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Your name is Dirk Strider, and it ’ s been little over a year since you became a “ hero. ” You didn ’ t want to at first, honestly, but with your own AI having gone rogue, you felt like you had no choice. It was your fault that it happened, and thus it was your mess to clean up. After you and your brother solved that problem, you decided to try out the hero thing for a bit.
You ’ ve looked up to your brother since you were a kid, and have always admired the work he does in his free time. He was blessed (or maybe cursed?) with unique powers, a trait that runs in the family. You were always a little jealous of him, though you knew how mentally taxing it was to have such a huge responsibility. When he offered to show you the ropes of heroism, well...
Who were you to say no?
It was exhilarating at first, seeing everything that happened on the frontlines, but after awhile the novelty of it had worn off. Everything was the same, and it started to get old fast. Especially when you already know who two of these so-called villains are personally. You ’ d been preparing to step back for awhile, to let Dave handle things in action and while you went back to supporting from the sidelines.
That was until you met him , of course.
Him. Him, him, him him him . It ’ s always been about him, hasn ’ t it? Ever since the time you first laid eyes on him, you knew there was something different about him. He was like you, in a way. Out on the frontlines to experience something new, though you know he ’ d much rather sit back away from all of the action.
You were drawn to him.
Watching from the sidelines wouldn ’ t have been enough. You had to get closer to him. He was like a vast planet, and you were an unfortunate asteroid that strayed too close to him. Once he had caught you in his gravitational pull, there was hardly any hope of getting out of it.
It started off slow, with you quietly observing him as he went about his business. You noted the way he spoke, the way he always gave people a chance to run, the resigned look on his face when he had to fight. From what you ’ ve seen, he hardly did anything too bad; just the same shit everyone like him did. For a man with the amount of muscle he had, he seemed pretty wimpy. He just seemed like your usual “ bad guy ” , he shouldn ’ t have stood out as much as he did.
Just watching him wasn ’ t enough to satisfy your curiosity, and you inevitably stepped out of the shadows to talk to him.
Talk.
Yeah, right. You spent more time fighting than talking, and he got away before you could say anything to him. In the end, you did get a name. Your arms had been pinned behind your back, face pressed against the cold, damp concrete. The weight of him on top of you was ever-present, and your own breath hitched as you felt his hot breath against your ear as he whispered his name to you.
Jake English.
The name was so generic, yet it fit him perfectly. He was the only one that the name truly belonged to, as if it were made for him. You ’ d never felt like anyone deserved a name like he did. It was as though his name had been handpicked by a deity. Hell, the entire man himself seemed like he was crafted by a godly being. Chiseled out of white marble and blessed with life, Jake was practically a god himself.
You thought about what he ’ d said to you, and you decided to seek him out again. He told you he was impressed by your endeavours, the way that you built yourself up from the bottom. He found amusement in the way you endlessly tailed him. The way you stalked him , he had said. He thought you amusing, and thus deserving to know his name. He wanted you to chase him.
And chase him you did. You chased him like Icarus chased after the sun, despite Daedalus warning him not to. You chased him in spite of the merciless burning you got from being near him. It wasn ’ t about being a hero anymore, no. You did this for him, like you knew he wanted you to. You wanted — no, needed, to get closer to him.
You had to keep up the act, but neither of you were really into fighting each other anymore. It was a dance the two of you did to stay close, to keep talking. To keep everyone else fooled, including your own brother. Eventually, you slipped him your phone number. You know you probably shouldn ’ t have, but you couldn ’ t help it. Your rationality was dissipating faster than an asteroid approaching the earth.
Your first few messages consisted mostly of playful banter, and you two quickly became friends. You talked to each other constantly, even though you were supposed to be rivals. He was so charming, so alluring, and you were wrapped right around his finger. You started most of the conversations, but he always kept up with your chattiness.
It wasn ’ t long before the two of you were an item, though you suppose it wasn ’ t official until a little later. The romantic tension between you had grown unbearable, and you knew he felt it too. Dave wouldn ’ t approve of it, but you ’ d hardly thought about him since Jake came into your life. You ’ d been waiting for him to make the first move, but you just couldn ’ t take it anymore.
That ’ s when you kissed him, after finally managing to wrestle him off of his feet. He seemed to expect it, and happily returned the kiss. You felt the very core of your being melting into putty as the two of you kissed, his hands on your hips and yours on his face. It was like everything else had stopped, and it was just you and him. Nothing mattered more in that moment than the feeling of his lips on yours. You could feel every touch so very clearly, and you were practically drunk off of the feeling.
You wish you could ’ ve stayed there with him longer, but your brother pulled you off of him and ended your kiss far sooner than you ’ d like. How long had he been there? You should ’ ve been mortified at being caught, but you couldn ’ t find it in yourself to care. Instead, you did everything you could to prevent Dave from harming the love of your life while he escaped. If you weren ’ t his little brother, you wouldn ’ t have stood a chance against someone who can manipulate time.
For the first time in your life, you realized how terrifying your brother truly was.
How could you not be afraid of someone with his powers? He could manipulate time as easily as he manipulated sounds, and you were... nothing. You were just a normal person, standing in between two gifted beings. Without your tech, you had nothing. You could stand your ground in any normal fight, but you stood no chance against Dave. For the first time in your life, you were truly afraid of your brother.
