The rest of the day was a blur. Nothing worth mentioning, aside from Gwen, of course, always picking fights and finding some reason to be around him.
But other than that, same shit, different day.
Time passed, as it always did, by 4:30, Vincent finally dragged himself to his part time work. The day had drained him, his feet dragging as if they, too, were reluctant to face the dead-end grind awaiting him.
Byte Solutions, Queens, New York.
The soul-sucking tech support job that made every minute feel like an hour.
Tech support.
A constant stream of calls, all of them demanding instant fixes.
All of them expecting the impossible.
All of them assholes.
Then it began.
Few minutes passed.
Another call came in, the same annoying beep blaring from the speaker. Vincent didn't bother to look at the screen. He'd mastered the art of tuning it all out. But today… today, something felt different.
"Hello? Hey ...Can you hear me? This service is a joke! I'm not paying for this crap!"
Vincent clenched his jaw, clicking the "accept" button before the voice on the other end could say more.
He could already hear the impatience, the entitlement in their tone.
"Yeah, I hear you," he said, tapping his fingers on the desk. His mind was elsewhere.
He didn't need to hear the rest. He knew the drill. Slow internet, software crashes, connections dropping. Same complaints, same tired curses thrown his way like it was his fault.
Like he was the one who screwed up their entire life.
"Fixxxxxxxxeeeee Ittttt, now, you damnnnn motherfuk—"
Vincent wanted to cut him off before he could finish his rant, but instead, he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to fight off the headache that was already starting to creep in.
"Bastard, I'm not here to fix your whole damn life. I'm just doing my job, so stop yelling and take a breath."
Of course, he kept that to himself. No need to get fired over something this petty.
Then call abruptly cut off. Another one bites the dust. It was like this every day, a relentless stream of demands with no solutions and zero gratitude.
Not once had anyone said, "Thanks for helping me out." Just anger. Frustration. People spewing venom at him, expecting miracles.
His eyes drifted to the window. The sun had long dipped below the horizon, leaving the office dim, lit only by the cold blue glow of computer screens and the occasional flicker of a streetlamp outside.
It was well past 8 p.m. He was still here, still stuck in this endless cycle, while the rest of the city carried on without him.
Vincent's gaze shifted back to his workstation. It wasn't much just a small desk, a monitor, and a alarm that never stopped ringing.
The walls were bare, except for a few posters tacked up with the usual corporate nonsense about motivation.
But this was the life he had, the life he was stuck with.
At least for now.
He wasn't sure how long he'd been at the company, but it felt like a lifetime of monotony. His parents were long gone, no family to rely on.
Hell, no one in the world to rely on but himself. The government?
They didn't give a damn about some random kid. There was no safety net.
No one to catch him if he fell.
So, he worked. Because he had to.
Then ... another call.
"Your router's down again?" Vincent aksed as he hung up the phone. "Seriously, some people just never learn."
Before he could settle into his chair, the phone rang again. Another one. He sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Byte Solutions. What's the issue this time?"
The same voice on the other end came through sharp and panicked, raving about a printer and Wi-Fi not working, like the end of the world was near.
Vincent could already feel his patience thinning. He wasn't getting paid enough for this.
"Okay, here's the deal," he said, keeping his tone calm but clipped. "Unplug the router, wait 30 seconds, then plug it back in."
He didn't need to hear the rest. Same story, different day. He knew exactly how this was going to go, people complaining like they were the only ones with problems.
Vincent had learned a long time ago to play it cool and get them off the phone without losing his edge.
"Hey... Vincent"
Suddenly, a voice broke through the haze of frustration, soft and soothing.
It was Jessica Walker, the new tech support assistant.
She'd only been with the company a short time, but already, her reputation had grown.
Bright, kind, and relentlessly optimistic, qualities that seemed out of place in a place like this.
Her hazel eyes were the kind that made you wonder what was going on behind them, while her brown hair flowed like a waterfall.
