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I have a feeling I’m not going to likeBrad, but I’ll manage to keep my mouth shut. I always do.
Noah hands me a beer and turns on the TV. “Wait a minute,” I say, stopping him from changing the channel.
I sit down next to him and grin when the reporter announces that a well-known politician has been sentenced to fifteen years in prison, courtesy of countless sexual harassment cases. My smile widens when the cameras settle on his face, his disbelief apparent. He knows he was set to get away with what he did, and he would have. Until a few hours ago.
My phone buzzes, and I sit up when I see the logo of the Nemesis Platform on the screen, a thrill running down my spine.
Nyx:Was it you?
I glance back at the TV, satisfaction washing over me. Fucking scumbag, using his money and power against those weaker than him. He had this coming.
Ash:Yes.
Nyx:Check the forum. The victim is so grateful, she’s offering you a reward.
I smile as I type my reply. Nyx and I have never met. I don’t even know if she’s actually a woman, since she won’t confirm or deny that. I’m just assuming she is, based on the Greek goddess she named herself after. All I know is that she’s the founder of the Nemesis Platform — a platform where victims let down by the justice system have a chance to tell their stories and ask for help.
Members can take on cases and attempt to balance the scales, the way I just did, and every once in a while, a few of us collaborate to crack a tough case.
Most of us, like Nyx and I, prefer to remain anonymous, since many of the methods we employ aren’t quite legal. But there are many lawyers and social workers on the platform too, offering pro bono legal and emotional support. Nyx allows reward money after cases have been resolved, but never payments upfront. I think that’s a key part of why this platform is so successful. She doesn’t allow any opportunity to scam or hurt those that are already vulnerable.
Ash:I don’t need a reward from her, but I’ll take one from you. Tell me something about you.
I tap my foot as I wait for her reply. I’m hailed as one of the best software engineers alive right now, but no matter what I do, I can’t find out anything about Nyx. Her platform is coded so brilliantly that I can’t even find a single vulnerability. There’s no way to hack into the Nemesis Platform — no way to find out who she is. I might be good, but Nyx is better. Far better.
Nyx:I’m trying to grow out my beard so I can braid it. Like Rapunzel, you know? Brapunzel? No, that doesn’t sound right. Beardarunzel. I intend to become Beardarunzel.
I bite back a smile and shake my head. She won’t give me anything.
Ash:Okay, now you have me worried I’ve been dreaming about meeting some hairy noob. Put me out of my misery, Nyx. At least tell me you’re a woman, albeit a bearded one.
I clutch my phone tightly as I await her reply. It wouldn’t surprise me if she ignores me altogether, but I hope she won’t.
Nyx and I have been friends for months, and it’s only recently that I’ve started to throw slightly flirtatious lines at her. She’s never responded to it, and I can’t tell if she’s not interested or just clueless.
Nyx:Yes, I’m a woman, Ash. There. That’s your reward.
I grin as I stare at my screen. She has this way of making me feel giddy like I never have before, and I don’t even know her. Hell, she didn’t even give me a reward — I already know she’s a woman. Despite that, she has me smiling like an idiot.
“Huh, I’ll be damned,” Noah says, his eyes on me. “You’re texting a woman.”
I freeze and look up at him. I’d totally forgotten where I was. I’d forgotten Noah was sitting right next to me. Lately Nyx has started to have that effect on me. I don’t even know what she looks like, but she’s got me enthralled.
“Who is she?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know, man. I have no idea who she is. It’s complicated.”
Noah grins and leans back in his seat. I sigh as I prepare myself to tell him all about Nyx. As much as I know, anyway.
2
Aria
I hold my breath as I finish the last bit of icing, my trembling hand threatening to ruin Noah’s birthday cake. I need this cake to be perfect, and I swear the icing gods conspire against me every year.
I exhale and take a cautious step back when it’s done, the edges of my lips turning up into a smile. It looks almost exactly like the inspiration image I used.
This year I went with a medical themed cake, since we’re also celebrating Noah finally finishing his residency after years of hard work. He always told me he’d be a doctor by age thirty, and he did it. It shouldn’t even surprise me, since my brother is the hardest-working man I know.
