everything and still managed to smile. Jinx, who made Lux want to do better - to be better. Sometimes, Lux wondered if she would ever truly understand what it was like to struggle the way Jinx had. She wanted to, not out of pity but out of love. Jinx deserved someone who understood her, someone who could carry the weight of her pain without crumbling.
Lux wasn't sure if she was that person. But she wanted to try.