"I'm telling you," Brian said through his earpiece, "this is completely insane. Night Dragon will say no, then 'POOF.' She's gone."

"I'm thinking," Jason replied, "that you have no way to afford these com-sets."

"Never said I bought them."

"You mad scientist."

"No regrets, bro."

Jason felt like the sun was never out in Eximius anymore. Clouds and smog were always covering it during the day. He looked down an alleyway, it was a few homeless, and a couple thugs with hoods up. Frowning, he tries to look at the cracked sidewalk beneath his feet. The pain from us parents was gone, only a hollow feeling was there. A pressure was always in his stomach, lingering there. Finding the Night Dragon helped distract Jason, keeping yourself busy stops deep thoughts. When he was around the female vigilante, something felt different. It like he was meant to be there, somehow.
A loud thump came from the rooftop, not like Night Dragon's swift movements, but like something fell. Jason searched the building for a way to get to the top. There was only a metal pipe about 6 inches wide moving up the side. He grabbed the pole and reached up, climbing it. Jason was shocked with how much strength he actually had, it was like he had done this a million times. Grabbing the rim of the roof, he pulls his legs over the side. The moonless night sky made the city even more dark. A couple stars peeked through cloud openings. Smoke rose across the city river, factories not caring about pollution. Another thumping sound came from behind him. But when Jason spun around, still nothing was there.

"Hey where are you?" Brian questioned, "you're off the radar."

"I'm just on top of a roof," Jason cluelessly said, "why can't you track me?"

"Not sure," Brian talked extremely fast, probably thinking about superheroes or something, "I'll scan the area for any interfering sound wave signals."

"Think it could be slow internet?"

"You think I have slow Wi-Fi?" Brian asked, shocked, "I am disappointed in you, my padawan."

"What's with you and movie references?"

Brian stopped talking, but Jason could still hear him humming "The Imperial March" in the background. Jason shook his head, smiling, what would he do without Brian? Probably sulk and sit atop his apartment building.

"You know," a voice pointed out behind him, "talking like that makes you seem insane."

"Alina?" Jason widened his eyes, almost stumbling in shock, "w-what, h-how? Um, what are you doing here?"

"I've been looking for you forever," she presses a hand to her forehead, closing her blue eyes beneath her glasses, "I stopped by your house to see if you were ok. Apparently your house burned down, why didn't you tell me?!"

"Couldn't," Jason answered, "didn't have your phone number or address. What are you don't up here?"

"This is my apartment building," she pointed down at the roof, "my room is on top floor, I heard you. Well, I thought it was Night Dragon again. She stops on this building every night, but I never get a good look at her, too fast."

"Every night?" Jason stops her, "you think I'll be able to talk to her?"

"Maybe," Alina shrugs, "she kinda just passes through. I sometimes camp out here, trying to catch her, but she just flys by. Those gliders are pretty cool, it's like she's a bird. We should've named her after a bird-"

"You're turning into Brian!" Jason gasps, pointing at her menacingly, "kill it with fire!"

"Hacking," she says spookily, "comic books, mooooovie references!"

"AH!" Jason laughs, his spirits rising a little.

He sat down on the building's edge again, his legs dangling from the knees down. Wind rushed past his hair, blowing it to the side. When his hair blew in the wind, it wasn't like some hair product commercial. Rather it was like a tornado formed it in and decided to flail around. Alina sat next to him, resting her chin on her hands. Her hair was in a neat ponytail, a few loose hairs blowing in the wind. There was no way she could be the Night Dragon, Alina was too...nice. Night Dragon was merciless, unfeeling, and was out for vengeance. Akillah seemed more likely.

"You lucky dog," Brian stops humming Star Wars, "you, all alone with a girl. I don't even get to go out on weekends-"

"Shut up, Brian," Jason hissed through his teeth, turning away from Alina.

"Fine, I'll stop ruining your romantic moment," Brian paused. "But I bet there will be fanfictions."

"Stop."

"Yep."

Jason turned back to Alina, she was holding back laughter. He awkwardly smiled, of course. Somehow, he just ruined every perfect moment.

"When did you say she came through?" Jason tried to avoid eye contact with Alina.

"About," Alina looked down at her watch, "a half an hour from now, why?"