Her appearance was extremely feminine, her figure delicate yet noticeable, like a flower about to bloom.
She wore a loose pink sweater, a white hat, and a pair of dark black jeans. Casual, yet it somehow made her stand out more.
She moved toward his desk with quiet grace, a cup of coffee cradled in her delicate hands.
Vincent didn't need to look up to know it was her.
"Got you a fresh cup," came the voice, followed by the soft shuffle of footsteps. Jessica Walker.
Vincent blinked and looked up. There she was again, his fellow tech support assistant, the one who somehow made the endless hours a little less painful.
Her smile was a breath of fresh air in the dreary office. "Thought you might need it," she said, setting the mug in front of him. Her gaze lingered a fraction longer than usual.
Vincent smirked and leaned back in his chair. "You're a lifesaver, Jessica."
"It's just coffee," she replied, sitting down beside him. "And you brought me one the other day, remember?"
She was always like that, easygoing, quick with a joke, never taking anything too seriously.
It made the otherwise soul-sucking job a little more bearable.
The two sat in silence for a moment while he sipped his coffee, and Jessica fiddled with her desk, her fingers tapping absentmindedly.
There was something about her, a quiet nervous energy that came out whenever she was on the verge of saying something important.
"So," she began, leaning forward slightly, eyes glinting with curiosity, "you hear about that guy they're calling the 'Alien from Blue Planet'?"
Vincent's eyebrow shot up. "Blue Planet guy?"
He hadn't expected that. He knew about the rumors, everyone seemed to have an opinion on the fight with the Abomination.
Some thought he was a hero, others a ticking time bomb, ready to snap.
"Yeah," she continued, her voice tinged with fascination.
"They're saying he's from another world or something. And, get this, someone saw a whole giant alligator in the city last week, said it was being controlled by someone... someone powerful. Weird, right?"
Vincent's thoughts raced, but he kept his face neutral.
'No, the alligator—why does it sound so familiar? Too much of a coincidence, have I read about this before or watched anything like that?'
But he kept his cool, feigning nonchalance as he leaned back in his chair. "Sounds like a load of bullshit to me. People love making up stories when they've got nothing better to do."
"By the way, I've gotta ask—why do I feel like you're getting more beautiful by the day? And you're not as skinny as you were before?"
Jessica's eyebrows shot up, her eyes narrowing playfully.
"How rude. You think I wasn't beautiful before?"
Vincent grinned, leaning back in his chair. "I didn't say that. Just saying you've... changed. In a good way. You've put on some...."
Jessica chuckled, but there was a faint blush creeping across her cheeks.
"Well, yeah. I've started working out."
Vincent raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious. "Working out?" He almost laughed, unsure how to react. "I thought you were already pretty fit."
She shrugged, her gaze turning a little self-conscious. "I was, but I felt... weak, you know? I decided to start lifting weights. Trying to get stronger."
Vincent studied her for a moment, impressed despite himself. "Huh. I didn't take you for the gym girl."
She grinned, the sparkle in her eyes making her look more alive than usual.
"I know, right? But I've been reading up on it. It's kind of like training to be a spy."
"A spy?" Vincent raised an eyebrow, half-amused, half-cautious.
Jessica laughed, her tone light but with a trace of seriousness.
"Not really a spy. More like a detective."
"Detective?" Vincent leaned in, intrigued. "I thought you were all about those cheesy romance dramas."
She rolled her eyes with a smile. "I am. But I've always been into spy stuff too. You know, what's going on behind the scenes? Who's pulling the strings in this city? Don't you think it's exciting to uncover the Mysteries, finding something no one knew?"
"I guess... Everyone's got a hobby,"h
He said.
But she wasn't done. "Yeah, I guess. But some hobbies... they can get a little dangerous," she said quietly, almost as if to herself.
Vincent's mind went dark for a moment, but before he could respond, the ticking of the clock reminded him how much time had passed.