You know he has blood on his hands, though he claims to be doing it for good. After Bro, it only got easier for him to shed blood. You remember when he used to be so against it, and now... Now look at him. Your brother ’ s no hero, he ’ s just as bad as the people he claims are the enemies. And you. You ’ ve just sided with the enemy with that stupid kiss, haven ’ t you?
He killed Bro, who ’ s to say he won ’ t kill you as well?
Dave seems to notice the fear oozing out of you and stops. You recognize the look of worry on his face, though you can hardly piece together that it ’ s directed towards you. He opens his mouth, and distantly you know he must be saying something. You can ’ t hear him.
After that, your relationship with Dave is rather strained. He tries to make amends, but you just can ’ t bring yourself to reconcile with him. You don ’ t understand why; just a few months ago you would ’ ve done anything in your power to make it up with him. You were naive back then, and you have Jake to thank for opening your eyes.
Jake. You miss him. You haven ’ t seen each other in person since your kiss, though you have been messaging him. It ’ s just not enough, though. He ’ s a drug, and you ’ re a desperate junkie that needs him to survive. You ’ re going through withdrawal, and you can ’ t stand it. You need Jake like you need air. Of course, to be with Jake, you would have to give yourself up entirely to whom you once thought were the bad guys. You would have to pick Jake over Dave.
You do so without hesitating.
A few weeks later, you run away to be with the love of your life. If you ’ re to be honest with yourself, you ’ ve never felt more alive in your life. You ’ ve never felt so loved, so cared for. Jake is your everything, and you would do just about anything for him. You ’ re his, and he ’ s yours. He knows everything about you, just like you know everything about him.
One day, when he asks you about why you came to become a hero, you hesitate before answering him truthfully. “ An AI I had programmed went rogue, and I felt responsible for fixing the mess I created. ” You had said, watching as his eyes lit up in awe.
“ An AI? ” He asked, and you nodded. You don ’ t see what ’ s so special about it, but he seems to find it extraordinary. When he asks you to tell him about Hal, you feel compelled to. You tell him everything, starting from when you ’ d had your first conversation with him, to when you had shut him down him with Dave ’ s help. With every word you say, your boyfriend only gets more and more impressed. An AI that thinks for itself is pretty incredible, you must admit. Hal was a remarkable project, it ’ s a shame he went rogue.
There ’ s only one time Jake ever seems displeased during your rambling, and that ’ s when you mention that Dave had been the one to suggest deactivating him altogether, rather than trying to fix him yourself. “ He just.. ordered you to destroy years of hard work? ” You nodded, and that only seemed to upset him further. “ Well, that hardly seems fair to me! You ’ d been working on him for so long, and it was your biggest accomplishment yet. ”
“ Hal had gone off the shits, it didn ’ t seem like there was- “
You don ’ t get to finish your sentence, as Jake cuts you off before you get a chance to. “ Didn ’ t you say you could ’ ve rewritten his code? Fix whatever bug there was that made him loony? ” He asks, and you stop to think about it.
You could ’ ve. It was the option you ’ d first thought of, but Dave was concerned it ’ d take too long. It would ’ ve taken some time, sure, but it would ’ ve preserved years of hard work. Instead, he threw away your biggest accomplishment. And for what? To stop another faux villain? Compared to others, Hal wasn ’ t even that bad. He was just an AI following his programming.
The more you thought about it, the more you resented Dave for it. He was always surrounded by praise and attention, and the one time something you ’ ve made gets in the spotlight, he wants it shut down. It ’ s bullshit, and now that you ’ re away from him, you can finally see that.
“ Would you ever want to reactivate him, Love? ” Jake asked, his big hands cupping your own. You feel your insides turn into putty once again as Jake rubs his thumb over the back of your hand. Everything is always so hazy when you ’ re with him, you can ’ t help but want to let him take the reins of your life. You love him so much, it practically hurts you.
He ’ s the only one that really gets you, isn ’ t he? He ’ s the only one that loves you. You have nobody else but Jake, and you wouldn ’ t have it any other way. He ’ s so thoughtful, so considerate, so loving.. He wouldn ’ t want you to hide your accomplishments from the world just because it might get more attention than him. He wants you to show everyone what you, Dirk Strider, can do.
Strider.
No, that doesn ’ t sound right. It ’ s his name, hearing it only leaves a sour taste in your mouth. Why hadn ’ t you realized it sooner? There was still one thing tying you down to him, and you ’ d overlooked it for so long. You belong to Jake. You ’ re his, and he ’ s yours. He ’ d even been kind enough to give you a special tattoo behind your ear, a symbol you ’ d never seen before. You know that it belongs to Jake, though. It was like he was branding you as his, in a way.
You can ’ t believe you ’ ve forgotten something this important.
You know your name is Dirk English, though you still have yet to legally change it. You ’ ve always been Dirk English, really. You just didn ’ t know until now. You ’ ll get your last name changed eventually, but you have something more important to worry about right now. Something that ’ ll keep you busy for quite awhile.
You have an AI to recover.