"Thanks!" Jason sprung up, jogging over to the edge of the building.

"Wait, where are you going?" She called.

"I'm going to wait at the end of this block," he replied, eyeing the gap between the buildings, "she'll have to stop gliding there. I'll be able to talk to Night Dragon."

"Ugh, why didn't I ever think of that?"

"You're not crazy," Jason grinned, and leaped to the other building.

He landed, rolling into a somersault, rising to his feet after one roll. Adrenaline rushed through him, making everything around him more clear. How can I do all of this stuff? Guess you just have to believe you can or something cliché like that.

"You are crazy," Alina mused, waving goodbye to him.

Opening up the door to the top floor stairs, she gave him one last look, then descended down. He jumped across another building, wind stinging his eyes. Jason wasn't exactly sure how long the gap was, but not many people could jump it. When Jason was out and about like this, he felt at peace, calm even. The crescent moon was now in the middle of the sky, reflecting off the metal and glass city. It would be beautiful if you didn't know how sick it all really is. It's like a skyscraper with only 3 floors. The top floor has all the rich politicians and businessmen. On the second floor are the families struggling to get jobs and homes. Then on the bottom level is the homeless and bums. Along with criminals lurking in the shadows. All this happens while the top floor does nothing, thinking the city is just another income, another brick in their empire. It made him want to throw up. For a moment, he realized why the Night Dragon did what she did. It was all just an endless circle, rotating the same way, always repeating. She was trying to change the pattern, Night Dragon was trying to do what laws and police never could. Change the way Eximius City worked.

"She's there," Brian finally spoke, "heading in your direction."

"Got it," he gasped, crouching over.

Jason breathed heavily, his lungs feeling squeezed. Jumping between buildings was no easy feat. He had to go through at least dozen of them before getting to the end of the street. He spotted a figure gliding towards him, it was Night Dragon. Her dark green outfit stood out, but still blended with the night. Jason crouched down behind a platform, trying to avoid the vigilante's gaze. She landed on the edge of the building, he heard the familiar sound of her grapple loading up.

"Wait!" Jason rushed out, trying to stop her from launching again.

Night Dragon reacted immediately, flipping him over onto his back. He widened his eyes, scooting back across the concrete. She sighed and hooked her grapple back on her belt.

"Don't surprise a vigilante," she said, helping him up, "remember that."

"I'll try to."

"You seem more...reasonable."

"I've had help," Jason said, "but you know I'm not just here to say 'hi.'"

"Of course." She sighed, "what do you want?"

"To know who you are."

"No."

"But-"

"No" she said more harshly.

"Fine," he looked at the sky, "but why?"

"You know," she twirled a sai in her right hand, "I'm surprised you're this comfortable around a person whose killed."

"Keep reminding me, and I won't be," Jason stepped back a few inches, "but you didn't answer my question."

"If I tell you, your internet freak friends will probably blab about it everywhere," she put her sai back, "and two, telling you will put you in even more danger. Your parents were already targeted, who knows if he will target you next."

"That's all pretty reasonable," Jason frowned after a few seconds.

He reached up to his ear and pulled his earpiece out. Jason put it in his gray sweatshirt pocket. Night Dragon raised an eyebrow, but didn't seem surprised by the move.

"If you want to talk in private," she said, "then you should probably also take the tracker he put on me."

She handed it to him, the small black chip cold in his palm. Raising his arm up, he chucked it off the building, most likely smashing on the sidewalk. Night Dragon nodded, Jason looked away for a moment then turned back. The vigilante was now on the taller platform, about 5 feet above the main rooftop.

"What do you really want?" She asked, her eyes softening for a split second, "knowing my identity will get you no where. What is this about?"

"I..." Jason realized he really didn't care what Night Dragon's real name was. She wanted to make a difference, and that's all that mattered to him. "I-I want to help you. Ever since the night my parents died, I've felt useless. I wasn't strong enough to save them, I want to be that person. Someone who can make a difference, a real impact. At the end of the day you realize your struggles have done little. I want to more, to be the hero my parents always believed I could be. So my question is- can I join you?"

"Now that," she smirks, "is something I can say yes to. You want to be a hero, you come with me."