It was almost nine. Jessica's shift was over, and he hadn't even noticed.
"Well, guess that's my cue," she said, standing up. "But Vincent, actually... I…"
She hesitated, almost as if weighing something, before she leaned forward and placed a small, heart-shaped wrapped chocolate on his desk. A note was attached.
Vincent furrowed his brow, reaching for the chocolate without thinking. His lips curled into a small, amused smirk. "What's this?"
Jessica's voice was quieter now, almost embarrassed.
"Happy New Year, Vincent. I didn't get to say it earlier."
Vincent chuckled, his tone lighter than before.
"I'll take it. Don't make a habit of it, though."
Jessica blushed, her eyes darting away quickly as if embarrassed by the gesture. "You're welcome," she mumbled before rushing to the door. "See you tomorrow."
Vincent watched her leave, her sudden boldness catching him off guard. It left him with a strange feeling, one he wasn't sure what to do with.
No one had done something like that for him in a while.
He glanced down at the chocolate, cracking it open. As he did, a folded piece of paper slipped out, falling softly onto the desk.
The note read:
"Love, like evidence, surfaces when least expected."
"___"
Vincent stared at the note for a long moment, his amusement fading. It wasn't a random note. It was a confession, layered in between the sweet and the playful.
He let out a quiet, humorless laugh, shaking his head.
"Silly girl."
He didn't dare to read further...
For a moment, Vincent's mind processed the unexpected confession.
Jessica was kind, sure, but? There was only one person who mattered to him, and it sure as hell wasn't Jessica.
"I know you're a nice girl, Jessica," he said coldly, his tone flat. "But some men... some men are just meant for women before they even come into the world."
He paused for a second. That was it. He wasn't going to apologize for his feelings.
"I only have Miss Suzy in my heart," he repeated, his voice firm, his conviction growing. "I love Mrs. Susan Storm, and I'll love her until I burn this whole damn world down."
He didn't care if it sounded insane.
It was true, so he said it three times.
The phone rang suddenly, jerking him from his thoughts. He groaned, irritated, grabbed the receiver, and put it to his ear.
"Vincent Valentine," he snapped.
The voice on the other end had an arrogant edge to it, like the guy knew exactly how much power he had.
"Is this Byte Solution?" the man asked. "I've been waiting for you, Jessica."
Vincent raised an eyebrow.
'Jessica? What the hell is this guy talking about?'
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's Vincent here," he cut in. "And who the hell are you?"
The guy on the other end sounded too pleased with himself.
"I'm David, David Graven. And I'm everything to Jessica. No, Nope ...scratch that, I will be everything to her. And how dare you sit next to her, you little peasant."
Vincent's blood ran cold. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. His patience was wearing thin, and it was clear this guy was trying to rile him up.
"You some kind of creepy stalker, huh?"
Vincent's voice was sharp, laced with sarcasm.
"Or a hacker? What are you, really?"
David laughed, a laugh that was intended to send chills down Vincent's spine.
"Call it whatever you want, Valentine. But I'll be the one to protect her. I'll be her everything. If you try to stand in my way... but first, I'll kill you in a way that'll haunt you for eternity."
"Not if I complain to the police? "
"Not if you forget everything you just heard. Hahahah!"
Vincent's grip on the phone tightened, his jaw clenched. This guy was pushing all the wrong buttons.
"Jessica Jones is mine," David finished, his voice dripping with certainty.
Vincent laughed darkly, his voice low and dangerous.
"Sure, whatever, dumbfuck. Come find me if you've got the guts. If you think you can threaten me like that, do it to my face."
Before he could say anything else, the phone went dead, the line clicking off sharply.
Vincent stared at the receiver for a moment, his mind racing.
"David Graven?"
The name echoed in his mind, sparking recognition.
"Why does this name sound familiar? And did he just say... Jessica Jones? Isn't her surname Walker?"