"I hope you like games."

Her fingertips traced the gritty line of cement between the tiling in a cell. Level 5 was her home... her playground. Blue strands flitted in her open palms, spinning around like the thread released from an erratic spider. A small smile played at her lips.

"Only if its Russian roulette."

He stood, restrained, next to a solid steel bar which ran parallel to the four walls enclosing him... and her. He hated her presence, her sparks, and her constant smile. He would admit though, that her persistence intrigued him.

"Now, now, now," she said as she sauntered over to him, glancing at the handcuffs chaining him inside his cell, "I only asked you a question."

He shifted. "I answered."

She sighed and leaned against the closest wall opposite of him, kicking a leg up behind herself so that one stiletto was flush against the wall. He forced himself to look away; he didn't feel like playing her game.

"I like you." She manipulated a small ball of energy within her tiny fist, her gaze focused on his profile. "You're different than the rest."

He let out a low laugh, letting his focus fall to the floor. "Excellent observation. I can see why you're an agent."

A small ball of electricity flew at him from her palm and snaked down the metal pole. He writhed in pain, but all the while managed to keep a sly grin on his face.

"I'm damn good at my job," she said, pushing herself up off the wall and coming closer to him. "You're here, aren't you?"

He gritted his teeth at the aftershock; it was a weird sensation.

"Actually, that was my fault. You get no credit for that. Sorry, Elle."

She held her crackling open palm dangerously close to his face. The soft, flickering hue of electricity illuminated every corner in the small cell. He felt something else replacing the tingling sensation that moments before flooded his body.

"You know what? I wanted to bring you down in the worst possible way. Everything I heard about you sounded like a scene from a horror movie. But seeing you in this light? You're not that scary. You're more like a sheep in wolf's skin... or however that sounds when its reversed."

He rattled his restraints angrily against the steel pole in response. "I would cut your head open right now if I could, you know that don't you?"

She moved to place a sparking fingertip to his temple but was cut off by his free hand seizing hers.

"I'm not afraid of you and you know it," she hissed, her voice laced with fear.

She tried to free herself from his hold but to no avail. The two were locked in a dead stare. She suddenly found it hard to swallow.

"Well," he said, releasing her fizzling hand, "you really ought to. Your ability is worth stealing."

She massaged her wrist as she walked towards the cell door, turning towards him before she left.

"Tsk tsk tsk," she hummed in a low voice, "didn't you ever learn that stealing is a no-no? You have a lot to learn."

With one swift flick of her hand all the lights on Level 5 grew dark.