The Apocalypse World resolved around me like it always did, in a quiet pop of pressure and a shift in the air that felt like stepping out of a sealed room into wind.

I was in our usual spot just outside the perimeter of the safehouse, the one Zero had picked because the sightlines were good and the cover was decent.

The sky was that flat slate color it always was after sundown in Velham. Somewhere in the middle distance, a piece of broken architecture creaked.

She wasn’t inside, as the lights were off. So, I followed the soft sound of impact toward the back of the building.

Finally, I saw her.

She was in the small clearing behind the safehouse, in her training pants and a sleeveless undershirt, hair tied up in a quick high knot, drilling a movement I had never seen her drill before.

It was a slow, controlled push from a low stance, both palms out, like she was pressing on something that wasn’t there. I watched her do it three times.

The third time, the air shimmered in front of her hands, and the bricks of the half-collapsed wall ten meters across the clearing puffed dust off their faces in a single soft ftt, and she immediately flinched, lowered her hands, and shook her head in frustration.

She was practicing pulling her punches.

That was what this was. She was working on not destroying things.

’But she is pretty good at controlling her strength, so why this?’

I leaned against the corner of the safehouse and watched her go again. Slow stance. Push. The air shimmered fainter this time, and the bricks at the far end of the clearing didn’t visibly react. She looked pleased with herself for about a second.

I should have stayed quiet and let her finish.

But I couldn’t control myself.

"BABE I’M HOME!"

Her shoulders went up about an inch and her hands jerked. Across the clearing, a ten-meter section of wall exploded in a clean horizontal line, sending bricks and dust into the air in a long, graceful arc that pattered down onto what used to be a courtyard.

The dust cleared slowly as everything settled down.

She turned around very, very slowly.

The look she gave me could have stripped paint. It could have stripped the concept of paint. It made me regret several life choices I had not yet made.

"Lukas." Her voice was low and chilling.

"...Hey, babe." I gulped.

"Lukas."

"In my defense—"

"There is no defense."

I straightened a little and raised both hands, trying to solve this universe-level problem. "Counterpoint. Surprise morale event?"

She began walking toward me, calm as always, which was worse than if she had just sprinted.

"The wall," she said.

"Was structurally compromised already."

"The wall," she repeated, "was my marker."

I glanced behind her at the exploded bricks. "Ah."

She took a deep breath and said, "It took me forty minutes to reduce the output to that line."

"That’s... honestly very impressive?"

"It was."

She stopped an arm’s length away. This close, I could see the details now. She had a fine dusting of gray powder across one shoulder and a faint sheen of sweat at her throat. Her breathing was controlled, but I knew her well enough now to catch the irritation in the stillness.

I also knew myself well enough to realize this was not helping my survival odds.

"I brought enthusiasm," I offered.

She snorted. "You brought sabotage."

"Harsh, but fair."

For one long second, she just stared at me. Then the corner of her mouth twitched. Barely there, but I noticed it immediately.

I pointed quickly. "I saw that. That’s forgiveness."

She quickly looked away. "That was contempt."

"Mm. Flirtatious contempt." I smiled, knowing I have her now.

In response, she just grabbed the front of my shirt, yanked me forward, and kissed me hard enough to bounce my shoulder off the wall behind me.

There were many possible reactions to this. I chose commitment.

When she let go, I took a breath like I’d surfaced from underwater. "...Definitely worth it."

"You are impossible." She giggled, losing her act of anger.

I flashed a cheeky smile at her. "And yet lovable."

"Debatable."

She turned away before I could answer and started walking back toward the clearing. "Come here."

That was either an invitation or a death sentence. I followed anyway.

The ruined wall had become a much more ruined wall. Chunks of brick were scattered across the dirt in a neat fan pattern. Zero stepped back into position and rolled her shoulders once.

"I’ve been trying to refine strength control," she said. "Power without waste. Precision without collateral damage."

"You mean you’re trying to become even scarier." I raised an eyebrow. She was already this powerful, and once she learned to control her strength...

She turned towards me and flashed a wide grin. "Can you guess why I’m doing this?"

For a moment, I was confused, then it hit me. My eyes widened slightly and my lips curled up in sync. "My, my, someone is very excited. Can’t wait to taste me?"

Her smile turned languid as she sauntered her way toward me. "That goes without question, honey. You don’t even realise how hungry and impatient I am to taste you!"

"I do realise it," I chuckled and wrapped my arms around her waist. "It’s torture to have a beautiful girlfriend like you and I can’t even do anything. Imagine me making a delicious dish and you can only eat; that’s my feeling right now."

Zero smiled at me and raised her hand as I also leaned forward for a kiss. But before that could happen, she pulled my cheeks, making me jump up in pain. "Ouch! What are you doing?"

"Cheeky boy!" Zero pulled both of my cheeks, though with less force this time. "Did you forget I have a great sense of smell? Even if you have washed yourself properly, I can smell the scent of another woman on you."

My eyes widened in disbelief. I did plan to tell her everything, but I still didn’t expect her to guess it already. For a moment, I just stood there frozen, not knowing what to do.

"Don’t worry," Zero giggled softly. "I already told you, you can have wives there too. I don’t mind. But you have to tell me everything about her. Not everyone deserves my sugar boy."